The waiter was sweating all over after the man’s question. He dealt with customers coming and going all day and had become fairly experienced at reading people. Though the man looked like a merchant, his fierce brows and eyes and the menacing air about him made it plain he was someone best not crossed.
He struggled to find the right words, afraid that one wrong answer would offend the burly man.
Just then, Zhao Yushu spoke up to get him out of trouble.
“Don’t put him on the spot. We do have Pre-Rain Longjing, but Little Brother bought it all. If you don’t mind, why not join me? I’d be happy to share some with you.”
At the sound of her voice, the man looked over. Sure enough, her table was covered with teapots. His expression eased a little, and he strode toward Zhao Yushu. Before sitting down, he took a deep breath.
“Good. That’s the aroma of Pre-Rain Longjing.”
He swept his robe aside and sat down in a bold, wide-legged manner.
Zhao Yushu smiled and poured him a cup.
“Most tea in the world is tasteless. Longjing is the only kind that’s just about worth drinking.”
The man accepted the cup without ceremony. Though steam was still rising from it, he took a big gulp. Only then did he laugh heartily.
“Young Brother, you’re a kindred spirit.”
He glanced back at the men who had come with him, sounding a little aggrieved. They had already found another table. They weren’t particular about tea and had begun ordering wine and food.
The man shook his head with a sigh. “What a shame that the only people around me are a bunch of roughnecks. There’s no one to share the finest pleasure in life with.”
He poured himself another cup and introduced himself.
“My surname is Zheng. Zheng Wei. People outside call me Third Master Zheng. What should I call you, Young Brother?”
Zhao Yushu feigned surprise. “Third Master Zheng? Are you the famous Third Master Zheng of the Weiyuan Trading Company?”
Zheng Wei looked surprised. “You know our company too, Young Brother?”
Zhao Yushu cupped her hands. “The Weiyuan Trading Company is renowned throughout the martial world. How could I not know of it? Third Master Zheng is highly skilled in martial arts, the greatest tough guy in the business world.”
“And for all your rough-and-ready ways, you’re also shrewd and far-sighted. Your good name is so widespread that people respect you just from hearing it.”
“Hahaha! Good, good! Rough-and-ready, and the greatest tough guy—Young Brother, you’re the first kindred spirit I’ve ever met!”
Zhao Yushu laughed along with him. “My surname is Zhao. To be honest, I’ve admired you for a long time.”
“I have a shipment I’d like to entrust to a trading company. I’d heard so much about you, Brother, and wanted to work with you, but your whereabouts are so unpredictable that I couldn’t find a chance to meet you. I never thought fate would bring us together today!”
Zheng Wei made his living traveling on trading routes. An extra business opportunity along the way was an unexpected delight, and his face lit up.
“Of course, of course! Younger Brother Zhao, what goods do you want transported? Just tell your older brother!”
“My goods are a little complicated. They’re divided into four shipments and need to pass through four cities on the way from the capital all the way to the Northern Frontier.”
Zheng Wei was even more delighted when he heard that.
“To be honest, foolish older brother is taking the very same route on this trip, transporting goods from the capital to the bitterly cold Northern Frontier.”
“Fate, virtuous younger brother! What a fateful meeting!”
Zhao Yushu smiled back at him. It certainly was fate. In her previous life, as her whole family was being escorted into exile, they had happened to cross paths with the Weiyuan Trading Company’s party.
The two groups had traveled almost the same route and arrived at the Northern Frontier at the same time.
Zheng Wei was a man of honor. Wherever he went, he never forgot to buy the tea he loved, which had left a deep impression on her.
“What goods are you hoping to transport on this trip, virtuous younger brother?”
“Some common spices.”
“Spices?”
Zheng Wei frowned. He assumed she meant to trade in the Northern Frontier, and wasn’t optimistic about the idea.
After a moment’s hesitation, he offered her sincere advice.
“If you trust your foolish older brother, let me say a word. The Northern Frontier, under Prince Jin’s rule, is a bitterly cold place, and there’s often fighting there.”
“People can barely afford to feed their families. Where would they get the spare money to buy spices? You’d be better off trading the spices for grain, cattle, sheep, fish, and meat. I guarantee you’ll make a fortune!”
The Northern Frontier had a cold climate and bordered Khitan[1]A historically prominent people from northeast Asia who established the Liao dynasty and interacted extensively with Chinese states. jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_3735811_1_1').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_3735811_1_1', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], });, whose people often raided and invaded the region. The locals struggled just to grow enough to live on, let alone raise livestock and poultry.
As a result, the Northern Frontier was desperately short of grain and meat. Even fish, which was common in the capital, was as rare as treasure there.
After the Weiyuan Trading Company had gone to the Northern Frontier by chance a year ago and discovered the situation, it had made a business of transporting meat from south to north. In that one year, the company had already earned more than it had in the previous three years combined.
He was telling Zhao Yushu about it because he truly regarded her as a friend.
Warmth stirred in Zhao Yushu’s heart, but she still shook her head, firm in her decision.
“My people have already stocked the goods. The spices are all sitting in storage now, and it’s too late to switch to something else. But don’t worry, Brother. I have my own way of making money. If you trust me, you might want to stock up on spices too.”
Zheng Wei laughed when he heard her. “It’s good to be confident, virtuous younger brother. I’m only worried that you’re young and overconfident.”
Even so, he continued, “Spices it is, then. Where are the goods now? I happen to be taking a break today. After breakfast, I’ll go straight to collect them.”
That was exactly what Zhao Yushu had been waiting for. She called the waiter over, and the two of them drank, ordered more dishes, and ate their fill.
