Chapter 6, Diverging Paths

As bolts of silk lay on the deck, glistening in the sunlight with their exquisite sheen, the group of idle young men gradually became excited, especially when bags of salt were brought onto the deck. Many of them were already flushed with joy, unable to contain their smiles.

"What is it, Da Lang?" Uncle Lu jogged cautiously behind Liu Jing and tentatively asked, "Has Da Lang come up with an idea?"

The man with the surname Cheng let out a heavy grunt and strode away with a flick of his hand. Watching his retreating figure, the man with the surname Zhang leaned closer to Mu Ji and whispered, "Elder brother, I told you this fellow is stubborn. Why did you call him over? You ended up receiving a mouthful of spittle for no reason!"

Having said that, she turned and walked towards the deck

Uncle Lu furrowed his brows and thought for a moment, then said to Liu Jing earnestly: "Darlang, we are a few husbands who have at least seen the world outside, so let us discuss this matter among ourselves."

Mu Ji exchanged a glance with her, then lowered her head and clasped her hands, saying, "Young master, do not worry." Although she was reluctant, she ultimately acquiesced. At that moment, Liu Jing let out a great sigh of relief, her legs feeling weak beneath her.

This is indeed a problem

Gazing at the cargo ship that was gradually disappearing into the golden light, Mu Ji's eyes darkened. Seizing the moment while the group of rascals was discussing where to sell all the salt, he pulled his two closest friends into the woods. After casting a furtive glance at the departing cargo ship, Mu Ji turned back to the two and spoke in a lowered voice: "Cheng brother, Zhang brother, this young man from Liu's residence has taken advantage of our strength to seize this ship of goods from others. He is merely a child, and throughout this entire affair, he has only moved his mouth a few times, yet he is able to reap such enormous benefits. I am truly indignant."

The man with the surname Cheng was tall and robust, sporting a full beard. Upon hearing this, he cast a sidelong glance at Mu Ji and said unhappily: "A Ji, as husbands, we should act with integrity and transparency. Seeing that he is displeased, you should not have accepted his generous gift just now. Now that the wealth is in hand, and with such words, do you intend to engage in underhanded dealings?"

The man with the surname Zhang grinned widely, revealing a set of yellow teeth, and exclaimed eagerly: "What are we waiting for? Aren't we supposed to return the horses? Let them hire a carriage to go home; we will return the horses immediately!"

After rowing for half a day, when the sun was at its zenith, in the sight of the crowd, a vast expanse of reeds appeared on the right side of the river. The reeds were deep and dense, and at the end of the reeds lay a large forest. Both the reeds and the forest were submerged in the river water. If one could think of a way, perhaps it would indeed be possible to find a place to hide the cargo ship.

She took out the memoir again from her sleeve pocket and glanced at it. After a while, Liu Jing called out, "Uncle Lu, come here for a moment"

After the cargo ship had been sailing for a while, a stretch of riverbank suitable for docking appeared ahead. Liu Jing signaled to the servants of the Liu residence to assist these wayward youths in carrying the silk and salt ashore and arranging them properly, and then to lead the horses onto the shore.

Liu Jing contemplated this thought for an entire day and night. When another sunrise occurred, she was still standing on the deck, deep in thought with a furrowed brow

At this point, he paused and looked seriously at the two individuals

Her reasoning was sound; after all, among the people on this ship, only she, the scion of the Liu family, was a literate scholar. Now, she predicted that the wind direction would change, and half of the rascals present listened with admiration. Those who doubted her and thought she was speaking nonsense found themselves unable to refute her claims. Moreover, her attitude towards them was genuinely respectful and courteous, leaving them with nothing to say and no grounds for criticism.

Liu Jing pointed ahead and said: "We should be not far from a place called Reed Marsh... Uncle, I think if possible, we should hide this boat in a secluded spot within the Reed Marsh. Once we have gathered all the information, we can come back to set sail."

"Alright, Da Lang," Uncle Lu replied loudly, leading the servants towards the lower cabin

How to think, Liu Jing is at a loss.

Mu Ji clearly did not expect him to say that, and his expression changed slightly. After a while, he forced a smile and said, "Brother Cheng is mistaken; that young man with the surname Liu also engages in petty deeds, I am merely learning from him." At this point, seeing that Brother Cheng looked increasingly unconvinced, he clasped his fists towards him and awkwardly said, "If Brother Cheng is displeased, then let it be as if you did not hear it."

not less than 40 percent

As soon as his voice fell, the man with the surname Zhang swallowed hard and asked in a low voice, "How much can we divide between us?"

On one side, Uncle Lu, whose complexion was equally poor, muttered: "Dalang, those rascals have all been driven away, but what about this salt? We have no idea where those private salt traders usually handle their goods."

The events that took place on the shore were completely unknown to Liu Jing and the others

Amidst the fierce glares, Liu Jing's face turned even paler. She forced a smile, involuntarily swallowed, then bowed deeply to them, sighing: "You are mistaken, Mr. Mu. The reason I am preparing to part ways with you is precisely to seek your assistance in alleviating my troubles." She spoke solemnly: "I have observed the celestial phenomena at night and predict that tonight or tomorrow, the weather will warm up, and the wind will shift to the southeast. At that time, our sailboat will be sailing against the wind, and we will not only need to lower the sails but also require all of you to row together in order to make slow progress. If you can leave today, you will be able to take away one thousand catties of salt and ride away on a dozen horses. In this way, our boat will be half lighter, and our speed will double. If you can leave today, you will be able to take away one thousand catties of salt and ride away on a dozen horses. Thus, our boat will be half lighter, and our speed will double. By the time the southeast wind arrives, I fear I will have already reached my destination."

