Chapter 7, the situation is unfavorable

Thinking back to that day when I went out to sea with my uncle, we must not have consulted the almanac, which led us to offend some misfortune deity, resulting in such an outcome for him. This is a classic case of winning the grand prize of continuous bad luck, with misfortune reaching its peak

It is likely due to the instability in this area that the atmosphere on the ship has become somewhat tenser than before. The lookout has already climbed up the mast and is now scanning the horizon from the top, monitoring the situation on the sea. Meanwhile, the other crew members, when not occupied, occasionally cast their eyes over the surrounding waters.

In his heart, Yu Xiaotian cursed: "What one fears most is what comes! My life is truly unfortunate! I seem to encounter every kind of trouble!"

However, Dongshan Island has fresh water, and the authorities have been lax in their control over this area. In recent years, merchant ships passing through have come to this region to replenish fresh water or purchase food and other supplies. They can also seek shelter from the wind or repair their vessels at the southern end of Dongshan Island

"Is it possible to see where it comes from?" Captain Liu ran to one side of the stern building, looking ahead while loudly asking.

You keep a close watch up there, pay attention! Everyone else, stay alert! Liu Chuan Dong shouted loudly

However, regarding the considerations of the shipowner, Yu Xiaotian is somewhat reluctant to agree. It is one thing for the hull to be somewhat worn, but the bottom of the ship should be cleaned regularly! Additionally, the cabin should at least be kept clean to ensure the health of the crew. It is evident that although the shipowner has these considerations, the people on board are quite lazy!

"Master! Two boats are approaching from the front!" It was the one who had been clinging to the mast, shouting from above.

As for Ma Biao, after suffering a setback at the hands of Xiao Tian, he became much more honest. At this moment, he began to lead his three subordinates to get busy, and they showcased and moved out quite a number of items from the cabin.

Then, several items taken out by Ma Biao and others surprised Yu Xiaotian a bit; he did not expect that the shipowner had actually prepared firearms on this vessel

Yu Xiaotian comforted himself, thinking that he had already been unfortunate enough and that things should not get worse. He estimated that they were likely near Dongshan Island, and it was probably just a chance encounter with passing boats like those at https://www.hetushu.com.com!

Yu Xiaotian could not resist his curiosity and stretched his neck to run to the bow of the ship to look ahead. However, apart from the vast waves, he did not see any sails on the sea. This is why it was necessary to send someone up the mast; the curvature of the Earth's surface means that the higher one stands, the farther one can see. No wonder the person on the mast could see what those of them standing on the deck could not.

Thus, in his heart, Xiao Tian immediately began to curse the heavens: "Damn it, do you want to kill me? First, you threw me into the sea, then you cast me into this unfortunate era, and I almost drowned and became fish food. After all that, I was finally rescued onto this wretched ship, and now you send two pirate ships after me. Is this not a deliberate attempt to end my life?"

Yu Xiaotian is not unfamiliar with weapons; it is impossible for a young man like him not to be interested in such things. Therefore, he immediately recognized that among these items, there were two well-known Ming Dynasty three-eyed guns, and surprisingly, there were also two matchlock guns.

During the Ming Dynasty, the technology of firearms had already become widespread around the world. Additionally, the Ming Dynasty placed considerable emphasis on the manufacturing of firearms, producing a significant number of matchlocks, three-barreled guns, and artillery for the Ming army. Later, through the Korean War, they captured Japanese iron cannons and developed the famous bird gun, as well as imitated Western countries' falconets and red-eared cannons.

As soon as their ship turned around, the lookout on the mast shouted again, this time with a slightly trembling voice: "Master! Those two ships have also adjusted their sails and are heading towards us! They are not flying the official military flag; their intentions are not good!"

Liu Chuan Dong's expression changed suddenly, and he shouted sternly: "Do you see clearly? What is their origin?"

The development of firearms during the Ming Dynasty was relatively good. However, Yu Xiaotian did not consider that such weapons could also be found on civilian merchant ships. He originally intended to pick one up and take a look, but considering his relationship with Ma Biao and the distrust of the crew towards him, he feared it would lead to misunderstandings among the people on board, so he abandoned this thought.

