Chapter 42 Relationship Changes
The fleet traveled day and night, and the speed increase was not just as simple as doubling it.

Because the time of anchoring and resting is saved, the price is that the crew's life becomes more difficult.

Compared with life, what is this little bit of suffering?
At night, Zhen Mi did not go to the deck to get some fresh air, but just took out the toilet and took care of her personal hygiene.

She didn't ask Black Bear for maids or the like to accompany her. She probably just wanted to do that but wouldn't bring it up for the time being.

The fleet was formed not long ago, and although there were some smart girls, their personal hygiene was very poor.

There were plenty of opportunities to bathe and wash my hair while on the fleet, but there were still a lot of lice in my hair and on my body.

This problem must be solved together and cannot be delayed, otherwise Zhen Mi will also be infested with lice.

As for the black bear, after the white magic power was injected into his body, his attraction to mosquitoes and the like increased greatly, which made him very distressed.

Nothing happened during the night, and when the sky brightened, Hei Xiong and Xuan Liang completed the handover.

The cabin on the second floor is spacious, and the stairs connecting the cabins are located at the stern, below the bird room. Now there is a lack of crew members, so Black Bear, Zhen Mi, and five Taoist soldiers live in the cabin on the second floor.

When he passed by Zhen Mi's compartment, he saw that Zhen Mi had cut two pieces of coarse linen and made a cloth curtain to replace the bamboo curtain.

He raised his hand and gently opened a corner, and saw Zhen Mi sleeping on her side with her feet facing the door, covered with a thin quilt sewn with coarse linen.

After looking at Zhen Mi's profile for a while, he summoned a blood peach and placed it in the bamboo basket in the corner, then turned around and went back to his own compartment and fell asleep.

After sleeping for nearly two hours, the black bear got up and looked at the shore through the shooting hole. At this time, the sun was rising and there were no clouds in the sky.

The fleet sailed along the Si River. The paddy fields on both sides of the river had no shortage of irrigation water, but signs of drought were becoming more and more obvious.

Looking into the distance, far away from the river, the bushes and grass grow slowly, and the grass is green, which is in sharp contrast with the bright green rice seedlings in the paddy fields.

After a brief observation, the black bear went out and turned into the living cabin under the deck. There was a side door here, and it could come up directly from the river.

This door cannot be opened easily, so three soldiers were assigned to guard it in turns.

He opened the door to get water, and Black Bear took off his red scarf to wash his short hair and face. He cut his hair himself. Later, he recruited Xuan Liang and others, and out of caution, he did not find anyone to do a detailed repair.

So his stubble was not neat, but it didn't matter much that he wrapped his head with a red scarf all day long.

After washing up, he took another bucket of water back to the second-floor cabin and gave it to Zhen Mi, then sat beside her and watched her comb her hair. "We have passed Pengcheng, and it will take another hour and a half to pass Lu County, and another hour or so to pass Lu County to reach a manor. This manor has nearly a hundred acres of peach trees, but it's a pity that the flowering season has passed."

Zhen Mi stopped washing her hair and said in surprise: "We passed Pengcheng so quickly?"

"We can use the side sail to get the wind. If we can get the northwest wind, we will be faster. It will be slower when we reach the Huai River. We can use the southeast wind when sailing against the current, but it is only slightly faster than walking on two legs."

"If we could build a flying ship, it would be very convenient to travel to various places. In the morning, we could travel to the North Sea, and in the evening, we could stay in Cangwu."

"Once it is stable, I will build a large cart that can not only swim in the water, but also be equipped with wheels and pulled by twenty or thirty horses. In this way, I can travel around the world and cover a thousand miles a day."

"The world is vast, so you shouldn't be confined to one corner. While Cao Cao hasn't unified the north yet, I can still take you around the world. Otherwise, when Cao's army moves south with all its might, there won't be enough time."

Relying on the refinement of black and white magic, it is possible to obtain epoch-making materials, and it is not difficult to build an amphibious nuclear-powered vehicle.

Zhen Mi listened to the black bear's mumbling and asked, "My dear, do you think the Yuan family will lose?"

"Yes, Yuan Shang is brave, but he is still young. Among all the heroes in the world, no one can compare to Cao Cao in terms of ruthlessness. Just based on this ruthlessness, it will be difficult for Yuan Shang to grow up."

"Cao..."

Zhen Mi murmured and continued to scrub her hair.

