As the boat traveled along the river, Chen Caozhi finished a tune on his Recorder. A strong wind suddenly rose, sending the ferry drifting downstream, unable to dock at Maple Forest Ferry on the opposite bank.
This was a small ferry carrying Chen Caozhi, Ran Sheng, Zhu Yingtai, and her two maids. The three oxcarts were still on the northern bank, waiting for the larger ferry.
Black clouds unfurled like a great curtain from west to east, blotting out the horizon. The near-noon sky abruptly darkened. The little ferry sped downstream, pitching with the waves. The Zhu Clan's two maids cried in alarm, "With such a strong wind, could the boat capsize?"
Zhu Yingtai remained calm, merely watching Chen Caozhi with wide eyes.
Chen Caozhi unhurriedly wiped the mouthpiece of the Keting Flute clean, slipped it into a blue cloth bag, and put it away in its wooden case. "Don't worry. There are reasons they chose this spot for the crossing. The river is broad here and the current gentle. Even with wind and waves, it won't become too turbulent. Besides, the dense maple forest on the southern bank and towering Qiyun Mountain to the north provide a good windbreak-sit steady, and don't crowd to one side."
The elderly boatman steadily brought the ferry ashore somewhere three or four li downstream from Maple Forest Ferry. Rain was already pouring down in torrents. All their rain gear was in the oxcarts on the other bank, so none of them could leave the boat.
The elderly boatman recognized Chen Caozhi. Such a handsome young man was unforgettable to anyone who saw him even once. "Don't fret, Master Chen. Just wait aboard. We can't return to the ferry landing to take passengers now anyway-oh, yes, people from your Chen Family Cove were waiting