Chapter 32

"Stop just staring dumbly! It's already dead, what are you afraid of? Hurry up and help Uncle pull it on board, or the other sharks will go crazy soon!" The dead shark was nearly three meters long, and Hong Tao, using all his strength, couldn't pull it up. Then, Bo Jiao was scolded again and, trembling, ran to the side of the boat, grabbed the shark's tail, and helped Hong Tao drag it on board.

"Use the machete to cut off this, this, and this, then push it into the sea. We don't want the body; we can't carry that much!" Hong Tao stepped on the shark's head, pulled out the second harpoon, and the tip of the four-sided cone was already a bit dull, but it was still usable. Seeing Bo Jiao standing there in a daze, Hong Tao bent down, pulled out the machete from the side of the boat, and chopped at the base of the shark's dorsal fin. Blood splattered all over his face and body, making Bo Jiao shiver. He had probably never seen anyone as fierce as Hong Tao.

With the first experience, Hong Tao's courage grew. The dead shark, now missing its dorsal, pectoral, pelvic, and caudal fins, quickly became the target of other sharks, who ignored the murderer of their kind. The consequence of their infighting was that they were vulnerable to attacks from outsiders. Soon, a second shark was pulled on board by Hong Tao, and a few minutes later, another shark carcass floated on the surface. Then came the third and fourth sharks. Hong Tao worked like a robot, throwing harpoons, pulling ropes... Bo Jiao, no longer as terrified as before, got excited by the blood. The boat was covered in shark blood, and his adrenaline was pumping. The machete in his hand flew up and down, splattering him with more blood.

"Uncle... Uncle... A big ship! A big ship is coming!" Just as Hong Tao was in the middle of harpooning a 4-5 meter long shark for the third time, Bo Jiao started shouting again. This time, he was holding the mast, pointing behind Hong Tao, not looking scared but rather happy.

"Ship... Damn! This is not scientific! Did I travel back in time again?" Hong Tao turned around and almost stumbled into the water. A few hundred meters behind them, a huge sailboat was anchored. How big was it? At least 30 meters long, with a stern deck 10 meters high and three masts as tall as utility poles. The ship was painted in a gaudy mix of red and green. It was the first time Hong Tao had seen such a large sailboat, and he was a bit confused. He turned his head to look for Bo Xiao'er's small wooden boat to confirm if he was still in this era.

"What... What is it? Pirates?" Hong Tao saw figures moving on the deck, apparently lowering a small wooden boat. He immediately became alert.

"It's a bird ship, can't carry much cargo, but it can travel a thousand miles a day, very fast!" Bo Jiao's eyes were almost sparkling as he looked at the large ship. Young people love to fantasize, love adventure, and love legends. This large ship fascinated him.

"A thousand miles a day? I can swim faster than that! Wait until your uncle has enough money to build a real ocean-going ship for you. Compared to my ship, this one is just a bumpkin!" Hong Tao was a bit envious and jealous, but he wouldn't let it show in his words.

Soon, a small boat was lowered from the large ship, and four people rowed quickly toward Hong Tao's small wooden boat. Hong Tao wasn't very interested in these people; what caught his attention was the distinct Arab style of the small boat, with its long oars and round blades. Not only was the boat distinctive, but the person standing at the bow was also unique, wearing lantern pants and a short vest, looking very much like a Malay.

"Water people! Are you selling your fish?" The moment he spoke, Hong Tao was a bit confused. The man's accent sounded a bit like Jiang-Zhe, and he spoke very slowly, almost one word at a time, probably to make sure Hong Tao understood.

"Country bumpkin! What kind of fish do you want? This one or this one?" Hong Tao never backed down in words. Since the other party didn't respect him, calling him a water person, he had to get even. He put his hands on his hips, pointed at the two shark carcasses in the water with the harpoon, and then at the two bullhead sharks in the boat.

"Our ship owner happened to pass by and saw you fishing. Here, this string of coins is for you. We'll take all your fish. Clean them up and bring them over quickly." Seeing Hong Tao's attitude, the middle-aged man with a goatee on the bow immediately lost his smile. He picked up a string of copper coins from his feet, threw it onto Hong Tao's deck with a clatter, and turned to head back.

"Hey, hey, wait! Do you think you can buy shark fins for just one string of coins? Do you want fresh fish slices? Has your master gone crazy? Have you ever seen such a big fish? This is a porbeagle shark, very precious. Have you ever eaten fresh shark fins? See, they're still bloody! Don't waste my time. If you want to buy, it's one string of coins per fin, and the dead sharks in the water are two strings of coins each. If you can't afford it, please leave. Look, your disturbance has scared away all my sharks. I'm being generous by not making you pay for the loss!" Hong Tao used the harpoon to pick up the string of coins and threw it back, hitting the middle-aged man's back. Then, he looked at the man as if he were a beggar on the street, pointing with the harpoon to set the price.

"You're not a water person!" The middle-aged man's face immediately turned fierce, and he exposed Hong Tao's identity.

"Are you buying fish or people? If you want the fish, this is the price. If you want people, fill that ship with gold, and I'll go with you right away! Xiao Jiao, raise the sail!" Hong Tao was a bit nervous inside. He couldn't reveal his true identity, and he wasn't sure if there was a household registration system in the Song Dynasty. But he couldn't show weakness. Although the other party had a large ship and many people, Hong Tao wasn't really afraid of them. If they really started to run, it was uncertain who would be faster. Such a large merchant ship wouldn't dare leave the channel, or they might run aground and sink.

"Fine, I'll take them all at your price!" The middle-aged man, seeing that he couldn't scare Hong Tao, had no choice. He gritted his teeth, pulled out a stack of paper with pictures from his chest, and prepared to pay.

"Wait, I only accept copper coins, not paper money!" Hong Tao recognized the thing; it was paper money, with the smallest denomination being 200 coins. Chen Ming'en's ship had some, and it was very inconvenient to use outside of towns, as the Li people wouldn't accept it.

"According to the laws of the Song Dynasty, your words alone are enough to land you in prison for several years!" The middle-aged man was a bit surprised. He didn't expect anyone to dare refuse paper money in public, especially a water person.

"Don't talk nonsense to me. Buy or don't buy. If you have the ability, go catch them yourself. Let me tell you, the price has doubled. You might as well not buy!" Hong Tao really wanted to harpoon this guy to death. He talked too much and hit all of Hong Tao's sore spots. He no longer cared about making money; he just wanted to get away from this trouble.