Lin Wu led Lin Jing by the hand and lowered her head as they entered the passenger cabin.
A damp, stuffy smell of old wood rushed over them. The cabin was a large shared compartment crudely divided by thin wooden boards. Each section had only a single berth and was known as a steerage berth. To the right of theirs were five more such sections. There were no doors or curtains, and every sound carried clearly between them.
Still, theirs was considered a fairly decent cabin. The cheaper berths were at the front of the deck, completely exposed to the elements. People sat packed together, with bodies and luggage all jumbled into one mass.
When Lin Wu had hurried past that area with Lin Jing earlier, she had kept her head down, yet she could still feel quite a few eyes sizing them up. Most belonged to young men in half-worn cotton tunics, their dark faces and frank gazes revealing their calculations.
Before leaving that morning, Lin Wu had deliberately changed into old clothes bought from a secondhand clothing shop. They had been washed pale and bore several patches, making her look every inch an ordinary woman living on a tight budget. But a woman traveling a long distance with a child was bound to attract attention.
To the right of their compartment sat a young couple dressed in neat, presentable clothes. The two sat close together and did not speak with anyone else, exchanging only a few words in low voices from time to time.
A passenger boat was nothing like a merchant caravan. The men and guards in a caravan were usually familiar with one another and knew each other’s backgrounds. On a passenger boat, people from all over the country met by chance. Besides having to guard against bad weather and illness from unfamiliar surroundings, they also had to beware of human nature. Dangers were common along the way. Apart from sickness, passengers might be robbed, cheated, or swindled. It was even not unusual to encounter bandits and lose one’s life.
Earlier, at the wharf, Lin Wu had overheard some porters chatting. A few years ago, an official had finished his term and was returning home by passenger boat when bandits attacked. His entire family of twelve had been slaughtered. Therefore, in this unfamiliar, cramped, inescapable space, one had to be exceedingly cautious: display no valuables and draw no attention.
The passenger boat had set out early, and by now the sun had climbed high in the sky. Two small windows had been opened in their cabin, providing tolerable light and ventilation. The river breeze drifted through them, carrying away some of the cabin’s stale, heavy air. Thankfully, Lin Jing did not suffer from seasickness, but the swaying had still left him listless, his little face drooping.
At noon, Lin Wu took out the leavened flatbreads she had prepared early that morning from the cloth bundle inside the small bucket. For the first two days, they could still fill their stomachs with the fresh food they had brought along; there was no need to touch the more durable dry provisions yet.
The flatbread was still soft and fragrant with scallions, but Lin Jing had little appetite. After eating half of one in small bites, he shook his head. Lin Wu herself ate only one.
Afterward, she held Lin Jing close and closed her eyes to rest, swaying gently with the boat.
By evening, the cabin gradually grew lively. After spending the entire day sitting or lying down, most of the passengers had aching, stiff backs and legs. One by one, they rose and began walking along the passageway.
A boat hand wearing an apron carried a wooden bucket through the passage, calling out, “Hot millet porridge, fresh steamed buns, rice-filled cakes—come and get ’em while they’re hot!”
Open fires were strictly forbidden aboard the boat. Anyone who wanted something hot to eat had to buy it from the crew, and the price was naturally much higher than on shore. But on the first day, most people still had food brought from land, so few passengers were willing to spend money at that hour.
Perhaps she had grown bored after being cooped up for so long. The young woman next door, who had remained quiet until then, shifted slightly and leaned toward Lin Wu.
“Is your family headed to Chenzhou too, sister-in-law?”
Lin Wu raised her eyes and nodded. “Yes.”
She stopped there, without adding anything more.
The woman did not seem to mind. Glancing at Lin Jing’s tired little face, she sighed. “You look so young, yet you’re traveling such a long way alone with a child this small. It must be hard.”
Lin Wu smiled without taking up the subject. “It isn’t easy for anyone traveling away from home. Are you and your husband headed to Chenzhou as well?”
The woman smiled too, a hint of pride in her voice. “One of our clan uncles manages a shop in Chenzhou. He wrote to say there’s a bookkeeper’s position and asked my husband to go try for it. Still, this boat ride has left my bones stiff. And this is only the first day.”
“I see. That’s wonderful news. A journey like this is worth it for such an opportunity,” Lin Wu said politely.
“And you? You’re taking your child to Chenzhou to visit relatives, I suppose?” the woman asked again. A young woman traveling alone with a child seemed to have no other reason for making such a long journey than to seek refuge with family.
