Chapter 12 Crossing the river and meeting a thief

Located on the south bank of the Yangtze River, Fanhuzhou is a large village with hundreds of families living together.Most of the fields in that area belonged to a member named Zhu.Maoxiang's family and Zhu's family were family friends, and they have maintained close contacts for many years.Since Fanhuzhou is just across the water from the east end of Jingjiang County, and it is not too far from there to Jiangyin County, so Maoxiang sent people to contact Zhu's family in advance to prepare to take Fanhuzhou to Jiangyin County. As a foothold after crossing the river. Although his mother, Mrs. Ma's excessive panic, and his grandmother Su's ignorance made Maoxiang's already annoyed and irritable mood even more troublesome, but when he woke up the next morning, he put everything behind him, Start to cheer up and go all out to get busy to set sail across the river.

It's no wonder that Maoxiang didn't dare to slack off, because although Zhu Yuanwai had sent back a message, promising to send people to the riverside to meet them when they crossed the river, this area is no better than the Guazhou Ferry upstream, not only is the river much more open, There are very few passenger ships coming and going, and the location is remote, and the power of the government cannot be controlled. It has always been a place where thieves gather and haunt.If it is safe and sound for the two days after leaving home, then there is no guarantee that the thieves will not choose the location of the attack on the big river; kind of accident.Just because he realized that this is the most difficult and risky stage in the whole journey, and there is nothing to rely on except for the protection of the gods, so when Mao Xiang stepped out of the front cabin, he had a moment to spare. , his mood became even more threatening.

Now, he has come to the deck of the bow.Seven or eight managers, under the leadership of the old servant Maogui who was promoted to the manager not long ago, were already waiting there.Seeing the master coming, they all stood up one after another, saluted respectfully, and paid their respects. Mao Xiang nodded his head as an answer, then rolled his eyes and looked around.He found that the ten large ships that docked next to each other last night were all lined up safe and sound.Between the boat canopy and the boat canopy, many figures are already moving.A little further away, on the surface of the misty river, the mist from yesterday was dissipating, and the undulating dark green ripples appeared again in the morning light.And at the eastern end where the water and the sky meet, the rising sun has just left the water, and hastily hid in the gray clouds lying above it, leaving only a narrow, rose-colored strip between the clouds and the water. The band of light made this early summer morning look a bit dark and gloomy.On the other side of the village in the distance, the crowing of cocks is blown one after another along with the steep morning wind, adding a sense of desolation...

"Well, was there anything wrong last night?" Mao Xiang finally turned around and asked. "No." "Sir, there's nothing wrong." The servants answered mixedly. "Really?" Maoxiang asked repeatedly, not only out of worry, but also to remind the servants not to relax. "Master, the man who followed Shen San across the river yesterday has returned." A middle-aged servant named Mao Fu said. "Oh, how's it going?" Mao Xiang hurriedly asked. "He said that the car has already been hired, and it will be waiting by the river today, ready to meet you at any time."

Considering that any unexpected accidents may happen when crossing the river today, Mao Xiang made the above-mentioned arrangements yesterday for the sake of insurance, so that the mother, son, wives and concubines who have limited mobility can use them instead of transportation.Although some people think that there are already people from the Zhu family on the other side of the river, and it would be redundant to hire a car, but Mao Xiang insisted on doing so. "Who knows if the Zhu family will definitely come, and also don't know if they can be contacted, it's better to be on the safe side!" He thought.So, when he heard that the matter was settled, he felt a little more at ease, so he turned around, looked at Maogui, and asked:

"Well, when can we sail across the river today?" "My lord, the villain has already asked the boatman. The boatman said that today is a small tide, and the tide has come up now, so we have to sail early." Maogui seemed to have been waiting for this question, and immediately answered with his hands down . Mao Xiang let out an "oh", and then realized that the hull of the boat was indeed shaking a little, as if it had already floated.He naturally knew that this area was close to the estuary of the Yangtze River, and the ebb and flow of the river was greatly affected by the tide. If the hour was missed, the ship would not only be unable to anchor, but also be unable to reach the shore.Not daring to delay, he immediately made a gesture, recruited the servants, and began to make arrangements for crossing the river, including which boat to sail first and which boat to sail later, the distance between each boat, and what must be done. Always keep about one foot, and must not be pulled too far apart, so as to facilitate mutual support.In addition, when the ship is moving, it is necessary to strengthen inspections and guards, including surveillance of the boatman, to prevent accidents; if any situation is found to be different, report it immediately, follow his orders, and do not make arbitrary claims, etc.After giving such orders one by one, he saw that all the servants held their breaths and listened intently, with expressions of awe-inspiring acceptance, so he finally concluded:

"Crossing the river this time is different than usual. You have to be 12 times more energetic, and you must not be careless! If you arrive safely, I will reward you; if there is a mistake, I will ask you. I will never forgive you. !" After a pause, he asked again: "Well, is there anything else that you don't understand? If not, each of you will return to the boat and set off right away!" When the servants retreated down the deck one after another, Mao Xiang pondered for a while, then turned around and ordered Mao Cheng: "Go, set up the incense table for me - right here!"

