Zhutian: Starting from the Space-Time Merchant

Chapter 284 Lan Yu Causes Trouble

"The shark was picked out; it has a strong smell and needs to be processed separately."

"The fish need to be sorted; they are also divided into red meat and white meat."

"The fish head, tail, and offal must all be removed. There's a repaired cement pool over there. Put the fish in, sprinkle salt, and use a compound fermentation method to make fish sauce. Remember to add yeast."

"Chop the large fish into chunks and use them directly to make salted fish, which will preserve it for longer."

"Don't try to save me salt; there's more than I can use."

"The best, biggest piece of fish, go into the pot now!"

Lin Dao personally oversaw and urged the delivery of supplies as quickly as possible.

Construction of Liujiagang commenced rapidly.

The local fishermen either work as laborers on construction sites or go out to sea to fish on modern fishing boats.

This morning, more than a dozen large and medium-sized fishing boats, some even over 100 or 200 tons, went out to sea for the first time after receiving training.

These ships were equipped with trawl nets and diesel engines.

Around 3 PM, the fleet returned.

Although several trawl nets were lost, two diesel engines were damaged, and there were other miscellaneous accidents.

But the boats did return, bringing back tens of thousands of kilograms of fish.

There's no way around it; the ocean resources are just too abundant these days.

Especially in coastal areas, once a fishing ground is found, several thousand kilograms of fish can be easily caught with a single net cast.

Fishing boats docked at the temporary pier, and all sorts of catches were brought down like a tide.

Lin Dao took the initiative to step forward to provide guidance and arrange for the handling of the situation.

The shark he was referring to was the small shark, about the length of an arm, commonly found on the beach, not a great white shark.

Shark skin has a very strong smell and requires special processing before it can be eaten; it is usually not eaten.

Even without a refrigerated compartment, the seafood shouldn't spoil that quickly.

With enough manpower, we can still finish the job.

Near the dozen or so temporary boardwalks, there were large patches of fish blood and spilled wastewater, which were not only glaring but also pungent.

Large trucks loaded with rubber tires transported away large quantities of fish.

The fish used for making fish sauce are taken away to make fish sauce, and the fish used for making salted fish are taken away to be pickled. The freshest and fattest fish are taken away and cooked directly for dinner.

Lin Dao was worried about parasites, especially tapeworms that could grow to several meters long.

Therefore, the military uses military law and the civilians use appeals and reminders to require everyone to eat cooked food, thoroughly cooked food.

For dinner, Lin Dao ate yellow croaker of various sizes.

They are definitely not artificially bred.

“Our Central Plains has a large population, but its resources are insufficient.”

During the meal, Lin Dao kept talking to everyone, "Especially meat, most people get very little meat, so little that it can be ignored."

"During the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, there were fewer people and more meat to eat. They were strong, tall, and could defeat the barbarian tribes from all directions, making them cry out for their fathers and mothers."

But later...

Later, as the population grew, there wasn't enough meat to go around, and it became the exclusive domain of the powerful and wealthy.

Ordinary people are reducing their intake, and in many cases, they cannot even guarantee the supply of the most basic carbohydrates.

This has led to a decline in physical fitness and a continuous decrease in average height.

Especially after their country was destroyed and they became colonies, their lives were extremely miserable, no different from those of the lower castes in India.

Along the way, all I saw were emaciated people with pale, sickly faces.

"The people of the Central Plains are the strongest and most outstanding in the world."

"We want to eat well, drink well, grow tall, and grow strong!"

"Let's start by eating fish."

Before the advent of large-scale livestock farming, marine catches were probably the fastest and most suitable source of protein.

Given the abundance of marine species in this era, it wouldn't be a problem to harvest ten million tons a year.

The only difficulty is that salvage is very difficult, and transportation and storage are also challenging.

Currently, making fish sauce and marinating/air-drying are the only options.

"Lu Yuan".

"Zhang Shicheng".

After eating and drinking his fill, Lin Dao, picking his teeth with a fish bone, looked at the two men and instructed them, "I'm leaving things here to you."

"Repair the harbor, build ships, and fish."

"The port is the base. Only with a good port can one sail to a more distant sea."

"Lu Yuan, I'm entrusting the port repair work to you."

"We'll provide as many people, funds, supplies, tools, steel bars, and cement as you need."

"The amount I sent you is enough to repair two Liujiagang."

Having witnessed Lin Dao's miraculous creation of things out of thin air, Lu Yuan was now truly convinced.

He rose and bowed respectfully, saying, "This humble official is willing to sign a military pledge, promising to succeed within six months! If I fail, I will commit suicide!"

Lin Dao gestured for him to sit down.

"Shipbuilding is the trunk of a tree; only with a ship can we go to sea and obtain resources from the ocean."

"The shipyard blueprints and the air-dried timber are all ready."

"The master shipwrights recruited from various places will be sent over gradually, and we must also hurry up with this matter."

"I will be of great use once the fleet is formed."

Undoubtedly of great use.

Head north and wipe out the Goryeo people who are dogs of the Mongols.

They marched eastward and pacified the Japanese, a country with mountains of gold and silver.

And, they marched south and wiped out the monkeys on the various islands!

No matter the time or place, he would not allow these monkeys, who have committed countless crimes against the people of the Central Plains, to continue to exist!

Lin Dao turned his head and looked at Zhang Shicheng.

"As for fishing..."

"It's not that the more the better; it has to match the processing capacity of the fish processing plants."

"When fishermen go out to sea to fish, their female relatives can work in fish processing plants and receive their catch as payment."

"As more ports are built in the future, more fish processing plants will also be needed."

"Don't worry about using too much salt. Salt is essential if you want to transport your catch inland."

"The one thing the seaside has no shortage of is salt."