“Yes. My husband is doing some business in Chenzhou. Now that he’s established himself there, he’s sent for the two of us.” Lin Wu nodded and came up with the lie without hesitation. In a place filled entirely with strangers, revealing that she was a lone widow with a child would bring nothing but trouble.
The two did not chat for long before falling silent. Drinking water was precious aboard the boat. Talking too much would only make one thirsty, and then they would have to spend money buying water. It was not worth it.
The first day passed peacefully enough, drifting by with the boat’s gentle rocking. After evening fell, darkness came quickly, and before long the cabin was completely unlit. The boat hands hung oil lamps at both ends of the passageway, providing barely enough light to see.
Lin Wu used their bundles as a cushion behind her back, then wrapped herself and Lin Jing tightly in the quilt before drifting into a hazy sleep. But her sleep was shallow; the slightest disturbance would wake her.
In the middle of the night, she suddenly jolted awake. Faint footsteps sounded outside in the passageway—one step, then another. She listened intently, unwilling to trust her ears. The tiny sounds were almost swallowed by the noise of the water.
Soon, however, she knew she had not imagined them.
Their compartment was near the cabin entrance. Once the door was pushed open, the passageway lay directly outside, less than two paces from its end, beside the wooden stairs leading to the upper deck.
The “door” to their compartment was merely a waist-high wooden board, leaving open space both above and below.
In the faint light of the moon and oil lamps, three figures stood in the passageway.
From their builds and clothing, they were clearly the same young men in half-worn tunics whom Lin Wu had seen on the deck during the day. One of them leaned forward slightly and peered into their compartment.
Lin Wu immediately held her breath and closed her eyes.
For a long while, no one entered. The footsteps gradually faded, seemingly heading toward the upper passenger cabins.
Her heart began to pound. She tightened her arms around Lin Jing.
She did not dare close her eyes again for the rest of the night, keeping them open until the first glimmer of dawn spilled through the small window.
Her thoughts were a tangled mess. One moment she wondered what those shadowy figures were about—whether they were merely idle ruffians with nothing better to do, or thieves who specialized in prowling the boat under cover of darkness. The next, she imagined what she and Lin Jing could do if they truly were criminals.
As she thought, she wet a cloth and wiped her own face and Lin Jing’s, then rinsed her mouth. Just then, the boat hand’s call rang out again.
Lin Wu wondered whether she should find an excuse to tell him what had happened. But she quickly dismissed the idea. Those men looked as though they had accomplices. Alone with a child, she could easily draw their attention and invite even greater trouble by alerting the crew.
After calming herself somewhat, she beckoned the boat hand over.
“Excuse me, young man. Could you fill these with hot water?” She handed him two yellow-skinned gourds.
“Certainly!” The boat hand took them and looked them over. “Sister-in-law, judging by the size of these gourds, one would be three copper coins, but I’ll charge you five for both.”
“Very well.” Lin Wu inwardly winced. Three copper coins could buy an entire bucket of hot water at a roadside inn.
The attendant lifted the lid of the barrel, and a cloud of white steam rose into the air. As he poured the water into the gourd, he chatted casually, “With a sister-in-law traveling with a child, you’ll want plenty of hot water.”
“That’s right.” Lin Wu nodded, then sighed. “It’s only the first day, and the child is already looking listless. How many more days until this boat reaches Chuzhou? It’s my first time making the trip, so I’m not sure what to expect.”
“Please don’t worry,” the attendant said. He filled one gourd, sealed it with a wooden stopper, and handed it over. “If the wind and current stay favorable, we should arrive in about five days. This boat has been traveling to Chuzhou for many years. We know the route like the back of our hand—it’s both fast and steady.”
“Another five days…” Lin Wu frowned. “We adults can endure it, but I’m afraid the child won’t hold up. Will we stop anywhere along the way so we can stretch our legs?”
“We will.” The attendant efficiently filled a second gourd. “Around noon, we should reach the dock at Bailu County. There’s a small market there. The boat needs to replenish its firewood and water, so we’ll stop for about half an hour. If you’d like to go ashore for some fresh air or buy something fresh to eat, you can. Just remember to listen for the gong—the boat won’t wait for anyone.”
At the words “Bailu County,” Lin Wu suddenly felt dazed. The hand holding the gourd even began to tremble slightly. She barely heard what the attendant said afterward. Only those three words rang clearly in her ears.
She had thought that name had long since faded from her memory.
