It was Qingming Festival, and everyone in Nanjing, from high officials to common people, prepared incense, candles, paper ingots, and other rich and poor offerings, and rode reed boats out of the city to visit the graves of their ancestors. Although they said they were sweeping the graves, the streets were filled with singing and the sounds of flutes and drums. People stood in the spring breeze with smiles, looking around at the green mountains, wandering in the mist and water, and enjoying the elegant and pleasant spring scenery of the south of the Yangtze River that looked like an ink painting.

When the tomb sweeping is over, people can't wait to find a beautiful grassy area, spread bamboo mats and cloth curtains, put out the wine and delicacies they brought from the city, sing and dance, and return home drunk and full. It's called tomb sweeping, but it's actually a grand spring outing.

Zhao Hao stood at the bow, watching the cruise ships passing by and the tourists on the riverside, and hearing the noise and laughter, and felt like he had returned to the short holiday four hundred years later. Besides watching people, it was nothing more than a modern drama turned into a period drama.

Today he met up with Tang Youde early in the morning, and excitedly took a boat out of the city, ready to quietly appreciate the beautiful scenery of the Ming Dynasty. Who knew that this was the scene along the way, which made Zhao Hao feel quite disappointed.

It was not until the flat-top cargo ship sailed far away from Nanjing and went upstream along the Yangtze River that the annoying crowds of people disappeared. Looking at the sunlight shining on the flower fields on both sides of the river, the startled birds suddenly flying over the water, and taking a deep breath of the fresh air in the suburbs, Zhao Hao finally felt better and turned around.

But Boss Tang and his servants were huddled in a corner of the stern with pale faces, as if they were ready to jump off the boat and escape at any time.

"Huh?" Zhao Hao asked curiously, "Does Boss Tang get seasick?"

"Haha, it's not seasickness, it's people sickness..." Boss Tang said with a wry smile.

Before, Gao Wu alone almost scared the whole store to death. Today, Zhao Hao brought ten fierce-looking, shirtless men over.

As soon as these people boarded the ship, Boss Tang and his gang were so scared that their legs were shaking.

In addition, the ship was sailing on the Yangtze River, and Zhao Hao looked at the river without saying a word. The dozen fierce men stood quietly beside him, and the atmosphere became even weirder.

At this time, a waiter said, "When the boat reaches the middle of the river, will they ask us whether we want to eat bandao noodles or wonton noodles?"

This completely scared Boss Tang and his gang.

If Zhao Hao hadn't turned around in time and showed his signature warm smile, Tang Youde would have probably knelt down and begged for mercy.

"Oh, haha..." Zhao Hao looked at the big men on both sides who were covered with scars and lumps of tendon meat, and couldn't help feeling embarrassed.

His original intention was to find some fierce men to scare the sneaky Tang Youde. But he didn't expect that there were so many hidden dragons and crouching tigers in Caijia Lane, and there were so many fierce and evil men living there.

"They have all been on the battlefield and killed Japanese pirates." Yu Peng whispered to the side, "I don't need those who have never seen blood."

"Brother Yu is very capable." Zhao Hao touched his nose and whispered, "It's just that it's a bit too much. Let them put on their clothes quickly. They're frightened..."

"Ah, didn't Brother Gao say that the young master likes shirtless men?" Yu Peng was stunned and quickly waved his hand and said, "Put on your jacket quickly."

Those fierce men quickly put on their jackets and vertical robes wrapped around their waists to cover up those horrific scars.

~~

The air on the cargo ship finally began to flow again.

Tang Youde smiled bitterly as he walked up to Zhao Hao and said, "Sir, this display of power is truly powerful."

"Don't think too much, Boss Tang. This is not targeting you." Zhao Hao smiled and comforted him, "Aren't you afraid of being bullied on your first trip to the countryside?"

"Sir, just put your heart at ease. Now is the time of scarcity. We are the God of Wealth, who dares to bully us?" Tang Youde laughed and said, "When we get to the land, these warriors should stay to watch the boat, so as not to cause panic among the villagers and affect the silk harvest."

