Chapter 63 Chapter 63 Murder and robbery on a windy night
The ship owner had heard of that route, and he knew it was common for them to travel together without fear of danger. After questioning everyone on board, both passengers and merchants were willing to switch routes and join the other two ships. The passengers wanted to reach their destination as quickly as possible, while the merchants were reluctant to hand over large sums of money to the government.
It is said that merchant ships often travel together on this waterway, but the ship owner has always sailed alone and has never been on this route. Now that there is a ship traveling with him, he naturally prefers to go with others.
This trip was a good opportunity for him to test the waters. If he became familiar with this waterway, he would only need to gather some boats to travel with him in the future. He wouldn't have to worry about anything else. A few days on the journey would be enough to get paid and go home earlier, and the merchants would also avoid paying tolls.
Many passengers have already gotten off the boat along the way from north to south, and some more people got off at the Zhenjiang ferry. Now there are only about ten passengers on the boat alone, and the rest are merchants, guards and boatmen.
"We have many people, so we are not afraid of anything." A medicinal herb merchant vowed.
The rest of the people also agreed, saying that the country was peaceful and prosperous, and the government was suppressing bandits every year, so there was nothing to be afraid of.
Baozhu's objection was drowned out, and she could only suppress her worries in her heart. She had come all the way here, and changing the route when she arrived at a destination would always disrupt her plan. She didn't care about the time it would take in a few days. However, her influence was not influential, and everyone put their own interests first. The ones who really had the say on this ship were the big businessmen. Now that they could save a considerable amount of money and a lot of effort, no one would care whether she agreed or not.
I wanted to change boats, but there were no boats going to Suzhou at the moment. Anyway, there were two boats going together, so I thought nothing would happen.
In this way, they traveled with the two ships all the way to Suzhou. Everything went peacefully for four or five days, and Baozhu's worries gradually dissipated. At this rate, they would reach the Suzhou wharf in another four or five days.
The food I bought at the pier was originally planned to last me half a month, but now that it arrives early, I don’t have to be frugal when eating it.
Baozhu steamed a pot of rice with vegetables and meat. There was less rice and more meat. The aroma of bacon and sausage was simmering in the pot. As soon as the lid was opened, the small stove was filled with the aroma of rice.
Just as the meal was served, a small boat carrying people approached the big ship. It turned out to be the merchants from the neighboring ship, who brought wine and food to have a feast with everyone.
Everything had been peaceful for a few days, but today there was no reason for him to show his courtesy. Baozhu took a look at the terrain outside and immediately felt that something was wrong. After all, it was just a guess, and she was afraid of causing panic, so she avoided people and went to talk to the ship owner.
The ship owner had a sense of it and had been feeling a little regretful these days, but he couldn't go back. After all, he was familiar with the original route, and paying some money would not cause any trouble. He rubbed his throbbing eyelids and asked Baozhu what she was doing there.
Baozhu frowned, watching the boatman pull the two people who came in the small boat up.
"You've been sailing for decades, so you've probably seen all sorts of things. I have a feeling there's something amiss with the two ships traveling with you. Now that we're almost there, it's best to be cautious."
After saying that, he raised his chin and motioned him to look at the mountains outside.
The boat had reached the mountain gorge. The sun was about to set behind the mountain. The sky was dim and the river surface was bluish-black in the faint light.
If something were to go wrong, now would be the perfect time to strike. The captain broke out in a cold sweat. He said the two ships were supposed to be merchant ships, but he only saw the guards, all of whom were tall and strong, so he knew they would be safe if they went along. He had never seen what cargo was on board.
His ship was carrying a cargo of fine medicinal herbs brought back from the north, as well as valuables like ginseng and antlers. As they were nearing their destination, everyone relaxed a bit, even the guards began to grow weary.
As it was getting dark, the boat owner called two strong boatmen in and asked them to keep an eye on the person who got on the boat in the small boat.
When people outside wanted to drink and brag, the captain hurried out. It was not a good time to alert the enemy. If the ordinary people on the ship knew about it, they would probably die faster.
Baozhu followed him out and saw the ship owner embrace the man. The two merchants carrying wine and food looked at each other calmly, smiled and put the wine and food on the table.
Just as someone was about to pour wine, the ship owner interrupted them. Seeing their expressions, he knew that something was wrong.
"It is said that it takes a hundred years to be able to travel together on the same boat. It is very rare for us to be able to travel together on this journey." The boat owner filled the two of them with the wine they brought and motioned them to drink first.
The young businessman who had just started his business hurriedly raised his bowl. The ship owner didn't say anything. He watched the young man drink it first, and then watched the other two drink the wine as well.
The boat owner saw that the two of them drank the wine without changing their expressions, and he hesitated for a moment. Baozhu pointed at the dishes on the table and said with a smile,
"These peanuts and mutton are perfect with wine. Let's drink to our heart's content today!"
The table was a cabinet with a board on top, so it wasn't very stable. The ship owner heard the hints in Baozhu's words and pretended to kick the table over accidentally.
The two merchants' expressions immediately changed. "Are you doing this on purpose? We're only treating everyone to a drink out of courtesy. This wine is 20 guan per jar."
The food was scattered all over the floor, and the clear wine flowed out of the jar. The aroma of the wine was everywhere, and it smelled a bit intoxicating.
