Amid the quiet, Lin Wu spoke in a clear, unforced tone that carried to everyone around, "Today, I owe a great debt of gratitude to Manager Zhang and Team Leader Sun for their fair and discerning judgment, and to Brother Zhao for speaking up bravely, which has cleared my name. That is already a tremendous kindness and justice I can never repay. As for the monetary compensation..."
She paused for a brief moment before continuing, "Though I am just a rural woman who can barely read a few words, I know full well the principle that one should not accept rewards without merit. I simply cannot bring myself to take that money. I will leave everything entirely to Manager Zhang and Team Leader Sun to decide. No matter how the two of you rule on this matter, I will not utter a single word of complaint, only hold endless gratitude in my heart."
At her words, Manager Zhang glanced at her, then turned to Sun Fu and said, "Team Leader Sun, this is an internal matter for your caravan. Handle it according to your own rules."
Sun Fu immediately snapped at Wang the Fifth, "Do you hear that? Manager Zhang is being generous, and Mrs. Lin is choosing not to hold you accountable! Your entire wage is being confiscated. You and your mother had better remember this: if you ever stir up trouble again, you will be kicked off the caravan immediately."
With the matter settled, Manager Zhang said no more. His gaze swept over the crowd before he waved his hand. "Alright, this matter is over. Everyone, disperse now. We have to resume our journey tomorrow, don't let this delay our proper business."
Sun Fu exchanged a few more pleasantries with Manager Zhang and Lin Wu, then escorted Wang the Fifth and his mother away, the two of them looking utterly devastated.
The farce finally came to an end, and the crowd gradually scattered, still chattering and discussing what had just happened.
Lin Wu gently tugged at Lin Jing, who was still standing stiffly, glaring at the retreating back of Wang the Fifth, and said softly, "Jing, let's go."
The little boy finally tore his eyes away, held her hand tightly, and followed her back silently.
When they got back to their cart, Lin Jing immediately clutched at the hem of her tunic. His big eyes still held traces of unspent anger as he whispered, "Why are they so mean?"
Lin Wu squatted down, gently wiping the beads of sweat that had popped up on his forehead from all the earlier anxiety, then spoke softly to him, "Just as there are sunny days and rainy days in this world, some people are kind at heart, while others are inherently malicious. That's just the way things are."
She looked into his clear, bright eyes, and her voice dropped a little lower. "Hiding your edge and staying unassuming is to keep yourself safe, but that never means you should let others bully you. When you face unfair treatment, if you only shrink back again and again, people will only think you are weak and easy to push around. You have to wait for the right moment, leverage the situation to fight back, and only then can you protect yourself and the people you care about."
Lin Jing nodded vigorously, even though he only partially understood what she had said, and rested his little head against Lin Wu's arm.
Nearby, Li Sanniang and a few other kitchen helpers had also crowded around, their faces still etched with anger.
"Good grief, trouble really does fall from the sky when you're just walking along! I've never seen such vile, foul-mouthed people in my life!" Li Sanniang could not help but curse.
"Traveling merchants' roads are full of all kinds of people, the older, more experienced kitchen helper chimed in. The smaller the caravan, the looser the rules tend to be. Those idle good-for-nothings get bored cooped up on the road for days on end, so they love stirring up petty trouble and gossiping to pass the time."
As night deepened, all the noise in the camp finally died down completely.
Lin Wu seemed entirely unaffected by the earlier disturbance. After tucking Lin Jing into his sleeping spot in the corner of the cart, she joined Li Sanniang and the other kitchen helpers to prepare the next day's breakfast by the light of the campfire.
She washed and soaked the japonica rice, chopped up a few strips of cured meat, then prepped the soaked dried mushrooms and shredded bamboo shoots. After that, she seasoned the minced meat, shredded mushrooms, and bamboo shoots, put them all into a large pot with clear water, set it over the stove, and let it simmer slowly over low heat.
When everything was arranged properly, she washed her hands clean and climbed back onto the cart.
The night was deep, the dew was heavy, and the cold was seeping into everyone's bones.
Lin Wu pulled out their lined jackets, helped both herself and Lin Jing put them on, then spread out the thin quilt and wrapped the two of them tightly in it.
Lin Jing, however, was wide awake, his round eyes glinting in the dim light as he leaned against his small bundle.
"Still not asleep?" Lin Wu asked softly, reaching over to tuck the quilt tighter around him.
