The woman looked at her sympathetically: "Then you and your husband are really unlucky!"
Xiao Lingyue lowered her eyes and her pale face looked extremely weak: "This is our first time taking a boat. We didn't expect to encounter such a thing. I don't know how my husband and the others are doing now..."
The young man on the side, Xiao Liu, hurriedly comforted him: "You don't have to worry too much. The water bandits on the Canglan River are all managed by someone. They only rob money and don't hurt anyone. I'm sure your husband and the others will be fine!"
Xiao Lingyue's eyes flashed: "Is there anyone still in charge of the water bandits?"
"Yeah, if you don't believe me, ask Sister Qiao." Xiao Liu looked at the woman.
The woman nodded: "The waters around here are managed by the Caogang people. They will indeed block and rob private boats when they encounter them, but those people still follow the rules and generally won't hurt anyone."
Xiao Lingyue said hesitantly: "But my husband's and my boat hit a water hook last night..."
When the woman heard this, she showed a sympathetic expression: "What does your husband do?"
Xiao Lingyue: "..." She didn't know how to answer.
At this time, another middle-aged man by the campfire said: "Madam, you and your husband are not ordinary people, are you?"
Xiao Lingyue said calmly: "Where do you start talking about this?"
The middle-aged man shook his head: "Those of us businessmen who often travel by water know that the water bandits are just for food. Generally, small caravans and private ships will not set up water hooks to intercept them unless they encounter them."
It’s a fat sheep.”
Xiao Lingyue immediately recalled that the boss of the ship also said similar words when they were on the ship.
Her eyes flashed: "You mean, there are water bandits on the pier at the river crossing, and they are looking for information for them. If they encounter a fleet of wealthy businessmen or the like, they will lay hooks in advance to rob them?"
The middle-aged man nodded: "There are people like this on every dock. Unless we give up the waterway, we can't avoid them!"
The woman looked at Xiao Lingyue sympathetically: "If it's your first time to walk on the waterway and you don't know the rules on the river, you might accidentally expose your wealth on the dock and be targeted by water bandits."
Xiao Lingyue suddenly remembered the middle-aged man who behaved strangely on the boat next door that she saw on the dock.
I didn't know what to say for a moment.
Could it be...
Is that man the one they say is the lookout for the water bandits?
However, something is still wrong.
Xiao Lingyue asked softly: "What is the Caobang you are talking about?"
Xiao Liu blurted out: "They are water bandits wearing official skins!"
Xiao Lingyue: "..."
"Xiao Liu! Don't talk nonsense!" the woman scolded with a stern face.
"What I said is all true..." Xiao Liu shrank his neck.
Xiao Lingyue frowned and said: "Wearing official skin...could he be from the government?"
The woman frowned and said nothing for a while.
The middle-aged man said calmly: "The Caobang is not a member of the government, it is just a non-governmental organization under the jurisdiction of the government and is responsible for shipping circulation."
Xiao Lingyue continued to test: "Then what do you mean when you say that the water bandits are under the jurisdiction of the Cao Gang?"
"That's what it means literally." The middle-aged man laughed, then changed the subject, "You haven't had time to ask your wife's name?"
"...My husband's surname is Xiao."
"Mrs. Xiao?"
Xiao Lingyue pursed her lips and smiled, nodding slightly, with a reserved and dignified air between her eyebrows.
The woman smiled and said, "Mrs. Xiao doesn't look like an ordinary person. What does your husband do? Is he also a merchant?" She asked curiously, but her eyes looked at Xiao Lingyue suspiciously.
There is nothing wrong with Xiao Lingyue's deliberately disguised temperament. The problem is that she is wearing a men's guard uniform.