Chapter 72: Interrupting Them; Willing to Follow Bai Yu’s Lead

“Is such a large island all under your management?”

“Not just this island, there are others as well, though they are a bit far from here. You should settle down here first. When you have time in the future, I will take you to see another island,” Bai Yu said.

“This is simply incredible,” Bai He exclaimed in wonder. “If we had known you possessed such a large island, we would have found a way to come looking for you long ago.”

Bai Yu nodded and replied with a smile, “Indeed.”

In the days since her return, Bai Yu had already learned about Second Uncle’s family situation. Although they claimed their lives over the past few years had not been too bad, they had been stranded in a foreign land and did not speak the language. Being able to make ends meet was already considered good; it was very difficult for them to get ahead.

Therefore, when Bai Yu proposed that they return with her, they agreed without a second thought, even though Bai Yu had not yet explained the situation here in detail at that time.

Now that they were back, their lives would be better than they had been these past few years, no matter what.

As they drew closer, they could see many ships anchored along the edge of the island flying flags with the character “Bai,” which allowed Bai He and the others who had returned with her to breathe a sigh of relief.

However, they only truly relaxed when they saw their relatives waiting for them on the shore.

Being stranded overseas, separated by a vast ocean, and being just an ordinary family, they had originally thought they would never see their kin again in this lifetime. They never expected that one day they would meet their relatives again, and that it would be all of the relatives they had lost contact with.

As soon as the ship docked, Second Uncle Bai stepped quickly off the boat and embraced Eldest Uncle.

After coming ashore, Second Aunt pulled Bai Wei aside, looking him over incessantly.

“Back then… back then when you were captured by pirates… were you alright?”

“I am fine, Mother. You can tell just by looking at me now, there is no mistake,” Bai Wei did not go into detail about his situation at the time, only saying, “Not long after I was captured by the pirates, Xiao Yu and the others came onto the island and rescued me. It was just that later, when we tried to find you, we could not find you anywhere. I thought…”

“We encountered massive waves back then and lost our way. Later, we met a kind merchant fleet that rescued us,” Second Aunt also did not elaborate on the problems they faced. “We have lived well enough over these years.”

On the other side, Bai Yu looked with surprise at the extra people on the island: “Eldest Brother, Second Brother.”

“Xiao Xi found us,” Bai Qiao said proactively, knowing what she wanted to ask. “When we arrived, you had already gone out to sea. Fortunately, we found everyone this time.”

“I thought I would have to look for you after I returned. I did not expect there to be such a pleasant surprise on this trip. This way, our family is truly reunited,” Bai Yu said happily. “How have your days on the island been?”

“Very good, better than any days before,” Bai Qiao nodded. “Life now is even better than when we were on the mainland.”

Life at sea was difficult, and life on the mainland before had not been particularly easy either. After all, as people who lived on the water without a fixed residence, their lives day and night depended on the boats beneath their feet. They feared having no harvest and missing meals, and they also feared sudden storms that would leave them drifting and unstable.

Now that they were on the island, not only did they have a place to live on land, but their food, drink, and clothing were much better than before.

Seeing relatives they had not seen for years was a glorious day for everyone in the Bai family.

After the initial greetings, the family gathered together for a grand feast.

“I never imagined our family would have a day of reunion. All of this is thanks to Xiao Yu, Xiao Xi, and Miao Miao. Without you, it would have been very difficult for us to ever meet again in this life.”

“Yes, we must thank you.”

“The most successful ones in our family are you three sisters.”

None of the Bai family members drank alcohol. When they raised their cups, they used tea instead of wine¹. They were not drunk, but as they drank, their eyes grew red, and tears fell as if they were intoxicated.

Even though Bai Qiao and Bai Yang had been back for several days, the sorrow in their hearts was stirred up at this moment, and they could not help but weep bitterly.

The three sisters were relatively better off. Although they had been separated from the rest of the Bai family, they had always been together and had not experienced the pain of parting from one another.

However, watching the several people weeping at this moment, they also felt some emotion.

Bai Xi said, “It is good that everyone has been found. Otherwise, who knows how much suffering they would have experienced out there.”

Bai Yu nodded. “Yes, after all, this era is not a particularly good one. They do not know the languages of other countries. Just like when we first went there, there was a language barrier.”

Bai Yu was referring to the situation when they first went to the Magic Plane. At that time, because of the language barrier, they were very tense and worried every moment. Fortunately, they did not stay long in the Magic Plane then, so it was not too unbearable.

But the rest of the Bai family had been stranded outside and had to live there for a long time. The language barrier alone could bring many obstacles to their lives.

So, while the others were crying in the room, they sat to the side without speaking, quietly waiting for them to vent their emotions.

Only after everyone had finished crying and their emotions had gradually stabilized did Bai Yu speak: “After this, we plan to return to the country. We suspect that the people who forced us out to sea are currently fighting a war to seize power.”

“Xiao Yu, are you sure?” Second Uncle asked.

“Yes, it is basically confirmed,” Bai Yu nodded. “Coincidentally, part of the cargo shipped out through our boats was near this island. Xiao Xi already led people to salvage it. Besides gold and silver, there were many weapons. We have questioned the captured people; they do not know about the time we went to sea, but according to them, a lot of weapons and gold and silver were indeed shipped out in recent years.”

