manynovel Page 6
Page 6
The noise instantly filled the entire dock area.
Liu Jiu followed behind the crowd and stepped onto the plank. The plank bent slightly beneath his feet, making a creaking sound.
Stepping onto solid ground felt a little unfamiliar. Unlike a deck that was constantly swaying slightly, the ground was surprisingly stable.
He stood there for a moment, adjusting his position.
Sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled patterns on the muddy ground. The air smelled complex: the stench of the sea, dust, decaying leaves, and a faint floral fragrance.
A voice sounded behind him.
It was Rayleigh. He pushed up his glasses, held a small purse in his hand, and tossed it to Liu Jiu.
“Go buy some lumber for repairing the deck.” Reilly pointed to a messy lumber yard not far from the dock. “Pick some sturdy stuff, don’t get ripped off.”
The task was given simply and directly, leaving Liu Jiu no room to refuse or ask questions.
The purse landed in my hand, heavy with the rough metal coins of this world.
Liu Jiu weighed it in his hand, said nothing, and turned to walk towards the lumberyard.
The storage yard was huge, with logs and planks of various thicknesses and lengths piled up haphazardly, like small mountains. The air was filled with the rich aroma of wood and the smell of preservatives.
A burly man, shirtless and covered in sweat, was chopping a thick log with an axe. When he saw Liu Jiu coming over, he merely raised his eyelids.
"What do you want?"
“The wood for repairing the deck,” Liu Jiu said.
The burly man stopped what he was doing, wiped the sweat off his face with the towel draped around his neck, sized up Liu Jiu, and then glanced at the conspicuous large ship moored behind him.
“Over there,” he rudely pointed to a pile of processed thick planks, “choose one yourself, and pay by length.”
Liu Jiu walked over.
The wooden plank had a rough surface, showing the natural grain of the wood. He stretched out his finger and tapped it.
He then walked to another pile of lighter-colored wooden planks and knocked on them again.
Make the sound crisper.
He crouched down and examined the cross-section of the wooden board closely. The growth rings were dense, and the material did indeed appear to be harder.
"Which one is more resistant to seawater corrosion?" he asked the burly man, looking up at him.
The burly man seemed a little surprised that he would ask this, and replied in a muffled voice, "The darker kind, the more expensive one."
Without further hesitation, he began selecting the right size planks from the pile of dark wood. He picked carefully, checking for any obvious cracks or signs of insect damage.
The movements were slow, but very methodical.
The burly man leaned to one side, arms crossed, watching him without urging him on.
The sun shone so brightly on the wooden planks that they were scorching hot, and steam rose from them.
Fine beads of sweat appeared on Liu Jiu's forehead.
He straightened up, moved the dozen or so thick wooden planks he had chosen together, and stacked them neatly.
“These,” he said to the burly man.
The burly man walked over, roughly measured the length with his foot, muttered to himself calculating the money, and then announced a number.
Liu Jiu opened the money bag, counted out the corresponding amount of money, and handed it over.
The burly man took the money, weighed it in his hand, put it in his pocket, and waved his hand: "Take it with you."
Liu Jiu looked at the pile of wooden planks that was taller than him.
He found some thick hemp ropes, tied the wooden board securely, then bent down and tested its weight.
He took a deep breath and hoisted the bundled planks onto his shoulder.
The weight pressed down, and my shoulders slumped slightly.
He quickly regained his footing and walked toward the direction where the Oro Jackson was docked.
His steps weren't fast, but they were steady.
The rough edges of the wooden plank dig into my shoulder skin, causing a slight pain.
The harbor breeze carries the unique hustle and bustle of the shore.
He carried the heavy timber through the bustling crowd.
Like ants carrying food for the winter.
Walking the path we came from.
On the other side of the harbor, there is a slightly more secluded pebble beach.
Liu Jiu carried the timber, taking a shortcut back. The heavy planks made his steps slightly sluggish, and his breathing a little rough.
Then he heard some discordant sounds coming from the other side.
"Red-haired brat, red-nosed guy, you two are a match made in heaven!?"
"Hand over that tattered bundle you're carrying! I want to see what treasure it is!"
