Republic of China: Guandong Ginseng King

Chapter 6 Tadianzi

Once the rafts are piled up, the people who are lowering the rafts will slide into the fast-flowing river and be killed by the impact of the rafts.

Even if the raftsmen managed to survive, the stacked rafts would block the river surface, preventing the rafts behind from passing through and being transported to Andong in time for delivery, which would have serious consequences.

The oarsman at the head of the raft was experienced. He held the oar at the front of the raft tightly to control the front of the raft and shouted loudly.

"The second oar is sinking, hold the oar steady and push hard to the left."

"Pay attention to the waterline when rowing the side and stern oars. Don't panic."

As soon as the raft reached Lao'ekou, the water of the Yalu River was like a tumbling dragon, carrying the raft forward recklessly. There were also lightning and thunder in the sky, and heavy rain poured down.

Although everyone in the gang worked together, the leader of the gang still couldn't stop moving towards the dark cliff.

When Shui Laowu saw this situation, he became anxious and angry.

He didn't care about much at this point. He picked up a spare oar, found the right moment, jumped onto the rock with one step, and used the oar in his hand to hold the raft against it.

"Leader, come back quickly, it's dangerous." Wang Changliang, the second rower, was frightened when he saw it and shouted loudly.

At this point, how could the old crow retreat? He could only hold on with the oar, his face flushed red.

When Qu Shaoyang saw this situation, he knew that the first oar might not be able to hold on.

Qu Shaoyang didn't say a word, picked up the wooden oar in his hand, and imitated the first oar, jumped onto a rock, and used the oar to hold the raft tightly.

After coming through, Qu Shaoyang discovered that the original owner had great physical fitness and great strength, stronger than those big men in the Mu Gang.

At this moment, Qu Shaoyang exerted force with his arms and let out an angry roar.

The oars, made of hardwood, creaked as they were rubbed against the rocks and rafts, and looked like they were in danger of breaking.

But Qu Shaoyang seemed to have taken root and did not retreat even though his arms were numb from the shock.

The raft finally rubbed across the dark cliff little by little and successfully passed through the old evil mouth.

When the last row passed by, Qu Shaoyang pulled the leading oar and took the opportunity to jump onto the raft.

When the raft entered the smooth section of the river again, everyone on the raft was exhausted.

At this time, they didn't care that they were soaked by the heavy rain, and they all lay on their backs in the row, gasping for breath.

"Lenghu'er, you are awesome, I told you I was right. Thanks to you today, otherwise, I'm afraid few of our 20 or 30 people would have been able to escape."

The water crow's legs were shaking with exhaustion, his arms were sore and weak, he lay on the raft, not wanting to move, and spoke while gasping for breath.

"It's not as mysterious as Touzhao said. I just lent a hand, but Touzhao is really smart and made a prompt decision."

Qu Shaoyang was also very tired, especially his arms, which were both weak.

However, he didn't feel comfortable taking all the credit for himself, so he replied with a smile.

"Oh, it's no good. I'm old and I don't have the strength to keep up." Water Crow lay on the raft, raised his hand tremblingly, and wiped the rain and mud off his face.

"I'm almost fifty. Time is merciless. I went to Kanto in my twenties and worked as a woodcutter in the mountains. This old scoundrel has cursed me twenty or thirty times. Today, I almost got caught."

Perhaps it was because he had just experienced a life-and-death crisis, the usually cold and serious Shui Laowu suddenly became emotional.

"Lenghu'er, follow me and learn how to sail a raft. When you have gained some experience, I will recommend you to the big boss and let you take the lead. You are a good boy, I believe in you."

Shui Laowu recovered a little, sat up, and patted Qu Shaoyang on the shoulder.

"Well, follow the leader's instructions." Qu Shaoyang didn't say much, and jumped up. "Everyone has worked hard, let's hold on a little longer and move forward.

We will all stay in the berth these few days, and when we get to Tadianzi, we will stay in a hotel and I will treat everyone to a drink."

The water crow also stood up and walked forward, calling out loudly.

"Okay, let's follow the foreman's instructions." When everyone heard this, they were very happy. They quickly got up and returned to their seats, controlling the raft to continue moving forward.

At this time, the wind and rain gradually stopped, and a red sun quietly peeked out from the clouds, shining on everyone, adding a little warmth.

After passing Lao'ekou, the river was calm for a long distance. Then we passed two small checkpoints and arrived safely at a place to rest.

This time, Shui Laowu forbade Ergui to talk about women anymore, lest anyone keep awake at night and think about it.

The second cabinet was frightened to death by the old evil mouth during the day and was in no mood to talk nonsense, so everyone slept peacefully that night.

After breakfast the next day, the raft continued to move forward and encountered several small and medium-sized outposts such as Dalishu Island and Malugou Island on the way.

Fortunately, the foreman was experienced and everyone worked together, so the raft passed the checkpoint safely.

Three days later, the raft finally arrived at Tadianzi.

During the Tang Dynasty, this place was a territory of the Bohai Kingdom.

On a high mountain by the river, there is a stone tower called Lingguang Tower, which was left over from the Bohai Kingdom period, so the mountain is also called Ta Mountain.

There used to be a large meadow under Tashan Mountain, so it was named Tadian.

In the early Qing Dynasty, this place was under the jurisdiction of Xingjing Prefecture. Later, in order to protect the land of Longxing, the rulers of the Qing Dynasty turned the Changbai Mountain area into a restricted area and did not allow ordinary people to enter.

Of course, this ban policy cannot completely prevent people from entering the country.

As early as the Xianfeng and Tongzhi periods, people from Shandong settled here and engaged in activities such as logging, ginseng picking, and hunting.

At the same time, Korean people on the south bank of the Yalu River would also cross the river, going there in the morning and returning at dusk, coming in spring and going in winter, to cultivate the fields.

Over time, many families gathered here, forming a market town.

In the fourth year of the Guangxu period, due to the gradual increase in population, the Qing government established a local Pacification Bureau under the jurisdiction of Tonghua in order to develop and defend the border.

The raft was moored at the bank of the river bay, and before the ropes were even tied, the owners of the inns and restaurants came over with their waiters.

"My dear, come to my house. I have prepared good wine and delicious food, including a young hen and fresh river fish. There is also Xiao Taohong to accompany you to eat and drink."

"Come to my house, come to my house, I have everything you want. I can persuade the daughter-in-law of the old Qi family. That woman is very pretty."

People who know the business understand that whether it is Xiao Taohong or the old Qi family’s wife, they all “rely on others”.

This is also another custom of the Northeast Mubang and Paibang, "seasonal marriage" and "seasonal marriage".

The environment in Northeast China is harsh, the conditions are tough, and there are few women. The Muba people have no houses or land, and they have no fixed place to live. They don't know where they will be tomorrow, so it is very rare for them to marry. Even if they have wives, they are still in their hometown in Shandong. Far water cannot quench near thirst.

Men always have needs. Mu-handle has money in his pocket, and especially when he is on the mountain or on the water, he always has to find a place to have some fun.

Therefore, the shops in the local market town and even some of the original residents set their sights on Mu Batou.

Needless to say, there are flower stands and comedy scenes, but more are "relying on people", "half-open doors", "sea stages", etc. There are also "gangs".

(End of this chapter)