47.
The two people's guesses came true, the farther away from Taiyan City, the less times Hailian's intuition about danger rang in his head, Hailian just wanted to breathe a sigh of relief, but when he arrived at Youji, only Knowing that Beihong has already prepared a countermeasure - closing the port. The group has been stagnant in a family in Youji for two days now. Fang Tinglan went to contact the owner of the ship he could find again this morning, but the news he got was not optimistic.
"At present, there is no ship that dares to go to the south in violation of the order. Even if there is, I am afraid that it will not be able to break through the blockade of the Beihong Fleet." Fang Tinglan said while taking off his gloves, "I don't dare to search for it, for fear of alerting the customs."
"As long as there is no boat going out to sea, we can indeed be trapped in Beihong." Someone sighed.
"What if we divert to Nanhong now?" One of the accompanying guards suggested, and he looked at Fang Tinglan, "Isn't that your territory? You can't mobilize an army—"
"Sorry, I can't do this." Fang Tinglan shook his head firmly, "This visit to Beihong is my private act. I can help you leave Beihong, and I can also provide various services for your country after leaving Beihong. This kind of assistance, and if Nam Hong’s army is used at this time, it is not my decision alone. I have to think about my country.”
"But..." The man still wanted to argue, but was suppressed by Long Rong's raised hand, and she said softly, "I understand your concerns."
"That's good." Fang Tinglan smiled, "What's more, it will take another month to go to Nanhong now. I don't think Tisu's current situation will allow such a delay." He paused, "I will leave tomorrow Will ask again—”
"Are the other ports closed?" Hai Lian interrupted him suddenly.
"As far as I know it is."
"Then I have a solution."
"Ok?"
"Look for the pirates from Eastern State."
"Are you not afraid that they will betray you?"
"As long as I have a boat, no one can stop me." The baron smiled wantonly.
Fang Tinglan also laughed: "Okay, let's go earn this boat."
From Youji City to the west, there is a fishing village named Sunjiawan. There are only a hundred households in the village. He said, "Take someone to pick red pearls," and he dragged you out of his fishing boat knowingly, and sent you to an island thirty miles from the coast—it was one of the gathering points of Eastern State pirates, Xiao Cape Island.
"This is the method I heard when I was drinking with people from Dongzhou at Kaqili Bay," Hai Lian said. , Just stepped into this small fishing village in the morning glow.
At this time, there were cock crows and human voices in the village, and the fishermen who just got up to clean up the Caogu stove found this group of strangers who came suddenly, and they all looked wary. Hailian asked a few villagers, but the other party waved their hands again and again , is to make a gesture to drive people away.
"Could it be that Dongzhou man lied to you?" Fang Tinglan asked.
"It's not like everyone is like you." Although Hai Lian retorted, his brows were still frowning. If he couldn't get another boat, Jiumeng City might become more and more...
"Are you going to pick red pearls?" A voice suddenly came from the side.
The two followed the sound and saw a dark-skinned young man hiding behind a fishing net to dry, with a hint of courage to go all out on his timid face. He looked at the two of them and repeated: "It's you!" Are you going to pick red beads?"
"yes."
"I can take you there, but..." the boy clenched his fists, "You have to pay!"
"Money is not a problem." Fang Tinglan smiled.
"I want a lot of money!"
"How much is a lot?"
The young man clenched his fists, as if mustering courage, he showed his five fingers: "... twenty silver coins."
Fang Tinglan was dumbfounded for a moment.
—He has been in the shopping mall for a long time, so of course he knows how much a bright pearl in the market is worth, but this young man can't even take out twenty silver coins... The man's eyes dimmed, and he sighed.
"What, what? You can't afford it?" The young man sighed when he saw Fang Tinglan, thinking that he was too expensive, and his eyes became even more flustered. It was obvious that he was uttering harsh words, but the boy's forehead was already sweating, "But I have to ask for so much money, and I can't do without a penny less! Now no one in the village dares to go to Xiaojiao Island. If you If you don’t believe me, just figure it out for yourself!”
Hai Lian took a step forward, "What do you want twenty silver coins for?"
"Tell me first whether you can afford it..." Before he finished speaking, a money bag was thrown at him, and the boy opened it next, and there was a bag full of silver coins inside.
"Take it." Fang Tinglan said.
The young man let out a scream, clutched the purse, turned around and ran away. However, before he could take more than ten steps, someone grabbed his arm. "Tsk, why are you running?" Hailian said and pulled him back hard, and now both his arms were caught.
"I, I..." The boy gasped in pain. He struggled desperately, but the hands of the man from Dongzhou behind him were like iron tongs, and he couldn't break free. "If I don't go, it will be too late!"
"What's too late?"
"My sister is going to be sold!" The teenager was about to burst into tears, his voice almost bursting out of his chest, "If you don't send the money over today, it will be too late!"
As he spoke, he wanted to struggle again, but the strength on his arm suddenly loosened, and the boy instinctively staggered forward a few steps before stabilizing his figure. He turned his head to look at the young man who had teleported behind him silently, The other party did not apologize to him, but straightened him up again, and put his shoulders by the way: "You go alone, and they may not let you go if they take the money. Where to redeem someone, show me the way .”
"Huh?" The young man didn't react, he just replied in a daze, "...go east."
"Row."
"Wait, Your Excellency the Baron, you don't have time to help others now," the guard behind said anxiously, "Our top priority is—" Fang Tinglan pressed back the words behind him, and the man asked with a smile : "Want me to accompany you?"
"I'm enough alone." Hai didn't even look back.
