The bustle of the dock indicates whether the place is prosperous. The docks in the capital have always been bustling with people and traffic.
Hua Zhi stepped off the carriage and smelled the fishy aroma of the sea, with delicious dishes popping up in her mind. People who don't like seafood really don't like it, but people who like it really like it. As long as she does business with those people she likes, she will make a fortune.
She stood there and watched for a while, and found that although most people walked quickly past the place where seafood was displayed, holding their noses, some people also picked some and bought them. Looking at the clothes of those people, most of them were wearing blue clothes and small hats, and they were obviously servants from some mansion, which showed that there were people who knew the value of seafood.
She walked closer and looked at the things laid out on the ground. From south to north, in order to bring as much goods as possible, it was impossible to load a whole boat with sea water and living things, so most of what she saw were dry goods, and mostly fish.
But this is not what she wants.
Hua Zhi looked up and saw a middle-aged man beside the boat looking at her with a hesitant look and a smile. Hua Zhi walked over and bowed slightly, "But is it the boat owner?"
The man was not tall and was very thin. Seeing such a refined daughter of a wealthy family saluting him, he didn't know what to do with his hands and feet. He didn't dare to go forward to help her, so he could only rub his hands and answer, "Yes, I am the ship owner, my surname is Zhang, Zhang Xing, you are, but..."
Xu Ying glanced at his eldest daughter and pushed out the servant who had been guarding the dock. "This is a servant from our house. This is our eldest daughter."
As soon as Zhang Xing saw the familiar face, he knew he was waiting for the right person. Although he was still surprised that there was a woman in charge of a family in the capital, he had been traveling for many years and knew all the taboos. He showed no surprise, bowed and said, "I wonder what you want, young lady."
"May I go aboard and have a look?"
Zhang Xing didn't know why she came, but he didn't dare to refuse her on someone else's territory. Besides, there were only six of them, men and women in total, and there were more than that number on his boat. He would feel more at ease if she got on board.
After boarding the boat, Hua Zhi only looked at the structure of the boat and how they loaded the goods from the outside, but did not go in. This made Zhang Xing feel more at ease. While she was watching, he prepared a table of tea on the plank, rubbing his hands in embarrassment, "Let the older girl laugh at me, these are all we have on the boat."
Hua Zhi sat over, lightly held up her sleeve with one hand, and picked up a golden fried small yellow croaker with chopsticks in the other hand and put it into her mouth. She took a bite and it was crispy and cooked to just the right degree.
Zhang Xing was surprised by her generosity, but he also felt a little closer to her because of her behavior. A person who does not lose face and does not show disgust for crude food must be a good person.
Putting down her chopsticks, Hua Zhi looked up and said, "I came here today to ask Captain Zhang something."
Zhang Xing perked up and said, "Yes, please go ahead."
"These seafood delicacies on your ship are probably the most inconspicuous and least valuable where you live."
Zhang Xing's heart tightened. "I don't know why you say that, but I can swear that there is nothing wrong with these things."
"I'm not an official, so I don't mean to investigate whether something is good or bad. I'm asking this just to tell you that I know a little bit about where Captain Zhang lives." Hua Zhi looked at the bustling pier, "There are more living things at the seaside anyway."
Zhang Xing carefully considered his words, "You are right. The things we just salvaged are naturally alive, but we can't keep them alive forever. They can't survive if they leave the sea water. But the boat is so small, we can't carry many living things, so we can only make them into dried goods for sale."
Hua Zhi reached back and took a pile of papers from Yingchun and placed them in front of Zhang Xing. "Captain Zhang, please check if you have seen all these things."
Zhang Xing wiped his hands on his clothes before he dared to touch the white paper. Their place was poor, the paper was yellow, and only a very small number of people had the opportunity to learn to read. He was illiterate to begin with, and only later when he had some money did he grit his teeth and learn some in order to avoid suffering losses while sailing.
After carefully flipping through the pages from beginning to end, Zhang Xing looked up and said, "Indeed, all of these things are there, and there are a lot of them."
Hua Zhi nodded, not surprised. The ones she painted were common ones, and as long as they were available, she would be able to set up the stall. As for the rare ones, if they were available, she would naturally be able to see them this time she went there.
"I wonder if Captain Zhang is doing business on his own, or for someone else?"
"It's my own business."
"Is this ship also owned by Captain Zhang?"
Zhang Xing had no idea what this person was planning, so he agreed despite himself.
"If I want to cooperate with others to do a single deal, Captain Zhang could recommend one or two reliable people?" Hua Zhi paused, then said, "Captain Zhang's ship is too small to handle this deal, so it's no problem for them to come in and get involved."
Zhang Xing was shocked. "Although I am a nobody, I know a few people. I just don't know how big the business is, and how big the ship is."
"First, I would like to ask Captain Zhang, how many days did it take to travel this distance?"
"I will stay at the big dock for a few days, so speed is not important, but I know the conditions along the way. If the wind and sea are favorable, ten days will be enough. If there are strong winds and waves, half a month will be considered a smooth journey."
After a pause, Zhang Xing added, "It takes a big ship to reach this speed. My ship is not good enough."
It was quite honest, Hua Zhi nodded. Her estimate was roughly the same. At this speed, a round trip plus the stay should take about a month, but she could use a few more ships. Seven or eight days after the first ship departed, the second ship would take over, and then the third ship. Before the business was established, three ships would be enough. As for dry goods, one ship could be used for a long time, so Zhang Xing could come.
Zhang Xing's profit from this kind of business is not huge, but it is better than working at home. If he can have a fixed buyer, he will be much more relaxed and won't have to work for so many days. What if he has to make more trips? He can make more money if he makes more trips!
Zhang Xing was tempted. Seeing Hua Zhi didn't say anything, he was worried that the deal would fail. He thought for a moment and said, "Let the young lady know that I worked in a trading company for many years before I went out on my own. The boss was kind and righteous. When I left, he not only didn't make things difficult for me, but also sold this boat to me at a low price. If you are really interested in doing this business, I am willing to be the middleman to help you. The boss has a faster boat, but the cost is higher than other boats. If you can convince the boss to use it, a round trip will only take about half a month. What do you think..."
This is a great benefit! If you have this speed, all problems will be solved!
Hua Zhi did not show any other emotions, just nodded and said: "I am going to go south, and I need you to give me a letter of introduction. Don't worry, I will not abandon you if this is successful."
Zhang Xing was also very happy. He immediately went back to the ship, wrote an envelope, sealed it and handed it to her. If the goods on the ship had not been sold out, he would have wanted to return immediately. If this matter was successful, not only would he benefit from the girl, but also from the boss.
PS: I will not post together in the future. I will write one chapter and upload it at a time. There will be fewer problems during the day. I will try to update during the day in the future.