In addition, the rope ladders on both sides of the mast of the "Meiyun" ship are connected in the same way as the "Wannian Qing", which is to add a supporting plate outboard, and the end of the rope ladder is fixed on the supporting plate through a three-eyed pulley, which is quite the ancient style of the sail warship era. Pen | fun | pavilion www. ｂｉｑｕｇｅ。 The "Fuxing" ship, on the other hand, did not remove the outboard supports, but directly fixed the rope ladder to the bulwark by means of elastic screws. It is also enough to see the improvement of the "Fuxing" in relation to the lead ship "Mae Yun" when it was built.

"It's not a good time for the Harbour Master!" Xu Run looked at the "Meiyun" ship that slowly sailed out of Majiang, and sighed, "The success of the new ship is another large amount of money, the dock balance has not been paid off, and the salary, bonus, and foreign medicine tax of the craftsman may not be fully burdened." ”

"It's not a long-term solution after all." Lin Yizhe knew that Xu Run was reminding himself, but at this time, he was also miserable.

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Today is January 20, 1870, under the supervision of Shen Baozhen, the "Meiyun" ship went to sea again for sea trials, and only returned to the shipyard seven days later, and it was close to the Lunar New Year.

It was noon when the "Meiyun" ship arrived in Hong Kong, Shen Baozhen got off the ship, and despite the discomfort caused by seasickness, he came to the Harbour Administration.

"What about Xiaotao and Tongyun?" Shen Baozhen didn't see Xia Xianlun and Wu Dating, and was a little strange, so he asked.

"Lord Xia and Lord Wu have gone to the Governor's Office and the Governor's Yamen." Wu Zhongxiang looked at the busy shipyard staff around him and said in a low voice, "I've been there for a while, and I haven't come back yet." ”

Shen Baozhen immediately understood what was going on, sighed, stopped talking, and came to the room where he was dealing with official business with Wu Zhongxiang.

"Wei Yun, how is your head injury?" Seeing that Wu Zhongxiang's head was still wrapped in gauze, and his face was very haggard, Shen Baozhen couldn't help but ask with concern.

On that day, the villagers stormed the Harbour Administration, Wu Zhongxiang's head was hit by the perpetrator with gravel, and the injury was not light, and he has not recovered until today.

"It's not tight, it's just a little painful when it's cloudy." Wu Zhongxiang waved his hand, signaling that it didn't matter, he also knew that his complexion in the past two days was not good, "It's just that there is always something in my heart in the past two days, and I can't sleep well, hehe." ”

Shen Baozhen knew what Wu Zhongxiang's mind was, and couldn't help but sigh. He stepped forward and poured Wu Zhongxiang a cup of tea and sat down in front of Wu Zhongxiang.

He also knew what Xia Xianlun and Wu Dating went to the Fujian and Zhejiang Governor's Office for.

At present, it is nearly a year off, and all the things of the shipyard need to be settled, so it can be said that money is used everywhere, and the shipmaster has been paid by Zuo Zongtang since the bottom of the kettle, although there is an opium tax to help (under Lin Yizhe's proposal, it is now nominally a salt tax, that is, to offset the salt tax with opium tax), but now with the launch of the new ship and the construction of the dock, plus the transformation of the "Wannian Qing" (the transformation cost can be reimbursed by the imperial court, but before the project is completed, you need to pay in advance) and the arrival of the New Year, the various expenditures are extremely large. Opium taxes alone are no longer sustainable. The high-ranking officials of the shipping administration were very worried about this, so early this morning, Xia Xianlun and Wu Dating hurried to the Fujian and Zhejiang Governor's Office and the Governor's Yamen to discuss with the Governor of Fujian and Zhejiang and the Fujian Governor.

"The year is over, it's really a pass, it's not easy." Shen Baozhen sighed, "I don't know what the result of the two of them will be." ”

"Fujian Province's annual revenue is also very tight, and many times it is also relying on this opium tax to help money, but I am afraid that it will be difficult to have extra money." There was a hint of sadness in Wu Zhongxiang's voice.

"Wei Yun, the result of your calculation, how much is this shortage?" Shen Baozhen asked.

"The accounting was just completed yesterday, and other items can basically be used enough, but the tugboat still owes the final payment, plus the red envelope (that is, the year-end bonus) at the end of the year, I am afraid it will be difficult to send it." Wu Zhongxiang said, "This red envelope plus the dock balance requires at least 50,000 taels of silver." ”

"If the tugboat dock cannot be completed, the renovation project of 'Wannian Qing' cannot be started, and the transformation of 'Wannian Qing' cannot be delayed." Wu Zhongxiang remembered the scene of the villagers storming the Harbour Administration that day, and his face was still palpitating, "I originally wanted to be evenly distributed under other items, because the craftsmen have worked hard for a year, and they are all waiting for this red envelope to come down and go home for a good year." It can be calculated, and there is really nothing to do. But if they don't, they won't be able to get through this year, and they will inevitably cause trouble, which will be very harmful to the Harbour Master in the future......"

Wu Zhongxiang didn't say any more, Shen Baozhen's expression was gloomy, and the two sat relatively silently, speechless for a while.

After a while, a rush of footsteps sounded at the door, and after a while, Xia Xianlun and Wu Ting walked in.