But it hadn’t.
Bailu County was the heroine’s hometown in that novel. It was where the story began, the heroine’s first stage. It was here that she built her fortune and met the male lead.
Lin Wu exhaled almost imperceptibly.
It was fine. The heroine’s family had already moved to the capital by now. Bailu County was nothing more than a town a little livelier and more prosperous than ordinary county seats.
“That’s wonderful, then. Thank you, young man.” Lin Wu steadied her voice, accepted the gourd, and handed over five copper coins.
With the hot water ready, they began eating breakfast. They had sweet red-bean cakes prepared the day before. The dough had been fried in oil until crisp, while the filling inside was sweet and soft. Lin Jing seemed to have grown slightly accustomed to the swaying of the boat and nibbled at his cake in small, contented bites.
Lin Wu, however, was rather distracted. It was only when the voice of the young woman in the neighboring compartment sounded that her wandering thoughts returned.
“Sister-in-law, those cakes of yours look absolutely delicious.” She felt that even her own cake had become tasteless.
Lin Wu poured water into a wooden bowl and replied, “I made them at home. We were generous with the oil and sugar. Since the journey would be tiring, I thought the child should at least have something flavorful to eat.”
“That’s certainly true.” The woman nodded. Then, as if remembering something, she asked with some puzzlement, “I heard you speaking with the attendant just now. Is our boat stopping at Bailu County today? That’s rather unusual. I haven’t made many trips myself, but my husband has mentioned that passenger boats heading to Chuzhou rarely stop at Bailu County. It’s only the second day of the journey, so we should still have plenty of firewood and water, shouldn’t we?”
As she spoke, she lightly nudged the young man beside her with her elbow. “Isn’t that right, dear? You traveled to Chuzhou with your employer a few times two years ago. Did the boat ever stop at Bailu County?”
The man swallowed the cake in his mouth before answering, “It’s not as though we’ve never stopped there. There was one time when we did. That time, the boat was picking up several important passengers in Bailu County. Look—the private cabins above are still empty. Perhaps it’s for a similar reason this time.”
“You just assume they’re picking someone up? Those private cabins are expensive. It’s common enough for them to be empty.” The woman pressed him again.
“You…” The man shook his head. After taking a sip of water, he continued, “Traveling southeast from the capital, the safest route is along the Lingzhou official road, but it isn’t the fastest. If someone wants to save time, they’ll head straight to Bailu County and take a boat from there. Besides…”
He lowered his voice. “Bailu County is no ordinary place. There’s a restaurant there called Cloudview Tower. The Cloud Banquet restaurants that are all the rage in the capital are its branches. I’ve heard that the family behind it has some connection to a lady in the palace.”
The young woman’s face filled with sudden understanding.
Lin Wu also nodded faintly, saying nothing.
Around noon, the passenger boat slowly pulled in to shore.
The dock was not large, but it was neat and orderly. There were no important passengers waiting to board, nor were there many ordinary passengers.
Even so, Lin Wu slung her bundle over her back and led Lin Jing off the boat. It had been stifling onboard, and most of the passengers took the opportunity to come ashore and stretch their legs. Lin Wu did not dare wander far or enter the town, and instead slowly strolled around near the dock.
She also paid special attention to the young men occupying the cabins at the front of the upper deck. Sure enough, they had disembarked as well and were milling about in small groups near the dock.
Lin Wu tightened her grip around Lin Jing’s little hand and turned toward the market beside the dock. There were not many red-bean cakes left, and they would not keep for long. They would have to finish them for breakfast the next morning, so it would be a good idea to buy some fresh food to replenish their supplies.
As she neared the market, she caught sight of a small food stall sending up clouds of steam. After eating dry cakes for two days straight, her mouth felt parched, so she ordered one large and one small bowl of linglong botuo. The dish consisted of broad noodles cooked with minced mutton. One bowl warmed her from head to toe. After finishing the botuo, she went to a nearby stall and bought a bag of tangerines. It was the season for them, so they were cheap—one copper coin bought a whole tangerine.
They wandered around like this, stopping here and there. Although she never heard the gong, Lin Wu estimated that it was nearly time to leave, so she led Lin Jing back toward the dock. Quite a few passengers had already begun returning to the boat, and she followed the crowd aboard, going back to their cramped compartment.
But after they had sat there waiting for quite some time, the boat remained motionless. Nor did the gong sound.
