Chapter 63: Important Matters To Discuss
Dealt with Huang Hetai.
Lin Qian paid some silver to compensate the frightened sailors at Shen’ao Port.
He also had Su Kang treat the unfortunately injured naval officers and soldiers.
In this way, their group was finally settled on the island.
……
The next day.
Santa Ana Officer’s Restaurant.
Lin Qian gathered all the island’s carpenters, ropemakers, blacksmiths, and other craftsmen for a meeting.
There were too many people, so there weren’t enough chairs; the younger ones had to stand to the side and listen.
To not delay the progress of the residential area’s construction, Lin Qian deliberately moved the meeting to the evening.
A steaming cup of Longjing tea was placed in front of everyone; the Longjing tea of this era was not like the colored water served in later fly-specked eateries with a pot when dining.
In this era when ordinary people could only drink tea dregs, Longjing tea was genuine fine tea that only official families could afford.
Therefore, even though the craftsmen were mentally fatigued, for the sake of the tea, they were willing to listen to Lin Qian’s meeting.
Lin Qian first had the craftsmen report on the progress of the residential area separately.
The craftsmen reported that manpower was sufficient on the island, timber was sufficient, and most valuably, the pearl households and Tanka people, whom they usually looked down on, worked very hard, and the houses were built very quickly.
At this speed, in another three or four months, all the houses could be completed.
Lin Qian shook his head: “Still too slow, can it be faster?”
The craftsmen looked at each other and finally said: “Then we need more labor, add some more carpenters…”
“Mm.” Lin Qian dipped the bamboo brush in ink and noted in the sea log to bring back more carpenters on the next departure.
The craftsmen were silent, feeling that the rustling sound of the bamboo brush was like Yama hooking souls in the book of life and death.
Next, Lin Qian asked clearly about the number and quality of carpenters needed.
When they learned that the most lacking were the apprentices to assist, they couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief.
After all, the southeast coast was so vast, all the notable carpenters had been gathered by him, and finding more with the same skill would really be hard.
Next agenda item.
Lin Qian took out a blueprint and spread it on the table.
The craftsmen felt deeply helpless, moved the candlelight closer, and craned their necks to look.
This was already who knows how many blueprints they had seen since boarding the ship.
The blueprint still had the familiar tiny regular script and densely packed data that everyone was used to.
This kind of blueprint had astonished many craftsmen at first sight, but now seeing it felt numb.
The only fresh thing was that this blueprint depicted a ship.
The ship had three masts, a stout hull, and more than a dozen movable windows arranged along the ship’s rails on both sides.
“These are… gunports?” A carpenter saw the trick.
“This seems to be the ship under our feet, right?”
“Helmsman, do you want to build another one?”
Lin Qian smiled: “Look more carefully.”
The crowd had to bring more candlelight, looked for a moment, and saw the clues.
Someone pointed to the bow: “Here it was originally mainsails, changed to several triangular sails.”
Mute Huang gestured vaguely at the ship’s rail with his tobacco pipe.
Someone suddenly realized: “Right, the number of gunports along the ship’s rail has also changed.”
Santa Ana originally had only one cannon deck, with fourteen gunports per side, now increased to sixteen.
On the upper deck, bow deck, and stern deck, beside each side’s railings, six small cannon positions were added.
In this way, the hull’s cannon count increased from thirty guns to forty-six, an increase of 53.33%.
He had calculated the hull’s structural strength; adding sixteen cannons was still a conservative design.
The problem was that no tree grows in the shape of ship planks.
Shipwrights build ships like playing with building blocks, using whatever piece they grab, as long as it fits together in the end, regardless of how.
Therefore, in the age of sailing warships, no two ships are exactly alike, even if designed with the same blueprint.
So, theory is one thing, practice is another.
Lin Qian could only design where to open the gunports.
Specifically, which wooden boards on the hull can be cut and which cannot depends on the shipwrights and carpenters.
The craftsmen studied the blueprint for a long time, then with Lin Qian’s permission, took the blueprint down to the cannon deck and compared it.
Most of the crew were sleeping on the cannon deck, awakened by the noise, got up from their hammocks one after another, and sleepily watched the group studying the wooden boards.
They fiddled around until late at night.
After leaving the cannon deck, Mute Huang patted the blueprint and then gave a thumbs up.
Lin Qian understood and asked: “When can we start work? How long will the construction period be?”
A carpenter replied: “Earliest start tomorrow, the construction period will take at least ten days. But this way, city building will slow down again.”
Lin Qian thought for a moment: “Put city building on hold first, during this time, modify the gunports first.”
Calculating the time, in a few days it would be the fifteenth of the eighth month, the day for the first cargo handover.
According to the agreement between Lin Qian and the fat councillor, this handover’s cargo value totaled forty thousand taels, of which ten thousand taels were for procuring firearms.
The procured firearms would be loaded onto Santa Ana on the return trip.
Currently, with the new emperor ascending the throne in Great Ming, the Imperial Court had no time for other matters.
This was precisely his golden development period; he must use every means to expand his strength.
For sea battles, relying on just one ship definitely wouldn’t work.
But building new warships was costly and laborious, and extremely time-consuming; even with ready planks, it would take months or even years.
Strengthening Santa Ana was just a stopgap measure.
Once strength was up, find some oblivious sea bandit to strike, seize the sea bandit’s fleet for himself, and send the heads to Garrison Commander Huang for merit.
This would be perfect.
As the horizon brightened slightly, Lin Qian saw the craftsmen off back to the island on a small boat.
As they were about to disembark, each had five taels of silver stuffed into their hands.
Now, the craftsmen who had faces full of resentment suddenly beamed with joy.
Great Ming’s commodity economy was extremely active; wherever there were people, there was business.
As early as a few days ago, there were sporadic vendors on the island, followed by gambling dens and flower boats.
Silver is always useful, even on this godforsaken island.
After seeing off the last craftsman.
Lin Qian walked back to the captain’s cabin, too tired to undress or wash his face, collapsed onto the bed, and instantly fell into a deep sleep.
After an unknown time, hearing noise on the deck, he jolted awake.
Lin Qian went to the washbasin, wiped his face with a wet cloth, and felt refreshed.
Walking out, he saw Lei Sanxiang arranging the crew roll call, and after confirming all were present, dismissing them.
“Helmsman.” Someone called him from behind.
Lin Qian turned around and saw Zhou Xiucai and Jose.
Today was the day the two would escort the goods to Macau for handover with the fat councillor.
“Be careful on the road,” Lin Qian instructed, “Buy more matchlock guns; this stuff Old Jose knows, just listen to him more.”
“Got it, Helmsman.” Zhou Xiucai nodded in agreement.
Lin Qian escorted the two down the rope ladder all the way.
Below the rope ladder, a three-masted Fuchuan ship was waiting quietly.
This ship was bought by Lin Qian from nearby sea merchants for delivering goods.
The goods for this handover had already been loaded in advance, and there were more than ten skilled hands on board for escort.
Soon after, the Fuchuan ship lowered its sails and slowly set sail.
At the same time, from the direction of White Sand Bay, a fast boat sailed over, stopped beside the galleon; the visitor was a soldier under Garrison Commander Huang.
He came before Lin Qian, cupped his hands and said: “The Garrison Commander requests the leader to come over; there is important business to discuss.”
Lin Qian frowned slightly: “Did he say what it was about?”
The soldier said: “It seems to be related to the General.”
