Water Margin: From a White-Robed Scholar to Donning the Yellow Robe

Chapter 93 Fisherman Ruan 2

The moat of Zhujiazhuang is not stagnant water, but rather diverted from the Baiyang River.

The Baiyang River is a tributary of the Ji River.

Therefore, in addition to land routes, Zhujiazhuang could also travel by waterway to the outside world. When transporting grain and other goods, it was actually more labor-saving to travel by waterway.

Zhu Hu selected several of his minor leaders and ordered them to each lead fifty men to leave by boat from the moat. The plan was to transfer from the Baiyang River to the Ji River, and then proceed to Juye, Yuncheng, and other counties in Jizhou.

These places all have businesses owned by the Zhu family.

According to Zhu Chaofeng and Luan Tingyu, they should first sell these properties and exchange them for grain. After resolving the immediate crisis, they could then rebuild their businesses later.

Zhu Hu was short-tempered and reckless, and Zhu Chaofeng had specifically asked him for instructions early in the morning.

Now that Liangshan is besieging Dulonggang, Zhu Chaofeng is worried that there may be problems with the waterway as well. He specifically instructed the small leaders of Zhu Hudian to send someone back to deliver a message as soon as they safely reach the shore.

If the waterway encounters danger, you must return to inform them so that Zhu Hu can gather his troops to clear the waterway.

To their surprise, people were sent out in the morning, but no one returned by noon.

Zhu Hu waited anxiously, and even after the hour of Wei (1-3 PM) had passed, no one returned with a message.

He became anxious and immediately mustered his troops and boats, heading from the moat towards the Baiyang River.

Zhu Family Village doesn't have many boats, only about thirty in total. More than ten had already gone out in the morning. Now he counted the boats, and each boat was filled with villagers, totaling only about two hundred people.

Although outnumbered, Zhu Hu was not afraid; he was very confident in his martial arts skills.

The boat rowed for a long time, but there was still no sign of the men he had sent out that morning.

Just as I was getting anxious, I heard a sound coming from ahead, but I couldn't make it out clearly from a distance.

Zhu Hu quickly ordered his men to row the boat faster. As they drew closer, they saw a small boat in the reeds near the shore, with a man dressed as a fisherman leisurely pulling a net.

He sang a strange song: "The great river flows eastward, the stars in the sky point to the Big Dipper..."

Zhu Hu smiled and said, "This song is interesting. I wonder where he is from, fisherman? Quick, bring him over, I have some questions for him."

His men immediately shouted a warning.

Zhuang Ding shouted four or five times before the fisherman finally looked up in bewilderment. Seeing so many boats in front of him, he was so frightened that his legs went weak and he collapsed onto his small boat.

Zhu Hu laughed and said, "This fisherman is hard of hearing and too timid. Ask him if he saw our boat during the day."

The guards then shouted at the top of their lungs, "Hey, did you see the fleet pass by during the day?"

The fisherman, with his dark skin, clearly someone who had endured much hardship and spent his life making a living on the water, stared blankly at the servant's call. After a long while, he finally replied, "What? You want to treat me to fruit?"

Zhu Hu was amused; such a foolish fisherman was a rare sight. He ordered, "Row the boat over there."

The servants behind him advised, "That might not be a good idea. That person is by the reeds. If there are ambushes in the reeds, wouldn't it be troublesome for us to go over there?"

Zhu Hu frowned and said, "Then let him draw it out."

Zhuang Ding shouted, "Row the boat over here!"

"What? You want me not to come over? Fine." The fisherman shouted back, then bent down to pull up his net again.

With a splash, he found a large fish in his net. Its belly was yellowish, indicating that it was of excellent quality and weighed about 20 pounds.

Zhu Hu was overjoyed: "Row over there, I'll take this fish."

Zhuang Ding was about to persuade him again, but seeing that Zhu Hu looked somewhat impatient, he dared not say anything more. Looking at the fisherman's complexion, he didn't think it was someone pretending, but a real fisherman, so he also relaxed his guard.

As the fleet slowly approached, the fisherman was startled and quickly hugged the large fish tightly to his chest.

