Han Li set out from his hometown, heading southeast toward Lan Prefecture.
Along the way, there were times when he traveled with others, passing through bustling towns together, and other times when he walked alone through desolate mountains and wilderness, hoping to take shortcuts. On the whole, no major dangers arose during the journey. The only incident occurred one night when he was camping in the wild and ran into several starving wolves driven mad with hunger — though they ended up becoming Han Li's dinner instead.
He traveled day after day, covered in dust and grime, crossing two more prefectures before finally, with great difficulty, arriving in Lan Prefecture.
The moment he set foot in Lan Prefecture, Han Li was stunned by the network of waterways spreading out in every direction. His home prefecture of Yue had been mostly barren mountains and wilderness, dominated by hills and highlands. Forget canals and large lakes — even decent rivers were scarce there, and people relied mostly on wells and small streams for their water.
Naturally, Han Li was fascinated by the various boats plying the waterways. In the end, curiosity got the better of him, and he chartered a small boat, tasting for the first time the pleasure of drifting downstream with the current.
After ten or so days of smooth sailing, Han Li arrived at Jiayuan City — the very place Doctor Mo had mentioned in his letter — and stepped onto this unremarkable dock.
Han Li's first impression of the dock was that it was utterly decrepit.
The entire dock was built from crude wooden planks. It was not only small and shabby, but piles of broken baskets and tattered sacks were strewn everywhere, making the whole place look filthy and chaotic. Inside the two bamboo shelters that stood on the dock, several dozen burly men were gathered. They were either bare-chested or wore only short vests, every one of them exuding a rough, aggressive air.
Right now, every last one of those men was staring at him and Qu Hun without blinking, some with eager glints in their eyes.
Han Li paused in surprise for a moment, then let a small smile cross his face.
Before he had disembarked, the boatman had warmly warned him that Jiayuan City's dock had an unwritten rule: no matter how much cargo a merchant was carrying, he had to hire one of the local dockhands to help carry his things. If he didn't, these laborers would treat him hostilely — they might even beat him up.
Having just arrived, Han Li had no intention of breaking the local custom, so he called out in good faith:
"I'm looking to hire a porter! Anyone interested?"
Sun Ergou had already pulled his gaze away by now. After sizing up the newcomer, he'd already decided that this young man who'd just stepped off the boat was most likely the son of some provincial rich man, and that the giant was simply a bodyguard with a bit of brute strength. This kind of pair showed up in Jiayuan City plenty every year — they came to broaden their horizons, spend a little money, and then go home to show off. Nothing worth fussing over.
But these were also the types who loved to put on a show of being generous — perfect marks! A few flattering words was all it took, and these rubes would not only pay the agreed-upon moving fee but usually toss in a handsome tip as well. So for whoever got picked, it was a nice, fat payday.
But this particular job wasn't going to be theirs. According to the arrangement he and Black Bear had worked out beforehand, they took turns picking up jobs — no fighting allowed, and the size and quality of the work was up to fate. Since they'd picked up a job just yesterday, it was Black Bear's turn across the way.
With this thought, Sun Ergou glanced over to the other side. He saw Black Bear lean in and whisper a few words to the men around him, after which one of the men came charging out of the crowd toward the young man, looking overjoyed.
"No good — you won't be able to carry it alone. You'd better call someone else over too." Han Li eyed the burly man standing before him, glanced at the oversized bundle on Qu Hun's back, and gave a slight shake of his head.
"Young master, this little bit of stuff? I can lift it with one hand. No need for anyone else." The man wasn't about to let anyone else come and split his tip. Besides, he didn't believe he couldn't handle the bundle just because it was a bit bulky — unless it was filled with rocks.
With that, the man marched up to Qu Hun and reached for the bundle without waiting for permission.
Han Li sighed to himself. Inside that bundle were several thousand taels of silver along with assorted other items — it was far too heavy for any ordinary person to handle.
But seeing how enthusiastic the man was, he had no choice but to silently signal Qu Hun to hand the bundle over without putting up a fight.
Sure enough, the moment the big man hefted the bundle, his face immediately changed. He struggled to sling it over his back, but after only a few steps, he was already red-faced and gasping for breath. Shamed, he set the bundle down and went back to fetch another person.
When Han Li saw the two men finally manage to carry the bundle between them, he nodded with satisfaction, quickened his pace away from the dock, and headed down the road toward the city.
What Han Li didn't know was that, owing to his lack of experience in the ways of the world, he'd already attracted two pairs of greedy eyes — and was about to stir up more trouble than he'd bargained for.
Sun Ergou watched the young man's figure gradually receding into the distance before finally tearing his covetous gaze away. Suppressing the glee welling up inside him, he couldn't help but turn and exchange a look with Black Bear across the way. He knew perfectly well that the enormous fortune hidden in that bundle couldn't have escaped the other man's eyes either.
Sure enough, Black Bear also wore a look of barely contained excitement. After a moment's hesitation, he shot Sun Ergou a meaningful glance. Sun Ergou immediately caught the signal and the two of them slipped behind a nearby pile of refuse. Facing such an enormous sum, Sun Ergou would have cooperated with the other man even if they'd been mortal enemies — after all, "men die for wealth, birds die for food."
"Half and half!" Sun Ergou whispered, cutting straight to the chase.
"Seventy-thirty. This was our job to begin with." Black Bear refused without a shred of politeness.
"Sixty-forty. That's as low as I'll go, and you know perfectly well your reasoning doesn't hold up." Sun Ergou's face darkened as he delivered the cutting remark.
"Well..." Black Bear hesitated, clearly reluctant to give up even that extra share.
"Hmph! If you keep dragging your feet, some other gang will have their eyes on this fat sheep by then." With a cold snort, Sun Ergou spoke in an icy tone.
"Fine! It's settled then. We seal it with a slap." Black Bear was clearly stung by the warning and finally agreed.
"Slap! Slap! Slap!" Sun Ergou and Black Bear each spat on their palms and slapped them together three times, sealing a temporary alliance.
"Come on, let's catch up to them before the kid gets into a crowded area!" Sun Ergou urged impatiently.
"Heh heh! Don't worry about it. I already had those two men of mine lead them down Blackwater Alley. If we hurry now, we'll cut them off perfectly." Black Bear suddenly broke into a cunning grin that looked oddly out of place on his face.
"That's brilliant! Clever thinking, brother!" On the surface, Sun Ergou let surprise show on his face, but inwardly he shivered slightly, quietly adding a few more measures of wariness toward Black Bear.
(End of Chapter)