Chapter 2 Chapter two

One day in August of this year, a three-masted bird boat familiar to the people of Qingpu drifted to the shore of Qingpu like a lone goose. The first person to see this bird boat was Zhong Yiliang, a Nanyang businessman on the "Zhilong" on Nansipo.First Mr. Zhong thought that the bird fleet was coming, so he yelled with great interest in a broken gong-like voice, calling all the Nanyang merchants and shop assistants on Nansipo Street out of the shop.However, when he arrived at the port, he saw that there was still a lone sail on the horizon where the water and the sky meet. Unconsciously, Mr. Zhong had a lot of doubts: Why is it still a boat, and where are the other boats?Could it be... When the bird boat was getting closer, Second Master Zhong found that the sails on the two masts on the front and back of the ship were gone, and the sail on the top mast was also torn, like a flag waving in the wind.The high bow of the ship was broken in several places, and the big bird pattern printed on the bow was also blurred by some kind of dirty paint.The waterline of the boat was very shallow, as if nothing was loaded at all.There were many people standing on the dilapidated ship deck, shaking their bare upper bodies, waving and shouting to the shore, and waving hats, towels, and small jackets in their hands.Their voices were dry and hoarse, with a bit of howling wildness, and then the howling turned into a cry, and the cry was really loud, buzzing and humming into a whirlwind-like noise, The sound of the rushing tide was almost covered.

Mr. Zhong understood something from the intermittent shouts from the ship, and suddenly realized: the Bird Fleet is finished, and the two three-masted ships belonging to him are also finished!For a moment, his heels softened, and a swirling Venus appeared in front of his eyes, and his hunched body like a shrimp involuntarily fell to the ground. A Xia, Ji Zhong, the owner of the "Zhi Long", saw that the momentum was not right, stepped forward two steps, helped Master Zhong to sit down on a big rock. Second Master Zhong sat on the stone, with a gleam of tears in his dim eyes. He leaned against A Xia's body, his old face twitched in pain, and he murmured woodenly: "It's over! I... my three-masted The big ship is gone! My... my cargo is gone! God... god damn pirate..."

A Xia said: "Second Master, let's go and have a look first, maybe those boats got lost." "No! It's not lost! They, they must have met pirates! They must have met pirates! I know! I had such a dream a few days ago!" Second Master Zhong said stubbornly.While speaking, he fixed his eyes on the sea boat drifting closer and closer to the shore, and seemed to be hoping for some miracle in his heart. The sea boat approached the bluestone-paved port, and the residents gathered on the slope of Nansi began to rush up to the port below the slope. Mr. Zhong was picked up by A Xia, and followed the surging flow of people, and hurriedly rolled forward .It was noon, the hot sun was hanging in the sky, there was no cloud in the blue sky, and there was no wind on the beach. Before Mr. Zhong came to the beach, the back of the cloud gauze coat was soaked, and his forehead and neck were wet. There were also big drops of sweat rolling down my face.

Mr. Zhong did not show any weakness, he was panting like a dog fainted by heat, he huddled around in the crowd from east to west, looking around with his hungry eyes, looking for a path that could lead to the shore. From time to time, his two reed-like thin legs were lifted a few inches by the raised soles of his feet—once, he even jumped up, letting his gaze pass over the scalps of the crowd and reach the bird boat.His ever-hunched back also miraculously straightened up in the noon of this disaster. He didn't look like an old man in his fifties, but rather a restless fifteen or sixteen-year-old child.After the first pain of the loss of the two barques had passed, he immediately thought of the life and death of the two sons who were escorting the ships.He had lost two ships and their cargo, and could not lose the lives of his two sons!But he still can't judge whether his two sons are on the returning lone ship, and he has to prove as soon as possible that their lives were not snatched by pirates along with the two three-masted ships!

Compared with the lives of the two sons, the two bird boats and their cargo are nothing!His ships, his goods, and his business name were all set up for his two sons. If he had no sons, what would he do with them? Second Master Zhong regretted it very much.Knowing that he would encounter pirates, he said that he should never let his youngest son, who is sixteen years old, board the ship to handle goods.In the early days, Second Master Zhong escorted the ship to handle the goods by himself, and went back and forth once a year, and never encountered any pirates.Later, when Mr. Zhong got older and set up a business in Qingpu, he bid farewell to the ship, and became a shopkeeper on the shore, letting his eldest son Hong Sheng take his place on the ship.Last autumn, when Hong Sheng escorted two ships from the north to the south, the younger son Hong Kui cried and clamored to go with the ship. He was confused for a while, but he agreed. This is undoubtedly a big mistake!

