"Indeed,"
Li Tongya answered softly, and immediately the old man's face lit up with joy. With a gentle tap of his bamboo pole, the boat approached the islet.
Cloaked in a wet straw raincoat heavy with morning dew, the old man's face was honest and regular, his white beard hanging down, his eyes bright and piercing under his conical hat, full of vigor. As Li Tongya boarded the small boat, the old man let out a hearty laugh. With a smooth push of the punt pole, the boat lightly drifted towards the riverbank, and he began:
"This humble one has been poling boats here for more than ten years, my lord can be at ease. Once out of the lake, just follow the Big Fish Creek southward, and the Lichuan Entrance will soon be in sight!"
