Becoming a literary master starting from the story of Minglan

Chapter 314 Flood and Bandits

On this morning, Sheng Changquan and the others, unusually, all appeared on the third-floor deck.

It was said to be early morning, but it was actually the early hours of the morning; the sun hadn't even risen yet.

As for Sheng Changquan and his group, apart from Sheng Changquan who was in a better position, the rest of them were all dressed like a flock of fat ducks.

Minglan, in particular, was wrapped up like a quail, round and plump, just like a big penguin!

Judging from their appearance, they seem to be preparing to enjoy the cold river view outside, perhaps wanting to see the sunrise over the river.

However, it was the early morning on the river, so it was inevitably cold.

To be honest, this timeframe is indeed a bit early, especially for Minglan, it's way too early!

"Oh, Xiaotao, hasn't the sun risen yet?"

Minglan, who had gotten up partly on her own and partly been helped and pushed here, couldn't help but yawn as she asked Xiaotao, who was standing beside her, her whole being exuding sleepiness.

It was obvious that she was forced to work; she hadn't completely shaken off her sleepiness.

"Girl, it'll be quick!"

"It'll be ready soon!"

Unlike Minglan, who was yawning constantly, Xiaotao was full of energy. While answering Minglan's questions perfunctorily, she stared intently at the horizon in the distance, which was gradually turning golden, with an expectant look on her face.

Xiao Tao didn't have Ming Lan's habit of sleeping in late, so she was much more energetic at this time.

"Sister, this is what you said yesterday about wanting to see the sunrise over the river!"

"What, you've become impatient now, and look at yourself like this?"

Seeing Minglan's terrible performance, Sheng Changquan suddenly had an urge to grab her and send her back for a makeover.

"oops!"

"Brother, what are you saying!"

Hearing her younger brother say that, especially in front of an outsider—He Hongwen, Minglan immediately felt somewhat displeased.

"Brother, you know my problem!"

"I really can't get up in the morning!"

Minglan glared at Sheng Changquan with a hint of reproach, but her expression brightened, as if her anger had a refreshing effect.

"hehe!"

At this moment, before Sheng Changquan could say anything, He Hongwen, who was standing to the side, couldn't help but laugh when he saw Minglan's charming and innocent appearance.

"Seventh brother, don't blame sixth sister!"

Seemingly realizing something was amiss, He Hongwen suddenly felt a little embarrassed. However, amidst his embarrassment, he couldn't help but want to take sides.

"Actually, there are indeed some people in this world like Sixth Sister who just can't get up in the morning no matter what!"

"Oh?"

Minglan, who was initially annoyed with He Hongwen, suddenly brightened up when she heard him say that!

She had a feeling that she was about to find a reason for herself to get up later in the future.

Hmm, sleeping in is a difficult ailment.

It's the kind that can't be cured!

"Brother Hongwen, is there any explanation for this?"

"Well, actually, you could call this a kind of illness..."

"..."

Once this topic was brought up, He Hongwen started talking non-stop, as if a floodgate had been opened.

Sheng Changquan didn't believe He Hongwen's words at all. As a master of medicine, how could he not know why his sister couldn't get up?

Meanwhile, Minglan was also quite troubled by He Hongwen's incessant chatter.

"This……"

"Is this enough?"

Listening to He Hongwen talk about medical principles for a long time, Minglan couldn't help but sigh in her heart, wanting to interrupt but feeling embarrassed.

"Quick! Look!"

"Girl, look!"

Just as Minglan was having a headache, she suddenly heard Xiaotao and Danju's surprised voices.

"what?"

Upon hearing the sound, Minglan looked over and immediately saw a red glow appearing on the horizon where the water met the sky.

Where the sky meets the water, a bright red glow first appeared, very eye-catching.

Subsequently, as time passed, the area covered by the red glow gradually expanded and became brighter.

Sure enough, after a short while, half of the sun appeared there.

However, although the sun was very red, it was not very bright. The blazing sun seemed to be carrying a heavy burden, slowly but surely rising higher and higher.

In an instant, the deep red disc suddenly emitted a dazzling light!

Countless golden arrows of light edged the surrounding dense black clouds with a bright gold border.

Then, the sun quickly broke through the encirclement and appeared in the sky, dyeing the clouds purple or red.

The crimson sun slowly rose from the distant water, like an ancient god from mythology, illuminating the heavens and the earth with its radiant light.

