Chapter 2, Waste Snacks

After observing Xu Xiaotian for a while, Liu Chuan Dong paused, as if he had thought of something. After a moment, he straightened his back, displaying an air of superiority, looking down with a compassionate expression, and said to Xu Xiaotian: "So, you are indeed a homeless person? And on top of that, you are mute!"

When the word "time travel" flashed in Yu Xiaotian's mind, he felt a sudden jolt in his heart, his head spun violently, and he nearly fainted on the spot

Yu Xiaotian quickly nodded, but he felt a bit awkward hearing this person refer to himself as Yu.

Although Yu Xiaotian has liked making ship models since childhood, he is particularly interested in ancient sailing ships. However, his favorite models are those of Western-style ancient sailing ships. He only has a basic understanding of Chinese ancient sailing ships and is not very skilled in that area. Moreover, creating models does not imply that one can operate or navigate such sailing ships. When Liu Chuan Dong asked him if he had practiced any martial arts, Yu Xiaotian, for the sake of self-preservation, shook his head in response, indicating that he had not practiced.

Although he suspects that he may have traveled through time, so far, apart from this ship and the people on it, the surrounding area is nothing but the vast ocean, and the environment around him provides no additional information to confirm that he has indeed traveled through time

The man referred to as Liu Dongjia, upon hearing that Yu Xiaotian was a mute, momentarily shifted his gaze and scrutinized Yu Xiaotian again. At that moment, the thin, dark old man spoke to him: "Dongjia! We, who traverse the seas, all know that when we encounter someone in distress at sea, we must extend a helping hand. This young man is a mute; although we cannot ascertain his identity, we cannot simply throw him back into the sea! Dongjia is a kind person; saving a life is also a form of accumulating virtue and doing good! We, who traverse the seas, all know that when we encounter someone in distress at sea, we must extend a helping hand. This young man is a mute; although we cannot ascertain his identity, we cannot simply throw him back into the sea! Dongjia is a kind person; saving a life is also a form of accumulating virtue and doing good! Mazu will surely bless Dongjia with safety in all matters!"

However, as he looked around, he noticed that the crew on this sailboat was entirely composed of elderly men. The rigging was made of hemp rope, and the sails were woven from bamboo, which were tattered and patched in numerous places. The sails were raised and lowered using wooden pulleys as makeshift winches. At the bow of the boat, there was an iron anchor as well as a stone anchor. Even the fishing nets piled on board appeared to be made of hemp, and any iron tools present were all handcrafted, showing signs of rust.

As soon as this man approached, the group of black men surrounding Yu Xiaotian instinctively made way, with some even hastily leaving to attend to their own matters

Just as a few people were debating whether Yu Xiaotian was indeed a mute, Yu Xiaotian suddenly had a flash of inspiration: A mute? This identity is quite appealing!

In the past, when he had nothing to do, he had indeed read a few time-travel novels online, so he had some understanding of the concept of time travel. Although he had never believed that such things could truly exist in the world, the current situation before him made him begin to doubt whether his previous thoughts were correct.

After listening to Yu Xiaotian, he felt both angry and amused. Here I am, a mute, and you ask me such a question; how am I supposed to answer you? Since I have already pretended to be foolish, Yu Xiaotian could only maintain this act, trying to display a look of confusion, gazing far into the horizon, and then shaking his head. If a film director were to see Yu Xiaotian's expression at this moment, they would likely want to cast him as an actor. However, this cannot entirely be considered a deliberate performance by Yu Xiaotian, as his situation is quite bizarre, and he himself is in a state of bewilderment.

The owner with the surname Liu hesitated for a moment, then lowered his head and asked Xiaotian, "Do you understand what Yu is saying?"

At this moment, Liu continued to ask: "Are you really a mute?"

At the moment he fell into the water, he experienced a very strange sensation, as if he had been drawn into some kind of space. It seemed that after flying out over the ship's railing, a long time had passed before he finally plunged into the water, and then the eerie mist that enveloped him immediately vanished.

He is completely unable to discern the situation now. Looking at this group, they do not seem to be good people, especially that black man with the knife, who has a particularly fierce demeanor. If he were a good person, why would he so readily draw a knife? Therefore, Yu Xiaotian is very suspicious; if he accidentally says something wrong, he might end up being thrown back into the sea by this group.

