After a chaotic entrance, Su Muqing had Leng Feng fetch a few roasted chickens from the tavern to distribute among the startled workers.
The two who had fallen into the water each received a roasted chicken and a compensation of two qian of silver for their fright. The other workers were envious, thinking their employer was truly generous to award them silver just for taking a dip in the water.
Kebina’s jaw dropped as he stared at the dog, bear, and eagle on deck. So, these were Fei La the dog, Taishan the bear, and Ying Batian the eagle. It turned out they really weren't human!
No wonder Su Muqing had asked for the largest boat when they rented it that morning. Kebina had found it strange at the time. With only seven and a half people, why would they need such a large vessel? Now, seeing the other three members before him, he finally understood.
“Will they… will they really not bite?” Hark asked, cowering backward in fear.
“If you step back any further, you’ll fall into the sea,” Kebina said, pulling him back with a look of disdain.
He then turned, his eyes alight with excitement, and began circling the black bear and the eagle. Before long, they were all playing together as if they were old friends. It truly was a case of birds of a feather flocking together.
Meanwhile,
When Wan Yan’er returned to the City Lord’s mansion, the servants informed her that Wan Xuan’er was waiting for her in her room. “I know. My half-sister is a smart one; she knows what’s most beneficial for her!”
“Sister, you’re back!” Wan Xuan’er rushed forward to greet Wan Yan’er as she entered the flower hall. Not seeing Xiao Qin anywhere, she felt a pang of unease.
Wan Yan’er picked up a teacup and took a delicate sip of the floral tea. “Has my half-sister thought things through and come to give me money?”
Wan Xuan’er clutched her deposit slip for one hundred thousand, along with another fifty thousand she had tearfully obtained from her mother. Still unwilling to accept her fate, she tried to struggle further. “Sister, I really don’t have one hundred and eighty thousand gold. Can you…”
Wan Yan’er gazed at her for a long moment, then stood up and walked to Wan Xuan’er’s ear, speaking in a voice only they could hear. “I didn’t expect you to have such a skilled maid by your side. It seems I’ve underestimated your capabilities, half-sister. If I were to tell Grandmother that you instructed your maid to deliberately break the birthday gift I gave her, what do you think she would say? Would she think you were deliberately cursing her?”
“I, I didn’t… I just… Sister, I know I was wrong. Please, let me off this time…” Hearing her words, Wan Xuan’er began to beg in a panic.
Wan Yan’er pushed her to the ground with a shove, a look of disgust on her face. Her temperament was always overbearing. The City Lord’s mansion had many beautiful women, but she particularly disdained the scheming Wan Xuan’er and her mother.
“Remember this! I, Wan Yan’er, only have one sister, and she is the eldest legitimate daughter of the City Lord’s mansion! You, a concubine-born concubine, who are you to me?” Wan Yan’er said, pulling out a piece of paper and waving it before Wan Xuan’er’s eyes.
Seeing the words “Confession” written on the paper, Wan Xuan’er clenched her fists tightly. She seemed not to feel the blood from her own palm.
“I only managed to borrow 150,000. If you agree not to mention this, then we’ll all be happy. If you’re still unwilling, then take me to Grandmother and report me! You’ve detained my maid for so long without cause; I’m not surprised by anything she might say by then,” Wan Xuan’er said, opening her palm to reveal the crumpled deposit slip. Looking at Wan Yan’er, her eyes were no longer those of a timid rabbit.
Wan Yan’er understood the implied threat in her words. If she pressed the issue, Wan Xuan’er was prepared to turn the tables and retaliate. Considering she had urgent matters to attend to, she decided not to tangle with Wan Xuan’er any further. She snatched the deposit slip from her hand and threw the confession back at her.
“Don’t let the door hit you on the way out!”
Wan Yan’er took the deposit slip and fled back to her bedroom. Before she could settle, she hastily had someone carry a mirror to her Grandmother’s courtyard.
By the time she emerged from the Shouxi Courtyard, it was only a quarter of an hour before the end of the戌时 (9-11 PM). She took the bundle from her maid and rushed out of the mansion gates, then galloped on horseback through the streets, heading directly for the wharf.
The ship captain had accurately calculated the time for Su Muqing’s group, which was indeed the亥时一刻 (9:15 PM). He insisted that the ship must set sail at that precise moment, as it was considered auspicious.
Although it sounded superstitious, Su Muqing and her companions respected the old captain’s experience. After seeing her three pets, Kebina adamantly refused to return to his own ship. Left with no choice, Hark went to their large ship to retrieve some of their belongings.
At 9:15 PM, the old captain shouted, “Set sail!” and all the crew members began operating with great precision. Su Muqing and the others stood by the railing, listening to the crew sing the melodious sailing songs, watching them, bare-chested and in tank tops, vigorously swing the wooden poles and oars in their hands.