At this time, the black bear stood up and approached. Zhen Mi noticed it and slowed down her hands that were scrubbing her hair.

As a result, Black Bear just put his hand into the basin to scrub her hair. Seeing that Zhen Mi did not resist, he squatted beside the basin and scrubbed the ends of her hair.

Seeing that her ears were as red as blood peaches, Black Bear suddenly asked: "Do you know Cao Zhi?"

"..."

Zhen Mi shook her head, and Black Bear thought she didn't know, so he said, "I stayed in Xudu for a day, and heard people say that Cao Zhi was a playboy when he was young, and he looked a lot like his father when he was young."

Zhen Mi raised her head, used both hands to wipe away most of the water stains from her hair, and then she put her long hair in a bun on her head and wrapped it with her middle dress. She wiped the water stains from her face before saying, "I have met Cao Zhi."

"In the autumn and winter of the third year of Jian'an, when I got married, the Cao brothers came to Yecheng. Among the Cao brothers at that time, Cao Zhi was the most natural."

Zhen Mi didn't smile and asked, "How old is my dear?"

"Fifteen, and in the winter month it will be sixteen."

Black Bear also looked at Zhen Mi. Although she didn't look very young, she didn't look very old either, so he asked, "What about you?"

"I was born on the fifteenth day of the twelfth lunar month in the fifth year of the Guanghe reign, and I am nineteen years old now."

Zhen Mi looked at Black Bear again: "I thought that you were an extraordinary person, but you just looked immature. So if you count it this way, you are the same age as Cao Pi."

"Cao Pi...what do you think of this man?"

"I heard that Cao Pi was naughty and active when he was young. When we met that year, it might be because his elder brother died in Wancheng, so Cao Pi pretended to be mature and concealed his nature, unlike his two younger brothers who were straightforward."

Given the friendship between the Yuan and Cao families in the past, the couple entertained the Cao brothers for a period of time after the marriage, and they got to know each other well.

As Zhen Mi spoke, she thought of some details, smiled and shook her head, looking at the black bear's face: "Cao Zhi was seven years old that year, and often came to play with me. Cao Pi also wanted to come, but Cao Zhang liked hunting, and often went hunting with Yuan Shang, and always dragged Cao Pi along. Among his brothers, I like Cao Zhi and Cao Zhang the most."

The coming-of-age ceremony will be held when one reaches adulthood, and some people may have it at the age of fifteen or sixteen and receive a courtesy name.

But only children aged seven will be given a name, and children who die before the age of seven often do not even have a name.

Therefore, the fifteen-year-old Cao Pi has not yet entered officialdom, and his brothers have not yet received their coming-of-age rites.

"I am actually the same age as Cao Pi. I wonder if I can succeed him."

Black Bear sighed, his eyes fell on Zhen Mi's face, his eyes gradually moved down and he smiled, lowering his voice: "Having you, I have already got half of the destiny." "My dear, you are joking. I am an ordinary woman, how can I talk about destiny?"

"Here is destiny."

As Black Bear spoke, he stepped forward and placed his palm on her abdomen. Zhen Mi subconsciously stepped back and looked up to observe Black Bear's emotional changes.

Seeing that the black bear did not look angry, he asked, "Sir, when do you have breakfast?"

"It's almost done. I'll go check it out and bring it to you when it's done."

Black Bear pointed to the deck above his head and said, "Your blood and qi are in good condition. Get some sun to help restore your vitality. The people on this ship are all reliable. There is no need to hide your identity. Not many people will know you when you go to Jingzhou."

Zhen Mi still shook her head: "I am not afraid of being exposed, but I am worried about ruining Yuan Shang's career. He doesn't care about my life or death, but he cares about the friendship between his brothers. If I fake my death, his family will take care of mine; if the news leaks out, his brothers will turn against each other, and my mother and clan will be destroyed."

She analyzed calmly, her eyes falling on Black Bear's face: "Although you ruined my marriage, Yuan Shang and I have a murderous feud. How can I talk about marriage if I am dead? You also saved my life and gave me a new life. I know my way forward. When I arrive in Jingzhou, I will say that you saved me from the hands of pirates. This way I can change my identity and not bring trouble to my family."

"You are concerned about your family, and I am also concerned about the safety of my family. I understand how you feel."

The black bear met her gaze and took a step and a half forward, raising his chin slightly to look at Zhen Mi, who was half a head taller than him.

