HNYWEF -Chapter 175 The Raging Current

Zhenguan Year Five, Eighth Day of the Fourth Month.

The Yellow River.

In the end, Zhou Xiong chose the direct route through the Yellow River.

The ship departed from the Bianzhou ferry crossing and headed north.

The river here was more than twice as wide as it had been at the ferry. The water was murky, yellow tinged with red, and wave after wave slammed against the hull, rocking the ship from side to side.

It was an official vessel, two decks tall and spacious enough, but on the Yellow River, it still swayed relentlessly.

Zhou Xiong stood at the bow, looking toward the northern bank.

The shore was still far away, only a hazy gray line in the distance, hard to make out clearly.

Wind roared across the river, whipping his robes so hard they snapped loudly in the air.

He did not move.

He simply stood there.

And watched for a very long time.

He had not come here in fifteen years.

He did not know whether her father was still alive.

Back when he had passed the Mingjing examination, her father had been close to forty. Now he should have been in his fifties.

After returning home, he had become a teacher. Life would have been poor, but his body should still have been strong.

Or perhaps… perhaps he was already gone.

The wind was fierce, the current violent, the ship rocking ceaselessly beneath his feet, yet Zhou Xiong stood perfectly still, staring toward the northern bank.

At first, Zhou Yi had stood beside him. Later, he retreated to the railing and gripped the side of the ship.

After a while, he crouched down.

Zhou Xiong heard movement behind him and turned around.

Zhou Yi was squatting beside the rail, pale-faced, lips pressed into a thin line, a sheen of sweat covering his forehead.

One hand clutched the railing tightly while the other covered his mouth. His Adam’s apple bobbed repeatedly.

Zhou Xiong walked over and stopped in front of him.

“Seasick?”

Zhou Yi nodded, not daring to speak.

Zhou Xiong lowered his head and looked at him for two breaths before turning and shouting toward the rear.

“Bring a bowl of water.”

A maid brought over a bowl from the cabin.

Zhou Xiong took it, crouched down, and held it out to Zhou Yi.

“Drink some water. Don’t keep staring at the bottom of the boat.”

Zhou Yi took it with trembling hands, spilling half the water immediately.

He drank a mouthful, swallowed, then drank another.

Afterward, he handed the bowl back and let out a breath. His face was still pale.

Zhou Xiong did not stand up. He remained crouched there, looking at Zhou Yi.

“Feeling better?”

Zhou Yi nodded.

Zhou Xiong said nothing more.

He reached into his robes and pulled out a small porcelain bottle, about the size of a palm, sealed with a wooden stopper.

He pulled the stopper free and held it beneath Zhou Yi’s nose.

A cool scent rushed into his nostrils—mint, borneol, and something else he could not identify.

Zhou Yi inhaled once, then again, and gradually the churning in his stomach subsided.

Li Lizhi poked her head out from the cabin. When she saw Zhou Yi crouched beside the railing, she hurried over.

The ship lurched, and she stumbled slightly before steadying herself against the rail. Then she walked over and crouched beside Zhou Yi.

“Are you alright?”

Zhou Yi shook his head.

Li Lizhi looked at his pale face, then at the porcelain bottle in Zhou Xiong’s hand, but asked no questions.

She placed a hand on Zhou Yi’s back and gently patted him twice.

Zhou Yi’s body stiffened for a moment, then slowly relaxed.

Zhou Xiong sealed the bottle again, tucked it back into his robes, stood up, and returned to the bow.

He stood there, continuing to watch the northern bank.

The shore was still distant, still only a hazy gray line.

He watched for a long time.

Behind him, Zhou Yi remained crouched there while Li Lizhi continued patting his back gently, again and again.

The boatmen shouted something in the rear, and people hurried back and forth busily.

The ship reached the shore.

The boatmen lowered the gangplank, and Zhou Xiong was the first to step off.

The moment his feet touched solid ground, he paused briefly before continuing forward.

After taking two steps, he suddenly stopped and turned around.

Zhou Yi was coming down the gangplank, his legs still weak, supported by Li Lizhi.

Behind them followed two maids, four guards, a carriage driver, and an old servant in charge of the luggage.

Zhou Xiong looked at them for two breaths, then turned away and continued walking.

Zhou Yi stood on the riverbank, feet planted firmly on unmoving ground.

He straightened up, took a deep breath, and looked around.

His father had already gone quite far ahead. His shadow stretched long across the riverbank, his steps steady and unwavering.

Suddenly, Zhou Yi felt that the way his father had stood at the bow staring toward the northern bank earlier… he had not merely been looking at the shore.

“Let’s go.” He tugged lightly at Li Lizhi’s sleeve.

The two of them followed after him.

The others behind them followed as well. The group walked along the riverbank while the figure at the front neither turned back nor slowed down, simply continuing onward.

The wind blew in from the river, lifting and fluttering everyone’s robes.