Mao Cheng blinked in confusion at first, but soon realized.He turned and went into the cabin.After a while, with the help of a servant, a small table, an incense burner, a bundle of incense sticks and a copper basin of clean water were placed on the deck.Mao Xiang washed his hands first, picked up a stick of incense, lit it, bowed to God a few times, respectfully inserted it on the incense burner, then knelt down on his knees, and prayed silently.The content is naturally inseparable from praying for the mercy of the gods and bless their family to cross the river safely.He prayed reverently and for a long time, until he felt that he was looking down at the gods in the world, and he should have sensed his humble wishes. Then he stood up slowly with sadness and anxiety.

At this moment, the boat he was on had already sailed far away from the anchored river bank, following the fourth anchored boat, and five larger boats followed closely behind it.Although the Fanhuzhou Island that this trip is going to is on the opposite bank, due to the openness of the river and the huge water, as usual, ships cannot cross the river directly. Follow the trend of the water and cross the river obliquely.Now, the ten large ships are pulling up their sails, and under the control of the boatmen, they are constantly avoiding the oncoming rapids and shoals, and slowly sailing upstream.Mao Xiang saw that the 200 local villagers temporarily hired to escort the boat last night, according to his request, were continuing to escort the boat on the shore in case of accidents.But he didn't dare to be careless at all, he only asked Mao Cheng to remove the incense table, and he still stood under the mast of the ship, carefully monitoring the movement around him.

However, he soon felt hot, because at some point, the sun had reappeared.The cloud stacks that were low pressure on the river and fell below it also lost their original gray color and became a piece of snow white.The surface of the blue-waved river is becoming more and more vast and open, and the land on the other side seems to be pushed away far away, leaving only a faint gray-green dotted line.What makes Mao Xiang feel uneasy at this moment is not the distance on the other side, but the reeds winding past on the side close to the north bank.These dense reeds with long and narrow leaves like sharp swords spread all the way from the shore, forcing the fleet to deviate from the original route, and also cut off the connection between the ship and the more than 200 villagers accompanying the escort on the shore.When they pass by the side of the ship, they appear so deep, mysterious and unfathomable that one can't help but think that there might be a gang of robbers lurking inside, and they will pounce out just by whistling... Suspicion and fear made Maoxiang feel dizzy and uneasy. He kept his eyes wide open and watched back and forth. It can make him tense all of a sudden.

