Chapter Four, South of the City (Four)

"You have arranged everything properly, so naturally I am happy!" The merchant with the surname Zhang snorted coldly and continued, "Who was that young man who took the lead in boarding the ship to help just now? His movements were remarkably nimble! Please help me to inquire about him carefully; this young man, given time, will surely be extraordinary!"

In stark contrast to the expressions of those around him was the steward of the Zhou residence, Cheng Bo. The old man had been sitting silently on the deck since the last thunderclap, his face as pale as ashes. Although the sudden downpour did not capsize the ship, the cargo on each vessel had been somewhat dampened. Thinking of the serious expression on the master’s face when he had instructed him to come to the dock to unload the goods, he felt an overwhelming urge to plunge into the canal. With over twenty large ships, even if only the outermost layer of grain bags on each ship was affected by moisture, it would still amount to nearly one hundred thousand jin. This responsibility was something he simply could not bear, nor could he afford to.

The merchant with the surname Zhang shot a glare at the steward, interrupting his nonsensical ramblings for the third time. "You do not understand!" He put away his smile and explained with a serious expression, "This young man is bold, meticulous, and compassionate. In these chaotic times, it is not only the ruthless and heartless who can achieve great things. The more compassion he holds, the more he can let go at critical moments. What our lord lacks the most is precisely this kind of talent. You should take care of him for a while; when I need him, I will naturally promote him vigorously.

Seeing that the old steward was slow to fulfill his promise, the strong men on the ship gradually gathered around. It was not just the old steward who had been shouting and pleading for help; the old man was pretending to be foolish, while that merchant-like bastard on the ship was neither sick nor in distress. The group could not let him escape.

Isn't it to make you happy?" The steward of the Zhou residence, Cheng Bo, displayed his greatest skill, saying with a flattering smile

Note 1: The preferred currency is the wuzhu coin minted during the reign of Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty, known for its substantial weight and high copper content, which made it well-received. The white coins were minted during the reign of Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty; due to the excessive lead content, they appeared white and were not accepted by the populace.

The steward stood solemnly with his fists clasped, leaning against the cabin door

The steward of the Zhou residence, Cheng Bo, quickly patted his chest and assured, "There will definitely be no problem with Magistrate Lin. Given the current chaos, it is only natural to arrange for a few more yamen runners. However..." He thought for a moment and hesitated to remind, "This young man seems to possess a certain softness of heart, which may not be suitable for significant responsibilities. I clearly saw him saving the fish that had fallen onto the deck; tens of thousands had dropped, and he foolishly went to rescue a few of them. I cannot tell if he was simply being foolish or if he was overestimating his own abilities."

I said I won't, so I won't. You need not ask further

As they spoke, the two of them had already entered the inner cabin, so they no longer feared being overheard. The merchant with the surname Zhang shot a glance at the steward, sighed, and shook his head. "You fool, why do you keep fixating on money? These fifty-odd men are not afraid of the thunderous might we just witnessed. If we could recruit them into the army, wouldn't each of them be a capable fighter? A few measures of rice, a few measures of rice in exchange for a loyal heart, dozens of strong men—doesn't the lord understand this calculation? Go on and attend to your business! Don't just focus on saving grain. Remember to place the rice that gets wet from the rain in a separate spot, and after it dries, send me a message. I will dispatch an official ship to directly deliver the wet rice to Liaodong!"

"Brothers, there is no need to be polite. Whatever needs to be distributed, let it be distributed; I, Zhang, cannot let everyone suffer losses!" The merchant smiled and politely cupped his hands in greeting to the crowd. "If you find me, Zhang, to be trustworthy, please come early tomorrow to help unload the rice. According to the wages promised by Cheng Bo before the rain today, the earlier we start, the earlier we finish! What does everyone think?"

"Lord Pushan! He is indeed a remarkable official!" The strong men had no concept of nobility; they simply believed that the head of the other party's family must be of a higher rank than the county magistrate. Thus, they tried every possible word to extol him. The merchant with the surname Zhang had evidently heard such flattery many times before; he did not stop it, but instead smiled and waved his hand, slowly making his way towards the cabin.

At this moment of heightened tension between the two parties, the head of the merchants sitting in the cabin proactively stepped out. He first performed a respectful bow to everyone, then single-handedly supported Cheng Bo from the crowd, patted the other’s shoulder, and loudly reassured him: "Hey, it’s not a big deal! Unforeseen circumstances happen, and it has nothing to do with you! Quickly arrange for the unloading of the grain, and tomorrow find an open space to dry the wet grain that got soaked in the rain. My master will send someone to handle the wet rice, so you can rest assured!" Quickly arrange for the unloading of the grain, and tomorrow find an open space to dry the wet grain that got soaked in the rain. My master will send someone to handle the wet rice, so you can rest assured!

