webnovelfull Chapter 616 The best of times
Chapter 616 The best of times
Beigang Industrial College is located in Beigang. It is just at sunset now. The orange-red clouds are like an overturned honey pot, dyeing the sky warm.
The students had finished their classes for the day and were leaving the college in groups of three or four, carrying their bags. The corridors were filled with laughter, occasionally mixed with a few goodbyes of "See you tomorrow".
"I am back!"
A student pushed open the door of his home, and the door hinge made a slight "creaking" sound. He casually threw his handbag on the cabinet beside the entrance, and the metal buckle hit the wooden board with a dull "dong" sound.
Then he rushed into the living room like a cannonball, and slammed down on the sofa with his limbs spread out like a "big" character.
The sofa springs made a slight protest. The old man sitting next to him reading a newspaper put down the newspaper, glanced at his son, and couldn't help sighing:
"Hey, kids nowadays, life is so good."
He put down the newspaper and unconsciously stroked the rim of the cup with his fingers.
"Back then, I was just a tenant farmer's son. Dreams of attending a college were simply unrealistic. I had to travel through mountains and rivers, work everywhere to earn money, and even buy an axe to protect myself from robbers. Only then did I get into Wyndham..."
"Stop, stop, stop!"
The student quickly raised a hand to stop himself from recalling his father.
"Dad, how many times have you said this!"
He turned over and buried his face in the sofa cushions.
"Putting everything else aside, the college I attend is only a few blocks away from home. Why should I go all the way abroad to study?"
He raised his head.
"Besides, my major is steam engines, which are very popular right now! After graduation, I can either go to a research institute or the Ministry of Industry. They are both stable jobs!"
"Gululu..."
Suddenly, his stomach growled at an inopportune moment.
He rubbed his stomach and asked his father:
"What is my mom cooking today?"
"She said she's going out to eat today, to that Yule Seafood Grill restaurant you've been dreaming of."
Dad smiled and pointed out the window.
"Your mother just went out to buy some juice. She should be back soon."
"Oh!"
The student sat up with a somersault as if a spring was pressed, and a few clumps of his hair stood up.
"Then hurry up! It's dinner time now. If you're late you won't be able to grab the food that's already prepared. I like the Yule grilled oysters and Kusha lamb kebabs there the most!"
As he was about to rush to the door, he tripped over the sofa and stumbled, holding onto the coffee table to steady himself.
Looking at his excited son in front of him, the father suddenly felt a little dazed.
The skinny little kid in my memory who always followed him to pick wheat ears with half a piece of black bread in his hand has now grown into a big man with broad shoulders and back.
He looked down at his cuffs which had become slightly white from washing, then looked up at the factory chimneys standing outside the window. The white smoke rising from the chimneys was dyed light pink by the sunset, like a flower embroidered on the sky.
"It seems that Helderland has truly entered its golden age."
He muttered to himself, the corners of his mouth rising unconsciously.
Yule Seafood BBQ Restaurant, located near Beigang Port, is bustling with people.
The copper bell at the door of the store was jingling as people came in and out. The wooden tables inside the store were full of people, and even the temporary shed outside the store was crowded with diners.
Jules had to set up a small window at the door of the store to sell packaged skewers and oysters.
"Come and take a look! These are the sizzling, freshly grilled Kusha lamb skewers! Sprinkled with secret cumin, they're so delicious!"
A Kushan stood behind the window, fanning the charcoal fire vigorously with a fan and shouting at the top of his voice.
On the grill, the fat and lean lamb skewers were roasted until golden brown, the fat dripped onto the charcoal fire, and white smoke rose with a "sizzling" sound. The aroma seemed to have legs and penetrated into the crowd.
In the kitchen, the chefs and waiters were busy as hell.
Fresh lobsters and crabs have just been delivered from the dock and are being processed on the chopping board.
