Chapter 8, Arrival in Penghu

The situation of these soldiers is indeed quite tragic; do they even have to find ways to fill their own stomachs?

Following the direction indicated by the young people, I walked for about the time it takes to burn a stick of incense and arrived at the location marked by Penghu. It was a dilapidated military camp that seemed to have been hastily constructed, with no sentry standing at the entrance.

The young man scrutinized Ding Yunyi from head to toe, then pointed towards the east, and subsequently focused intently on the sea.

Standing, Xiao Yifeng could no longer contain himself and asked, "Chief Hong, what does your attire signify?"

Old Ji reluctantly stood up and brought out two small stools

Hong Diaoyuan's words were tragic, and Ding Yunyi and others felt a pang of sorrow. To have fallen to such a state while in office is indeed a rare occurrence throughout history.

"Farewell? What kind of farewell is this?" Ding Yunyi laughed as he picked up the fishing gear that Hong Diaoyuan had placed on the ground, lifted his leg, and walked outside, speaking as he went.

Ding Yunyi was momentarily speechless and handed his father's letter to Hong Diaoyuan

After finishing a bag of cigarettes, I prepared a pot: "Here, the brothers' wages are always delayed, and no one up top takes us seriously. As a mere quartermaster, where can I go to complain? Soldiers can run away, but if I, as the quartermaster, were to flee, that would be a crime punishable by death. There's no choice; we have to eat, right? Catch a few fish, trade for some firewood, oil, and salt, and find a way to fill our stomachs. When you arrived, the brothers had all gone fishing. If you had come a little later, I might have been on the fishing boat too."

Ding Yunyi walked over and asked, "Excuse me, which direction is Peng Hubiao heading?"

Where is this place? Who are these people? This was Ding Yunyi's first reaction.

Hong Diaoyuan glanced briefly and said: "I also understand that Penghu is important, but if the Dutch really come to attack, can we still expect to hold them off? Unless General Zheng Zhilong gives the order, the Dutch will hardly listen. Alas..."

Upon entering, it was empty inside, and not a single soldier could be seen. As I walked further in, I finally spotted an elderly man sitting there basking in the sun. Ding Yunyi approached him and said: "Elder, I am Ding Yunyi, the new inspector. May I trouble you to ask if Commander Hong Diaoyuan is present?"

Ding Xunqian, please, please. Hong Diaoyuan invited Ding Yunyi to sit down; there were only two stools, and Tu Shuxiao Yifeng and Bao Juhua could only stand behind Ding Yunyi.

"Hong, please teach me how to fish. In the future, I will be residing in Penghu, and this skill is absolutely essential for me to learn"

After calling out, he pointed inside and said, "You can go in by yourself."

Hong Diaoyuan finished his cigarette and put away the cigarette holder: "Brother, I must say something unpleasant. If you come here, I fear you won't even last three days. I know my mentor is strict, but the Fujian Governor Zou is a close friend of my mentor. You should find a way to write a letter to Governor Zou to request your transfer back. Rest assured, I, Hong, am not someone who lacks understanding; I will certainly not hold you back, my brother!"

"Where is Old Hong?" The old man lazily lifted his head and glanced at Ding Yunyi, then turned his head and called out, "Old Hong, the newly arrived Inspector Ding is here."

"If we don't dress like this, are we just waiting to starve?" Hong Diaoyuan smiled and said, "After I was appointed as the chief of Penghu, there were indeed dozens of people at the beginning. However, life here is truly difficult. Those soldiers with connections have all been transferred, and those without connections have found ways to slip away. Now, including myself and Old Ji, there are a total of twelve people. Oh no, adding you, my brother, and the three from the *Tu* *Shu*, that makes fifteen people."

"Fart!" Hong Diaoyuan exclaimed, "You, old Ji, are becoming more and more confused as you grow older. Our Ming Dynasty's Penghu will not yield even an inch to the red-haired barbarians. If the red-haired ones come, I, old Hong, will fight if I can, and if I cannot fight, I will die in loyalty to the court!"

Hong Diaoyuan smiled and said, "Little brother, why are you leaving so soon? I will prepare two fish; on one hand, it will serve as a welcome for you, and on the other hand, it will also be a farewell for your journey."

Before we even entered, we saw a person dressed in fisherman's attire, hurriedly coming out while shouting: "Who is the new Inspector Ding? Who is the new Inspector Ding?"

Ding Yunyi almost spat it out. ... This ... ? ... Is this person dressed in fisherman attire the captain of Peng Hubiao?

Ding Yunyi expressed his gratitude, but the person did not respond, as if fishing was far more important than hearing the words "thank you"

As if sensing Ding Yunyi's confusion, Hong Diaoyuan lit a dry tobacco pipe and took a few puffs, saying, "Ding Xunqian, I am relying on my seniority to call you 'little brother.' The day before yesterday, I heard that a patrol inspector was to be assigned to my area, and I was wondering who would be so shortsighted as to come to this place with books. Upon hearing that it was the son of my esteemed teacher, Mr. Qingtang, I suddenly understood. Apart from my teacher, no one else would be willing to send their son to this godforsaken place. My teacher is a person of integrity, who does not indulge in favoritism, but he simply does not understand the concept of flexibility."

"Why has no one come to find me?" Hong Diaoyuan's words carried a hint of bitterness: "My esteemed teacher is a person of integrity, and he would never engage in any corrupt practices. After receiving my letter, he handled the matter officially and issued a formal document, urging that the wages owed to us, as well as the food and daily necessities provided every ten days, be delivered to us as soon as possible. However, little did he realize that while the upper authorities had issued the document, the lower levels would only act if bribes were involved. He was unaware of this, and I did not dare to mention it to him, as I had no money to offer as a token of respect. As a result, it was as if nothing had changed at all."

This marks the beginning of Ding Yunyi's unknown journey

Ding Yunyi suddenly stood up

Who is this? A sudden jolt ran through Ding Yunyi's mind as he steeled himself and said, "I am Ding Yunyi."

Upon stepping onto Penghu Island, I saw several fishermen returning from their catch. Upon noticing the presence of a stranger, they merely glanced at me with indifference before quickly departing. Ding Yunyi found it difficult to ask for directions as there was no one around.

With no other options, Xiao Yifeng pointed ahead: "On patrol, there is someone fishing."

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

"Old Ji, stop basking in the sun all the time, hurry up and bring us a few stools!" Hong Diaoyuan shouted at the old man.

The person let out an "oh," set down the fishing gear in hand, and cupped his hands together, saying: "I have long known that Inspector Ding would come for this; it is my fortune from Penghu. I am Penghu's Chief Officer, Hong Diaoyuan!"

The person raised his head, and only then did Ding Yunyi see that this individual was quite young, appearing to be in his early twenties. He had sharp eyebrows and bright eyes, exuding a sense of righteousness, yet there seemed to be something indescribable in his gaze

Ding Yunyi, somewhat unwilling to give up, asked: "Director Hong, you are my father's student. Why have you never sought him out?"

Old Ji over there said in a sarcastic tone: "Let's go, let's go, it's better if we leave empty-handed. What are the birds in Penghu worth? If the Red Yi come, we give to the Red Yi; if pirates come, we give to the pirates. After all, Penghu belongs to the court, not to me, Old Ji, nor to you, Old Hong"