Newborn 1927

Yang Jiefang said he wanted to check on the fishing boats, but didn't go immediately. Since Yan Donglai couldn't show himself, he decided to take Wang Dali and Chen Ergou with him. Of course, he didn't intend to go empty-handed, so he bought quite a few gifts to take with him.

It was a small fishing village by the sea, or at least a fishing village. The people living there mostly made their living by fishing. All the boats capable of going out to sea were out fishing, leaving the sea quite empty. Some dilapidated fishing boats were moored in the water, mostly stranded and unable to go out to fish. The fishermen had built makeshift houses on their boats using planks of wood. There were also some small houses built from broken planks or thatched roofs on the shore. Not a single young man was in sight; it was all elderly people, women, and children. Some were drying salted fish, others were mending fishing nets. Children chased and played nearby, but the villagers paid them no heed. The arrival of Yang Jiefang and his two companions clearly caught their attention; they glanced at them sideways, but their work continued without pause.

With Yan Donglai's guidance, Yang Jiefang had basically pinpointed the houseboat where Qi Xiaobao lived, but he didn't go directly there. He took out two candies, walked up to a child, and said, "Little friend, do you know where Xiaobao's house is? Tell me, and I'll give you candy." Just as the child reached for the candy, a woman ran over and snatched it away, looking at Yang Jiefang warily. Yang Jiefang smiled and said, "Sister, I'm Xiaobao's friend, here to visit Grandpa Wang who's sick. May I ask which house he lives in?" The woman saw that Wang Dali and Chen Ergou were indeed carrying gifts, so she casually pointed and said, "That one." Yang Jiefang said, "Thank you!" He stuffed the candy into the child's hand, and then, seeing a group of children staring longingly at the candy in his hand, he called out loudly, "Anyone who wants candy, come over here. I'm Xiaobao's friend, and Xiaobao asked me to buy this candy." Hearing this, the group of children happily ran over. Yang Jiefang was prepared and gave each of them two candies.

After distributing the candy, Yang Jiefang walked towards the boathouse. In front of the boathouse, an elderly man with white hair and a little girl were working together to mend a fishing net. As Yang Jiefang approached, the old man continued his work without turning around. The little girl, however, looked up at Yang Jiefang with curiosity. This little girl was naturally Wang Xiaoxi, much like Yan Donglai had described. She had regular features, slightly dark skin, and a pair of large, bright, watery eyes. Yang Jiefang smiled and said, "Excuse me, are you Grandpa Wang? My name is Yang Jiefang, and I'm Xiaobao's friend." Only then did the old man turn around, look at Yang Jiefang, and said, "Xiaobao's friend. Even if I don't know him personally, I've at least heard him mention him. I don't remember having a friend like Young Master Yang. It seems I'm really getting old." Grandpa Wang looked old, but his eyes were sharp, like an eagle eyeing its prey, making Yang Jiefang feel a strange sense of danger. Although this feeling didn't last long, Yang Jiefang didn't dare to let his guard down; this old man was no ordinary person.

Yang Jiefang explained, "We haven't known each other for very long, but we hit it off immediately. Perhaps he hasn't had a chance to tell you yet." Grandpa Wang said "Oh," but it was unclear whether he believed her or not. Yang Jiefang didn't care whether he believed her or not; he just needed an excuse. Yang Jiefang continued, "Grandpa Wang, I heard you're not feeling well, so I bought some things that might help." Grandpa Wang replied, "Everyone gets a little sick at their age. How could I trouble such an honored guest to come and visit? Please take the things back! This old man is used to fish soup; I can't stomach shark fin and bird's nest. Don't waste these good things."

Based on Yan Donglai's description, Yang Jiefang initially judged that Grandpa Wang likely suffered from gout, a difficult-to-treat condition. The gifts he bought were rather perfunctory and wouldn't offer any therapeutic benefit to Grandpa Wang. He instructed Wang Dali and Chen Ergou to bring the gifts inside. Wang Xiaoxi rushed over and blocked their way, saying, "My grandpa said he doesn't want your things." It would be quite pathetic for Wang Dali and Chen Ergou to be stopped by a little girl. Chen Ergou chuckled, "Little sister, I have some candy here, very sweet, do you want some?" Wang Xiaoxi shook her head, "No." Chen Ergou continued, "I have some floral fabric here, I can make you a very pretty dress, do you want some?" Wang Xiaoxi still shook her head, saying, "No." Chen Ergou pointed at Wang Dali and said, "Then do you want to stop him?" Wang Xiaoxi habitually shook her head, "No." Chen Ergou immediately laughed, saying, "So you want this tall guy to go in? His name is Wang Dali, and your name is Wang Xiaoxi, are you perhaps siblings?" Turning back, he added, "What are you still doing here? Your sister isn't stopping you, why aren't you going in?" Only then did Wang Xiaoxi realize she had said the wrong thing. While she was still in a daze, Wang Dali took two quick steps and walked past her. Wang Xiaoxi tried to stop him, but Chen Ergou blocked her way instead, still smiling, "You agreed to this, so don't go back on your word. If you do, it means you want all of these things from me, right?" Wang Xiaoxi was caught off guard and didn't dare to reply.

