Chaoxi Prefecture lay along a river that flowed all the way to the sea. The city had three main docks, running from north to south: the Egret Dock, the Central Dock, and the Yan Fang Dock.
That morning, Lu Ling had gone to the southernmost Yan Fang Dock.
When Shu Rui arrived with the food boxes, he saw two massive ships moored on the wide river. People were moving cargo on and off, swarming over the deck like ants.
There was indeed plenty of work, but one had to be quick. Men and women carried goods by hand, while many carters used animals to transport heavier loads.
Only those chosen by the overseers got work. Older or smaller people often weren’t needed. Women also found work there, sometimes because certain cargo—cosmetics or delicate items—required careful handling that only a meticulous female hand could provide.
By noon, the streets had quieted, but the docks were bustling. Laborers moved goods, carters pulled carts, overseers checked inventory, and street vendors sold buns and pancakes. Shouts and calls overlapped in a cacophony.
Shu Rui scanned the crowd for Lu Ling. The air smelled of river water and sweat. After some time, he still hadn’t found him. Being unfamiliar with the dock, he had no prearranged meeting point with Lu Ling.
Just as he climbed a stone pedestal to get a better view, a familiar figure approached.
“The crowd’s dense—watch your step.”
Shu Rui led him to the shade of a large elm tree, a quieter spot where only some laborers were eating. Starving from their hard morning, they squatted along the stone channels, biting into bread and buns, casting glances at Shu Rui’s food boxes.
Lu Ling washed his hands by the river and returned. Shu Rui opened the food boxes.
“Cabbage stir-fried with smoked pork. Simple fare,” he said, letting the warm steam escape. The chilly wind along the river carried the aroma, drawing the eyes of nearby laborers.
Hungry from labor, the smell of home-cooked food was almost unbearable to them.
Without hesitation, Lu Ling took the chopsticks and began eating. His appetite was voracious—bite after bite—making those around him salivate.
“Having someone deliver food makes all the difference. After working half the day, cold buns are hardly satisfying.”
“Hot buns aren’t hard to get. Maybe you’re just too stingy to spend a few coins,” one man remarked.
“If the buns were good, I’d pay gladly, but the ones at the shops are watery, almost no oil, eight coins a bowl, and underweight. Who could eat enough?” Another man chimed in.
They argued while glancing greedily at Lu Ling’s steaming bowl, eyes wide like black-eyed chickens.
Lu Ling, sensitive to his surroundings, tightened his brows and turned his back to the onlookers while holding the bowl. He saw Shu Rui peeking at the two shirtless men and pulled him closer.
Shu Rui, slightly irritated at being interrupted, asked, “What now?”
“I’m thirsty.”
Shu Rui nearly scolded him—drinking water was a basic need—but noticing the sweat matted in Lu Ling’s hair, he let it go. He handed him the water bottle.
“You’ve been driving the cart and sweating. Slow down a bit.”
Lu Ling attempted to give Shu Rui the coins he earned that morning, but Shu Rui stopped him, remembering their scuffle on the cart before. “Not now. Too many eyes here. If pickpockets notice, it won’t end well.”
Lu Ling considered this and let it be. In a place like this, small thieves mingled with the crowd, and a moment’s distraction could cost him his purse.
He asked Shu Rui, “Have you eaten?”
“I’m not very hungry. I’ll eat back at the inn. Take your time—don’t rush your meal.”
Lu Ling’s lips twitched in acknowledgment.
“You eat first. I’ll walk around a bit.”
Lu Ling’s black eyes scanned the area. Holding the food, he found it less satisfying than the morning meal.
Shu Rui’s mind, however, was focused on business.
By noon, the clouds parted and the sun shone brightly, warming the chilly docks. After wandering for a while, he returned with the food boxes.
Back at the inn, Shu Rui ate quickly and then headed out again.
With no business at midday, those trading often napped. Yang Chunhua rested briefly, drinking tea to wake herself, and prepared to do needlework if nothing came up.
At the gate, she saw Shu Rui carrying a small basket full of vegetables. She intended to ask why he bought so much, but seeing the brothers’ appetites and noticing guests arriving at the shop, she set aside her question.
Shu Rui entered the courtyard, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and immediately began sorting the vegetables into a large tray.
In May and June, the variety of vegetables was plentiful—cucumbers, eggplants, long beans, amaranth, and more. He bought enough for himself and Lu Ling to last over ten days.
However, with the weather hot, they wouldn’t last long. If the backhouse cellar had been ready, they could have stored them a couple more days.
