A month passed in a hurry, and Quanzhou had entered summer, with the weather becoming dry and hot.
That day, Ling Qingyu did not go to the shipyard; instead, she sat on a stone stool under a tree, studying the product catalog Zheng Xi had brought back.
These days, Ling Qingyu went to the shipyard every few days to watch Wu Da and his team repair the ship, while also discussing details with Wu Da and having Zheng Xi contact merchants in Quanzhou to find goods to load onto the ship.
Lu Yao's body indeed recovered quickly. Ten days later, he had already started actively doing chores. Ling Qingyu didn't let him and Ye Shiyi go out, but he took care of chopping wood, fetching water, cleaning the house, and later even cooking, although the taste was admittedly not great.
"Hmm, Lu Yao, didn't Zheng Xi buy salt?" Ling Qingyu asked, holding the manifest in one hand and picking up a dish with chopsticks in the other.
"Didn't you say yesterday that salt costs money and complained that I put too much?" Lu Yao glared at Ling Qingyu but didn't reply. He went to fetch water and started rinsing the courtyard. The weather was already very hot, and soon after the water was poured, heat would rise again.
Ling Qingyu just said it casually. In her previous life, she had many things she learned but wasn't skilled at, but one thing, from the very beginning, was universally disliked: cooking.
She could boil porridge until it became scorched rice, stir-fry greens into a paste, and cook fish that was burnt black on the outside but raw on the inside. After her efforts were politely praised by her parents, classmates, boyfriend, and husband, she completely gave up on cooking.
So, even though she had a gourmet's palate and knew how good food should be made, when there was no other choice, she was still very grateful if someone cooked for her, because no matter what, they always cooked better than her.
Compared to Lu Yao, Ye Shiyi had a much more comfortable time these days. Although Ling Qingyu didn't let him go out, she didn't restrict what he did. She bought him some books and stationery, and specifically bought a wooden bucket for him to practice holding his breath.
After returning from the shipyard, after helping Lu Yao change his medicine and brewing it, she would also tell him stories he had never heard before. Ling Qingyu never asked him who he really was or who his enemies were, but when he had nightmares at night, she would hold him while he slept.
If he couldn't sleep, she would discuss with him how to deal with enemies if he could get revenge, such as digging a big pit for them to fall into, or making them run naked in the street, and other things a typical girl wouldn't think of.
Of course, Ye Shiyi believed Ling Qingyu was definitely not a typical girl. Otherwise, what girl would calmly take off Lu Yao's clothes, clean him, and apply medicine when Lu Yao's face was as red as a boiled egg?
Ye Shiyi had also asked Zheng Xi under Lu Yao's gaze. Zheng Xi said, "What can be done? I'm busy and exhausted every day. Can you, a little fellow, help him change? Besides, didn't you say that day that you wanted this kid to be my Miss's live-in son-in-law? If he's a live-in son-in-law, why care so much?"
Actually, Ye Shiyi didn't quite understand the meaning of a live-in son-in-law. He said that back then because he had heard it mentioned in gossip.
He thought if taking off clothes meant being a live-in son-in-law, then Ling Qingyu bathed him and took him to bed every day, always taking off all his clothes, so wouldn't he also be a live-in son-in-law? He was just smart enough not to tell anyone his thoughts.
Ling Qingyu simply didn't care, Zheng Xi was too lazy to care, and Ye Shiyi didn't understand caring, so the only one who cared a great deal, Lu Yao, was quite tragic. For several days, whenever he heard Ling Qingyu's voice, he feared this audacious woman wouldn't be content with just helping him undress, and would eventually devour him completely.
After being on tenterhooks for many days, he finally understood that this woman truly didn't care; she genuinely didn't see herself as a woman.
"Sister, when can we get on the ship?" Ye Shiyi asked as he put away the finished bowls and chopsticks.
"Hmm, it'll be a few more days," Ling Qingyu said, turning a page of the manifest and casually jotting down the goods and quantities to be purchased on a piece of paper. "Have you practiced holding your breath as I asked?"
"I have practiced! I can hold it for a long time now," Ye Shiyi said happily. He came from the north and knew nothing about swimming. When Ling Qingyu learned that both of them were landlubbers, she was prepared to give up on taking them on the ship.
However, a single sentence from Zheng Xi changed her mind. Zheng Xi said, "What does knowing how to swim matter on a sea vessel? If you fall into the sea, you're dead either way."
Ling Qingyu smiled and patted Ye Shiyi's head as a reward. Then, she organized the list in her hand. Ship repairs cost three thousand taels, the permit for going out to sea cost two thousand taels, and there were also miscellaneous expenses and sailor fees.
That left only about four thousand taels for buying goods. This amount wouldn't even fill one ship if she only picked the cheapest porcelain. It seemed she would have to, as Zheng Xi suggested, rent out some cargo space.
Seeing Ling Qingyu start writing and drawing again with characters he couldn't understand, Lu Yao motioned for Ye Shiyi to come over, led him into the room, and began teaching him martial arts.
Ling Qingyu glanced at Lu Yao quietly closing the door. After Lu Yao recovered, he secretly began teaching Ye Shiyi some things. Ling Qingyu guessed it was martial arts.