Grandpa Wang knew he couldn't stop them from coming in, so he said, "Guests are guests, so please come in and have a cup of tea! Xiaoxi, go borrow some tea leaves for Grandpa; we're out." Wang Xiaoxi agreed and was about to turn and leave when Yang Jiefang grabbed her wrist. Yang Jiefang laughed, "Since we're out of tea, then we won't have any. Little sister, take your brother inside! See if you need anything? I'll get it for you later. You know, Xiaobao is really something; he clearly has a good income, yet he lives in such a shabby place. I can't stand it anymore. If I don't help him out, what kind of friend am I?" He then forcefully pulled Wang Xiaoxi inside. Wang Xiaoxi tried to break free, but she couldn't.

The boathouse was built around a dilapidated wooden boat. Not only was the space cramped, but the furniture was also shabby and worn. Yang Jiefang glanced around but didn't notice anything unusual. He then asked, "Which room does your brother Xiaobao stay in?" Wang Xiaoxi glanced back at her grandfather, who nodded subtly. They still didn't understand Yang Jiefang and his group's purpose, so they could only comply for now. Wang Xiaoxi led Yang Jiefang inside to a small door and said, "Brother Xiaobao and my brother sleep in this room."

Yang Jiefang pushed open the door and saw two beds inside. Not two beds side-by-side, but a bunk bed. The bed was about 60-70 centimeters wide, just enough for one person to lie down. There was a long table in front of the bed with several books on it, but no chair. He guessed that Qi Xiaobao usually read while sitting on the bed. Yang Jiefang released Wang Xiaoxi's hand, went in, sat on the bed, and casually picked up a book from the table. Looking at the title, he realized it was Shakespeare's *Hamlet*, in English.

Wang Xiaoxi immediately said, "Brother Xiaobao doesn't allow others to go through his things." Yang Jiefang laughed and said, "I'm not just anyone, I'm his friend. It's okay if I do things that others can't." Wang Xiaoxi wanted to say something more, but then she heard Grandpa Wang call out, "Xiaoxi, go boil some water. Even if there's no tea, you still need some hot water!" Wang Xiaoxi agreed and went away.

Yang Jiefang then searched everywhere without any hesitation, though he himself didn't know what he was looking for. He simply wanted to learn more about Qi Xiaobao this way. He even searched under the bed, but found nothing of value. Just as he was feeling disappointed, he glanced up and noticed a piece of paper stuck to the ceiling. Yang Jiefang simply lay down on the bed, the paper facing his eyes, on which was written a poem: "In this small dwelling, I rest my head on a high pillow, A pact made in times of sorrow. I call for wine to greet guests, And sit and discuss military strategy with a whisk in hand. Clouds protect the ivory sticks, Stars hold the sword lying horizontally. Becoming a marquis is not my desire, I only wish for peace on the seas."

Yang Jiefang was intimately familiar with the last two lines of the poem; it was by the renowned anti-Japanese general Qi Jiguang. He suddenly remembered that Qi Jiguang was from Dengzhou, which in the Ming Dynasty was present-day Penglai County. Qi Xiaobao's surname was Qi; could he be a descendant of Qi Jiguang? He couldn't sit still any longer and reached out to touch the paper, quickly discovering something unusual. The grain and age of the wooden planks on the ceiling were different from the other planks in the room. Yang Jiefang tapped on them, and a hollow sound came from within, indicating a hidden compartment beneath the bed plank. Remembering his experience in Zhao Family Village, after some searching, he finally managed to push a plank open, revealing a long, narrow opening. Yang Jiefang reached inside and rummaged around, pulling out a stack of papers. When he saw the contents of the papers, he was immediately astonished.

Yang Jiefang glanced at Wang Dali and Chen Ergou outside the door and said, "Ergou, go buy some rice, flour, wine, and vegetables. We'll have lunch here today." Chen Ergou agreed and turned to leave. Yang Jiefang then said, "Dali, stand guard at the door and don't let anyone disturb me!"

