There were spacious rooms in the new bamboo building. There was a huge courtyard outside that was divided into a front and back yard. There was also a barn next to the courtyard. There were flocks of ducks in the courtyard, just like Lu Zhou.
The weather was getting colder. There were a few blankets and a small charcoal stove. Meat porridge was cooking on the stove. A thick aroma wafted out. It was not fish porridge, but pork porridge. It was freshly slaughtered pigs.
It smelled good.
Lil 'Tao, who was lying on the floor, smacked his lips. He stuck his tongue out and licked his lips. He kept saying, "Smells good."
"Get up and have some if you think it smells good. Where did this come from?" The person in charge of cooking in the lighthouse brought a bowl of porridge to Lil 'Tao and nudged him. When Lil' Tao opened his eyes, Weiwei was still in a daze.
There was no bamboo building or courtyard in front of him. The flocks of ducks he heard from others were nowhere to be seen. There was only a slightly plump person looking at him with a smile on his face.
"Where am I? Why am I here? "Lil 'Tao seemed to have forgotten what happened before he woke up. He asked in a slightly hoarse voice.
"You fell into the water, and we fished you out. You're quite lucky, young man. It's a dark night, and it's stormy and windy. If Old Wang wasn't here, we would've found two floating corpses tomorrow morning."
The cook explained patiently to Lil 'Tao. Lil' Tao was stunned for a moment before he finally remembered what happened. Yes, he was swimming in the sea with his father. He only remembered there was a house in front of him with lights on. After that, he saw two people swimming toward him. They were good swimmers. They did not sink at all. After that, he lost all his strength.
"Where's my father? Where's my father? Is he here? "When Lil 'Tao regained his senses, the first thing that came to his mind was his father's safety.
"He's here. He's here. Is that person your father? Don't worry, he's still alive. I think he's a little old and tired. He's sleeping over there and hasn't woken up yet. Drink the porridge when you wake up. After that, stay with your father. I'm going to sleep for a while. "
Cook placed the bowl of porridge on the floor and pushed it in front of Little Tao. He yawned and laid down on the floor in the most comfortable position to fall asleep.
Lao Wang, who had taken turns to sleep at night, got up at this moment. He used his Clairvoyance to scan the surface of the sea. He sat by the window and said to Xiao Tao, "You guys were lucky to be able to make it here last night. Don't think about other things. Just rest well. It's good that you guys are here. The boat can be rebuilt."
Lao Wang could tell at a glance that the two of them were fishermen. Their boat must have been overturned at night. There was no need to say how important a boat was to a fisherman's family. He was just afraid that the two of them would take things too hard.
Xiao Tao did feel a little heartache for the boat, but he didn't particularly care. A person who was about to die had actually come back to life. At most, he would go into the water to fish for more armor and let his father fish on the shore. His brother would also help out a little. After two months, he would be able to get another boat.
Nodding gratefully at the unknown person at the window, Xiao Tao came to his father's side and carefully looked at him. Seeing that he was really fine, he was relieved.
Enduring the soreness all over his body, he picked up the bowl to test whether it was hot or cold. He drank a mouthful, letting the fragrance of the meat fill his mouth. A happy expression appeared on his face.
"This … this uncle, you and another uncle's family live here?" Xiao Tao, who couldn't bear to finish the porridge in one gulp, licked his lips and asked.
Lao Wang was still guarding his post. Using his Clairvoyance Eye, he looked at the boring and monotonous sea and asked, "You don't know about the lighthouse?"
"I don't know. What's a lighthouse? The name of the village? My father and I came here from Anse Province, and we found a large island in the middle of the sea. We built a small house on the island, and we were able to search for places with armor incense around the island. I swam down to dig, and thirty copper coins worth of armor incense can be exchanged for a copper coin. After just three days of digging, I was blown away by the wind. "
Xiao Tao's eyes looked outside the window. As he spoke, his expression changed. It was yearning, regret, and finally, relief.
"It's all thanks to Uncle and Uncle for saving me and my father. Otherwise, this family would be finished. Uncle, looking at this place, it seems that life isn't good. Wait until I get more armor, then I'll change a house for Uncle."
