Mo Zi looked at Erlang. Erlang also looked at Mo Zi. Both their gazes carried probing intent, as well as uncompromising stubbornness.

“As things stand now, it seems we have no choice.” Mo Zi’s smile held a bit of cunning within the helplessness.

Erlang found that smile very disagreeable. “As things stand now, either you eat prison food or you let us on the boat—indeed you have no choice.”

“Cen Er, then let me make the decision and agree to let them board, all right? I’ll explain things to our employer.” Mo Zi drank this penalty wine because she’d suddenly realized that whether or not she could leave Qiu Sanniang, having silver on her person was always good. Whether it was Qiu Sanniang making things difficult for her with the three hundred taels, or barely managing to help her repay Fourth Madam—both proved that relying on others wasn’t as good as relying on oneself. She would eventually establish her own household—it was time to start calculating and planning.

“Why explain? If you two don’t say anything, we don’t say anything, and the people on this boat don’t say anything, how would your employer know?” Zhong An was cunning. “If you say something, good things become bad things, and loyal subjects become traitors. If it’s a suspicious master, I’m afraid from then on trust would also have a barrier.”

“…” Cen Er thought to himself—that was indeed the reasoning. If he and Mo Zi kept their mouths shut, and Old Guan and the others had never met Qiu Sanniang, keeping it secret from above actually wasn’t difficult. But having this thought, he didn’t know what Mo Zi was thinking, so he looked at her anxiously.

Mo Zi happened to look over as well, only saying half a sentence. “If this journey goes smoothly…”

Hearing this, Cen Er thought—right, if the whole way went without incident and they returned safely, there’d be no problem not telling Qiu Sanniang. So he quickly nodded, helping Mo Zi complete the remaining half of the sentence. “If this journey goes smoothly, naturally there’s no harm.”

Mo Zi smiled and nodded in agreement.

The battle line was unified.

“Since it’s settled, we’ll have people bring the horses aboard.” Shi Lei thought everyone was now in the same boat, little knowing—

Mo Zi stretched out her hand. “Wait. We’ve agreed to let you board, but we should also clarify exactly how you’ll board.”

“Conditions?” Erlang stood in the center of the dim cabin. All around was pitch-black canvas, without even a single window. The turbid air held various smells—besides wine, the others were hard to distinguish. Was this what a pirate ship was like?

“Conditions.” Mo Zi was frank and open. “First, horses cannot board the ship. Since you all already know we’re carrying smuggled goods, what we most fear is uncontrollable noise. Once we attract attention, we’re finished. Moreover, your business also seems unable to see the light of day—riding horses too easily attracts eyes.”

“What can’t see light? We are—” Shi Lei felt Mo Zi was categorizing them as bandits and immediately became displeased.

“I agree to the first condition—horses don’t board.” Erlang slapped one hand on Shi Lei’s shoulder, and Shi Lei fell silent.

Mo Zi was satisfied with his cooperative attitude and continued speaking. “Second condition: passage fees. Fifty taels per person, three hundred taels for six people, one-way, paid in full now.”

“Fifty taels? Are you robbing us?” Again it was Shi Lei. His temperament was straightforward and impulsive, and combined with his strong, robust build, he was obviously suited for physical action rather than mental work.

“I’m not robbing—I’m price gouging.” Understand? Since you’ve boarded a pirate ship, you should have some mental preparation, right?

“What!” Even more brazen! Shi Lei’s beard bristled and his eyes bulged. He rolled up his sleeves, assuming a fighting stance. But he quickly discovered his two companions were so calm their expressions didn’t move. He could only suppress his anger, though cursing inwardly.

“Young brother, by ‘one-way’ you mean—” Zhong An was humbly eager to learn.

“It’s the stretch of road from Wild Boat Ferry to letting you off the boat within Nande territory.” Mo Zi further explained. “Of course, if it’s a round trip, the passage fee can be discounted, also paid in full now. But if you miss the return point, we won’t wait past the time, and passage fees aren’t refunded.” This was how airplanes charged—she was borrowing the method.