After the meal, Zheng Wei looked wistfully at the teapots, where some of the Pre-Rain Longjing remained, his face full of regret.
Zhao Yushu smiled mysteriously and brought out new waterskins that she had secretly asked the waiter to buy from a general store. She poured all the leftover tea into them, one pot at a time.
Zheng Wei stared for a moment, then burst out laughing. “Hahaha! Brilliant, absolutely brilliant! Virtuous younger brother, meeting you today is one of the greatest joys of my life.”
Zhao Yushu handed him the seven filled waterskins. Zheng Wei accepted them without ceremony, then turned to the men at the other table.
“Brothers, have you all eaten and drunk your fill?”
“We have.”
“Then get up! We’ve got more work!”
The whole party set off down the street, Zhao Yushu leading them to a temporary warehouse by the docks where goods could be stored.
The four of them were already waiting there. Unlike the sorry state they’d been in when they left the slave market yesterday, they were now neat and presentable, dressed in clean clothes.
When they saw Zhao Yushu, all four stepped forward together and bowed. “Master!”
Zhao Yushu nodded. Her gaze paused on Xiaohe’s yellowish face, which seemed to have been smeared with yellow mud, and the corner of her mouth twitched despite herself.
“Have you checked all the goods?”
Xiaohe produced an inventory. “Master, everything is listed here. Please take a look.”
Zhao Yushu accepted it, skimmed through it, then turned and handed it to Zheng Wei.
“Third Master, please check the goods.”
Zheng Wei took the inventory and ordered his men to open the warehouse. He gave the goods a quick inspection.
“No problems, Third Master.”
The two parties signed a contract on the spot and pressed their fingerprints onto it.
Zhao Yushu added, “I have one more favor to ask.”
Zheng Wei laughed heartily. “Go ahead, virtuous younger brother.”
Zhao Yushu pushed Xiaohe and the other three forward.
“I bought these four as slaves, but there have been some changes in my household recently, and I can’t provide them with a permanent place to stay. I’d like to find them somewhere to go. Would you be willing to look after them for me?”
She also took out a banknote. “Don’t worry, I’m not asking you to do it for free. I’ll cover their travel and food expenses.”
Zheng Wei pushed her hand back toward her. “What are you saying, virtuous younger brother? They’re only four people. How much can they eat? Besides, they all look strong and healthy…”
He suddenly paused and frowned at He Jinghong.
Feeling Zheng Wei’s gaze, Xiaohe stepped back. He casually picked up a huge crate—so wide that three people holding hands would barely have been able to encircle it—and lifted it with one hand.
“My goodness, what a remarkable young man! I can’t believe you’re that strong, Young Brother. You’re a truly rare specimen!” Zheng Wei cried in astonishment.
Xiaohe smiled faintly and glanced at Zhao Yushu with some pride before gently setting the crate down again.
The whole thing had been so effortless, it was as if he’d merely picked up a feather.
He wasn’t a burden. He’d said he was strong, and he really was.
Though Zhao Yushu already knew what He Jinghong could do, she still couldn’t help admiring him as she watched him show off.
She nodded approvingly. “Third Master is right. They’re all strong and healthy. Take them along on your trading trip. If you need help moving anything heavy, just ask.”
Having help could only be a good thing. Zheng Wei gladly agreed.
He couldn’t help thinking again that Brother Zhao really was his lucky star. Ever since meeting her today, everything had gone his way!
After reaching an agreement with Zheng Wei, Zhao Yushu watched as his men carried off all the spices from the dock. Then she turned to Xiaohe and the other three.
“You four, stay close to Third Master Zheng on this trip. As long as you do your work properly, when it’s over, I’ll have your slave registrations removed and make you commoners again!”
All four of them brightened at once.
In this dynasty, slaves were their masters’ property, just like goods. Killing a slave was no different from smashing a cup; it wasn’t a crime.
When they had sold themselves into slavery, they had already prepared themselves for a violent death.
They had never imagined they might have the chance to become free people again in this life!
All four dropped to their knees together. “Thank you, Master, for your kindness. We swear we won’t let you down!”
After she had finished arranging things and sent Zheng Wei away with both the goods and the four men, noon had arrived before she knew it.
Zhao Yushu arranged another feast at the tavern and treated Zheng Wei and his men to a lavish meal.
This time, Xiaohe and the other three were allowed to sit at the table with Zheng Wei’s caravan. They had earned the right to join them.
A meal was the best place to socialize. By the time it was over, the four had grown familiar with Zheng Wei’s men and had become part of the group.
Zhao Yushu and Zheng Wei exchanged more warm words, each treating the other like a close friend, before she finally took her leave.
As she stepped outside, a gust of wind rose. Zhao Yushu glanced at the sky, now covered in dark clouds, and suddenly realized that the rainy season was nearly here.
The bailiffs had umbrellas on the road to exile, but the prisoners did not.
Exposed to wind and rain, they were bound to fall ill.
After a moment’s thought, she set off for the biggest apothecary in the capital.
“Shopkeeper, make me a few batches of pills using the prescription I gave you.”
The shopkeeper answered, but didn’t move. Only then did Zhao Yushu notice that a bailiff was in the apothecary, getting medicine.
She happened to catch sight of his face, and her pupils contracted sharply.
This was the bailiff who had escorted her into exile in her previous life!
As Zhao Yushu was buying medicine at the apothecary, she caught sight of a bailiff.
The instant she recognized his face, her pupils contracted—
This was Xu Xiaozhi, the bailiff who had escorted her into exile in her previous life and had secretly buried Concubine Liu after she was left exposed in the wilderness.
References[+]