Xiao Tao knew how to be grateful. Seeing that the place where the two of them slept didn't seem to be that good, he wanted to build a house for them in the future. As he spoke, his hand brought the bowl of porridge to his mouth. Looking at the meat inside, he was stunned. Only then did he feel that something was wrong.
If life was really not good, why would he use a porcelain bowl? Why would he make meat porridge for himself? Rice porridge was enough.
"Uncle, uncle, you and this uncle don't seem to have a bad life."
"Hahaha, young man, it's enough that you have this kind of heart. You don't have to think about repaying me all day long. It's enough as long as you lead a good life. There's good yellow wine in the jar at the side. Heat it up and drink it. You must be tired last night, right?"
Lao Wang knew what the young man was thinking. He smiled kindly and pointed at the jar at the side without turning his head.
Xiao Tao nodded and then shook his head. His mouth was half-open. He wanted to say something, but he didn't know what to say.
Lao Wang's eyes were on the sea, but his mouth was useless. Since he had nothing to do, he said to Xiao Tao, "30 armor incense for one copper coin. It's a little too little. In Lu Zhou, it depends on the quality. If 30 armor incense is of high grade, countless people will fight for 100 copper coins, let alone one copper coin. If you sell it to Lu Zhou's specialty company, you can get 120 copper coins."
Xiao Tao was stunned. It seemed that he could not believe that armor incense could be sold for so much money. After dozens of breaths, he asked tentatively, "Uncle, do you know?"
"Yes, I'm from Lu Zhou. How can I not know? I guard the lighthouse and guide the ships that come and go. I know where are the reefs and rapids in this area. I get paid 30 copper coins a day. The chamber of commerce will take care of it. As long as the ships within sight of the lighthouse can receive help, it's not considered a dereliction of duty.
It's my duty to save you last night, so you don't have to thank the two of us. If you want to thank someone, thank Provincial Governor Zhang of Lu Zhou. In the future, when you're fishing or armor incense, if you're tired and don't have a place to rest, you can come to the lighthouse to have a look. Drink some hot water and have a meal. It's free. "
Lao Wang's voice was not loud, but it sounded like thunder in Xiao Tao's ears.
"Uncle, if you don't want money, aren't you just throwing money in? What is the lighthouse? "Xiao Tao still did not know what the lighthouse represented.
"The lighthouse is a home. It's a warm home for those who set sail. As long as you see the lighthouse, you're home. You don't have to be so polite with your family. Drink up, there's more in the pot. When your Uncle Little Stone wakes up, I'll make you something good to eat.
There'll be some vegetables. Mhm, I'll make some vinegar and cabbage. As for the money from the lighthouse, it's taken from the people and used by the people. A small portion of the people from other provinces sell their things to Lu Zhou's chamber of commerce. That money is enough to support the lighthouse. "
"Home?" Xiao Tao felt that he had regained some of his strength. He finished the bowl of meat porridge in one gulp before it turned cold. He stood up and walked to another window. He inhaled deeply and hastily took a few steps back. He stared into the distance in a daze.
"It's too high. No wonder I can see so far. I see. Uncle, is this lighthouse specially prepared by Lu Zhou for those who set sail?"
"Yes, it's prepared for those who set sail. There's not just one lighthouse. If we count from here, there are a total of 200 lighthouses. There are 15 big ones like the one we're in. The rest are small lighthouses. It'll take more than half a month to travel from here to Lu Zhou. How can there be so few lighthouses?"
Old Wang found someone to talk to and began to introduce the lighthouses in detail.
The more Xiao Tao listened, the more surprised he became. When Old Wang was almost done, Xiao Tao sighed and lowered his head. His voice was soft as he said, "If Ansi Province can be like this, my father and I wouldn't have almost lost our lives last night. In the past, I've always heard Lu Zhou's people talk about how good Lu Zhou is. I've tried my best to think about it. Now, I know I haven't thought about it enough."
