Ma Jintao, having figured out the situation, slapped his forehead hard and said, "Captain Yu, now that you mention it, I remember seeing that boat."
"You've seen it?"
"That boat came from the north, and it picked up a few people at the small dock on the east side of the ship lock. Since there were not too many boats waiting to pass through the lock, Old Hu from the ship lock management office was worried they would block the waterway, and he wouldn't let them dock at the small pier; they even argued with Old Hu about it."
"What happened after?"
"They wouldn't follow commands to adjust their position, so Old Hu called us to come over. Just as we got there, they turned around and left."
Han Yu pressed, "Did you clearly see how many people got on?"
Ma Jintao wiped the sweat from his forehead and said, "We didn't see it. You'd have to ask Old Hu about that."
Han Yu mused, "Hurry up and ask Old Hu."