The man lowered his head to look at Yu Xiaotian, carefully scrutinizing him from top to bottom, and then asked, "Have you found out? What does this person do?"

Seizing this opportunity, Yu Xiaotian carefully observed the ship once again. Based on his understanding of Chinese sailing vessels, it cannot be said that there are no sailing ships along the Chinese coast; however, even if there are, they are mostly motor-sailing vessels equipped with diesel engines, and the ships are outfitted with numerous modern facilities and equipment

Yu Xiaotian has always kept a crew cut, but in the eyes of this group, his hairstyle is hardly different from being bald, which makes him quite displeased. Short hair is so comfortable! You all have long hair, messily piled on your heads, and I don't believe your scalps aren't itchy!

Yu Xiaotian observed that this man appeared to be around 30 to 40 years old. He had a short beard on his chin and upper lip, and his stature was slightly taller than that of the other black men. Although his skin was also relatively dark, it seemed to be somewhat more nourished than that of the others, and he was slightly plumper. His clothing indicated a clear superiority in quality compared to the other individuals on the ship. His manner of speaking also reflected a status that was higher than that of the others on board.

Even if we consider it from a different perspective, his uncle did not find him upon returning. However, the shipping routes in this area of the sea are quite dense, with numerous fishing boats and cargo ships passing through. Logically, after dawn, he should have encountered passing vessels quite quickly. Yet, the actual situation is that during the three days after he fell into the water, he did not see a single passing ship, which is entirely contrary to reason.

As for items such as electric lights, navigation lights, diesel engines, and even nylon ropes, not a single one was seen. The ship surprisingly had a lantern hanging, and from start to finish, not a single modern item could be found on the vessel. It can be said that this ship is thoroughly an old relic. Logically, if it were not for the occurrence of this time travel, this ship would surely be treated as a treasure in later generations, carefully transported to a museum for preservation, and it would never be allowed to set sail again.

Yu Xiaotian cast a fleeting glance at that Ma Biao, thinking to himself that he would remember this Ma. How dare he insult me as a good-for-nothing and a glutton? Right now, I lack the strength to argue with you, but just wait! One day, I will make you understand what it truly means to be a good-for-nothing!

As for the type of this ship, Yu Xiaotian was lying on the ship's railing and had not yet been able to observe it closely. He only knew that it was a two-masted vessel, approximately less than 20 meters in length, with a displacement of about 30 to 40 tons at most. However, he was unclear whether this ship was of the Guang ship or Fu ship type, which further deepened his suspicion. Either he had traveled through time, or this ship had. In any case, in his impression, such an old-fashioned sailing ship could not possibly appear in modern times.

Observing the vigilant and suspicious gazes of the surrounding black men, Yu Xiaotian felt quite worried. These individuals were indiscriminate and might throw him back into the sea. Therefore, Yu Xiaotian struggled to sit up, leaning against the ship's railing. Imitating the ancient customs, he clasped his fists and repeatedly bowed to the people around him, expressing his desire to remain on the ship and pleading with them not to cast him back into the sea.

Even if it can be confirmed that a time travel has occurred, he still cannot ascertain whether he has traveled to ancient times or if this ship and the people on it have traveled to the modern era

So how did you end up in the sea? ... ... Never mind! Since you are mute, I suppose you can't explain it clearly! Then let me ask you again! What are your plans for the future?

How could Xu Xiaotian possibly manipulate such an outdated antique! He has indeed had experience with modern small single-masted sailing boats, and after dropping out of school, he even worked as a sailor on a cargo ship for a few days. However, he has never had the opportunity to handle an old-fashioned Chinese sailing ship like the one before him.

Upon reflecting on this, Yu Xiaotian could not help but once again sort through his memories, recalling the strange thick fog that enveloped him when he fell into the water. Logically speaking, after his uncle activated the boat and rushed out, he should have immediately noticed that Yu Xiaotian had fallen into the water. In theory, his uncle would have come back right away to rescue him. However, once his uncle's boat darted out, it vanished without a trace. This was completely inconsistent with the relationship he had with his uncle. It is important to note that this somewhat unreliable uncle had maintained a fairly good relationship with him since childhood, and there was simply no reason for him not to come to his aid.

