Miss and farmhand

The negotiations between Huang Chu and the Zhou family are progressing very smoothly and have reached the final stage. All conditions have been agreed upon, and only the final signing is needed.

However, before the final transaction, something went wrong on the Zhou family's side.

Zhou Shitai said somewhat awkwardly to Huang Chu, "I'm really sorry to have made you laugh, young lady, but that's how business is; things can change until the very last moment. I'm afraid I won't be able to take Brother Shi on the next ship."

Huang Chu asked curiously, "What's wrong? Did the stone cause some trouble?"

Zhou Shitai shook his head: "No, no, Miss, you're overthinking it. Brother Shi is fine. It's just that we need to transport two more boxes of porcelain down the ship. There's an old customer there who's in a hurry. As you know, porcelain takes up a lot of space, is easily damaged, and is quite heavy. With this, not only Brother Shi, but also the hired boatmen won't be able to get on the ship. It'll take up all the space."

Huang Chu thought for a moment and then said, "That's alright. Since it was an unexpected situation, it's no wonder you're not on board. If Shi Tou isn't getting on the boat, I won't go on this trip either. We can start from the next boat. There's no rush either way."

Zhou Shitai nodded understandingly, "That makes sense. We're in a long-term business relationship, so there's no rush. However," he suddenly leaned forward and lowered his voice to Huang Chu, "if you trust me, I actually think you could join in this trip. Although porcelain is prone to loss, the profit margin is high. And this is the time to harvest bloodstains and myrrh, so the acquisition cost is the lowest. When we do business at sea, we're all about taking advantage of this price difference and timing. I'm afraid that by the next voyage, the profit won't even be half of what we made this time."

Huang Chu listened attentively, but after listening, he only blinked and didn't say anything.

Zhou Shitai smiled and said, "It's good that you're being cautious, Miss. But if you trust me, then let me go this time. After all, I'm so familiar with Brother Shi, there's not much difference between us. Of course, it's all up to you to decide."

Huang Chuqian frowned slightly and pursed her lips, as if she was really considering it.

Stone, who was standing nearby, casually asked how much profit they could make on this trip.

Zhou Shitai gave a number, and Shi Tou glared at him but didn't say anything more.

He felt a little restless. Although Huang Chu had allowed him to try his hand at handling some goods on the last voyage, the quantity was small, and he was only familiarizing himself with the process. His understanding of this as a profitable transaction was still very superficial.

But the amount Zhou Shitai gave him this time was so large it seemed like a dream. He secretly calculated that if he really went on this trip, exchanging the things he took out and brought back, he could earn the money for a shop in just one trip, and the money for an old ship in two trips!

He then looked at Huang Chu with a somewhat intense gaze.

Seeing his demeanor, Huang Chu couldn't help but be tempted. However, she was still accustomed to a life of luxury and remained relatively composed when it came to money. The risk of not traveling with the ship was still too great, even though she had come to trust the Zhou family's maritime capabilities over the past few days. So she proposed another condition: if Shi Tou didn't travel with the ship, the pre-departure inspection would be even more stringent.

Zhou Shitai nodded and said, "Of course. If the young lady is worried, she is welcome to come aboard and take a look herself. I can arrange for the people on board to leave at a certain time. Anyway, once the cargo is loaded, there's not much else to do."

Huang Chu laughed and said, "That was just a joke. I don't usually go out much, let alone get on a ship."

Zhou Shitai quickly contradicted himself, saying, "Look at me, after working with Miss these past few days, I almost forgot that she is still a woman. If it is really inconvenient for Miss, and there is no one else at home, why not ask Master Huang to go and take a look? After all, it is Master Huang who is funding it."

After he finished speaking, the room immediately fell silent.

Zhou Shitai even wondered if he was being too sensitive. He suspected that the silence was abnormal and that he could hear noises from the next room.

His palms were slightly sweaty.

However, Huang Chu quickly laughed and said, "This is even more inconvenient. My father has been busy at the academy these days and hasn't had much time to come home. I can't let him worry about such a small matter. Never mind, I'll go and see for myself and discuss a time. I'll have to ask Manager Zhou to take care of clearing the area."

Both sides agreed to board the ship the morning before departure, so as not to attract attention. The boatmen could disembark for meals and rest, and it would also be easy to free up some time.

Zhou Shitai waited at the dock to pick up Huang Chu that day.

As dawn broke and the sun had not yet risen, a layer of smoky purple mist shrouded the calm sea, creating an exceptionally tranquil scene.

Huang Chu brought Shi Tou along in a car, as if it were a secret operation. This time, Shi Tou drove, and no one else followed.

Huang Chu smiled at Zhou Shitai and said, "I sneaked out, otherwise my family would never have let me come, not even the old woman."

Zhou Shitai flattered her, saying, "You are a heroine among women."

The two followed Zhou Shitai onto the ship. The deck had obviously been washed, but the sea was very humid. The wood that had been washed the night before would not dry overnight. The wet planks swelled up and felt like walking on solid yellow earth. It was soft, silent, and left no footprints.

Zhou Shitai led them into the ship's storeroom. The wooden crates were stuffed with straw, and when they were opened, porcelain was revealed underneath. In the same cabin, there were also some fabrics, scrolls, and other items that were not easily broken, piled on top of the crates.

Halfway through Zhou Shitai's introduction, Huang Chu suddenly tilted his head and said, "I think I heard something? Is that the sound of water outside?"

Zhou Shitai paused slightly, then quickly said, "Oh, this cabin is very close to the waterline. That's how it is on the ship; there's always the sound of water. Sometimes, even after getting off the ship, you can still feel the sound of water next to your ear. Brother Shi, don't you agree?"

Huang Chu nodded and didn't ask any more questions.

After looking around, Huang Chu had nothing to worry about, so he went out of the cabin to prepare to disembark.

Just before disembarking, Zhou Shitai suddenly said, "Wait a moment, young lady. I forgot something in my cabin, it's a document. My father asked me to take it back to him yesterday, but I forgot. Please wait a moment, I'll be right back."

Huang Chu smiled and said, "It's alright, Manager Zhou, go ahead."

After Zhou Shitai entered the cabin, the wooden plank connecting the ship to the dock fell into the sea and was swallowed by the continuous sound of the waves.

The grappling hook dullily wedged into the cracks of the old wooden planks, and the rope connected to the other end tightened, as dark figures climbed up the rope.

Soon, four figures appeared on the deck. At first, they were scattered and groped along the deck, but they quickly gathered together and ran towards the cabin where Zhou Shitai had entered.

"Open the door! It's us!"

"What happened?"

"I also wanted to ask you, where is everyone? There's no one on deck!"