Chapter 5, Divergence of Hearts

Liu Jing raised her head and met Uncle Lu's bloodshot eyes. Seeing his weary expression, how could she bring herself to scold him? On this trip, she had brought six servants with her, and with so much cargo in the hold, it was indeed exhausting for them to guard it day and night. However, to put it another way, when she had asked the servants to guard the cargo hold, she had only requested that they hold their ground for three nights; she only needed them to endure for three nights! ... Who would have thought that after just two nights, they would make a mistake ... But to reiterate, when she had asked the servants to guard the cargo hold, she had only requested that they hold their ground for three nights; she only needed them to endure for three nights! ... Who would have thought that after just two nights, they would make a mistake ...

Suppressing her chaotic thoughts, Liu Jing pressed her lips together and said softly, "Don't rush, don't rush, let me think, let me think..." She rubbed her hand along the ship's railing, gritting her teeth as she contemplated: the current situation is that among these rascals, someone sneaked into the cargo hold last night and knows that it is filled with salt... A whole ship of salt, if converted to gold, would amount to at least 2,000 taels. As the saying goes, wealth stirs the heart; I fear that the intruder has already developed ill intentions.

Carrying a basin of clear water, Liu Jing carefully washed her face, then wiped her body, and after painting her face black again, she changed into a new robe before slowly stepping out of the cabin.

Liu Jing smiled as she observed their expressions and gestures, secretly pondering: In this world, all wayward sons aim to be wanderers, guided by the principles of loyalty and righteousness. Among these individuals, even if there are some petty people, there should be more true heroes.

Upon seeing Liu Jing approaching, the roguish young man named Mu Ji strode forward. He grinned at Liu Jing and said, "Young master, everyone is talking about what kind of cargo we have on this ship. Why is it so heavy?"

In the blink of an eye, another day and night have passed

Since the ship was seized and brought back, the four strong servants of the Liu residence have been guarding the hold without even blinking an eye. They are not allowed to see even a glimpse, and each of them is filled with curiosity at the moment

Liu Jing quickly turned her head to look at him

Seeing them happy, Liu Jing was also very pleased. She smiled and turned to Mu Ji, who had been looking skeptical about her decision, and said earnestly: "Mu Jun has led everyone to borrow more than ten horses. Initially, I thought that after selling this salt, I could repay the rental fee for the horses. Now, I can only trouble Mu Jun to bring more salt, which we can exchange for gold in the city to cover the cost of hiring the horses..." This statement caused the previously cheerful and whispering rascals to fall silent. After Mu Ji and the others frowned, Liu Jing continued: "Ah, I have thought it over, and I have decided that once we reach a calmer section of the water ahead, I will part ways with you all!"

"What is this, Da Lang?" As Uncle Lu asked, he noticed that Liu Jing's lips, which were pressed together, had turned pale. A pang of bitterness struck his heart, and he couldn't help but think that although his sister-in-law was intelligent, she was still just a young woman, sheltered and delicate, a lady who had never stepped outside her home. If it weren't for such a major incident this time, his sister-in-law might still be spending her days with a copy of "Lessons for Women," occasionally transcribing a passage to submit to Liu Mu for review. Such a sister-in-law, unable to relieve her worries, had instead been troubled by his momentary indulgence in sleep. If it weren't for such a major incident this time, his sister-in-law might still be spending her days with a copy of "Lessons for Women," occasionally transcribing a passage to submit to Liu Mu for review. Such a sister-in-law, unable to relieve her worries, had instead been troubled by his momentary indulgence in sleep

Thinking of this, Liu Jing gritted her teeth and turned to Uncle Lu, who looked anxious, saying: "Uncle, go and call everyone, just tell them that I have something to say to them"

She had just said this when Mu Jiteng jumped up abruptly, shouting in anger: "Why?" Staring at Liu Jing, he slammed his hand on the scabbard at his waist and shouted in a harsh voice: "You have hired us for four months, so why are you driving us away midway? Do you look down on us?"

After the group of people gathered, they each mounted their horses and galloped swiftly towards the dock ahead

At this moment, not only Liu Jing, but also Uncle Lu and the others had no doubt that if they said a single word incorrectly, it would provoke these people to draw their weapons against them

Amidst the clamoring voices, Liu Jing's gaze was as calm as water. After scanning the faces of those present one by one, she slowly said: "Alright, since everyone is interested, I will speak plainly. This ship is carrying contraband salt! The batch of goods we intercepted is salt!"

Liu Jing rose early in the morning, watching the dawn glow just emerging in the east. Gazing into the vast depths of the waves, she thought to herself: if I can just walk one more day, just one more day, I should be safe; those people should not be able to catch up...

What?

After a moment of whispering among the group of young rascals, Liu Jing bowed to them and said in a clear voice: "This time, being able to acquire this batch of goods, you all have made a significant contribution. If it were not for the difficulties that have arisen in my family, I would certainly share the wealth equally with all of you"

The group of rascals had long known that the batch of goods they intercepted was likely not ordinary, but they never expected it to be a shipload of salt

Seeing this, the group of roguish youths ceased their inquiries and gathered together once more, engaging in laughter and conversation.

When they arrived by the dock, under the moonlight, a large cargo ship stood quietly amidst the waves, complemented by the surrounding dark and silent mountains and waters, creating an exceptionally tranquil scene. The group had been quite anxious, constantly worrying that those individuals had already caught up with them, but it was only at this moment that they felt completely at ease.

