Chapter 99

In ancient times, places suitable for human habitation generally shared a common feature: rivers. The Chinese people developed and thrived in the Yellow River Basin, and ancient Egypt, ancient Babylon, and ancient Europe were no different. Even the early British immigrants to America chose to live near rivers. This was not for fishing, but because people could not live without water, especially fresh water. Whether for daily life, production, farming, or transportation, a river with a gentle current was crucial. If there was also a riverbank with not too low-lying terrain and not too poor soil, it would be a vital condition for development during periods of low productivity.

Hong Tao thought this river was quite suitable. The water at its estuary was slightly yellow, and the current was not very swift, indicating that there was sediment in its basin and the elevation difference was not too great. He planned to wait until dawn the next day to sail upstream and explore the river. If it turned out to be a good place, he would note it down, as it might come in handy someday. This place was not far from Hainan Island, and with favorable winds and currents, it would take only four days to get there. If things didn't work out on Hainan Island, establishing a settlement here would be a good option. It was better to plan ahead rather than act on a whim.

"Sir! Sir! Sir!" After dinner, the watch shifts were arranged, and the sailors, who had been at sea for over five days, all went to sleep early. Although they still slept on the deck, the sight of the coastline had relaxed their spirits, and they quickly fell into a deep sleep. After completing his first watch, Hong Tao briefed Karl on the precautions and then lay down to sleep. After some time, he suddenly felt someone touching his body and heard Karl's low voice calling him.

"What's wrong? Is there someone on shore?" The ship was anchored in shallow waters about a mile from the shore, and Hong Tao's only concern was being attacked in the middle of the night. He didn't even light the ship's lanterns and kept a reverse bow by his side as a precaution. When he was woken up by Karl, his first thought was that they were being attacked, and he immediately grabbed the reverse bow.

"No, no, it's... it's the wrath of heaven, the heavenly fire! The heavenly fire!" Hong Tao had never seen Karl so panicked, and he was even stuttering, drawing a cross on his chest as he spoke.

"What's going on?"

"What's happening?" Karl's commotion woke up two of the three people in the cabin, but Bo Jiao, being young, was still sound asleep.

"Shh... What are you shouting about! What heavenly fire? If you dare to lie to me, I'll leave you here forever and you'll never get home!" Hong Tao whispered a warning, then got up and followed Karl out of the cabin.

As soon as Hong Tao left the cabin, he immediately sensed something was wrong without Karl's guidance. The eastern sky was like it was being scorched by a fierce fire, turning a large area red, and he could faintly hear the rumble of thunder. The flickering flames seemed to be accompanied by rolling smoke.

"Damn! No camera! This once-in-a-century spectacle, and I can't even take a picture! You guys, get up quickly, or I'll kick you all into the sea to wake you up!" Hong Tao wasn't as panicked as Karl and the others, who were kneeling on the deck praying to various deities. Instead, he took the small telescope from the sextant and looked towards the distant flickering flames, immediately feeling elated.

"Taolang, what is that?" Bo Zhu, the most obedient, quickly got up from the ground, hugging Hong Tao's arm and hiding behind him, only peeking out with a pale face, as if the fire would soon reach her.

"What Taolang! It sounds like Dao Lang to me. From now on, call me Lao Hong, and I'll call you Xiao Bo. We're revolutionary partners, hehehe..." Hong Tao didn't rush to explain what the fire on the horizon was to Bo Zhu but instead focused on the way they addressed each other. In the Song Dynasty, common women usually called their husbands "X Lang," and if they were more refined, they called them "Lang Jun." Husbands called their wives "Niangzi" or added a surname, like "Bo Niang." However, Hong Tao was too lazy to change his way of speaking. "Bo Niang" sounded like he was calling an elder, and "Taolang" didn't sound good either. "Hong Lang" was even worse. He decided to use modern terms.

