Chapter 96

**Sending off, and sending off again!** The small pier was crowded with people waving their straw hats and headscarves, bidding farewell to the small boat with the black sail that was about to set off. Hong Tao set out to hunt whales, accompanied by the weeping Bozhu, the excited Bojiao, the bewildered Huang Tao, and the neglected Karl. Originally, Hong Tao wanted to bring his sworn brother, Chen Qihong, but he was about to get married to Huang Sha, and Chen Ming'en didn't want his child to take such risks anymore. It was better to get married first. Hong Tao thought this was reasonable, so he gave the remaining spot to his wife, Bozhu.

**Bozhu had been unhappy these days.** She had become a laughingstock among the women on the island. Her sisters-in-law and other women gossiped about her behind her back, and often teased her face-to-face about how she clung to her husband so much that she didn't even have time to cook, and how her husband brought food back to the room for her. This made her, the head of the Women's Federation, lose all her authority. She avoided going out whenever possible, and if she had to, she would run with her head down. But she didn't dare tell Hong Tao, fearing he would see her the same way, and even cried in secret.

**Living together, it was impossible to completely avoid each other, especially with Hong Tao's cunning mind.** He quickly noticed her unusual behavior and easily got her to tell the truth. Hong Tao didn't have a good solution for this problem. In this era, especially for women, it was hard to persuade them. To change them, it had to be done gradually and subtly. The environment constantly influenced them, making them more resistant to change than men.

**Hong Tao couldn't tolerate his wife being wronged, especially in a way that couldn't be expressed.** Since she was being bullied on the island, he decided to take her out to sea with him. It would also be a good opportunity for her to learn navigation. If there was anyone in this world he could basically trust, it was this little wife. She truly followed him wherever he went, and he was her whole world. Most women of this era were like that. If they could travel to the future, they would probably make all the men in China ecstatic, they were so gentle and considerate.

**The Tanka people didn't want women on their boats, right?** Yes, but Hong Tao said that the reason they encountered the whale pod last time was mainly due to Bozhu. Whales liked boats with women, and if Bozhu didn't go, he couldn't guarantee finding whales. Without whales, there would be no fragrant oil, and without fragrant oil, there would be no money. Which was more important? They had to choose! Naturally, the whales were more important. Even Bo Fu, the old stubborn man, after praying to Mazu and asking the gods for forgiveness, personally sent Bozhu onto Hong Tao's boat. He also didn't forget to warn his daughter not to go to the bow of the boat!

**"From now on, we will be seabirds, flying together, catching fish together, laying eggs and hatching chicks, and making our children seabirds too. No one will control us, we can go wherever we want. Isn't that great?"** As soon as they set sail, Hong Tao was the master. He had just left the pier when he ran to the bow of the boat, hugging Bozhu. No one could object, and anyone who dared to complain would be punished to scrub the deck, and if they still didn't comply, they would have to scrub it again! If anyone dared to defy him, Karl would stand up to protect his master. Karl didn't know how to wrestle, but he was skilled with a sword, and could wield a small wooden stick with incredible skill, even Hong Tao couldn't beat him.

**"Nonsense, people don't lay eggs..."** Bozhu was so worn out by Hong Tao that she had no spirit left. Being hugged by her husband in front of her nephew and Huang's cousin was scandalous. But it felt quite nice, and she neither wanted to resist nor could resist. Losing face a few times felt like a big deal, but losing it every day made it a habit.

**"Ha ha ha... people can't fly either, you're too honest! What if I get chased around the world and no one wants me? We can live on the boat, can't we?"** Hong Tao stroked Bozhu's face. She was so simple that he couldn't even make up lies smoothly. In a way, she was more cunning and more opportunistic, which made him feel more balanced.

**"Why would they chase you? We can stay with Grandpa..."** Bozhu didn't understand what Hong Tao meant.

**"You married a troublemaker... I might do something big in the future, and even your grandpa might not like me, and might join others in chasing me. What then?"** Hong Tao was more talking to himself than to Bozhu. Only this pure-hearted woman could let him speak freely about things he couldn't say to anyone else. She was his haven, and even the strongest fleet needed a port to rest.

**"Then we'll go back to your hometown!"** A married daughter was like water that had been poured out, and Bozhu unhesitatingly chose to stand by Hong Tao.

