Chapter 32: Taking a Boat into the City, This Trip is to Break Through Thorns

The sixteenth day of the first lunar month.

Linhu Village pier, many villagers saw him off.

Lin Chen carried his bundle, said goodbye to his parents, and boarded the fishing boat.

"Light the firecrackers!"

The village chief shouted, and Gu Fei was the first to light the firecrackers.

The crackling sound of firecrackers startled many birds. In the smoke of the firecrackers, Lin Chen waved goodbye to his parents and the villagers who saw him off until the fishing boat completely disappeared, only then did he put down his hand.

He, now, could be considered the hope of the whole village.

He carried not only his family but also the anticipation of all the villagers.

This trip to the Wu Tang to learn martial arts must be successful.

"Elder brother, let me do it."

"Don't, Little Brother Chen, just sit there. I'll row the boat."

Elder brother Lin Liang, who was rowing, smiled and refused. Although it was upstream from Linhu Village to the county town pier, there was no catch on the fishing boat, just carrying a person, so rowing wasn't tiring.

The Poyang Lake on the sixteenth day of the first lunar month was very lively. Many fishing boats had begun to go out on the lake to catch fish.

On the waterway, there were fishing boats catching fish, and also pleasure boats rushing for early spring, but more were colorful boats.

Today was the day for students of the county town's Wu Tang to sign up. Youths from various villages who produced Qi within three years, especially those by the lake, would choose to take colorful boats into the city.

Wherever the colorful boats passed, the fishermen on those fishing boats had envy in their eyes. If there were their own children on the boat, they would point at the colorful boats to encourage their own children.

The concept that only by learning martial arts can one get ahead had already been deeply rooted in the hearts of every common person in Poyang County.

These years, Poyang County had favorable weather. Unless the family was extremely difficult, they would save money to leave a registration fee for the Wu Tang for their children.

Lin Chen, as the pride of the whole village who produced Qi within a year, was originally wanted to rent a colorful boat by the village chief, but Lin Chen declined.

One can be superstitious, but there is no need to spend money.

Passing by those temples and Taoist temples in his previous life, if he could avoid entrance fees and incense money, he would worship very devoutly, but if he had to spend money to buy incense, then sorry, he was a firm successor of materialism!

He was the only one in the village going to the Wu Tang this year. Renting a colorful boat was too wasteful. The rental fee for one colorful boat was one tael.

Isn't the one tael of silver for renting a colorful boat better spent on buying meat?

On the river, the youths on each colorful boat were high-spirited. Even though it was still early spring, one by one they stood on the deck, not afraid of the wind and cold.

Compared to the colorful boats, Lin Chen's fishing boat looked a bit shabby, just with a red cloth tied to the bow, representing good luck and also indicating Lin Chen's identity as a student entering the Wu Tang.

According to Lin Chen's meaning, he didn't want this red cloth, but he couldn't stand the village chief's strong request, plus his parents also approved, so he let his elder brother tie the red cloth to the bow.

In this way, among many colorful boats, his fishing boat tied with red cloth was extremely conspicuous.

"Which village is this from? Actually only tied a red cloth. Can't the village even afford to rent a colorful boat?"

"I guess it's the kind that produced Qi in three years. The village doesn't value it either."

The youths on the colorful boat were also discussing. In their view, Lin Chen only took a fishing boat tied with red cloth, so he should be the kind that produced Qi within the deadline. Whether this kind of person could open apertures was a question, and the village wouldn't value it much.

Like them, most produced Qi within two years. Those who couldn't produce Qi within two years gave up, and very few would persist until the third year.

As for producing Qi within a year, that was not their goal. That was the goal of the wealthy children in town. These wealthy children in town would choose to ride horses into the city and rarely take colorful boats.

Taking a colorful boat into the city was the pride unique to village youths.

"This brother, want to come to our boat together?" A youth on a colorful boat shouted with a smile.

"No need." Lin Chen refused with a smile.

Although the colorful boat was big, its speed was not fast.

Although the fishing boat was small, its speed was not slow.

An hour and a half later, Lin Chen saw the pier of Poyang County town.

At this moment, on the pier, boats were densely packed, from merchant ships carrying heavy cargo to fishing boats that were light and flexible, and some medium-sized pleasure boats shuttling among them, weaving a scattered and orderly picture of water prosperity.

On the left waterway near the pier, colorful boats gathered toward this side. This was a channel specifically left for students entering the Wu Tang.

Whether it was a merchant ship or a pleasure boat, even if they had been queuing for a long time, they didn't dare to cut into this side.

"Elder brother, follow this colorful boat and dock."

