After they went ashore, the cow jumped down after them. As for the boatman, he hurriedly rowed the boat back out to sea, clearly terrified beyond measure.
Song Qingshu could not help laughing. He had long heard that people along the coast feared Peach Blossom Island as though it were a den of vipers, not daring to come within forty li of it. If anyone mentioned Peach Blossom Island by name, no merchant ship or fishing boat would come, no matter how much money was offered. The boatman had realized something was wrong halfway there and had been about to turn the boat around, only for Huang Rong to force him to keep rowing with a dagger.
The boatman had heard countless rumors about Peach Blossom Island—that its master killed without blinking and loved nothing more than digging out people's hearts, livers, lungs, and intestines. The moment he saw the two of them disembark, he hurriedly turned the rudder, intending to flee.
Huang Rong took out a silver ingot and tossed it over. With a clang, it landed on the bow. The boatman had not expected such a generous reward and was overjoyed, but he still did not dare linger by the island.
"I never thought that after you and your husband had been great heroes for so long, these boatmen would still fear Peach Blossom Island like a tiger," Song Qingshu teased.
Huang Rong blushed. "It is a remote border town. Information does not always travel well."
Back then, her father had not wanted outsiders approaching, so he had deliberately spread some rumors. Who would have thought that after all these years, the boatmen would still be so frightened?
Song Qingshu smiled. Suddenly, he caught the rich fragrance of flowers in the sea breeze. Looking into the distance, he