Her greatest problem now is that her salt has been intercepted from others, making its origin questionable. Therefore, one cannot expect those righteous individuals to rise up passionately to protect her shipment of salt and offer generous assistance. Meanwhile, the petty individuals who intend to intercept it from her again will not feel any psychological pressure.

Her current situation is akin to a child walking through a night market with a large sum of money in hand

When she uttered the phrase "equally divide wealth," the surroundings fell silent. One by one, the wayward youths turned their heads, earnestly gazing at Liu Jing, holding their breath as they awaited her to continue.

Uncle Lu, at this point, said urgently and hoarsely: "Dawang, what do you think of this matter?"

Amidst the calls, one by one, the rascals emerged. When more than twenty rascals appeared on the deck, Liu Jing smiled like a spring breeze and said: "Yesterday, Mu Ji inquired about what goods we intercepted, did he not? I wonder if everyone is still interested today"

Liu Jing also relaxed, collapsing weakly in the cabin, appearing as if she could barely open her eyes. In a hoarse voice, she said: "I will rest for a while, call me immediately if there is anything." "Yes, my lord," Uncle Lu replied succinctly, then respectfully looked at his sister-in-law, joyfully thinking: My sister-in-law is truly clever, having intercepted so much salt. With this, the crisis of the Liu family is considered resolved.

Facing the gaze of the crowd, Liu Jing smiled slightly and said, "Regardless of the goods, everyone here has lent Liu a helping hand this time. Once the matter is accomplished, there will certainly be generous rewards." However, she appeared unwilling to answer directly.

As soon as Liu Jing's voice fell, the group of rascals began to whisper among themselves

It is indeed dawn

She paused deliberately at this point in her speech. At that moment, several individuals among the vagabonds were already showing signs of joy. Liu Jing thought to herself: these individuals are not greedy. After a brief pause, Liu Jing continued, "As for the salt goods in the cabin, I have decided that each of you may receive two bags, totaling fifty pounds." As soon as her words fell, more than ten people among the vagabonds cheered simultaneously.

Liu Jing jumped down from the horse's back and hurriedly walked towards the cargo ship while whispering, "Don't say too much, lest we attract others' attention." As soon as she finished speaking, the somewhat excited crowd immediately fell silent.

Liu Jing, with a beaming smile and a face full of spring breeze, asked this question, momentarily stunning the group of rascals. Mu Ji's eyes widened in surprise as he looked at Liu Jing, and when their gazes met, shining with brilliance, his eyes flickered. Meanwhile, one of the rascals shouted loudly: "Of course, we are interested. Young master Liu, spare us the pretense and give us a straightforward answer." "Yes, young master, just speak plainly."

As soon as Mu Ji spoke, several wayward youths turned to look at Liu Jing, their faces filled with curiosity as they awaited her response

Liu Jing, upon resting, fell into a deep sleep. When she awoke, the sunlight was blazing into the cabin, and the sound of laughter occasionally drifted up from the deck

Sitting on the boat, everyone turned to look at the towering flames at Liyang Wharf, each letting out a long sigh, feeling relaxed.

In the eyes of the wayward youth, what do they value the most, what do they strive to protect at all costs? It is their reputation, it is their face. And Mu Ji's words, "You look down on us," were like a line of fire; once spoken, they rendered all the wayward youth silent. They widened their eyes, they repressed their joy, and together with Mu Ji, they stared at Liu Jing in silence.

Since the Han Dynasty, the regulation of salt and iron has been very strict, but the stricter the regulation, the greater the profits that can be derived from it. Iron tools are one thing, but salt is indeed a highly profitable commodity with a tenfold return!

As she was lost in thought, gazing towards the east, a sound of footsteps approached. Uncle Lu came up behind her, lowered his voice, and said somewhat flustered: "Dalang, someone broke into the cargo hold last night"

She glanced at Uncle Lu again and continued to think: I only have six people, which means I can guard against gentlemen but cannot block the scheming of petty individuals. At present, among the hired rascals, there are already some petty individuals, so I must change my approach.

Uncle Lu looked uneasy, and he said in a hushed voice: "Last night, at half past the ugly hour, I was keeping watch, but somehow I fell asleep. When I opened my eyes again, I saw that Qiangzi and the others were still asleep. I was so frightened that I broke out in a cold sweat. I quickly got up and, upon looking, I discovered that there were signs of someone having moved the marks at the entrance."

Upon seeing them approach, the two rascals who were operating the boat, along with the four sturdy servants from the Liu residence who were providing protection for the two rascals, hurriedly came forward to greet them

Uncle Lu, overwhelmed with guilt, no longer inquired and quickly replied, "Alright, I will go call them." Turning around, Uncle Lu shouted into the cabin, "Ladies and gentlemen, my eldest son has something to say to you all."

Liu Jing quickly stood up, and only then did she realize that her entire body was greasy, and her face looked as if it had been smeared with several inches of dirt. She truly could not understand how she had managed to sleep so soundly last night despite being this dirty

The deck was quite lively, with more than twenty rascals gathered together, chatting and laughing. Not far away, a dozen horses were tied up, their snorts and neighs filling the small space, making it resemble a bustling marketplace

After clearing her throat, Liu Jingqing said: "Nowadays, I, Liu, have decided that there are one hundred and twenty pieces of brocade and fifty pieces of satin in this cabin, all of which will be evenly distributed among you all..."

The space on the cargo ship was filled to the brim with goods, and after accommodating more than twenty people, all the horses could only be placed on the deck. With a command from Liu Jing, the cargo ship set sail, racing through the vast river under the moonlight