Whether a port is bustling determines whether a city is prosperous. Although the current Daqing Dynasty cannot be compared with its heyday, it is still a rich country with a prosperous people. As the center of the Daqing Dynasty, the port in the capital is naturally bustling with people coming and going.
Hua Zhi did not wear men's clothes on purpose, but she did not dress like a lady either. She borrowed Yingchun's clothes, put on some touches on her face, and mingled with the crowd.
Nian Qiu and Xu Jie, who were following closely, were sweating profusely. They protected the person in the middle, trying their best to protect him, fearing that he would be bumped or hit.
Hua Zhi first walked around the dock, watching the goods and people getting on and off the ships as the calls and shouts were heard. She watched the guys in tattered clothes with bent backs carrying heavy goods struggling to make a living, and the man who looked like a manager arrogantly raising his chin to urge them on. She felt calm in her heart.
It's not that she can't change the situation, but that she can't. No matter where she is, people have to adapt to the rules and not try to change them, because the rules involve not only the interests of those in power, but also the entire era.
If some things are done rashly, the beneficiaries will be those who control the capital, and the survival of the already poor people will become even more difficult, unless she is the one who decides the rules and controls how the cake is divided.
But she had never thought of becoming that kind of person, so she didn't go out, didn't listen or see anything all these years, and she didn't know that she felt at ease staying in that little world.
"Miss, the ship is over there." Xu Jie pointed to a large ship not far away.
Hua Zhi looked over and saw that it was indeed a big ship, bigger than the two ships next to it combined. Looking around the entire harbor, that ship was probably the biggest one. At this moment, on the shore near the ship, there were already guys carrying goods with their shoulder poles and waiting with their necks stretched out. For them, with such a deep draft, it would definitely be a big job.
The three approached, and Xu Jie asked hesitantly, "Miss, do you want to get on the boat? There is no wind today, and the boat has a deep draft, so it shouldn't rock."
"Get on." Hua Zhi was the first to step onto the sampan.
Xu Jie was originally worried that the girl would be scared. After all, there was water below. Although it was a shallow area, which girl would not be afraid of falling into the water? It was not just a question of whether she would drown.
This worry only lasted for a moment. Seeing the girl walking as if on flat ground and more steadily than him, he didn't dare to think about how he performed when he first got on the boat, so he hurried to catch up with her.
When the people on the boat saw Xu Jie leading people on board, they all went to the deck and waited. When they saw that it was two girls, they whispered to each other for a long time, but when they really got on the boat, they all shut up. Maybe this is how people in the capital act? They still had money to pay, so it was better not to cause trouble.
"This is our housekeeper. She will settle the bill after inspecting the goods. Please be kind and wait outside for a while."
Does that mean they shouldn't follow? The people who came to the capital for the first time in their lives looked at each other and nodded.
When she got down to the cabin, she saw yellow oranges everywhere. Hua Zhi walked around them, picking one out from time to time, peeling it and eating a slice. Seven or eight out of ten were sweet, and the remaining two or three were a little sour, but the sourness was acceptable.
Seeing that the older girl remained silent, Xu Jie felt uneasy and made small talk: "Before the cargo was loaded onto the ship, I checked them all. The stems were all green. They were not picked from the trees for long. The wind is strong on the water, so the hatch is open every day to let the wind blow. Although it is not as fresh as when we first loaded onto the ship, it should still be considered fresh."
"That's right." Hua Zhi clapped her hands and looked at Xu Jie who looked uneasy. "Since you know that the matter has been settled, why should you be afraid? I will not find fault with you."
"I don't dare..."
"I don't blame you. Once something is done, it is done. No one will find fault with you. I am not that difficult to serve. Let's rent some carts. Do you know the way to the farm in the south of the city?"
"Yes, I've been there twice."
"Send them all there."
"Yes." Xu Jie turned around and took two steps when he heard the girl behind him say, "See how many cars there are at the dock. If there are not enough, go to the car dealership to rent one."
"Yes, I understand."
Nian Qiu covered her mouth and laughed, "Even if the young lady is kind, she is kind and indifferent."
"Your request is too low." Hua Zhi sneered, "Go and pay their bill."
"yes."
Nian Qiu went to pay the bill, but Hua Zhi got off the boat again and was strolling slowly on the dock.
All kinds of things in the world can be seen on this pier. She walks through it like a passer-by, but is not tainted by any joy, anger, sorrow or happiness.
Another ship came to the shore, and she quickly looked away when she saw it was an ordinary passenger ship, and walked towards a place where the smell of the sea was wafting. She had never tasted seafood in her life.
On the deck of the passenger ship, the prince watched the leisurely figure, and only retracted his gaze when the ship stopped steadily, and whispered, "Group One will go to the Hu family, and Group Two will follow me."
"yes."
Finally, I looked down in that direction and saw that the man had already disappeared into the crowd. He didn't care about the rules imposed on women at all and was acting recklessly and without any scruples.
Is she relying on the fact that no one recognizes her at the dock? The prince got on his horse and thought about how she had not even left the house for many years. It was probably that not only at the dock, but even if she walked on the streets in the city, no one would recognize her, not to mention that she had covered her face.
The prince thought of that rainy night again, and that face that was so cold and almost fierce.
Nian Qiu was almost crying when he found his young lady and pulled her out of the crowd. If the young lady went back with this smell, the other masters would not be angry, but Yingchun would have to punish her!
"I asked the boss to pack some seafood and go pay for it."
"How can something so smelly get in..."
"They're not going to let me in?"
Nian Qiu was speechless. Who would have the guts to stop the master from coming in? Moreover, the young lady was the head of the family. But this thing was really...
After sending away the tearful maid, Hua Zhi sniffed her sleeve and found the smell was not strong, so she walked away.
The capital is located in the north, and meat is much more popular there than fish. Only the powerful and wealthy, or those who take good care of their health, will eat more of it. For many people, fish is just used to make soup.
As for these dried seafood shipped from the southernmost land, generally only poor people would buy some to improve the taste. Without a market, no one would do this business. Occasionally, a ship would bring some along. Today, I was lucky enough to meet Hua Zhi, so naturally I would not let it go. It would be great if there were fresh sea fish. I feel greedy just thinking about it.
Nian Qiu held a large bag of things and stretched it as far as possible, saying with a sad face: "Miss, this is too much."
"Don't eat it when it's ready."
How could Nian Qiu dare to doubt the young lady's talent for food? Fu Dong's skills were all honed under the young lady's training, so this thing should really be edible, right
Nian Qiu looked conflicted, but she kept the word "not eating" firmly in her stomach. Well, she had to try the taste first.