Jules, wearing an oil-stained apron, stood in front of a pile of oyster barrels and gave orders to the new guys:
"Throw away those that are open; they're either stale or dead! Then use a brush to brush off the sand from the shells... Don't soak them in water for too long, or the oyster meat will shrink and the taste will be bad."
"Uncle Jules, twenty oysters!"
A young man with a ponytail ran over, holding a small notebook in his hand.
"okay!"
Jules quickly grabbed a brush and wrote a note on the wooden board next to him, and put it on the table beside him.
"Oh my god, there are so many people before this time, it's impossible to stop."
The chef beside him said this while processing the lobster. His forehead was covered with sweat and he wiped it with his elbow.
"Maybe people have more money now. I just saw some new houses being built west of Beigang. I guess a new group of people are coming here to work."
“Woo-woo-woo!”
Suddenly, there was a roaring sound in the distance, like a giant beast growling.
"Okay, here we go again."
The head chef covered his ears and asked with a frown.
"What kind of ship is making that noise? It sounds like thunder."
"I think it's called something like a steamboat, but I'm not sure."
Jules scratched his head.
"There are so many new things now that even a 50-year-old like me can't understand them."
On the sea of Beigang, a huge ship is slowly leaving the port.
The hull of the ship is as high as three stories, and there is a huge wooden paddle wheel on each side of the ship. The blades are turning in the water, stirring up white splashes of water.
Thick black smoke was coming out of the ship's chimney, hovering over the top of the ship like a black cloud.
"What a good thing."
An ordnance officer in a neat military uniform stood at the bow and reached out to touch the mast.
This ship, which is not powered by wind, can run rampant on the sea as long as it is fully loaded with coal. If used in naval battles, it will definitely be a powerful weapon.
"How about it, sir? This is a paddlewheel steamship developed by our country. It can be driven without relying on wind power."
Just then, the official in charge of the handover in Beigang came over with a smile on his face.
"Look how smoothly this wheel turns. It's much faster than a sailboat."
The armorer shook his head, his brows furrowed like the shape of a "川" (a character in Chinese).
“It’s good, but it doesn’t meet the needs of our country.”
He turned and looked at the distant coastline. The threat to Midland has always come from land rather than sea. Besides, the number of Midland Navy warships is already the largest in the continent, so there is no need for extra warships.
Seeing that the other party was not interested, the Beigang official immediately changed the subject and directed it to the artillery nearby:
"Look at this, a 12-pound naval gun. We also have a model for army use. This gun has a large caliber and is powerful enough to deal with those castles."
He pointed to a black cannon placed next to him, the barrel of which shone coldly in the sunlight.
The ordnance officer touched the gun barrel, and the cold touch made him squint slightly:
"This is a good thing. How much is it?"
"It's not expensive, only 1200 gold coins per course."
The official gestured with a smile.
"If you want to buy more than ten, we can give you a discount, up to 1000 gold coins per piece."
"Okay, then order 50 for me."
The ordnance officer waved his hand.
"Sign the contract, and I'll pay half of the deposit when I return."
Seeing the ordnance officer being so generous, the North Port official immediately smiled and turned back to the captain's room to draft the contract.
"grown ups."
At this moment, a young man in a servant's uniform quickly caught up and asked in a low voice.
"You've only spent fifty thousand gold coins. Where's half of the one hundred thousand gold coins the king gave you?"
"Half? How can it be half? I obviously spent it all."
The armorer curled his lips.
“But what if I check the contract after returning home and find that the amount doesn’t match?”
The attendant reminded him with a frown.
"Don't worry, I'm ready."
As the armorer spoke, he pulled out a document from the hidden pocket inside his clothes and shook it proudly.
"I wrote a contract in advance. The price on it was 2000 gold coins per cannon. I just spent 100,000 gold coins. It even has a replica of the Helderran seal on it."
He approached the servant and spoke mysteriously.
"I've been doing this kind of thing for years. This is a big deal. If I don't make some money from it, I'll be at a huge loss."
The attendant looked at the ordnance officer's smug face, opened his mouth, but ultimately said nothing.