**"Yes, that's right. If they don't like me, I'll stay far away from them and live our own life! I'll tell you, on the other side of the sea, there's a larger continent, with people living there. I can speak their language. I'll take you there and become the leader of a tribe, and there will be even more whales."** Hong Tao felt much lighter after Bozhu's words. This haven of the heart was quite effective.

**Originally, Hong Tao was worried that his efforts to reform the Tanka people and those around him would fail, stirring up their greed but not being able to control them, and suffering as a result.** Now, he realized that things weren't that complicated. It was like starting a business with Han Xue and her sister in his previous life. He could move towards his goal step by step, but always had a way out. If things went wrong, he could turn around and leave. If they didn't want him here, he could go be the leader of the Indians! Arm them, develop them, and he could rule over North and South America. What about the Spanish, Portuguese, French, and British? They could all go to hell! If they dared to come here to grab money and territory, they should watch their own homes in Europe, because he wouldn't even bother to rob them!

**"Your uncle loves your aunt very much..."** Karl's Chinese had improved a lot, and it had to, living with a group of people who spoke a foreign language. He had to find ways to integrate, or he would be like a deaf and mute person.

**"What's it to you! Stop staring at my aunt! You have no good intentions!"** Unfortunately, he only learned the language, not the culture. Such comments about relationships in front of family were not acceptable in the Song Dynasty. Not only would Bojiao not understand, but unfamiliar Song people would be furious, beat him up, and take him to the authorities.

**"I was praising!"** Karl knew he was misunderstood and quickly explained to Huang Tao.

**"... You should also stop staring at my wife! Or I'll stab you!"** Huang Tao was even more ruthless than Bojiao, and he agreed with Bojiao. Whether the couple was affectionate or not was none of Karl's business, and he definitely had no good intentions.

**"Sir..."** Karl had no choice but to seek help from Hong Tao, who understood him the most.

**"Bojiao, where's your sea chart? Also, tell Uncle Huang Tao what the consequences are if the sea chart is damaged. I'll check later, and if anyone forgets to record the navigation parameters, they'll have to scrub the deck three times."** The sailboat was only about 6 meters long, like two rooms. As long as they didn't deliberately lower their voices, with the wind and waves, anything said at the stern could be heard at the bow. Hong Tao and Bozhu didn't miss a word of their argument. Bozhu was too embarrassed to speak, but Hong Tao had to protect his most loyal and temporary lackey.

**"Oh... Uncle Tao, come with me, I'll tell you about the bamboo tube..."** Instantly, the deck was quiet. Karl returned to the helm, and Bojiao pulled Huang Tao into the cabin, probably to tell him about the terrifying rules on Hong Tao's boat. Bojiao never wanted to scrub the deck in the hot sun again, and he didn't want Huang Tao to become a victim because he didn't know the rules.

**Hong Tao's chosen route was similar to the Tanka people's autumn route for sardine fishing, heading southeast towards Ganshan Island.** However, he didn't plan to stop at Ganshan Island this time. The planned route would be even farther, continuing southeast, where there should be another piece of land, the Luzon Island of the future. Currently, it was called Mindoro, and the name "Philippines" was given by 16th-century Spanish colonizers, either Philip I or Philip II, both named Philippe.

**Luo Youde's sea chart had Luzon Island, but it was drawn very small and out of proportion, so Hong Tao didn't dare to use it as a reference.** He decided to measure it himself, which was more reliable. How far was the journey from Hainan Island to Luzon Island? Hong Tao referred to Luo Youde's sea chart and estimated based on the map in his memory. It should be within 2000 kilometers, similar to the distance from Zhenzhou to Guangzhou. This distance was within his grasp, as long as he didn't encounter a major storm. However, in the South China Sea during winter, major storms were rare, making it a relatively safe time.

**As for whale hunting, Hong Tao had a plan.** If they encountered a suitable whale on the way, they would kill it, butcher it, and cut it into pieces, loading it onto the small wooden boat they were towing and their own boat, then return to Ximao Island as quickly as possible. If they didn't find a suitable whale, they would spend a few days exploring the coast of Luzon Island, collecting as much data as possible, then find a place to resupply and return while looking for whales. He wasn't sure if they would find whales, as he hadn't paid attention to this in his previous life, and the environment and climate had changed over nearly a thousand years. Who knew if there were still whale pods here?

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