Chapter 92

Let the Li women change their weaving techniques to produce better canvas, it's possible, but there's no hope in the short term. I have no knowledge of the textile industry, and I don't know the specific techniques used to weave canvas in the future. The only solution is to propose the idea and provide the Li women with sufficient materials and funds, allowing them to research and improve their weaving techniques on their own, gradually moving towards the direction I need. How long will this process take? Who knows? Maybe one of the women will have a sudden idea and solve it in two months, or maybe none of them will have any ideas, and it will take two years to solve.

The only solution for now is to use whale skin instead of Li cloth. After processing and layering, whale skin is still quite sturdy. The thickness can be chosen, and it is much lighter than Li cloth, with better air-tightness. Most importantly, whale skin does not absorb water, unlike Li cloth, which doubles in weight when wet. If the strength of the edges can be improved, it should make a good sail.

However, whale skin also has its drawbacks. It has greater elasticity than Li cloth and is not as durable. After prolonged exposure to wind and sun, it tends to crack. But Hong Tao has ways to overcome these issues. The elasticity can be restricted by adding diagonal supports, and as for durability... well, if it breaks, just replace it! As long as the whaling industry develops, there will be no shortage of whale skin. It might be a bit wasteful, but currently, there are too many whale skins left unused. The people of the Song Dynasty don't wear leather clothes or pants, and whether whale skin is suitable for making armor, Hong Tao is not sure.

Bo Jiao and Karl made mistakes all the way. If Hong Tao didn't review the angles they measured each time, this ship might have been navigated to Australia. For this result, Hong Tao is also helpless. Asking someone who hasn't even studied junior high school geometry to suddenly understand trigonometric functions is unrealistic. Asking someone who has no specific concept of the Earth or the stars to play with star charts is also immoral. So, they just need more practice. If once doesn't work, try ten times; if ten times don't work, try a hundred times. Eventually, they will succeed.

The result of constant mistakes is constant adjustment. When the shadows of Dongmao Island and Xima Island appeared on the horizon, Bo Jiao and Karl, these incompetent navigators and captains, finally breathed a sigh of relief and felt a strong sense of achievement. No matter how many mistakes they made along the way, they managed to return from a journey of over a thousand miles. A fishing boy and a rowing slave could actually become captains. Ha ha ha ha ha, who would believe it?

At this moment, the way they looked at Hong Tao was different from when they set out. At that time, Hong Tao was just a capable person in their minds, a vague concept. Now, Hong Tao has become their role model and hero, and his every word and action will be their standard. The word "mistake" has completely left Hong Tao. Even if Hong Tao really made a mistake, they would not allow themselves to admit it, as that would mean they themselves were wrong.

As usual, when the black sail appeared on the sea, the first person on Xima Island to spot it shouted, and everyone on the island quickly ran to the dock. Their loved ones had returned, and it was a joyous occasion, regardless of whether they brought back any fish. Bo Zhu was the most excited. Even before the ship docked, Hong Tao could hear her loud voice. Even Bo Fu didn't want to get close to his daughter, as she was too noisy.

"Don't cry, I'm back, you should be smiling. This short distance, even a clumsy person like Luo Daren can complete, how could I get lost?" She was still a new bride. Although she often felt wronged when Hong Tao held her hand, he was still her man, and she didn't think he was a disgrace. Crying for her husband's return was much more meaningful than those brainless fans who cry at the airport to welcome their idols. Every time Hong Tao saw such scenes, he wanted to grab one and ask: "If your father died, could you cry so dramatically?"

"There was a big storm a few days ago, and two boats from Zhenzhou Port didn't return..." Bo Zhu, although straightforward and frank, felt awkward when Hong Tao hugged her in public. But she couldn't break free from his iron-like arms and could only hide her head behind his neck, explaining softly.

"Your man is not an ordinary fisherman. He can catch crocodile sharks and whales, the most powerful things in the sea. A small storm is nothing! Go home and make some hot water for me, I'm all sticky!" Hong Tao tossed Bo Zhu like a child, caught her, and then put her down, turning her around and patting her bottom.

"Ah..." Bo Zhu, like a car that had stepped on the gas, lowered her head and ran from the dock, too embarrassed to face anyone.

"Grandpa! Grandpa! Grandpa! I can sail a big ship now, I can sail a big ship now! Uncle taught me everything!" Bo Jiao and Karl didn't dare to get off the ship with Hong Tao. Tidying the sails, emptying the ship's hold, checking the ropes, and cleaning the deck were the first tasks after docking, and they couldn't leave until they were done. But young people can't hold their excitement overnight. They had to show off their new skills to their families and relatives immediately, so they shouted while moving the water jars.