48.
When noon was approaching, Hailian came back with the boy, followed by a ragged girl. The baron walked in front, walking briskly, obviously in a good mood, while the two behind him were obviously a little dizzy, probably they still haven't reacted to what happened just now. Fang Tinglan greeted him first with a smile: "Are you done?"
"Well, didn't this bring people back?" Hailian's interest faded, "It's just a group of cowardly and cowardly wretches, softer than Jiumeng's bastards."
"Didn't you bargain with the people over there?"
Hai Lian glanced at him, curled his lips: "I don't know how to do business, so I never negotiate the price." After finishing speaking, he turned his head and waved to the young man, "Can we sail now?"
The young man must have slowed down his surprise, he jumped over in two or three steps, and nodded vigorously: "Yes, yes!"
"There are six people here, can your boat fit in?"
"I can't sit down... My house is a small boat, maybe I have to..."
"Brother, are they going to Xiaojiao Island?" the boy's sister came over and asked.
"That's right, they plan to pick red beads with Uncle Chen and the others!"
The girl sized Fang Tinglan and the others a few times, and couldn't help frowning: "You don't look like people who are going to pick red beads, there are girls here!... What are you going to do?"
"We want a sea boat that can sail to Xielong." Hai Lian said, "I know that Dongzhou people never bring foreigners on their boats, but you can just send me there. I'll go and talk to them."
The other party's voice was faint, and the ending drifted in the sea breeze, but the girl couldn't help remembering how this slightly slender man knocked down five or six burly men while "chatting" just two hours ago. She couldn't help but hold the bruise on her wrist, and she calmed herself down before she said: "My father used to deliver things to those people. After he passed away two years ago, I was the one who delivered them. If you go to Xiaojiao Island, Just get another boat and take me on board, otherwise they won't recognize anyone."
"What are you doing, your arms are broken, how can you sail the boat!" the boy yelled.
"Stop talking!" the girl scolded him, "You still lied to people that you have been to Xiaojiao, even though you haven't been out of the sea a few times, you wander around on weekdays, and you can't spin a fishing net well."
The boy's eyes were red for a moment, and just as he was about to refute, Hailian pulled him behind him: "It's okay, my friend and I can row fishing boats, and I'll let you show the way when the time comes." He paused , and said in a low voice, "I know that you are protecting this child and don't want him to go to the place where he picks red beads. But don't say too much, he brought me to save you."
The girl bit her lower lip. She stomped her foot hard, turned and walked towards the pier.
Long Rong on the side remained silent, watching the siblings, at this moment she called a guard, "I remember you know a little bit about bone setting, come with me to see that girl."
"Okay, your sister is gone, you don't need to grab my arm." Hai Lian carried the boy back from behind him.
The boy laughed a couple of times embarrassedly, and the boy's eyes contained a layer of admiration, "Benefactor, you are so powerful and rich, why don't you build a boat and collect red beads yourself?"
"I have two ships, just not here."
"What kind of boat is it? Bigger than those at the headland?"
"Much better than them," Hailian rubbed his head, "Don't ask, go borrow your boat."
The young man let out a sigh, and he covered his head and blushed instantly: "I'll go right away! Wait for me for a while!"
Everyone had their own division of labor and walked towards the pier one after another. Fang Tinglan walked a little slower and walked at the end, and said beside Hailian, "The shopkeeper of Jiayong Winery told me that you once asked him for flowers and springs." .”
"Yes, what's the matter?"
"Then he should have told you something too."
Helian didn't answer the call.
"It's fine if you want to maintain the current cooperative relationship, but I hope you understand..." Fang Tinglan bit the end of his voice, "I've always been a very bad person, and I always like to make progress, and I want to cooperate with you more than just cooperation. "
Hearing this, Hailian glanced at him, "Why, Mr. Fang is going to be deceived again?"
"It won't happen this time." Fang Tinglan laughed, "And... I found out that being honest also has its benefits." He didn't answer Hailian's puzzled gaze, but looked at the bouncing figure in front of him, and turned around. Topic, "This kid likes you very much."
"He's a bit like Ake." Hailian narrowed his eyes, "So I just helped."
"It's really a bit like it." Fang Tinglan sighed, "Seeing him circling around you just now, I'm a little jealous."
Hailian snorted: "Are you jealous of my popularity?"
Fang Tinglan laughed, "I'm not jealous of you, I'm jealous of him."
Hailian kicked the gravel under his feet, and asked casually, "What do you mean?"
The little pirate's hair has never been properly taken care of. Over the years, he has only tied a short braid at the back of his head, and the rest of his hair is swaying back and forth with his footsteps, which makes people feel itchy. By accident, Fang Tinglan stretched out his hand, but his fingertips only slid around Hailian's cheek, and brushed a strand of hair behind his ear. The lower-than-usual voice was unobstructed by the hair curtain and clearly reached Hailian's ears: "What I mean is..."
Before the other party finished speaking, Hai Lian took several steps back and stared at him as if he had seen a ghost—it was obvious that Fang Tinglan's fingers hadn't touched his ear at all, but the small piece of skin It was burning hot like a fire.
The instigator looked at his terrified appearance and smiled innocently: "Look, this is the benefit of being honest."
The young man gritted his teeth and blurted out, "—you can dream!"
"Don't worry, I've always been very patient, and I'll wait for you to open your mouth. Just don't forget that you still owe me something," Fang Tinglan said with a smile, "If you don't pay it all, I'll start accruing interest."
Hailian was so angry that she picked up a conch and threw it at him.