"Fishing boats will be built in shipyards in the future."

"I'll send you the trawling gun and all that."

Zhang Shicheng bowed respectfully.

"Yes, sir!" (From the Imperial Guard camp in Taizhou City.)

Lan Yu picked up her brother-in-law's bow and pretended to pull it.

"This is a two-stone bow. With your build, you think you can draw it?"

As Chang Yuchun looked through the clothes Lan Yu had sent, he folded and packed them away, but complained, "No need to send clothes. The army provides everything. I don't need any clothes."

Lan Yu retorted, dissatisfied, "So what if it's a two-stone bow? I can draw it!"

Chang Yuchun didn't even look up or respond; he just chuckled.

His utter contempt was palpable.

Young men should not be looked down upon.

He reached into the quiver beside him, took an arrow, and nocked it on the bowstring.

"I can pull it open."

His anger fueled his growing strength, and he actually managed to draw the bowstring more than halfway.

But that was all.

The force couldn't be sustained by his hands.

As soon as he let go, the arrow shot out at an angle and flew over the courtyard wall.

Just as Lan Yu was about to speak and show off his drawn bow, he heard shouts and the sound of swords being drawn coming from outside the courtyard wall.

Hearing the noise, Chang Yuchun suddenly looked up.

"What's up?!"

A series of hurried footsteps approached, and a squad of imperial guards, armed with weapons, surged into the courtyard.

Following closely behind was Lin Dao, who was holding a feathered arrow.

He came to select men from the imperial guards, but unexpectedly, an arrow fell limply from the sky and landed right in front of him.

For Lin Dao, who always prioritized his own safety, this undoubtedly enraged him.

Upon seeing the Ming King appear, Chang Yuchun hurriedly bowed.

Lin Dao glanced at him, raised the feathered arrow in his hand, and looked at the words engraved on it.

'Deputy Commander of the Ninth Company of the Imperial Guards, Regular Commander.'

Hefted the arrow in his hand and asked, "Did you shoot that?"

Chang Yuchun subconsciously looked at Lan Yu.

Terrified, Lan Yu hurriedly dropped the bow in her hand, crying out, "No... I..."

Chang Yuchun was furious and wished he could beat him to death.

That bastard really knows how to cause trouble!
Seeing Lan Yu trembling with fear, Lin Dao asked, "Who is this? Are there children among the Imperial Guards?"

The Imperial Guard was selected from the elite of the army; those chosen were all strong and muscular men, capable of wearing heavy armor and wielding heavy weapons.

The child in front of me~
If he really was a soldier from the Imperial Guard, Lin Dao would have to teach Zheng Chenggong a lesson.

"Your Majesty, please forgive me!"

Chang Yuchun hurriedly bowed and explained, "This is my wife's younger brother. He is young and ignorant and has offended Your Majesty. Please forgive him."

"Your brother-in-law?"

Lin Dao looked at Lan Yu, who was pale and trembling.

He remembered Chang Yuchun's brother-in-law, it seemed to be...
"What is your name?"

"I, Lan Yu, beg Your Majesty's mercy!"

Seeing his brother-in-law crying so pathetically, Chang Yuchun felt a deep sense of disappointment and frustration.

So what if you're going to die? Why are you crying?

"Sapphire."

Sure enough it was him.

This man was a famous general, but he had bad luck.

"Have you ever been to school and can read?"

"I am a lowly person, I am in the old camp, and I attend night school."

"In that case," Lin Dao instructed, "from now on, you will serve as my servant."

A messenger is someone who runs errands to deliver official documents and orders.

Even a seemingly unremarkable temporary worker can have their job depending on who they're working for.

Serving as a servant or attendant to the Ming King would make one the most important person in the Red Turban Army.

"Unauthorized use of weapons within the military camp."

Lin Dao changed the subject abruptly, saying, "He should be punished."

He looked at Chang Yuchun and said, "Give him a good talking-to, so he won't cause any trouble in the future."

Chang Yuchun hurriedly bowed and replied, "I obey!"

"I'm going out in a couple of days, and you and your brother-in-law will come with me."

Lin Dao turned and walked out. "Be careful with your strength when you're disciplining him. He only needs to lie in bed for a couple of days."

Only after everyone had left did Chang Yuchun, feeling a great weight lifted from his shoulders, get up.

Immediately, he raised his hand to touch his face, his eyes fierce as he clenched his fists and walked towards Lan Yu.

"The King has ordered that you lie down for two days."

"Don't worry, I'll be careful."

"I'll only make you feel pain, not hurt you!"

Two days later, Lan Yu, whose legs were still a little unsteady and whose eyes were swollen, joined the team.

This is a team of about one hundred people.

Lin Dao is the owner, Shi Nai'an is the manager, and Lan Yu is the servant.

Chang Yuchun and the others disguised themselves as shop assistants.

Disguised as merchants from the Huai River region, they hired a boat and sailed eastward from Jiangdu into the Yangtze River region.

The boats sailed downstream, passing Changzhou Road, Pingjiang Road, and Songjiang Prefecture before entering the sea.

Before entering the sea, the Yuan navy boarded the ship for inspection.

Chang Yuchun and the others had already secretly grasped their weapons, ready to fight.

However, the Yuan navy never even entered the ship's cabin.

After accepting the ship owner's bribe on deck, he left happily.

Lin Dao scoffed at this.

"The area below is already rotten to this extent; what fighting power could it possibly have?"

"This Yuan Dynasty is doomed to perish sooner or later."

Shi Nai'an, who was standing to the side, echoed in agreement, "Ming Wang is right!"
The merchant ships sailed around Wangpanyang and eventually docked in Qiantang County.

Qiantang County was part of Hangzhou Prefecture.

(End of this chapter)