When calculated carefully, Heishan Island had not been a place of exile for very long—only a matter of twenty to thirty years.
During the Qin and Han dynasties, shipbuilding techniques were primitive and cross-sea navigation was treacherous, making it impossible to govern or control such isolated islands.
It was not until the early Western Jin dynasty that ship construction grew increasingly refined and both land and water routes matured, prompting the imperial court to designate this deserted island as a place of banishment.
Exchanging salt for grain was the lifeline that kept this isolated island under control.
Upon the island, batch after batch of exiles were escorted ashore, only to perish one after another in this survival-of-the-fittest environment.
Living and dying, shifting and being eliminated, a mere single generation’s span was enough to temper the brutal reality of this desolate place.
Those who managed to survive tenaciously were usually strong, young men; women were exceedingly few, and young children were rarer still.
As a lone woman landing on the island with young children in tow and lacking a man’s protection, Shi Yin appeared in the eyes of these exiles as little more than a plump piece of meat waiting to be carved up.
Not to mention the two large sacks of grain loaded onto the handcart and the sheep following beside her.
How could that fail to make their mouths water with greed?
This crowd was itching to move, but with government officials still present and the salt in their hands needing to be exchanged for grain, they were forced to put their urges on hold for the time being.
However, there was never a shortage of those who formed cliques and gangs, and at this moment, their advantage became clear.
A brief commotion stirred among the crowd; several groups gathered and dispersed, secretly testing each other’s strength until one gang finally gained the upper hand. They split into two factions: one continued to wait in line for grain, while a trio from the other faction strode straight toward Shi Yin.
Having just stepped onto land and stabilized her footing, Shi Yin turned her head to meet those dozens of greedy eyes. Yet instead of the fear she ought to have felt, an unusual spark of excitement germinated in her heart.
From the very instant she set foot on this sea island, a sensation arose within Shi Yin—as though this lonely island had been waiting for her for a long time, drawing her back through a thread of fate.
The salty, fishy sea breeze and the desolate dirt beneath her feet were silently declaring that she belonged to this place all along.
Like a wanderer who had drifted ten thousand miles, crossing thousands of mountains and rivers, she had finally returned to her destined destination.
At this moment, Shi Yin was no longer bound by societal etiquette or the strict rules of prestigious clans.
She was no longer the dignified eldest daughter of the Shi family, nor the submissive eldest daughter-in-law of the Li family.
She was simply herself—that somewhat arrogant, self-important, and by no means lacking in cunning calculation person from her past life: Shi Yin.
Shi Yin lightly suppressed the upward curl of her lips and looked toward the three approaching men.
The rules of survival on Heishan Island were likely not much different from the Bessemer slums she had visited during her time studying abroad.
A frail scholar could not beat a crude brute; a crude brute could not out-calculate a scheming villain; and in the end, a scheming villain feared ruthless scoundrels who possessed no bottom line whatsoever.
Through layer upon layer of ruthless elimination and struggle, those who ultimately occupied and dominated all of Heishan Island were precisely those who acted with utter ruthlessness.
From the very beginning, her gaze had been searching for just such people.
“Chengzhou, Rong’er, put the things back on the handcart. Mother will find us a house.”
Shi Yin lifted both children onto the handcart and covered them securely with the sheepskin mats, wrapping them tightly.
In the darkness, Rong’er sucked on her index finger while tugging at her brother’s sleeve. Chengzhou exposed only his head, using one hand to comfort his sister while the other quietly loaded and readied the primed crossbow.
On the official ship behind them, grain was being unloaded in sequence. Officials held registers to record names, while the crowd lined up to wait for their shares to be weighed.
Shi Yin lifted the handles of her handcart, treading with difficulty across the uneven dock.
And those three men finally arrived right in front of her.
“Yo, little lady, did you come here all by yourself?”
“Which family’s man is so useless that he lets his own wife work this hard?”
The voices carried deliberate flirtation, yet Shi Yin acted as if she couldn’t tell, giving two light chuckles like a simple-minded woman:
“Yes, brothers, I came alone with the children. I was just about to ask—is there any place around here to settle down?”
