It was just dawn, and in this large courtyard with three entrances and three exits, the servants and maids who got up early started to work, cleaning the courtyard, boiling firewood and preparing breakfast.
Mu Qingxue relied on her powerful perception of the third level to lead Shen Lang around the courtyard.
Sometimes he even took him over the courtyard wall, avoiding all the servants and maids along the way. Apparently he didn't trust the servants here either.
This large courtyard and the servants in the courtyard were all arranged by the government.
In addition to a few official officials such as Fu Zun and Fu Cheng, many petty officials and clerks in the government office, including the head catchers and policemen of the government office's execution hall, are mostly held by local people, and they are afraid that they have been infiltrated by the government.
Became a sieve.
Therefore, in Mu Qingxue's opinion, the servants and maids arranged by the government in this courtyard must have spies from the government. If they want to act secretly, they must avoid their sight.
Mu Qingxue led Shen Lang out of the compound, and walked through the streets and alleys, easily avoiding the various people who got up early to make a living on the streets, and finally came to the depths of a remote alley and entered a small independent courtyard.
In the yard, there was an old man who looked to be in his fifties, with gray hair, wrinkles on his face, and a slightly stooped back. He was sitting on a wooden barrel and eating pancakes.
Seeing Mu Qingxue leading Shen Lang over the wall, the old man hurriedly swallowed the pancakes in his mouth, filled his mouth with water from a kettle, and then walked over quickly with a fist and saluted:
"Meet Mr. Mu."
Mu Qingxue's pretty face was cold, she nodded calmly, and said to Shen Lang:
"He is your guarantor for joining the gang, Lao Xu, Xu Dashan, nicknamed Lao Gouzi."
Then he introduced to Lao Xu:
"His name is Shen Lang. He is your nephew. He is seventeen years old. He lives in Lianshan Township, Changsheng County. He has made a living hunting with your cousin-in-law since he was a child, and he has learned good marksmanship. Because he had a dispute with a boy from a big family in the village over the prey.
, accidentally discharged his shotgun, killed someone by mistake, fled his hometown all the way, and came to join you. But you had planned to go into seclusion and could not take him out to sea anymore, so you vouched for him and introduced him to the pirate shopkeeper. Remember
Already?"
Lao Xu nodded repeatedly:
"Remember, he is my nephew..."
Retelling Shen Lang's character, although not every word is missing, it is still very similar.
And Shen Lang was able to accept his own personality.
If he had just traveled back in time, asking him to pretend to be an Orion would definitely not work.
His skin is too fair, his body shape is not strong enough, and there are no calluses on his hands. He just looks like a scholar, and it is impossible to play the role of an Orion.
But now, during the hottest month of July, he practices under the bright sun every day, and his tan has long gone from white to dark—the first level of skin strengthening has no sun protection function.
The tendons and joints of the hands and feet have also become thick and strong, and the body shape has also been trained to be strong and strong. He has also practiced swordsmanship, musketry, and "tiger claw hands". Thick calluses have quickly developed between the fingers and palms, and they have become stronger and stronger.
It can satisfy the Orion character design.
After giving Shen Lang some details, Mu Qingxue said to Lao Xu:
"If this happens, your past crimes will be wiped out, and I will allow you to take your savings and return to your hometown to live in seclusion. From now on, no one will bother you with your past crimes."
Lao Xu bowed gratefully:
"Thank you Mr. Mu!"
Mu Qingxue nodded and said to Shen Lang:
"All that needs to be said has been said. Let Lao Xu go and take care of yourself along the way. I wish you success immediately."
Shen Lang cupped his fists and saluted Mu Qingxue:
"I admire your Lordship's good advice, and I will certainly live up to your trustworthiness by going here!"
After that, Shen Lang did not hesitate and followed Lao Xu out of the courtyard, then walked through the streets and alleys, came to a horse and carriage shop, hired a carriage, and headed south of the city.
As the carriage was moving leisurely, Lao Xu whispered to Shen Lang:
"Young Master Shen, what you are going to join this time is a group of pirates who are both businessmen and bandits. We lost a lot of people when we went to sea last time, and we need to add new blood, so that you can have a chance to get in.
"Of course they don't recruit people casually, they either recruit old pirates they are familiar with, or they have to have a long-time veteran like me as a guarantee...