Most of the sailors were lean, with only a few being robust. However, when they heard the old captain’s whistle commands, the astonishing burst of energy they displayed seemed completely incongruous with their physical appearances.
Just as the large ship unfurled its sails and slowly departed the wharf, a whip flew through the air, wrapping around the ship’s railing. A dark figure then used the momentum to step onto the deck and quickly leap to the other side of the large ship.
The wind on the sea was strong. Once the ship started moving, the sails, propelled by the wind, quickly carried them a considerable distance. Su Muqing stood on deck, looking at the dark gray expanse before her, her mind filled with many thoughts. It was already mid-November. From early June to this little world, nearly half a year had passed unconsciously.
In her previous life, she had also attended university in a coastal city and had gone to the beach on weekends to enjoy the night view. However, she had never sailed out into the sea like this.
She remembered her father jokingly telling her on the phone that for her birthday, the family would go to the most famous seafood restaurant by the sea for an authentic seafood feast. But afterward, there was never another opportunity…
Although Feng Shen had said that her nineteen years in her previous life were merely a misstep in her journey, in her heart, she had truly experienced the warmth of family affection. It was a memory she could not return to, yet an experience she could never forget.
“What are you thinking about?” Lu Yuzhi asked, seeing Su Muqing gazing motionlessly at the sea, carrying the little milk bun to find her.
“I’m wondering how deep your internal energy will be once your poison is cured, Brother Lu?” Su Muqing smiled and shook her head, then casually made up an excuse before taking the little milk bun to the second floor.
Lu Yuzhi frowned as he watched Su Muqing’s retreating figure. Why did she seem a little unhappy? She had earned so much gold today; in the past, she would have been excitedly chattering.
After taking the child back to the room, Su Muqing took him into the space to bathe. After the bath, the little milk bun was groggy and ready to sleep. He had been playing outside the space all day, in a state of constant excitement, and was finally feeling tired.
Su Muqing carried the little milk bun out of the space and placed him on the bed in the room. She then went in to take a bath herself before coming out. Only a few minutes had passed outside.
“Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!”
At that moment! A woman’s scream echoed through the ship. The sudden sound startled the little milk bun, making him tremble and his lips pucker. Seeing that he was about to cry, Su Muqing quickly hugged him and patted him gently to comfort him. Then, she leaped from the second floor to the source of the sound.
Lu Yuzhi and the others had also gathered there. Su Muqing pushed her way into the crowd and saw that the black bear was holding… someone? It looked like a woman! “Taishan, stop playing.”
But the black bear was having too much fun. It tossed the person around playfully, and from time to time, it would hook her belt and swing her around.
Seeing that the person was already dizzy from being tossed around, Su Muqing sternly ordered, “Taishan, put her down.”
The black bear reluctantly threw the person onto a nearby sack and then sat on the deck with a hint of annoyance. The moment it sat down, everyone felt the entire ship shake violently.
The woman who was thrown down stirred. “Cough, cough, cough… Oh, my back!”
Su Muqing raised an eyebrow. Hearing the voice, it sounded like someone she knew?
Indeed! The woman pushed the hair from her face, revealing her true appearance. It was the City Lord’s mansion’s young lady, Wan Yan’er, who had spent two hundred and ten thousand gold coins with Su Muqing today!
“Miss Wan, why are you on my ship?” Su Muqing handed the sleeping little milk bun to Lu Yuzhi and then stepped forward to help her up.
Wan Yan’er leaned on her arm to stand up. “I… I wanted to go to Tianzhao Country with you. Who knew that by the time I arrived, you had already set sail, so I had to come by myself. Originally, I wanted to find you and tell you, but as soon as I got here, I encountered a very large black monster. Then I was captured by it…”
“Ah~ it was it, it’s over there…” As soon as Wan Yan’er finished speaking, she saw the black bear sitting on the deck. The dizziness from being tossed around just moments ago immediately returned to her mind.
Su Muqing patted Wan Yan’er’s back and administered a bit of healing magic to help her calm down. “Don’t be afraid, they are my companions; they won’t hurt you.”
“Really? Huh… wait, you said they?” Wan Yan’er swallowed. Did this mean there was more than one on the ship?
“Yes, and there are these two…” Su Muqing said, pointing behind her.
Wan Yan’er nervously turned around and saw a wolf almost the size of a pony, and an extremely large eagle. Her heart began to pound again. Who were these people? Was it too reckless to have boarded a stranger’s ship like this? Was it too late to get off now?
Looking at Witters City, with only sparse lights on the opposite shore, Wan Yan’er knew it was clearly too late. Unless she swam back herself.