Since the arrangements have been finalized, the cargo ship is now sailing at full speed. The crowd complains that the northwesterly wind is not strong enough, causing the sailing vessel to move slowly, and they even assist by rowing the oars.

In the blink of an eye, the satin and salt promised by Liu Jing have been presented before everyone. Pointing to a small pile of food bags, Liu Jing respectfully bowed to Mu Ji and the others, saying politely: "These salts, I must trouble you all to exchange them for gold and return them to the people at the horse farm." At this point, she raised her voice and said loudly: "You all know that our salts were intercepted from the powerful. Those powerful individuals, regardless of who they are, treat human life as if it were worthless. If they were to learn that each of us here has participated in the plunder against them, then, whether out of anger or to maintain their own dignity, they would pursue us relentlessly. Therefore, regarding this matter, I earnestly hope that you all keep your lips tightly sealed, and that no one speaks or reveals anything." As she spoke, the group of rascals nodded in agreement. Liu Jing then turned to Mu Ji and the others, and said seriously: "I request that Lord Mu exchange all of these salts for gold before returning the funds for hiring horses, as I do not wish to raise any suspicions with the people at the horse farm."

Her words are quite reasonable. Just think, once that cargo ship hides away, those who wish to track them will have no target to pursue. Uncle Lu hurriedly replied, "Alright, we will listen to the young master."

Mu Ji's expression was also grim, and he whispered, "How would I know that this fellow would protect someone like the young man with the surname Liu?" At this point, he turned to look at the man with the surname Cheng, narrowing his eyes as he said, "Whether he participates or not, it doesn't matter. Given his character, he won't help that Liu fellow deal with us." He leaned closer to the man with the surname Zhang and cautiously lowered his voice, saying, "Brother Zhang, the Qiang Liang who lent us the horses is an old acquaintance of mine. If we hurry, we can reach him in just one day's journey. What do you think? If we inform my old friend about the whereabouts and situation of the young man with the surname Liu, and have him intercept that batch of goods..."

She, Liu Jing, looks like she is seventeen years old. She has read three carts of books, yet after so many years confined in her boudoir, her experiences are truly too few. Moreover, dealing with strong and powerful figures, handling such illegal and forbidden matters, has always been too far removed from her world; even in books, it has never been mentioned at all.

Alright, that's settled.

As the cargo ship set sail, she and six servants returned to the hold, checking the salt cargo while Liu Jing frequently furrowed her brow

In that case, we shall set off immediately! Wait, the boat of the young man with the surname Liu has already sailed far away. What shall we do if we cannot catch up?

Mu Ji chuckled and said in a low voice with pride: "The waterway ahead stretches over 400 miles without any tributaries! How could we possibly fail to catch up? Moreover, even if we cannot catch the ship, they will eventually have to deliver their goods, right? We can just wait in Jixian for the opportunity to strike!" As Mu Ji spoke passionately, his purple face flushed with excitement. He thought to himself: In this world, it is difficult to earn money. I, Mu Ji, have been poor for many years and have the desire to offend the powerful, yet I lack the ability to do so. This young man with the surname Liu is different; whether we rob him or kill him, with his family of women and children, there won't be anyone to seek justice for him! If I do not take advantage of such an easy target, would I not be wasting my time in this world?

Liu Jing furrowed her brows and took out the accounts of the experiences of various rascals over the past forty days from her sleeve pocket. After reading for a while, she said: "There is indeed a place, and it is nearby, a place called Jixian." She folded the paper and sighed bitterly, saying: "The current issue is not where to sell the goods, but how to sell them! Those private salt traders are local bullies, and I fear that as soon as we open our mouths, they will realize we are outsiders, and then we could fall victim to a black market scheme, resulting in total loss."

Liu Jing shook her head and said softly, "I still need to think about it, I need to think it over carefully..."

In a moment of silence, Liu Jing clapped her hands and said, "Uncle Lu, go and move all the silk and the salt that was given to everyone up to the deck."

Everyone is looking at Liu Jing

They are waiting for her to explain: Given that the situation is still quite difficult, why would she want to drive them away? Is she not confident in their character? Is she still afraid that they might covet these salt goods? They think of themselves as upright individuals, willing to easily sacrifice their lives for the sake of loyalty, yet this young man before them, what does she take them for?

Having completed all of this, Liu Jing bowed to the group of rascals and said loudly: "Thank you all for your assistance, until we meet again." As the group of rascals returned the gesture one by one, the cargo ship slowly sailed away

At this point, she smiled slightly and said in a voice that was extremely alluring: "Gentlemen, upon your return home, your wives, children, and parents will surely be overjoyed. This journey lasted less than three months, and not only can you return home to celebrate the New Year with them, but you have also earned money, acquired enough salt for several years' worth of food for your family, and can make a few sets of clothing for your parents and wives and children." Upon hearing these words, many people felt a stir in their hearts, and their gazes towards her were no longer as tense as they had been moments before.