After settling the two men in, Yang Jiefang reached into the hidden compartment again and pulled out several more sheets of paper. He spread them out on the table and counted them; indeed, not a single one was missing. Each sheet depicted a ship, or more precisely, a warship. The paper also indicated the warship's displacement, deck thickness, speed, cannon caliber and quantity, crew configuration, and other parameters. These warships formed a fleet—the Chinese Fleet of the British Royal Navy, currently anchored near Liugong Island. Yang Jiefang, his face grim, examined each sheet meticulously. These sheets not only contained drawings and parameters of each warship but also a formation diagram of the entire fleet entering the harbor. After reviewing the information, Yang Jiefang lay back on the bed, staring at the poem above, quietly waiting.

After an unknown amount of time, Qi Xiaobao appeared at the door with a series of hurried footsteps. He had rushed back after receiving the news, but was stopped by Wang Dali and couldn't come in. Yang Jiefang sat up abruptly and said, "Let him in!" Qi Xiaobao's face darkened as soon as he saw the blueprints on the table. Yang Jiefang said, "Troy, Trojan horse." Qi Xiaobao was a little surprised and said, "You know English!" Yang Jiefang said, "You chose this English name yourself, didn't you?" Qi Xiaobao replied, "Yes. My job requires me to greet foreigners frequently, so an English name makes it easier to address them."

Yang Jiefang nodded; his situation was quite normal. In his previous life, when Yang Jiefang studied in the United States, he also adopted an English name. Like choosing a screen name, an English name often carries a certain meaning. This is the principle behind the Chinese saying, "A person's name reflects their character." When Yang Jiefang heard Qi Xiaobao introduce himself as Troy, the word "Trojan horse" immediately popped into his mind, so he paid special attention to this person. Qi Xiaobao never expected that Yang Jiefang would investigate him based on a name and even discover his biggest secret.

Yang Jiefang said, "You want to be that wooden horse? Who do you want to slaughter?" Qi Xiaobao didn't answer immediately, but asked instead, "Who exactly are you? What do you want?" Yang Jiefang calmly said, "Guess!" Qi Xiaobao took a deep breath, thought for a moment, and said, "You're not from the military, or even the government. In Jiaodong, besides the Little Boss of Qinglong Village, I really can't think of anyone else." Yang Jiefang said, "Can't I be from Rushan Village?" Qi Xiaobao said disdainfully, "Rushan Village? Even Black Bear would bow and scrape before Henry, let alone anyone else? I'm afraid only the Little Boss has such arrogance! What brings you here today?" Yang Jiefang still said, "Guess!"

Looking at his smug face, Qi Xiaobao really wanted to slap him, but he held back and said, "You want weapons?" Yang Jiefang replied, "Yes." Qi Xiaobao continued, "If you want weapons, just buy them from Henry. You've already driven the price down quite a bit; it's a good deal. Normally, you wouldn't need me at all. Now that you've come to me, you probably want weapons but don't want to pay, right? So, you need a Trojan horse to help you open the city gates. And I'm the Trojan horse you've chosen." He guessed correctly; Yang Jiefang's original plan was the same, only now it had changed.

Yang Jiefang praised, "You guessed it all! You're quite something! In fact, you've always been a Trojan horse. I just wonder who's directing you, and what your purpose is?" Qi Xiaobao replied, "Guess!" Yang Jiefang continued, "If you want to take over this fleet, a large-scale operation is definitely not going to work; so, a sneak attack is the only option. With those few dozen fishermen you've recruited, what can you possibly accomplish? Forget the entire fleet, you might not even be able to take down one of the gunboats." Qi Xiaobao said, "Once we capture one warship, we can use its cannons to attack the others. At such close range, large-caliber cannons are useless; small-caliber cannons will be more effective. We don't even need to sink them; just destroying the deck structures will suffice."

Yang Jiefang gave a thumbs up and praised, "Naval bayonet fighting, not a bad idea! But it's actually not advisable." Qi Xiaobao countered, "Why?" Yang Jiefang said, "First of all, with those few dozen fishermen you've recruited, I don't think you have the ability to capture a warship. Secondly, even if you could capture a warship, you wouldn't be able to inflict much damage on the fleet. The British navy may be bad, but it's not weak. A few rookies like you can't take on any one of them individually, let alone the entire fleet. Thirdly, even if you inflict some losses on the fleet, so what? They have plenty of fleets; they can just send another one. And you rookies will all perish there; no one will survive."

Yang Jiefang didn't know if such a thing had actually happened in the original history; in any case, he hadn't seen any similar records. Yang Jiefang didn't think it was a good plan, but the spirit behind it was still commendable. The Chinese nation, at all times, has always had a group of outstanding sons and daughters who rise at the crack of dawn. What needs to be done now is to unite them and provide them with proper guidance.