"Hehehe... hehe..." Bo Xiaoer, the fleshy one, could only laugh foolishly at his son's achievements, unable to say a complete sentence.

"Good boy, grandpa will give you sea dragon wine tonight!" Bo Fu was much better than Bo Xiaoer and knew how to encourage his grandson, though he didn't really believe the boy could sail a ship.

"Grandpa, is everything at home okay?" Hong Tao didn't care how tired Bo Jiao and Karl were. Crew members should work, and expecting the captain to share their hardships was unrealistic. He greeted the people on the dock and walked ashore with Chen Ming'en, asking about the island's situation over the past ten days.

"Everything is fine, fine. It's just that the steward of that Luo Daren keeps complaining about the insufficient stock of fragrant oil. He said that in a few days, the sea ship will come again to take away the remaining fragrant oil, and then it will be gone." Chen Ming'en no longer went out to sea to fish unless Bo Fu dragged him. Otherwise, he preferred to sit in the courtyard on the shore and read books. Since he started teaching the children, this old man had returned to his identity as a scholar, always acting as if he had a pearl of wisdom. Only in front of Hong Tao did he revert to his original state.

"Alright, it's time to get serious. I'll go to Zhenzhou City tomorrow, and then prepare to set sail. Tell that Luo Daren to prepare more oil cans and bring a couple of large earthen jars to the island. The whale we catch this time might be much larger than the last one." Hong Tao understood Chen Ming'en's feelings. A scholar who had been suppressed for most of his life, unable to continue his studies or even walk in the city without sticking to the side, needed to regain his self-respect.

"Why not wait until the new ship is built? The eldest of the Wen family has already gone to the Li people to select larger and longer wood. Our stored food is enough to last until the new ship is built. Then, with two ships to support each other, you can go out to sea, and I will feel more at ease." Chen Ming'en treated Hong Tao like a son, fearing for his safety and thinking of the safest way.

"No problem, I need to teach Bo Jiao and the others quickly. Otherwise, even if we have two ships, who will sail the other one? We can't have one ship towing the other. You can help me keep an eye on the children at home. By the way, I have a serious matter to discuss with you. I want to recruit more children from the Tanka community to study and learn to read and write with the little fish and shrimp. I'm not sure if the other Tanka people will agree. If I provide them with one meal a day, will their parents be willing to let their children come to the island?" After this long voyage, Hong Tao had basically determined his development path and direction. Now he needed to lay the foundation. He could obtain technology and money, but what he lacked was people, not adults like Bo Fu and Bo Xiaoer whose minds were already set, but at least young people in their twenties who still had the potential to change. The best would be children who could just take care of themselves, as they were blank slates, easiest to accept his ideas, control, and full of energy.

"Provide meals! Teaching their children to read and write and providing meals, there's no such thing! No, I won't agree. Not charging tuition is already a favor. No dynasty has ever heard of a teacher paying to recruit students. We can't break this rule. Listen to me, I'll handle it for you. If a family doesn't come, it's their loss, hmpf!" Chen Ming'en didn't oppose Hong Tao's plan to expand the school on the island, but he firmly opposed Hong Tao paying to recruit students. In his view, teaching was a sacred profession, and since it was sacred, it should be expensive. Not charging was already a loss of face, and paying was out of the question.

"Alright, I'll listen to you. Not too many, a dozen or so will do. Too many will be a problem, and our small house can't hold them all. By the way, don't just pick boys; girls should be included too. Having literate girls will speed up the production of fragrant oil." Hong Tao didn't argue with Chen Ming'en on this issue. The school space was limited, and too many children would be a hassle. He only made a small request about the gender of the students, using the increased production of fragrant oil as a reason, which Chen Ming'en reluctantly agreed to.

ps: Click, collect, and recommend! Throw your Three Rivers votes to Hong Bapi... I don't know if there are any readers who don't know how to vote for the Three Rivers. I'll write down the method here. The collective method is as follows: 1. Open the起点 website on your computer, click on Three Rivers, and enter the Three Rivers homepage (for mobile users, use Baidu to search for "起点 Three Rivers," scroll to the bottom, and click on the computer version). After entering, you can see "Three Rivers vote" in the lower right corner of the big featured promotion. Click to claim the vote, and then scroll to the bottom of the page to see the voting tag behind "Song Dynasty No Cough." Click to vote. 2. The usage time for the Three Rivers vote is from 14:00 in the afternoon to 14:00 the next day. Each account can only vote once within 24 hours, and the vote is invalid after the time limit. Please claim and vote for "Song Dynasty No Cough" immediately. This vote cannot be accumulated, and each account can vote once per day. As long as the account has spent more than 1 yuan, it can vote. I hope the readers will take the trouble to vote for the Three Rivers.

Page flip AD starts

Page flip AD ends