The merchants who had not done business many times also stared at the ship owner with the other two. As for the merchants selling ginseng and antlers, they had already become a little wary.
The ship was carrying medicinal materials, and the most expensive goods were the ginseng and antlers that he had bought at a great price. He hired this group of guards just to watch over the goods. He originally thought that he could get to the destination earlier so that he could sell the ginseng and antlers and make a fortune, but he never expected that something would go wrong.
The captain put his arm around the two men's shoulders, repeatedly apologizing, and asked the cook to bring some food. He then went to get two jars of fine wine.
"I'm so sorry, I just got dizzy and felt a little dizzy, so I kicked the table over. Why don't you two try my Spring Drunk? It may not be as good as the wine you brought, but I guarantee it tastes just as good."
The two men pretended to be angry and wanted to get off the boat, but they were pulled back by the ginseng and antler merchant, and the boat owner half invited and half threatened them to sit down. The two men were restrained and could not escape.
Baozhu returned to the house. She had no appetite to eat the pot of vegetable and meat rice she had made tonight. She thought that she would have more energy after eating, so she didn't think about anything else and concentrated on finishing the meal.
The two merchants were not unloaded from the ship. The ship owner told the others that the two were drunk and he had found a place for them to rest.
It was dark and there was nothing unusual. Baozhu just felt that the ship was moving faster than usual tonight. She went out to take a look to find out what was going on, but saw that the ship owner looked nervous and the guards were also on high alert.
This situation made people feel that a storm was coming, and those who were unaware had gone back to sleep.
The ship owner saw Baozhu coming out and whispered,
"Young Master, go back and rest early. Don't go out at night. I know what's going on."
He would never say anything serious to Baozhu, for fear of scaring her and causing a noise.
The two men who had come aboard in a small boat to drink were tied up tightly, gagged, and thrown aside.
The boat owner smiled helplessly and said, "After all, I have no evidence. These two people refuse to speak. When you are out, safety is the most important thing. I have no choice but to tie them up first. If nothing happens tonight, I will personally apologize with a generous gift tomorrow..."
"If something really happens, these two people won't survive."
His voice grew colder.
"I wonder if there's any tung oil on this boat, big brother? I'm worried someone might try to seize the boat in the dark and windy night. So, why don't we spread some tung oil around the planks? That way, if something does happen, we'll have some protection."
The ship owner thought it made sense. Ordinary ship planks were often brushed with tung oil to prevent moisture and moth damage. There were still a few barrels of it in the warehouse. The boatmen had been with him for a long time and had seen a lot of wind and waves. He would sprinkle a circle of tung oil outside when it was dark. Even if one was on guard, one would slip if they stepped on it.
If nothing happens tonight, it'll be fine. After we pass the gorge tomorrow, there will be nothing to be afraid of in the next few days. But if someone really gets on the boat in the middle of the night, we can sprinkle tung oil to be on guard.
The night was as cool as water, and the cliffs were reflected in the water under the hazy moonlight like ghosts.
All the lights on the boat were off. Except for the ordinary people on the boat, everyone else was listening attentively, paying close attention to any movement outside.
Baozhu always felt her heart beating fast. The mother, daughter and her two daughters locked the door and pushed the table and chairs behind the door.
The two ships that had been traveling together were filled with laughter and chatter.
The two people sent out were both vanguards. The ordinary boatmen and guards would not drink the wine, but they had to eat more of the delicious dishes. The dishes were added with such a large amount of knockout drug that even an elephant could be knocked unconscious by the drug.
Seeing that the two men had not returned for a long time, the pirates thought that the two brothers had gone out to trap themselves. Even if they failed to drug the men, their manpower was more than enough to deal with a ship.
The lights on the ship gradually went out, leaving only a glimmer of light in the wheelhouse.
On a dark, windy night, a time for murder and robbery, several small boats scurried around the large vessel like fish. Strong men in black clothes and black hats threw out iron hooks, and the pitch-black chains sliced through the darkness before their sharp claws finally hooked onto the edge of the boat. The distance between the small boats and the large vessel quickly closed. Seven or eight men in black clothes and black hats who had come to investigate earlier nimbly climbed onto the large vessel along the chains.
If you get on the boat, the first thing you see is the wheelhouse. The only lit lantern on the boat is the bait that lures you into a trap. It is not noticeable in the dark night, and you can only see that someone has been lying in ambush here when the moon comes out.
Hearing the noise, the captain, who had been dozing off, opened his eyes, and the guards began breathing heavier.
There was also a small boat coming towards the ship.
Baozhu had heard the noise. The cabin they shared was extremely small, and this trip was truly an unexpected disaster. She didn't dare go out to help. Baozhu's archery was good, but it was just for fun. In a life-or-death situation like this, not to mention her accuracy, who would stand there and serve as a target for her? If she didn't go out, she would be making things easier for them.
Mrs. Xu was tall and had put a short knife in her luggage for self-defense before she went out. At this moment, she held the knife in her hand, protecting her two daughters behind her, and put her ear on the door to listen to the movement outside.
I originally thought that being on the boat was unbearable, but now I understand what it means to live every day like a year.
There was a faint smell of blood lingering at the tip of his nose, and occasionally a scream pierced the darkness. Baorong couldn't help but feel like vomiting when he smelled the blood, but he was afraid of making a noise and attracting attention, so he had to cover his mouth and nose with a cloth.
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