Regardless of whether Cheng He and Book Bo felt any pain, after finalizing the time with everyone, the merchant with the surname Zhang took the lead and directed the servants to distribute wages to the strong men who had helped. The servants clearly held him in high regard and did not oppose him; they obediently moved aside the rice bags that had been soaked by the rain and took out the dry, fine rice from the middle of the cargo ship, measuring it out in dou for everyone. The strong men had not anticipated such a substantial profit today and momentarily found themselves without containers to hold the rice. The merchant Zhang smiled and instructed someone to bring a large pile of brand new straw bags, generously lending them to everyone.

Ah! Oh! Oh! Little man, the old man understands!" The steward of the Zhou residence, Cheng Bo, was scolded to the point of shivering, but his spirit quickly recovered. "This old man will go hire someone right away, I will go hire someone right away! Please bear with me for a moment, please bear with me for a moment!

You are right, esteemed sir. My perspective has indeed been too narrow! The steward of the Zhou residence, frightened, shivered again and quickly accompanied his words with a smile, engaging in self-criticism

My master’s surname is Li. He is the Duke of Pushan in the current dynasty. If you inquire, you will know who my master is!" The merchant with the surname Zhang smiled, feeling quite proud of his master.

"Can you manage it? Do you need someone to help you carry it home?" The old butler kindly inquired again, turning his face towards Cheng and Wang.

"Take it, you can manage it. If you can manage it, I wouldn't dare to trouble you, esteemed elder!" Wang Ermao was overwhelmed by immense happiness, feeling dizzy and stammering in response

Cheng Bo's eyes moved numbly in their sockets, faintly proving that he was still a living being. "Zhang, Zhang Gong is saying, the master, the master will not..." He hesitated to inquire, but his words were quickly interrupted by the Zhang surname merchant.

Then your family head must be a great benevolent person! I wonder which living Bodhisattva it is?" The strong men, carrying rice bags, gratefully inquired about the good person's name.

"Have you taken a liking to him?" The butler pondered for a moment before responding with a smile. "That truly is a stroke of luck for that young man. I inquired about his background this morning. He said his surname is Cheng, and he is a fugitive who has come to Guantao to seek refuge with relatives!"

After the sudden rain, the sun shines brightly. Looking at the clear blue sky, most people wear smiles on their faces. Especially the strong men who bravely stayed on the boat to help, their hearts are filled with happiness and pride at the thought of carrying home a full bag of rice today. Five dou of rice, even if consumed daily in a mixed manner, would be enough for the whole family to eat for nearly half a month. However, no one would waste food like that. It is still summer, and there is plenty of shepherd's purse, bitter herbs, snow cabbage, and small yellow flowers in the wilderness outside the city. By sending the women and children at home out, they can bring back several large baskets of fresh wild vegetables every day. With a ratio of five parts vegetables to one part rice, and adding some small fish and shrimp caught from the canal, delicious rice dumplings can be made, enough for the whole family to enjoy sweet and fragrant meals for several months.

Hmm! The merchant with the surname Zhang gently stroked his beard, "It seems that this young man has read some books based on his speech"

Upon seeing Cheng Xiaojiu and Wang Ermao, each carrying a straw bag and standing at the back of the line to collect their wages, he smiled and waved, calling them both to his side. He then turned around and quietly instructed the house servants: "These two young heroes have just rendered great service to our family. Especially this young man Cheng, who was the first to rush onto the boat to cover it with tarpaulin; his contribution is invaluable. Their rewards will be doubled, each receiving ten dou of fine rice and two taels of good meat, without any deductions. We, the Zhou family, cannot let good people suffer losses; you must remember this!"

"Trustworthy, trustworthy!" The burly men, pleasantly surprised, responded without hesitation

Shall we finalize the time then? The merchant with the surname Zhang pondered for a moment and tentatively sought the opinions of the crowd, Is the time of the rabbit hour too early? How about the rabbit hour?

I am a person buried in loess up to my neck, where could all these matters come from!" Cheng Bo smiled and gestured for Cheng Xiao Jiu not to worry. The reason he took care of the two was entirely out of the elder's affection for the younger generation.

Hello, hello, the young man understands. The young man understands! Finally, a hint of color returned to Cheng Bo's face as he continuously nodded and bowed. He turned to call the servant, opened a tarpaulin on his own ship, and took out bags of fine rice to distribute to those who had helped.

His honesty and trustworthiness made the strong men who were helping feel embarrassed. They gathered around and spoke in unison, saying: "Wet rice is also fine, wet rice is also fine. Anyway, using a measuring scoop, it won't be short of weight. Just put it on the windowsill to dry for a few days, and it will be fine!"

