"Master Liang is truly riding high on the clouds, eh? Just a year ago he was sitting in a puny sampan! I can't even dare to imagine what kind of ship he'll switch to next year; maybe by then all the splendid boats owned by the Fishing Tax Office will have gone to Master Liang!"
"Sampan? Used to use a sampan?"
"Are you from out of town?"
"My family is from right next door in Nanxun Village, just thirteen or fourteen miles away; we don't know much, just came to Pingyang Town today to buy some supplies."
Several local villagers couldn't help but show a hint of pride upon meeting someone from outside their community.
Shangrao Wharf.
The deep harbor, designed to accommodate large ships, had been ready for some time, with a long pier extending from the shore deep into the Great Marsh for a hundred meters, not far from where the fishing boats used to dock. On both sides, one large merchant ship each, was offloading cargo.