Scumbag Chapter 172 The Reformed White-Eyed Wolf General (38)

The newly cast cannons were secretly transported to Yaozhou. Mingting quickly trained a group of skilled artillerymen and took them out to s

The newly cast cannons were secretly transported to Yaozhou. Mingting quickly trained a group of skilled artillerymen and took them out to s

The newly cast cannons were secretly transported to Yaozhou. Mingting quickly trained a group of skilled artillerymen and took them out to s

The newly cast cannons were secretly transported to Yaozhou. Mingting quickly trained a group of skilled artillerymen and took them out to s

The newly cast cannons were secretly transported to Yaozhou.

Mingting quickly trained a group of skilled artillerymen and took them out to sea for drills and live-fire exercises. He was so busy he barely had time to breathe.

It wasn’t until New Year’s Eve that Mingting finally returned home, just in time for the reunion dinner, finally able to rest.

The first few days of the new year were filled with visits… mostly from the soldiers who had come with Mingting. He also took his family to pay respects at Qi Ming’s home.

When things finally settled down, Liu Cheng suddenly came to Mingting for a heart-to-heart conversation.

His brother-in-law confessed that while the restaurant was now stable, he had somehow lost his drive and wanted Mingting’s advice.

"Brother-in-law, I think opening a restaurant is just a small thing. It’s still a far cry from my dream of becoming a tycoon."

Since opening the restaurant, without Mingting pushing him to exercise, Liu Cheng had often used ‘taste-testing’ as an excuse to indulge in food and drink. Now, he had puffed up like a steamed bun again, round and pale.

"Do you have any other ideas?"

Liu Cheng’s small eyes sparkled as he looked at Mingting.

"I heard from an old hand at the restaurant that in the past, people made fortunes sailing to the Southern Sea! They’d take goods there, make a profit, then bring back exotic goods to sell here. The profits were huge!"

Hearing this, Mingting understood.

Liu Cheng wasn’t the type to settle down quietly.

People like him, who have adventurous spirit and do not seek a stable life, may really be suitable for maritime trade.

Fortune favored the bold, and Liu Cheng had the heart of an adventurer.

"I do have another idea, but I don’t think you can handle the hardship." Mingting said deliberately, leaving the sentence hanging. Liu Cheng grew frantic.

"Brother-in-law, please teach me! This is all I want in my life, please help me!"

Liu Cheng didn't care that he was almost 20 years old. He shamelessly grabbed Mingting’s sleeve and called ‘good brother-in-law’ sweetly.

"I don’t want to end up like my dad… earning money the safe way, marrying some woman, having a few kids, living the same predictable life from twenty to fifty, calling it ‘stability’. Where’s the fun in that?"

These were things Liu Cheng would never dare say to Liu Yongshan, for fear that his father would break his legs.

But with Mingting, he felt no pressure.

His brother-in-law was open-minded, tolerant of his ‘nonsense’, and never tattled. Liu Cheng felt they were kindred spirits.

"This idea I mentioned can make a lot of money if it is done well, but there are risks, and you may even lose your life."

Mingting wasn’t exaggerating. Maritime trade was all about high risks and high rewards.

Liu Cheng was the Liu Family’s only son. His father was counting on him to marry, have children, and carry on the family line!

If something happened to him at sea, Liu Yongshan and Liu Huangshi would be devastated.

"Brother-in-law, I’m not afraid! Really, I’m not!"

When Liu Cheng heard that he could make a lot of money, he immediately became energetic.

"Are you talking about sailing to the Southern Sea? Brother-in-law, I can do it! I really can!"

Liu Cheng had been feeling stifled lately. Liu Yongshan was already matchmaking for him, expecting him to expand the restaurant, marry, and settle down.

But he wanted none of that.

What was the point of being tied down so young?

Besides, he wasn’t some breeding stud, marrying just to produce heirs. That was no different from a prize hog!

Right now, Mingting was the only one who could help him, and Liu Cheng knew his father listened to Mingting.

So he piled on the flattery, making all sorts of promises.

Seeing his brother-in-law like this, Mingting stroked his chin.

"The seas aren’t safe these years, so your plan won’t work yet. But you can start preparing. How about training with me for a few days first?"

"T-Training?!"

Liu Cheng's scalp prickled.

He had experienced Mingting’s training methods once before and had no desire to repeat it.

"Do you think it's easy to go to Southern Sea? Do you know how to navigate at sea? Can you read the stars? Do you understand how to tell time by the sun? Do you know when the winds shift or how to follow ocean currents?"

Mingting’s expression was stern.

"If you know nothing and just rush in blindly, you might as well stay in bed and dream. In your dreams, the pearls, glassware, and perfumes of the Southern Sea are all yours, turning a hundredfold profit. You’d be Liu the Sea King."

After being criticized by Mingting, Liu Cheng muttered sheepishly, "I could hire people who know..."

