When Wei Qing informed Mo Zi that Xiao Wei wanted to see her, she stood up and said to Jiang Tao with a smile, “Master Jiang just asked me whether Hongyu has received military vessels—well, here comes one now! Would you accompany me to pay respects to the Young General?”
Jiang Tao had not come on official business today but purely for a friendly visit. He’d arrived alone in the capital not long ago, hadn’t yet grasped the ways of officialdom, and originally had not even half a friend. Since Mo Zi appeared and he met Yuan Cheng, he finally had friends with whom he could exchange visits. Recently, through Yuan Cheng, he’d become acquainted with Yang Ling and his cohort of newly appointed jinshi—all passionate young men wanting to accomplish real things for the common people. They hit it off immediately, opening up his situation in the capital. Things hadn’t necessarily gotten worse—he was still the same big-headed fellow, just slightly more tactful in handling matters, understanding that roundabout approaches weren’t absolutely wrong. He not only personally delivered temporary household registrations for Ding Xiu, Niu Gao and the others, but also memorialized the Emperor suggesting reform regulations for issuing temporary household registrations. Meanwhile, Yuan Cheng pushed from another angle, gathering over a hundred scholars and literati to jointly submit a statement describing the benefits various craftsmen brought to Great Zhou. Consequently, the Emperor ordered the Ministry of Revenue to add special provisions for artisans applying for temporary household registrations.
The success of this matter made Jiang Tao better understand that accomplishing something was not one person’s achievement alone—interpersonal relationships were extremely important. When he’d been a minor county magistrate in a remote area, he’d had the final say in small cities and towns. Though he’d had to deal with superiors, it wasn’t like being at the foot of the throne with all its twists and turns. Therefore, newly arrived, he’d suffered setbacks everywhere. Now he was more tactful—at least his superiors and colleagues would no longer make things difficult for him, and he could handle matters with ease.
Jiang Tao had no backing or connections. His parents were commoners, and he’d risen through his own determined efforts. Housing prices in the capital were terrifying, so his meager salary wasn’t enough to buy property—he simply used it to help the poor. He rented an old house and regularly came to Mo Zi’s place to scrounge meals. To save on food expenses?
No, no. Though Master Jiang lived modestly with nothing but clear sleeves, as he himself said, he had small savings but would wait until after marriage to purchase a house, so his wife could manage the household finances. For now, as a single man, he fed only himself and worried about nothing else.
Mo Zi felt her earlier understanding was more accurate. Or perhaps after Bai He started cooking for the shipyard, this fellow came especially frequently?
Jiang Tao shook his big head, indicating he wouldn’t go. “When officials outrank you by one level, it’s uncomfortable—much less several levels. Besides, today is my rest day, I don’t discuss official business. Brother Mo can go himself. Be careful in dealing with him.”
Having become quite familiar with Mo Zi, Master Jiang’s use of “Brother Mo” wasn’t distant. He popped a perfectly round little ball into his mouth and bit down. The crispy shell broke, peanut sweetness flooding out, still warm, so delicious he nearly swallowed his tongue. This flavor—absolutely incredible.
“Did Miss Bai He come today?” Jiang Tao asked with a beaming smile. “A few days ago she promised me a jar of pickles. I can take them when I leave. Don’t know why, but lately the food from restaurants outside has no taste at all—I’ve been craving those pickles.”
Mo Zi couldn’t help laughing—this was what they meant by “easy to go from frugality to luxury.” “Unfortunately, Bai He didn’t come today. She went to Wangqiu Tower to discuss new menu items with the head chef for the New Year.”
Bai He had now adapted to life outside. Sometimes she came to Hongyu to help with cooking, sometimes she stayed at Wangqiu Tower, either honing her culinary skills or learning to read and write with Ge Qiu and the others. She no longer frowned constantly saying she wanted to return to Qiu Sanniang, and even seemed to be getting busier and busier. Just yesterday, she’d discussed with Mo Zi whether they could add a carriage to Lujiao Alley, to avoid always troubling people to send vehicles to fetch her back and forth. When she wanted to find them, it would also be convenient.
In truth, people’s adaptability was quite powerful. And none of the maids at Qiu Sanniang’s side could have received important responsibilities and trust without exceptional resilience. Qiu Sanniang’s personality, so different from ordinary young ladies, was destined not to keep the weak. Maids came and went like a revolving lantern, not just because of youthful affection. After the time was ripe for them to go out independently, they could all hold up their own sky, though the individuals themselves needed a period of struggle and tempering to see this clearly.
Jiang Tao’s eyes lit up when he heard this. He stood and opened the door ahead of her. “I’m going to Wangqiu Tower to eat—today I’ll surely feast to my heart’s content!”
Whenever Bai He went to Wangqiu Tower, she invariably cooked personally. Cen Er feared she cooked too well, creating too great a taste difference for customers and affecting the restaurant’s business, so he told her to just cook casually. Moreover, he didn’t dare serve her dishes in the main hall, only in the garden’s private rooms, selecting the most difficult-to-please diners. The result was that people came again and again, so Cen Er frequently asked Bai He to save the day.
Though Qiu Sanniang had forcefully opened this path for Bai He, she walked it entirely through her own efforts. Even Mo Zi managed almost nothing—when she did manage, it was completely useless, and instead she relied on Bai He frequently coming over to improve everyone’s meals, including her own.
Watching Jiang Tao rush off like a whirlwind, Wei Qing murmured, “How many days has Master Jiang been starving?”
Mo Zi smiled as she stepped outside. “Smart people have picky appetites, hard to feed. We’re crude and simple folk—we can make do with anything.”
Wei Qing objected. “Brother Mo can call himself crude and simple, but don’t include me.”
