Looking north towards the rivers and mountains

Chapter 157 Zhang Xin

On the fifth day of the eleventh lunar month, Shao Shuyi arrived at the Fei Family Restaurant in Taicang like a thief.

Upon entering the shop, they found it packed with people. After inquiring, they learned that Fei Xiong, the deputy commander of the grain transport office, had arrived. As for the pomp and circumstance, it was quite simple: the imperial court was increasingly relying on maritime grain transport and had bestowed upon the six officials of the grain transport office a number of ceremonial guards and attendants.

The ceremonial guards were sent directly, and the attendants were assigned by the local government, with no personal expenses—of course, the government didn't have to pay either, as they were all commoners who came to serve. However, because it was relatively easy and respectable, this kind of miscellaneous service was a coveted job that wealthy families' sons fiercely competed for, and they were willing to work even if they were paid. As the deputy commander of ten thousand households, Fei Xiong was accompanied by at least ten attendants when he went out, plus his original staff, retainers, guards, etc., there were always more than twenty people, making it a very grand affair.

When Shao Shuyi heard that Fei Xiong had arrived, he felt a little guilty, but it wouldn't be appropriate to just turn around and leave. So he could only sit down and have dinner with Tie Niu, Yu Yuan, Bian Yuanheng, Wu Heizi and others.

Whether it was just their imagination or not, the people around Fei Xiong always seemed to be glancing at them, whether intentionally or unintentionally.

Shao Shuyi's heart skipped a beat, wondering if something had gone wrong. Fortunately, halfway through the meal, one of Fei Xiong's attendants came over and whispered a warning: "Behave yourself, don't cause trouble."

Having said that, he didn't bother to look at them a second time and turned to leave.

Shao Shuyi then realized that the other party thought they were too bandit-like and not good people, so they came to give them a warning.

Nonsense! It's no big deal.

After they had eaten their fill, Shao Shuyi took advantage of the occasion to settle accounts and finally managed to pull the steward away to a secluded place, away from everyone's eyes and ears.

The steward looked around and carefully took out a letter.

Shao Shuyi took it and put it away, then asked, "Why has Master Fei come here today?"

"The autumn transport season is over, and there's not much to do at the grain transport office this year," the steward said. "Next year, the deputy commander of the grain transport branch will be Lord Fei. He's here today escorting his family."

"Family?" Shao Shuyi glanced at him.

"It's family." The steward quietly went to the end of the corridor, looked carefully, and then came back and whispered, "Just now when I served wine to Master Fei, I vaguely saw that his face was very ugly and he scolded Zhu Daocun."

"Oh? Why did he scold Zhu Daocun?" Shao Shuyi asked with great interest.

The steward shook his head and said, "I don't know. But Master Fei mentioned that if things don't go well, he'd let Madam come back to Taicang for a few days."

Shao Shuyi said "Oh," realizing it was a marital conflict.

He analyzed it carefully again.

When Zhu Ding was killed that day, Zhu Daocun should still be inside the gambling den, but he didn't know what happened afterward, and no one told him.

Looks like I need to go back as soon as possible.

"Do your job well." Shao Shuyi nodded to him, then touched his pocket, somewhat embarrassed, and lowered his hand, as if he had no money. "You'll get your reward next time." He smiled, seized the opportunity, and left with Yu Yuan and the others.

When he returned to the ware shop, it was getting late. After eating something hastily, Shao Shuyi lay down on the bed and opened the letters to take a look.

The handwriting in the first paragraph is clearly Amu's.

…Last night, I placed it by my pillow and suddenly dreamt of my late father, no longer the wet figure he was in the sea. You threw a conch shell into the sea, and I couldn't bear it, so I left it by the window, to see him morning and night. Thank you for your deep kindness; please forgive my past grief. There is a Buddhist shrine in Ganze Garden, quite efficacious. If I ever pass through the south of the city, I will offer you something as a token of my gratitude. Zheng Ning, please accept my thanks…” Huh? Shao Shuyi suddenly woke up, sitting up abruptly. The long-legged girl wanted to give him something?

He thought back for a moment.

Previously, when a conch shell was given to Zheng Ning, he was initially very upset, and Xiao Lazi wrote a letter scolding him. Shao Shuyi took the opportunity to reply, asking Zheng Ning to write a note and slip it into the conch shell. He would find an opportunity to go to Wanli Changtan and "cast it into the heart of the tide, so that it may travel with the loyal spirit of the late Lord to the blue sky."

This time, a reply was sent.

Zheng Ning seemed to have improved considerably. She couldn't bear to throw the conch shell into the vast, desolate beach, but instead placed it by her window, where she could see it every day. Most importantly, knowing he frequently sailed, she gave him a Buddhist artifact as a return gift.

It seems he has no choice but to climb over a wall, just like the male protagonist in a popular comedy.

There is a second paragraph on the letter.

"...Regarding the conch shell, I was wrong. But I am straightforward; I admit my mistakes, unlike those coy women who make a fool of themselves. Since Amu obtained the conch shell, her sleep has gradually improved; this is all thanks to you. But one thing I must say: if she cries again, I will not forgive you. My father always said that for those who travel the seas, the most important things are integrity and trustworthiness. Since you know about navigation, you must be a man of principle; please don't stoop to the level of a young woman like me..."

The letter ended by mentioning that she was going back to Shanghai. Fei Xiong would invite some "pedantic scholars" to his home for banquets every day and write some nonsensical poems. In particular, "Lu Sheng from Songjiang" and "Tao Sheng from Zhou" were favored by her father, and her complaints were evident in her words.

After reading it, Shao Shuyi tapped the table lightly with his index finger.

Miss Fei is no longer pretending; she's just revealing her identity directly.