Not far away, the woman from the family who had played with Chengzhou on the ship looked up and frowned at Shi Yin.
Seeing this, her husband lightly patted his wife’s shoulder, shook his head subtly, and holding their child, took a few steps further away.
Only the three men laughed in mutual understanding upon hearing her words, their voices instantly lifting: “Of course, little lady, I’ll take you there!”
The greed in their eyes and faces could not be hidden even if they tried, their mouths splitting into wide grins.
Among the three, the burly man who had been standing in the middle stepped forward:
“How could such a delicate little lady push this all by herself? Let me push it for you.”
His movements were swift, bearing an air that allowed no refusal.
Shi Yin did not hesitate, stepping back along with the momentum and releasing the handles: “Then many thanks for your help, brothers. Sure enough, there are plenty of kind-hearted people in this world.”
Seeing this, the three grew even more pleased with themselves. Crowding around Shi Yin, they pushed the handcart off the dock.
Not far off, that woman watched the entire scene unfold and let out a deep sigh.
“Don’t go worrying needlessly. If that woman were truly so naive, she wouldn’t have made it to Changfeng Dock in the first place. Let’s not bring trouble upon ourselves,” the husband warned his wife.
Beside him, the older man had a deep look in his eyes: “Li Han is right. That woman is definitely not simple. Let us wait and observe for now. If she turns out not to be wicked, it wouldn’t hurt to try making her acquaintance in the future.”
Heishan Island’s dock was constructed from piled bluestones, making the road surface rugged and full of potholes to begin with. Once clear of the dock area, the terrain became even harder to navigate with loose gravel.
As the handcart rolled across, it produced creaking and rattling noises. Without the “help” of these three men, this stretch of road would have proven a real headache for Shi Yin alone.
To truly travel deep into the island, one had to traverse a perilous path carved out along the cliffside—the sole passage for ascending the island.
At the narrowest point of the cliff face, the path was only slightly wider than the handcart itself.
On one side stood a steep mountain wall, while on the other lay the vast, open ocean; every single step was nerve-wracking.
“I say, brothers, please be extra careful. There’s not just grain on my cart, but two children as well. Don’t go tipping them over.”
No matter how worried Shi Yin was about her children at this moment, she did not dare fight over the handcart, choosing instead to use the grain to keep them steady.
“Little lady, don’t be afraid! I walk this path all the time. Not to mention your small two-wheeled handcart, I could push even a livestock-drawn wagon up there.”
The one speaking was the man currently pushing the cart, who was also the sturdiest among them.
Beneath his half-rolled sleeves, firm, bulging muscles were exposed. A pair of slanted eyes carried a fierce cruelty, and when he smiled, the corner of his mouth twitched sideways, adding a touch of hideousness.
At this moment, revealing only his head, Chengzhou offered a sweet smile and piped up, “Mother, the strong uncle has great strength, he definitely won’t drop us or the wheat-rice.”
“Wheat-rice?”
The eyes of the three men lit up, and they exchanged a rapid glance, the wicked smiles on their faces faintly slick with drool.
“You child, what nonsense are you blabbering!” Shi Yin feigned anger, which only made them all the more certain that inside the handcart, there was indeed wheat-rice!
“Brother, move faster!”
The man assisting by the side of the cart was already unable to contain his impatience.
The other man, who had been blocking the path behind Shi Yin all along, pulled his mouth into a vulgar, villainous grin: “Little lady, just rest easy and walk forward. Once we reach the top of the cliff, we three brothers guarantee to find you a prime place to live, hehe.”
Shi Yin feigned innocence and smiled in agreement:
“Then I must trouble you brothers and thank you for your trouble. But I must lay down my terms first—I won’t take a broken, wind-leaking thatched hut. It has to be a sturdy, dry bluestone-tiled house. I’m not short on money, so I will certainly reward the homeowner well.”
“Ah, hahaha—alright! You won’t lack a bluestone-tiled house, we’ll make sure you’re satisfied~~ hehe.”
The men spared no effort with the strength in their hands, traveling further and further along the rugged cliffside.