Chapter 326 - 326 Docking The Ship
326 Docking The Ship
Just as the atmosphere was getting awkward, one of the ladies, who was second only to her status, changed the topic. Only then did the others dared to catch their breath.
The woman looked at the lady, who was walking towards her, and felt relieved. She had to give the Grand Commandant’s wife her deserved respect.
The atmosphere here had improved, but in the corner, Xiaoguo was getting impatient. What was Jiang Danhe up to? Besides making her dress up like this, he even told her not to move at all. She had already told him that she wasn’t going to fish anymore, but he insisted on handing her a fishing rod and asked her to focus on fishing until he came over.
She didn’t manage to catch a single fish even though her hands had already turned numb. If the ship was stationery, she might be able to catch a few. However, how could she catch anything on a moving ship? Just imagine, if a fish was about to bite the bait, but the hook suddenly started moving. The fish would have to chase after the hook in order to take a bite.
Once again, Xiaoguo felt something bite on her bait. She lifted her rod, but there was nothing on the line. From getting excited to feeling numb, she was starting to get used to it.
After sticking the fishing rod on the ship and making sure that it was secure, she stopped fishing completely. Admiring the beautiful scenery was much more enjoyable.
Unlike the big yachts in modern times which were equipped with dining and leisure facilities, the ship only came with the basic amenities. Although it was a single-level ship, it was very spacious. There were seats, refreshments, and tables for the women to relieve their boredom.
Traveling at a moderate speed, it ensured that the passengers were able to reach the island as soon as possible while enjoying the beautiful scenery along the way.
Xiaoguo did see the sunrise when she boarded the ship in the morning, but the most charming thing to see while out at sea was probably the sunset. Since they were getting off the ship before noon, she would have to watch the sunset on the island.
Feeling bored, Xiaoguo looked behind her. The ladies from various families were gathered in small groups and chatting over tea. She was the only one fishing here alone. Just thinking about it made her feel sad.
However, she wasn’t keen to join them. She was seated not very far from them. Although they were speaking in lowered voices, she could still hear them. They were talking about rouge, fabrics, concubines, and even sharing intimate stuff from their boudoir. These people really dared to talk about anything under the sun.
Xiaoguo lost interest after hearing some of their conversation. As expected, the content of television dramas were inspired by life in reality. She had thought that the family dramas on television were a little exaggerated, but they don’t seem so exaggerated to her now. The legitimate wives would gather to insult the concubines, and the concubines would plot to bring down the legitimate wives. The complicated plans and schemes that they came up with was truly shocking to hear.
She retracted her gaze and looked at the sea again. Fortunately, Jiang Danhe didn’t have any concubines. If he did, she probably wouldn’t last longer than two episodes.
Speaking of which, she was suddenly reminded of Jiang Danhe. The men and women were seated separately on the ship. With a sail in the middle, they couldn’t see each other at all. He mentioned that he would come back to look for her but it was more likely that she would only see him after they alighted the ship. She was now left alone to guard the fishing rod and listen to the gossip among the women.
It was unknown which minister’s concubine was spouting nonsense at the moment. She was talking about everything, including taboo subjects like intimate affairs in the bedroom. She even asked the other concubines for advice. From time to time, one could hear them giggling in the background. The wives nearby were rolling their eyes in exasperation.
Xiaoguo’s interest was piqued. But her interest did not lie in the women’s discussion. She was more interested in watching the expressions on everyone’s faces and looking at the clothes they were wearing.
The wives were dressed modestly, and their every move coupled with their rolling eyes were proof that they were the legitimate wives.
On the other hand, the concubines were dressed coquettishly and their every move revealed that they were the favored ones in the household.
There were also some girls who were dressed in more youthful-looking attires. Xiaoguo could easily tell whether they were the daughters of the wives or the concubines.
Humans were really strange creatures. It was easy to tell whether one was favored or not by looking at their facial expressions. Those fortune tellers probably relied on this to make their predictions.
Just as Xiaoguo was getting excited, a submissive figure in the corner caught her eye.
“Hmm?”
