Rebirth 77: From Beachcombing to Becoming a Tycoon and Spoiling My Wife

"Little Qian, you're still not giving up."

Liu Dade joked with a smile.

People often bumped into Qian Tian at the dock, where he worked odd jobs while keeping an eye on the movements of the fleet.

Whenever he had free time, he would think about Yang Bai's preferences. Before long, everyone in the team became very familiar with him.

Qian Tian scratched the back of his head and smiled sheepishly.

"I read in a children's book that Liu Bei visited Zhuge Liang three times to persuade him to join his cause, so my little trouble is nothing."

Yang Bai raised an eyebrow upon hearing this, pointed at himself, and laughed.

"So you're comparing me to Zhuge Liang, and you're Liu Bei?"

Qian Tian immediately realized he had misspoke and hurriedly waved his hands.

"No, no, I was just using an example."

I genuinely want to learn new skills and seize opportunities to earn more money.

Relying solely on physical labor is not a sustainable path; having a skill is essential for a stable life.

Yang Bai was secretly surprised.

This child is only sixteen or seventeen years old, yet he can see that there is no future in manual labor. He is quite quick-witted, and I couldn't help but think of taking him in.

Which village are you from?

"I'm from Qixing Village, Baiyun Commune," Qian Tian answered honestly.

Baiyun Commune and Dawan Commune are adjacent to each other, but Qixing Village is not by the sea. Most of the villagers farm their few acres of poor land or work as laborers at the docks. It was a well-known poor village in the county. In previous years, some people even collapsed from hunger at home.

"Can you read? How many characters do you recognize?" Yang Bai then asked.

Qian Tian thought for a moment: "I've only read the Three Character Classic, and I recognize about 80% of the characters in it."

Yang Bai nodded slightly.

The Three Character Classic contains over a thousand characters, including many obscure ones. If you can recognize 80% of them, you're already doing quite well, and it's more than enough to learn how to sail a steel ship.

How did you learn to recognize these characters?

"I learned it all by myself through trial and error. My family couldn't afford to send me to school, so I would squat outside the school walls and eavesdrop during classes, and that's how I gradually learned it," Qian Tian said in a low voice.

Yang Bai looked down at the slender boy in front of him, whose eyes were unusually stubborn, and nodded slightly. He secretly admired him. Despite his poor family background and lack of guidance, he was able to learn to read by listening to lectures and understand the limitations of making a living through manual labor. This showed that the boy was bright-minded and down-to-earth, a rare talent.

The fleet is currently short of reliable newcomers to take over the sailing duties, and taking Qian Tian would fill that gap. However, people's hearts are complex in turbulent times, and the era is unique. Outsiders cannot be fully trusted overnight; they must be carefully observed and tested. Those whose backgrounds are unknown should not be easily entrusted with the important tasks of steering and managing the ships.

He pondered for a moment, then made arrangements: "Alright, but you don't need to learn from me. Tomorrow you'll go to Chen Dahai's ship as an apprentice. During your apprenticeship, you'll be provided with three meals a day and 800 work points per month, which is equivalent to 64 yuan. That's more stable and earns more than doing odd jobs at the dock. Go to the brigade to get the necessary certificate, and you can start working tomorrow. When Chen Dahai docks, I'll personally introduce you to the job."

Upon hearing this, Qian Tian trembled, his eyes instantly brightening. The long-suppressed anticipation had finally been fulfilled, and his heart was filled with a mixture of warmth and bittersweetness. The opportunity he had been holding onto and searching for for so long had finally fallen into his lap! He immediately bowed deeply, his body hunched low, his face brimming with unconcealed joy and gratitude.

"Brother Yang, thank you so much! Thank you so much for giving me this opportunity!"

The boy's voice choked with emotion, his eyes instantly reddened, and he almost burst into tears.

He clutched the hem of his clothes, knowing he had nothing left and couldn't offer even a small gift, so he could only keep this kindness firmly in his heart.

"I don't have any money on me right now, but when I make a lot of money in the future, I will definitely send you the best Wuyi rock tea to repay you!"

Looking at his sincere and earnest expression, Yang Bai reached out and ruffled his hair, a hint of a smile in his eyes.

This kid is meticulous; he even quietly remembered his own fondness for Wuyi rock tea. Such thoughtfulness and understanding are truly rare.

"You even found out about my love for Wuyi rock tea; that's thoughtful of you."

His expression straightened slightly as he established the rules in advance.

"But let me be clear from the start: I've given you the opportunity, but whether you can hold onto it is entirely up to you. If you can't learn to steer or keep up with the pace within a year, then you'll have to give up and quit this line of work as soon as possible."

Qian Tian immediately straightened up, his eyes clear and firm, his fists clenched tightly, and his chest held straight.

He knew in his heart that this was the only way for him to escape the fate of farming and change his life of poverty, and he had to seize it with all his might.

"Don't worry, Brother Yang! I'll definitely learn to steer within a year! I'll become a captain within three years, make a lot of money, and completely change my fate!"

"Good, that's ambitious!" Yang Bai sincerely praised him, giving him a thumbs up.

As they were talking, a sound came from the distant sea, and Chen Dahai's steel ship slowly sailed over and steadily docked at the pier.

Chen Dahai nimbly jumped ashore and immediately spotted Yang Bai. His eyes lit up with surprise, and he quickly walked over.

"Yang Bai, you're finally back!"

Yang Bai stepped aside to make way for Qian Tiandao behind him.

"Da Hai, I've found you an apprentice."

This kid is bright and hardworking, so you should put in a lot of effort to teach him well.

You'll definitely get a share of the benefits. If he can independently and steadily steer the boat within three years, I'll give you a separate bonus of one thousand dollars.

Chen Dahai's gaze fell on Qian Tian, ​​who looked both anxious and expectant. He smiled knowingly and pointed at him.

"Little Qian, you've finally got what you wanted! From now on, just follow me and learn diligently, and I guarantee you'll acquire real skills and live a life of luxury!"

"Okay, Brother Chen!" Qian Tian immediately stepped forward and obediently stood beside Chen Dahai, feeling completely at ease.

Yang Bai was slightly taken aback upon seeing this, and said in surprise, "Good heavens, so you two knew each other all along?"

Chen Dahai laughed loudly.

"It's your fault for being so harsh on him before. He's a small person who fights unprepared, but he's definitely smart. Don't worry, I'll teach him well; the rest is up to his own destiny. You can go back now."

"Um."

Qian Tian nodded emphatically and left the dock.

Chen Dahai asked Qian Tian after he left.

"Yang Bai, you know what happened these past three days, right? Zhang Sheng, what should we do?"

"Wait for them to take the bait. If they're in a hurry, they're probably calling for backup right now. After all, he didn't take down anyone on the scene. You should all carry something for self-defense."

Yang Bai thought to himself that if he asked around, they would still know that they were going to fish for grouper tomorrow.

Today is undoubtedly the best opportunity to take action, and now, with the dark and windy night, it's the perfect time to ambush.

"Yang Bai, I'm sorry."

Just as Yang Bai was about to continue explaining, Hou Sanli rushed over to apologize.