Look at the person she’d taught—she didn’t learn any of her demure compliance, only learned the pride she rarely displayed. Mo Zi glanced at Wei Qing, wondering if she needed to hold another all-hands meeting to consolidate and review.
Donning a rain cape and bamboo hat, she walked toward the riverbank. The drizzle was dense and cold, insisting on sticking to her face, and before long her face was numb with cold.
Seeing only Old Guan, Chou Yu and a few others, Mo Zi asked in surprise, “Wei Qing, didn’t you say Young General Xiao arrived? Where are the people? Where’s the ship?”
Wei Qing pointed toward the river mouth. “Over there.”
Through the misty rain, Mo Zi looked and saw a military vessel on the river about a li away, apparently anchored with bamboo poles, and therefore not moving.
“What does this mean?” She didn’t quite understand. “If they’re coming ashore for supplies, why not dock here?”
Chou Yu said cheekily, “Probably wants us to go over there. They’re officials—got to put on airs.”
Anyone who’d done some illegal business or activities tended to distrust, avoid, and disdain the righteous and upright. Like thieves and police, mice and cats—natural adversaries.
Chou Yu had this psychology, and so did Mo Zi. Even though she’d now stopped smuggling contraband, facing the imposing navy, she fundamentally wanted to keep her respectful distance. It wasn’t that she thought, oh, I know you’re loyal ministers and good generals, I know you’re defending the nation’s borders, you’re all incomparably good people, so I should bow and scrape to you, obediently obey, not dare breathe loudly.
Boat people all had rebellious bones. Like water’s nature—when strong winds blow, they resist; when the sun blazes, they flatten. People like Xiao Er were like strong gusting winds to them, easily bristling their bones. They made their living under the navy’s very noses, waiting to exploit gaps—confrontation was inevitable.
Mo Zi chuckled. “You’re right—we are supposed to pay our respects after all.”
She had Fei Xia and Shui She raise the Yongfu’s sails and steer the boat to meet them. However, before covering half a li, she saw something was wrong. That ship wasn’t unwilling to move—clearly it couldn’t move.
Old Guan, who could see most clearly from the bow, turned and shouted to Mo Zi, “Brother Mo, most likely their ship’s hull is breached.”
“Hull breached?” Chou Yu scrambled up the mast to look from height. “Good grief, we really wronged them. But to spring a leak in this cursed weather—what rotten luck!”
“Old Guan, Chou Yu, how many people are on their ship?” With a hull breach, they had to rescue people quickly—Mo Zi needed to know the numbers.
“Sixty or seventy people on deck.” After Chou Yu shouted this, he said it was bad. “Our ship can’t possibly take them all at once.” Though he didn’t like them, his instinct was to save people first.
“Shui She, lower the rescue boat.” The wind was favorable, so the small boat could reach shore, and Shui She had the best skills. “Go call everyone from the yard to help, and the Capital Guard outside too. Prepare blankets and clothing, as much as possible. Stoke the braziers to maximum heat. Also have the kitchen staff boil hot water and easy-to-swallow hot food, add lots of chili. Oh, and have the newly hired physician bring his medicine chest quickly in case anyone has contusions.”
Without another word, Shui She and Fei Xia worked together to lower the rescue boat and raised its sail.
“Fei Xia, get me that liquor you brothers have been hiding in the hold.” Mo Zi gripped the gunwale, watching that military vessel—it truly was sinking quite seriously.
Chou Yu tumbled down, grinning mischievously. “Brother Mo, nothing gets past you.”
Fei Xia brought up a jar of aged liquor, his plump palm breaking the mud seal.
“Might have to go in the water to fish people out—drinking liquor will help us endure it better.” Mo Zi took it and gulped down several large mouthfuls, choking until her eyes watered. “Damn, what liquor is this strong?”
“Thirty-year Shaochun.” Seeing Mo Zi drink three mouthfuls and spill two, Chou Yu’s heart ached. “Brother Mo, their ship has a hull breach, but don’t breach your mouth. I can’t bear to let even one drop fall outside my mouth.”
Mo Zi wiped her sleeve and laughed at Chou Yu’s stinginess while stretching her tendons. “I’ll give you back two jars.”
“You said it!” Chou Yu jumped high with glee.
Fei Xia watched Mo Zi stretch her waist and twist her back in what she called warm-up exercises, and said, “Brother Mo, even if we need to go in the water later, it won’t be your turn. Never mind us brothers—who on that ship can’t swim?”
Mo Zi thought about it and laughed sheepishly. “I forgot it’s a naval garrison ship.” Well, just in case then.
Sailing against heavy headwinds, covering one li of water required three li of maneuvering. By the time they could clearly see Xiao Wei, Zhong An and the others, their large ship had already sunk halfway.
“Young General Xiao.” Mo Zi cupped her fists, neither obsequious nor confrontational, handling the emergency seriously. “Is it the hull taking on water? What’s the water intake situation?”
Xiao Wei couldn’t help recalling when they’d passed Jingyu Rapids—she’d had this same expression. Not putting on airs, not being prickly, just handling business as business—the real her!
“Brother Mo, the ship just shook twice in succession—the keel must have fractured. Water’s coming in much faster than before. At most we can hold out two quarters of an hour.” Xiao Wei had been in a daze, so Zhong An answered Mo Zi’s question.
Xiao Wei silently reproached himself—to be spacing out at such a time, his focus worse than a woman’s. He immediately straightened and said seriously, “Does Hongyu have boats to carry my men?”
Mo Zi shook her head at Xiao Er. “The boats in the yard can’t go in the water yet—there’s only the Yongfu.”
Shi Lei anxiously fumed, “You run a shipyard but don’t even have one decent boat? How are over a hundred people supposed to get ashore?”
Swim ashore… Mo Zi really wanted to say that.