Under the night sky, Quanzhou city had shed its hustle and bustle and prosperity. The port, which was teeming with activity during the day, was now pitch black. Various boats, large and small, moored along the shore, silently rose and fell with the gentle waves brought by the sea breeze. In the distance, a few boats still had flickering orange fishing lights, dancing in the darkness, corresponding from afar with the ancient lighthouse that had stood there for hundreds of years, guiding night travelers home.

But some seafarers who departed from here never returned, leaving the lighthouse to wait in vain night after night.

Jia Fu knelt facing the sea, lit incense, and silently prayed. She was reluctant to leave, standing by the embankment, gazing in the direction where her father had sailed away years ago, her emotions surging.

In her previous life, after marrying Pei Xiu Zhi, her days were not easy. After entering the family, she diligently served the elders, tried her best to please her stepson, and dared not tell her husband when she was wronged—all to maintain her expected virtues of being kind and tolerant.

At that time, being a competent heir’s wife who could be recognized by her husband and his family was her greatest goal.

Later, she became Xiao Yin Tang’s concubine. After realizing that she could never escape his control, she could only learn to accept it. She told herself that such a life was quite good, that he had truly done his utmost for her, and if she dared to be dissatisfied, she would be ungrateful.

Only after dying and living again did she realize how pitiful and sad her former self had been.

Since that day when she opened her eyes and found herself returned from the underground palace to the world of the living, she had stubbornly believed that it must have been her father’s spirit that protected her, allowing her to return to the present, before her marriage.

In this life, she no longer wanted to marry Pei Xiu Zhi, nor did she want any relationship with Xiao Yin Tang.

These two men both claimed to love her.

Pei Xiu Zhi handed her over because he had difficulties and was forced to do so.

Xiao Yin Tang, in the name of favor, turned her into a living dead person who could never see the light of day, also because he had difficulties and was similarly forced to do so.

She did not hate them. Because in life, there are indeed many things beyond one’s control. She was the same.

But they made her feel cold, a coldness that emanated from the depths of her marrow and blood.

The love of men for women in this world is merely like this, she had thoroughly understood.

Facing the night breeze with its slight salty smell, Jia Fu took a deep breath.

She was born and raised here, and all the memories of warmth and beauty in her mind were closely related to this hometown, also known as Li City. The dock beneath her feet at this moment had a special significance for her.

Tonight, just now, amidst her surging thoughts, she couldn’t help but come here to pay tribute to her father once more.

The marriage between the two families had already been settled, with the Song family, who currently enjoyed imperial favor, involved in between. To teach her, this insufficiently qualified stepmother, two matrons had been sent from the Song family to Quanzhou a few months ago, and they would travel together tomorrow. Things had reached this point, and it was impossible for her to rashly propose to break off the engagement merely based on her wishes.

Moreover, even if she did propose it, her grandmother would not agree.

She could only think of another way.

Tomorrow she would set off northward, embarking on an unknown new path in life.

Father, if your spirit is in heaven, please bless your A Fu.

…

Zhang Da and the accompanying servant stood at a distance, watching the silhouette of the Young Miss standing before the dock embankment, somewhat guessing her thoughts. The bond between father and daughter was deep. The Young Miss was to depart northward tomorrow in preparation for marriage, and tonight she must be full of thoughts, so she came here to remember the late master. Feeling emotional himself, he did not dare disturb her and silently waited for a moment before looking at Tan Xiang, giving her a signal with his eyes.

Tan Xiang understood and came behind Jia Fu, softly saying, “Young Miss, the night is deep and the wind is cold. Shall we go back?”

Jia Fu silently turned around, following custom, scattered the offerings and incense into the sea, and then returned.

Zhang Da hastily lifted the sedan curtain. Jia Fu got into the sedan, and Zhang Da picked up a lantern, just about to lead the way back. But when he looked up, he saw two shadowy figures coming from the opposite direction, carrying something and heading this way. Suddenly discovering people at the dock, they seemed to panic and hurriedly turned to leave.

In the moonlight, Zhang Da had already recognized them as employees of the Jin family, which competed with their fleet.

