The waves on the sea were gentle, and the weather was beautiful.
A huge fleet of 40 ships was sailing with great difficulty, and the sails on their masts were constantly being adjusted.
"Where's the wind? Where did the wind go? The sea! How infuriating! The wind doesn't come when it should, and it blows when it shouldn't. "
Ruan Jin complained as he stood on the deck of the steam engine ship. On the way back, he had encountered many times when the wind didn't give them any face.
There was once when there was no wind for three days, and the ship didn't have enough fresh water.
If not for the fact that Dongzhu had given them special tools to collect fresh water, everyone would have died of thirst at sea.
However, it was all worth it. In order to bring more things back, they had reduced the amount of fresh water and food. On the way back, they had seen many islands.
They were finally back. Just a little bit more, and the wind would have blown towards the west. No, it would have blown towards anywhere.
"A normal wind would have taken half a day's journey. Li Dongzhu definitely wouldn't have imagined how many things we brought back. It's all thanks to the number of ships that we abandoned. "
The Admiral of the Tang dynasty's navy, Liu Tingguang, stood beside Ruan Jin. He wasn't in a hurry.
They had reached home, and the journey had been more daunting than dangerous. Every time a ship was abandoned, no one had died.
When they set out, they had agreed that if the number of crew members on each ship wasn't enough, they could abandon half of the ships, or even three-quarters of them, and bring ten ships back.
In order to bring more things back home and overcome the difficulties together, the steam engine ship was often used as a sailboat, and a lot of coal had been thrown away.
The next time they set out to sea, they would either not bring the steam engine ship, or bring one. In case they encountered any trouble, this ship could be used to search for things nearby.
"The wind is coming. Just a little bit. Good, it's not against the wind. Against the wind, we still have to go."
Ruan Jin opened his arms and felt the wind blowing from behind.
The crew immediately adjusted the masts and filled the sails, and the ship started to move forward, gradually accelerating.
In order to increase their speed, they had thrown away all the food and fresh water, leaving only half a day's worth of fresh water, with each person holding a water bag.
If it wasn't enough, they could continue to collect fresh water.
The fleet headed west, chasing after the sun. When the sun was about to set, they saw … ships.
Nine large ships were parked on the sea, and the situation on the ships couldn't be seen clearly. Due to the distance, they could see that the sails of the nine ships were lowered.
When the distance between the two sides narrowed again, the people on the observation deck signaled at almost the same time.
Ruan Ruan Jin's fleet asked. The other party said that you're back?
Both parties exchanged flag signals once again, with Ruan Jin's team saying, "Ah, we're home." The other party said that we were fishing and were about to leave.
Therefore, the flag signals of both sides were the same, and they walked together.
Under the night sky in Haizhou, a group of people were waiting at the dock for the fishing boat to return.
When the train from Chang 'an arrived, it was loaded with coal and water, and then left with the goods.
He waited and waited. Why were there so many lights? There were clearly nine ships. Was he seeing a mirage?
The fleet finally reached the shore and lined up at the dock.
"It's our people from Ocean Shipping. Forty ships, not a single one is missing."
"Their ship is so deep in the water? How many things are in it? "
"I don't know if he's alright. God bless him, Li Dongzhu bless him!"
"Quick, send someone to the courier station to deliver the news to Chang 'an."
"No, wait. The train will arrive in two hours. The train is fast."
"Get people to prepare things, baths, food, and wine. Prepare a welcoming feast for our soldiers."
When the people on the shore realized that it was not a mirage and compared the number of boats, they quickly knew which team it was.
They shouted excitedly and nervously.
Not a single ship was missing, but they were afraid that someone would be missing.
As if guessing the worries of the people on the shore, the people on the nine fishing boats shouted one after another, "We're all back! Not a single one is dead! "
Soon, everyone coordinated and shouted non-stop.
The people on the shore shook their torches and cheered. Some people were so excited that they hugged the people next to them and jumped up and down. Then, they were pushed away by others. Why are you hugging my wife?
Ruan Jin's team waited for the fishing boats to unload their goods. They were not in a hurry. Originally, they wanted to stand here and rest, send someone to deliver the news, and then enter the Yellow River.
On the way, they learned that the train was open to traffic. The train was running fast, and more carriages were being pulled.
They decided to unload their goods in Haizhou. The boat would not go there as it would take too much time.
After the seafood on the nine boats was unloaded, the train arrived just as they were loaded into the empty carriages.
Under the lights, the people on the anchored returning boats all disembarked and the sails were lowered.
They adjusted to the ground and drank iced sour plum soup.
"How did the train cross the river?" Ruan Jin knew that there were many rivers along the way. Could it be that the bridge had been repaired? That would have to be built high, and the Grand Canal still required boats.
"At the place where the boats were built on both sides of the river, the train arrived. The locomotive was unloaded and turned around at the side.
Then, it turned to the other side of a series of carriages and pushed one of the carriages backwards onto a boat with iron rails.
When it was pushed, it was unloaded. Then, it changed to another boat and pushed the second one.
Finally, the locomotive retreated onto the boat itself. The boat took it to the other side of the river, and the locomotive drove down first.
When the boat behind came over, the locomotive retreated and hung onto the carriage. Then, it drove forward. When another boat came over, it retreated again. Just like that, it was all hung up. "
One of the stewards explained that there was no bridge, so they took the boat and reversed it.
Another person added, "In winter, a bridge will be built at the side of the river together with the bridge crossing the Yellow River. In the future, there will be no need for boats to carry them. It will be a waste of time. Otherwise, they can run even faster. "
"Is the train fast?" Liu Tingguang did not expect such a big change after going out once.
"It's fast. From Chang 'an to Haizhou, it can run a round trip in one day and one night. The people who helped out in the past two years have earned a lot of money. There will be a lot of repairs. "
"Good, it's good that it's fast! In the future, when you go out again, you can directly load and unload goods here. Then, you can continuously deliver things and do business with the Tang dynasty. "
"Did you guys encounter any danger at sea?"
"No, we're all fine. We don't lack food or water. We know where we are at all times. Also, we know where we can store fresh water on the nearby islands. "
"You guys eat a lot of seafood, right?"
"I feel like vomiting. I'll have to rest for a few months."
"Hurry up and take a bath. There's good food."
"Let's write a letter first."
When the train arrived, it began to unload the carriages and replenish coal and water. The sailors sat at the side and watched as they ate.
Ruan Jin and Liu Tingguang did not go back with the train. They wanted to stay with their brothers and leave together.
The letter was given to the Winged Knights on the train, and they were to bring it back.
Along with the letter, they also brought back proof of their fingerprints. Every sailor pressed one on the spot where their name was written, telling His Majesty that they were all alive.
After the carriages were hung up, the train whistled and rumbled away.
The sailors lay on their beds, tossing and turning, unable to sleep well. In their daze, they were at sea again, facing the strong winds and torrential rain, struggling with great difficulty.
Finally, the wind and waves calmed down, and the sun shone through the clouds.
Then … then, everyone opened their eyes one after another. Sure enough, the sun shone in from outside, shining on their faces and warming them up.
Almost at the same time, a train carrying goods from Haizhou arrived at Chang 'an amidst the expectant gazes of the people.
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