But the fish was so big that even after he held it, its head and tail still couldn't block it.

Zhu Hu was overjoyed and said, "Give me this fish."

The fisherman was reluctant, but seeing that the other side had a large number of people and Zhu Hu looked fierce, he dared not refuse and his face turned red with anxiety.

A small boat pulled up behind Zhu Hu and snatched the big fish away.

Zhu Hu laughed heartily and asked, "Did you see the fleet pass by this morning?"

The fisherman looked at the big fish that had been stolen from him, and was on the verge of tears: "Yes, yes, I had it."

Zhu Hu was overjoyed: "Where did you see them? Where did they go?"

The fisherman said, "We saw them right here. They went this way."

He pointed to the water.

Zhu Hu was taken aback: "What?"

The fisherman said, "Don't you understand? They went into the water."

Zhu Hu was furious and cursed, "Where did this scoundrel come from, daring to play tricks on me?"

He waved his hand: "Arrest him."

Suddenly, the fisherman snatched the fish from the servant's hand and laughed loudly, "I was born into this world, I don't seek wealth or officialdom. I'll live my life in Liangshan Marsh, eating and drinking like an immortal."

After saying that, he jumped into the water with a splash, disappearing in the blink of an eye like a fish entering water.

Zhu Hu angrily retorted, "Thieves from Liangshan!"

Then a series of "thump thump thump" sounds were heard, one after another.

Zhu Hu exclaimed in surprise, "What was that sound?"

But then they heard a "splashing" sound, and it turned out that more than ten of their boats had been pierced. Water immediately rushed up from the bottom of the boats, filling them instantly, and the boats gradually sank.

Zhu Hu was both shocked and furious, and shouted, "You Liangshan bandits, do you dare to come out and fight me?"

The surroundings were completely silent, except for the pleas for mercy from his men.

Zhu Hu shouted helplessly, filled with impotent rage. He saw that one of the boats had already sunk, and the men struggled for a few moments before suddenly sinking and becoming still.

Something's strange.

Zhu Hu immediately became suspicious. Most of his men could swim, so how could they sink in the water?

He immediately shouted, "There are people underwater! Everyone be careful and on guard!"

But many more boats sank, and the servants all disappeared into the water.

Zhu Hu felt ice-cold all over; faced with this situation, he was truly helpless.

The boat beneath his feet was also filled with water and gradually sank, so he drew the dagger from his waist and jumped into the water.

As soon as he entered the water, his feet were grabbed tightly. He struggled a few times but couldn't break free, so he submerged himself in the water. When he opened his eyes underwater, he saw that the bottom was densely packed with people.

Zhu Hu was horrified. Before he could react, his hands and feet were tied by four or five people. He tried to rush to the surface of the water, but was dragged down by others. He swallowed several mouthfuls of water and finally lost consciousness.

When he woke up again and opened his eyes, he saw a clearing in the reeds, surrounded by the guards of the Zhu Family Village, including the men he had sent out that morning and the men he had brought with him. They were all tied up and lying on the ground like pigs.

Hundreds of Liangshan soldiers stood around him, and the leader looked at him with a grin, asking, "Which son of the Zhu family are you?"

This person was the same one who had just been disguised as a fisherman.

Zhu Hu was furious and said, "Grandpa Zhu Hu, who are you? Do you dare to let me go? Let's have a showdown."

The man laughed and said, "The Zhu family has three sons, Longhu and Biao. So you are Zhu Erlang. Coincidentally, I am also Erlang. I am Ruan Erlang, the vanguard of the Liangshan navy."

Zhu Hu could only sigh. As Liangshan's rivals, they had naturally found out long ago that the three Ruan brothers were in charge of the navy. They never expected that the one in front of them was Ruan Xiaoer.

Ruan Xiao'er twirled a reed stalk in his hand and said, "Our Liangshan navy used reed stalks to breathe and managed to stay underwater for so long. Isn't that amazing?"

Zhu Hu snorted angrily.

Ruan Xiaoer waved his hand: "Take them away. The navy has performed a great service today. After handing the prisoners over to the chieftain, everyone will be rewarded according to their merits."

The online trolls cheered.