Chapter 407: Hospitality and Loot

The terrain of Qiaoyan Island was not as steep as Xia Nan had first seen.

Towering, rugged black-brown rock walls were located in the north of the island, and then transitioned gradually to the south, finally opening up suddenly near the seaside, forming a large natural rock shelf terrace.

Qiaoyan Village was located in this place.

Thin soil mixed with seabird droppings and rotten plants constituted the surrounding farming area, where salt-tolerant and wind-resistant crops were planted; the houses were mostly built with black-brown rocks from the island, the stone walls were thick, the gaps were filled with clay, and the roofs were covered with sun-dried grass bundles and discarded charred ship planks.

To the south of the terrace, occupying the flattest piece of land, stood dense wooden racks, hung with cod and herring, and the fishy smell in the air was strong and pungent; further ahead was an old, small pier, where several crude fishing boats were rising and falling with the waves.

When the *Black Gull* bypassed the north of Qiaoyan Island and gradually approached to dock, a large group of people was already waiting on the pier.

Leading them was a short, sturdy, and weathered man.

Fifty years old, or just in his early thirties?

On the sea, weathered by wind and sun, his dark, rough skin was filled with traces left by the sea breeze, and the depressions at the eye sockets and nasolabial folds were particularly obvious. Just from the appearance, one couldn't judge his specific age at all.

He was no more than five feet four inches tall, but his build was very broad and thick, the muscles under his skin were tight and sturdy, and his finger joints were wider than ordinary people due to working at sea for many years, so much so that his palms seemed to be half an inch longer than ordinary people in the interior.

"Hello, I am 'Steven,' the village chief of Qiaoyan Village."

Facing Xia Nan and his party who walked off the *Black Gull*, the man took the initiative to step forward and greet them with a smile.

"I am Gregori, captain of the *Black Gull*. The cargo is all on the ship." Gregori shook hands with the other party, his expression steady. "Find someone to count it, hurry up."

"If there are no problems, we can start moving and unloading."

"Of course, of course." Seeming to notice the slight urgency in Gregori's tone, Village Chief Steven nodded repeatedly, but didn't ask for the reason.

Turning his head and nodding to the two young men behind him who had been silent all along, the two of them took the list and boarded the *Black Gull* under the leadership of the boatswain.

"It takes at least four or five days to sail from Shoal Islands to our Qiaoyan Island. This time, it really troubled you."

Village Chief Steven's smile was natural, but his eyes subconsciously turned, glancing at the pirate ship acting as Xia Nan's loot next to the *Black Gull*.

"It will probably take some time for those two to count the cargo, perhaps... if you don't mind, you can rest in the village for a while. When night falls, we have prepared the most sumptuous banquet for you lords."

Hearing this, Gregori showed a slight hesitation on his face.

He couldn't help but turn his body halfway and look at Xia Nan and others who had also disembarked and arrived at the pier.

Seeing that there was no obvious opposition, he nodded and signaled the village chief to lead the way.

Although through the mission commission discovered on the "Flying Fish Oil Barrel" pirate ship earlier, they already knew that Qiaoyan Island was currently suffering from some kind of unknown monster harassment.

And they had discussed with Xia Nan and others that they wouldn't stay on the island for a long time.

But wanting to keep every crew member on the *Black Gull* during this whole process was unrealistic.

On one hand, as a member of the ship, moving cargo, replenishing supplies, and temporary inspections all required getting off the ship to communicate and interact with the residents on the island. The whole process might take one or two days, so it was impossible to be completely isolated;

On the other hand, although they were all experienced veteran crew members, theoretically, they could endure not seeing anyone for dozens of days on a voyage, provided they were always on the ocean and had no conditions to land.

Now that they had finally reached their destination, if they didn't let the crew relax appropriately, it might lead to excessive pressure and have a negative impact on the atmosphere of the whole ship.

He had already urged every crew member to be as careful as possible on the island and not to go out alone.

Now that the village chief had extended a warm invitation, and since they were just staying in the village anyway, there was no need to refuse.

Leaving some crew members to help count the cargo and guard the ship, the party followed Village Chief Steven into this small village on the remote island.

The distribution of buildings in Qiaoyan Village was very simple.

The very center was a small square paved with smooth pebbles, and the center of the square was the core of the entire Qiaoyan Village—a cold spring that had never dried up.

A wooden shed was built above the wellhead, and dozens of leather water bags were hung at the edge. Several farm women in simple clothes were drawing water while carefully observing Xia Nan and others, and their whispers could be vaguely heard.

There were no functional buildings like shops, blacksmith shops, or grocery stores; all the houses in the village were residential houses for villagers.

The so-called church was just a simple shed built with rough rocks and wood, and the interior space could only accommodate thirty or forty people; the altar was built with several pieces of dark rocks polished smooth, and some complex and primitive, incomprehensible ancient and strange patterns were carved on it.

Wedding ceremonies, funerals, and daily prayers before going to sea in the village were all held here.

To be honest, Qiaoyan Village was just the most common and ordinary remote village among the countless islands in the south.

It had no valuable specialties, nor did it have any natural landscapes worth reminiscing about.

Even the local customs and practices were not worth mentioning.

Of course, perhaps precisely because of this, even though this small island was only a five-day voyage from the prosperous Shoal Islands, it was still as destitute and poor as it was now.

It was early morning now, and there was still a whole day before the banquet in Village Chief Steven's mouth.

Perhaps holding the idea of taking the opportunity to promote Qiaoyan Village to the *Black Gull* party, the village chief introduced various things in the village enthusiastically while leading everyone toward the town center.

Including but not limited to fishermen with many years of seafaring experience, whales that occasionally appeared near the island in winter, the central square that was about to be renovated...

Xia Nan followed behind the other party.

Listening carefully to the situation introduced by Steven, absorbing information that might be helpful to him.

Suddenly, as if sensing something, he subconsciously turned his head.

Only to see a thin girl, about fifteen or sixteen years old, with rough hair like weeds, standing at the door of a bungalow to the side, looking at the outsiders walking toward the center of the village with her eyes full of curiosity.

In her thin hands, she was pinching a small object like a mini fishing net, as if she was weaving something.

Seeing Xia Nan look over, the girl hurriedly lowered her head shyly, her hand movements suddenly accelerated, and she didn't dare to look again.

Sensing Xia Nan's movements, Steven, who was leading everyone and walking at the very front of the team, took the opportunity to introduce:

"Isn't the Sea Rhyme Festival coming in more than three months? Every household in the village has started preparing one after another."

"After all, it's a large festival that only happens once every three years, and few people are willing to miss it."

"I remember that last time, two families in our Qiaoyan Village took advantage of the ten days before the festival to go to Shoal Islands with a passing merchant fleet in advance to participate in the Sea Rhyme Festival celebration there."

"They said that during those few days of the festival, the air in the whole street was filled with the fragrance of food and wine, and even the wanderers on the side of the road could sleep with full stomachs. I don't know if it's true." ===== CHAPTER 408 =====