Gradually, some of the passengers lost patience and began calling out toward the outside. An attendant explained with an ingratiating smile, “Everyone, please remain calm. Just wait a little longer. The honored guest will be here any moment…”
That only made the situation worse.
“Honored guest? Is he going to split his fare with us?”
“Why should an entire boatload of people wait for him?”
“I said we shouldn’t have stopped here. Now we’re just wasting time!”
Just as the shouting grew louder, the boatmaster hurried down from the upper cabins. He wore a brand-new indigo silk robe, looking respectable and proper, though it was hardly the sort of clothing one wore while traveling. Who would wear a long robe like that while out on the road?
At that moment, however, the boatmaster had no time to placate the passengers. He hurriedly pushed through the crowd and strode off the boat toward the dock.
Seeing this, the passengers instinctively looked in the same direction. The clamor gradually subsided.
At the end of the stone path leading to the dock, a carriage was approaching at an unhurried pace. Its shafts were wrapped in copper that gleamed brightly, and the two horses pulling it had glossy coats. At a glance, it was clear that this was not a carriage belonging to an ordinary household.
The carriage came to a smooth stop at the ferry landing. The people who had been complaining moments earlier now fell silent, craning their necks to see what sort of honored guest could make an entire boat wait.
A young servant stepped forward and lifted the carriage curtain. A man bent down and stepped out. He appeared to be no more than twenty-seven or twenty-eight, yet he wore a reddish-brown silk long robe trimmed with gold. The fabric gleamed smooth and lustrous, and a piece of white jade hung from his waist. Such dignified clothing was usually favored by wealthy merchants of advanced age, and it looked strikingly out of place on him.
He carried nothing in his hands and had no luggage. A young servant followed behind him, carrying two red-lacquered trunks.
Once he had come to a stop, he lifted his chin slightly, his narrow, upturned eyes sweeping over the disorderly crowd before him.
The boat owner hurried forward, his face creased with ingratiating smiles. “Master Zhao, you’ve finally arrived! Please, this way, this way. With you aboard, my humble vessel is truly honored!”
Master Zhao, however, remained expressionless. He glanced at the passengers packed tightly across the boat, and his brows immediately drew together. “What sort of people are these?”
The boat owner bent at the waist, smiling apologetically. “Please be understanding, Master Zhao. These passengers booked their places earlier, and I truly couldn’t turn them away. But the guests on the deck are only going as far as Hetan County and will disembark there. Besides, the private cabins upstairs have all been reserved for you. They’re guaranteed to be quiet, and no one will disturb you.”
Master Zhao’s brows remained furrowed. “If it weren’t for the sake of our shared hometown, why would I, Zhao, take a little boat like yours?”
His words were blunt, his displeasure plain to see. The boat owner before him had grown up in Bailu County alongside him. Years ago, no one knew what stroke of luck the man had encountered, but he had somehow built a fortune, bought a boat, and begun making a living ferrying passengers. Ever since then, he had grown conceited and looked down on everyone.
And yet, look at him now. Wasn’t he still bowing and scraping before Master Zhao?
“Enough. I, Zhao, am not the sort to put on airs.” With that, he flicked his robe aside and stepped aboard.
Lin Wu remained in the small compartment, listening as the patter of footsteps outside drew closer and closer.
Because the boat was moored at the bank, passengers were coming and going through the cabin, and their compartment door stood open.
As the footsteps became clearer, a figure passed by the doorway.
Lin Wu instinctively raised her eyes. The instant she saw that person’s profile, her breath caught.
Zhao Sheng.
The name surfaced in her mind at once.
Her body moved faster than her thoughts. She pulled Lin Jing into her arms and turned sideways toward the wooden wall.
Zhao Sheng.
During the repeated purges of the Eastern Palace, she had seen this man more than once.
He was the most capable servant under the heroine’s trusted steward—the heroine who was now the Noble Consort. The heroine had always believed that when cutting weeds, one must also uproot the roots. More than once, she had warned her confidants, “When you act, finish the job. When you strike, make sure the victim cannot rise again.”
Naturally, the trusted followers she had brought into the palace shared that same style.
During those days, countless people in the Eastern Palace had failed to see the light of a second day because of a few casual words from men like them.
And Zhao Sheng was the most perceptive of all the servants. In the original novel, he was clear-headed, loyal, and decisive, all the while hoping that one day he might win his master’s notice.
He was a vicious and ruthless little man, willing to clear away every obstacle for his master and bear every sin on her behalf.
