"Hey, who are these people? They can take down a thousand catties of cotton at once and even create a waterway. They're really amazing."

"Who cares who others are? If you take their money, doing their job well is the most important thing."

"Head镖师, that's not how it is. I heard from the people here that a few days ago, a boat heading towards Pingcheng was hijacked by river bandits. All twenty or so people on board died. I was just thinking of warming my wife and children in bed with them, but I never expected to lose my life so early."

The others agreed with this, but at the same time expressed their bewilderment at why they would choose such a dangerous waterway when there was a familiar route available.

The head镖师 immediately turned cold. “If you’re unwilling, then go back. If you want to take the opportunity to raise the price, then put down your tools and leave. I’ve never seen another company in Qingcheng treat its employees the way the He family does. They pay high wages, offer various bonuses, and provide holiday gifts. Don’t think I don’t know what you do outside by taking advantage of the He family’s reputation.”

"That's not what we meant. We just felt that traveling by water wasn't very safe, and we also had to take care of those people, so..."

The head镖师 (bodyguard/escort) snorted, "You're taking care of others? Who knows, they might be the ones taking care of you."

Yunling, unaware of what had happened, said to the head镖师 (bodyguard/escort) carrying the things she had bought, "I bought some steamed buns, fragrant drinks, pork, and lamb chops, so we can have something to eat if we get hungry on the way."

Before the head镖师 (bodyguard/escort) could respond, the man preemptively complained, "Have you ever traveled by water? You even bought lamb chops. The aroma of roasted lamb is the easiest way to attract river bandits, and when they get fierce, they don't care about people's lives."

Yunling sensed the great hostility this person harbored towards her, and the mention of water bandits suggested that he was somewhat resentful of her traveling by water.

But after all, this person is a worker of the He family. If she still gets goods from the He family in the future and has He Da transport them to the two towns by waterway, she will have to be more careful. It is hard to guard against people's hearts. If he tries to trip her up or something, she will not gain any advantage.

Yunling stopped Gangzi and said with a smile, "It's alright, we won't grill it."

The man glanced arrogantly at the head镖师 (bodyguard/escort), as if in response to his earlier statement that he didn't need the care of this group of ignorant good-for-nothings.

The head镖师 completely ignored his gaze, only grateful to Yun Ling for her magnanimity in not pursuing the matter; otherwise, a quarrel would surely have broken out, which is a taboo matter when sailing.

“Brother, we’re going to be on that medium-sized ship later. You just wait here until they’ve cleaned up the things on the ship and unloaded the cotton, then they’ll invite you on board.”

"Alright, head镖师, please get back to work."

After the镖头 (bodyguard/escort) left, Gangzi couldn't help but say, "Grandma, we should have told that little bastard to get lost just now. As long as the He family finds out about this, they'll definitely make him suffer."

“In business, you should seek wealth, not pride. My grandfather used to work on the water, risking his life. He almost lost his life to save his employer. One person represents a family, so it's normal to have grievances.”

Gangzi couldn't understand this feeling. He was an orphan born without parents. Now that he had recognized Yunling as his great-aunt by Chen Jie, he was the closest person to her. If anyone dared to bully his great-aunt, he would have to find a chance to teach this little bastard a lesson later.

About 45 minutes later, the head镖师 (bodyguard/escort) and his men came down from the boat and carried bags of cotton onto the boat. Yunling and Gangzi also unloaded the carriages from the three horse-drawn carriages so that they could be taken onto the boat along with the horses.

After all that commotion, it was already dark, and everyone was starving. Luckily, there were some late-night snack stalls at the dock. Yunling bought a small knife, salt, and sugar from one of the stalls, and then she and Gangzi set up a grill to cook lamb chops and pork.

Since we can't eat on the road, we might as well grill it here at the dock and eat it here, so as to reduce the worry about it.

As soon as the lamb chops and pork were grilled, their aroma wafted far and wide on the cool night breeze, drawing peeks from the boats moored at the dock, who would occasionally exchange a word.

"Gentlemen, are the lamb chops cooked yet?"

"Hey guys, which way did you take at dawn?"

"Oh my, this pork belly smells so good!"

The pork belly was indeed very fragrant when roasted. Yunling cut a large piece into small pieces with a knife and skewered them with twigs. Just looking at it made her very hungry.

When Gangzi saw the head镖师 and his group return, he immediately fanned the fire to make it burn brighter and exclaimed, "Oh my, these lamb chops smell so good! They don't need much seasoning, just a sprinkle of salt is enough to make them incredibly delicious."

The stronger the fire is fanned, the more intense the aroma bursts forth. Especially when you see the oil being forced out, dripping and sizzling into the fire below, it's so enticing that even a god couldn't resist!

The head镖师 (bodyguard/escort) immediately rushed over, hoping to get a hot meal, and the others followed suit. The "little bastard" looked down on him, as he wasn't short of food, and besides, he had just eaten a bowl of hot wontons. He wasn't hungry at all.

But even though that's what he thought, the two rumbling sounds coming from his stomach couldn't lie. He figured he'd just go over and take a look, just to join in the fun, but he definitely wouldn't eat it.

But when Gangzi saw him coming over, he grabbed a handful of salt and sprinkled it evenly on the lamb chops and pork belly in a very unique way, which elevated the aroma to a whole new level.

Not to mention the others, even Yunling couldn't resist. She swallowed hard, cut off a small piece of pork belly, blew on it a couple of times, dipped it in some sugar, and stuffed it into her mouth. The hot sensation rolled in her mouth and tongue, but she didn't feel any pain. Instead, she enjoyed the delicious food.

Fried pork belly with white sugar is the perfect match!

Hearing the sizzling sounds coming from her mouth and smelling the aroma that resembled fried pork lard, the head镖师 and the others were practically drooling. They couldn't resist any longer and gestured for Yunling to cut some to try.

Yunling used a small knife to cut the lamb chops vertically, one for each person. With just a little bit of force from her teeth, the lamb meat could all slide out from the ribs.

Now even "Little Turtle" couldn't resist. His stomach was rumbling, as if he hadn't eaten anything. He quickly squeezed into the line, trying to get a bite to satisfy his craving.

Gangzi had been keeping a close eye on him, and when he saw him mixed in with the others, he quickly went over to Yunling to help him, and quite "coincidentally" handed him a piece of pork belly.

All I feel is happiness.

Everyone enjoyed the barbecue, but by nightfall, only "Little Turtle" was truly satisfied. Suddenly, his stomach started cramping violently, and he had to run to the outhouse several times, filling the bucket before the pain finally subsided.

Meanwhile, Gangzi, lying in the corridor of the side room, crossed his legs and secretly chuckled as he stared at the small medicine bottle in his hand...