Whether a port was bustling determined whether a city thrived. Though the great Daqing Dynasty was no longer at its height, it was still a prosperous and well-provisioned nation. As its very center, the capital’s port was naturally a place of endless coming and going, lively and vibrant beyond measure.

Hua Zhi had not troubled herself with men’s clothing, but neither had she dressed as a lady of a noble house. She borrowed a set of Yingchun’s clothes, made a few subtle adjustments to her appearance, and moved freely among the crowd.

Nianqiu and Xu Jie, trailing at her sides, broke into a cold sweat, flanking her protectively, terrified she might be bumped or jostled by the press of people around them.

Hua Zhi first made her way around the docks, watching the goods and people coming on and off the ships to the rhythm of the laborers’ chanting calls, watching the workers in their worn, tattered clothes — backs bent beneath heavy loads — struggling to make their living, while the overseers strutted about with their chins raised, urging them on. Her heart was a still pool of calm.

It was not that she was incapable of changing such circumstances — it was that she could not. In any place and time, people must learn to adapt to the rules, not entertain vain hopes of changing them. For the rules were entangled not only with the interests of those who held power, but with an entire era.

Some things, if attempted rashly, would only benefit those who already held capital. The livelihood of the already-poor would only become more difficult. Unless — she were the one who decided the rules. The one who held the knife that determined how the cake was divided.

And that was never something she had aspired to become. So all these years she had not gone out, had not listened, had not looked — had simply not known, and kept herself safely within her small world, content and undisturbed.

“Miss, the ship is over there.” Xu Jie pointed toward a large vessel not far off.

Hua Zhi looked over. It was indeed a large ship — bigger than the two vessels on either side of it combined. Casting her gaze across the entire harbor, it appeared to be the largest ship there. By its side, laborers carrying shoulder poles were already craning their necks with anticipation — a ship riding so deep in the water surely meant a hefty job for them.

The three of them drew near. Xu Jie hesitated before asking, “Would the eldest young miss like to board? There is no wind today, and the ship sits low in the water — she should not rock.”

“Let’s board.” Hua Zhi stepped onto the gangplank first.

Xu Jie had been worried the eldest young miss might be frightened — after all, there was only water below. Even if it was a shallow area, which young lady of a noble house wasn’t afraid of falling in? And the concern was not merely whether one might drown.

That worry lasted only a moment. Watching the eldest young miss walk across the gangplank as steadily as if she were on solid ground — steadier than he himself had been — he could do nothing but hurry after her and quietly forget what his own first time boarding a ship had looked like.

When the ship’s crew saw Xu Jie leading people aboard, they all came up on deck to wait. Upon realizing it was two young women, they whispered and muttered for a good while — but once the group actually came aboard, they fell silent, one by one. Perhaps this was simply how people of the capital conducted themselves? They still had silver owed to them, so it was better not to cause trouble.

“This is the head maid of our household. Once she has inspected the goods, payment will be made. We ask that everyone kindly wait outside for a moment.”

In other words — stay off the deck while we look around? The crew, most of whom had never set foot in the capital before, exchanged glances and nodded their assent.

Descending into the hold, there was nothing but gleaming golden tangerines as far as the eye could see. Hua Zhi walked circuits around them, occasionally picking one up, peeling it, and tasting a segment. Seven or eight out of every ten were sweet; the remaining two or three, even if slightly tart, were naturally so — an acceptable sourness that most people could appreciate.

Seeing the eldest young miss remain silent, Xu Jie grew anxious and scrambled for something to say. “Before the goods were loaded, this servant inspected each one. All the stems are green — they haven’t been off the tree long. The water route is windy, so the hold door was opened every day to let in fresh air. They may not be quite as fresh as when they first came aboard, but they should still be considered reasonably fresh.”

“They’re quite good.” Hua Zhi dusted off her hands and looked at the nervous Xu Jie. “Since you already know you did well, what is there to fear? Would I go looking for faults? I am not so difficult to serve.”

“This servant would not dare…”

“I’m not blaming you. A job well done is a job well done, and no one will pick at you for it. I’m not that hard to please. Go and rent some flatbed carts — do you know the way to the estate in the southern part of the city?”

“Yes, this servant has been there twice.”

“Have everything sent there.”

“Yes.” Xu Jie turned to go, then heard the eldest young miss call after him. “Check how many hire-carts are available at the docks. If there aren’t enough, rent more from a carriage house.”

“Yes, this servant understands.”

Nianqiu covered her mouth to hide a smile. “Miss is kindhearted, yet even her kindness has a cool, unhurried air to it.”

“Your standards for kindness are far too low.” Hua Zhi gave a dry smile. “Go and settle their accounts.”

“Yes, miss.”

Nianqiu went to settle the accounts, while Hua Zhi disembarked and ambled slowly along the docks.

All the varied faces of the world could be seen right here at this port. She moved among them like a wandering traveler, and not a trace of joy or sorrow, anger or delight, clung to her as she passed.

Another ship pulled into dock. Seeing it was an ordinary passenger vessel, she quickly shifted her gaze and walked toward a spot where the briny tang of the sea hung in the air. In this life, she had not yet tasted seafood.

On the passenger ship’s deck, the Shizi fixed his eyes on that drifting, unhurried figure. Only after the ship came to a full stop did he withdraw his gaze and give a quiet order: “First unit, proceed to the Hu Family. Second unit, come with me.”

“Yes.”

He looked down from above at that figure one last time — she had already slipped into the crowd, utterly unconcerned with all the rules and constraints imposed on women, free and careless without a thought to any of it.

Was she counting on no one at the docks recognizing her? The Shizi turned and mounted his horse, thinking of how she had barely stepped outside her door all these years — chances were, not only at the docks but even if she walked down the streets of the city, few would recognize her. To say nothing of the fact that she had altered her appearance.

The Shizi’s mind returned to that rainy night, and to that face — coldly beautiful, almost to the point of severity.

By the time Nianqiu found her young mistress and pulled her out of the crowd, she was on the verge of tears. If the young mistress returned home reeking like this, it wouldn’t take any of the other household members getting upset — Yingchun alone would have something to say!

“I had the vendor wrap up some dried seafood for me. Go and pay.”

“Something that smells this terrible… how could they possibly let it through the door…”

“They would actually turn away the mistress of the house?”

Nianqiu fell silent. Who would dare stop the mistress from entering — especially when the mistress was currently running the household herself? But the smell really was…

Waving off her teary-eyed senior maid, Hua Zhi sniffed her own sleeve. The smell was not all that strong, really. It would fade after a walk.

The capital sat in the north, where the appetite for meat far outstripped any interest in fish. Even in aristocratic households, fish was mostly eaten by those concerned with their health and constitution. For most people, fish was something used to make broth.

As for the dried seafood brought up from the far south, it was generally the poorer folk who bought a bit to add variety to their meals. With no real market for it, few merchants bothered with the trade — a ship might occasionally bring some along as a side cargo. Today, Hua Zhi was lucky enough to come across it, so of course she was not going to let the opportunity pass. She thought wistfully of how wonderful it would be if there were fresh seawater fish available — just imagining it made her mouth water.

Nianqiu hugged the large parcel at arm’s length, as far away from herself as possible, wearing a mournful expression. “Miss, this is really too much.”

“Then don’t eat any when it’s cooked.”

Nianqiu did not dare doubt her young mistress’s gift for food — every skill that Fudong possessed had been honed under the young mistress’s own tutelage. So this would genuinely be good to eat? Nianqiu wore a conflicted look on her face, but pressed the words I won’t eat it firmly down into the pit of her stomach. Well — she would have to taste it first.