An excited voice rang out over the phone.
The old vendor before me rolled his eyes, looking utterly speechless.
Still, he said to the person on the other end of the line,
"Old Cui, bring the boat over. I'll have them wait at the dock."
"Alright, alright, I'm setting off now."
"..."
The old vendor exchanged a few more words with the caller before ending the call.
I said to the old vendor,
"Thanks, sir."
The old vendor shook his head.
"It's nothing, but you'd better be careful out on the river.
"This river has plenty of rapids. There are undercurrents and whirlpools in the bend, like a giant mouth. When the water rises, they can swallow boats whole.
"You don't live on boats year-round, so I suggest having Old Cui row for you when the time comes. He's very experienced on this river."
Appreciating his kindness, I smiled and nodded.
"Alright! Thanks, sir. I'll go wait for him by the river."
With that, I bade him farewell and left.
After leaving the shop and returning to Master and Uncle Yu, I said,
"Master, Uncle Yu, the boundary marker for Flying Tiger Bay is about five hundred meters downstream from the dock. I rented a boat, and it'll be at the dock shortly."
Master and Uncle Yu listened.
Uncle Yu gave a quiet "Mm."
Master said,
"Then let's head down first. I can take a look at the river's configuration as well."
As he spoke, the three of us began walking toward the dock.
Once we left the town and reached the dock, we could see far into the distance.
A long stone-paved path stretched before us, with the boat dock below...
The dock sat within a river bend, with the water flowing in from the northwest.
The riverbanks on