Thank you for your concern, esteemed elder. I am capable of handling it. Should you require assistance from us in the future, please do not hesitate to command us. To the best of my abilities, I would never dare to refuse! Cheng Xiaoji felt dizzy for a while, only to confirm that he was not dreaming. He pinched himself discreetly and pretended to be very composed as he saluted the other party. After completing the bow, he straightened up, suddenly staggered, and took a few unsteady steps before finally leaning on Wang Ermao's shoulder to regain his balance

Tomorrow, if only we could encounter such rain during the unloading. Someone silently prays to the clear sky. If we can earn another five dou of rice tomorrow, we might be able to dig a few field mouse holes in the wild this autumn, and perhaps we can survive this winter! When next year comes, when spring arrives, will the emperor's ridiculous decree to abandon the fields and move into the city not come to an end? With strength in our bodies and idle fields in the countryside, who would allow their wives and children to go hungry? When next year comes, when spring arrives, will the emperor's ridiculous decree to abandon the fields and move into the city not come to an end? With strength in our bodies and idle fields in the countryside, who would allow their wives and children to go hungry?

"Enough, even if you pretend, you can at most be a clerical aide! You cannot exude the demeanor of a great general!" The merchant with the surname Zhang scoffed and whispered derisively.

At this moment, what the lord needs most is the support of the people. A few measures of rice and a hundred or so coins are nothing. There is plenty of that in Liyang City! The Zhang merchant suddenly changed from his usual polite and refined demeanor in front of everyone, and abruptly adopted a stern expression, coldly reprimanding.

The steward of the Zhou residence, Cheng Bo, was already sweating profusely with concern. Earlier, he had not dared to question the decision of the Zhang family merchant in front of everyone, but now that he finally saw an opportunity, he hurriedly quickened his pace to catch up, bending slightly as he reminded, "Why must you distribute new rice to these poor souls? A reward of thirty to fifty wen each, and I believe they wouldn't dare to complain further! Chief Zhang, if the lord were to find out about this..." He glanced back, trying to keep his voice as low as possible.

I also saw it! The merchant with the surname Zhang nodded slightly, expressing appreciation for the steward's observational skills. "You should find a way to secure him a position at the county office, but do not tell him who is helping him. When the time comes to employ him, let him know then!"

"Yes. I obey your command!" The steward of the Zhou residence, Cheng Bo, grinned as he saluted the merchant with the surname Zhang, then turned and exited the cabin. Upon seeing the sunlight, a smile reminiscent of the Maitreya Buddha reappeared on his face. He patted one person's shoulder and thumped another's chest, his gaze filled with kindness and affection

"No need for that today!" The merchant with the surname Zhang waved his hand grandly, as if he had an army of thousands behind him. "Since the wind and rain are so fierce today, it must be that we did not schedule the unloading of the grain properly. Let the grain stay on the ship for a day; we will start early tomorrow, before the sun rises. You should distribute the rewards that the old and young fellows deserve; they risked their lives to help us cover the grain, and we cannot be untrustworthy!"

With his authorization, the servants naturally filled the rice bags of the two young men, Cheng and Wang, as much as possible with fine grains, since the rice belonged to the master’s family; whether it was a little more or a little less would not affect them. Cheng and Wang expressed their gratitude once again, and then hurriedly borrowed a cart from a family by the canal, pushing their day's harvest homeward.

Do not distribute wet rice, it cannot be stored. Give them dry rice instead; money can be easily made from meat, but do not distribute the white money from these past two years! All of it will be recorded in my account!" The merchant with the surname Zhang waved his hand again and intervened loudly.

In the morning, the sky was already bright at the hour of the Rabbit! The strong men responded with a thunderous roar

In chaotic times, what is rare is talent. If talent is not utilized by me, it will surely be used against me. This is another instruction from the lord of his house, which Chief Steward Zhang remembers very well, very well.

"You little rascal, quite clever!" said the Zhang merchant, who had been observing the young man from the shadows, as he watched the boy's figure gradually fade away. With a sudden surge of strength in his arms, his muscles subtly bulged beneath his sleeves, as if he had firmly grasped the young man's fate in his hands.

The housemaids were unsure from which direction the sun would rise today, and even the old butler, known for his stinginess, became unusually generous, momentarily taken aback, and responded loudly, "Ah! We have noted it!"

You are indeed a great benefactor! Having received the merchant's kindness, the strong men expressed their gratitude with smiling faces. The merchant with the surname Zhang shook his head and quietly replied, "It is not my kindness. My family head has always said that no one should be wealthy and unkind. I am merely following the words of my family head! I do not dare to take credit for it!"

What about you?" Not hearing Cheng Xiaojiu's gratitude, Butler Cheng Bo felt somewhat dissatisfied

After a few days at the private school, the steward smiled as he flaunted his knowledge, saying, "I just noticed him as well; he seems to have some strength in his arms and legs. With just a casual pull, he can lift a bag of rice weighing over 200 pounds."

Noticing that the situation was turning unfavorable, the overseer's servants began to slowly gather around Butler Cheng. In their hands, some held whips, while others carried wooden clubs, ready to act simultaneously at a single command, prepared to throw the oblivious beggars into the river.