Just that morning, a gust of wind blew suddenly, whistling loudly.
With a "click", the flagpole of "Cao's Winery" was broken by the strong wind, and the apricot-red flag fell to the ground along the edge of the archway.
After a pedestrian discovered it, he stood at the door of the archway and shouted in: Alas, the Cao family's flagpole was broken.
There was no movement in the courtyard of Cao's Winery. The pedestrian was gone.
After another passerby discovered it, he stood at the door of the archway and shouted in: Alas, the Cao family's flagpole was broken.
Someone in the courtyard of Caojia Winery responded, "What?"
Chen Shoucai walked out of it and looked at the broken flagpole with a look of surprise. He said to himself that it would be unlucky for the Cao family to travel today. Then he picked up the flag under the archway wall and hurriedly walked towards North Street.
After a while, Chen Shoucai came to the North Gate Ferry and looked around. There were several strange boatmen standing on the beach.
Chen Shoucai looked at a strange boatman and raised the flag in his hand: Hello, have you seen Cao Hongyou, the owner of Caojia Winery?
The strange boatman said, "You are late. Boss Cao and his family took a boat to Chibi half an hour ago. Who are you from his family?"
Chen Shoucai replied, I am an employee of his family. He raised the flag again and continued, "Look, Boss Cao and his family just went on a trip today, and the flagpole of Cao's winery was broken by the strong wind." I was worried that this was an ominous sign, so I came here specifically to persuade Boss Cao and his family not to leave. If they wanted to leave, they would have to change their date. Who knew I was late.
The strange boatman said disapprovingly that it was normal for the flagpole to be broken by the strong wind. What was so ominous about it? What a fuss.
On this day, the sky was overcast and snowflakes were falling. There was a awning boat moored at Chibi Pier. After a while, the entire hull turned white.
Cao Yang led Cao Hongyou, who was leaning on a cane, and Xiao Huaihua, who was holding a cane, to look at the full cabin of soybeans. They pointed and chatted.
Hu Qin led Cao Tingting and got under the awning that separated the cabin. Below was a long wooden bar that could be seated. They sat side by side with Cao Xiaofeng and Cao Gaofeng.
After a while, Cao Hongyou and Xiao Huaihua also got under the awning. Cao Xiaofeng and Meng Gaofeng quickly stood up and called their grandparents obediently. After letting the two elders sit down, they sat down again, which seemed very polite.
Cao Gaofeng stood up suddenly, looked at Cao Yang on the bow sampan, and asked doubtfully, there was so much snow outside, why didn't dad come in?
Hu Qin said, your father can row an oar. He will be a boatman and row across the river today. He will take us from Chibi Pier to Wulin Pier on the other side and take you to my cousin's house in Honghu to celebrate the New Year.
Cao Gaofeng and Cao Xiaofeng both clapped excitedly and said in unison, "Okay!"
Outside the awning boat, other ships were anchored and docked, and the boatmen were all gone. The dock seemed particularly quiet, and the sound of falling snowflakes could be heard.
Cao Yang wore a cotton hat and looked at the vast river. He rolled up his sleeves and began to row the oar, and the boat set sail. He hummed the boatman's chant loudly——
Hey, hey, rock the boat and oar,
Hey,
Hey oh hey, facing the wind and snow
Hey,
Hey oh hey, the black magpie is flying south
Hey,
Hey oh hey, the river flows eastwards
Hey oh.
…
Unexpectedly, it was almost noon, and the snowflakes that fell on the vast river melted immediately, but dyed white a piece of bamboo raft ferrying in the middle of the river, and a awning boat slowly rowing from Chibi Pier.
There were seven people on the bamboo raft, all wearing black dog-hole hats. They all pulled down the brim of the hat to cover their faces, leaving only two eye holes to look out. They deliberately pretended to be masked people so that no one could see their faces clearly. , their bodies were covered with snowflakes, like a group of mourners dressed in plain clothes, one of them was holding a pole carelessly.
On the awning boat, Cao Yang was rowing. He found that there were no other boats on the river, only a bamboo raft in the middle of the river. The seven people on it were standing looking at his big wooden boat, some making gestures, pointing and talking. What.
The river wind was howling and the waves were rushing. Cao Yang felt it was very difficult to sail against the wind and waves.
When the awning boat was approaching the bamboo raft, a short masked man on the bamboo raft waved to Cao Yang and shouted loudly: Hey, man, please help me.
Cao Yang just pretended not to hear and continued to row.
At this time, the bamboo raft was moored in the middle of the river, and the black-topped boat tried to avoid it and went around, but the masked man holding the pole placed the bamboo raft across the front, blocking the black-topped boat from rowing forward.
