"What rules?" Hearing the boat captain's words, Yang Xiaohai couldn't help but grow curious. The farmers on shore didn't have so many rules.
"What other rules could there be? The rules of the sea, of course. We boatmen have a few of our own, like how people with certain surnames can't come aboard, or certain words can't be spoken on the ship. But the Boat People have even more rules than us—they even have to consider feng shui when taking a shit or a piss."
"I don't know about the rest. Just make sure you ask your elders when you get home, so you don't break any taboos."
"I see." Based on the boat captain's description, Yang Xiaohai tried to piece together an image of the Boat People in his mind.
"Still, I have to say, those Boat People have one good habit. Any drifters on the water, whether they're alive or dead, have to be hauled in for a look. They say their ancestors will punish them if they don't."