Perhaps it was due to the water vapor, but in the eyes of Minglan and the others, the sunrise over the river appeared as if people were walking up stairs, leaping out little by little, unlike the slow ascent of the sunrise from the mountaintop.

But it does have a kind of dynamic beauty.

"so beautiful!"

Upon witnessing the sun rising into the sky, Minglan and her two companions exclaimed in unison.

Not only the girls, but even He Hongwen kept his mouth tightly shut, looking completely intoxicated, as if he too had the heart of a young girl.

Only Sheng Changquan, alone, squinted and quietly gazed at the rising sun in the distance, wondering to himself.

"what?"

"Don't their eyes get tired after looking at it for so long?"

As a science student, he only felt that the scene in front of him was really hard on the eyes, but he couldn't understand why Minglan and the others felt this way.

……

a long time.

Only after the eternal sun returned to its orbit and shone upon the earth did Minglan and the others slowly come to their senses.

On the second floor, the boatmen, who had already started working, were also looking at the dignified people on the third floor with amusement and smugness.

After all, the only advantage they have over each other is that they can see the sunrise over the sea more often.

"Girl, the sunrise over the sea is truly something else!"

Xiao Tao excitedly approached Minglan and said, "This is completely different from what we've seen before. It's hazy and has so many colors!"

"Yes! Yes!"

"Purple, red, pink... so many!"

Danju was also excitedly talking from the side.

"..."

After watching the sunrise, Minglan and her servants looked quite happy. "Huh?"

However, while the girls were laughing and joking, Minglan noticed people standing all over the second deck and became a little curious.

"Uncle Wang, what are you doing?"

"Could there really be a lot of river bandits in the waters around here?"

Looking at the deck full of boatmen holding batons and harpoons, Minglan suddenly remembered what these seasoned veterans had told her before she set off—this journey is not so peaceful.

Therefore, Minglan simply shouted a couple of words at the boatmen on the second floor.

Since both pleasure boats were rented, the boatmen on board were actually employees of the shipping company and belonged to it. This "Uncle Wang" was the leader of the many boatmen on this journey, their boss.

"Replying to your question, young lady."

Upon hearing Minglan's question, Uncle Wang at the bow first looked up and gazed at the calm water ahead before turning back to Minglan, cupping his hands in a gesture of respect, and then replied with a touch of bitterness, "Actually!"

"Not only here, but the rest of the journey ahead is unlikely to be peaceful!"

"Ok?"

Everyone was shocked!

"Uncle Wang, are you telling the truth?"

At this moment, even He Hongwen, who had been prepared, couldn't help but feel a little flustered.

Aside from Sheng Changquan, Minglan, Xiaotao, and the others were even more terrified.

"Ugh!"

"That's absolutely true!"

Uncle Wang shook his head, his voice growing increasingly low.

"and……"

"Uncle Wang!"

Just as Wang Bo was about to say something, Sheng Changquan suddenly spoke up on the deck.

"Uncle Wang, if you have some free time right now, why don't you come up here and tell us about your travel plans in detail?"

Sheng Changquan pondered that this journey might not go smoothly, and it would be best to coordinate with these elders so that their servants could make better preparations in case of crisis.

In fact, the Sheng family had made ample preparations this time, bringing more than twenty skilled fighters, all of whom were proficient in martial arts. These people were actually the disciples and grand-disciples of the group of murderers who had married into the Sheng family with Old Madam Sheng.

Those old men had all fought alongside the old Marquis Yongyi on the battlefield, so the servants the Sheng family brought out this time also had a family tradition of learning and ancestral skills.

It was precisely because of this group of people that the He family grandfather and grandson thought of joining the Sheng family's group and returning to Beijing with them.

"This……"

After thinking about it, Uncle Wang did not refuse. He felt that it was indeed necessary for these nobles to make some preparations in advance, so that if bandits really came, they would not be too surprised when facing the bandits and make any mistakes.

After all, if that were to happen, ordinary people like them would also suffer, and they wouldn't be able to escape the blame afterwards!

"Since that's the case, then this humble old man will take the liberty of speaking on behalf of you distinguished guests!"

Wang Bo stood on the second-floor deck, cupped his hands in greeting to Minglan and the others, and readily agreed.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

With the sound of foot pedals, Uncle Wang gradually appeared in front of Sheng Changquan and the others.

"Uncle Wang, please!"

