Seeing the Toad Again

The courtyard is spacious, with giant trees intertwined and arranged to form a support platform that holds up towering boats.

With masts standing tall, passersby all had to step aside from the walls and look up at the magnificent six-zhang-long Fujian ship.

Standing at the bow of the ship.

The wood has a clean and elegant feel, the Tung Oil has a bitter, burnt taste, and the osmanthus fragrance lingers in autumn.

The three elements blend together to create a unique sense of new life.

Without exception, the craftsmen stopped what they were doing, watched the Liang Qu circle the ship, stepped onto the unpainted deck, and inspected the structure of each cabin.

Liu Quanfu grabbed the rope and followed closely behind, taking the initiative to introduce the cabins inside the ship, while also reporting on the progress and the expected construction period.

"We received the materials from your home in September and began building the Fujian-style ship according to the blueprints."

To be honest, the materials that Lord Liang sent were cut to perfection, fitting together flawlessly. I've been doing carpentry for decades, and I've never seen such beautiful craftsmanship! This is actually the most difficult part of carpentry.

All that's left is to follow the blueprints step by step. Even if you're not a carpenter, anyone who's meticulous and clever can do it.

As you can see, the main structure is basically complete. Only some areas need to be sanded and the plates need to be polished before applying Tung Oil. In the past, the Tung Oil would dry in ten hours, but that boat never went into the water.

That won't work now. The Tung Oil needs at least a Yaori Period to dry and harden completely. The majority of our time will be spent waiting for the material to dry, so the progress is basically certain. Therefore, please rest assured, Lord Liang, the project will definitely be completed before the beginning of November!

Liang Qu was very satisfied.

As an official in charge of River Conservancy Office, one needs to know a bit about water conservancy and also understand some aspects of shipbuilding.

Even if one is not intimately familiar with the structure of all types of ships, one must at least be clear about how much manpower and timber a large ship requires, and how long it will take to complete, in order to avoid assigning absurd tasks in the future.

Aside from some ships built with precious materials that are different, normally building a large ship, with sufficient materials and manpower, takes at least three months.

The large ship described in "Record of the Ryukyu Islands" took exactly three months from the time the imperial court ordered its construction to its completion.

However, that was an eight-zhang-long ship, much larger than the Fujian ship of Liang Qu.

Considering that Liu Quanfu wasn't exactly an expert, even with the help of the beaver, it was quite impressive that he was able to complete the task in just over two months.

"Uncle Fu was able to deliver the ship in November, which is much faster than I expected."

Liu Quanfu laughed and said, "Thanks to the help of the master craftsmen at the River Conservancy Office, who provided a lot of manpower in September and personally guided us with their experience, otherwise we would have been in a lot of chaos."

Liang Qu turned around. "Master chef? What master chef?"

Liu Quanfu was stunned. "Sir, you don't know?"

Liang Qu shook his head.

"Lou Yingji, Master Lou! Isn't it said that for every official of the seventh rank or above in the River Conservancy Office, the imperial court would send a shipbuilding master to help build their own exclusive boat? Did you not know that, sir?"

Is that so?

Liang Qu himself, as Dushui Official, didn't even know the treatment and benefits of Dushui Official? "That day, when Master Lou brought more than a dozen helpers, we were also puzzled, but it's true that Master Lou is a shipbuilder at the River Conservancy Office management office. He understands all the unclear parts on the blueprints."

Master Lou also told us that he knew a young man who was a river chief in Ping Yang County, and his whole family. Do you remember him at all, sir?

"River Chief..."

Liang Qu chews on vocabulary.

He had nine river chiefs under his command, and if he remembered correctly, one of them was a young man surnamed Lou, who was twenty-one years old.

"Uncle Fu, how old is Master Lou you mentioned?"

He said he was born in the Year of the Ox, destined to be a hard worker, and that he was always worried about his sons. Judging from his appearance, he should be around 45 years old.

Liang Qu raised an eyebrow. "I do remember that."

"That's right!" Liu Quanfu breathed a sigh of relief, worried that he had really been deceived. "That Master Lou taught me a lot. The masters from the imperial court are really different from those in our village. There are many techniques I've never even heard of before. He's incredibly skilled, not even a little bit..."

Liu Quanfu and Xu Xu kept rambling on and on.

Liang Qu knew the cause and effect, and his mind was as clear as a mirror.