Looking at the few colorful boats traveling together gathering toward the left, Lin Chen also reminded his elder brother. The flexibility of the fishing boat came into play at this time, and it could weave through the queue, but Lin Chen didn't let his elder brother do so. There was no need to rush for a moment.

Just as elder brother Lin Liang rowed the fishing boat to queue up behind, the few colorful boats in front collided with each other in order to grab the lead, and the youths on the colorful boats glared at each other.

Soon, this movement attracted the attention of the government patrol boats, and two patrol boats approached this side.

"What are you doing? All of you, queue up properly, don't cause trouble!"

A soldier on the patrol boat scolded. A youth gathered his courage to explain: "It's them who want to cut our queue. Obviously we were first."

"Fart, it was our boat that arrived first." The youth on the other colorful boat also immediately retorted.

"All of you, shut up."

The soldier scolded again, his sharp gaze sweeping down, making the youths dare not argue anymore, only staring at each other unconvinced.

"All of you, step back and queue at the back, and you, this fishing boat……"

The soldier maintaining order began to sort the colorful boats. His gaze swept to the fishing boat behind the few colorful boats, stunned for a moment, and then immediately said: "Your boat, go first."

"Thank you, my lord."

Elder brother Lin Liang, who was queuing, heard this and didn't react at first. After confirming that the soldier was referring to their boat, he immediately rowed the boat forward happily. This scene made the youths on the few colorful boats dissatisfied.

"Why let this fishing boat go first? This fishing boat arrived last."

"Why? Just because I am responsible for maintaining the waterway order. If there are troublemakers, I will report your names to the Poyang Wuzhengsuo."

Lin Xiuyong snorted lightly. As soon as he said this, the youths on the colorful boats immediately fell silent.

The youths were not afraid of the government, but they were afraid of the Poyang Wuzhengsuo.

Daliang Law: Any student of the Wu Tang or Qingfeng Qingfeng Wuguan, if they commit a crime, after the government arrests them, they must report to the Poyang Wuzhengsuo, and only after the Poyang Wuzhengsuo strips them of their student status can they be sentenced to prison.

"Your colorful boats are too big. Letting the fishing boat go first won't delay time." Lin Xiuyong saw that the scene had calmed down, so he explained loudly.

After the scene calmed down, elder brother Lin Liang rowed the boat to weave through the few colorful boats and headed toward the shore. The fishing boat passed by the side of the patrol boat, and Lin Chen also nodded to Lin Xiuyong to thank him.

Lin Xiuyong also returned a smile, and the smile was even brighter.

This attitude made Lin Chen stunned for a moment. He vaguely felt that this soldier seemed to be flattering him.

Illusion?

This soldier should just feel that the fishing boat is small and can pass first, which won't delay time. It was his own overthinking.

Seeing the fishing boat pass, a colorful boat was about to move forward, Lin Xiuyong immediately scolded: "What are you doing? Wait a moment."

The colorful boat was blocked, and Lin Xiuyong looked back and saw that the fishing boat had docked, only then did he let it pass.

"Lin Ge, what's going on? What background does that youth on the fishing boat have?"

On the patrol boat, another soldier asked softly. He had just joined the city gate guard team not long ago and was borrowed from Lin Ge to help maintain order at the pier this time.

The excuse that the fishing boat is small and won't delay time, he didn't believe it at all.

"Earlier this year, this one was personally led by the Wu Tang instructor into the city to the Wu Tang. Now I'm afraid he is in the Aperture-Opening Stage. Brother Ge said it himself. Can these youths compare?"

Lin Xiuyong lowered his voice, which shocked his companion.

"Already opened apertures? And came by such a fishing boat?"

"Maybe he doesn't want to be high-profile. In short, this kind of person is not someone we can afford to offend. Being able to make it convenient and form a good relationship is naturally better."

Lin Xiuyong knew what his companion meant by "can't tell."

It wasn't that he couldn't tell from his appearance, just that he felt it was too shabby.

"Biding one's time, not revealing one's edge, this is what's truly powerful." Lin Xiuyong made up an excuse for Lin Chen taking the fishing boat.

"Let me tell you another trick. As city gate guards, you must have bright eyes when looking at people. Look at this one, although his clothes are plain, just now facing the two of us, he was neither humble nor arrogant. This kind of person has confidence, so don't provoke him easily."

"Thank you, Lin Ge, for the advice."

"I also see that we are quite compatible, so I'll give you a hint."

PS: Entered the top fifty of the new book list. There will be another chapter tonight. Asking for monthly tickets and follow-up reading. In the next few days, follow-up reading is extremely important. Please everyone!

New book period, follow-up reading is extremely important. Everyone, please follow up every day. If you have a book shortage, you can read old books. The link is below.

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(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 33 =====