Mr. Zhong Erye squeezed in the crowd with sweat on his head and face, his wrinkled face turned white and blue for a while, it was extremely ugly. After a lot of effort, Second Master Zhong finally squeezed in front of the crowd, and the dilapidated big boat and many familiar and unfamiliar faces on the boat rushed into his eyes.The boat has docked, and the people on board are building boards to the shore.When the frame board was being erected, people jumped down from the bow and stern of the ship.Second Master Zhong looked at them one by one, but he didn't see his son among those people.

"Sound! Quill!" Master Zhong shouted.The voice trembled, with deep worry and hope. No one answered.There was a noise of sparrows on the shore.The sound of the waves hitting the shore, and the shouts of people on the boat and on the shore rang together.Second Master Zhong's faint voice merged into the noise, and it didn't belong to him at all. "Sound! Quill!" Second Master Zhong shouted again, the volume increased several times, the veins on his thin forehead swelled, and beads of sweat fell loudly onto the bluestones on the harbor. Still no answer.Zhong Erye was dizzy with anxiety, clapping his hands and stomping his feet, hoping to attract the attention of the people on board.The people on board did not notice this crazy old man.They set up the racks and began to move up the bank in strings like dried fish.

At this time, this guy Ji Axia rushed to Second Master Zhong: "Second Master! Second Master! Have you seen it? Have you seen the two young masters?" Second Master Zhong grabbed A-Xia and said out of breath, "A-Xia, you...you...you call me!" A-Xia nodded, immediately gathered her hands into a trumpet shape, covered her mouth, and tried her best to start shouting——At this moment, Second Master Zhong saw his eldest son Hong Sheng among the crowd at the bow.Hong Sheng's clothes were ragged, his face was dirty, and he was looking towards the shore.He obviously saw Second Master Zhong, and parted his lips, as if he was shouting something, but Second Master Zhong didn't hear him.

"Sound! Sound!" Second Master Zhong murmured, and said to A Xia: "Quick! Ask him, how is Kui Er?" "well!" Hong Sheng's face was nowhere to be seen on the boat.When he was hesitating, Hong Sheng led Hong Kui to appear in the eyes of A Xia and Zhong Erye. Tears fell from Second Master Zhong's eyes, and a stone in his heart fell to the ground.Under Asha's guidance, he slowly moved towards the shore beside the boat. When Second Master Zhong squeezed to the shore, Hong Sheng and Hong Kui also got off the boat. After getting off the boat, Second Master Zhong held his son in one hand and sighed for a while, and then asked about the sea very naturally.

Hong Sheng sighed: "It's dangerous! It's really dangerous! I was robbed! I was robbed by pirates! It's cheap if I can save my life this time! Pirates are so fierce, they really kill people without blinking an eye!" Nan Bao ' Eight people were killed on board the ''!" There was a hint of showing off in Hong Sheng's tone. Second master Zhong couldn't help shaking. "Where are we on board? Did anyone die?" Hong Kui said: "No, only two were injured, one is the six cubs of our family, and the other is a fellow named Lu in Qingpu Town."