These vegetables had been sold cheaply by farmers rushing home, and Shu Rui had carefully selected them all. He had spent about twenty coins on the haul.
Though it seemed like a bargain, it was purposeful—he planned to sell meals to the laborers at the dock and earn small change to fund repairs for the inn.
He checked the small food stalls at the docks: most sold noodles or pancakes. The popular stalls had crowds; the poor-tasting ones went ignored.
Some vendors cooked meals in iron woks, but the service was slow, deterring customers.
Shu Rui noticed that with Lu Ling delivering his food, the laborers’ eyes practically devoured the bowls. If he cooked larger batches at the inn and delivered meals at peak times, he could run an open-air eatery: two scoops of rice, one of vegetables—quick service without the hassle of setting up stalls or fires.
The main challenge was timing. The docks weren’t always crowded. To sell meals successfully, he had to coordinate with peak activity.
For now, he prepared the vegetables. When the messenger returned with news tomorrow, he would know which dock a large ship would arrive at, allowing Shu Rui to deliver meals and earn thirty to fifty coins—a far better return than letting money sit idle.
In the afternoon, Lu Ling returned with the cart. The courtyard looked cleaner than before. Three broken earthen jars filled with soil had been placed along the channels.
He peered inside: soft black earth contained neat rows of garlic and scallions. The largest jar held small vegetable seeds.
Shu Rui came out with a wooden basin filled with yesterday’s discarded clothing. Seeing Lu Ling, he poured him a bowl of hot tea, then led the tired donkey into the stable, offering it some grass mixed with vegetable scraps.
Lu Ling drank the tea in one gulp, noticed the cucumbers in the basin, and picked one to eat raw—it was crisp and refreshing.
Turning to look into the basin, Lu Ling saw there were still plenty of other vegetables and asked Shu Rui, “Where did all these come from?”
Shu Rui didn’t hide his plans to sell meals; he briefly explained what he intended to do.
“Then you should prepare plenty. A large ship will arrive at the dock tomorrow.”
Shu Rui paused mid-scatter of fodder to the donkey and asked, “How do you know?”
Lu Ling explained that the foreman he helped that morning had been impressed by his efficiency and told him that tomorrow he would need assistance unloading cargo again. Their master had a large ship whose goods wouldn’t arrive until the next day.
Shu Rui asked for details, “Did he give you an exact time?”
“About the same as today. If nothing goes wrong, it should arrive in the morning.”
Lu Ling elaborated: given the size of their ship and the number of workers, unloading one vessel would take about an hour to an hour and a half.
With that schedule, they could finish unloading in time for the midday meal. Knowing a ship was coming, Shu Rui’s plans for tomorrow’s business now had some certainty.
Overjoyed, Shu Rui quickly washed his clothes and cleaned the vegetables, preparing them early for the large pot of food to be delivered to the dock the next day.
He looked at Lu Ling with a friendlier expression. “Do you have clothes to wash? Bring them here; I’ll do them all at once.”
Lu Ling raised his eyebrows and, hopping with excitement, fetched the clothes he had changed out of the day before.
His wardrobe was simple—just two sets of clothing: one black, one dark blue, worn alternately.
The black set was the one Shu Rui first saw him in, made of fine cloth. The dark blue set was purchased in a nearby county town during their journey; Shu Rui had felt Lu Ling rarely changed clothes and bought it for him.
Shu Rui placed both sets in the basin. Lu Ling’s garments were large, filling the basin immediately. He added some crushed soapberries and most of a bucket of warm water, sitting on a small stool to stir the soap water thoroughly.
Once the clothes were soaked, he began scrubbing. Suddenly, a short gray-white shirt slipped out from inside the oversized clothing.
Shu Rui picked it up and felt a flush rise to his face. “Lu Ling!”
“What’s wrong?”
Hearing the voice, Lu Ling quickly rushed out from the guest room.
“You… why did you bring this?”
Shu Rui glanced at the basin but couldn’t bear to look.
Lu Ling looked at the water, then at Shu Rui. “You can’t wash the pants?”
“Who said I would wash your underpants?”
Shu Rui, his face red, said, “These are worn next to the skin. You changed out of them after bathing yesterday. Leaving them overnight and mixing them with dirty outerwear for hours—how can you be so careless?”
Lu Ling frowned slightly at the scolding. “Then what should I do?”
“What else? Take them and wash them yourself.”
Shu Rui fetched a small basin and a little fragrant soap for him. “From now on, keep these in your room for personal use.”
Lu Ling took the soap, understanding now why Shu Rui always smelled so pleasantly clean. Washing undergarments separately and with care explained it.