His blood was boiling and he was about to say something when Zhen Mi leaned forward slightly and came closer.

Indistinctly, Black Bear understood that she deliberately talked about the Cao brothers. She didn't like people who concealed their emotions.

Without hesitation, he stretched out his arms, held Zhen Mi's wet head and walked forward.

Zhen Mi took two small steps back with her back pressed against the wooden wall, and both of them tried to move as gently as possible so as not to make any unusual noises.

The more he pestered her, the more Black Bear hated the curved skirt on Zhen Mi.

He stopped his hands and whispered, "The boat is too thin, wait until we get ashore."

Zhen Mi just looked at him with a smile, her eyes fiery and confident.

Understanding her gaze, Black Bear hugged her through seven or eight layers of clothing: "I want to go upstairs to take a look. If I don't go, Xuan Liang won't cook."

After they separated, a feeling of attachment emerged in his heart. Black Bear raised his hands and rubbed his face to suppress his emotions, but the high emotions were difficult to suppress and restrain.

He concealed the joy on his face, but the excitement in his eyes could not be hidden.

Even the way he walks has the gait of a dragon or a tiger.

As majestic as a colorful rooster patrolling the roof.

Rice had been cooked on the deck, and fish soup was being cooked when the black bear arrived.

Xuan Liang noticed the difference in Black Bear's state at a glance, and was also infected, smiling: "Sir, do you want to visit Lord Xue after passing Lu County?"

"No, we won't go. Last time, the mob of Pei people blocked the canal entrance and we were in danger. If Wang Zhong and Liu Dai from Pengcheng and Xiapi come together, even if we can escape, we will suffer heavy losses."

Black Bear did some calculations and refused. After all, his love life had already ended, so why take the risk and go there?
My family business is small, so there is no need to take risks.

Xuan Liang ordered the sailors to prepare food, and then asked, "Should we stop at Xia Pi and recruit sailors?"

The leader of the soldiers, Xu Lin, also looked over eagerly. Black Bear thought about the risks involved and said, "There are Liu Dai's troops stationed in Xia Pi City. It's not a good idea to stop the ship near Xia Pi."

Xuan Liang said, "Xuzhou is far away. If Liu Dai doesn't know about Chenliu, he will mistakenly think we are returning to Jiangdong."

Seeing Xuan Liang was determined to recruit more Xia Pi people, Black Bear was puzzled: "Aren't you afraid of falling into Liu Dai's hands?"

Xuan Liang was stunned, but then he realized that if he wanted to deal with the officials of Xia Pi City, he would have to be the envoy.

As the fleet expanded, his status was significantly improved, but no one could replace him in the mission to Xia Pi.

At least in the eyes of his own leader, Xuan Liang is still the best envoy.

After thinking about it, Xuan Liang suggested: "How about recruiting fishermen near Xia Pi?"

"can."

Black Bear recalled the memories of the last voyage on both sides of the strait, and said: "We will stay overnight in Xiaxiang. If the county soldiers do not drive us away, we will stay there for two days. You should hurry up and contact the fishermen and poor families. If they are willing to go to Jingzhou, we will recruit them on board."

Xuan Liang nodded: "We have transported a lot of horses, and can also transport more than 300 men and women. If there are children, we can recruit 400 people."

"Okay, you and Xu Lin will recruit together. The number of soldiers will be expanded to 120, and you can take care of the rest."

As they were talking, the food was served, and Black Bear called a Taoist soldier to deliver the food to Zhen Mi.

He was a little hesitant to go, fearing that he would be entangled there and unable to escape.

Zhen Mi seemed to have figured it out, and after being let go, she would no longer restrain herself.

Zhen Mi must be in need of a sense of security now.

She wants to gain a sense of security through the means she is familiar with.
His schedule has been stable since the fleet was formed.

He would sleep for more than two hours in the early morning, and spend the rest of the time on the deck, learning sailing and naval warfare experience from Xuan Liang.

The old men in the fleet were already accustomed to his presence. Whether he stood on the wooden platform in the birdhouse or on the observation deck on the main mast, he could stabilize morale.

After all, the fleet was traveling through enemy territory, and there was always the possibility of encountering risks.

Zhen Mi is in the boat and won’t disappear suddenly.

What's more, this guy's reaction gave the black bear a negative intuition that he needed to be vigilant.

(End of this chapter)