"Where's our ship? Where's the cargo?" After Mr. Zhong had a son, he inevitably cared about shipping and goods again. "Is there even a need to ask? They were all robbed by pirates!" "These god-killing evil obstacles!" Dazed for a moment, Second Master Zhong said again: "Tell me in detail, what's going on? Where did you meet the pirate! What kind of banner is the pirate talking about? How many people are there? Is it too late for us to report to the official?" ?” Hong Sheng swallowed hard, wiped the sweat off his forehead, and said slowly: "Our two boats and the twelve boats of 'Shengchun' and 'Nanbao' were delivered on the sixth day of May. After leaving Canton, I went to Amoy Hall on May 18th, unloaded some goods at Amoy Hall, loaded some goods, and went from Amoy Hall to Qingpu on May 22. Unexpectedly, after the fifth night of Amoy Hall, The clippers of the six pirates were quietly posted. The leader of the pirates was called the third master, and when he was in distress on the island, we heard the subordinates call him the third monk." "Oh! It's the third monk who robbed Qingpu at the end of June, and a lot of things were also robbed from our ship!" "Oh? Qingpu was also robbed?" "Yes! Yes! Let's go home and talk about it in detail. You should finish talking about the sea first." Hong Sheng said again: "After the thief boat forced us up, it took our boat to a deserted island far away from the shore. Halfway, the two boats of the 'Nanbao' wanted to run away, but they were overtaken by the thief boat. ——The two ships of the "Nanbao" have three masts, and the pirate ship is also three-masted, but the "Nanbao" ship is full of cargo, but the pirate boat is very light, and it is full of sails. The two boats were captured, Liu Daya, the shopkeeper of the "Nanbao" who was escorting the boat, was stabbed to death by the thief, and the two boatmen were also hanged to death on the mast. Seeing that the situation was not good, the other boats dared not act rashly again. On De Island, two or three hundred pirates ordered us to unload the cargo on board, and scuttled six of the 'Chunsheng', 'Nanbao' and our boat, and the remaining six and five were robbed by the thieves. I kept one, and finally I waited for one to come back." "Which number is this boat coming back from? Oh, is it ours?" "No! It's on the 'Chun Sheng'!" The light of hope in Zhong Erye's eyes disappeared again, and he said sadly: "Go on, let's go on!" "On the island, more than a hundred of us were trapped by the pirates for dozens of days. The third monk asked me to wait for the young and strong to stay as bandits. We refused to do so. As a result, several people were killed." "Then, why did the thief let you go in the end?" A-Xia seemed to be listening to a wonderful story, and couldn't help interjecting when she heard a critical point. Second Master Zhong glared at A-Xia: "Talking! Isn't this obvious? A thief relies on evil spirits, and evil spirits cannot overwhelm righteousness. Your young master and the others are dignified gentlemen, and they cannot be overwhelmed. If you don't accept it, how can the thief have no reason to hold back!" Second Master Zhong was very proud and proud of having raised such two good sons. His hunchback straightened a lot for a while, and the little white braid on the back of his head staggered along with the cadence of his words. wobbled staggeringly. However, Second Master Zhong's sons didn't feel how heroic they were. The youngest son, Kui Er, said first, "That's not the case. The hundred and ten people escaped thanks to Uncle Ruan!" When Kui'er mentioned this, Sheng'er seemed to think of something important, and he stamped his feet and shouted: "Oh! I forgot about Mr. Ruan! He still has injuries on his leg, how can he get off the boat? Kui'er, look here Look at father, I will come as I go!" Second Master Zhong stopped the sound of leaving: "What is Uncle Ruan, so worthy of respect?" Hong Sheng said: "Father, you don't know something. This Uncle Ruan came to Qingpu with the ship 'Chunsheng'. He didn't risk his life to fight against the bandits. Our hundred and ten people still don't know whether it is a human or a ghost!" Just as he was talking, Kui'er yelled: "Hey, Uncle Ruan has come out! Dad! Look, it's the one in the cloud gauze coat!" Second Master Zhong looked at the boat in the direction of Quier's finger.The people on the boat were still getting on and off the shore one after another, several of them wore cloud gauze gowns, Mr. Zhong had bad eyesight and couldn't see clearly. "Where? Where?" "Isn't that the tall man standing on the bow!" Second Master Zhong inspected intently again, and then according to Kui Er's prompt, he tossed out the tall man in the cloud gauze coat at the end of the slowly moving stream of people. Sure enough, he is a hero!The look and charm standing on the bow of the boat are extraordinary!Second Master Zhong thought to himself.After proving the existence of his two sons, Second Master Zhong's mood gradually settled down. He naturally retreated from the situation to the outside, and began to carefully judge everything in front of him as an outsider.Everything in front of them was a mess, and the robbery and killing of the pirates frightened the survivors.From their hurried movements when they got off the boat, from their mournful calls when they saw their relatives again, from their faces and eyes, Second