Chapter 35: The Three-piece Sail Set
The pendulum clock was the last discovery in the Captain’s Cabin.
At this point, all the finances in the entire cabin had been recorded in the Account Book.
The most valuable items in the cabin were the twelve parchment books, followed by the Cross ivory carving, then the walnut four-poster bed.
As for the paintings on the wall, they were artworks and not counted among them.
Zhou Xiucai roughly estimated that if the items in the Captain’s Cabin were packed and sold, they would be worth about 6,000 to 12,000 taels of silver.
Round it up and calculate as 10,000 taels of silver.
For this galleon’s haul, if the cash value was 200,000 taels of silver, plus the Captain’s Cabin made 210,000 taels; as captain, his 10% share would be about 21,000 taels.
By the time the spoils from the Captain’s Cabin were fully inventoried, it was around noon.
The crew began eating in shifts. Lin Qian said to Zhou Xiucai: “Call Elder Brother, Third Brother, and Seventh Brother to the Officer’s Restaurant for dinner, and you, Second Brother, go too. I have something to say.”
“Okay.” Zhou Xiucai nodded and went out.
……
Twenty minutes later, all the brothers were seated in the stern restaurant.
Lunch was still hard biscuits with salted meat, and everyone looked troubled upon seeing it.
Considering this stuff was really hard to swallow, Lin Qian had the cook pair each meal with a cup of rum. Now, the “sailboat three-piece set” on the table was complete.
Lin Qian said: “There’s only this on the ship; bear with it. Once we dock, I’ll treat everyone to a Cantonese cuisine feast.”
Everyone reluctantly dug in, but chopsticks were useless for this food.
“Calling the brothers here today is to reassign everyone’s positions.”
Everyone slowed their actions and held their breath in attention.
“After all, the galleon is a Franks’ ship, with structure and performance very different from the Fuchuan Ship, so the positions should imitate those of the Franks.”
Lin Qian paused, saw no one speak, and continued.
“Elder Brother, Chen Jiao, serve as First Mate.”
“Zhou Erge, serve as quartermaster and accountant.”
“Lei Sanxiang, serve as Master Gunner and Boatswain.”
“Bai Langzai, serve as navigator.”
After speaking, Lin Qian explained the position duties to the four and said: “These positions are all in ship management. When dividing spoils, they also share in the sailors’, medic’s, and carpenter’s cuts, meaning they get much more.”
“For this ship robbery, Zhou Erge estimated the cash value at 200,000 taels. Ordinary crew would get over 300 taels each, officers nearly 5,000 taels each.”
“Hahaha… Hearing this price makes even this white-gray ghost stuff taste good.” Lei Sanxiang laughed.
Bai Langzai: “Sixth Brother, I don’t know navigation.”
Lin Qian: “I’ll teach you.”
Although Lin Qian could serve as navigator himself, he had too many things on his plate now; even working all night every day wasn’t enough—he had to delegate some.
After long observation, Bai Langzai valued loyalty and was very devoted to Lin Qian. As a Tanka person, he already knew navigation well and would learn quickly. Lin Qian felt assured teaching him the sextant and sea chart reading.
Moreover, Lin Qian had deeper intentions; after reaching the Pearl River, he might need Bai Langzai as his intermediary with the Tanka people.
Winning over Bai Langzai now was paving the way for recruiting Tanka people later.
“Tonight, come to the Captain’s Cabin,” Lin Qian said to Bai Langzai.
“Okay.”
“Helmsman…” Chen Jiao hesitated before speaking, “We’ve made a lot this time, but according to rules, giving each crew member over 300 taels in shares—isn’t that too much?”
Zhou Xiucai: “The Dao De Jing says: ‘Its government is unobtrusive, its people are pure; its government is meddlesome, its people are wanting.’ Anyway, the crew don’t know the account totals. Even giving each 100 or 200 taels would be enough to make the ship workers grateful.”
Chen Jiao looked worried: “I’m concerned that too much share will make people leave. 300 taels can buy over ten mu of land to become a well-off family. Once docked, no one will want to return to suffer on the ship.”
At this, everyone glanced at the “sailboat three-piece set” before them and felt “return to the ship to suffer” was especially fitting.
However, Lin Qian had already considered what Chen Jiao worried about.
No need for Lin Qian to figure it out; later capitalists had: let them spend the money—maintain inflation at the macro level, raise living costs at the micro level.
Of course, a single capitalist couldn’t achieve those two points.
Most capitalists chose easier methods: control employee income levels, encourage debt, keep them seemingly well-off but starving if they left the company.
After Lin Qian took Nan’ao Island, he could manage that point.
The above were just more civilized means. As the saying goes, “easy to board a ship, hard to disembark.” Since the crew chose this line of work and took blood-stained silver, leaving easily wouldn’t be so simple…
But with the team newly formed, Lin Qian didn’t plan to coerce the crew too much. As long as core members stayed, he wouldn’t restrict others’ leaving.
If someone left to set up a household on land and become rich and renowned, that would be the team’s living advertisement.
If they fared poorly after landing, they could serve as a cautionary tale.
If one was unlucky and caught by the government, ratting out Lin Qian wouldn’t be a big issue.
After all, he robbed a Manila Galleon. That alone would make him famous in history, on par with the world’s notorious pirates; the Spanish Governor would surely send envoys to protest to the Great Ming Imperial Court.
A wanted poster with his portrait, plastered along the Great Ming coast, was inevitable.
So Lin Qian couldn’t linger too long at the Pearl River Estuary—as long as the crew didn’t scatter during that time.
Lin Qian thought briefly and calmly said: “No need to worry. Though we give 300 taels of silver each, it’s not all at once—pay 10 taels per time, stretch it over dozens of days.”
Chen Jiao: “But after dozens of days, with the silver in hand, they’ll still leave.”
“Then hold back dozens of taels and pay at year-end.” Lin Qian pondered and added: “But in any case, those who want to leave will leave; no need to force them.”
Lei Sanxiang worried: “What if someone reports to the officials or gets caught by the government?”
“No one will forgo silver to report officials. If someone is caught, as long as the ship reaches the outer seas, the government is helpless.”
After Lin Qian spoke, he thought and added.
“From now on, set this rule on the ship: roll call every morning, then pay silver. If someone misses roll call, we know they’re caught—sail immediately.”
When the ship docks, forbidding crew from going ashore is impossible. Otherwise, why earn silver?
In the end, Lin Qian was still just a sea bandit, his men a motley crew gathered for profit—temporarily manageable only this way.
In the future, with territory and strength, Lin Qian could mold this rabble into a navy.
With business done, they all began discussing Cantonese cuisine: where the raw pickled was fresher, where the yellow wine more fragrant.
After discussing food and drink, they turned to women: which place’s had smoother skin, smaller feet.
Lin Qian listened for a while, then couldn’t help commenting: “What’s attractive about bound feet? They’re dirty and sickly.”
Zhou Xiucai shook his head with relish: “Inlaid ruler measures four fen less, slender jade shoots wrapped in light clouds. Hehe, its wonders defy words…”
Lei Sanxiang looked curious: “Really? Women in Liaodong all have big feet; I’ve never seen small ones.”
Zhou Xiucai said mysteriously: “Wait till we dock; you’ll see.”
Chen Jiao: “Heard Tanka people don’t bind feet?”
Bai Langzai: “Tanka people have lived on ships for generations. Women with bound feet can’t walk on board.”
Lin Qian nodded: “That’s healthy aesthetics.”
Zhou Xiucai feigned anger: “The petty man is not worth discussing…”
Everyone joked around for a long time but still didn’t finish the hard biscuits and salted meat.