Xiao Tao envied Lu Zhou's people. At the same time, he felt sad. They were all near the sea. Why was it that Lu Zhou's people were protected when they went out to sea to fish, but he had nothing here? Home, as expected of home. Within the range of 200 lighthouses, he did not have to worry about anything. He could just focus on fishing. If he was hungry, he could just look for a lighthouse and have a hot meal.
On the other hand, when he went out to sea, he would bring along some steamed rice and some vegetable leaves. When he arrived at sea, he would just roll them up and eat them. It was fine when the weather was cold, but when it was hot, the food would go bad, and there would be a sour taste in his mouth.
"If only I was born in Lu Zhou," Xiao Tao muttered under his breath. Xiao Tao muttered. When he raised his head, he suddenly realized that there were two boats that were much larger than fishing boats approaching. He immediately shouted to Old Wang, "Uncle, boats, boats, big boats. There are big boats coming. Are they coming here to eat?"
Old Wang could not see them from his angle. When he heard Xiao Tao's words, he quickly climbed up the ladder at the side. When he was at the top, he could see the surroundings clearly. He only stuck his head out and looked in that direction. As he climbed down, he said, "Don't worry about it.
They're here to deliver daily necessities to us. There's meat, vegetables, and ice. After that, they'll go to other places to patrol. "
"Lu Zhou? Patrol? Patrol for what? "Xiao Tao looked back and became even more curious.
"If they encounter boats from other places or fishing boats at sea, they'll go and take care of it. There's nothing wrong now, but when more fishing boats go out in the future and have conflicts with fishing boats from other places, the patrol boats will go over. Yes, that's what the good official said."
Old Wang seemed very proud when he said this.
Xiao Tao nodded to show that he understood. "I know. If there's a conflict with fishing boats from other places, we'll send patrol boats over to see who's in the right."
"Wrong. It's not to see who's in the right, it's to see who dares to touch my boat. There's no reason. If it's a boat from another province, then it's fine. If it's a boat from another country, the patrol boats will arrest them. If they resist, they'll be killed. "
Old Wang's words were filled with killing intent, which frightened Xiao Tao. At the same time, he was very excited. He asked in a low voice, "Then, if there's a conflict between boats from other provinces and boats from other countries, will Lu Zhou's boat take care of it?"
"Yes, as long as it's a boat from Tang, it's reasonable. If it's not a boat from Tang, it's unreasonable."
"That's great. I wonder if we can build the lighthouse further away. In the future, we can sell the fish we catch and the armor we catch to Lu Zhou's Chamber of Commerce. Uncle, can you accept it here? It's a little far from Lu Zhou. "
Xiao Tao suddenly felt proud. When he thought about how his family would be protected by patrol boats when they went fishing in the future, he felt energized. He did not have to worry about the wind and waves, and he did not have to be afraid of people from other places.
He knew that the further away they were from the sea, the more likely they were to catch special fish and sell them for a high price. According to the people from the west, they often encountered people from other countries when they were fishing there. Sometimes, they would even curse each other. When there were more boats from other countries, they would run away. They were afraid that they could not win in a fight.
If the lighthouse could be built further away, and the patrol boats could be sent further away, he would see who would dare to provoke him.
Old Wang looked at Xiao Tao with a smile and said, "Take it. As long as you bring it to us, we'll take it. However, in terms of quality, we'll calculate according to the lowest quality. I can't tell the quality of so many things.
The lighthouse will have to be repaired in the future as well. The main reason is that the patrol ships are too good. After some time, the ships in the docks will be able to patrol further away. Lu Zhou, since the Chamber of Commerce earns money from the fishermen, it's only right that we help them and protect them. "
"Really? That's great! In the future, when my family has something, we'll sell it to the lighthouse. Uncle, you can tell the people here later and ask them to build a lighthouse on the island my family discovered. I'll ask the people in my village to sell their things to the lighthouse. "
Xiao Tao's eyes were filled with joy. He began to fantasize about the future.
After waiting for a while, two patrol boats came over. Old Wang really did tell Xiao Tao's words to the people who got off the boat to deliver the things.
The people on the patrol were not directly responsible for this matter. They could only record it down and report it to their superiors when they returned. If it was successful, they would be rewarded.