Everyone on the ship rushed back to their designated positions once again. Even Yu Xiaotian ran to the wooden winch beside the mast to assist the others, straining to turn the wooden handle of the winch, raising all the sails on the ship.

In recent days, Yu Xiaotian has experienced tremendous changes such as life and death and traversing realms. It is only natural for him to yearn to once again stand on solid ground. Even though he cannot leave this ship at present, being able to dock and move about a little on the shore is something he looks forward to.

Yu Xiaotian shook his head, indicating that he was not seasick, and pointed at the boat. Liu Laoliu immediately understood Yu Xiaotian's meaning and then laughed, saying: "Don't worry, mute! This boat is actually not very old; the owner has invested well, and the wood used is of good quality, able to withstand strong winds and rough seas! Even if it is used for a few more years, this boat will be fine. It is a good boat, just lacking maintenance, which makes it look a bit worn. However, this is also advantageous; some pirates prefer to target new boats, and if it looks a bit shabby, some pirates might not take an interest in it!"

"Host! It's too far, I can't see clearly!" The person on the mast, straining to look, replied loudly.

No need to think any further, they are definitely not here for good intentions, they are all back! Turn around again, raise the sails, and head north with the wind! They might very well be the people from the sea hawk! Damn it, what bad luck! Ma Biao, prepare the weapons to protect the ship!

After listening to Xiaotian, he noticed that most of the people on the ship appeared quite calm, which relieved him significantly. Additionally, he then understood why the ship looked rather dirty; it turned out that the shipowner had intentionally made it so, merely to prevent pirates from targeting his vessel

According to Liu Chuan Dong's instructions, Yu Xiao Tian delivered a bundle of short spears and books to the ship's side. As he raised his head to gaze into the distance, hoping to see land, a sudden loud shout rang out above him.

However, he was not particularly interested in such crude primitive firearms. Firstly, he expressed doubts about the quality of gunpowder in this era. Additionally, he questioned the quality of these firearms, which were said to produce a loud noise but had limited power. Moreover, they were very dangerous to use because the craftsmen lacked skill, and with rampant corruption among the officials in charge, the craftsmen could only cut corners. As a result, the firearms produced were prone to bursting. Therefore, without knowing whether these weapons had any safety assurance, he would not dare to use one even if it were offered to him.

Upon hearing his shout, everyone couldn't help but feel a jolt in their hearts. Even Yu Xiaotian, this novice, could imagine that under such circumstances, those two boats would not only not head towards Dongshan Island, but would also change their course and sail towards them, certainly with ill intentions.

Host! They do not have flags on their ship! It looks like two small fortune boats

As soon as they disembarked, it was as if a camp had been blown up; chaos ensued instantly. Everyone rushed towards the right side of the ship, straining their necks to look out at the sea surface on the starboard side.

After the ship changed course, the wind on the sea began to pick up, and the waves grew larger, causing the vessel to start rocking. The hull rose and fell amidst the wind and waves, occasionally emitting creaking sounds that made Yu Xiaotian feel a chill in his heart. He was extremely worried about the ship, fearing that if the wind and waves intensified, this dilapidated vessel might break apart on the spot

Everyone on the ship heard the shout from above, and they all rushed to the railing in unison, stretching their necks to look ahead

Upon seeing this, Xiao Tian exclaimed, "Oh! I didn't expect that this ship would be equipped with so many weapons. Among these weapons, there are knives, some long spears, a few sharp axes, as well as several bows and bags of arrows. Of course, there are also a few rudimentary shields made of wooden planks. This is basically enough for each of the crew members on the ship to have one, which shows that those who navigate the seas are quite vigilant against pirates.

Ma Biao once again saw Yu Xiaotian, occasionally glaring at him fiercely as if he wanted to swallow him whole. However, he did not provoke Yu Xiaotian again, indicating that he still vividly remembered the lesson from earlier. It was likely that his ribs still ached a bit. Yu Xiaotian, on the other hand, was too lazy to pay him any mind. In this environment, strength was undoubtedly the determining factor of a person's status. Even someone like Ma Biao had to concede a little to Yu Xiaotian.

