eurekapd Chapter 612: Floating Board
Chapter 612: Floating Board
"Why is this boat drifting faster and faster?" The skinny monkey felt something was wrong while still holding the oar in his hand, "Where is it going?"
Yuan Qi began to scoop water out with his hands in a hurry, and at the same time looked around for directions: "With such a fast current, the estuary ahead should be the East China Sea."
"East China Sea?" Zhou Chang exclaimed.
If the ship drifted to the East China Sea, or sank before reaching the East China Sea, even the carcasses would be fed to the fish.
Yuan Qi scooped up water twice and suddenly gave up.
He turned around and sat down, then pulled out a dagger from his cotton boots and handed it to the skinny monkey: "You are strong, see if you can remove the decorative panels in the boat. If the boat sinks later, it will float with it."
Her voice was still as clear as ever, but her teeth were chattering because of the cold.
"Are you going to jump off the boat again?" Zhou Chang's heart, which had been hanging in the air all night, completely died.
It seems that the fate that is coming cannot be avoided.
The skinny monkey didn't have so many thoughts. He took the dagger quickly and started to dismantle the boat.
"Cut, cut, cut..."
Yuan Qi's dagger could cut iron like mud and chop wood like tofu.
With the help of moonlight, Zhou Chang noticed that although this boat was much smaller than a sampan, it had carvings on the outside, decorations on the inside, and even simple folding tables and chairs. It was truly small and exquisite.
I couldn't help but praise you: "You are really a prophet. You can even prepare such a beautifully decorated boat in advance."
Yuan Qi smiled bitterly with his frozen face: "How can I predict the future? This is originally a pleasure boat and a painted boat built by the Yuan family, specially for tourists to ride, so it must be beautifully decorated inside and out. And the painted boat originally also had several small boats ready for emergency use."
"Yes, it's for emergencies. I didn't expect to use it tonight." Zhou Chang said with emotion.
Yuan Qi suddenly fell silent, folded his arms, and shivered from the cold.
Zhou Chang wanted to take off a piece of clothing to give to Yuan Qi, but he had thrown off his coat when he fell into the water, and now the clothes on his body were all soaked and useless. Although he was also cold and his teeth were chattering, he still had to find something to ask: "By the way, why did you come to Beiji again? Is it just to build a ship?"
Yuan Qi huffed, not knowing if he was joking or not: "That's all thanks to the prince's 'three evil taxes'. Previously, shipping was hindered by the three taxes. Now that the three taxes have been cancelled, all businesses are rushing to ship goods at this time. It just so happens that the first batch of ships at the Beiji shipyard are about to be launched for trial, so I'll take Wu Hong with me for another trip."
"So did I do something good or something wrong? I saw the pleasure boat was on fire just now." Zhou Chang didn't feel sorry when he mentioned the pleasure boat. Instead, he thought of the fire and hoped that there would be a fire for her to keep warm.
Yuan Qi did not answer, but looked back at the river. Qiu Hong's sparkling eyes were finally covered with a layer of loss: "Tonight's pleasure boat... it was the first one of the Yuan family. Dad personally participated in the design when he was alive. It's a pity... but at least everyone on the boat is fine, which is a blessing in disguise."
It was actually designed by Yuan Yu during his lifetime.
Zhou Chang felt guilty: "Thanks to your boat, otherwise I would have died in the Jinmin River tonight. If possible in the future, I will compensate you and restore an identical boat."
"What do you want to compensate?" Yuan Qi smiled calmly, but he didn't look at Zhou Chang but looked up at the moon. "Tonight is the Lantern Festival. I heard that the prince had arrived in Beiji, so I thought about whether I could meet him at the pier, so I went out to swim in the river."
"Are you here to meet me tonight?" Zhou Chang was stunned, but his heart started beating wildly.
Yuan Qi said generously, and smiled calmly: "It's just a reunion between old friends, but the prince seems to have forgotten that today is his birthday."
"Ah... yes..." Zhou Chang was stunned. Prince Yi's consciousness emerged, but he could not understand Yuan Qi's true intention.
Zhou Chang, on the other hand, reacted and did not allow Prince Yi to remain in a daze. He made another joke: "Yes, they actually chose my birthday to assassinate me. It's really... I would have forgotten it if I hadn't reminded me, haha..."
It’s not that I really forgot, but I just wasn’t in the mood to celebrate my birthday from the beginning.
Ever since Yuan Qi celebrated Prince Yi’s birthday two years ago, every birthday since then has become an unbearable pain.
What's more, in the past, even if Prince Yi didn't celebrate his birthday, Aunt Jing would always make him a bowl of glutinous rice balls, and Mother Wang would also have longevity noodles.
However, at this moment and in this place, when I think of those most ordinary things, let alone the most delicious food in the world, I don’t know if I will have the chance to eat them again.
When I think of this, I feel sad.
"boom--"
The two were about to stop chatting, but the skinny monkey successfully removed a piece of the table top: "Okay, take a piece off. This wood is like a pole head, hard and not flaky."
"It's just that the dagger is sharp. This one is made of birch wood." Yuan Qi took the wooden board and rubbed it twice before handing it to Zhou Chang. "Your Highness, if you fall into the water, this is your only straw. You must not let go."
Zhou Chang took it nervously, nodded silently, and wanted to say something but couldn't open his mouth.
The skinny monkey removed the first piece, and then the second piece was even easier, and then the third piece. He finally removed the boards of a table and two stools.
Finally, each of them was given a piece of birch board that was shoulder-width wide.
In just a short while, half of the boat was filled with river water, and there was soon no place for the three of them to sit.
After the skinny monkey removed the wooden board, he returned the dagger to Yuan Qi.
Instead, Yuan Qi took out the dagger's golden sheath from his cotton boots and handed it to the skinny monkey: "This dagger can cut iron like mud. Here it is for you."
Skinny Monkey was only interested in food, and had no interest in other things: "I don't want it. This dagger looks like a fried dough stick at best, but it can't be eaten."
Yuan Qi also knew the thin monkey's temperament, and smiled gently: "You can use this dagger to buy delicious food, you can't eat it all in several lifetimes, keep it, thanks to you tonight."
The skinny monkey thought so too, so he took it and put it in his arms: "Thank you, Wang...ah...Miss Yuan."
Zhou Chang was already used to Shouhou's slips of the tongue, and he hugged his wooden board tightly, looking nervous.
Yuan Qi's smile froze, but he immediately responded, pretending he hadn't heard anything: "No need to thank me, I'll probably have to float for a long time after I get into the water, and I may have to count on you then."
"Don't worry, miss." The skinny monkey patted his chest and assured.
Zhou Chang became uneasy after hearing this, and tightened the wooden board again. Suddenly he felt something warm on his chest, and realized it was the jade pendant with intertwined branches, so he couldn't help but look at Yuan Qi.
Yuan Qi deliberately avoided his gaze and picked up his piece of wood to examine it carefully.
Zhou Chang withdrew his thoughts, but he was still worried: "What should we do next? We will be drifting soon. You who can swim don't seem to be worried, but how can you guarantee that we won't get separated in the river?"
The river water is so dark and fast tonight. Even though I am not afraid of death, I still hope to have someone by my side before I die.