“Are you sure they really won’t attack people?” Wan Yan’er asked again, still somewhat uneasy.
Su Muqing playfully teased her. “They won’t attack my friends, but as for bad people… that’s hard to say.”
Wan Yan’er finally breathed a small sigh of relief. “Yes, yes! Then you must tell them clearly that we are all friends, all friends…”
Seeing that her emotions had calmed down, Su Muqing invited her into the living room on the first floor, intending to find out the young lady’s intentions.
Su Muqing got up and poured her a cup of pure milk that could calm the nerves. “Miss Wan wishes to go to Tianzhao Country, which I imagine shouldn’t be too difficult. Why do you want to follow us?”
Wan Yan’er drank more than half of the cup of milk in one go, licked her lips, and then said, “To be honest, ever since I was little, I’ve particularly loved colored glaze. When I received my first colored glaze cup at the age of twelve, I vowed in my heart that when I grew up, I would open the best colored glaze factory. But I know so little. Seeing the things you took out this afternoon, I liked them so much that I decided to follow you to learn from your experience.”
One had to admit, this woman had quite a bit of courage. A young lady from a wealthy family, driven by her passion, dared to board the ship of someone she had only met once. While Su Muqing admired her boldness, she strongly disapproved of such behavior, deeming it too risky.
“Aren’t you afraid we’re bad people? Aren’t you afraid I’ll poison your milk?” Su Muqing asked with a chilling smile, staring intently at her.
“Are you a bad person?” Wan Yan’er casually asked. To her surprise, when she turned her head, she saw the unnerving smile on Su Muqing’s face, and her little heart began to pound wildly.
Wan Yan’er placed the porcelain cup on the table and retreated a step, looking fearful. “Poi-poisoning? Wh-why are you smiling at me like that? It’s terrifying. If you’re unwilling to teach me, I’ll just go down.”
Seeing that Wan Yan’er’s face had turned pale, Su Muqing stopped teasing her. “Now you’re scared? Why weren’t you afraid when you boarded so impulsively? If I were a bad person, you’d be beyond help, and I wouldn’t give you the chance to get off, would I?”
Wan Yan’er asked curiously, “Then, if you really were a bad person, what would you do?”
Seeing that she could still ask such a question, clearly no longer afraid, Su Muqing chuckled. “Heh! I’d definitely tie you up first, then sever the tendons in your less-used hand. Then I’d force you to write a letter to your City Lord father, demanding a million gold coins for your ransom. What happens next would depend on how quickly your father paid the ransom. If he paid promptly, I’d only sever your leg tendons. If he was slow, I’d cut off your flesh piece by piece…”
Hearing Su Muqing’s words, Kebina and Hark both shivered. They had only met these people for a day, and they had already boarded their ship. Could it be…
Wan Yan’er swallowed. Her face was not only pale but also covered in a cold sweat. “My father paid promptly, so why would you still sever my leg tendons?”
Su Muqing’s reply was simple and brutal, but upon careful consideration, it did seem to make sense. “Because I’m a bad person! Do bad people need to explain to their prey why they want to do bad things? Without absolute strength, don’t casually trust strangers, and don’t easily board strangers’ ships. Because you never know if you’ll be greeted with warm tea to build friendship, or a sharp blade that will be stained with your blood.”
Hearing her words, Wan Yan’er sat there in a daze. Su Muqing believed that she would carefully consider her words from now on. Having passion and drive was good, but a girl out in the world had to protect herself well.
Seeing Wan Yan’er hugging herself tightly, Su Muqing got up to pour her another cup of hot water. Just then, she saw Kebina and Hark clinging to each other, their eyes filled with fear as they looked at her.
Looking at the two large men embracing each other, Su Muqing couldn’t help but frown. However, upon seeing her frown, they immediately held onto each other even tighter.
It wasn’t just girls! Boys, at any time, must also protect themselves when out in the world.
“What the heck?” Su Muqing rolled her eyes at the two of them and then continued to go get water.
Seeing that the other three were all frightened by Su Muqing, Lu Yuzhi and Leng Ren and Leng Feng sat there, their shoulders shaking. They covered their mouths with their hands and stifled their laughter, while Leng Feng bit his hand tightly to prevent himself from accidentally laughing out loud.
Wan Yan’er also understood what Su Muqing was trying to convey. She had always been the little tyrant of Witters City. No one in the city dared to refuse her wishes. Even strangers she hadn’t met, upon hearing her name in the city, would treat her with utmost respect.
From childhood, all she had to do was say the word to go wherever she pleased. Thus, she gradually became overconfident and unaware of her own limitations.
Thinking back now, were those people respectful to her because they feared her? Clearly not! Those people respected her because her father was the City Lord, and her maternal grandfather was the head of the most powerful family in Witters City.