After the vessel entered the waters north of Dongshan Island, it began to change course, heading towards Dongshan Island. While Xiaotian was working, he listened to Liu Laoliu recount that there was originally a copper mountain water stronghold of the Zhangzhou Prefecture army on Dongshan Island, established primarily for the purpose of defense against Japanese pirates. Earlier, it was said that the copper mountain water stronghold had dozens of warships, including fortune ships, patrol boats, and winter ships, as well as over one thousand naval personnel.

However, his self-reassurance did not last long. After the ship had sailed a distance, the person above shouted loudly again: "Boss! The situation is not looking good! Those two ships have raised their sails and are turning towards us!"

Liu Chuan Dong's expression grew increasingly grim as he muttered something under his breath, then shouted at the people on the ship: "Turn around! Raise the sails! We are not going to Dongshan Island! Let's avoid them!"

What slightly disdainful to Yu Xiaotian is that although these people prepared weapons on the ship, they did not take good care of them. Among the weapons taken out, only the bow, which was wrapped in cloth, was relatively well-preserved; the rest were corroded and rusted by the sea salt, looking quite unpresentable

As a result, the people on the ship immediately began to appear somewhat tense, each rushing to their respective positions, with those adjusting the sails doing so and those steering the helm taking their place

Although the wind had intensified and dark clouds began to appear in the sky, Liu Laoliu, relying on his experience, informed Yu Xiaotian that the wind would not be too strong, and there was no need to seek shelter in the harbor. At most, there would be a light rain, so there was nothing to worry about. Yu Xiaotian glanced at the increasingly turbulent waves outside the ship, and his mind was largely put at ease.

Before long, everyone saw that on the sea level to the southwest, two ship sails began to emerge amidst the waves on hetushu.com. However, they were still far away, making it difficult to discern exactly what kind of ships they were. Nevertheless, it was generally clear that these two ships were indeed heading towards them

Yu Xiaotian learned some information about coastal matters from Liu Laoliu, and it was also evident that Liu Laoliu was an old sea wolf, well-acquainted with the affairs of the coastal regions of Fujian and Guangdong

Thus, although he was curious, he did not show it. He merely glanced a few times out of the corner of his eye before getting back to his tasks.

Upon hearing this, the people on the ship all looked uneasy. One by one, they hurriedly followed the shipowner's instructions, adjusting the sails and steering the vessel, changing its course to the southeast, raising the sails to full and accelerating to leave this place.

At this moment, they are heading to Dongshan Island to replenish some fresh water to meet the needs for the upcoming journey to Macau by boat

Liu Laoliu finished his work and turned to see Yu Xiaotian's worried expression as he occasionally glanced at the boat. He then smiled, patted Yu Xiaotian on the shoulder, and said: "Mute! It seems you haven't been on a boat much, have you? Are you feeling seasick?"

It is probably because they have not seen land for many days that they are now sailing towards Dongshan Island, estimating that they will soon see land. Yu Xiaotian appears somewhat excited; humans are terrestrial beings. Although they have realized their desire to enter the sea through the ship, after drifting on the ocean for a long time, they still yearn for the grounded feeling that comes from being on solid land.

In ancient times, there were no weather forecasts. When sailing at sea, experienced boatmen on board would assess the weather conditions. Liu Laoliu, having spent a long time at sea, was undoubtedly very experienced. Since he said that there would not be any greater winds or waves, it could be considered almost certain. Therefore, Xiatian need not worry excessively about any dangers the boat might encounter

During the early years when the threat from Japan was severe, General Qi (Qi Jiguang) once presided over the defense against the Japanese pirates here. However, after Qi Jiguang was transferred to Liaodong, the Tongshan Water Fort gradually fell into disrepair. The warships essentially rotted away without any replenishment, and the original naval forces dwindled increasingly, to the point that by this time, the Tongshan Water Fort had become virtually non-existent.