These two girls really can talk about anything; they know each other's innermost thoughts, even their little worries and secrets. They're definitely not just superficial friends. Besides, they haven't experienced much in life, so they seem to think of themselves as honest, kind, and somewhat resourceful people…

A pair of innocent and kind little white rabbits.

Shao Shuyi got out of bed, grinding ink as he hummed, "After seeing it, I kept it in my heart. It wasn't driven by madness, but by the great principles of humanity."

When he sang the last line, he shook his head and swayed, clearly in a good mood.

Love between men and women is a fundamental human principle, and it must be respected!

So he began replying, and at the end, he couldn't help but ask Little Chili what the names of "Songjiang Lusheng" and "Zhou Taosheng" were, and where they lived. After finishing, he sealed it as usual, put it in a box, locked it, and prepared to send it out when he had the chance.

After doing all this, Shao Shuyi felt a sense of relaxation, as if most of the tension and fatigue from committing the crime in Jiangyin a while ago had disappeared, and he could start afresh.

On the morning of the sixth day of the eleventh lunar month, Shao Shuyi got up early, warmed up his body, did two sets of squats, and then began practicing archery until Manager Mo came to visit.

"Thud!" Shao Shuyi fired the last arrow from his quiver, hitting the bullseye. Then he turned around, looked at Manager Mo, and smiled, "Mr. Mo, how does my archery skill compare?"

"I don't know much about these killing techniques," Mo Bei said with a wry smile, "but it looks quite professional, so it should be pretty good."

"Actually, it's still far from perfect." Shao Shuyi glanced at the tall pavilion to the west and said, "If the target doesn't move, I can still hit it, but if it jumps around and dodges left and right, it's not so certain."

There was someone in the high pavilion, dressed in red, bathed in the morning glow, seemingly drinking tea—quite a romantic scene.

Mo Bei also noticed the high pavilion and whispered, "Since the Zhaixing Pavilion was built, when the lady gets tired of doing accounts, she will climb up to look into the distance." "I see," Shao Shuyi said with a smile.

Mo Bei hesitated for a moment, perhaps out of consideration for the gifts they had received in the past, and said earnestly, "Shao She, you've been a bit muddle-headed in your actions." Shao Shuyi then feigned a humble request for advice.

Seeing that no one was around, Mo Bei boldly said, "Although you asked me to pass on a string of amber beads last time, Madam was still not very happy. The reason is that what you did was too outrageous."

What is your background, Madam? She would never engage in illegal business. But what about you?

You said last time that you were afraid of disappointing your wife and felt guilty, so you dared not see her. I think you were right. If you continue like this, your wife will become more and more disappointed, and in the end she will have no choice but to give up on you.

Are you the only one in the world who knows how to fight and kill? It's just a matter of spending more money.

You were fortunate to be in such a good position, catching the eye of the Madam as soon as she arrived in Liujiagang. But the things you've done will only push you further away from the Shen family, leaving you with nothing in the end.

"Do you know that many people back in Suzhou are already eyeing this waterborne cargo transport business? Don't make another mistake." Mo Bei said a lot, his words filled with regret.

Shao Shuyi bowed and said, "What you say is very true, Master Mo. I have come to my senses and have rented an old granary in Zhangjing, Taicang, made some minor repairs, and started a waterborne trading business."

Mo Bei was stunned.

He thought Shao Shuyi wouldn't listen at all, but unexpectedly he "came to his senses"? So he immediately asked, "Is it the place that was rented to sell timber last year?"

Shao Shuyi nodded and said, "That's exactly where it is."

After these few days, he had found out what the land was originally used for. Simply put, Sun Chuan's apprentice, Qian Hui, was a broker, and even more so, a broker-merchant. He liked to buy tropical timber, such as rosewood, teak, and sappanwood, from foreign merchants and then resell them to various places.

After Sun Chuan fled overseas, Qian Hui was somewhat panicked. Although the people at the Maritime Trade Office still employed him and their attitude remained unchanged, Qian Hui had already begun to scale back his business. The trade in tropical timber was the first business to be abandoned, leaving the space vacant.

Mo Bei was delighted to hear that Shao Shuyi had actually rented the old charitable warehouse, and said, "You've finally figured it out. Just earn the money you're supposed to earn steadily. Some money may seem good, and it's faster than transporting goods, but it will eventually leave hidden dangers and is not a long-term solution."

At this point, he lowered his voice and said, "Many of Madam's businesses only officially opened this year. You joined us early on, so you're one of us now. How can we not nurture our own people? Madam is short of people too. Right now, we're just having you transport goods, but what about the future? Think about it carefully." Shao Shuyi repeatedly agreed.

Normally, he should cling tightly to Madam Shen's coattails, obey her orders, and expand the water transport business. When the opportunity arises, Madam Shen will likely give him more business, and then it won't be limited to just transport; the money won't come quickly.

Shen Wansan didn't smuggle salt, but look at any other salt smuggler, which one was as rich as him? Zhu Chen, the big salt tycoon in western Zhejiang, didn't even have a tenth of Shen's wealth.

A legitimate business, if done to its fullest potential, can be very profitable.

But Shao Shuyi couldn't wait; he needed to make quick money, which puzzled Mo Bei.

Old Mo wasn't entirely convinced, and asked, "You're not lying to me, are you? Well then, once the goods arrive from Suzhou, Huzhou, Hangzhou, and other places, I'll definitely go and see them."

"There is absolutely no deception," Shao Shuyi said.

Mo Bei suppressed his doubts and said, "In that case, I'll tell you all about what's in this batch of goods in Dongyue, and what goods we'll be transporting back from Jiangxi on the return trip. I won't be going this time..."

The two talked as they walked toward the main house.

The bandits who used to fill the courtyard with such a strong aura were all gone, it seemed that Shao had indeed reformed.