At the beginning of the night, the sea breeze is slightly cool. Although there are only four guests living in the Four Seas Inn at the moment. But inevitably a bright light is in full swing. The neatest-looking little two were busy obeying the dispatch, and several men kept looking at the stove all the time, and hot water and tea were sent out of the kitchen. This huge inn does not look deserted at all at this time.

Although the Four Seas Inn has made great efforts, it still has not been able to keep a few distinguished guests on its own territory to eat. Except for Lu'er, who stayed in his guest room angrily, the other three were all invited to the Lingbo Pavilion for a banquet. Ji Changan led the way in front as if he was familiar with the road, and Fang Zhongjin followed Zheng He all the way out of the inn. Someone outside had already prepared three sedan chairs, and Bao Guoxing was waiting for them with a smile.

The group of them was carried into the Lingbo Pavilion by the sedan chair shaking all the way. This was originally the largest brothel in Ninghai, and Bao Guoxing knew that Zheng He was a father-in-law, so he deliberately did not arrange for courtesans to serve. Only take the pavilion here is elegant and gorgeous, the dishes are exquisite and delicious, and it is most suitable for entertaining distinguished guests from Beijing.

Zheng He smiled all the way and was led to the courtyard by Bao Guoxing. Fang Zhongjin also followed them all the way through the pavilions and pavilions, and finally came to a private room.

Sure enough, Old Man Shen and Widow Yan, who had been waiting outside the city gate, were sitting inside waiting at the moment. As soon as the two of them saw Zheng He coming, they both cheered up and sat him down with a smile on their faces. When the two of them suddenly saw Fang Zhongjin, they were both stunned. But these two are old and sophisticated people, and they immediately put on a courteous smile, bowed down again and again, and invited Fang Zhongjin to take a seat.

For a while, everyone sat down as the guest and host. Delicate dishes were brought up at a flowing price, and the maidservants filled a cup of wine with amber liquor. In the Lingbo Pavilion, the lights and candles are charming, and the aroma of wine is refreshing. Bao Xianling looked at everything in front of him with a smile, and was extremely satisfied with his arrangement. It would be even better if there were more singers to accompany the wine.

Old man Shen and Widow Yan don't have such leisure as Bao County's order. They were able to be invited to the current banquet, and they all spent a lot of effort to arrange it. Wine and food can be eaten at any time, and the most important thing at this time is to take down this Zheng He Zheng Gonggong, who has always looked harmless to humans and animals, but is sleek and impeccable.

Old man Shen stepped forward with a wine cup and said, "Gonggong Zheng, this cup will be honored by the old man first." I wonder what advice my father-in-law has for the shipping industry in the Ninghai area?"

Zheng He raised the wine cup in front of him with a smile, raised his head and drank it all. In a burst of applause from everyone, Zheng He said in a clear voice: "Don't dare, our family came to Ninghai this time because we were entrusted by the emperor to buy a batch of ships." Our family has just arrived in Ninghai, and we always want to see a few more boats. He didn't beat around the bush with everyone, and directly revealed his intentions.

Widow Yan was anxious when she heard this, and asked delicately: "I don't know what kind of ship Gonggong Zheng needs to buy this time? Although we are juniors in Shanglong Boat Company, the craftsmen we employ are all old people with more than 20 years of experience. Wood has always been used the best, when Zheng Gonggong is empty, must come to our Shanglong boat line to have a look. ”

Old man Shen also followed closely and said, "Gonggong Zheng must have bought a big ship this time. If you want to build a big ship, it's not the old man bragging, and the whole Ninghai is the best at our Jianghuai Boat Company. This is the exquisiteness of building a big ship, and it is not that those small boat shops can go to the stealing club by digging up a few old boatmen. With that, he glanced at Widow Yan.

Zheng He nodded after hearing this: "Yes, what our family wants to buy this time is a big ship." ”

When Shen and Yan heard this, their eyes lit up. Widow Yan asked first, "But is it a big ship of eight hundred materials?"

Old man Shen touched his beard with a smile and said, "If you want to buy a big ship with a thousand materials, the old man will pack the ticket, and Gonggong Zheng will take a look around, and he will finally choose our Jianghuai boat line." ”

Zheng He listened, shook his head with a smile and said, "No, what our family wants to buy this time is a big ship of 2,000 materials." ”

As soon as these words came out, Old Man Shen and Widow Yan were stunned. The two of them glanced at each other, and Widow Yan smiled awkwardly and said, "Didn't Gonggong Zheng say something wrong?

Old man Shen also laughed and said: "In short, I want to buy the biggest ship, that is, fifteen hundred! Such a big ship, in the entire Ninghai, only the old man dares to say: It is on our Jianghuai Boat Company." ”

Zheng He was not annoyed when he heard the two of them talking to themselves, but he still said with a smile: "It's a big ship with 2,000 materials, and it won't work if it's less." ”

When Widow Yan heard this, she had already expected that this father-in-law Zheng He was a layman. He must have thought that the bigger the ship, the better, and he could ask for credit in front of the emperor, but he didn't know that there was no such way as shipbuilding. Widow Yan said with a smile: "Gonggong Zheng, you want a big ship of 2,000 materials." But what river can accommodate such a big ship?"

Zheng He said: "What our family wants to buy is not a river boat, but a sea boat. ”

When he said this, he almost had to listen to Widow Yan and Old Man Shen. Old man Shen frowned, hesitated for a long time, and finally said, "If it is a sea ship, then it must be a pointed-bottom ship." In this way, if you want to make 2,000 materials, the size will be larger. Such a big ship, hehe......" He glanced at Bao Guoxing on the side awkwardly, and continued, "How can such a big ship sail on the sea?"

Ji Changan had been drinking wine on the side for a long time at this time, and when he heard this, he frowned and said, "Since these two shipping companies don't have the ability to build a ship of 2,000 materials, let's go back tonight." I'll see another one tomorrow. ”

Widow Yan was anxious when she heard this, and hurriedly said in a sharp voice: "Don't worry, this official master, listen to the slave family first. This big ship must be made of big wood. But no matter how large the wood is, it will inevitably be limited by the natural way. How tall can a tree grow? If you want to build a big ship of 2,000 materials, where can the slaves find such a large amount of wood?"

Old man Shen added: "It is said that if there is no such large wood, it is okay to splice the wood. But what you want is a sea boat, no matter how beautiful this spliced ship is, when it is hit by the waves at sea, it will fall apart. Didn't you lose the lives of the people on board?"

Old Man Shen and Widow Yan both looked at Zheng He with the eyes of a child who was ignorant, and waited for him to retract his previous words with a smile. Zheng He still smiled kindly when he saw them like this. He looked at the two of them and asked, "Is it true that the two of you can't build a big ship with 2,000 materials?"

Old man Shen and Widow Yan glanced at each other, this Gonggong Zheng really wanted to save face. But after all, he can't let his words talk nonsense, otherwise he has a few lives to commit the crime of defrauding the king? Both of them shook their heads and said in unison: "It really can't build a big ship with two thousand materials." ”

Zheng He stood up and said to Ji Changan and Fang Zhongjin: "Let's go, let's go to another ship tomorrow." ”