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There was silence on the river, save for the monotonous sound of the waves crashing against the side of the ship. The white sails were puffed up by the river wind, and the wind blew the sails, and the sails led the boat southward. Standing on the deck and looking around, the sea around me was silvery white reflecting the light of the stars and moon, and the waves were jumping around the ship.

By the light of the moon, it was clear that the deck of the Express was crowded with people, who, as in the past, were huddled on the deck, and they sat there with a look of trepidation and despair, their numb faces still bearing traces of the suffering they had suffered.

For these people, who had just been killed on both sides of the ship and on the shore, they did not resent the shelling and shooting, but only a kind of visceral resignation and insensitivity that was momented in their bones. Occasionally, there was even a hint of happiness on their faces, as if they were glad that they had survived.

Yes, in the Taipings, there were no deaths, and here, no matter what, they will be able to survive!

"Not to mention being able to eat enough, there is still meat in the rice, and there is water to drink when you are thirsty......"

After sailing on the Yangtze River all night, Xue Hailong, who was discouraged, comforted himself in his heart, although the days on this boat were really difficult, but on the other hand, he was secretly glad in his heart, glad that he had made the original choice, if he hadn't made that choice and escaped from the dock, since they were lucky not to be blown up on the dock, I am afraid that they would also become the bones under Wuchang City. And on the ship, as long as they are honest, this food and water are indispensable, and compared to the days when they were captured in the camp, this life seems to be better, even better than at home.

Occasionally, he would cast his eyes to the stern of the boat, looking at the young man standing at the stern, in the moonlight, Mr. Zhu's brows were furrowed, as if he was thinking about something, he had already seen that the real owner of the ship was this person, even those foreign devils were obedient to him in front of him, after all, they had to rely on him to eat.

Where will this guy take the big guy?

Will you let everyone live?

At the same time as this thought came to his heart, Xue Hailong's heart couldn't help but be filled with sadness, he was also a scholar, but now what he wanted was just a way to live, which was really better for a peaceful dog than for people in troubled times......

Hey, but even if you get on the boat now, what can you do?

When he got out of Wuchang, he threw the big guy under the boat, and he repaid the favor he owed in Hankou, and when the time came, he, like everyone else, would not be thrown off the boat, and what if the Taiping army came over again? Caught in the hands of thieves again?

Looking at the merchant standing at the stern of the boat, Xue Hailong couldn't help but think about it, and he didn't know if he wanted to make a tent, help him take care of the accounts, as long as he didn't get thrown off the boat, as for ...... Looking at the folks who were asleep sitting on the deck, although they couldn't bear it, now, the most important thing is to save themselves.

This, this is all fate, and I can't blame others.

Zhu Yifeng, standing on the bridge, holding a pipe in his hand, these **** still regained his past vices and smoked again, when he smoked sometimes, he would always look at the people who were sleeping on the deck.

The nearly 200 people on this ship are all coolies who escaped from the dock, originally they were the people Yang Xiuqing was going to "sell" to himself, and now they have escaped to the ship, what should they do next? Will they be let go, or will they be sent to Africa as originally planned?

Delivery to Africa...... It's just too far away!

And now - the stern rudder of the Express has been hit by a shell, and although it can barely maintain its direction after some emergency repairs, the Express with multiple bullets is now not suitable for long-distance sailing.

And this means that it is impossible for him to send them to Africa, even after the "Pacific" arrives, he cannot send these people to Africa, after all, the "Pacific" is full of arms, and there is no doubt that the arms on the "Pacific" are more valuable than people.

Looking at the sleeping people, his brows were tightly knit, and he even had to smoke to calm his emotions.

What to do?

What about these people?

Otherwise, just throw them away!

When this thought came to mind, Zhu Yifeng looked at the river bank again, in the next dozens of days, the Taiping army will go all the way south along the river, and finally seize Jiangning, and drive these people off the boat, isn't it forced to force them to death?

Ay!

After a long sigh, Zhu Yifeng shook his head helplessly.

