A Cao Army soldier stopped a man.
The man had a dark face and looked thoroughly honest and simple. When the Cao Army soldier stopped him, alarm immediately appeared on his face. He asked fearfully, "S-sir, what's wrong?"
"You're asking me what's wrong?"
The Cao Army soldier glared and pointed at the ox cart behind him. "Livestock can board, but ox carts can't!"
"And why have you loaded so much onto your cart? Aren't you afraid you'll crush the planks when you cross the gangway and fall into the water?"
"Come on, hurry up! Unload that stuff!"
The man intended to lead an ox cart aboard. The problem was that it carried a great deal of merchandise, and boarding required crossing a gangway, which could easily collapse beneath its weight.
The man immediately grew anxious at these words and pleaded, "Sir, I sold everything I owned to buy these goods! If I unload them, I won't have any way to survive!"
"Please have mercy, sir. Just let me aboard!"
The Cao Army soldier said impatiently, "I said no, and I mean no! If you want to bring goods aboard, go over to the cargo ship. Only people and livestock can board here!"
"Go on, get lost! Stop holding everyone else up!"
As he spoke, he drove the man away, pushing him aside so the civilians queuing behind him could continue boarding.
An unusual look flashed through the man's eyes. He glanced toward the cargo ship nearby, said nothing more, and slowly led his ox cart over.
The cargo ship was large and sat deep in the water, and its gangway was sturdy as well. This time, no one stopped the man, and he boarded without difficulty.
He was not even questioned.
On shore, quite a few civilians and traveling merchants