Story Telling Assignemnt Paper: Bai Ransoms Chao

Bai Ransoms Chao
Names
Institution Affiliation
Chao Huang lived at a small village of Tunpu in the Ming dynasty. He was a young and energetic middle-aged man who spent most of his life trading ornaments in the village. His business partner was BaiHai, a close friend who was determined and business-oriented. They imported their goods from Hainan Island between 1540 and 1590, when piracy was rampant in the Chinese society. They often travelled to the island to acquire more goods to replenish their stock. Liang Jing was their business partner who lived in the island, and supplied them with ornaments for trade.
Chao wake up one chilling morning to prepare for a long journey to Hainan Island. He took a quick shower and sat down in the dining room for sumptuous breakfast. Afterwards, he visited Bai in his small house located a few meters from Chao’s homestead to inform him of his voyage to the magnificent island. Bai was willing to accompany him to the place but he was not feeling well. Chao therefore bid farewell to him and set off to Hainan.
The South China Sea breeze produced a clapper sway on the junk. Chao enjoyed the movements of the boat, and seemed not to realize the anticipated threat of piracy that was common in the sea. He boarded the junk with ten other passengers and two crews. However, the journey became a nightmare when a junk full of armed crew suddenly emerged and blocked their way. They were all ordered to rise up their hands, or risk their junk being capsized. They immediately obeyed the order and surrendered to the pirates.
The scenario culminated in the captives being held in the Island of Hainan. The marauders occasionally offered the hostages one meal per day. They were squeezed in a small dark room with foul fishy odor. The health of Chao deteriorated to an extent of suffering from pneumonia after two months of captivity. Consequently, he pleaded with the pirates to release him to seek medication in the nearby village. They however denied him the freedom, and instead subjected him to severe torture.
Bai was patiently waiting for the arrival of Chao. He suspected something sinister might have occurred to his friend after ten months of Chao disa...