Ancient Ferry Dock
Tie Niao Fei sat inside a dilapidated thatched hut by the dock, surrounded by salt bags stacked behind him. Each bag was deliberately packed to the size of a human head. These smaller bags made it easier for his salt peddlers to carry, allowing them to move swiftly and evade the government officials chasing them.
These salt bags had only arrived at the dock the afternoon before.
Shanxi was in chaos.
After the last attack on the Ancient Ferry Dock by Old Zhang Fei, who was driven off by Xing Honglang's cannon, he hadn't run too far. He was still causing trouble in Puzhou and the Hedong Circuit. Bandits were seen roaming nearby villages at any time.
Some bands of robbers were large, numbering in the hundreds or even thousands, while others were smaller groups, just dozens or a hundred men. They spread out across villages, looting, burning, and forcing the common folk to join them.
Tie Niao Fei avoided the larger bands of robbers and dealt with the smaller ones. He sold the grain that Xing Honglang had given him to the people of the Hedong Circuit and then slipped over to another location to buy more salt. Now, he was back at the Ancient Ferry Dock, waiting for Xing Honglang to return.
A dock worker entered, greeting Tie Niao Fei. "Tie Da Tangjia, do you still have any grain left? I'd like to buy some."
Tie Niao Fei shook his head. "No, it's all gone. I only have enough for a few days of rations left."
The dock worker's face showed distress. "That's a problem. My wife is pregnant. We can't go without food right now."
Tie Niao Fei sighed. "Wait a bit. Xing Da Tangjia said he'd bring more grain."
The dock worker lowered his voice. "Both Shanxi and Shaanxi are facing a great drought. Even if Xing Da Tangjia has three heads and six arms, he won't be able to bring much grain."
Tie Niao Fei furrowed his brow. "Sigh, we can't just rely on Xing Da Tangjia to save us. We must also think of our own ways. Go fish in the river."
The dock worker sighed and left.
Tie Niao Fei followed him out of the hut and looked at the dock. A large group of merchants, fishermen, and farmers were reinforcing the dock's fences. They tried to find thicker wood to nail into the ground.
But these people were too hungry, lacking strength, so the wood they brought was thin. They had no strength to cut down the large trees or even move them. So, the fence wouldn't be very high.
Tie Niao Fei thought, When Old Zhang Fei comes to attack the dock again, this place definitely won't be able to hold up.
Sigh... When will Xing Da Tangjia return?
At this moment, a dock worker who was on lookout shouted, "They're here! They're here! Ships are coming down the river!"
Tie Niao Fei's spirit lifted. "They're here? Great! Are they Xing Da Tangjia's ships?"
"No... I can't say for sure... there are three ships!"
"Three ships?"
Tie Niao Fei was taken aback, quickly climbing up to a higher point to look out over the river.
He could see three large ships coming closer from the north side of the river. They were still far away, but from the direction, he guessed it was most likely Xing Honglang, because the government navy didn't have such large ships in the upper reaches of the Yellow River.
As the ships came closer, he could clearly see one of them, which had many cannon barrels visible and looked quite eye-catching. This was unmistakably the same warship that Xing Honglang had used last time.
This time, a large flag had been raised on the ship, with the character "Xing" written on it.
The other two ships were somewhat strange. One was flat and wide, filled with warhorses—perhaps over a hundred of them. The other seemed to be a cargo ship covered with an oil cloth. Though it was covered, he could guess that it likely contained grain.
Tie Niao Fei's spirits soared. "Xing Da Tangjia is here!"
The people at the dock gathered at the riverbank, cheering, "Xing Da Tangjia!"
"Yongji Xing Honglang!"
The poorer people cheered the loudest, as they had run out of food.
Especially the dock worker whose wife was pregnant. Seeing the three ships on the river, he felt like he'd seen his savior. He shouted, tears streaming down his face, "My wife and child will be saved now!"
Xing Honglang stood at the bow of the cargo ship, looking at the cheering crowd on the shore, sighing, "The people of my homeland are suffering so much."
Gao Chuwu, who was on another ship, poked his head out and saw the situation on the shore. He was shocked. "My wife has such high standing here."
A grenadier came over, laughing, "Captain, you're visiting your wife's hometown this time, you better put on a good show. Otherwise, they'll laugh at you and disgrace both you and Madam Xing's family."
Gao Chuwu thought for a moment. "You're right! It's just like a clumsy son-in-law visiting his wife's family. I can't afford to mess this up, or else I'll be looked down upon by my wife's family."
He adjusted his hair, "How do I look?"
The grenadier replied, "Captain, you're mighty and majestic!"
Gao Chuwu laughed, "Hahaha! Good! Let me show my wife's family that their son-in-law is a real man."
Gao Chuwu stood boldly at the tip of the warship, his arms raised as the wind tousled his hair. His large, muscular frame stood tall against the wind.
The people on the shore saw a rough, powerful man with thick brows, large eyes, and a strong build. Standing at the tip of the ship, he looked like a god. His imposing appearance shocked them.
The grenadier shouted, "Captain, real men show their chest to the wind to look even more like a hero!"
Gao Chuwu was taken aback, "Huh? Is that so?"
He grabbed his clothes and tried to tear them open, thinking it would easily tear and reveal his big chest muscles. But the cloth was so well made that he couldn't tear it. Instead, he used too much force, twisting his body and losing balance.
In the end, he fell off the ship.
Fortunately, he was a "zero in the humanities, 100 in physical education" kind of person, so when he fell, he managed to grab onto the side of the ship, dangling from the edge.
He couldn't swim, so if he fell into the river, it would be the end for him. Panicked, he tried to clamber back up, his movements incredibly awkward.
On the shore, people stared in confusion:
"...What is that guy doing?"
"Is he an idiot?"
"He seems like an idiot!"
Gao Chuwu managed to climb back onto the ship, his face filled with frustration. "Damn it! I messed it up! Now my wife's family will think I'm a joke."
The three ships docked one by one.
Xing Honglang was the first to jump ashore.
As soon as she appeared, the people on the shore froze in surprise. They noticed that Xing Honglang had styled her hair into a "wife's bun," signifying that she was now married. Just a few days ago, when she came, she didn't have this hairstyle.
In such a short time, she had gotten married!
The people at the dock were all stunned.
"Wait, what? Is this for real?"
Trivia:
Why Married Women Tied Their Hair in Ancient China
In ancient China, the tradition of married women tying their hair was a symbol of both marital status and a rite of passage into adulthood. This practice, particularly the styling of hair into a "wife's bun" (also known as "jiu tou" or "feng hua zhi jian"), carried deep cultural significance and had roots in several key historical and societal aspects.
Origins of the Tradition:
The tradition of tying hair after marriage is believed to date back to the Zhou Dynasty (1046-256 BCE) and was solidified through the Confucian emphasis on ritual and order. During this period, personal appearance was seen as a reflection of one's societal role, and certain hairstyles came to signify specific life stages.
Cultural Significance:
In ancient Chinese society, a woman's hair was an essential part of her identity and femininity. Unbound hair symbolized youth and unmarried status, while bound hair indicated the transition into womanhood, signifying both a woman's sexual maturity and her readiness for marital responsibility. The act of tying hair was a formalization of one's role as a wife and mother, which were highly respected positions within the family structure.