"Well, okay..." Zhao Hao always kept his word. Since he said that he would listen to Tang Youde in collecting the silk, he would not act on his own. However, he still asked curiously, "Why do we have to go up the river? Can't we collect silk outside Nanjing?"

"It is possible to collect it." Tang Youde was very excited when talking about business, "But firstly, the price of silk in the suburbs of Nanjing is 20% higher than that in other places. Secondly, the first step to hoarding is to secretly buy the goods, and of course the farther the better."

"Yeah." Zhao Hao nodded. People say 'looks like a pig but has a loud voice', which probably refers to people like Fatty Tang.

"Besides, we are not going too far, only about 120 to 30 miles, and we will be able to collect silk in Dangtu County." Tang Youde smiled again and said, "Although it is slower to sail upstream, fortunately there is a favorable wind, so we will arrive early tomorrow morning."

"Oh..." Zhao Hao couldn't help but feel a little regretful when he heard that he had to spend the night on the boat. He thought he could go ashore that day and live in the countryside.

~~

With the combined power of sails and oars, the cargo ship slowly moved upstream.

At noon, the captain cast a net at the stern of the boat. After sailing a few miles, he dragged the net back. The fish caught in the net were jumping around on the deck, and the harvest was quite good.

Zhao Hao was curious and went over to watch the boat captain take the fish off the net. In addition to the common crucian carp and silver carp in the river, there was also a shad about one foot long.

This item is extremely expensive and hard to find four hundred years later, because it has been extinct for many years due to overfishing and other reasons.

He couldn't help but feel excited, and he only regretted that he couldn't show off to others that he had actually seen a wild shad, and it was so big!

Looking at the shad's rosy cheeks, the captain said with some regret: "It's a pity that it's the second tide's 'cherry red'. Let's steam it for the two distinguished guests."

Zhao Hao swallowed his saliva in frustration when he heard this. Since there was nothing to do on the boat, he stood by the stove at the stern, stretched his neck, and watched the people processing the shad without blinking.

Seeing that he looked like he had never seen the world, Tang Youde could not help but wonder, "When you were in my house, not to mention the 'cherry red' of the second tide, even the tribute of the first tide, I think you could enjoy it every year."

"Well, that's natural..." Zhao Hao coughed dryly and quickly covered up his sigh: "I was just... thinking of my ancestors. This year, I can't even eat this 'Cherry Red'..."

As he was speaking, a luxurious three-decker passenger ship came sailing downstream. When the two ships crossed each other, the flying water splashed onto the deck, almost ruining Zhao Hao's delicious food.

"Just because you have money is amazing?!"

Tang Youde glared at the big ship angrily, and when he saw the "Wu Ji" flag flying on the ship, he swallowed his words involuntarily. Because the flat-top cargo ship he hired also belonged to Wu Ji.

He changed his words depressedly: "It's great to be rich."

~~

The top floor of the three-story ship was a spacious cabin with elegant decoration. In order to make it easier for the owner to enjoy the river view, the servants removed the windows on all four sides, allowing the warm river breeze to pass through the room.

The mahogany floor was covered with a large carpet embroidered with peonies, decorated with precious orchids, and a Boshan stove with smoke rising from it.

The graceful proprietress of Wu Ji, Mrs. Ye, with her hair full of pearls and jade, was wearing a homely Suzhou embroidery short jacket with a large collar. She was kneeling beside a sandalwood table, twirling two silver chopsticks in her hands, concentrating on dealing with a plate of shad in front of her.

Although the shad was good, it had too many bones. She carefully picked out the tiny and messy bones one by one and placed them in a small Ding kiln cup beside her.

After picking out all the fish bones, Ye placed the plate of shad in front of Zhao Liben.

"Please use it, sir."

Zhao Liben wore a large black gauze hat, a loose brocade Taoist robe, a green gem ring on his hand, and a huge yellow jade pendant the size of a cut goose egg hanging from his waist. He looked like a leisurely rich man.

He picked at the shad on the plate and ate only a few pieces of meat. Then he put down his chopsticks, took a sip of the Yaozi Xuequ in the cup, and sighed with a loss of appetite:

"So what if it's the tribute fish from Touchao? You'll get tired of it if you eat too much..."

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