There was no question of helping build a ship; it was clearly Master Lou taking the opportunity to curry favor with them.

Forty-five, twenty-one.

The two are most likely father and son.

The Master Lou mentioned by Liu Quanfu probably spent a lot of money to get his son into Liang Qu's service.

Those in higher positions are paying attention to Liang Qu.

Those below should pay attention as well.

Who you end up working for, what your boss's personality is like, all affect your future prospects.

Although the appointment of the River Earl River Chief occurred before the flood, Liang Qu, which had already distinguished itself by skipping two ranks, had already made its mark in the purge of the Ghost Mother Sect.

That's truly corrupt.

Unhealthy social trends have crept in without our noticing.

When Ran Zhongshi was drafting the list, he probably received a lot of kickbacks without saying a word.

Liang Qu secretly noted down the name of the river chief surnamed Lou. After disembarking from the Fujian boat, which was filled with the smell of Tung Oil, he looked back at the boat and felt very gratified.

Everything proceeded smoothly and in an orderly manner.

A quick calculation suggests that early November is likely the period when all rewards will be released in concentrated bursts.

There is a high probability of obtaining heavenly materials and earthly treasures worth Great Merit, half a scroll of the "Azure Dragon Kill Scripture", and a blessed ship.

All the major events happening at one point in time evoke the anticipation of receiving red envelopes during the Lunar New Year.

Flourishing!

Okay! Great Marsh.

Ripples stirred the tall grass, sending it drifting into the distance, while eels emerged from their mud burrows, exhaling bubbles.

Behind the reef, Long Pingjiang and Long Pinghe concealed themselves, their eyes fixed on Big Fish in the river that appeared to be fishing for crabs, but was actually constantly looking around.

After enjoying a delicious meal of crabs that day, the two brothers discovered early the next morning that the strange fish that had been clinging to the fish basket and specifically picking up Big Crab had reappeared.

The other party's intentions were too obvious. Not only did they return to the same old place, but they also fished for crabs with a slanted eye, glancing back every now and then...

This isn't crab fishing, it's Dragonfolk fishing! Long Pinghe said indignantly, "Brother, that fish is too arrogant, let's try to catch it again!"

For several days in a row, the fish could be seen clearly trying to catch people, which was truly infuriating.

Long Pingjiang hesitated.

"Isn't that a bit inappropriate?"

The next morning.

The autumn waters are still and quiet, and the fish basket is empty.

The Fat Catfish floated on the surface of the water, looking utterly hopeless, its white belly covered by yellowed fallen leaves.

A second bloom...

There is no greater sorrow than a broken heart.

Ta Ta Kai on the pond rock and let out a sharp, loud laugh.

Enraged, the Fat Catfish Ta Ta Kai into the water.

Three hundred criticisms a day, completely useless! "Things have come to this."

Liang Qu sighed, brought out an iron pot to comfort the Fat Catfish, "We're having Crab Feast today! If we can't catch any, we can't catch any, let it be. Come and try some freshly cooked Crab Roe roe noodles!"

On the eighth day of crab catching, the entire pond was filled with fish baskets, more than enough to entertain guests.

The masters of Lang Yun Tower arrived before dawn. There were three master masters and twenty apprentices working together to dismantle the crabs and make preparations. Money was flowing out like water.

The large pot of Crab Roe noodles was just brought out of the kitchen, and the host was invited to taste it first.

It's not A Fei's fault that the Dragonfolk are like this.

The Fat Catfish perked up, flicked its two Long Whiskers, ignored the pain in the back of its head, and went to the edge of the pond, opening its mouth wide.

Liang Qu scooped out a bowlful and poured it all into his mouth, the steaming, salty and savory aroma exploding within.

The Fat Catfish scraped the grease off the bottom of the bowl with its whiskers, then closed its mouth and chewed it in big bites.

All your worries are gone!

Cannot Move, Fist, all of them.

"Chief Engineer Beaver, time to eat!"

Having noticed the food distribution early on, the Great Beaver, who was too embarrassed to approach, flattened its tail and patted the ground. It immediately put down the half-eaten wooden stake in its hand, picked up its wooden bowl, and ran over.

Beavers, River Otter —each animal received its own share.

As all the beasts feasted.

A frog pushes its head out of Lotus Leaf and emerges from the pond.

"What good food are you eating?"