Master Zhong saw a kind of cowardice penetrating into the bones, and this cowardice was alone there. Uncle Ruan didn't see it!Uncle Ruan stood on the bow of the boat for a long time, like a stone statue of a god.He was in no hurry to disembark—perhaps because of a leg injury that prevented him from getting out alone.He stood there silently, letting those who were eager to disembark scramble past him.Second Master Zhong noticed that his face seemed to be covered with a layer of frost, the eyes under the thick eyebrows were calm and cold, the shiny forehead was covered with a layer of glistening sweat, and the oily black braid at the back of the head was soft. It rests softly on the neck, like a black python coiled on a thick tree stump.In the chaotic atmosphere, his calm demeanor made his majesty and the people on the boat seem small and pitiful.There was an unknown smile on the corner of his crooked mouth; his eyes were a little scary, and the cold eyes seemed to be able to penetrate into people's bones. Uncle Ruan is extraordinary!Second Master Zhong believes that Uncle Ruan is extraordinary!Uncle Ruan's extraordinary performance made Second Master Zhong feel a little respect, and for a while, Second Master Zhong felt a little guilty: Uncle Ruan saved the lives of a hundred people on the Nanyang Bird Ship, and now the ship has arrived at Qingpu But no one cares about Uncle Ruan's disembarkation. What kind of talk is this?This is a bit unkind and unrighteous!Second Lord Zhong really felt his heart beat for all the people on board. "Sheng'er! Kui'er! Hurry up, get on the boat and take that Uncle Ruan!" Hong Sheng nodded, pulled Hong Kui, and squeezed to the side of the boat. However, before Hong Sheng and Hong Kui squeezed onto the boat, two people on the boat rushed to Uncle Ruan's side and put his arm on him. Uncle Ruan quit, he pushed away the two men who came to frame him, said something in a low voice, and was alone, with one hand on his thigh, he limped up the shelf.Of those two people, one quickly jumped to the front to clear the way for Uncle Ruan, while the one behind still supported Uncle Ruan's shoulder.Behind him, a few more people followed after carrying Uncle Ruan's suitcase. The person rushing in front shouted: "Get out of the way! Get out of the way! Uncle Ruan is down!" This cry immediately caused a small commotion on the harbor, and many people who had disembarked and were talking to their families rushed over again, rushing to meet Uncle Ruan.Other people on shore who knew about Uncle Ruan's deeds also rushed forward to meet him.Instantly, many loud voices shouted at the same time, and their voices were always inseparable from Uncle Ruan, as if Uncle Ruan was a fairy who fell from the sky. Uncle Ruan got off the boat step by step amidst wild shouts.He was obviously very proud, thinking that he deserved this grand and warm welcome, and he nodded frequently to those shouting people. At this time, Second Master Zhong found his eldest son Hong Sheng beside Uncle Ruan. Hong Sheng tried to help Uncle Ruan several times, but failed. This honor should belong to his son.Second Master Zhong was quite unhappy.However, this unhappiness was fleeting, and it was replaced by another kind of comfort in a blink of an eye: everyone is still righteous, the rescued people have not forgotten their savior, and he need not be ashamed of them. Second Master Zhong started to push forward again.He grabbed A Xia, who was staring blankly at his side, and let him open the way ahead, making up his mind to meet this extraordinary Uncle Ruan immediately.To get acquainted with such a great hero is indeed Guangzong and Yaozu! Unexpectedly, Second Master Zhong was sweating profusely, and when he finally squeezed to Uncle Ruan's side, Third Master Yang Mengtu of the "Chun Sheng" had already loaded Uncle Ruan into his sedan chair. Second Lord Zhong stopped the sedan chair, poked his head in, and said to Uncle Ruan who was sitting in the sedan chair: "Uncle Ruan! Benefactor Ruan! This time there was a thief at sea, thanks to your life-saving rescue, the two old sons survived. This old man is really grateful!" Uncle Ruan clasped his fists and said with a gentle smile, "Where! Where! It's destiny for everyone to return safely! Don't talk! Don't talk!" Second Master Zhong said again: "In order to show the heart of the old man, I must invite Uncle Ruan to sit down in the house today..." Before Second Master Zhong finished speaking, Third Master Yang of the "Chunsheng" came over from the side and said, "Brother Yiliang, this can't be done! Uncle Ruan came to Qingpu with the boat of 'Chunsheng'. They are the guests of the 'Chunsheng', how could they be snatched by you? I think, let's go to the humble house together for a brief talk! How about inviting Zhao Ziyun and the others from the 'Nanbao' together?" Second Master Zhong had no choice but to nod his head and said, "That's fine! That's fine!" Uncle Ruan's sedan chair left, and the people gathered on the harbor gradually dispersed. Second Master Zhong also followed the scattered crowd, accompanied by his two sons, walked to the street of Nansipo unhappy.Walking on the road, Master Zhong couldn't help thinking of the two three-masted bird boats and the two ships of cargo, and sighed in his heart: the sea is not quiet, how will we do business in the future? Second Master Zhong felt a little disappointed...