0p0 Chapter 181 How old is she? Can she shoulder the responsibility of this family?
Chapter 181 How old is she? Can she shoulder the responsibility of this family?
He Dashan scratched his head, looking somewhat simple-minded and embarrassed. "Lord Wu asked me if I would like to join the coastal defense team in Linshui Village."
He Chunhua was taken aback. Although she had just been found, the story of the fight between Linshui Village and the pirates had already spread far and wide.
I've heard of it even in neighboring counties.
However, since she was a servant at the time, she didn't hear everything. She only knew that in Ninghai County, there was a coastal village that had formed a coastal defense team and had routed a group of pirates who came ashore to plunder.
It's important to know that the raids on fishing villages by pirates didn't just start this year; they've been going on intermittently for many years.
But this was the only time they didn't get the better of them.
The rumors weren't very detailed, but He Chunhua remembered the name "coastal defense team" clearly.
The little girl was inexplicably excited. "Brother, wasn't it the coastal defense team from Linshui Village that defeated the pirates a while ago?"
He Chunshan nodded. They lived only about ten miles apart, so naturally they knew more about the situation than his sister.
"Lord Wu said that the team was lacking someone skilled in long-range attacks and providing cover, and asked if I would be willing to come and teach archery."
"This is great news! Why didn't my brother agree?"
He Chunshan's face was full of struggle. "Chunhua, you've seen the situation at home. What will happen to our family if I come to Linshui Village?"
My mother is in poor health and often has mental instability. My sons, Da Mao and Xiao Mao, are only 5 years old, and my wife can't take care of them all by herself.
Now that Chunhua is back, it's better that someone is helping out.
But what about making a living? Since he came to Linshui Village, he has no time to hunt, let alone tend to the crops. He himself is well-fed and watered, but what about his family? Will they starve?
He Chunhua sighed. The brother and sister didn't know much about how the coastal defense team operated, and thought to themselves that her brother's considerations made sense.
It's a pity that Lord Wu personally invited them. Moreover, the pirates who came ashore to burn, kill, loot, and harm their compatriots are truly despicable.
She didn't want her brother to be a hero, but she hoped he would be a true man.
"Brother," the little girl bit her lip and told him about her plan to start a business selling mountain products.
He Chunshan thought so too, "Brother also plans to do the same, but it will be hard for little sister to travel back and forth every day."
He Chunhua shook her head. "Brother, what I mean is, you go help Lord Wu, and I'll take care of supporting the family." Although the coastal defense team is not under the jurisdiction of the government, Lord Wu's involvement means that he is supporting them, and there may be more opportunities in the future.
“You…” He Chunshan was still a little hesitant. How old was she? Could she shoulder the responsibility of this family?
Liu Zi sat on the carriage shaft and overheard the entire conversation between the brother and sister inside the carriage. When he returned to the Gu family, he told Lin Chang'er everything.
Lin Chang'er couldn't help but laugh, thinking to herself that Wu Qingfeng was unreliable, but then added that it was good to be cautious.
If you promise great benefits from the beginning, you may not win their true hearts.
Although the He siblings seem to be honest people.
Lin Chang'er has now assigned all the tasks she can to trusted people, and she is finally able to have some free time.
After waking up from my afternoon nap, I didn't rush to get out of bed. Listening to the sound of students reading aloud coming from the courtyard, and touching my increasingly bulging wallet, I felt that if it weren't for the pirates' incursions, we could be living a peaceful life now.
The coastal defense team has now grown to more than 200 people, and she has divided them into several teams to work in shifts.
For example, in the first ten days of the month, Team One was responsible for managing the sugarcane plantation, Team Two was responsible for collecting firewood, Team Three was responsible for beachcombing, Team Four was responsible for sugar pressing, and Team Five was responsible for patrolling. In the middle of the month, they would switch to another job. The wages were the same for everyone, so no one was at a disadvantage.
Of course, there are 8 days off every month, and wages will not be deducted.
This preferential treatment made the brothers in the coastal defense team more dedicated to their work, and made those who hesitated and did not sign up during the second recruitment regret their decision.
So much so that every day these days, old women come to Aunt Gu's door with small baskets to ask if the coastal defense team will still be recruiting.
At this time of year, Aunt Gu would treat everyone to good water and tea, and would naturally refuse any gifts. If asked too many questions, she would only say, "Our family is just hiring people; Old Huo and Hai Zi will decide on the matters of the coastal defense team."
That's how it seems on the surface, but who doesn't know that it was their third daughter-in-law who proposed building the coastal defense team?
They say they're recruiting workers, but isn't that just a disguised way of paying the coastal defense force? They can't even get enough to eat, who has the strength to fight the pirates?
Sometimes when the old women who came to visit got angry, they would inevitably complain, but Aunt Gu would speak very kindly, making it difficult for them to lose their temper, so they could only give up.
Lin Chang'er was also surprised by the transformation of the Gu family. When they first arrived, they were all timid like steamed buns, but now even the youngest, Gu Xiaoman, is already the leader of the children.
Needless to say, the little goldfish had a reputation for fighting pirates, and when they went out, the children all looked at them with admiration.
Lin Chang'er has always known how to enjoy life and how to balance work and rest.
Zhou Mu was also put in charge of beachcombing. Her job was to write down the tide times, wind speed, wind direction, and precautions on a small board and hang it at the door every day, based on the weather forecast.
Zhou Mu will make his own arrangements.
Lin Chang'er woke up refreshed and the sun was shining brightly. She remembered some things and saw Wu Qingfeng drinking tea under the eaves. She went over and asked him for a cup.
I mentioned the construction of the seawall and the shipyard to him.
Wu Qingfeng held his teacup, took a small sip, and asked, "What made you think of building a shipyard?"
Lin Chang'er looked up at the sky and said, "Shao'an has a map of our Tianqi. I have looked at it carefully. If we can build a shipping route along the coast, we can enter the inland river from Yungang in the north and go straight to the capital along the North Canal. It will be two or three days faster than taking the South Canal."
"Several waterways in the inland area converge and flow into the sea through Yungang. Therefore, it is cheaper for us to use Yungang as our hinterland to distribute and transport goods than to go through the South Canal and then transfer to horse-drawn carriages."
Wu Qingfeng nodded, "And there's more!" She saved the timber from building the house for the coastal defense first. He didn't believe that she was undertaking such a large project just to make money.
Lin Chang'er said, "I've been hearing about the pirates causing trouble in various places lately. I've always believed that a large-scale battle with the pirates is inevitable sooner or later."
“Our county doesn’t have a large port, so the supplies we can provide are limited.”
“I have conducted on-site inspections along the coastline. The natural conditions at our estuary are not bad. Of course, I originally planned to buy a boat and go to sea.”
Living off the sea and engaging in small-scale fishing on the shore is certainly different from the feeling of going out into the sea to catch fish.
Moreover, in later generations, fishermen made contributions to coastal defense in ways you can't even imagine; there was nothing they couldn't do.
Previously, people were afraid of the ocean because of their lack of understanding of it, but she is different. She has an advantage: as long as she doesn't act recklessly, there will be no great risk in going into the sea.
Wu Qingfeng lowered his eyelashes slightly, dipped his finger in tea, and drew two curved lines on the eaves, then drew a diagonal line connecting them. "What do you think?"