"If you rely entirely on others, what if they betray you? Do you even know how easy it is to make a body disappear without a trace? What if they just toss you overboard and silence you forever? What’s your plan then? Swim back? Can you even swim? Ever seen a whale? A little shrimp like you wouldn’t even fill a baby whale’s teeth…"

Mingting’s words came rapid-fire, like a machine gun, pelting Liu Cheng until he nearly cowered in fear.

"I get it, I get it! You’re my real brother, I’ll train with you!"

Liu Cheng quickly begged for mercy.

He had only heard about the riches of overseas trade but had never actually been on a ship or experienced life at sea.

Though Mingting made it sound terrifying, Liu Cheng was already intoxicated by tales of the Southern Sea being paved with gold.

He was determined to train with Mingting, to learn the skills needed to survive at sea!

…

After the New Year, Mingting took Liu Cheng away from Ning’an and straight to the coast, where he tossed him onto a ship.

After two days of sailing on the sea, Liu Cheng vomited again and again while holding the wooden barrel, and his fat face was streaked with tears and snot.

When he saw Mingting, he clung to his brother-in-law’s leg and wailed.

"Brother-in-law, I was wrong! I won’t daydream anymore. I want to get off this ship! Waaah, please let me go..."

Liu Cheng finally understood that becoming a maritime merchant and sailing to the Southern Sea wasn’t as simple as he’d imagined.

"Regretting it now? Too late!" Mingting wasn’t about to go easy on him. He trained Liu Cheng just as rigorously as he did his soldiers.

Liu Cheng had to learn everything about surviving at sea… navigation, weather patterns, emergency skills. If he wanted to be a tycoon and sail the Southern Sea, he had to commit fully to his goal.

However, since Liu Cheng is his brother-in-law, Mingting still made sure to balance work and rest.

He even gave Liu Cheng private lessons, telling him stories of maritime adventures and teaching him geographical knowledge about shipping routes, broadening his horizons.

Liu Cheng’s favorite time of day quickly became these lessons on world geography.

At the same time, he couldn’t help but wonder, ‘Isn't brother-in-law supposed to be uneducated? How did he know so much?’

Mingting told him that ‘Books hold houses of gold’. (T/N: It means knowledge leads to wealth.)

Beyond geography, Mingting added mathematics, literacy, and even basic foreign languages to Liu Cheng’s curriculum… Eastern Sea’s language, South Sea’s dialects, and even some language from nations far away.

The more time Liu Cheng spent with Mingting, the more he admired his brother-in-law.

But when he discovered Mingting was a ‘pirate’, he was utterly stunned.

‘The imperial court’s Count of Dingyuan… is secretly a pirate who robs other pirates?! Does His Majesty the Emperor know about this?’

"The Emperor knows."

After directing people to clean up the bodies of the Eastern Sea pirates on the island, Mingting slowly wiped the blood on his sword.

"This is also the Emperor’s idea."

"But, but…" Liu Cheng scratched his hair. Thinking of some historical stories he had learned recently, he looked at Ming Ting with concern.

"What if this blows up later and causes a scandal? What if the Emperor throws you under the carriage to save his reputation?"

‘Oh? The little fatty’s starting to apply what he’s learned!’

Mingting was pleased, but frowned and sighed on the surface.

"If the Emperor wants his subjects to die, the subjects have no choice but to die. What can I do? I just hope that if that day comes, His Majesty will show mercy to your sister and Maomao."

Upon hearing this, Liu Cheng jumped up in agitation.

"That’s not fair! You’re the one doing all the hard work, and he gets to reap the benefits, only to dump the blame on you later? Isn’t that just burning the bridge after crossing it?"

"The Emperor wouldn’t do that. Don’t worry. I am a meritorious official, after all. His Majesty isn’t so heartless."

Though Mingting said this, his expression remained troubled.

Liu Cheng understood that his brother-in-law just trying to reassure him. In truth, he wasn’t confident either!

‘No! This won’t do!’

Watching Mingting’s tall, steadfast figure, thinking of his gentle sister and mischievous Maomao at home, Liu Cheng clenched his fists.

The book says, ‘A cunning rabbit has three burrows’. (T/N: It means a wise man always has a backup plan.)

He needed to master maritime skills. Once the imperial ban on overseas trade was lifted, he would sail to the Southern Sea and carve out his own fortune.

At the very least, he had to secure an escape route for his brother-in-law and sister. Even if Mingting could no longer be Zheng State’s Count of Dingyuan, they could still thrive as wealthy merchants in the Southern Sea!

From that moment on, Liu Cheng studied even harder. He took the initiative to learn swimming and diving, even joining Mingting’s Red Turban Pirate and personally cutting down a few pirates.

Watching Liu Cheng mature step by step, Mingting nodded in satisfaction.

The little fatty is very malleable and still has great potential, which means his efforts weren’t wasted.

[Boss, you’re amazing!]

Fengtian perched on Mingting’s shoulder and felt that no one could compare to the Boss in terms of fooling people.

Liu Cheng had been thoroughly fooled and was now firmly on the path to becoming a great maritime merchant!