"How?" Seeing the two coming back, Wu Zhongxiang hurriedly asked.

Xia Xianlun and Wu Dating shook their heads in unison, sighed, and each moved a chair and sat down.

"Not really." Wu Dating said, "Lord Bian said that this year, Fujian Province has suffered many disasters, and the relief needs are extremely large, and the annual income is already insufficient, and the shortage of shipping administration is really irreparable. ”

Shen Baozhen turned his gaze to Xia Xianlun, Xia Xianlun gasped, shook his head, and did not speak. Obviously, he didn't get any results from the Governor's Office of Fujian and Zhejiang.

Although Shen Baozhen was mentally prepared for such a result, he couldn't help but be very sad when he heard the bad news.

He also knew that this could not be blamed on Ying Gui, the governor of Fujian and Zhejiang, and Bian Baodi, the governor of Fujian, who had actually given the greatest support to the shipmaster within their capabilities, and now that their situation was also very difficult, they really couldn't ask them to do more.

The room fell silent again, except for the Western table clock in the corner of the wall, "ticking", as if to tell the people in the room that time was running out.

After a long time, Shen Baozhen spoke; "This matter, when we think about it again, there is any other way, we can't help but let everyone have a bad year......"

Shen Baozhen's gaze swept over the faces of the three shipmasters one by one, and what he saw was a pair of bloodshot eyes with deep eye sockets, knowing that they were also exhausted in the past few days, and said, "Today is not busy, let's take a good rest......

Xia Xianlun, Wu Dating and Wu Zhongxiang silently got up to say goodbye. Shen Baozhen looked at the steps of the three of them when they left, as if they were stepping on his heart, and his mood was extremely heavy.

Shen Baozhen left the Harbour Master's Office and returned home, probably because he had been at sea for too long, and he felt extremely tired at this time, and he just wanted to lie down and sleep well, and did nothing.

But when he was really lying in bed, he couldn't sleep. What goes back and forth in my head is all about the Harbour Master.

Shen Baozhen sighed, straightened up, and sat there, looking fixedly at the sun outside the window covered by dark clouds, and his heart was also full of dark clouds.

"Master, my uncle has come to see you." The porter came in and reported.

"Bring him here." Shen Baozhen nodded and said.

After a while, Lin Yizhe walked in quickly.

"Uncle is feeling unwell?" Lin Yizhe saw Shen Baozhen sitting on the edge of the bed, and hurriedly stepped forward to ask.

He heard that Shen Baozhen had returned home not long after getting off the boat, and he was worried that he was sick again, so he came to visit him immediately.

"It's okay, I just feel a little tired, I don't have much to do today, so I'll take a break and come back to rest......" Shen Baozhen saw that Lin Yizhe's eyes were full of concern, his heart was warm, and he smiled and beckoned him to come and sit down beside him.

"How's your busy time?" Shen Baozhen looked at Lin Yizhe's face with a haggard look, knowing that he was also very tired for a while, so he reached out and patted his hand, and asked Wen Yan, "You also need to rest, don't be tired." ”

"It's okay for a few days, but when the tugboat dock is built, it's time to get busy." "We are preparing to recruit craftsmen and start renovating the tugboat as soon as the dock is completed." ”

Shen Baozhen remembered that the final payment of the tugboat dock had not been paid off, and he was sad, but he didn't want his mood to infect Lin Yizhe, so he diverted the topic.

"You are so focused on the shipyard that last year's exams were delayed, don't neglect your studies this time, and don't make mistakes in the exams of the next year." Shen Baozhen remembered that Lin Yizhe had not been able to participate in the scientific expedition in 1868 because of the complicated affairs of the shipyard, and he had always felt sorry for him, so this time he reminded him early.

"Yes, my nephew will not be wrong this time." Lin Yizhe said on his lips, but he was secretly speechless in his heart.

He thought that Shen Baozhen would forget about it, but he didn't expect Shen Baozhen to remember it more firmly than him.

In fact, the real reason why Lin Yizhe didn't go to last year's scientific examination was that he was afraid of this test and tested his "original form".

For him, no matter how well-read and strong he is, no matter how deep his knowledge of ancient literature is, and he has profound historical knowledge of this era and scientific knowledge of later generations, it will be useless.

Lin Yizhe and Shen Baozhen were talking to themselves, and the old housekeeper hurriedly walked in.

"Master, someone from outside has sent a letter, it's from Shanxi." As he spoke, the old butler presented a letter to him.

"From Shanxi?" Listening to the old housekeeper's words, Shen Baozhen and Lin Yizhe were stunned.

"Could it be that Fang Xian is here?" Shen Baozhen said, took the letter, and couldn't help but feel even more strange when he saw that the name of the sender was not written on the envelope, except for the words that he had personally opened.

Lin Yizhe glanced at the handwriting on the envelope, and he was immediately sure that it was definitely not the pen style of his father-in-law, Chen Xiang.

"You didn't ask who came?" Shen Baozhen asked.

"Back to the master, I asked, and the person who came said that he was the guy with the 'Wei Changhou' ticket number. This letter was transferred all the way from Shanxi through the warehouse with the ticket number. The old butler replied.

"'Wei Changhou' ticket number?" Shen Baozhen was even more surprised, because he couldn't think of any intersection between himself and the "Wei Changhou" ticket number.

———— Dividing Line————

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