Originally, he had no "ambitions" because of the resettlement of these people, but the result was beyond his imagination, and the deal with the Taiping Army was obviously impossible to continue, so even if they were sent to Africa, without the support of successor manpower, there would be no hope for the so-called "colonization of Africa" at all.

Now, these people are just a burden to themselves.

It should have been ...... Just when the heart of regret appeared in the bottom of his heart, Zhu Yifeng felt that the oncoming river wind seemed to be stronger, and in his surprise, the sail that had just been puffed up suddenly opened up as if it had been blown violently, and the speed of the boat immediately accelerated.

The wind hit in an instant, completely beyond everyone's expectations!

"Hold the wheel!"

When the waves on the river were rolling and the hull of the boat was swaying with the wind and waves, Shen Ming shouted loudly.

"Boss, go to the cabin ......"

When Shen Ming spoke, Zhu Yifeng immediately felt that this gust of wind was different from the past, this wind rose very quickly, almost reaching the level of a storm in an instant, and the originally calm river surface was immediately broken by a sudden wave, and the waves were constantly lapping the hull, intensifying the shaking of the hull.

Zhu Yifeng, who was holding on to the railing tightly, wanted to return to the cabin, but every step became extremely difficult, and the wind blew the boat forward at a high speed.

"Boatswain, Sail ......"

The captain's voice stirred in the gale, and the deck was filled with shouts of terror as the sailors climbed the mast with their nets, and those who had rejoiced in the aftermath of their lives were immediately overshadowed by the fear, and they cried out in terror and desperately clung to the handrails around them.

In this extremely rare winter wind, the hull of the ship shook violently, although Shen Ming desperately held the rudder, but the ship was not beaten by the waves and winds, unable to maintain the course, can only constantly adjust the course, in order to stabilize the hull, against this gust of wind, but under the action of strong storms and rain, the "Express" that is sailing is actually on the verge of losing control, and the waves are constantly slapping on the hull.

By this time the sailors on the mast had cut the cables, and a few white sails were blown by the wind, but despite this, the hull was still beaten by the waves, and while the swaying of the ship became more and more violent, the vision ahead was faintly blurred in the storm.

"How's it going, Captain Shen......"

Without waiting for Zhu Yifeng to finish speaking, Lin Yuqing and Yu Xiaobao, who desperately ran to the stern of the boat, grabbed the owner tightly and shouted loudly.

"Owner, this is the ghost wind blowing on the river in winter, you hurry up and get to the cabin to ......"

Because the two of them have been begging for a living on the river since childhood, they naturally know what kind of wind this kind of wind is that blows quickly and gets up quickly, although it is the most common in summer, or sometimes such a ghost wind blows in winter, and when the wind is strong, it can blow a ship directly and sink it.

Without waiting for the two of them to help Zhu Yifeng to the cabin to shelter from the wind, there was a crisp sound from the stern of the ship, and at that moment, Shen Ming, who was originally at the helm, ran out of strength, and the person was almost not spun by the spinning gangway.

The rudder that was hit by a shell in Hankow was broken!

After the people at the stern realized this, their faces instantly turned pale, even Zhu Yifeng, who didn't know how to sail, knew the seriousness of the problem, and without the rudder, the ship ......

At the same time as realizing the seriousness of the consequences, the "Express", which was still fighting against the strong wind under Shen Ming's efforts, had completely lost control, and as the wind and waves rose and fell on the river, no one knew where the wind would blow the ship, and no one knew whether the ship could withstand the beating of the wind and waves, and the surging waves hit them.

After the ship lost control, through the storm Shen Ming vaguely saw that there seemed to be land in front of him, and he hurriedly shouted loudly.

"It's going to hit the shore, everyone hurry up and ......"

Before he had finished speaking, the crowd screamed at the same time—and the ship seemed to be lifted by the waves. Under the blow of a huge wave, the "Express" suddenly and unexpectedly rose all at once. Then under the impetus of the waves, he "smashed" it fiercely towards the shore, and at the moment when the hull of the ship "smashed" towards the shore, at least at that moment, Zhu Yifeng seemed to have an illusion that the boat was flying......