【Very short story】Looking for love and hope

"It's time to set sail!"

Galloping in the boundless blue sea, the Cutty Sark, full of hope, headed towards Taiwan.
Ha Jin and his daughter were drinking afternoon tea on the deck, and a handsome young man smiled at him.

"Do we know each other?" Ha Jin asked doubtfully.

"Brother Ha Jin, you are so noble and forgetful. I am the Matthew you rescued by the river two years ago!"

"Are you Matthew? You have changed a lot. What happened in the past two years."

"Nothing, I just did some business and made some money. I want to visit the legendary Formosa and relax for a while! What about you? Why do you want to go to Formosa?"

"My wife left a few days ago, and the church happened to inform me to go to Formosa to serve as a missionary. I want to take my daughter to a beautiful place to relax and help the British there."

After chatting all afternoon, the sky blushed and announced the arrival of night.

"It's getting late, we should worship at the Five Zang Temple, you see it's protesting!" Matthew twisted his belly amusingly.

On the walkway leading to the restaurant, a man's sobbing was vaguely heard. Curious Ha Jin followed the sound and found Mock huddled in the corner. I saw him holding a photo in his hand and shaking his head, as if to tell me that I didn't believe it. Ha Jin picked up a letter next to Mok. The delicate handwriting seemed to be from a woman's hand.

"Mork, what's wrong with you? I'm Ha Jin, can you look up at me?"

Mok slowly raised his head, grabbed Ha Jin and cried loudly. Ha Jin comforted him and wanted to know what happened, but he refused to say anything. He just kept crying and pointing at the hand on Ha Jin's hand. letter.

Ha Jin quietly opened the letter, which was blurred by tears, and inside there were several photos of Ha Jin and a girl.

 "Beloved Mork:
    Are you OK? We haven't seen each other since I married the Duke. Do you remember the last time we met? I still caress your handsome left cheek. We love each other so deeply, but we are forced to separate by force.
    We agreed to meet at the dock ten days later. You said we could live on an island. Did you wait for me for a long time that day? Do you hate me for not showing up? In fact, I packed my bags and prepared to leave the city overnight. The Duke didn't know where he got the news and locked me in the room. Today is the second day of my imprisonment. I decided to let my soul follow you to Forl. Mosa.
    There is one sentence for you to remember, whether I am by your side or not, you must live strong. I will pour all my love into your handsome left face and give you the strength to help those who love each other but cannot stay together. Looking forward to visiting Formosa with you.
                                                                                                                                 
                                                           Love you Jane"

Ha Jin understood his pain, it was a kind of pain shared by others.

The charming night sky opened the prelude of hope. The boat slowly docked. Mock slowly got off the boat and looked at the photo and said: "Jane, we are here."

The group of them lived in Taiwan for a period of time, but were surprised to find that the island of hope was not full of hope and life was still boring. One day, a Frenchman molested Ha Jin's daughter, and Ha Jin angrily asked him to argue. Through his connections, the Frenchman imprisoned Ha Jin in the dungeon of Red Hair City on unwarranted charges, with the beauty in his arms.
Matthew was arrested and imprisoned after a quarrel with the Spaniards over profits.
A Dutchman couldn't stand the fact that Mock always liked to talk to the photo. The photo was torn in half under the tug of the two parties. Mock punched the Dutchman angrily, and the Dutchman kicked him twice, not to be outdone. The two young and energetic men fought in the street and both were imprisoned.

Whether it was fate or coincidence, they arrived in Taiwan together and were imprisoned on the same day. Sharing the events of these days, the three of them couldn't help but lament the distance of hope. After a period of silence, Mok walked silently to the Fangfeng Courtyard and looked at the sky and missed his wife; Matthew, who was frowning deeply, was worried about what would happen to his daughter. He knew that the French would never let him out of prison easily; Said Matthew was released from prison the next day.

Red Hair City is a city of hope, but it has imprisoned countless hopeful hearts. The three people are both British and sailors; they have different encounters and different purposes. They gather in Red Hair City, hoping to find love and hope one day.

 The original text is included in the collection of winning works of Tamsui Heritage Museum's "Searching for Love Stories in Red Mao City". I was sorting through the archives a few days ago and found the works I made in high school. The green brushstrokes can no longer be described, which makes me nostalgic.