Jade Port.
As the largest port in the Kingdom of Seer, it had always been bustling with activity. Countless ships docked here every day, and just the need to unload the goods was enough to feed the entire dock's laborers.
Chopper was one of them.
As an ordinary dock laborer, in addition to sweating profusely every day, he had to watch helplessly as his hard-earned money was exploited by the port officials and gangs. The last bit of money he had left was barely enough to satisfy his family's rations. Even his wife had to pick wild vegetables to survive. His family's conditions were really not that good.
Today, his wife's reminder before he left the house made this honest fellow's brows furrow deeply.
"Little Bruce is already ten years old. It's time to think about his future!"
As the son of a dock laborer, little Bruce could not go to school like the children of the nobles and wealthy citizens. Even more extravagantly, he could not hire a tutor to teach him.
The world had always been unequal. Even the number of priests and opportunities for further study in the church were monopolized by the upper echelons. For those at the lower echelons, there was almost no hope of changing their fates.
Similarly, it was impossible for a knight to train as an ordinary warrior. Just eating meat every day would cost an astronomical figure.
Without any skills, how could he become an adventurer or a mercenary? Be careful that his corpse would be lying in the sewers the next day!
"Maybe … I can only become a sailor?"
Chopper muttered.
Of course, he did not want to see Bruce follow his own path and become a laborer of the lowest status. However, after thinking for a long time, it seemed that only a sailor was more suitable. After all, he could only come into contact with the docks and those large ships. With his relationship with the third mate of the New Moon, it was not a big problem to send a trainee sailor there.
The only key was what should Little Bruce do in the few years before he became a trainee sailor?
Even though he was only ten years old, he was already considered half a laborer and should contribute to his family.
Besides, Chopper was very worried that if he did not find something for little Bruce to do, this troublemaker would soon be bribed by the third mate and become a common thief at the docks.
Gods above, that was not something to be proud of.
Due to the many thoughts in his mind, Chopper looked a little absent-minded. He didn't even notice the new notice on the roadside.
To be honest, even if there was some big news on the notice, for a small character like him, it was at most something to talk about after a meal. Even if it was the decree of the new king, it was the same!
To the nobles of Jadeite Port, the sudden change of king in the Kingdom of Seer was an earth-shattering event.
But to Chopper, the king was too far away from him. The news of the price of rye bread and wheat flour was even more shocking.
"Heh, Ol 'Seadog, thanks for the rum!"
"Doke, the roast meat from last time was really good!"
"Jeff, have you heard? Yesterday, Old Bailey caught a golden eel. That's a legendary delicacy. Unfortunately, he didn't taste it and sold it instead … "
…
When they arrived at the dock, Chopper took off his coat and carefully folded it.
Moving boxes and cabinets would really wear out his clothes. The one he was wearing was a rare complete set of decent clothes, and he was going to let Little Bruce wear it again in the future.
"Chopper, what's on your mind?"
On the other hand, his absent-minded expression was noticed by his workmates, who immediately started asking questions at once.
"Sigh … It's about Little Bruce!"
Chopper answered with a bitter smile, and the workmates around him immediately showed a look of sympathy or understanding.
The problem of the kid at home was also a problem for them. After all, the kid needed to develop and eat a lot, which was a huge burden for the family.
Moreover, as parents, both of them were busy with work, and there was no one to take care of them. It was easy for them to be kidnapped or learn bad things.
"Actually, in a family like ours, the kids will either be fishermen or sailors in the future, or laborers like us. If they're lucky and work hard, they might be chosen by the ship's owner and be promoted to the position of chief mate or something. Then, they'll be very respectable people …"
After Chopper said his plan, he suddenly sighed.
He looked at the sea not far away, and his nose sniffed the slightly fishy air. A trace of unwillingness appeared in his eyes.
This was because he knew very well that if this continued, unless a miracle happened, his family would struggle at the bottom of society for a few lifetimes.
But even if he knew, what could he do?
The children of nobles were still nobles, and the children of slaves were still slaves. There were too few people who could change their own fate.
"Let's go to work!"
Chopper draped a rag over his shoulder and called out to his workmates.
The work at the docks was paid on a daily basis. If they didn't do enough, they wouldn't be able to get dinner for the whole family. That was the most important thing.
Therefore, Chopper did not have time to sigh and immediately called out to his companions to get to work.
