Chapter 9

Chapter 6: We Are Passersby

Just as they returned to the Heart of the Ocean, Li Ziqiang angrily said to Sun Defa, "Why didn't we think to bring a charcoal stove?!"

"An alcohol stove is enough; we can fry it."

"Where's the flavor in frying compared to roasting?"

"Having it is already great; we originally planned to eat bread and sausages."

The two of them took down the alcohol stove, a frying pan, cooking oil, a box of mineral water, a few basins, and some seasonings, and returned to the shore.

Song Shida found a piece of deer spine meat, washed it carefully with mineral water, and then cut it into small pieces with a jungle knife. He mixed it with several seasonings in a small basin. He then grabbed the canned beer that Li Ziqiang had brought privately, opened it, poured half a can into the basin, and drank the rest in one gulp.

Sun Defa set up the alcohol stove and the frying pan, lit the solid alcohol, poured in the cooking oil, and was ready to start cooking.

"Make sure to fry it well-done; this deer meat is fresh and won't get tough," Song Shida instructed everyone. "Later, I'll make a spicy and sour deer penis soup, which is very invigorating." Everyone laughed heartily, taking off their helmets and the upper parts of their riot gear, as it was too hot to wear them.

The fried deer meat was indeed fragrant, tender, and juicy, and everyone enjoyed it. The police dogs also enjoyed the human treatment, barking excitedly from time to time. The aroma spread far and wide.

Li Si and Wang San were suffering in the jungle. They originally thought it was a ghost ship, but now it didn't seem to be. It wasn't the red-haired foreigners coming to catch poachers either, as their hair was black. They certainly weren't pirates or bandits, who would never dress so neatly. Could they be fellow hunters?

Wang San saw them cut a large piece of deer meat and shivered with pain. But after a while, he saw the man with the incredibly sharp short knife cutting more deer meat! Wang San's shivers were about to turn into a roar. Li Si held Wang San back and whispered, "What's the big deal about the deer meat? Let's see what happens."

The police dogs growled lowly at the dense forest, their neck hairs standing up. Wu Dapeng said, "Fafa, in the original world, people in Taiwan speak Min Nan, right?"

"Yes, most people in Taiwan are Min Nan immigrants, with some Hakka. I'll try a few sentences. If that doesn't work, we'll call the ambassador."

"Hakka people say, 'Rather lose the ancestral land than forget the ancestral language.' I hope they can understand." Sun Defa thought as he slowly approached the dense forest with his gun, Wu Dapeng and Li Ziqiang by his side.

"Countrymen! We are passersby who got lost and are looking for directions. We just returned from overseas!"

There was no response from the dense forest.

Wu Dapeng waved to Song Shida, "Don't worry about the deer penis soup for now, come and say a few sentences." Song Shida is from Min Nan.

"Countrymen, we just returned from Antarctica, got lost, and are hungry. We want to buy your deer meat. If you don't sell it, we'll take it all!"

The police dog barked loudly, and Professor Jian held it tightly. There were rustling sounds from the forest. Wu Dapeng said, "Let's back up and leave an open space!" Everyone retreated over twenty meters to the riverbank.

An old man cautiously emerged from the forest, with a flattering smile on his face.

"The first contact between two worlds!" Wu Dapeng thought to himself.

The old man knelt down about ten meters away from the group, quickly bowed, and said, "Sir, I greet you!" He spoke in Hakka, which only Sun Defa understood. Sun Defa quietly translated for the others and then started chatting with him.

Everyone saw the two of them talking faster and friendlier. The old man turned back and shouted something into the forest, and a young man ran out. The group was frustrated by their incomprehensible language.

Sun Defa turned around and introduced the two men to everyone. He then said casually, "Do you know what year it is? It's the second year of Yongli."

Song Shida was about to check his notebook, but Sun Defa said, "No need to check. It's May 9, 1648. The two hunters know the Gregorian calendar."

"Is it because of the Dutch administration?" Professor Jian suddenly understood.

"Yes, they use the Gregorian calendar for announcements and taxes."

Wu Dapeng smiled at Sun Defa and said, "Kill them now."

Sun Defa was taken aback, but seeing the look in Wu Dapeng's eyes, he immediately understood and said, "Alright, I'll kill them now."

