Lin Zhou's Notes

The twenty-fifth day of the fourth month, the fifth year of Xiande. I agreed with Lin Lan that after returning from this trip, we would never set sail again. The money we have saved over these years, combined with the payment promised by the merchants, is enough to buy a patch of wasteland outside Wellspring Town. I took a portion of the deposit first and traded it for a few small goats. Xiaoyu loves them. Lin Lan asked me, "You really won't sail next year?" She is an expert at the helm and handling boats, always feeling closer to the sea than I do. I replied, "Farming depends on the heavens, but it is still better than depending on the sea. Goats are easy to raise, too. When they give birth to a litter next year, we won't go hungry even if the harvest is poor." The days at sea are far too long. Every time we sail out into the open ocean, the ship rocks in the waves. The sky meets the water, and the water meets the sky; there is nothing around us but the sound of the wind and the surf. You never know when a massive fish might breach beneath the hull, nor when dark clouds might surge on the horizon. Among those who have gone to sea these past years, returning seven out of ten is considered a blessing. Aunt Yuxin's husband departed last year; his ship capsized, and his bones were never found. I figured, since Xiaoyu hates the water, we should stay far away from it. Once we move to Wellspring Town, she can herd goats, cut grass, and attend the local academy. We will have a small courtyard where we can tell her stories. I told Lin Lan all of this, and also mentioned how suspicious those merchants seemed. Legends are just legends. I speak of them as tales, and I listen to them as tales. For how could such a treasure ship truly exist in this world? Why are those people searching for it? Lin Lan lowered her head, weaving a net, and said, "When my grandmother went to sea, she saw that treasure ship set sail; when my mother went to sea, she saw it drifting on the waves. Your grandmother saw it too, your mother knew of it, and you yourself have spoken of it." She still wants to go to sea; she still wants to find the Treasure Ship. I seemed to see my mother again; she had the exact same look in her eyes when she told me about the ship. The twenty-seventh day of the fourth month. I traded for a breeding ram from Auntie Liu's family. It is thin, but looks spirited enough. Xiaoyu is so thrilled she circles the shed every day, giving every single goat a name. The thirtieth day of the fourth month, the night before we sail. Xiaoyu begged Lin Lan to tell the story of the Eight Immortals crossing the sea. Lin Lan's version is always different from the ones told on the town stages. Her stories change. This time, there were goats in the tale. She said we would ride the goats, find the Treasure Ship, and travel to Mount Penglai. After hearing the story, Xiaoyu still refused to sleep, endlessly asking when we would return, fussing until we gave her a firm answer. I told her we would definitely be back in a month, and I would buy her even more small goats. We locked pinkies with Xiaoyu, treating it as a binding contract. Only then did she fall asleep, fully satisfied. The next morning, Lin Lan and I set out bright and early, moving as quietly as possible so as not to wake Xiaoyu. As we reached the shore, I looked back. I do not know when she ran to the doorway, but Xiaoyu was waving at me from afar. The goats huddled around her, bleating, looking just like clouds in the sky. The ship sails at the third quarter of the Chen Hour on the first day of the fifth month. Lin Lan and I boarded at the first quarter of the Chen Hour. Written at the second quarter of the Shen Hour, on the first day of the fifth month.