"Lao... Ah Lang, tell me quickly, what is that?" Bo Zhu opened her mouth but couldn't bring herself to use the strange term, so she just pulled on Hong Tao's arm, shaking it hard. After spending time with Hong Tao, she had become less formal in her interactions with him. If her old-fashioned grandfather saw her, he would scold her again.

"I'll make you kneel and pray! Get up, that's not heavenly fire, nor is it a deity. It's a volcanic eruption! This isn't something you can see just because you want to. I'm telling you, you might not see it even if you live for several lifetimes. You're lucky to be with me! Xiao Tao, go wake up Bo Jiao and let him see this... Hurry up! Do you want me to tie you up again? You forget your pain once the wound heals!" Hong Tao first kicked Karl and Huang Tao, who were still kneeling and praying, and then kicked Huang Tao into the cabin.

"Come, each of you use this to look. What heavenly fire? In my hometown, there are many of these, just big mountains with a lot of molten rock inside. When it can't hold anymore, it bursts out! It's like... like the pimple on your face. When I squeeze it, the bad stuff inside bursts out! Hey, you're trying to dodge, come here!" When the drowsy Bo Jiao was also pulled out of the cabin, Hong Tao lined up the three of them and had them take turns using the telescope, explaining and using Huang Tao as an example. Poor Huang Tao, his face was the only one with a pimple.

"That's also the Lord's punishment for sinners, or why would there be hellfire... Ouch!" Karl was still being poetic, but he received a harsh blow from Hong Tao, a slap to the back of his head that almost sent him into the sea. He had to hold his head and hide to one side, not daring to make a sound or even draw a cross.

"Don't be afraid, it's still far away, at least eighty miles. It seems the land further inland is mountainous. With a big river, forests, and mountains, hehehe, it's a good place. I must go in and check it out. Now, all of you go back to sleep and get ready to wake up early!" Hong Tao wasn't worried about the distant volcano. It wasn't erupting violently, and he hadn't heard of any major volcanic eruptions in the Philippines. It was probably just a small volcano that occasionally spewed out some lava. If that was the case, this place could be a treasure. Volcanic ash is excellent fertilizer, and the land would be fertile. The mountainous area would likely have mineral resources, as geologically active regions often do.

As the sky began to lighten, under Hong Tao's coercion, the three people reluctantly and shivering raised half a sail and slowly sailed into the river mouth. The volcano was still erupting, but it didn't look as terrifying as it did at night. There was no visible fire, only a column of black smoke rising into the sky. The river was wide, with a gentle current, and the water was not very clear but deep. Karl used a rope tied to a large stone to measure the depth as they sailed. The river center was over five meters deep, and the depth at one-third of the distance from the shore was over three meters, with no visible reefs, making it an excellent waterway.

After entering the river mouth, there were two small stone hills on either side, like gatekeepers. However, about a mile further, the terrain became flat, with forests on both banks. The northern side was slightly sparser and shorter, while the southern side was a dense, dark forest.

"This place is good, see? Those large tree trunks lying on the shore! They were burned by a fire, indicating that the northern area suffered a forest fire about ten years ago. The fire was quite large, burning everything in this area. The trees you see now have grown back since then." Soon, Hong Tao found the reason for the stark difference in the forests on both sides of the river. At the first bend in the river, the shore was covered with hundreds of blackened tree trunks, clearly washed down from upstream. Combined with the fallen trees in the northern forest, the answer was clear.

"Such thick timber, it must be over a hundred years old!" Huang Tao pointed to a burned tree on the shore, amazed. There were large trees in the mountains of Hainan Island, but such thick and straight giants were rare.

"Yes, look at the south side, all these large pines. If we take them back to Ximao Island, they would make Wen Bo very happy." Hong Tao's eyes also lingered on the trees. Pine wood was excellent for shipbuilding, especially for keels and ribs, being very durable and strong. Pine trees also produce large logs, and with the pine forest along the river, Hong Tao had a lot to think about.

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