Several slovenly dressed men, clearly local thugs, blocked Shanks and Bucky's path. They were much taller and bigger than the two teenagers, and their faces wore a mocking, malicious expression.
Bucky clutched his chest tightly, where his "treasure map" was tucked, his face pale, but his mouth remained stubborn: "Get out of here! This is mine!"
Shanks stepped in front of Bucky, his fists clenched, but his eyes stubbornly fixed on the thugs: "What do you want!"
"What are you doing?" The leader sneered and reached out to shove Shanks' shoulder. "Teaching you guys some manners!"
Shanks was pushed and stumbled, almost falling over.
Bucky screamed, "Don't touch him! You bastards!"
Another guy took the opportunity to snatch the bag from Bucky's arms. Bucky, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, scratched and bit, desperately protecting it.
The scene was a bit chaotic.
Liu Jiu stopped in his tracks.
The heavy timber still weighed on his shoulders.
He was looking over there.
Shanks tried to fight back, but his strength was no match for those adults. His arm was easily twisted, and he was pressed against the rough gravel, his cheek scraped.
Bucky was held back by two people, and his bag was about to be snatched away. He was so anxious that his eyes turned red, and he cursed and swore with a sob in his voice.
Liu Jiu's gaze swept over those guys.
His movements were rough and full of flaws. His lower body was unsteady, and his eyes were cloudy. Apart from bullying children, he probably didn't have any real skills.
He glanced again at Shanks, who was pinned to the ground, and Bucky, who was on the verge of tears.
The shoulder carrying the timber twitched slightly.
He did not put down the timber.
He carried the heavy bundle of planks and walked towards the group of people.
The sound of footsteps was masked by the scraping of gravel.
Until his tall shadow enveloped those guys.
Liu Jiu spoke, his voice low and devoid of emotion.
The guy who was busy grabbing things and pinning people down paused, then looked up.
They saw a strange man dressed in sailor's clothes carrying a large bundle of timber, looking at them expressionlessly.
"Who are you? Mind your own business!" The leader frowned, his tone unfriendly.
Liu Jiu ignored him.
His gaze fell on the hand of the person twisting Shanks' arm.
"Let go of my hand," he said.
The guy got a little creeped out by his gaze, but emboldened by his numbers, he retorted defiantly, "Who the hell do you think you are? Get lost!"
Liu Jiu stopped talking.
His free hand shot out with lightning speed and precisely grabbed the thug's wrist.
I didn't see him exert any force.
The guy felt a sharp pain in his wrist, as if it were being clamped by iron clamps, and his bones felt like they were about to crack. He screamed and involuntarily released Shanks.
Shanks seized the opportunity to break free, rolled to the side, covered his bruised face, and looked at Liu Jiu with surprise and uncertainty.
Seeing this, the other guys gathered around, cursing and swearing.
Liu Jiu still didn't put down the wood on his shoulder.
He sidestepped the incoming fist, and with the force of his turn, the heavy bundle of planks swept across one of the men's sides like a battering ram.
"Ouch!" The man groaned, staggered back several steps from the impact, and landed hard on his backside, wincing in pain.
Another guy lunged at him from the side. Liu Jiu didn't move his feet, but his shoulder, which was carrying the timber, slumped slightly, and his elbow slammed backward.
It hit the man squarely in the chest.
The guy couldn't catch his breath, his face turned red, and he squatted down, clutching his chest.
The movements were clean and efficient, with hardly any extra sound.
In just a few moments, only the leader was still standing.
He looked at Liu Jiu, then at his groaning companion on the ground, a flicker of fear crossing his face. He pointed at Liu Jiu, his voice a mixture of bravado and fear: "You...you wait!"
After saying that, he helped his companion up and slunk away, not even daring to finish a harsh word.
The pebble beach fell silent.
All that remained was the sound of waves crashing on the shore.
Bucky broke free of his restraints and immediately checked the cloth bag in his arms. Finding it intact, he breathed a long sigh of relief before looking at Liu Jiu with a complicated expression.
Shanks got up from the ground, dusted himself off, walked up to Liu Jiu, looked up at him, his face still bearing the marks of his injuries, but his eyes were bright.
"Thank you... thank you."