On the Min River, river water churned with white, scaly waves, one layer piled upon another. Viewed from afar, the Min River resembled a great dragon, and the waves were the dragon's scales.
A painted pleasure boat drifted on the river. Wind talismans whipped up the gales, billowing the sails and driving the pleasure boat at a flying speed across the river's surface.
The boat girl cracked melon seeds, smiling brightly as she looked at Chen Shi and Li Tianqing.
Chen Shi wore a smile, asking, "Are the seeds good?"
"Have a taste!" The boat girl scooped up a handful and offered it to him.
Li Tianqing hastily tugged at Chen Shi's sleeve.
These were two fugitive underworld bailiffs.
Could food given by them be eaten?
Yet Chen Shi took the melon seeds and cracked one open. It had a five-spice flavor, stir-fried with tangerine peel; the crisp crunch carried a refreshing fragrance of tangerine peel that moistened the throat nicely, unlike other melon seeds that left the throat dry when eaten in excess.
"Is it good?" The boat girl asked with a smile.
Chen Shi praised, "Good. Why did you two father and daughter flee the Underworld?"
Li Tianqing's heart instantly leaped into his throat, and he secretly bewailed—was this a topic that could be brought up?
When they arrived at the Min River ferry, Chen Shi had insisted on boarding their boat upon seeing the pleasure boat. Li Tianqing was somewhat reluctant, but unable to overrule Chen Shi, he had no choice but to board. He never expected that once aboard, Chen Shi would actually bring up such a question!
There were other scholars on the boat as well, who had likewise waited in vain for the Autumn Provincial Examination and were returning to Xinxiang, sharing the vessel