“Then what’s the round-trip price?” With this one-way and round-trip business, Zhong An thought it interesting.

“Ninety taels per person, five hundred forty taels for six people. The boat goes round trip in six days. If you want to share meals, then it’s a flat price of six hundred taels, all-inclusive.” The little abacus went click-clack.

Shi Lei really wanted to step forward and stomp the only broken table to smithereens. Six hundred taels for riding a shabby boat—she wasn’t just robbing money, she was simply a bloodsucking worm, insatiably greedy. And moreover—that’s right, moreover they’d already given her two hundred taels.

“Can’t it be negotiated further?” Erlang’s voice was very cold and clear. Anyone could hear his mood was extremely poor.

Cen Er, standing beside Mo Zi, actually felt his body turn cold because of this, but he didn’t make a sound. He knew Mo Zi’s skill at negotiating prices.

“No, I’ve already given you the best price.” Mo Zi indeed didn’t yield. The two hundred taels she wanted to hide without anyone knowing, while the three hundred taels was the additional amount to hand over to Qiu Sanniang. As for the extra three hundred taels demanded—that was for Cen Er.

“How can it not be negotiated?” Shi Lei shouted in agitation. “Even if you say six hundred taels, we’ll only give four hundred taels. You’ve already taken—”

“You should know, if we expose the matter, your boat also won’t leave. All the smuggled goods will be confiscated, you’ll also be punished according to law, and for serious crimes, you might not even keep your heads.” Erlang cut off Shi Lei’s words—otherwise this deal would truly fall apart. But at the same time, he didn’t understand why the person in blue clothing before him was so calm and composed.

“I know. However, at the same time you expose us, I’ll also expose you. We’re smuggling goods—could your secret really stay hidden?” Knowing these three people had significant status, Mo Zi therefore borrowed their unspeakable secret.

How formidable! Smart people were common around him, and he himself was extremely skilled at reading people’s hearts, yet he never expected a mere small servant could make him look with new respect. Erlang’s pupils deepened, and the arrogance swirling around him suddenly faded. This was the first time he admired a commoner.

“Zhong An.” He looked at that ordinary dark face before him and called out to the person beside him.

“Yes.” Zhong An quickly responded.

“Give him six hundred taels, and tell our people to bring things aboard.” He gave the order.

Shi Lei’s eyes widened to their limit, then gradually, gradually narrowed. He hung his head and fell silent. In his heart he was clear—though the Luo Zhou officials couldn’t pursue them, the secret they carried truly couldn’t let anyone discover it, otherwise the consequences would be unthinkable. This kid had stumbled upon the right answer by accident.

“Young brother, when do we set sail?” Zhong An could adapt. He presented two banknotes, and in his form of address changed them to insiders. He had a certain wild boldness of the literati, believing heroes shouldn’t be judged by birth.

“As soon as you board, we depart—the faster the better. There’s an official postal station outside Wild Boat Ferry where you can stable the horses.” On one boat, on one rope—Mo Zi also didn’t mind temporarily becoming grasshoppers in the same boat.

“Shi Lei, you go stable the horses.” How could he not see this comrade-in-arms’s anger? Erlang let him go out to get some air before returning.

Shi Lei’s breathing grew heavier and heavier. He stomped so hard he nearly tore down the cabin curtain as he left.

Zhong An quickly followed, quietly persuading as he went out.

“The cabin air is foul. Brother Erlang might as well also go to the deck to enjoy the river breeze, look at the water scenery, and change your mood.” His mood was poor; her mood was very good.

Hearing her smilingly say “Brother Erlang,” Erlang felt uncomfortable all over. “Bai Yu.”

“…” Mo Zi was stunned for a moment.

“Name.” Erlang was impatient. Wasn’t this fellow very smart?

Mo Zi made an “oh” sound. “Everyone calls me Brother Mo. Pleased to meet you!”

No wonder every meeting was unpleasant—one black, one white, naturally incompatible from birth.