"After you get on the boat, don't wander around, talk less and ask less questions. Just do whatever the old sailors tell you to do, and don't contradict them.
"I'm old and I no longer make a living at sea. The only face I have left is enough to guarantee that you get on the ship. After you get on the ship, I'm afraid no one will look at my face and give you much care..."
Shen Lang nodded repeatedly, carefully noted down Lao Xu's instructions, and asked from time to time:
"Will there be robberies on the road? What if the pirates want me to kill people and hand over certificates?"
"A single gang of pirates is both a businessman and a bandit. They usually engage in sea trade smuggling. Unless they encounter a perfect opportunity, they will not easily commit robberies. Furthermore, this trip is to the Thousand Stars Islands to participate in the pirate alliance. Important matters are important, so we should
There will be no extraneous consequences.”
"Then should I give my real name then, or should I come up with a nickname?"
"Of course you have to use a nickname. Pirates rarely reveal their real names. My real name is only known by a few old fellows from my hometown who went to the sea with me to make a living. The old fellows died one after another, and no one knows my real name anymore.
, they all just call me Lao Hook."
"What about my name being 'Langli Baitiao'? Or 'Lidi Taisui'?"
"...Young Master Shen, you are joking. Pirates are all rough and tough. Your bandit horn sounds majestic, but it is not easy to pronounce... It is better to choose a more vulgar bandit horn."
"Well, you're really stumping me... How about you help me think of one?"
"How about calling him 'Black Mask'?"
"What do you mean, Lao Xu? Am I ugly?"
"Well, Mr. Shen, you are certainly handsome. Men on the sea are exposed to the wind and sun, eating the sea breeze and drinking the waves. There are few handsome young men like you. But your skin is indeed a bit too dark..."
"Why is it black? I call it bronze! No, I don't want to call it black-faced ghost. Lao Xu, you can think of another one for me."
"Uh..." Old Xu frowned and thought for a long time, and then whispered: "Young Master Shen, you are said to be good at using shotguns, and you can always hit the mark. Why don't you just call your bandit's name 'shotgun'?"
"Shotgun? Just that little thin tube? What the hell...forget it, my bandit name is 'Pony'. Angry Pony."
"Angry Pony? This is too long...Okay, I understand, I'll just call it Pony."
So Shen Lang's pirate number was decided.
The carriage traveled for almost half an hour before finally exiting the south gate.
Outside the South Gate, there are still many buildings and criss-crossing streets. At this time, the sky is already bright, there are more and more pedestrians on the street, the shops are open for business, and the vendors have set up their stalls to sell.
Shen Lang opened the car curtain and looked at the street market outside.
The Yingzhou Prefecture Inner Harbor Pier is just three miles outside the south gate. Therefore, the market outside the south gate has a large number of seafood shops, and the salty smell of dried and fresh seafood wafts all over the street.
Many servants of big families are here to select the fresh seafood that has just arrived in Hong Kong. There are also many housewives from small families, carrying bamboo baskets, picking small fish and shrimps in front of some seafood stalls, giving them a copper each.
of bargaining.
There are some bald or short-haired workers, wearing short-breasted jackets and showing their chests, sitting in small groups at street food stalls, eating seaweed and shrimp soup, devouring various seafood stuffed buns and pancakes, and feeling full.
After drinking enough, he wiped his mouth, threw down a few coppers, laughed loudly and made various vulgar jokes and went straight to the dock, ready to start the day's work.
Occasionally, a wild cat can be seen suddenly jumping out from the corner of the alley, grabbing the sea fish next to the stall and running away, making the stall owner yell loudly and making passers-by burst into laughter; one or two wild dogs are also often seen eagerly guarding a certain meat dish.
In front of the stall, he wags his tail and waits for the stall owner to reward him with some scraps.
Although the market outside the south gate is not as tall as the market outside the north gate when I entered the city a few days ago, it has a more lively market atmosphere.
Shen Lang watched eagerly all the way, and before he knew it, the carriage had arrived at Harbor Street.
Lao Xu paid the fare and took Shen Lang out of Gangkang Street, but instead of walking toward the port with thousands of sails like clouds and forest of masts, he set foot on a tree-lined path outside Gangkang Street, winding along the Naqi District.
After walking for more than ten miles along the trail, we climbed over the hill on the left side of the port and arrived outside a small fishing village.