The two men still stood respectfully, waiting for questions. They clearly didn't understand the later Mandarin.

"Ask how many Dutch and Chinese people are on the island. Also, find out how many soldiers and pirates there are," Wu Dapeng thought for a moment and said.

"How many people are in this area?" Li Ziqiang added.

Sun Defa asked one by one, and the hunters answered.

Sun Defa summarized their responses: "There are about a thousand Dutch people in Tainan, with several hundred armed with guns and spears. There are also some in the north, but we don't know how many. There are tens of thousands of settled Chinese, mainly repairing ships, fishing, farming, and making charcoal. Most are concentrated in the Chikan area by the Dutch. There are also many hunters and fishermen like them, but they don't live in Taiwan and don't pay head tax. This area is mainly inhabited by the Tagalians and the Fangsuo people, mainly about 20 miles upstream. Together, they number only a few hundred, and they are familiar with the Dutch. The mountains are inhabited by the wild tribes, some of whom have been subdued, while others are still resisting."

Wu Dapeng looked at Song Shida, who was frantically opening his files. Song Shida's face was a bit red as he said, "There are more records of the mainland during this period, but fewer about Taiwan. I only have a few entries: the Dutch East India Company occupied Tainan in 1624, and the Guo Huaiyi uprising in 1652. There's not much data."

"It's not your fault; none of us knew where we would end up."

"Ah, if only we had the internet," Li Ziqiang, who had been acting as a photographer, said something obvious.

Regarding the two hunters, Li Ziqiang suggested silencing them to keep the secret of the time travelers.

Wu Dapeng said, "Look at them sneaking peeks at our stainless steel basins. Fine, you can use that as an excuse and shoot them."

"Shoot them?!" Li Ziqiang looked at the two men, who were less than 1.6 meters tall and respectful, and scratched his head. "Forget it, I was just talking."

Song Shida also chatted with Wang San. Although both sides found the other's speech a bit strange, they could understand the general meaning. Song Shida discovered that they knew almost nothing about events on the mainland, only that there were soldiers and wars, and nothing else.

Professor Jian, after hearing Song Shida's summary, said, "Let them go; they're no longer useful."

Li Ziqiang gave them his bread and ham, and found Song Shida's large chocolate and beef jerky, and handed them over. The two hunters were delighted with this unexpected bounty and bowed to Li Ziqiang. Li Ziqiang couldn't bear it and quickly helped them up.

Sun Defa said, "Li Ziqiang, tear off the plastic and packaging paper. Have them wrap it in leaves. We can't leave these things behind."

"Right, right, I forgot."

The time travel team quickly packed up and got back on the boat. Song Shida was quite disappointed that his spicy and sour deer penis soup was gone.

Wu Dapeng looked at the two hunters and said, "There will be more in the future; no rush now."

Li Ziqiang waved to the hunters and whispered, "Big Bird, aren't you afraid they'll leak the secret?"

"Who would believe them if they told others?"

"Hmph, even if they believe it, it won't matter. We'll just be a legend," Sun Defa also waved to the hunters.

The Heart of the Ocean made a graceful turn on the river and rumbled downstream.

They had already decided to head north to Kaohsiung while they still had time.

Li Si and Wang San felt a great weight lifted. Wang San collapsed on the ground.

"Oh my, what kind of people are these? They scared me to death."

"The ship is like jade, with large crystal windows, and it moves like the wind without sails—"

"Even the basins and chopsticks are made of silver."

"That's not unusual; wealthy families are like that. These people must be very rich, but they have no servants, which is strange. Where is Antarctica, and why have we never heard of it?"

"At least the deer is safe."

"Remember, never mention this again."

Sun Defa drove the boat calmly, while the other four gathered around the map and late Ming Dynasty records to discuss.

Li Ziqiang slapped the map and said, "Think big! We came here to conquer the world!"

"With just the five of us, it's impossible—we need to go back."

"How can you, Big Bird, just look and leave? Don't you want that wealth?"

Wu Dapeng smiled sincerely and slowly said, "What wealth? In the other world, I was just a warehouse key holder, earning some money but always worried. Afraid of making mistakes and dying in various ways, afraid of choosing the wrong side and being purged by other forces. I've earned enough money, but why keep going? Because I can't stop. Do you think those corrupt officials are really insatiable? For example, if someone could guarantee that I could be pardoned if I gave up half my assets, I would have done it long ago! Every time I bribe, collude, or suppress others, I'm afraid and don't want to continue, but the key is that I have to keep growing and appear useful to have a team to protect me."

