Following the little demon's advice, Nan Zhi's group headed south and entered the city of Shouzhou.
Shouzhou enjoyed a unique geographical advantage, bordering the Huai River to the east and controlling the Ying River to the west. Countless ships and traveling merchants passed through its docks every day.
Not only was its trade flourishing, but the city itself was far more prosperous than Dingyuan.
Nan Zhi stood on a bridge, holding her umbrella and taking in the view. She felt the vastness of the world and the infinite beauty of the scenery.
Dense clusters of towers and rows of shops filled the city. Brokerages, tea houses, fruit stalls, foot-shops, knife and scissor shops, silk manors, and restaurants were laid out in a grand display.
“Pancakes! Hot pancakes! Three wen for one, five wen for two!”
“Hurry, hurry! I heard the tea house has a new story today!”
“This bronze mirror isn't bad. How much? A hundred and fifty wen? No, no, that won't do. If you make it a bit cheaper, I'll buy it.”
“Hahaha! Again, again! How has your tolerance gotten so low? You're drunk after just a few sips of cold wine!”
Gentlemen with flowers in their hair walked through the streets with fans in hand. Women at market stalls checked their reflections in mirrors. Old men drinking by the roadside sat with their shirts open, waving large palm-leaf fans incessantly.
Young lords rode leisurely on horseback, their faces covered in a layer of white powder, looking handsome and refined.
Ladies in sedans were pretty and glamorous, hiding their faces behind fans while peeking out of the sedan windows.
The laborers pulling carts were drenched in sweat, working bare-chested as beads of perspiration rolled down their backs like rain.
The city was crisscrossed by rivers of various sizes, with bridges spanning them. Flower girls paddled boats through the water, calling out to passersby to sell the fresh flowers and fruit on their vessels.
If someone bought her fruit, she would smile and gift the customer a handful of flowers.
A young flower girl with a magnolia in her hair paddled her boat to a marketplace and stopped. She called out to Nan Zhi, who was standing on the bridge:
“Good customer! Have you just arrived in our Shouzhou? Buy some fruit! Look, these are all wild peaches picked fresh this morning. I guarantee they're large and sweet.”
“We also have mountain cherries. They're sweet and tart. Traveling is hard work; why not buy a bag to sweeten your mouth?”
“I've been selling fruit and flowers on this river since I was seven. I know every ward and market in this city as well as my own home. Are you looking for food and lodging, or a boat to find someone?”
“I even know which tavern is the best, which broker is the most honest, and which shop has the best cooling soup.”
“You're quite clever for someone so young. You saw right away that I'm a newcomer,” Nan Zhi said with a laugh. She leaned over the bridge railing and pointed at the fruit on the bow.
“Then give me a bag of mountain cherries and two peaches. Pick the sweet ones! If they aren't sweet, I'm coming back for you!”
Though the flower girl was young, she was sharp and charming, handling customers with practiced ease. She smiled immediately, brought her boat to the side, and tied it to a willow tree.
“You can rest easy, Lady. My peaches are very sweet. I've sold fruit and flowers here for years; everyone knows the fruit on my boat is the best.”
As she spoke, the flower girl glanced curiously at the two people behind Nan Zhi.
With so many people in the city, Wanniang felt uncomfortable and had taken refuge inside the umbrella.
Master Wang and his servant had only just regained their freedom. Fearing that Nan Zhi would tie them up like pigs again, they followed her closely, walking with the stiff, awkward gait of ducks.
The flower girl was nimble. She wrapped the mountain cherries in a lotus leaf and placed a few willow leaves underneath before handing them to Nan Zhi.
“How did I know? It’s simple. Our families have lived in Shouzhou for generations. We see these bridges every day and don't think twice about them when we cross.”
She covered her mouth and giggled. “Only outsiders stand on the bridge and stare at us without stopping. Tee-hee!”
The lotus leaf bundle felt heavy in Nan Zhi's hand. The fresh red cherries looked like jade beads resting on the emerald leaf.
Nan Zhi popped one into her mouth. It was tart with a hint of sweetness, tasting better than she had expected.
“Little girl, I have indeed just entered the city. I wanted to ask if you know which dock I should go to if I want to take a boat to Dongjingfu?”
“You’ve asked the right person. There are seven docks in the city. Cargo ships use Xiaowei Alley, Nanliang Family Alley, Bao Family Well Alley, the Southeast area, and Beizhao.”
The flower girl hopped back onto her small boat, causing the long vessel to sway gently.
“While Cao Family Dock handles official transport, they don't have many rules. As long as you pay enough silver, you can get on a large ship. It's just expensive, and there's no telling when one will arrive.”
“The ships at Wan Family Dock are smaller. Every morning, merchants there take goods to Dongjingfu. If you're in a hurry, go there and ask. With so many travelers coming and going, there's bound to be a ship willing to give you a ride.”
So it’s like the difference between a taxi and a ride-sharing app?
Nan Zhi thanked the flower girl and led the Wang master and servant toward the southeast of the city.
To gather enough for the boat fare, she had sold the carriage. She had even stripped the silk clothes off the Wang master and servant and paid a visit to a pawnshop.
Wang Chen’s outer robes and jade pendant had been taken. Even his shoes had been traded for silver because they were embroidered with silver thread.
Yet he dared not speak his anger aloud. He could only look as aggrieved as a disgraced male courtesan, as if he had suffered some monumental humiliation.
“You are my prisoner now. What does the silver on your person have to do with you?”
“I will calculate your food and lodging expenses once we reach Dongjingfu. If you’re short, you’ll have to pay me back. If there’s extra... well, that’s my fee for protecting you along the way.”
Nan Zhi showed no mercy. Instead, she happily counted the silver she had acquired for free.
“But don’t lose heart. Before I left, I asked my two friends to look after the Wang family estate.”
“Once Wanniang’s case is settled and the money you owe to the Qu family and the families of your past victims is deducted, you might even have five or ten wen left over.”
By the way she spoke, was he supposed to be grateful?
The closer they got to Dongjingfu, the closer the day of the Wang family's ruin approached.
How could this woman be so thick-skinned and shameless?
Agitated by her words, Wang Chen’s eyes turned bloodshot. He wanted nothing more than to bite Nan Zhi to death.
If looks could kill, Nan Zhi would have likely died a thousand times over.
...
Nan Zhi tucked away the silver and escorted the two toward the docks. Just as they turned a corner, she spotted a familiar face among the crowd.
It was that unlucky pear seller.
He was someone innocently caught up in his father's legacy, having encountered a persistent Jiao while trying to sell his pears.
Nan Zhi had thought he would have been too scared to continue and would have abandoned his goods to go home. She hadn't expected him to still be focused on his business.
“Delicious crispy pears! Five wen for one! Fragrant and sweet crispy pears!”
“Pears for sale! Pears for sale!”
“My pears quench your thirst! They're fragrant and crisp!”
The pears were large and yellow. Although the price was a bit steep, there was a constant stream of buyers. Before long, more than half the cart was gone.
The pear seller’s complexion finally improved, and a look of joy appeared on his face.
“Hey! Hey! You there, selling pears! This old man is thirsty. How about gifting me a pear to eat?”
Just then, a green-robed Taoist driving a sheep arrived from the east. He suddenly spoke to the pear seller with a grin.
“You have a whole cart of pears here. Giving me one shouldn't be much of a problem!”
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