As Bai Yu spoke, everyone frowned.

“This is too much.”

“If it weren’t for them, why would we be drifting at sea!”

“But…” Second Uncle continued, “Their influence is so great, what can we do? If we go up against them, wouldn’t we be like eggs hitting a stone²?”

“Yes, Xiao Yu, there is a war going on over there now. Swords have no eyes. It is very dangerous for you to take people there. Why don’t we just forget it? Ordinary people like us should not take risks,” Second Aunt said earnestly. “Just as your Second Uncle said, we cannot be eggs hitting a stone.”

“It is not yet certain who is the egg and who is the stone,” Eldest Aunt said with a smile.

Second Uncle and Second Aunt both instinctively looked at her.

Eldest Aunt’s smile deepened. “You know that Xiao Yu and Xiao Xi are very strong now, right?”

Both of them nodded, but their minds remained unchanged. “No matter how strong they are, they are still just individuals.”

“That is not entirely true. Xiao Yu and Xiao Xi are not only strong, but also very smart. Although they are a bit behind Miao Miao, they are still very capable compared to others,” Eldest Aunt said, looking at Bai Yu. Seeing her determined gaze, she continued, “We have lived on this island for several years, and everything has been decided by them. What they want to do, they will certainly do. Moreover, if we cannot stop those villains who left us drifting at sea this time, our lives on the island will be even harder in the future.”

Bai Yu nodded. “If those people seize political power, our island might not fare well in the future.”

“Second Uncle, Second Aunt, please rest assured. Even if we go back, we will not be too flashy. After all, our goal is not to fight a war with people, but to trip those people up,” Bai Xi said, looking at Bai Yu. “Eldest Sister, the situation in the country is not good right now. Why don’t just the three of us go back?”

“I want to go,” Bai Wei immediately chimed in. “I want to go with you. I can help.”

Bai Qiao and Bai Yang exchanged a look. Bai Qiao spoke first: “I will go with you. Second Brother will stay, and the elders will all remain on the island. Is that alright?”

“It is fine if you all stay on the island,” Bai Yu said, looking at the group. “The surrounding area is not very stable, so we need people to stay behind and guard the place. Xiao Xi and I will take a few people with us, but let Miao Miao stay here.”

“Miao Miao?” Second Aunt looked at Bai Miao in surprise, her eyes filled with disbelief.

Bai Wei pulled on her arm and whispered to her about the events that had occurred recently.

Second Aunt’s expression became even more shocked. “Miao Miao is so young, yet she can already stand up to those people?”

“More than just that,” Eldest Aunt chimed in with a smile. “Miao Miao’s status on the island is quite high now. She is a teacher to everyone, and they all listen to her. So even if Bai Yu and Xiao Xi are away, as long as she is on the island, everyone feels at ease.”

She went on to describe some of the things Bai Miao had done on the island, every single detail leaving Second Aunt stunned.

Finally, Second Aunt could not help but say, “After not seeing you all for so many years, so much has truly changed. I only remember the trivial matters from before we went out to sea. But since you all say so, I have nothing more to add. We are getting older and do not understand much, so you decide what you want to do. You do not need to ask us.”

With Second Aunt relenting, Second Uncle also gave in, expressing his willingness to follow Bai Yu’s plan.

However, regarding the selection of people, he also decided to let Bai Wei go along.

“No matter how you look at it, Bai Wei was captured by the Pirates. If you had not appeared, there is no telling what state he would be in now. Since you were the ones who saved him, it is only right that he helps you with your work,” Second Uncle said, looking at Bai Yu. “From now on, his life belongs to you.”

Second Uncle did not know the specific details of Bai Wei’s situation at the time, but he knew very well that since the boy had been in the hands of Pirates, even if they were willing to keep him around to work, his life would never have been easy.

Therefore, even without a perfectly clear understanding of the circumstances, he still felt that Bai Wei’s life had been saved by the three sisters.

Bai Yu looked toward Bai Wei.

Bai Wei spoke up quickly, “I will go with you.”

Then there was Bai Qiao, who also said he wanted to follow.

Ultimately, it was decided that Bai Yu and Bai溪 would lead Bai Wei, Bai Qiao, and a group of physically strong fishermen who had been toughened by the sea to go ashore and stir things up.

The goal was not to fight a war to seize political power, but to cut off the momentum of one specific faction’s bid for control. Regardless of that faction’s current situation, they could not be allowed to win.

After all, that faction had never valued human life from the very beginning. Even if they took power, the common people would not have good lives. Rather than letting the people fall into hardship later, it was better to disrupt their progress from the start.

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Translator’s Notes

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1. used tea instead of wine: The practice of ‘yi cha dai jiu’ (以茶代酒) is a traditional Chinese social etiquette. It allows those who cannot or choose not to drink alcohol to participate fully in a toast, showing respect without violating personal or health boundaries. ↩
2. eggs hitting a stone: A translation of the Chinese idiom ‘yidanjishi’ (以卵击石). It describes a hopeless struggle where a weak force attacks a much stronger one, resulting in certain self-destruction. ↩