"It's the dry season now, and the trade winds haven't arrived yet. I reckon that there will be very little work today!"
A thin and tall man next to Chopper said with a worried look on his face, "Be careful of those people from the East District. They seem to want to rob our business!"
"They dare?"
Chopper raised his eyebrows and said with a bit of a fierce aura, "The amount of money we give to the Blood Axe Gang is the same. If they dare to rob our business, we will directly take action!"
In the face of survival, even the most arrogant person would have to lower his head, and even the most honest person would become extremely vicious.
Especially when he saw that there were very few ships on the dock and that the laborers from the East District had started to move, Chopper immediately stood up and almost wanted to stage a fight on the dock.
The pedestrians, small merchants, and even the people from the patrol team looked on with smiles, treating this as an entertainment to pass the time.
"Ships!"
"So many ships!"
…
However, this fight did not happen in the end. Accompanied by a cry of surprise, Chopper was shocked to see a large black cloud floating into the port.
When it got closer, he realized that the black cloud was actually the sails of ships that covered the sky, casting a huge shadow. He had never seen such a ship before in his life.
"What a big fleet!"
Chopper's mouth was wide open, and he could not close it for a long time, "This is definitely not something that the nobles from the nearby islands can buy. Could it be from the mainland? But the trading season has long passed … "
"Hurry up, it's time to work!"
Because a large number of workers had arrived, the laborers naturally could not fight.
After all, no one would say no to money. Wasn't this the reason why they fought and fought?
But now, the experienced laborers already knew that it was only a matter of how much they could do today, and there would definitely be no situation where they could not work.
"Where are these ships from?"
Chopper looked at the huge dragon head statue that looked like a deer, a horse, and even had scales on it, and he asked his steward, puzzled.
"Hehe … This is the fleet from the Eastern Continent, the Great Chang Empire, the Yun Family Chamber of Commerce. Have you heard of it?"
The steward said a few words that were difficult to pronounce.
Obviously, he did not know the inside story, and he had only just heard the news, but it did not prevent him from putting on airs in front of a bunch of laborers to satisfy his sense of superiority.
"Eastern Continent, Great Chang Empire?"
Chopper blinked his eyes, "Where is that?"
As a laborer at the dock, he came into contact with a lot of information. Compared to those farmers who only knew how to bury their heads in the fields, he was already considered a well-informed person. He also had a certain understanding of the entire kingdom, but he could not imagine that there was another continent and an empire.
"Alright, hurry up and get to work!"
The steward had a trace of embarrassment on his face, and it was obvious that he did not know. At this moment, he directly changed the topic, "If today's task is not completed, no one can dream of going home for dinner."
"Oh!"
The laborers shouted one after another, full of energy. After all, they were paid by the piece, and the more they worked, the more they were paid.
…
A day passed unknowingly, and the sun set, leaving a purple moon hanging in the sky.
Under the bright moonlight, Chopper carried a handful of copper coins, two loaves of black bread, fresh onions, carrots … His harvest from the day's work, and he returned home in the dark.
"Oh, this is great!"
After opening the door, a little boy ran out, holding a loaf of bread and cheering excitedly.
"Haha, Little Bruce, you can finally eat your fill tonight!"
Chopper lovingly stroked his son's little head and said excitedly, "Did you know? Today, a bunch of big ships from the East came to the dock, and they also brought many incredible things, such as gorgeous, soft silk that seems to be enchanted, and bright and clean porcelain. It is said that these are all goods that can be sold at a high price … It was transported by a very large chamber of commerce, and if this is successful, there will be more in the future … "
His eyes were filled with excitement. "If this is the case, maybe I can work full every day, save a sum of money, and send you to study …"
"Darling!"
At this time, his wife came out, holding a pot of meat soup that exuded a strong fragrance, which surprised Chopper even more.
After all, his wife was a very thrifty person.
"The matter with Little Bruce has been resolved. Today, the sheriff came to our house to give an announcement!"
The woman said excitedly. "Didn't you see the kingdom's announcement? From this year onwards, all children of suitable age can be sent to the newly built school to study together. The school will also provide lunch, and everything is free … I heard that the kingdom will also select potential seedlings from them to be trained as warriors and knights! "
"Huh?! I didn't notice! "
Chopper picked up his son. "What do you mean?"
"That's right!"
The woman proudly puffed out her chest. "Little Bruce will become a respectable person in the future, and he might even become a respectable knight!"
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