Xiaoguo lifted the hat that was in the way and looked at the woman carefully. The women who came on this ship were the favored ones in their household. Her clothes were very beautiful, but the style looked slightly dated and the colors were a little dull. She must have worn them for many years. Moreover, her skin was a little dark. She did not look like a pampered lady at all.
Who exactly was she?
Just as Xiaoguo was engrossed in her thoughts, the other party suddenly looked in her direction. Xiaoguo was shocked and was about to look away in embarrassment. Unexpectedly, the other party looked away in panic. Xiaoguo was stunned. What was going on? Shouldn’t she be the one feeling awkward? Why did the other party look so guilty?
“We’re here, we’re here.”
At this moment, someone spotted the land in the distance and said loudly. Of course, it was probably one of the concubines who said it. Otherwise, all the wives would not be wearing a look of disdain on their faces.
Xiaoguo also saw that they were about to reach land, so she quickly sat down and held onto something for support. She was afraid that the inertia of the ship stopping would throw her off balance.
As for the other women, some of them were keen to check things out. They stood up quickly and ran to the side to look at the destination while gesturing excitedly. They were very happy and did not sense any danger at all.
Xiaoguo looked at them and wanted to warn them of the danger. She stopped a group of girls nearby and told them to sit tight, telling them that it might get bumpy while the ship was docking. Unexpectedly, after hearing her words, the girls looked at her in disdain and walked away. Without looking back, they went ahead to check things out with their friends.
Xiaoguo’s kindness had gone unappreciated. She retracted her gaze and held on to her seat. She had already warned them and It was none of her business whether they took her advice or not.
While the women’s section was bustling with activity, it was not so lively on the other side. When the men saw that the ship was about to stop, they automatically held on to the wooden planks. Jiang Danhe looked worriedly at the other side. He wondered if Xiaoguo knew what to do. He had forgotten to remind her about being careful.
As soon as the ship stopped, it swayed a little due to the force of inertia. Although it was not a big movement, the resulting impact was quite substantial. The passengers on Jiang Danhe’s side were safe and sound, but those on the women’s side were screaming in fright. The other ministers frowned when they heard this, seemingly embarrassed by the behavior of their family members.
Only Jiang Danhe looked over worriedly. Once the ship stopped moving completely, he started walking over. However, considering that there were unmarried girls, Jiang Danhe stopped himself and stood anxiously at the entrance of the ship.
When the women finally stopped screaming, Xiaoguo put down her hands. It was unbelievable that she was able to hear them even when she covered her ears.
It took a while for the group of young ladies to calm down. Having grown up in a sheltered environment, these girls had never encountered such a situation before. They were so frightened that their faces turned pale. Everyone looked very pitiful. When they saw Xiaoguo’s calm expression, they felt a trace of guilt. If only they had listened to her a while ago.
Xiaoguo had no time to care about their thoughts. All she could think about was Jiang Danhe and Zhuang Zhuang. She wondered if the two of them had held onto something while the ship was docking.
After the ship was docked, she got up anxiously, wanting to take a peek at the other side. Just when she reached the sails and was about to peek out, she saw a face. Because it was so close when she tried to focus, she ended up with crossed eyes.
Jiang Danhe thought that she looked super cute, so he laughed. Xiaoguo was a little embarrassed. She stood up shyly and deliberately asked, “Which woman are you peeping at?!”
Jiang Danhe also stood up. Just a few moments ago, he had just seen a small figure sneaking over towards the men’s section. Although the sail was thick, it was slightly translucent. The sun was shining from her side, so he could see her actions clearly.
Hearing her question, he knew that she was fuming because of embarrassment. Hence, Jiang Danhe cleared his throat and said, “I was trying to see you of course, little woman.”
“Shh!”
Xiaoguo couldn’t help but feel a little shy. She looked around carefully. Fortunately, everyone’s attention was elsewhere. Otherwise, it would be too embarrassing if anyone heard him.
Jiang Danhe didn’t think much of it. There was nothing to be shy about since he was talking to his wife.
Xiaoguo laughed at his thick skin. She really had to hand it to him.