"This is Liang Weng's business, I'm just a freeloader."
Yun Kong looked at the sky from time to time, hoping to see the red light flying above the forest last night again so that he could ask Liang Daoqing directly.
However, nothing was seen tonight.
Yunkong waited until late at night, but still saw nothing.
After waiting for several days, the ship was about to go out to sea again, but he still had not reached the other shore.
Liang Daoqing told him: "On our last trip, we heard that the land was not peaceful and there might be a war, so we didn't go ashore. I believe the person you are looking for will not be here."
Although Yun Kong was a little disappointed, he couldn't blame others for cherishing their lives. After all, they were sailing to seek wealth.
"So when are we going to sail?"
"We will stop for another day tomorrow and sail early the day after tomorrow."
Seeing Yun Kong's slightly disappointed expression, Liang Daoqing comforted him: "Actually, there's nothing interesting to see on the shore. It's just two villages. This port is also run by the leaders of the villages. Their real capital city has to go a hundred miles further. It’s here, and it’s heavily guarded, and outsiders are not allowed to wander around.”
During the conversation, the first mate ran over and reported to the ship owner: "Ship owner, the woman has been inspected."
"Well, let's get on the boat tomorrow."
Yun Kong asked curiously: "What woman?"
Liang Daoqing hesitated at first, and then said: "To tell you the truth, in addition to rhino horns, the unique eggplant incense and ebony here, the goods we trade also include people."
"people?"
"Brother Yunkong must have heard of the Kunlun slaves. They are actually black people from the Nanyang area," Liang Daoqing said. "But this time the situation is special. There is a woman who was voluntarily sold into slavery, and it is strange. Her condition is that we should Bo Ni sold her."
He let go of his hands and said, "It doesn't matter to me. Besides, she did it voluntarily, and I won't lose money."
"Actually, her purpose is to board the ship and go to Bo Ni, right?"
"If so, I wouldn't find it strange."
"So, how long will it take to get to that place called Bo Ni?"
"It will take half a year to stop and go."
※※※
At noon the next day, after the last batch of goods was loaded onto the ship, the workers had lunch and then boarded the boat and returned to the shore.
What surprised Yunkong was that after the two women in charge of cooking packed up their tools, the young mother actually boarded the ship.
"Is it her?"
Yun Kong said in surprise, "She just gave birth to a baby."
Hearing what Yun Kong said, the navigator murmured: "If it were me, I wouldn't meddle in other people's business."
After Liang Daoqing took a look at the woman, he ordered his men to bring her some clothes to cover her body, so that other crew members would not become lustful after seeing her, so it was better to cover her upper body.
Liang Daoqing asked her to get off the boat first to accompany the child. The woman held the child and breastfed him. Liang Daoqing couldn't help but feel sad when she saw it: "Let her be with the child, and then come back when the boat sails tomorrow morning."
The young mother, her child, and the woman who was obviously her mother stayed under a tent at the port. The three of them cuddled together, waiting for the dawn, which might be the last time they were together in this life.
The night has completely darkened the sky, and in the vast and unobstructed sky, the stars are full, as if they are about to fall at any time.
Yun Kong still looked at the forest on the coast without giving up, looking forward to seeing that strange red light for the last time.
His wait was not in vain.
The dark forest and the dark sky were originally connected. Suddenly, little by little red light appeared on the tops of the forest trees. The red light was not bright, just like a red shadow, but it was particularly obvious in the darkness.
Yun Kong stood up excitedly. He stood at the edge of the boat and stared at the red light slowly rising from the top of the tree. They gradually began to chase each other in the air, as if naughty children were playing. However, because the distance was too far, Yun Kong heard No sound.
There were a few sailors on the deck who were responsible for guarding the safety at night. They also saw it and ran to the edge of the ship to take a look.
"Do you know what those are?" Yun Kong took the opportunity to ask them.
An experienced sailor glanced at him and answered quickly: "That's a night bird. It's very special. It only exists here. Its eyes glow red."
Yunkong knew that he had not told the truth, and he knew their scruples, fearing that once the truth was told, things would come true.