Fortunately, after traveling a few miles, the situation ended without anything unusual happening.The reeds have gradually been left behind.It was at this time that Mao Xiang realized that the clusters of reeds protruding from the river bank, against the backdrop of the blue sky and white clouds, seemed to be written with a very free and easy pen and ink, swaying and full of picturesqueness, which is fascinating. pleasing to the eye. "That's right, maybe I'm overly suspicious. Firstly, good people like us have their own gods to protect them; secondly, thieves may not be so bold in the face of our large numbers." He watched with nostalgia The reeds slowly going away, thought to myself comfortingly. Perhaps because of a little relief, Mao Xiang felt a little tired from standing.He ordered Mao Cheng to stay and continue monitoring, turned around himself, went to the middle cabin and the rear cabin to visit his mother, wife and children as usual, and found that they were still quiet, so he said a few words of comfort—everything will be fine. class, they turned back to the front cabin. "Ah, Xianggong is back?" Dong Xiaowan, who had been waiting for him for a long time, hurried up to meet him and greeted him with a smile. Maoxiang let out a "hmm", went straight to the edge of the kang, sat down on his buttocks, and at the same time, lightly beat his sore thighs with his hands. Dong Xiaowan immediately followed, and asked with concern: "My husband has been busy outside for a long time, he must be tired from standing? Come, let my concubine beat my husband's legs." Then, he stretched out his hand, intending to move her husband's legs to the kang superior. "No!" Mao Xiang stopped him.At the same time, he felt that his voice was dry, so he looked at the concubine and said, "Didn't you make tea behind my back last night? Then, make a pot and have a taste!" "Ah, does your husband mean to let the concubine make tea?" Dong Xiaowan asked with wide-eyed eyes, as if he couldn't believe his ears. Mao Xiang nodded: "But hurry up. In half a moment, we will turn the rudder to cross the river!" "Hey, okay!" Dong Xiaowan's face seemed to bloom like a flower due to her overjoyed.She immediately greeted Ziyi, and together they frantically frantically said, "I'm afraid my concubine won't be able to make it well, and my husband won't like it when he drinks it." Mao Xiang waved his hand: "I don't expect you to make it well, just quench your thirst!" After speaking, he tilted his body and leaned against the board wall, while looking at the slowly moving past through the bamboo curtain on the window Jiang An, while Guan Zi silently calculated. He thought that once he crossed the river safely, the first step would be to get in touch with his father first, and then look at the situation to find a suitable place to settle down.In order to avoid running back and forth, it is best to stay at Zhu Yuanwai's house, or go to Jiangyin County. It seems that the situation will not calm down anytime soon.Now that he has escaped, he might as well stay in Jiangnan for a few more days—half a month, or a month.If that's the case, he can spare time to go to Nanjing.In any case, he should not have gone too late.While major events are still undecided, it would be good to show up first.It should be noted that this time, it is an important opportunity to show your sincerity in serving the country and earn back face among the community members, so you should not miss it easily!Thinking of this, Maoxiang's whole body felt a surge of heat again.With a strong desire, he began to think about how he would unhesitatingly throw himself into the call for salvation and survive once he met his friends, and use the firmest propositions and most courageous actions to make the friends I was moved and admired for it, and I had to look at myself with admiration. "Yes, I must show my ability and courage to let them know what kind of person I am!" He thought proudly and tragically. However, the excitement didn't last long.Because then, he thought: Right now, his family is fleeing, even if they settle down in Jiangnan, it will only be a shelter for others, and it cannot be used as a long-term solution.If I left my elderly parents and frail wife and children and ran to Nanjing alone, it might be okay for a short period of time, but I'm afraid it won't be possible after a long time.However, it seems that the political situation in Nanjing cannot be settled within ten and a half months.Then, wouldn't it be necessary to repeat the scene of sacrificing loyalty and seeking filial piety two years ago?Undoubtedly, according to the ancient teachings, there is nothing wrong with being filial, but after experiencing the taste of being ridiculed by others, what Mao Xiang hopes to do is to make a difference and earn back face. "If it's anticlimactic again, and you give up halfway, what's the use of going?" Thinking of this, Mao Xiang became cold again, sitting there, feeling upset, and even temporarily forgot the thirst in his throat. "Sir, the tea is here!" A soft voice rang in my ear. Mao Xiang suddenly raised her head, and found that Dong Xiaowan was already standing in front of her with a cup of freshly brewed tea with both hands, smiling.He was slightly taken aback, then came to his senses, so he said "um", reached out to take it, brought it to his mouth and blew hot air, and sipped it in small sips. "Sir, this tea, is this tea still drinkable?" Dong Xiaowan asked tentatively, seeing that her husband didn't say yes or no for a long time. "Well, it's okay!" After answering casually, Mao Xiang raised his neck and drank all the remaining tea. Dong Xiaowan, who was waiting on the side, quickly raised the sand pot, and filled the tea cup in her husband's hand with a rustle.Maybe her husband's words of approval just now made her feel relieved, so now she strikes up a conversation and says: "When we arrive in the south of the Yangtze River, Xianggong will be able to go to Liudu for a while." "Hmm - what, what did you say?" Mao Xiang couldn't help but raised his head and asked suspiciously because the concubine had caught his mind. "The concubine is saying that when he arrives in the south of the Yangtze River, the husband will have time to stay in the capital." "how do you know?" "Oh, I don't know either." Dong Xiaowan hurriedly replied, "I just thought that if such a big event happened, Chen Xianggong and Wu Xianggong might be staying here and looking forward to seeing you!" Mao Xiang blinked his eyes, such a conjecture actually existed in the concubine's thoughts, which made him a little unexpected.However, the irritability in his heart was stirred up again because of this, he put the teacup on the kang table, and said with a sneer: "Shangliudu, that's easy to say! I'm just going to be pestering you all day and night, can I go!" After a pause, he said angrily: "Anyway, I will spend my whole life in Maoxiang's life." It’s enough to lose everything for you, what else can there be!” "Oh, that's not the case!" Dong Xiaowan, who seemed a little panicked, argued, "According to my concubine's thinking, the husband-in-law of this capital must definitely go. However, the husband-in-law of this family may not be at ease. Then, why not go together together?" Are you going to stay here?" "What did you say, the whole family is in Shangliudu?" "No—oh, yes, I think, I think it's okay if there is no chaos in this place, if there is a real chaos, Fanhuzhou and Jiangyin counties may not be peaceful..." Mao Xiang stopped talking.Indeed, the concubine's suggestion may not be unreasonable.As far as the safety of the whole family is concerned, Nanjing City is undoubtedly a place that can provide more protection.Although there are too many people and it is not easy to settle there, you can also consider leaving most of the people in the nearby county towns, and only bring your parents, wives and children and a few servants there.Doing this way, although it will cost a little more money, can save you from worrying about the future. It is indeed a way to get the best of both worlds.Thinking of this, Mao Xiang felt that the gloom and doubts in his heart began to dissipate.He couldn't help being excited, and he stood up and left the kang bed. "Okay, that's a good idea!" he repeated, and started to walk back and forth in the cabin, "Yes, Shangliudu, the whole family will go!" After expressing his determination in this way, he suddenly remembered something, so he turned his head, looked out of the cabin and said, "Hey, it's time to cross the river? Why don't you turn the rudder?" As soon as the words fell, there was a sound of messy and hurried footsteps on the deck, rushing to the cabin door with a "dongdong".Then, like a thunderbolt in the clear sky, a frightened call came from outside the curtain: "Uncle, Uncle! Not good, thief boat! The boatman said, there is a thief boat ahead!"