I was chased by my sickly junior brother who had two lives

After successfully promoting Daqing's knitted products overseas and gaining wide acclaim, Chen Jia and Chen Jue realized that as their business continued to expand, the existing logistics channels were gradually unable to meet the growing trade needs. In order to ensure that goods could be transported more efficiently and conveniently, they decided to take bold measures - spending money to dredge rivers, build large ships, and open up more logistics channels.

On this sunny day, Chen Jia and Chen Jue stood beside a narrow river with some siltation. The river flowed slowly, and occasionally a boat could be seen sailing by with difficulty, and the boat was bumpy due to the blocked river. Chen Jia looked at the boat that was struggling to move forward and spoke first: "Husband, look at this river, it is so narrow and silted up, it is extremely inconvenient for ships to pass. Our business is getting bigger and bigger, and the amount of cargo transportation is increasing day by day. The existing logistics channels can no longer support it. If we want our goods to be transported smoothly to various places, we must find a way to improve this situation."

Chen Jue frowned slightly, his eyes extended along the river, and after thinking for a moment, he said: "Madam, you are right. Now our business is all over the country, and even exported overseas. Logistics has become a key factor restricting our further development. Dredging the river and building large ships are indeed urgent tasks. However, this is not an easy task. Dredging the river requires a lot of manpower and material resources, and it is also necessary to coordinate the relations between all parties; building large ships requires proficiency in shipbuilding technology to ensure the quality and performance of the ship."

Chen Jia nodded slightly and said with a firm look: "My husband, I understand the difficulties. But for the long-term development of our business, these difficulties must be overcome. We can first conduct a detailed survey of the surrounding rivers to understand the specific conditions of the rivers, including length, width, degree of siltation, etc. At the same time, we can call together talented people who are proficient in water conservancy and shipbuilding from all over the country to discuss specific plans for dredging rivers and building large ships."

Chen Jue looked at Chen Jia, his eyes showing approval. "My wife, you are right. We still need to make a good budget and estimate the cost of dredging the river and building large ships. Not only that, but we also need to consider various problems that may be encountered during the construction process, such as the impact of weather factors on the construction progress, and how to ensure that the construction process does not affect the normal passage of the existing river."

Chen Jia continued, "Sir, we can set up a special project team to coordinate all the work. One team will be responsible for communicating with local officials, seeking policy support, and resolving issues such as construction permits; another team will be responsible for recruiting workers and purchasing materials needed for construction; and another team will focus on communicating with shipbuilders to ensure that the design and manufacture of the ship meet our needs."

Chen Jue nodded and said, "My lady, you have thought so carefully. It is really great. Then we will act immediately and arrange personnel to survey the river. At the same time, we will issue a notice to recruit talents in water conservancy and shipbuilding."

Soon, Chen Jia and Chen Jue began to prepare for various tasks. Chen Jia said to the subordinates in charge of river survey: "You should divide into several groups and conduct detailed surveys along the main rivers in the surrounding area. Record the changes in the width of the river, the speed of the water flow, the location and degree of siltation, and pay attention to the surrounding terrain to see if there are places suitable for building docks or docks. Be sure to be meticulous and provide detailed and accurate information for the subsequent dredging work."

The subordinate replied respectfully: "Madam, rest assured, we will do our best to complete the task."

Chen Jue said to his subordinates in charge of recruiting talents: "You should post notices in various places to show our sincerity and need to recruit talents in water conservancy and shipbuilding. Not only should we recruit experienced craftsmen, but also look for talents with unique insights into water conservancy engineering and shipbuilding technology. Be sure to let more capable people know about our plan and attract them to join."

The subordinate received the order and said, "Don't worry, Duke. I will try my best to recruit the best talents."

A few days later, the subordinate in charge of river survey came back with a detailed survey report. "Duke, Madam, after a few days of survey, we found that many major rivers have different degrees of siltation. Among them, the river leading to the north is most seriously silted in the middle reaches, and the width of the river has narrowed by nearly one-third, seriously affecting the passage of ships. As for the river leading to the south, although the siltation is relatively light, some sections of the river have turbulent water and need to be properly dredged. In addition, in the downstream area, we found several places suitable for building docks and shipyards. The terrain is flat, which is convenient for construction and docking of ships."

Chen Jia and Chen Jue looked at the report carefully. Chen Jia said, "Based on this report, we can formulate a targeted dredging plan. For the middle reaches where siltation is serious, we will increase the investment in manpower and equipment and concentrate our efforts on cleaning up. For the river sections with turbulent water flow, we will consider building some diversion facilities to guide the water flow smoothly. As for the construction of docks and shipyards, we must put it on the agenda as soon as possible, which is crucial for our future cargo loading and unloading and ship berthing."

Chen Jue nodded in agreement: "My lady, your analysis is correct. We still need to discuss with the shipbuilders and design a suitable large ship based on the actual conditions of the river. The draft and carrying capacity of the ship must match the conditions of the river."

