Jiang Yuzhu looked at Xie Zhao and narrowed her eyes. A man who didn't value love, had spent a night alone with a woman from a fishing village before getting married?
Is there something else she doesn't know?
Spending the night on the island is quite ambiguous.
"Yuzhu, it's not what you think."
Xie Zhao looked at Lu the boatman's big mouth, rubbed his forehead, and was thinking about how to explain.
The atmosphere was so quiet that it was almost silent. Lu the boatman suddenly reacted, slapped himself and said, "Sister-in-law, I said whatever I thought. I'm just a rough man. Jiao Niang is not a woman, but a strong man. She will definitely not shake your position!"
After Lu the boatman's explanation, Jiang Yuzhu, who had originally been indifferent, suddenly felt a sense of crisis.
If Xie Zhao was a homosexual, Jiang Yuzhu would not be unable to accept it, but what she feared most was that he was homosexual!
Sensing the anomaly, Lu the boatman quickly added, "Jiao Niang is the same age as Brother Xie, and she already got married and had children back then."
The reason why he was called a woman's name was because the men in Jiao Niang's family did not live long. His mother became a widow in her twenties, and several generations before her had a similar fate.
"After his mother gave birth to a son, she was afraid that he would die young, so she raised him as a girl and named him Jiao Niang."
I don’t know if the name worked, but Jiao Niang is in good health and strong.
When they went out to sea with Xie Zhao, they happened to encounter a big storm. They estimated that it would be dangerous to return at night, so they stayed near a small island for the night.
"Two years ago, a wealthy family placed an order for a batch of dried shrimp. Jiao Niang delivered the goods to the capital and even went there to inquire about it..."
Lu the boatman said apologetically, "Jiao Niang asked around and learned that there was a top scholar named Xie in the same year as Brother Xie, and he's now a second-rank official, hehe."
No matter whether they are the top scholar or a second-rank official, they are all precious individuals selected from thousands of people.
Shipbuilder Lu didn't connect that man with Brother Xie in front of him at all.
"Besides, the number one scholar's surname is Xie Mingzhao, and Brother Xie's name is Yuanhe. They are not the same person."
The scholars were very aloof and looked down on the villagers whose ancestors made a living by fishing. It was rare to find someone as easy-going as Yuanhe.
"Brother Lu, does anyone in the village have sea worms? I want to buy some."
Jiang Yuzhu saw that Xie Zhao didn't want to reveal his identity, so she wisely changed the subject.
The group will leave the fishing village tomorrow. It would be best if we could gather a batch of supplies and transport them directly to the north.
Lu the boatman thought he had misheard, and after a pause he asked, "Sister-in-law, do you want sea worms?"
It’s not worth much, but every villager has a stock of dried goods at home.
"Whatever you want to buy, I'll give it all to you, for free!"
A cart of sea worms cannot be exchanged for two big fish.
Lu the boatman patted his chest and promised that he would take care of it, so he still had some face.
"No, you have to pay. This is not a one-time deal!"
Sea cucumbers can be dried in the sun and then soaked again. After drying, they are very light and do not take up space, making them easy to transport.
Jiang Yuzhu wanted to start a long-term business, specializing in providing nourishment to the soldiers in the camp north of the city.
"How about this? We'll sell the dried sea worms for five cents per pound, and the transportation costs and labor will be charged separately."
Such a good thing is about to flood the sea just because people don’t know its value.
Jiang Yuzhu could have offered a lower price, but she couldn't bear to do so.
Five cents was exactly the price of the dried fish, so in the end she got a great deal.
Lu the boatman hesitated for a moment before saying, "Sister-in-law, although sea worms are not as plentiful as fish and shrimp, there are still quite a few. Five cents a pound isn't worth it. Actually, at two cents a pound, there are plenty of villagers willing to sell them."
"The price is set. We will leave the day after tomorrow. I hope the villagers can come up with a batch first."
In addition to sea worms, dried fish, dried shrimp, dried clams, and various sea vegetables, Jiang Yuzhu bought them all.
To transport the goods to the north, someone from the fishing village is needed to accompany them. Once the goods enter the border town, the payment and delivery will be settled.
"Jiao Niang, come with him. He often delivers goods to the surrounding areas and has some experience, which can reduce losses."
In just a few words, Lu the boatman had already negotiated a deal with Jiang Yuzhu on behalf of the fishing village.
Unlike before, Jiang Yuzhu didn't have to bargain, and Lu the boatman automatically lowered the price.
In the afternoon, the people in the fishing village heard the news and came to deliver their own products. Jiang Yuzhu asked Hong Jin to register and also met Jiao Niang.
Jiao Niang didn't match his name at all. Her face was a little weathered by the sea breeze, her complexion was dark red, and she had thick eyebrows and big eyes. When she saw Xie Zhao, she slapped Xie Zhao's shoulder hard and said, "Yuanhe, we brothers haven't seen each other for many years!"
Fortunately, Xie Zhao practiced martial arts, otherwise he would have been knocked off his feet.
The midday sun was glaring. Jiao Niang casually wiped the sweat from her forehead and said vividly, "I'm telling you, the Imperial Envoy is passing through Lingcheng!"
Jiao Niang came to the city to deliver sea cucumbers and stayed for a day.
I heard that the prefect made sea intestines into a famous dish to entertain Lord Xie, but Lord Xie and his wife went into hiding.
"I heard that Lord Xie replaced grain with stones in the capital, and then sent the grain to caravans for transportation to the north. Lord Xie led the people to transport the stones and made a lot of money!"
The silver earned was used to supply military supplies in Lingcheng and then transported to the border cities in the north.
As Jiao Niang was talking, she felt something was wrong and asked, "Yuanhe, are you also coming from the capital to the north this time?"
This route actually matched that of the imperial envoy.
Jiao Niang didn't recognize Xie Zhao. He looked at Jiang Yuzhu carefully and was suddenly shocked: "Could it be..."
More than a year ago, Jiao Niang went to Beijing to deliver goods and met Jiang Yuzhu.
At that time, he heard people pointing and saying that the Jiang family's legitimate daughter was Xie Zhao's wife and that the relationship between the two was cold.
My dear, there is more to this chapter. Please click on the next page to continue reading. It will be even more exciting later!
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