The morning mist over the Yangtze River had not yet cleared when Huwa dragged Zhang Fifan toward the shipping dock. The gears of the Wooden Ox struck a rapid drumbeat against the bluestone pavement. "Brother Fan, look! I installed a 'lotus-leaf boat bottom' on the Wooden Ox, and stuffed the belly with Huwa-brand buoyancy bamboo tubes. If it falls into the river, it'll float right back up!"
"You little rascal!" Zhang Fifan stared at the crooked lotus-leaf carving on the Wooden Ox's belly. "Did you dismantle Xiaoxiu's washbasin?"
Huwa stuck out his tongue. "The washbasin has plenty of buoyancy! Besides," he shook the candied haws in his hand, "I hid sweets inside the bamboo tubes. The fish in the river will surely act as our guides when they smell them."
Chapter 35