On a dark and windy night, perfect for thievery.
Four people emerged from their rooms, oriented themselves, and vanished into the darkness.
Zuo Qing gently closed the door that had been left slightly ajar.
Zhu Changwang stifled a few small coughs and asked softly, "Have they gone?"
"Yes."
Zhu Changwang wasn't surprised. Changle had been away for many years and had developed a habit of doing as she pleased. Even in the capital, she often snuck out secretly, and he wasn't entirely unaware of it. Now in the unfamiliar Yunbei, whether for her father's sake or other reasons, it wasn't in her nature to sit idly by.
"I won't recover quickly. I sleep a lot during the day. If there's an urgent matter, report it to Changle and let her make the decisions."
"Master, the doctor said you just need to rest well and let your body recover," Zuo Qing, who had served for many years, couldn't help but say, "The Fourth Young Miss is extremely reliable, but these matters are complex with many threads in your hands. Even if she's clever, she may not be able to manage it all."
"I'm just telling you this as a precaution. If at all possible, I don't want any of this to fall on her shoulders," Zhu Changwang looked at his own skeletal hands, "Don't underestimate Changle. If she sets her mind to it, she can do very well. But her heart isn't in this, and I don't want to tie her down with these matters. Being a great hero is her wish, and that path would be more fulfilling for her."
"Understood."
Zhu Changwang chuckled, wondering why he was telling all this to Zuo Qing.
"The situation in Yunbei is special, with few unfamiliar faces. Newcomers will surely be noticed. Give orders that unless absolutely necessary, no one should act rashly."
"Yes, sir."
The concept of "not acting rashly" wasn't in Zhu Changle's vocabulary. She grabbed a handful from a rice bin, and by feel alone knew it was chaff. Opening the next bag, she found beans, unsurprisingly. This was already the sixth house, and she hadn't found a single grain of rice.
Silently retreating, she observed from the rooftop for a moment before moving to another street to continue her thievery... no, reconnaissance.
When she returned an hour later, she was the last one back.
"Did you find anything?" she asked as soon as she entered.
Dingding was about to speak when Qiuli raised his hand to stop him. Soon, they too heard footsteps outside.
"Fourth Young Miss."
"Zuo Qing?" Zhu Changle's heart tightened as she ran to open the door. "Big Brother..."
"No, don't worry. The Young Master hasn't developed a fever. He went to sleep earlier, and Xu Zheng is watching over him." Zuo Qing answered all the questions the Fourth Young Miss might have asked, then handed over a large food box with both hands. "The Young Master had the kitchen prepare some food earlier for you and your friends to have a snack."
"Big Brother is the best!" Zhu Changle happily accepted it. "Does Big Brother have any other instructions?"
Thinking of the Young Master's words, Zuo Qing ultimately shook his head. If it hadn't reached that point, there was no need to say anything. He even hoped there would never be a need to say it.
"Alright, you can go back. Remember, someone must always be by my Big Brother's side."
"Understood."
Closing the door, Zhu Changle placed the food box on the table. As she opened the lid, steam wafted out.
"Big Brother just worries too much, thinking of everything," she muttered. Zhu Changle took out the contents one by one. There were dishes and wine. It wasn't lavish, but for Yunbei, it was already considered extremely good.
"Let's eat first, don't waste my Big Brother's thoughtfulness."
Aunt Feng poured wine for everyone. She had never been a servant, but merely placed herself in that position. She didn't deliberately avoid eating at the same table.
Qiuli didn't start eating. He held his wine cup, drinking slowly, appearing quite at ease.
Zhu Changle glanced at him but didn't urge him to eat. Her family was full of particular people, and she had long since adapted. After all, no one forced her to be particular too.
After taking a big bite of meat and draining her cup of wine, Zhu Changle patted her chest contentedly and let out a satisfied burp. "Delicious."
Dingding nodded repeatedly, "I feel like the soil and water here are really good. The food tastes better than in other places. And those salted beans, I love them so much. I don't know why, but the ones here just taste so good."
Zhu Changle felt the same way. She scratched her chin, "Think about that vegetable you mentioned that can only grow in Yunbei. Could there really be something special about the soil and water here?"
"Salt."
Qiuli's words were as concise as ever. Zhu Changle guessed, "The salted beans taste good because of the salt?"
"That's it!" Dingding clapped his hands, "Speaking of which, I remember now. They were drying salt by the sea. When I tried to ask someone about it, they were very wary of me. They ran away before I could even finish my question."
Zhu Changle thought for a moment, "I think I heard my master say that there's not just well salt, but aren't the others supposed to be very bitter? Also, I remember that salt production isn't allowed without permission. Qiuli, do you know about this?"
"It's not allowed."
"I have a tiny, unproven theory." Zhu Changle now loved to make that 'tiny' gesture with her fingers, and she loved to do it right under Qiuli's nose. "Wait for me a moment."
Zhu Changle ran off quickly and returned just as fast, carrying a jar in her arms.
Dingding teased her, "Playing thief in your own home."
"What do you know? The kitchen has always been off-limits to me. My mother wouldn't let me go there."
"The mistress wouldn't allow it either," Aunt Feng added coolly. After changing kitchens twice, no one wanted to try a third time.
"Aunt Feng, let me tell you, that's all in the past. Tomorrow, I'll grill some fish that will amaze you. You'll want to keep eating it."
Aunt Feng remained noncommittal. Even if the young miss said so, she had surely been forced to learn some skills on the island, but the kitchen was still off-limits.
Zhu Changle hummed a bit, then whispered to Qiuli, "Tomorrow I'll grill fish for you to eat, but not for them."
"What about me? Zhu Changle, aren't you being a bit heartless? Nothing for me?!"
"Dingding, you're so annoying. When have I ever left you out of anything good to eat or play with?" Zhu Changle put a bit of salt in her mouth and her eyes widened immediately. "It's not bitter!"
Dingding quickly tasted some too. Indeed, it wasn't bitter!
"How did they manage this? If the court finds out..."
Although young, Dingding's experiences in the Beggar's Sect had given him considerable insight. He first thought of another group.
"Forget about the court, those salt merchants could swallow this place whole if they knew."
Zhu Changle strongly agreed with this statement. Those salt merchants were rotten to the core. If they knew this place produced salt, they definitely wouldn't let Yunbei remain so isolated. Such huge profits were enough to move people's hearts.
"Wait, this isn't right!" Zhu Changle looked at Qiuli, "Yunbei could turn things around with this, couldn't they? Then how many interested parties would fight over this place? How could they still suffer from water bandits then?"
Qiuli put down his wine cup, leaned forward to pinch some salt into his palm, smelled it, tasted a bit, then frowned in disgust, "Well salt."
"This is well salt?"
Seeing Qiuli nod, Zhu Changle's face fell, "Then my theory is gone."
Dingding was curious, "What was your theory?"
"Forget it, it was unproven anyway." The more curious Dingding became, the less Zhu Changle would say. She was being mischievous, making people grind their teeth in frustration without being able to do anything about it.