Every day, thousands of boats entered and moored at Quanzhou’s port. With limited dock space, conflicts often arose as vessels competed for advantageous positions. Some wealthy merchants paid substantial rent to the Maritime Trade Supervisorate to lease docks for the convenience of their fleets, allowing only their vessels or those they permitted to use them. The Zhen family, with their wealth ranking among the top in Quanzhou and good relations with the government, naturally owned a very well-positioned private dock.

In the middle of the night, seeing Jin family workers sneaking to their dock with some unknown object, Zhang Da became suspicious. He said a word to Jia Fu in the sedan and immediately chased after them. He saw they were carrying a rolled-up tattered straw mat with something unknown wrapped inside. He shouted, “Stop! What are you carrying?”

The two workers hadn’t expected people to be at the Zhen family dock so late at night. They turned and ran, but they didn’t hold on tightly, and a dark figure slid out from one end of the mat roll and fell to the ground, appearing human-shaped.

Zhang Da shone his lantern and discovered it was a youth of thirteen or fourteen, dressed in rags, very frail, with closed eyes, looking as if he were already dead.

Zhang Da, who had worked at the dock for years managing affairs, had seen everything. He immediately understood and became furious. He grabbed one of the fleeing workers and angrily said, “Well! Dumping a corpse in the middle of the night is one thing, but daring to dump it at my master’s dock? You’re coming with me to see the officials!”

Quanzhou’s maritime trade was flourishing, with half the city’s population making their living from the sea. Life at sea, vastly different from land, carried greater risks. Over generations, many superstitions and taboos had formed, the origins of which nobody could explain. Dumping corpses at docks was one such taboo. For locals, this was an inauspicious act. The vengeful spirit of the drowned would not depart but would haunt ships moored nearby, bringing bad luck to the ship owner.

Seeing they couldn’t hide it anymore, and with Zhang Da threatening to report to officials, the worker became frightened. He fell to his knees, begging for mercy. He explained that the youth had worked at their shipyard with no family. He had fallen ill a few months ago and was about to die. The manager reported this to Master Jin, who didn’t want to involve officials and had always been jealous of the Zhen family’s excellent dock position. So he came up with an idea: he ordered people to take advantage of the night to throw the body from the Zhen family dock into the sea. The tide would wash the body away, leaving no trace, and even if the ghost lingered, it would have nothing to do with their family.

The Quanzhou docks gathered countless people seeking livelihoods. Although the government strictly prohibited privately employing unregistered individuals, this was merely an empty decree. Because of the low wages, shipyards, and docks preferred hiring these migrant workers. This youth was probably one of them, just unfortunate to have fallen ill and died.

Zhang Da refused to let them go and coldly smiled, “Aren’t you afraid of damaging your karmic virtue? Come! Let’s go see the officials and see what your master will say!”

The two workers were terrified, kneeling and continuously begging for mercy, saying they were forced to do this and it had nothing to do with them.

Jia Fu heard the commotion, got out of the sedan to investigate, and Zhang Da, seeing her, quickly ran over, “Young Miss, don’t come! It’s filthy here!”

The workers, seeing the Zhen family’s young lady was also present, realized that if they were taken to the officials, regardless of what happened to Master Jin, they would certainly suffer. They turned to beg her for mercy, tears streaming down their faces.

Jia Fu frowned, glancing at the person on the ground.

“He’s not dead! I just saw him move!” Tan Xiang suddenly exclaimed.

Zhang Da hurriedly shone the lantern on the face, and indeed, the youth’s eyelids trembled slightly, then slowly opened.

The lantern’s light was dim, but it revealed a pair of clear black and white eyes that must have once been bright, but now, probably due to severe illness, they were covered with a layer of haze, lackluster.

After a moment, the youth’s consciousness seemed to somewhat return. His gaze gradually focused, staring fixedly at Jia Fu, who wore a cloak, not moving at all.

Seeing this, the Jin family workers breathed a sigh of relief. They quickly scrambled to their feet, haphazardly wrapping the youth back in the tattered straw mat, saying, “We’ll take him back right away. We’re leaving immediately!”

The youth’s face was hidden by the straw mat. The workers picked up the mat roll and hurriedly left.

Zhang Da knew that taking the youth back like this merely meant waiting for him to die before finding another place to dispose of him. But such things were too common; it was just the youth’s unfortunate fate. Thinking that the masters would be departing early the next morning, and since the matter had been exposed, these two would certainly not dare return to dump the body at their dock, he let it go and asked Jia Fu to return to the sedan.