All kinds of things were moved down and carried to the lighthouse's warehouse. Old Wang checked them and pressed his fingerprint. Then, the patrol boats left the lighthouse and headed to another place.
Xiao Tao also followed along and helped a little. His body had not fully recovered, and he felt sore every time he moved. As he looked at the two patrol boats in the distance, he suddenly made a decision. If there was a chance in the future, he would join the patrol fleet and do some work.
"Xiao Tao, Xiao Tao, where are you?" As soon as he returned to the top, Xiao Tao heard his father's voice and ran over in surprise.
"Dad, I'm here, I'm here. Dad, you're awake? I'll heat up some food for you. It's meat porridge, the kind of pork that you can only eat during the New Year. "
As he spoke, Xiao Tao went to heat up the porridge. After seeing the bubbles of the porridge, he sniffed and brought a bowl to his father.
"Dad, drink it while it's hot. There are other things to eat later."
"What is this place?" Xiao Tao's father obviously didn't react in time. He watched as his son busied himself for a while before bringing a bowl of meat porridge over. He sniffed the porridge just like Xiao Tao. He knew it was cooked with pork and was a little worried when he asked about it.
"Dad, eat it quickly. We're home. Aiya, dad, is it because you can't move your arms from rowing last night? Let me feed you. "
Xiao Tao scooped some porridge with a spoon, blew on it, and brought it to his father's mouth.
Xiao Tao's father took a bite and smacked his lips. "Delicious. Xiao Tao, did you make this? Is this home? Since when did our home become like this? How long have I slept? "
"This is home. There will be more homes in the future. This province was made by my uncle. As long as one is from Tang and makes a living on the sea, the lighthouse is home."
Xiao Tao told his father the whole story from beginning to end while feeding him. Xiao Tao's father had seen the people sleeping here just now, but he did not expect there to be such a good place.
He finished the porridge in the bowl in one gulp, heaved a sigh of relief, and said, "That's good. Lu Zhou's Provincial Governor Zhang is not an ordinary official. Life will be good in the future. Your brother won't have to worry about a wife anymore."
"Yes, yes. We'll sell things to Lu Zhou's Chamber of Commerce in the future. We won't sell things to other places even if they offer us more money. Lu Zhou's Chamber of Commerce can protect us. If we sell things to others and they can't make money, the lighthouse won't be able to survive."
Xiao Tao had his own ideas. Since he wanted the Chamber of Commerce to protect him, he had to let them make money.
When he thought of this, Xiao Tao slapped his forehead and said, "I forgot something just now. I forgot to ask the patrol boat to help us go back. What should we do? Do we have to swim back? "
At this time, Old Wang came up. When he heard the conversation between the father and son, he said with a smile, "Young man, don't worry. There are two boats docked at each lighthouse. After you rest for a day, you can row one boat back. Remember to send the boat back when there's a new boat."
"Huh? We can use the boat here? Uncle, aren't you afraid that we won't return the boat? " Although Xiao Tao was happy, he still could not believe it. The old man meant to lend them a boat and let them work. When they had the money to buy a new boat, they would return the boat.
"I'm not afraid. At most, I'll just put in some effort. You have to go out to sea to fish anyway. When you take the boat, write a receipt. If you don't return it, there will be patrol boats there. If they find you, you don't have to say what will happen."
Old Wang was not worried at all. Unless it was two people who wanted to earn a boat, they would move away and make it impossible for people to find them.
Xiao Tao jumped up and waved his hands happily. He looked at his father and then at the old man and said, "Uncle, don't worry. We will definitely buy a new boat in the shortest time possible. Since the armor incense is so valuable, it will be enough to sell it a few times. Uncle, let me tell you a secret. I can swim to a depth of 300 feet to pick armor incense."
When Old Wang heard this, he was stunned. He asked tentatively, "Really? You can swim that deep? Aren't you panting? "
"I'm panting, but I can use that breath for a very long time. I have a way, which is to not move the places that don't need to be moved. Tie a stone to the bottom and let it sink. After picking the armor incense at the bottom, release the stone and swim back up."
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