"Did that rascal Wang the Fifth scare you earlier? That good-for-nothing never does a decent thing!" Li Sanniang, who was beside them, added with another angry huff.
Lin Jing shook his head slightly. His small hand patted the bundle behind him, and he spoke in a voice so faint it was barely audible, "The bundle is lumpy and uncomfortable." Their family had very few belongings, and the child valued every single thing they owned so much that he could immediately notice even the slightest change in his bundle.
Lin Wu's heart gave a little jolt. Lin Jing had never once complained of discomfort before, not even when they slept on the hay in mountain caves, or when he used the bundle as a pillow these past few nights on the road.
A thought crossed her mind, but she kept her expression calm and casual as she spoke, "It's probably because we took out the jacket and the thin quilt, so the things left inside are pressing against each other. Let me take a look." As she said this, she untied the small bundle.
By the faint moonlight seeping through the gaps in the cart's canvas and the remaining glow of the campfire, she carefully felt around among a few pieces of old clothing. Soon, her fingertips touched a string of hard objects, tucked under Lin Jing's headscarf.
Lin Wu's heart skipped a beat.
Glancing out of the corner of her eye, she saw that Li Sanniang beside her seemed to have closed her eyes to rest again. She suppressed the sudden shock in her chest, kept her hands moving steadily, and said in a calm, even tone, "It's nothing. We'll just pad it with the headscarf and it won't feel lumpy anymore."
She quickly covered the string of objects back up with the headscarf and retied the bundle.
Lin Jing nodded obediently, and finally drifted off to sleep.
But neither of them could fall asleep for a long time.
The next morning, the weather was noticeably colder than the day before.
The guards and workers of the Jin Cheng Trading Company woke up to a rich, warm, inviting aroma.
Lin Wu was standing by the stove, holding a long spoon and slowly stirring a large pot of thick, gently bubbling creamy congee. The congee was smooth and thick, dotted with tender slivers of meat, soft mushrooms, and shredded bamboo shoots, garnished with bright green chopped scallions.
This was their breakfast that day: warm savory congee with minced meat, mushrooms, and bamboo shoots.
After simmering slowly over low heat all night, the savory flavors of the cured meat, mushrooms, and bamboo shoots had fully seeped into every grain of rice, resulting in a rich, deeply delicious taste.
On that cold morning, a bowl of warm congee instantly chased away the chill of the late autumn air and the grogginess of waking up. The warmth spread all the way from their throats down to their limbs, making even their fingertips feel loose and relaxed.
Fang Qian also had a bowl of the congee inside his carriage. It was smooth as it slid down his throat, perfectly seasoned, and tasted excellent.
He set down his bowl, as if suddenly remembering something, and casually asked Manager Zhang beside him, "There was some commotion outside last night. What was that all about?"
Manager Zhang called Xiao Zhao in, and gave a concise account of what had happened and how the situation had been resolved.
Fang Qian listened without changing his expression, only gently flicking the lid of his teacup with his finger. "That woman is very shrewd. By handing the decision over to you and Team Leader Sun, she publicly showed respect for the caravan's rules and saved everyone's face, while in reality she pulled herself completely clean out of this messy situation."
If she had taken the compensation money that Team Leader Sun had confiscated from Wang the Fifth, Wang the Fifth and his mother would have had to swallow their anger for now, but that resentment, tied to money, would have turned into a thorn stuck in their hearts. The more time passed, the deeper it would have rooted itself.
By the end of the journey, Wang the Fifth would have gone through the entire trip without earning a single cent, and who knew what kind of trouble he would have caused then. That would have created endless, messy problems for no good reason. But by refusing all the money and only asking for a fair judgment, she kept the entire matter within the bounds of the caravan's rules, and walked away without a single speck of dirt on her. To be able to think that far ahead, and not be tempted by a small immediate gain, that woman handles matters with remarkable poise and strategy.
And looking at her usual conduct, she always acts with proper discretion. She puts a lot of thought into the meals she prepares, for example, after serving a savory dinner one day, she would make a light, sweet breakfast the next morning. Now that the weather has turned cold, she made this warm congee. She uses only common, ordinary ingredients, but the care and thought she puts into her arrangements is truly extraordinary.
This level of thoughtfulness was hardly the manner of an ordinary village woman. Instead, she seemed more like a trusted senior maid from a noble household, the kind who knew exactly how to anticipate her superiors' wishes, excelled at managing household affairs, and handled every task within her purview with flawless precision.
