Chapter 8 Arriving in Penghu

  This is the beginning of Ding Yunyi's unknown journey.

  As soon as he stepped onto Penghu Island, he saw a few fishermen returning from fishing. When they saw a stranger arriving, they just gave him a numb glance and quickly left. Ding Yunyi wanted to ask for directions but couldn't find anyone.

  Xiao Yi Feng pointed ahead and said, "Look, there's someone fishing."

  Following the direction of his finger, a man wearing a conical hat was sitting on a rock by the beach, fishing.

  Ding Yunyi walked over: "Excuse me, which direction is Peng Hutiao going?"

  The man raised his head, and Ding Yunyi only then saw that the man was not very old, looking to be in his early twenties, with a sword-like eyebrow and bright eyes, having an upright air about him, but in his eyes there seemed to be something indescribable.

  The young man looked up and down Ding Yunyi, then pointed east, and then focused on the sea again.

  Ding Yunyi thanked him, but the man didn't respond, as if fishing was far more important than listening to a "thank you".

  Following the direction pointed by the young man, I walked for about an incense stick's time and saw the location of Penghu Island. It was a dilapidated military camp that seemed to be temporarily set up, with no one even standing guard at the entrance.

  As he walked in, the inside was empty and not even half of the soldiers were there. As he walked towards the inner courtyard, he easily spotted an elderly man sitting in the sun. Ding Yunyi approached him: "Old sir, I am the newly arrived Patrol Officer Ding Yunyi, may I ask if Commander Hong is available?"

  "Looking for Old Hong?" The old man raised his head lazily and glanced at Ding Yunyi, then turned around and called out: "Old Hong, the newly arrived Inspector Ding has come."

  "Alright, go in yourself."

  What kind of place is this? What kind of people are these? These were Ding Yunyi's first thoughts.

  Before entering, a man wearing fisherman's clothing and holding fishing gear rushed out, shouting: "Who is the new Ding Xun? Who is the new Ding Xun?"

  "This... who is this?" Ding Yunyi's heart skipped a beat, and he forced himself to say: "I am Ding Yunyi."

  That man let out an "oh" and put down the fishing gear in his hand, cupped his hands: "I knew long ago that Inspector Ding was going to die. This is my good fortune on Penghu Island. I'll be taking over as Commander Hong's successor!"

  Ding Yunyi almost spat it out. This... this fisherman-dressed person is Peng Hutou's battalion commander?

  "Lao Ji, damn it, stop sunbathing all the time! Quickly bring us a few stools!" Hong Diao Yuan cursed at the old man.

  Lao Ji reluctantly stood up and brought out two small stools.

  "Inspector Ding, please, please." Hong Tiao-yuan asked Inspector Ding to sit down. There were only two stools, so Xiao Yi-feng and Bao Zong-hua could only stand behind Inspector Ding.

  It seemed that Hong Tiao-yuan had noticed Ding Yun-yi's perplexity, and he lit a dry cigarette. "Hmph, I'll call you 'little brother', Ding Inspector," he said with a few puffs of smoke. "I heard two days ago that someone was going to send a new inspector here, and I couldn't help but wonder who would be so blind as to want to come to this place? But then I heard it was the son of my old friend Qing Tang, and suddenly it made sense - apart from him, there's no one else who'd be willing to send their own son to this godforsaken place. My old friend is a man of integrity, but he just doesn't understand how to bend with the wind."

  Ding Yunyi was speechless for a moment and handed over his father's letter to Hong Tiao Yuan.

  Hong Diao looked at him briefly: "I also know that Penghu is important, but if the Red Barbarians really attack, can we still stop them? Unless Zheng Zhilong and Zheng Can give orders, the Red Barbarians will listen to some of it, alas..."

  Xiao Yi Feng, who was standing, couldn't bear it anymore and asked: "Hong Ba Zong, what does this outfit of yours mean?"

  "Or else, are you waiting to starve to death?" Hong Tiao Yuan smiled: "After I reorganized the Penghu Battalion, there were originally several dozen people. But life here is really tough, those soldiers who had connections were transferred away, and those without connections all thought of ways to slip away. Now, including Old Ji and me, there are a total of twelve people, oh no, plus your younger brother, three, fifteen people in total."

  After smoking a pack of cigarettes, he filled another pot: "The brothers' wages here will always be owed, and no one upstairs takes us seriously. I'm just a small captain, where can I go to complain? Soldiers can run away, but if I, as a captain, run away, it's a crime punishable by beheading. No way out, we have to eat anyway. Catch some fish, exchange for firewood, oil, and salt, think of ways to fill our stomachs. When you arrived, the brothers had all gone fishing, if you came a little later, I'm afraid I would also be on the fishing boat."

  This soldier's life is already miserable enough, can't even get his stomach filled properly?

  Ding Yunyi asked somewhat unwillingly: "Hong Baizhang, you were a student of my father's, why haven't you gone to see him?"

  "How could he not have found out?" Hong Diao Yuan's words were tinged with bitterness: "My mentor is a man of integrity, and he would never do anything that involves personal gain. After receiving my letter, he handled it in an official manner and sent a document ordering the prompt delivery of our back pay, as well as food and living supplies every ten days. But how could he have known that even though the documents were issued, they wouldn't be carried out unless bribes were paid? He didn't know, and I didn't dare tell him - after all, I didn't have any money to offer as a bribe. So in the end, it was all just an empty effort."

  Hong Diao Yuan's words were heart-wrenching, and Ding Yun Yi and the others listened with aching hearts. To have become an official to this extent is also considered one of the most extraordinary things from ancient times to the present.

  Hong Diao Yuan finished smoking, put away the cigarette holder: "Younger brother, I'm going to say something unpleasant. You've come here, but I'm afraid you won't be able to stay for even three days. I know our teacher is strict, but Fujian Governor Zhou is a close friend of our teacher's. Try to write a letter to Governor Zhou and get yourself transferred back. Don't worry, I, Hong Diao Yuan, am not someone who doesn't understand reason. I definitely won't drag you down!"

  "Come on, come on, it's better if everyone leaves empty-handed. What's the big deal about Penghu? When the Dutch come, we give it to the Dutch; when the pirates come, we give it to the pirates. After all, this Penghu belongs to the imperial court, not to me, Lao Ji, nor to you, Lao Hong."

  "Fart!" Hong Diao Yuan cursed: "You are getting more and more muddled with age. Our Great Ming's Penghu, not even an inch will be given to the Red Barbarians. If they come, I, Old Hong, can fight if I can, if not, I'll just die to report to the imperial court!"

  Ding Yunyi suddenly stood up.

  Hong Diao Yuan smiled and said, "Younger brother, why are you leaving so soon? I'll get two fish, one to entertain you and the other to bid you farewell."

  "See you off? What kind of see-off is this?" Ding Yunyi smiled and picked up the fishing gear that Hong Tiao Yuan had put on the ground, and walked out with a swing of his leg, saying as he went:

  "Hong, teach me how to fish, I'll be living in Penghu for a long time, this skill is definitely something I need to learn!"