HCB Chapter 542 Overnight in the County Town
Chapter 542 Overnight in the County Town
In just a few breaths, she made up her mind.
Back in the cabin, I woke up Sanchuan, but Sihai and Wuyuan were still asleep.
"Big sister? Are we home?" Sanchuan mumbled sleepily.
Xu Yiyi brought him his clothes and helped him put them on. "We're not home yet, but we can't go back tonight. We'll stay in the county town."
Sanchuan is so smart.
Judging from the older sister's words, I knew something had happened again.
The child quickly climbed down from the bed. "Big sister, did the pirates go to town?"
Xu Yi nodded and let Lao Lu come in and pick up Si Hai.
This kid is heavy; it's especially tiring for Lao Lu to have his body hanging on his arm.
Before long, she also came out carrying Wu Yuan.
The baby was sleeping very well, wrapped in a soft little blanket, with only his chubby little face showing, completely unaware of the tragic news outside.
Xu Yi carefully tucked the edges of the blanket, held the child securely in her arms, and stood back on the deck in the cool night wind.
"go!"
She spoke first, and then carried Wu Yuan off the boat.
The cargo ship had a deep draft and couldn't dock, so they had to disembark right there. The gangway was unusable, and the rope ladder made of cables had no weight. If someone stepped on it, the rope ladder would definitely sway and swing wildly, making it difficult to go up or down, let alone carry a child.
Xu Yiyi first tied Wu Yuan to her body with straps and went down.
When they reached the old road, Sanchuan seemed somewhat worried.
“Grandpa Lu, Sihai is so fat. You’re so old, it’s not easy for you to carry him down. Why don’t you wake him up?”
Mikawa suggested.
"How could I dare wake him up! If he finds out that something happened in Ping'an Town, he'll definitely make a fuss about going back."
Old Lu curled his lip, looked down at Xu Yiyi who had already reached the small sampan, grabbed Sanchuan by the back of his collar with one hand, and steadily held Sihai with the other, and said in a low voice: "Hold my hand."
Before Sanchuan could react, he had already grabbed his arm, and suddenly his body felt light.
Old Lu grabbed him and leaped into the air, stepping onto the railing on the pressure plate and jumping down.
Under the moonlight, Lao Lu's figure wasn't particularly tall; in fact, his habit of hunching over made him appear even shorter. Yet, he moved with exceptional agility and grace, carrying two children as he swooped down like a night bird.
San Chuan only felt the wind rush past his ears, and when he closed his eyes and opened them again, he was already standing on the small sampan.
The old man was old, but his reactions were as quick as ever. The moment he landed, his knees bent slightly and his waist and abdomen tightened, cleverly dissipating the force of the fall.
The sampan dipped only slightly, swaying very little from side to side, and quickly stabilized.
Sanchuan stood on the sampan, still a little dazed.
Looking down at their feet and then up at the high cargo ship's side, they belatedly realized that they had already disembarked.
“Grandpa Lu! You…” Sanchuan looked at Grandpa Lu in surprise.
"Just worship me."
Old Lu, shameless as ever, carefully tucked Sihai back into Xu Yiyi's arms.
Qingshan then disembarked from the cargo ship.
“There are a lot of people in the county town tonight, and the inns are probably all booked. I have a house in the county town, so we’ll stay there tonight.” He took the oar and rowed hard.
Jiuya is from Lingxi County. In the past, when her father-in-law and mother-in-law were still alive, she would come back to stay for a few days every month. Later, after her father-in-law and mother-in-law passed away, the house became empty.
The sampan was rowed to the edge of the dock.
It looks more chaotic here than it does from a distance.
Debris, broken planks, and overturned boats floated on the water.
The shore was packed with people, pushing, crying, and shouting, all mixed together with the calls of the yamen runners, which made Xu Yiyi frown.
The sampan couldn't fit in at all.
Old Lu took the oar and used it to wedge the sampan between the rocks to stabilize it. Taking advantage of the opportunity, Xu Yiyi carried Wu Yuan on her back, hugged Si Hai, and even pulled San Chuan onto the dock.
Qingshan's house is somewhat remote, located in the southeast corner of the county town, quite a distance from the dock and the main street.
He chose to buy this place because he wanted peace and quiet, and also because it was close to Jiuya's parents' home, making it convenient for her to visit them.
Unexpectedly, this has turned out to be a benefit.
The house is in a secluded spot, with few other residents nearby, and the alleyways are quiet.
The commotion at the dock was so great that the firelight and noise seemed to be separated by a layer and couldn't reach here at all.
Moreover, Lingxi County is walled, patrolled day and night by the patrol office, and guarded by yamen runners. No matter how rampant these pirates are, they dare not approach the heart of the county.
Of course, it's also possible that those pirates wouldn't bother coming to the county town.
As Qingshan led his men toward the house, he pondered these thoughts.
The county town has more shops and residences. There is a lot of cash and valuables, but they are scattered in different places. There is not enough time to go around robbing. The risk is too great.
How can it compare to the county town's wharf?
After all, most of the ships anchored there at night are fully loaded cargo ships.
All sorts of silks, spices, porcelain, exotic goods from Southeast Asia... anyone who could snatch a ship would make a fortune.
Those pirates are all very cunning; naturally, they choose places with high profits and easy escape routes to strike.
His secluded house has become a rare haven of peace and quiet tonight.
I wonder what kind of hellish scene is unfolding in Ping'an Town right now.
He glanced at Xu Yiyi, who was silently walking forward, carrying Sihai and Wuyuan on her back.
After the children were settled, Xu Yiyi went out of the house and found Qingshan and Laolu in the main room.
Xu Yiyi: "Uncle Qingshan, do you know anyone in the county town who can rent a boat right away?"
Aoyama was taken aback: "Rent a boat? What do you need to rent a boat for?"
Xu Yiyi: "I want to go back to the island."
Old Lu, who had been silent all along, suddenly turned around and said decisively, "No way!"
Aoyama hurriedly advised, "It's really not possible. Things are in chaos over there right now, and it's very dangerous. If you want to go back, you should at least wait until dawn tomorrow to see the situation."
Xu Yiyi shook her head slightly: "I can't wait that long, I have to go back now."
Old Lu stepped forward angrily: "Aren't you being ridiculous? There's chaos over there, are you going back to your death?"
Xu Yi looked into his eyes, her tone calm yet resolute: "I must go back; my great-grandparents are still here."
When the two elderly people were mentioned, Lao Lu was speechless and tapped his hand in the air several times.
“Fine, I’ll go back with you.”
Qingshan glanced at Xu Yiyi, then at Lao Lu, who was pacing around in anger, and knew that he couldn't persuade him anymore.
He stamped his foot and said, "Fine, I'll go and make arrangements right away."
Qingshan sighed and hurriedly went out.
Xu Yiyi walked back to the door of the inner room.
Sanchuan hadn't fallen back asleep since being woken up; he sat on the edge of the bed, staring at her with his eyes open.
Xu Yiyi walked over and patted his head: "Chuan'er, your older sister has to go back for a while. You take good care of your younger brothers. Stay here and don't go anywhere."
Sanchuan nodded, trying to hide the worry on his face: "Big sister, I can't help right now, but I'll take good care of my younger brothers. Big sister... you must be careful."
Xu Yiyi felt a pang of sadness and nodded, "Mm."
She turned to leave, paused, then turned back and kissed the three children.
He straightened up, looked away, and quickly walked out of the house.