Li Ziqiang said, "Big Bird, what I mean is—"

"I know. Sometimes I laugh at myself. Why do I earn money? I sent my wife, daughter, and parents to America to be law-abiding citizens. If this cooperation with the Philippines goes well, I can retire and go to America to be a law-abiding citizen. Quietly and without a trace. Is that my goal? To live in a big house, eat well, see some scenery, and then it's over? But I always dream of having a few drinks with my friends after work, playing a bit of mahjong with the neighbors, and then yawning and going to sleep, waking up at dawn—what's the point of having a lot of money and living with foreigners?"

Song Shida saw Wu Dapeng's rare excitement and knew it was a side effect of youth. He quickly said, "Alright, alright, we'll have plenty of time to complain later."

"Let's set the initial plan. Kaohsiung Port is not far; we'll be there soon." Professor Jian was always a good person.

"After we check the hydrology of Kaohsiung Port, we'll continue north to check the hydrology of Tainan!"

"Will there be many fishing boats nearby? We'll be seen."

"Ambassador, who cares! Fafa is right; we're a legend, let them find their own answers! Besides, we'll definitely come back, so what's the point of hiding?"

Li Ziqiang gave a thumbs up and said, "Big Bird is Big Bird, strong!"

"Stop flattering me, this isn't strength. We'll go back, recruit more people, and come back!"

"Ah, won't that reveal our secret? Will anyone be willing to come?"

"Reveal? No, I'll recruit under the guise of going to the Philippines as labor technicians."

Professor Jian added, "Li Ziqiang, are there many people your age living a so-called miserable life, especially those with technical skills?"

"Everywhere! Ah, I get your plan."

"Besides you, everyone else has thought of it. Besides, it's not about you getting big; our goal is to conquer the stars and the sea!"

"That sounds familiar, like I've heard it somewhere."

"I can't remember either."

About two hours later, the Heart of the Ocean arrived at Kaohsiung Port. Along the way, they encountered three junk ships, which Sun Defa recognized as Fukien-type junks, each about fifty tons.

The few ships, seeing a white ship they had never seen before approaching at high speed, were all amazed! But the Heart of the Ocean, like a proud princess, ignored them and passed by.

Sun Defa recognized Kaohsiung Port. He had visited Kaohsiung before and knew that it was called Dage Port at the time.

In the 15th century, the indigenous Makatao people built bamboo fortifications to resist the invading Japanese pirates. In the Pingpu language, "bamboo forest" sounds like "Dage" (Takau), so the Han people called it "Dage" or "Dagu." During the Japanese occupation, it was renamed "Kaohsiung" because "Dage" sounded like "Kaohsiung" in Japanese.

Sun Defa saw that the original Flag Mountain on the left side of the port was now a small isolated island, not connected to the nearby sandbank, and the left side was Shoushan. The sea channel between them was only about a hundred meters wide. There were several reefs visible on the surface of the port. Sun Defa was a bit hesitant.

Wu Dapeng was also disappointed; the original first port of Taiwan was like this.

"Let's go in and take a look, slowly. Is the depth finder working well?"

"Better than before; it has a longer range and faster data transmission."

The Heart of the Ocean carefully probed its way into the port. It was okay, with a depth of about four meters all the way. However, the port's water surface was too narrow, and it looked like it couldn't accommodate a hundred small Fukien-type junks.

"This was originally a lagoon. That might be the Ai River; I don't remember the names of the other two rivers," Sun Defa pointed out to the others.

Li Ziqiang sighed, "Too small and too shallow, not even a 2,000-ton ship can dock. Not very useful."

"I remember it was during the Japanese occupation that they started large-scale excavation, which took about twenty years to look somewhat modern."

Li Ziqiang nodded and said, "We'll have to get the Japanese to do this job."

There was a dilapidated wooden pier on the shore, the only dock here. A few people were originally sorting fish, but when they saw a strange ship enter the port, they stared in amazement and then fled in all directions.

"Running again, no new tricks?" Sun Defa made a right turn, circled the port, and then went back the way they came.

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