Not far from the port of Hong Kong, there is a small fishing village where dozens of fishermen live who make a living from fishing, and Zhu Niang and her family live here.

Today's weather is not very good, and the overcast sky always makes people feel a little oppressive. After lunch, she sat at the door of the house with a straw stool (a stool made of straw) and needlework, and began to mend the nets one by one.

A dark-skinned woman in her thirties walked out with a basin full of clothes, and when she saw Zhu Niang mending the fishing net, she couldn't help but shake her head: "Zhu Niang, this fishing net is too broken, don't make up for it, let your father buy a new one in a few days." ”

"Niang ......" Zhu Niang turned her head to the comer: "Although this fishing net is broken, it can still be used, besides, the new fishing net costs a lot of silver, and it can save a little is a little." ”

"Alas...... You kid, why are you so stubborn? Zhu Niang's mother shook her head helplessly: "Didn't the military master who saved you two last time give our family fifty taels of silver when they sent you back, and your father still has some left after ordering a new ship, and these silver are all saved, enough for us to buy several more fishing nets." ”

"Mother...... Look at what you say. Zhu Niang put down the fishing net in her hand a little unhappily, "It's already a great favor for people to save the lives of my father and daughter, how can we still ask for their silver." Anyway, the daughter has already decided, and when the weather gets better in a few days, the daughter and her father will go out to the sea to fish more, and when they have saved enough money, they will return the money to others. ”

"Alas......" The middle-aged woman sighed lightly and persuaded: "Mother's stupid daughter, this is fifty taels of silver, you two must feel when you can save enough silver." Besides, didn't the military master who sent you back say that this silver was given to our family, and you don't have to pay it back, why are you so stubborn. ”

Zhu Niang didn't speak, just shook her head resolutely, and a somewhat dark face flashed in her mind.

The middle-aged woman saw her daughter's appearance and let out a sigh from her mouth, as Zhu Niang's biological mother, she knows her daughter better than anyone else, the girl who has been fighting with her father and the sea since she was a child has already cultivated a heart that never admits defeat, thinking of the slender and white-toothed military master and her daughter who have been in a daze for a long time last time, she seems to understand something.

Holding the basin in one hand, the middle-aged woman walked quickly to the side, but before she could take a few steps, she saw her husband hurrying from outside.

"The child, her mother, Zhu Niang, something is wrong, something is wrong!"

The middle-aged woman who was taken aback glared at her husband dissatisfiedly and scolded, "What's wrong, look at your surprise, could it be that the ship we ordered has been completed?" ”

"It's not!" Zhu Niang's father walked quickly to the side of the two, because he was walking too quickly, a layer of sweat beads had appeared on his face, but at this time he didn't care about wiping his sweat, he only heard him say loudly: "Do you know, yesterday a sailor of the imperial court and Zheng Da Boss They fought a big battle outside, Zheng Da Dang and the second master were killed in battle, and the port and wharf outside were all occupied by the imperial court sailors!" ”

"What, Zheng Da was actually killed in battle?"

The middle-aged woman's eyes widened in surprise.

"How is this possible? Zheng Da had so many men and warships, how could they be defeated? ”

Even Zhu Niang put down the needle and thread in her hand and looked at her father in surprise, her eyes full of incomprehension.

Zhu Niang's family moved to Bon Port from Fujian seven or eight years ago, and in their impression, Zheng Zhilong, who has nearly a thousand ships and thousands of sailors, is almost invincible, how can he be defeated, even if their opponent is the imperial court sailor, Zheng Zhilong is not without a hard fight.

"How could it be?"

Zhu Niang's father saw that his daughter-in-law and daughter didn't believe him, and his neck was a little red, so he said loudly: "Not only has this matter been spread all over the outside, but I just came back from the dock, and now our dock is full of warships of the imperial court sailors." Those imperial court soldiers are cleaning up the port, I just took a sneak look, good guy, the port is full of the corpses of those people, and there are too many of them. ”

When it came to those people, the man who had never frowned even when he encountered strong winds and waves on weekdays lowered his voice.

After listening to her father's words, Zhu Niang suddenly asked, "Dad, did you see the warship that saved us a few days ago?" By the way, that ship seems to be called the Qingyuan. ”

"This ......" The middle-aged man scratched his head a little embarrassed, "Zhu Niang, it's not that you don't know that your father is illiterate, besides, the warships of the imperial court look almost identical, how can I recognize your father?" I...... Eh...... Where are you going? ”

Before the middle-aged man finished speaking, he saw Zhu Niang throw away the needle and thread in his hand, stand up and run outside......

"Hey...... Zhu Niang, where are you going? Eh...... You mother-in-law, what are you pulling me for? ”

Zhu Niang walked very fast and hurriedly, and she didn't even hear her father's shout.

"Boss, stop shouting!" Zhu Niang's mother grabbed her husband and said angrily: "You dead old man, don't you even know what your daughter is thinking? ”

"I know something, me." Zhu Niang's father felt that he was very wronged.

"You're stupid, I don't know how I fell in love with you back then." Zhu Niang's mother stretched out her finger and tapped it fiercely on her man's forehead, "Don't you see, our Zhu Niang has someone she likes eight times out of ten." ”

"Got someone you like?" The middle-aged man touched his head suspiciously: "Why don't I know, I also asked Zhu Niang before, but she said that she didn't fancy any of the young men in the surrounding ten miles and eight towns, otherwise I would have asked the matchmaker to come to the door to propose." ”

"I ...... Why did I marry such an idiot as you. Zhu Niang's mother was so angry that she reached out and pinched his waist fiercely, "You didn't notice that since the last time you were rescued by the imperial court sailors, Zhu Niang has been a little wrong when she returned home?" For example, he often is in a silent daze, and sometimes he laughs inexplicably. ”

"This ...... I really didn't find out. Zhu Niang's father showed a somewhat embarrassed expression, "You know, I've been so busy with the new ship these days, how can I notice this." But when you say that, I think of it, Zhu Niang...... That's right, it's him. ”

Zhu Niang's father slapped his thigh violently, and his face showed a look of sudden realization: "I know, it must be him, it's that guy, Zhu Niang must have taken a fancy to this kid......"