"Look!" a sailor suddenly exclaimed.
Something strange appeared in the sky, and a red light suddenly fell from the sky and fell straight into the forest.
While everyone was still speculating on what happened, two more red lights suddenly fell down while they were flying in the air.
Everyone knew that something must have happened over there in the forest.
At this time, someone hurried over from the beach, stepped across the bridge of the pier, ran to the side of the boat, slapped the hull of the boat hard, and shouted something they couldn't understand. From the sound of his voice, it sounded like he was the one who was going to get on the boat tomorrow. young mother.
"What happened?" Liang Daoqing heard the commotion and hurriedly ran over from the cabin.
The sailor reported: "The slave girl who is going to board the ship tomorrow seems to be in a hurry to get on. I wonder what happened?"
"Find someone who can speak Champa dialect!" Liang Daoqing said hurriedly.
"Ah Bing is from Champa." Someone told him.
"Then call Ah Bing over!" The sailor hurriedly went to find someone.
There were not only Han Chinese on this ship, but also several natives from various parts of Southeast Asia.
If they were still in port, Champa would provide an interpreter who knew Chinese. Now Liang Daoqing had to rely on his foreign crew.
Another sailor reported: "Should you put the boarding board down?"
"Don't be impatient!" But the woman's voice was really panicked.
"It fell again!" someone exclaimed.
Liang Daoqing followed his hand and looked towards it, only to see a bunch of red lights flying in the sky.
Ah Bing, who knew the Champa dialect, ran over. He stretched out his body to listen to the woman's words, and asked her some questions before turning to the ship owner and saying, "She said they were going to kill her and begged us to let her board the ship."
"Why did they kill her?"
Liang Daoqing felt very frightened and immediately made various calculations in his mind. He absolutely did not want to offend the regime here, otherwise he would not be able to come back to do business in the future.
"I've asked her," Abing said, "She said it's because she's almost sixteen."
"What's wrong with being sixteen?"
The people on the boat noticed that many torches were lit in the forest on the other side. The torches slowly ran from the forest to the sea and began to cross the sea.
"Boat owner! There are many boats coming, what should I do?"
the sailor on guard asked urgently.
If he doesn't escape, his life may be in danger. Liang Daoqing is extremely anxious: "The one who comes is not good, and the good one will not come. Although I don't know where the other party comes from? What is his purpose? But let's quickly lift the anchor and sail the ship!"
The crew members responded and took their places. Some ran to wake up their sleeping partners. The navigator immediately located the location and searched for the location of the reef in his mind. Because it was impossible to see it at night, he could only avoid the reef by memory.
The woman under the boat slapped the hull of the boat more urgently.
Yun Kong grabbed Liang Daoqing and asked, "Don't you let her come up?"
"If they are here for her, if we let her come up, we will create a problem!"
The small boats from the other side were getting closer and closer to the island, and their huge merchant ships had to spend a lot of time preparing to sail. They just had to pull up the heavy anchor from the seabed and hoist the huge sail on the mast. It will take a lot of time.
"Ship owner..." A Bing said timidly, "You should listen to what she is talking about..."
"what did she say?"
"She said she was going to curse us all to sink to the bottom of the sea."
Liang Daoqing gritted his teeth.
Anyone who runs a boat knows that they cannot bear this kind of curse, especially when the origin of the other party is unknown, his curse may be very powerful.
"Put the board down!"
Liang Daoqing gave the order, and someone immediately lowered the boarding board to let the woman come up.
After the woman boarded the ship, Liang Daoqing looked at her bitterly: "Who are you?"
The woman did not answer him, but looked worriedly at the sky. She whistled like a piccolo at the red light above the forest, which was high-pitched and sharp, not like a human voice.
The red light in the sky seemed to hear her whistle, and flew away from the forest.
Liang Daoqing looked at her blankly: "I think I know who you are."
He trembled his lips and said, "No, I think I know what you are!"
Several short arrows flew over from the sea and hit the deck, frightening the crew members to lower their bodies.