At the same time, the subordinate in charge of recruiting talents also brought good news: "Duke, Madam, after the notice was posted, water conservancy and shipbuilding talents from all over the country responded. We have selected a group of experienced and skilled craftsmen. They are very interested in our plan and are willing to contribute to dredging the river and building large ships."

Chen Jue said with satisfaction: "Very good, arrange for these craftsmen to meet with us as soon as possible to discuss the specific implementation plan."

Soon after, a group of water conservancy and shipbuilding craftsmen gathered at Chen's house. Chen Jia warmly entertained them and said, "Masters, we invited you here this time in the hope that we can use your expertise to dredge the river, build large ships, and open up a smoother logistics channel. I believe you all understand the situation we are facing now. I wonder what your opinions are on this?"

An experienced hydraulic craftsman took the lead and said, "Madam, to dredge the river, we need to first determine the key dredging areas. For areas with serious siltation, we can adopt a segmented construction method and use tools such as dredgers to improve work efficiency. In addition, during the dredging process, we must pay attention to the reinforcement of both sides of the river to prevent collapse."

Chen Jue nodded and asked, "Master, what do you think about widening the river?"

The hydraulic engineer thought for a moment and replied, "Duke, widening the river requires caution. We must consider both the engineering workload and the impact on the surrounding ecological environment. We can reasonably plan the widening scope while ensuring the river's navigability. For some narrow and winding river sections, widening and straightening them appropriately can effectively increase the speed of ships."

At this time, a shipbuilding craftsman said: "Duke, Madam, according to the survey of the river, when we design large ships, we must pay attention to the flexibility and stability of the ship. Considering the width and depth of some rivers, the draft of the large ship should not be too deep, and the width of the hull should also be moderate. At the same time, in order to increase the carrying capacity of the ship, the hull structure can be optimized and stronger and lighter materials can be used."

Chen Jia listened carefully and said, "The suggestions of all the masters are very valuable. Next, I would like to ask all the masters to develop detailed construction plans and shipbuilding drawings according to our needs. We will fully support the work of all the masters, and we will prepare the necessary funds and materials."

In the days that followed, Chen Jia and Chen Jue actively raised funds and negotiated cooperation with wealthy merchants and banks in various places to obtain more financial support. At the same time, they organized workers to carry out the river dredging work in an orderly manner according to the plan formulated by the water conservancy craftsmen. Chen Jue often visited the construction site in person to supervise the progress of the project and ensure the quality of construction.

"Everyone, work harder. The dredging of the river is related to our future livelihood. We must ensure the quality and cannot be careless in the slightest!" Chen Jue shouted to the workers who were working.

Chen Jia was responsible for communicating with the shipbuilders and paying attention to the design and construction progress of the ship. "Master, can the structure of this ship be optimized to make it more stable? In addition, in terms of decoration, can some characteristic elements of Daqing be incorporated to make our ship not only practical but also show its unique cultural charm?" Chen Jia said to the shipbuilder.

The shipbuilder nodded and responded: "Madam, rest assured, we will continue to optimize the design and incorporate the unique elements of Daqing. This is not only a transport ship, but also a mobile business card of our Daqing culture."

As the project progressed, the financial pressure gradually increased. Chen Jia and Chen Jue were worried about this. One day, the two discussed countermeasures in the study. Chen Jia said: "Husband, now the project is halfway through, but the funding gap is getting bigger and bigger. If it cannot be solved in time, I am afraid it will affect the progress of the project."

Chen Jue frowned, thought for a moment and said, "Madam, let's negotiate with the bank to see if we can increase the loan amount. At the same time, we can also apply for some subsidies from the court. After all, dredging rivers and building large ships are also important for the country's trade development."

Chen Jia nodded and said, "What you said is absolutely right. I will visit the bank owner tomorrow and try to win their support by explaining our situation to them. You will go and communicate with the officials of the imperial court and try to get subsidies."

After some efforts, Chen Jia successfully persuaded the bank owner to increase the loan amount, and Chen Jue also received part of the subsidy from the court. The funding problem was alleviated and the project was able to continue smoothly.

Finally, with the joint efforts of everyone, the river dredging project was completed. The narrow and silted river became wide and smooth, and the water flow was stable. At the same time, a number of brand-new large ships were also built in the dock. These large ships not only have a majestic appearance, incorporating the decorative elements of Daqing Kingdom such as dragon patterns and auspicious clouds, but also have a reasonable internal structure and a greatly increased carrying capacity.

Chen Jia and Chen Jue stood on the newly built dock, looking at the large ships ready to go, their hearts filled with joy. Chen Jia said with emotion: "Husband, after so many difficulties, we finally succeeded. These unblocked rivers and brand new ships will bring new opportunities for our business."

Chen Jue smiled and responded: "My wife, this is the result of our joint efforts. With these perfect logistics channels, our goods can be transported to various places more conveniently, and our business territory will be further expanded."

With the opening of new logistics channels, Chen Jia and Chen Jue's business is booming. Goods transportation is more efficient and the scope of trade is expanding. Their story has also become a local legend, inspiring more people to be innovative and work hard to realize their dreams.