Qingzhou was north of Xinxiang, separated from them by Xianzhou and Chongshan provinces.
From Xianzhou to Qingzhou, a continuous waterway called the Xianzhou River traversed both provinces and ran straight to Qingzhou's provincial capital.
Chen Shi rested for a night in the Xianzhou provincial capital and arrived at the riverbank docks early the next morning. Countless passenger boats and cargo ships traveled between the various provinces here. Among the many vessels, a painted pleasure boat was moored at the shore, and a boat girl stood on tiptoe, gazing out toward land.
Chen Shi was just as important as the Benevolent Lord, so she and her father divided their labor: one guarded the Benevolent Lord, while the other guarded Chen Shi.
She was responsible for guarding Chen Shi.
For this trip to Qingzhou, the waterway was the most convenient route, so she had moved her painted pleasure boat to the Xianzhou River early on, waiting for Chen Shi here.
After a short while, Chen Shi truly caught her eye.
Joy stirred in the boat girl's heart. She walked back into the cabin, thinking, When he sees my pleasure boat, he will surely walk over, and I shall tease him a bit and pretend it's a chance encounter.
The moment she stepped inside the boat, she heard a loud splash, followed by a chorus of gasps and murmurs of amazement from the boatmen.
She hurriedly looked outside, dumbstruck.
She saw that wooden cart belonging to Chen Shi leap right into the Xianzhou River, with Chen Shi and the black dog jumping aboard.
The parasol on that wooden cart snapped open with a swish, and the wheels spun as they drove out past the docks.
The boat girl stared blankly as the wooden cart traveled further and further away. Beneath that parasol, an