The Eastern Palace had been the obstacle he needed to remove, and his sin was the corpse-burning furnace at the execution ground, whose flames had not gone out for days.
Lin Wu’s fingertips trembled, but inwardly she let out a cold laugh. So this was what they meant by one person attaining power and even his dogs and chickens rising with him. It seemed Zhao Sheng had indeed caught his master’s eye.
Zhao Sheng might not recognize her, but he had certainly seen Lin Jing.
Disembarking directly at Bailu County was not an option. That would only attract attention.
But the boat was not large. If they moved about, they were bound to run into him sooner or later. What was more, the passengers would be checked whenever the boat passed through a lock. Lin Jing could not remain hidden forever.
What should she do?
There was no time to think it through. From outside came the clanging of a gong, followed by a deckhand calling out to hurry along the passengers who had not yet returned.
Another deckhand made his way through the cabins, counting heads. Before long, he shouted toward the helmsman, “Everyone’s aboard!”
Then came the cry, “Cast off!”
The boat rocked, and Lin Wu’s heart sank with it.
Who would have thought that after choosing so carefully and making inquiries for so many days, she would end up boarding this very boat? Was this the price of being too fortunate in Wucang County and Lingzhou, where she had happened to encounter the Jincheng Trading Company and the Zhiyun Trading Company?
It seemed that the blessings and misfortunes of this world never allowed a person to claim all the advantages at once.
Lin Wu even felt somewhat disheartened.
At that moment, Lin Jing seemed to sense the change in her. He tilted his head up toward her, his little face filled with confusion. In a very soft voice, he asked, “Mother, are you feeling unwell?”
Outside, he had to call her Mother.
The boy had remembered the agreement they had made when they left the mountains.
She released Lin Jing. Just then, a harsh beam of sunlight flashed past the window, and she narrowed her eyes slightly.
“I am feeling a little unwell,” she replied in her usual tone, even managing an exasperated smile. “I was greedy at the dock and ate a couple of extra bites. Now that the boat is rocking, my stomach is churning along with it.”
“That’s true. When you’re traveling by boat, you mustn’t eat too much. The rocking can make you terribly uncomfortable.” The young woman in the neighboring compartment turned sideways to join the conversation after overhearing her.
“It’s my first time on a boat, so I didn’t know about these things. I certainly won’t forget now.” Lin Wu gave a slightly awkward smile.
“Lean back and get some rest. You’ll feel better soon,” the woman said.
Lin Jing looked up at her, his brows faintly knit as he watched her without blinking. He lifted his little hand and gently patted her arm, just as Lin Wu often stroked his head.
“I’m fine.” Lin Wu lowered her eyes and took out a headcloth to tie around him. “The wind is a little cold. Be careful not to let it chill your head.”
She then stood and closed the compartment door. Only after that did she sit down against the wooden wall. Lin Jing immediately pressed close to her, and the two of them disappeared from view behind the door.
Lin Wu closed her eyes and silently steadied the turmoil in her heart.
Stay calm.
There would be a way.
Zhao Sheng was illiterate, crude, snobbish, narrow-minded, and arrogant. Even if he truly recognized Lin Jing, there was no way he could send a letter out in the middle of these vast waterways—not immediately, at any rate. Besides, given his personality, he would never share such credit with anyone else. He would clutch the secret tightly and claim the first merit for himself.
Lin Wu recalled the palaces from her memories, images so distant they felt like events from a previous life. By now, they should be nearly five hundred li from the capital. She had crossed mountains and valleys to reach Wucang County, traveled with the Jincheng Trading Company for eight days before arriving in Lingzhou, and declined the Zhiyun Trading Company’s invitation to travel south to Nanya with them. They had obtained household registration documents, and they had obtained travel permits.
If she ultimately fell into the hands of a petty man like Zhao Sheng, it would be more than frustrating. It would be utterly absurd.
Lin Wu slowly curled her cold fingers inward.
Research on Prices in the Song Dynasty states that citrus fruit was cheap during the harvest season. In the early Southern Song, for instance, a Chan monk once remarked, “The tangerines are ripe this year—one coin apiece.”
The History of Song Dynasty Customs and Traditions series states that in the fifth year of the Shaoxing era, in the fifth month, Song Zhengguo, a Military Defender and Inspector of the Eastern Route of Jingzhou, was returning east by passenger boat after completing his term of office in Taoyuan County. When the boat passed Baihu in Hanyang, all twelve members of his household were brutally murdered by bandits.
