klisemfg Chapter 536 Coconuts and Sheep
Chapter 536 Coconuts and Sheep
San Chuan nodded in agreement, "Yes, yes, eldest sister will definitely wait for second sister to come back. It won't be long, and she'll definitely be able to go swimming before the New Year."
A-Yue suddenly realized that it was Er'er's fault, which she hadn't thought of for a moment.
"That will have to wait. Launching a boat is a big deal in our area, just as important as getting married."
After all, this concerns the livelihood of an entire family.
In some people's eyes, it may be even more important than getting married.
Regardless of the small boats, the large boats definitely need a launching ceremony.
In simpler cases, a ceremony is held before the boat is launched to worship the sea goddess, offering sacrifices, burning incense and candles, and praying for favorable weather.
If conditions are good, a respected elder will be invited to dot the eyes of the boat's bow, giving it a spiritual quality. Rice and copper coins will be scattered at the bow, symbolizing a bountiful harvest and warding off evil and bringing wealth.
For a more elaborate event, a banquet would be held to entertain guests, but this was only possible because the merchant company had purchased an extra-large ship.
There are so many tricks up your sleeve.
There's nothing you can't do if you put your mind to it.
……
"Did you go back?"
Xu Yiyi pinched Sihai's chubby cheeks as the child focused on gnawing on a greasy chicken leg.
"Let's go back, I'm almost full. Let's come to Fucheng again next time."
Sihai swallowed the meat in his mouth while drinking almond drink from Sanchuan's hand. The drink tasted a bit astringent at first, but Xu Yiyi added some milk, turning it into almond milk that tasted delicious.
"Slow down, no one's going to take it from you," Sanchuan said softly.
Old Lu reached out and touched his round little belly, which looked like it was filled with a big watermelon.
“I told you your older sister has fed you a lot, so why are you still so greedy? Your mouth hasn’t stopped since we left the boat shop…”
Sihai stretched out his greasy fingers and waved them, "How can that be the same? When you're hungry, you have to eat."
The child argued his case logically.
Old Lu snorted and grabbed him by the collar as they left the dock.
After disembarking at the dock, we could see Qingshan standing by the gangplank of a cargo ship, directing the crew to unload the cargo.
He saw Xu Yiyi and the others and quickly waved.
"Yi-yi! Over here!"
Aoyama smiled, a hint of pride in his eyes, "Your goods just arrived this morning, all in perfect condition."
Xu Yiyi approached and asked, "Uncle Qingshan, was your journey smooth?"
"Successfully! This is the first time my caravan has traveled such a long distance to transport live animals. I was quite apprehensive, thinking that at least most of the sheep would be dead or alive, but when we arrived at the port this morning, not a single sheep was missing."
Qingshan wiped the sweat from his forehead and pointed to the ship, "As you specifically instructed in your letter, we didn't dare put those sheep in the hold. The hold is stuffy and poorly ventilated; they would surely die from illness after the bumpy journey. The boatmen arranged for them to be on the deck and in a few well-ventilated areas in the upper hold, enclosed by wooden fences, leaving plenty of space."
As he spoke, he led Xu Yi and the others toward the gangplank: "This is a delicate job. The boatmen have put in a lot of effort along the way, feeding them water and food, cleaning up their droppings, and also preventing them from fighting or getting seasick. Well, thankfully they've taken good care of them. You'll see when you get up there."
Xu Yiyi boarded the ship, and sure enough, several areas on the deck were temporarily partitioned off with thick wooden planks.
Hundreds of sheep were crammed inside, their coats somewhat dirty, but fortunately they were all in good spirits. Some were chewing hay with their heads down, some were bleating, and several strong rams were butting horns with each other, truly full of energy.
That's the smell...
As soon as Sihai came up, he vomited with a loud "whoosh".
The salty, fishy smell of the sea breeze, mixed with the strong odor of mutton and livestock manure, was hardly pleasant.
Qingshan followed behind her, a little embarrassed: "The sheep are all alive and kicking, not a single one broke. It's just... the smell on the boat was a bit strong along the way, I'm sorry to my boatman, and I'm sorry to have bothered you, my niece."
Xu Yiyi carefully examined the condition of the sheep and nodded: "It's alright, as long as they arrive alive, the smell will dissipate after washing. Uncle and the boatmen have worked hard, I'll add an extra 10% to the transportation fee."
Qingshan quickly waved his hand: "Why are you being so polite with me? The price we agreed on is fine! I've gained some experience from this trip. I'll think about it some more later, and who knows, I might be able to transport some other things."
Xu Yiyi checked on the coconuts again and found that they were all fine, so she was immediately relieved.