But once she left Witters City, she was nothing. Just like today, if she had really encountered bad people, it was likely she would have never returned.
Su Muqing handed her the hot water and then sat down to drink a cup herself before changing the subject. Some topics, when discussed too much, lose their interest. “Miss Wan, where are you planning to build your colored glaze factory?”
Hearing Su Muqing start talking about the colored glaze factory, Wan Yan’er finally relaxed her body. “I haven’t decided yet. What about you? Where is Huaxia City that you mentioned this afternoon? I’ve never heard of this city.”
Lu Yuzhi knew she didn’t want to reveal too much about Huaxia City, so he picked up the conversation. “Huaxia City is still under construction, so it’s normal that you haven’t heard of it. I believe you’ll know where it is before long.”
Seeing that they were unwilling to say more, Wan Yan’er didn’t press further. “Are you going to Tianzhao Country this time to cooperate with them on a colored glaze factory?”
Su Muqing didn’t give her a definitive answer, as she herself didn’t know if the trip would be successful. “It hasn’t been confirmed yet, but there is some intention in that regard. By the way! This gentleman in front of you is the youngest son of Prince Ket of Tianzhao Country, the young heir Kebina.”
After they exchanged greetings, Su Muqing and the others briefly introduced themselves. Then, everyone engaged in a discussion centered around colored glaze. It was mainly Kebina and Wan Yan’er who were discussing, and hearing them speak so knowledgeably, it was clear they were truly passionate about this field.
Su Muqing and the others sat on the side, smiling and listening, occasionally chiming in with a remark or two. They discussed until past midnight, and they even came up with two names. One was named Qing Tianyan Colored Glaze Pavilion, and the other was ZhaO Qingyan Colored Glaze Workshop.
Hearing the names they came up with, Su Muqing pursed her lips. What unfashionable names! She felt that Huaxia Tianwei Colored Glaze Factory sounded more pleasing to the ear. Its meaning was also concise and clear: a colored glaze holy land jointly created by the strong alliance of Huaxia City, Tianzhao Country, and Witters City.
As everyone had their own ideas about the naming, another intense discussion ensued. At 2:30 AM, Su Muqing was so tired she couldn’t even keep her eyes open. She then forcefully halted the discussion and took Wan Yan’er to the room next to hers on the second floor to rest.
The time had been delayed too long, and everyone practically fell into bed and slept. The rooms were too small; except for Fei La, who was of medium size, the large black bear and the eagle could only sleep in the pavilion behind the deck, fitting just right.
Though they lay there motionlessly, they were extremely vigilant. If there was the slightest disturbance or an unfamiliar scent, the black bear would immediately open its eyes, get up, and patrol the area. The eagle would fly into the sky to survey the surroundings periodically.
With these two powerful bodyguards, everyone slept exceptionally soundly. Naturally, everyone overslept the next day.
In the morning, Fei La, as usual, picked up the little milk bun’s clothes and put them on its back. Then, it went to Lu Yuzhi’s room to ask for food.
Fei La made a loud “bang bang” sound outside the door. Once the person inside opened the door, it quickly squeezed in with the little milk bun on its back and then waited to be fed. Usually, Leng Ren and Leng Feng, who slept on either side, would also be awake by this time.
Lu Yuzhi first gave the little milk bun two small cakes for him to hold and gnaw on. Then, after he finished washing up, he poured a full basin of dog food for Fei La.
Considering there were outsiders on the ship, he couldn’t directly carry the Qiankun bag for feeding. Thus, he packed the food for the black bear and the eagle into two large sacks and had Leng Ren and the others carry them down.
After the little milk bun finished eating, Lu Yuzhi would help him wash his hands and face. After doing all this, he would carry the little milk bun to the kitchen to prepare breakfast.
The ingredients were all packed into the Qiankun bag by Su Muqing in advance. They mainly included boiled eggs, fried ham, bread slices, and large steamed buns. For side dishes, there were processed pickled vegetables and shredded kelp. All he needed to do was cook some porridge.
Lu Yuzhi heard Leng Ren mention that the sailors, including the old captain, were all eating dry biscuits. He took another basin and poured a large basin of spicy pickled mustard greens for them.
The sailors ate the side dishes provided by their employer, sweating profusely, and exclaiming that the taste was incredibly satisfying. They felt invigorated after eating. Finally, seeing that they were eating a bit too unrestrainedly, the old captain collected the remaining half basin, saving it for the next meal!
The men licked their lips, still wanting more, and watched the spicy taste lingering in their mouths. Each of them ate another large bun, much to the old captain’s shaking head!
When Su Muqing woke up, Lu Yuzhi and the others had already finished all their tasks. The pets were fed, and the meal was ready; all she had to do was sit down and eat.