Chapter 591: Chapter 593: News
Wang Li hadn’t expected to return from a sea voyage only to find he had a new master.
He and his brothers from the fishing village had been sailing with the ships for two years now.
Although life at sea was tedious and long, it brought them handsome rewards.
In addition to high wages, their master was very generous, allowing them to bring back small goods each time.
The income from these two sources combined earned them over a hundred taels of silver a year.
Now, hearing that they had a new employer, how could they possibly sit still?
After so many years of struggling and scraping by, they weren’t clueless. They understood it was because Mrs. Gu was magnanimous and didn’t sweat the small stuff with them.
If they got a different owner, there was no telling what might happen.
They all gathered in the ship’s cabin, trying to get information from the current captain, Ming Tian.
Ming Tian was different from hired hands like them. He was considered a household servant of Mr. Gu. Once he finished handing over his duties, he was supposed to disembark.
He didn’t expect to be cornered by so many people before he could even leave.
"Captain Ming Tian, what’s going on? Why the sudden change of masters?"
Ming Tian was speechless. ’Can I really say that only you have a new master?’
"As for the specifics, my madam will likely send someone to explain later. I don’t know what’s happening with all of you gathered here either."
"But you’re the captain, how could you not know?
"Does this mean we’re stopping the sea trade?"
When Minghai left, Ming Tian had guessed this day would come, but he hadn’t expected it to be so sudden. "How could that be possible? Everyone is still on the ship, and we haven’t heard of any damage to it.
"Listen to me, everyone. It’s best to wait for a response from our superiors instead of making wild guesses here."
Even after his explanation, the men wouldn’t leave. Ming Tian said helplessly, "I just got back from sea with all of you. Do you really think I’d know more than you do?"
That finally convinced them. It was true. The captain hadn’t even disembarked yet and was still busy assigning all sorts of tasks. He might be even less informed than they were.
The quicker-witted ones among them immediately turned and headed out. They had to find the person who had just leaked the news—that was the real insider.
Wang Li remained still. He waited until most of the men had left and only his own brothers remained before speaking up. "Captain, I know that you, like Captain Minghai before you, are a trusted confidant of Mrs. Gu. It’s impossible that you haven’t heard a whisper about this.
"You know the few of us are tight-lipped. Can you reveal a little something, just so we can be prepared?"
Ming Tian replied, "You’re really asking the wrong person. I was about to go ashore and ask around myself. If you don’t believe me, there’s nothing I can do."
Wang Li knew he wouldn’t get anything more out of him, so he could only stand and cup his hands. "Then we won’t disturb you any longer. Please, carry on."
Once they were on deck, Little Stone asked with a worried expression, "Are we just giving up? We’re not going to ask around anymore?"
"He’s not willing to talk, so it’s useless for us to just stand there." Wang Li glanced back at the cabin. "Anyway, we’ve just docked. It’ll be a while before the next voyage.
"Let’s hurry up and finish our work. I’ll go to the Tianfu Restaurant later to ask around."
At the mention of Tianfu Restaurant, the other men’s faces lit up with anticipation. "We’ve been at sea for months; my mouth has forgotten what flavor even is!
"It’s the perfect chance to get some better food and satisfy our cravings."
"Aren’t you guys thinking of going home first?" Wang Li commented casually. Usually, these lads would vanish the second they got off the ship. It was rare for them to think of satisfying their appetites first.
"Every time we’re on the ship, we have to listen to you go on about all the good dishes you ate at Tianfu Restaurant.
"You’ve been making us drool for so long, you think we’d pass up a chance to eat something better?
"Besides, we made a good profit this trip. We have to treat ourselves."
As for their families, they really weren’t worried.
From the moment they boarded the ships, if their families had any problems, they could go to the assistance posts set up by Mrs. Gu and get help, as long as the request was reasonable.
This was done so they could work at sea with peace of mind, not having to worry even if they were away from home for months.
At first, they didn’t believe it. They thought it was impossible for anyone to be so considerate.
But after a few voyages, when any issues at home were handled properly, they grew more and more reassured.
Wang Li was all alone, so when he earned some money, he naturally wanted to treat himself.
Besides buying a small courtyard in Lu City, his favorite place to spend time whenever he was in the city was the Tianfu Restaurant.
Although he couldn’t afford the expensive dishes, the simple noodles and appetizers there were enough to satisfy his cravings.
But clearly, Mrs. Gu had already anticipated the questions they wanted answered.
Just as they disembarked, a notice was posted on the public bulletin board at the port.
A large crowd was gathered there, and Wang Li’s group naturally joined them.
"What does it say?" They were too far back, and the paper was covered in dense text. From their current distance, they really couldn’t see, so they had to grab someone squeezing out of the crowd to ask.
"It’s about the change of ownership." The man they stopped wasn’t angry. He was a fellow dockworker they recognized, so he patiently explained it to them.
Wang Li and his group only snapped out of it after the man had left.
"So, we just got a new master out of the blue like that? The contracts are still valid, and the wages are the same. It seems like it doesn’t affect us much," Huang Anping said, sighing in relief.
Little Stone wasn’t so optimistic. "It looks like there’s no impact, but do you know what the new master’s personality is like? Who knows if they’ll follow the old rules in the future, or bring in a harsh new manager.
"Better the devil you know than the devil you don’t. Besides, Mrs. Gu has always treated us well. This sudden change might not be good news."
Wang Li’s expression changed as well, and a sense of unease washed over him. He owed his current life to Mrs. Gu’s kindness. It was she who had opened up the new sea trade, allowing him to live so well.
"Then we can only accept our fate. Didn’t you hear? The contracts are still valid. Don’t forget, we signed a ten-year long-term contract. We can’t go back on it.
"And what’s with the old master’s wife, anyway? Everything was going so well. Why sell the business?
"Isn’t she the Lord Prefect’s wife? No one would dare force her to do anything, right?"
"Who knows with these nobles. Maybe she’s earned enough silver, or something unexpected happened, so she sold the goose that lays the golden eggs. Things are what they are. We can only accept it.
"Let’s just hope the next owner is even better!"
Everyone sighed. They truly didn’t know if this was a blessing or a curse.
Wang Li said, "Since we all know the story now, let’s disperse for the time being."