Jia Fu turned and walked a few steps, but the look in the youth’s eyes, when he gazed at her earlier, appeared in her mind, causing her to pause slightly.

She knew that was the look of a dying person desperate to continue living. The desperation and hope within it resonated deeply with her; she understood it all too well.

She turned back, looking again at the retreating figures, hesitated, then said, “Uncle Zhang, let’s keep this child at our shipyard. Please get a doctor to examine him. If he can be cured, that would be best. If he dies, just bury him.”

Zhang Da was startled, then understood. The Young Miss had been moved to compassion, unable to bear seeing the youth slowly waiting for death.

The Zhen family shipyard employed at least hundreds of workers, and one more wouldn’t matter. Since the Young Miss had spoken, he naturally complied, nodding, “The Young Miss is kind and accumulating virtue. I will follow your orders.” He stepped forward and called out to the two workers, ordering them to quickly carry the person to the Zhen family shipyard.

The two workers had been ordered by their manager to dispose of the body and hadn’t expected this complication. They had been cursing their bad luck, but when they heard Zhang Da was willing to take over, they breathed a sigh of relief. They immediately brought the person back, constantly flattering while quickly heading to the Zhen family shipyard. Zhang Da ordered his followers to handle the matter and escorted the Young Miss back to the Zhen mansion.

It was now the Zi hour (11 PM – 1 AM). Jia Fu asked the gatekeeper and learned that her brother Zhen Yaoting had not yet returned.

Her brother had stayed out overnight before, but they were to depart early the next morning. Moreover, in her previous life, Jia Fu remembered that he hadn’t done such a thing on that night, and she didn’t know where he had gone. Worried, and with many thoughts on her mind, she barely slept during the second half of the night. The next morning, she rose early and had just finished dressing and changing into her travel clothes when she heard a rapid series of footsteps in the courtyard. The door was pushed open with a bang, and turning her head, she saw her brother striding in. He was still wearing yesterday’s clothes, indicating he had been out all night. She went to meet him, just about to ask where he had been, when she saw him magically take out a box from behind his back, presenting it with both hands like a treasure, excitedly saying, “Sister, quick, guess what’s in the box?”

The box was carved from a whole piece of agarwood, inlaid with nacre and gems, exquisite and luxurious. Just the box alone was quite valuable.

Jia Fu glanced at it and frowned, “Brother, where did you go last night? Why didn’t you say anything? Mother was very worried!”

Zhen Yaoting waved his hand, “I’m back now, aren’t I? I’ll tell you in a moment! Quickly guess!”

Jia Fu wouldn’t guess and turned away, ignoring him. Zhen Yaoting became anxious and opened the box himself, exclaiming, “Purple shark pearls! This is a purple shark pearl necklace! I chased after it all night to buy this treasure for you!”

Jia Fu turned her head, looking in surprise at the necklace in the box, “Where did you buy it?”

Zhen Yaoting, proud of himself, explained the whole process.

It turned out that yesterday, while he was busy with Zhang Da at the dock, he suddenly heard people discussing a Persian merchant who had a legendary necklace made of purple shark pearls. Hearing that Quanzhou was full of wealthy people, the merchant had intended to sell it at a high price but hadn’t found a suitable buyer and was leaving today.

His sister was to travel north the next day for her marriage, but she had been haunted by something since returning from Xishan Temple, which seemed inauspicious. Although Zhen Yaoting enjoyed carousing, he was very fond of his sister. He also recalled his mother’s admonition from yesterday, saying that although his sister’s marriage to the Pei family was prestigious, she would undoubtedly face various hardships in the future. His mother had instructed him to improve himself and bring honor to his sister. At the time, he had nodded in agreement, but in reality, he had forgotten as soon as he turned away. Now, hearing the words “purple shark pearls” and listening to the people continuously discussing the rarity of this treasure, he immediately thought of buying it for her. He asked where the Persian was staying, learned he was in the foreign quarter, and immediately hurried there, only to find the person gone. After inquiring, he discovered that the Persian, disappointed at finding no buyer, had set off that morning.