As Wang Bo approached, Sheng Changquan immediately stood up from the pavilion and extended an invitation to him.

At this moment, Sheng Changquan and his group were sitting in a wooden pavilion on the third deck, waiting for Uncle Wang to arrive.

This wooden pavilion is made of a unique type of ironwood, which is extremely hard and resistant to wind, rain, and sea moisture. It is the best wood for wealthy families to build pavilions with sea views.

At this moment, the table in the wooden pavilion was already filled with pastries and tea, which looked extremely luxurious, forming a stark contrast with the poverty and shabbyness of the second floor.

After all, neither the Sheng family nor the He family lacked money, so their standard of living was certainly not as impoverished as that of ordinary families.

"Huh? No need! No need!"

"Young Master Sheng, you're too kind! You're too kind!"

Seeing Sheng Changquan get up to greet him, Wang Bo was immediately flattered and waved his hands repeatedly!

He felt that the other party's behavior was far too polite, so polite that he couldn't stand it!

After all, the class difference between the two was like heaven and earth. One was a lowlife living in the mud, while the other was a celestial being descended to earth. How could the somewhat superstitious old man Wang accept this?

Sheng Changquan's literary reputation had long been known among these seasoned veterans in private.

"Hehe, Uncle Wang, you're too kind!"

Seeing that Uncle Wang was somewhat uneasy, Sheng Changquan couldn't help but speak up and advise, "Uncle Wang, you are an elder, one of our seniors, why do you need to be like this?"

Sheng Changquan was not one to care about such things, so naturally he wouldn't treat others differently based on their status. Looking at the somewhat nervous Uncle Wang, he continued, "Moreover, we are now on the same ship by chance. You must put your mind at ease and have a good talk with us younger generation!"

Sheng Changquan insisted on pulling Uncle Wang to sit next to him, and served him tea and pastries, gesturing for him to enjoy them to his heart's content.

Meanwhile, Minglan and He Hongwen, who were opposite Wang Bo, also smiled, showing their goodwill.

"Well... thank you all very much!"

Wang Bo glanced at the distinguished guests in the pavilion, hesitated for a moment, and finally gently picked up a piece of pastry and took a bite.

In fact, the reason why Wang Bo dared to act in this way in front of Sheng Changquan and others was entirely because he had his own judgment.

As a seasoned veteran, Uncle Wang could tell at a glance that these three young men truly meant no harm.

Aside from the young master of the Sheng family being rather cunning, making it impossible for him to discern his intentions, he was quite certain that he could grasp the thoughts of the other people, such as the young master of the He family and the young lady of the Sheng family, and perceive their pity and goodwill towards him.

Therefore, Wang Bo dared to eat a piece of pastry that was worth two or three days' interest.

"Uncle Wang, what did you mean by those unsettling things you mentioned earlier?"

He Hongwen couldn't wait any longer. After seeing Uncle Wang eat a few pieces of pastry, he immediately asked impatiently.

"Ah? Replying to Young Master He!"

Uncle Wang quickly swallowed the pastry in his mouth, wiped his hands on his body, and carefully replied, "Actually, what this old man meant by 'not peaceful' is exactly what it sounds like!"

"The central waters of the Han River, especially the areas near the small islands and reed islands, are often frequented by large numbers of river bandits!"

Uncle Wang secretly observed the expressions of the young masters and ladies, and continued, "Take what I heard from someone recently, it seems that there is a bandit group in the waters about thirty miles ahead, called the Sickle Gang."

"I've heard that the Sickle Gang often patrols that stretch of water, their aim being to hijack passing merchant ships and fishing boats to make a fortune!"

"In fact, when these people get really angry, they're even capable of murder and robbery!"

Uncle Wang explained things in detail, directly stating the enemies they might face next.

"what?"

"Do these kinds of river bandits really exist?"

Upon hearing this news, Minglan was immediately terrified, her face turning pale with fright.

In the end, Minglan was just a young woman who had never seen much fighting and killing, and she was frightened by Uncle Wang's words.

He Hongwen was somewhat better off, after all, he had traveled with Old Madam He all these years and had inevitably experienced a lot. However, even he couldn't help but change the expression on his face, as if he was also touched.

"Huh? The Sickle Gang?"

Of the group, only Sheng Changquan remained calm.

Many thanks to the generous donor, Five-Colored Feather!

(End of this chapter)