After the agreement was settled, Shen Luo handed over the horses to Mr. and Mrs. Yu Dadan, and rowed the small boat into the river himself.
When he was about to set off, Yu Dadan did not forget to give him detailed instructions, fearing that he might encounter any accidents. Shen Luo naturally took this seriously and noted down the details of each section of the river and the matters needing attention.
The woman even provided him with clean drinking water for the boat, and brought out some pancakes and pieces of jerky from their home. She wrapped them in a hemp cloth and insisted Shen Luo take them with him on the boat.
Shen Luo, unable to refuse their kindness, laughed and accepted the package.
The awning boat drifted down the rapid river. Shen Luo stood at the bow of the boat with a bamboo pole in his hand, not to row, but to feel for the reefs in the water on either side of the boat.
Soon, the boat bypassed clusters of reeds as tall as humans, and entered a reed beach.