Fang Qian tapped his fingertips lightly on the edge of the table, lost in thought.
"That's right," Xiao Zhao chimed in from the side. "Sister Lin has been traveling all this way with a young girl, sleeping rough and braving the elements, it's been incredibly tough for them. Whenever the fellows on the caravan praise her, she always replies with a few modest words, and carries herself with such careful restraint in everything she does. I can't help but wonder what hardships she must have endured in her past life at home."
"Even with all that caution, she still couldn't avoid the slander from idlers like Wang the Fifth. It's never easy for a widowed mother and her child to get by in these times," Manager Zhang sighed.
Fang Qian said nothing in response. Village women could be timid, bold, or simple and slow-witted, all common enough to see. But someone so proper and cautious in every matter, so careful and thorough in every step, that was a rare sight.
After a moment of deliberation, he gave his instructions: "The caravan travels on the principle of harmony, but we must not tolerate bad behavior and let our rules fall by the wayside. See that this matter is handled properly. As for Cook Lin, her cooking skills are excellent, and she is a steady, law-abiding person. This incident was entirely undeserved misfortune for her. On top of that, she has spent so much effort these past few days preparing special meals for Uncle Qin. Once this trip is over, go to the accounts office and pay her double her usual wages, as compensation and a well-earned bonus."
"Understood," Manager Zhang nodded in acknowledgement.
Fang Qian seemed to remember something, and paused his tapping fingers. He added, "Uncle Qin seems to have made her an invitation to take a job at the cargo warehouse."
"I heard she politely turned it down," Manager Zhang replied.
Xiao Zhao then repeated the explanation Lin Wu had given to Qin Xiaoshan.
"She is a woman who does not like to trouble others," Fang Qian said, his tone even, no emotion to be detected. "Well then, let her do as she wishes."
If she was unwilling to accept a favor, that meant she had no wish to be tied to anyone, and had made up her mind to live independently, keeping to herself.
He gave an almost imperceptible shake of his head. They had only met by chance, and would end up as no more than passing travelers. She was hardly someone of importance, nor was this a matter of consequence. As long as she did not hinder the caravan's schedule or break its rules, there was no need to look into it further.
"It's getting late," he said, setting his teacup down gently and casting his stray thoughts aside. "Everyone get ready to depart soon. Uncle Shen is probably back in Lingzhou, complaining nonstop about how slow and dilatory I am."
In the Shen Manor study in Lingzhou.
The furnishings inside the room were simple and unadorned. A wide sandalwood desk was placed by the window, with a half-unrolled map held down by a paperweight.
Shen Guanting sat behind the desk. The autumn sun filtered through the fine window lattice, dappling his sharp, well-defined profile with patches of light and shadow. His expression was half in light, half in shadow, impossible to make out clearly.
"Any news?" He was holding a book in his hand, and did not even lift his head when he heard footsteps approaching, asking the question casually.
The man who had come in was Shen Quan, Shen Guanting's personal attendant, in his mid-twenties, with a calm, quiet face. He reported in a low voice, "They will leave the city through the north gate at the first moment of the rabbit period two days from now, heading for South Cliff."
"Just as I thought," Shen Guanting's eyes did not move from his book, as he flipped casually to the next page. "How are things with the caravan?"
"Not good. They were short on clothes and food even before they set off, and a lot of people have fallen ill. With the weather turning colder, I'm afraid they won't be able to hold on for much longer."
Shen Guanting fell silent for a moment, and looked out the window. The autumn in the courtyard was already deep, the plants and trees withered and bare, giving off a bleak, chill air.
He tapped his fingertips twice on the edge of the desk.
After a moment, he turned his gaze back, his voice calm and unwavering yet perfectly distinct: "The weather is growing colder by the day. The Shen family's young master has just come from Huzhou, and this is his first time seeing the northern lands in autumn and winter. He never imagined the lives of the common folk could be this harsh. So, starting tomorrow, set up two porridge stalls on the outskirts of the city in the name of showing kindness to the villagers and doing good to accumulate blessings. Hire two doctors to be on site as well, to give out free porridge and medical care to the poor and destitute."
Shen Quan understood his meaning completely, and bowed his head to reply, "Yes, I understand, sir."
Shen Guanting looked down at the map on the desk, his gaze finally settling on the two characters "South Cliff" marked at the bottom of the scroll.