Hmph! This fellow is nothing but a waste, just a glutton!" The one who had been standing beside him, holding a broken knife, Ma Biao, looked at Xu Xiaotian with a blank expression, indicating that he knew nothing. With a cold snort, he scoffed at Xu Xiaotian.

After listening to Liu Chuan Dong's words, Yu Xiao Tian felt a secret joy in his heart, knowing that his earlier performance had already taken effect. At least for the time being, Liu Chuan Dong would not let anyone throw him back into the sea. As long as he could stay on the ship, everything would be negotiable. Once he had eaten and drunk enough to recover, it would not be too late to make a decision when the situation became clearer.

Very well! I see that you are indeed in a pitiable situation. Regardless of what you did before, I will allow you to stay on the ship. However, are you willing to work for me from now on?

Liu, who could understand Xu Xiaotian's words, then asked: "Where are you from? Where is your home?"

Thus, Xu Xiaotian immediately nodded, indicating his willingness to stay on the ship to work for Captain Liu

Yu Xiaotian hurriedly nodded, opened his mouth, but could only emit a faint chuckle from his throat, unable to speak, thus indicating that he was indeed mute

The fierce man named Ma Biao quickly replied: "Master Liu, we haven't gotten anything out of him yet. This fellow seems to be a mute! He opens his mouth but can't speak. However, it appears that he is neither a sailor nor a monk. He is quite fair and tender-looking, tall and strong. I am concerned that he might be a pirate, and I am contemplating whether to throw him back into the sea after all!"

As for working for Liu Chuan Dong, this matter is straightforward. He dropped out of university and has done various jobs after entering society. If he feels comfortable, he will work for a few more days; if not, he will simply resign and leave. If he can work on this ship, he will stay for a while; if the conditions on the ship are not favorable, he will at most wait until he understands the situation, and once the ship docks, he will make a swift exit.

In his heart, Xu Xiaotian silently cursed, as this question was fundamentally nonsensical. Even if he were truly a pirate, he would never admit it at this moment; moreover, he was not a pirate at all. Thus, he feigned a look of terror and quickly practiced shaking his head in denial.

Given the current uncertainties, and due to his inability to speak, temporarily pretending to be mute is not a bad strategy.

The shipowner with the surname Liu nodded at Yu Xiaotian and then proceeded to ask him some questions, mainly regarding whether Xiaotian could operate a boat or what other skills he possessed. Additionally, he inquired whether Yu Xiaotian had practiced any martial arts.

What is time travel? In Xiaotian's view, time travel is nothing more than a group of well-fed individuals with their heads filled with fanciful ideas. They either indulge purely in their fantasies for self-satisfaction or concoct stories to deceive others for money, creating fictitious tales to make a living. How could such a thing as time travel exist in this world?

The owner of this ship, who is surnamed Liu, is undoubtedly the ship's master, or at least the one who holds authority on this vessel. At this moment, Xiao Tian has yet to regain his strength and can be said to be temporarily powerless, forced to play the role of a pig to eat the tiger. He quickly puts on an expression that appears harmless, smiling and feigning silence with a chuckle, bowing respectfully to the owner Liu. Moreover, he is quite grateful to the thin, dark old man who interceded on his behalf, and he hastily bows to the old man as a gesture of thanks.

So, are you a pirate

All signs now indicate that he is likely facing an unusual situation. Whether or not he has traveled through time is something even Xiatian does not dare to conclude hastily. However, considering the ship he is on and the people aboard, it is not entirely impossible that this event of time travel has occurred to him.

Liu Chuan Dong furrowed his brow, seemingly not entirely disappointed. However, in the end, he instructed Xiao Tian to rest for two days to recuperate, after which he would temporarily take on menial tasks on the ship.

Liu, after a moment of thought, muttered to himself: "Since he is not a monk, why has he shaved his head? How strange!"

At this moment, Yu Xiaotian could not speak, and could only feign ignorance, shaking his head repeatedly

At this moment, a man dressed in a clean blue cloth robe walked over from the stern of the ship, scolding the black men along the way, instructing them to get on with their tasks. He soon arrived at the crowd with a series of thumping steps

Liu furrowed his brows, not quite satisfied with Xiaotian's answer, and then continued to ask: "You don't even know where your home is? Then are you a monk?"

Yu Xiaotian could only continue to shake his head in response

He now needs time to delay, to preserve his life for the moment, to stay on this ship, and to thoroughly understand the situation before proceeding