The short masked man was also calling: Hey, man, do you hear me? Make it easy.
Cao Yang faced him face to face and asked, "What is the best way to do it?"
The short masked man said: The wind and snow are too strong. Brothers are freezing and want to get into your awning boat to avoid the wind and snow. How about that?
The six masked men said in unison, "Just do it!"
Cao Yang hesitated, turned around and saw that his father Cao Hongyou had emerged from the cabin and was observing the seven masked men on the bamboo raft.
Cao Hongyou approached Cao Yang and whispered, "Don't agree. Those seven people are acting suspiciously."
Cao Yang turned around and faced the seven people on the bamboo raft. He put his hands to his mouth and shouted loudly, "Hey, Wulin is on the other side of the river. My boat is also going to Wulin. If you want to get on my boat, why don't you come back?" It's better to push the raft to Wulin Pier and get ashore quickly, and take shelter from the wind and snow in someone else's house.
The short masked man signaled the masked man holding the pole, pushed the bamboo raft hard, and approached the awning boat.
Wu Fengchuan couldn't get out of the way and was forced to hit the bamboo raft.
Cao Hongyou knocked on the side of the boat with his crutch and shouted, "Hey, what are you doing?"
The masked men on the bamboo raft did not answer. The short masked man waved his hand, and the masked man holding the pole swung the pole, and he and the other masked men rushed to jump onto the awning boat.
Cao Yang looked at Cao Hongyou and shouted, Dad, we are afraid we have met a strong man.
Cao Hongyou didn't have time to talk to his son. He looked at the seven masked men who had jumped on the boat and forced a smile. He said, if you have anything to say, since you are on the ship, you can go into the cabin to get out of the wind and snow!
The short masked man immediately drew out his dagger and stabbed Cao Hongyou in the chest. Cao Hongyou turned his head and fell onto the side of the ship. He blushed and said, "Hero, are you trying to steal money?" This boatload of soybeans is given to you, so please be merciful and save the lives of our Cao family!
There was a commotion, and Xiao Huaihua in the cabin also walked to the hatch. Looking at the masked men with daggers in their hands, she was so frightened that she immediately knelt down.
Xiao Huaihua said, "Please do well. I will give this boatload of soybeans to you. You must save the lives of our Cao family."
The six masked men looked at the short masked man and asked in unison, Angkor, what are you doing?
The short masked man said that in order for this business to be done safely, he must kill people and silence them to eliminate future troubles.
Cao Hongyou also knelt down and kowtowed, then raised his head and said: If you want to kill someone, just kill me, an old man like me! Please keep us descendants of the Cao family.
Xiao Huaihua also begged in grief, "If you want to kill me, just kill me. I have lived a long life and have lived enough. Please do well and leave behind my son, wife, and three grandchildren."
Seeing that they all had weapons, Cao Yang knew that they were robbers and had come prepared. He couldn't fight him at all, so he knelt down and begged, "Kill me, I would rather be a short-lived ghost than keep mine." My parents and I will not suffer a bad fate and will be able to die well.
The masked man holding the pole said, Damn, you are quite filial!
How could the short masked man pay attention to this? He stabbed the dagger in the sky fiercely, and then roared loudly, killing all without leaving any survivors.
The huqin in the cabin hugged Cao Tingting, who was crying in fright;
Brothers Cao Gaofeng and Cao Xiaofeng were so frightened that they sometimes called them grandpa, sometimes called grandma, sometimes called daddy, sometimes called mommy.
When Cao Yang saw that the person who came was not kind, he immediately stood up, picked up a short bench on the boat, and threw it at the short masked man.
It was too late, but soon, the short masked man dodged and got out of the way.
The masked man holding the pole took the opportunity to insert a dagger into Cao Yang's back. Yu Yang struggled to turn around in pain, reached out and lifted up the dog's hole hat that was dyed white by snowflakes on the head of the masked man holding the pole. He revealed his true face: there was a black scar on the left side of his face. This man looked familiar.
The masked man holding the pole simply pulled off the dog hole hat and threw it away, and angrily reached out and slapped Cao Yang. Then he took out the dagger stuck in Cao Yang's back, kicked Cao Yang off the side of the ship with a flying kick. He rolled over and landed in the rushing river until he sank. A pool of bright red blood immediately appeared on the river surface.
Cao Hongyou took the seven-star crutch and struck hard at the short masked man wielding the dagger, but failed.
The short masked man also flew up and kicked Cao Hongyou down onto the sampan of the black awning boat.
The short masked man yelled arrogantly, old guy, do you want the whole body, or do you want to eat my dagger?
Cao Hongyou didn't answer. He stood up and continued to beat randomly with the seven-star crutch.