Determined to buy the necklace, Zhen Yaoting asked the direction the Persian had taken and pursued him. Last night, he finally caught up with the man at a post station. At first, the Persian was unwilling to sell, but the more reluctant he was, the more Zhen Yaoting wanted to buy it. He offered a high price and after much persuasion, finally compelled the Persian to sell. He took the treasure and hurried back through the night, arriving home this morning. Despite his travel fatigue, he rushed first to his sister’s place to present the treasure.

Jia Fu was astonished. She hadn’t expected her brother to be out all night for this reason. Looking at the necklace, she saw a string of purple pearls and knew it was a fake.

In her previous life in the palace, she had seen purple shark pearls presented to Empress Zhang by envoys from foreign countries.

Despite the name “purple” shark pearls, they were not purple but pink, turning deep purple only when exposed to sunlight, hence the name. Because of their rarity, they were difficult to acquire even for a thousand gold pieces. When the Empress received them, she had specially summoned Jia Fu to admire them, saying if she liked them, she would bestow them upon her.

Jia Fu had not dared to accept and had politely declined with a kowtow. After returning, she had thought of her father and had been sad for a long time, so the memory was vivid.

“Let me put it on for you! Sister, with these purple shark pearls, you will surely have a smooth and prosperous future!” Zhen Yaoting took out the necklace and said happily.

The pearls were each about the size of a little finger, remarkably round, lustrous, and flawless, with a rare color. They were indeed fine items, but they were not purple shark pearls.

Jia Fu knew her brother had been deceived by the Persians. Seeing his tired face yet excited, shining eyes, she was deeply moved. Originally, she didn’t want to break his excitement but thought that as the heir to the Zhen family fortune, if he continued to be so muddle-headed and gullible, he might suffer more losses in the future. After hesitating, she said, “Brother, you’ve been deceived. These are not purple shark pearls. I’ve heard people say that purple shark pearls are named for appearing purple in sunlight; they don’t inherently have a purple color.”

Zhen Yaoting was stunned, staring at the necklace with widened eyes. His expression changed dramatically. He raised his hand and threw the necklace to the ground, angrily saying, “Well! That son of a turtle dared to deceive me! I’ll send people to chase after him right now. If we catch him, I’ll break his bones!” He hurriedly went out to give orders and returned still fuming with anger, grabbing the necklace from the ground and raising his foot to stomp on it.

Jia Fu quickly stopped him, picked up the necklace, and said, “Brother, that person probably knew your reputation. These pearls are expensive, and he couldn’t sell them, so he deliberately lured you to buy them. By now, he must be beyond pursuit. In my view, it’s your intention that matters; although these aren’t shark pearls, they’re more valuable than shark pearls. Since you’ve bought them back, it’s fate. But brother, in the future, remember to think more before acting or consulting with the managers first. Don’t be so easily deceived by others to avoid being swindled again.”

Zhen Yaoting had been full of anger, wanting to crush the necklace to vent his rage. But after hearing Jia Fu’s words, his anger immediately dissipated. He scratched his head and chuckled, “I understand. I remember Grandmother’s and Mother’s teachings. This time I was too hasty, afraid I wouldn’t make it before your marriage, and unwittingly got deceived. In the future, I’ll be more careful.”

Jia Fu remembered that in her previous life, before the Empress Dowager ordered her to be nailed into a coffin, she had left a message, knowing that after her death, her brother would also meet a tragic end. In this life, she was even more determined to change their fate. So she put on the necklace herself, went to the mirror, looked at her reflection, and then turned back with a smile, “Thank you, brother. I like it very much.”

When Madam Meng learned that her son had been out all night to buy a necklace for his sister, she complained a bit but let it go. Since all the luggage had already been loaded onto the ship yesterday, early in the morning, she led her two children to bid farewell to the old lady, and then the group went to the dock and boarded the ship.

Before leaving, Tan Xiang specially gave that Madam Wang a box of frozen dragon brains, containing twenty pieces, symbolizing “perfect in every way,” saying it was on the Young Miss’s instructions, for her to add to her daughter’s dowry. Madam Wang had never dreamed that just a casual remark would be remembered by the Young Miss. Overjoyed, she expressed her gratitude with a thousand thanks and a mouth full of good wishes: “May the Young Miss have a smooth journey to the capital, may all her heart’s desires come true, may she marry the husband of her dreams, and may her life be blessed with both wealth and nobility!”