It would be false to say she wasn't curious, but seeing Lu Yao's secretive manner, Ling Qingyu chose to tacitly approve and ignore it. They were all people who had fallen on hard times, so there was no need to delve too deeply.
She withdrew her gaze, only to see Zheng Xi quietly push open the door and enter, then turn back to peer outside before gently closing the door. She couldn't help but look at him curiously.
"Miss," Zheng Xi's face was very pale, and he didn't even bother to wipe the sweat from his forehead. He rushed to Ling Qingyu, glanced at Lu Yao's room, and leaned in to whisper, "Something has happened."
Ling Qingyu stood up and walked with Zheng Xi to the main house. After closing the door, she asked, "What is it?"
"Boss Ding was ambushed last night and got injured," Zheng Xi said, wiping his sweat.
"Ah!?" Ling Qingyu exclaimed softly, then covered her mouth and whispered anxiously, "How badly is he hurt? I need to go see him."
"No, Boss Ding said that since he's already been targeted, you shouldn't go to him. If the Master's enemies here find out it's you, there might be trouble," Zheng Xi said. "Boss Ding is not in mortal danger, but his leg is broken, and he'll probably be laid up for a while.
Boss Ding had already found a group of sailors, and some small merchants, hearing that Boss Ding was going to sea, were willing to rent cargo space. But with Boss Ding's accident, I'm afraid both the sailors and the small merchants will change their minds."
Quanzhou's Mianxiang Alley was mostly filled with luxurious mansions and large courtyards. Among them, a residence occupying half a street was the Quanzhou villa of the Xie Family from Guangzhou.
The Xie Family from Guangzhou started with maritime transport, and over several decades, they had become a powerful local force, with assets worth tens of millions.
At this moment, in the study, Xie Mao's second son, Xie Tingxuan, the current head of the Xie Family, was listening to his subordinate's report.
"Ding Budong's legs are both broken. He won't be able to go on a ship for the next six months. Most of his sailors have already agreed to switch to our ship, and the remaining few are not a threat. As for those small merchants, hearing it's Second Master Xie's intention, no one dares to rent their cargo space."
"Hmm," Xie Tingxuan nodded with satisfaction, dropping an incense cake into the censer. A delicate fragrance slowly wafted up. Xie Tingxuan waved his hand, dismissing his subordinate, and comfortably leaned back against the soft cushion on the couch.
He hadn't expected Ding Budong to be able to repair that dilapidated Wind God. Ding Budong still had some influence in Quanzhou. He had heard that he had already come ashore and would no longer go to sea, which was why he had spared him when dealing with Lin Shen.
He hadn't expected him to be so restless, still wanting to go to sea. Now that I, Xie Tingxuan, have come to Quanzhou, I will not allow anyone else to rise here. Eldest Brother manages Guangzhou so well. If I don't seize the opportunity while Father is still alive to establish dominance in Quanzhou, the position of Xie Family's Master will eventually be his.
Ling Qingyu felt like every day was a year. After much difficulty, she waited until late at night before secretly going to Ding Budong's house with Zheng Xi through the back door.
"Didn't I say not to let the Miss come?" Ding Budong looked at Zheng Xi reproachfully.
"Don't blame Zheng Xi, I insisted on coming. Uncle Ding, it's all my fault for implicating you," Ling Qingyu said apologetically.
"It has nothing to do with the Miss. It was Second Master Xie who did it. He's been making big moves in Quanzhou lately, trying to take over Quanzhou's maritime transport. I suspect I've become an eyesore to him,"
Ding Budong said. If it were related to Lin Shen, it wouldn't have been just breaking his legs, but taking his life. It seemed Second Master Xie just didn't want him to go to sea.
"However, Miss, Ding Budong is truly sorry. Most of the sailors I found have been poached by Second Master Xie's men, and there are only a few left. How about we wait until my leg is healed before going to sea?" Ding Budong suggested.
Ling Qingyu looked at the faint outline of Ding Budong's leg under the quilt. The curve of his leg was somewhat strange, suggesting it wasn't just a broken leg as Zheng Xi and Ding Budong himself claimed. She composed herself and said, "Uncle Ding, please focus on recovering first. Don't rush."
After exchanging a few words with Ding Budong, seeing his weary expression, Ling Qingyu bid farewell and left.
Outside the door, Zheng Xi asked, "Miss, should we not go to sea for now?"
Ling Qingyu shook her head, looking back at the light in Ding Budong's room, and said, "We can't trouble Uncle Ding anymore. That'Second Master Xie' has already targeted Boss Ding. If Uncle Ding makes any more moves, next time it won't be as simple as a broken leg.
We must go to sea this time. I remember Shi Fang said that in Borneo overseas, there are several medicinal herbs that can be refined into excellent bone-setting and tendon-mending medicine. If we can find them, Uncle Ding's leg can recover."
"If Miss Ling can find that medicine for my foster father, then I can be your helmsman." Several people emerged from the shadows by the door, and the young man leading them said.
Ling Qingyu was startled at first, not expecting so many people to be standing silently by the door. But hearing no malice in his words, she relaxed a little.
"This is Ding Dong, Boss Ding's adopted son," Zheng Xi said after recognizing the newcomers.
Ding Dong looked at the young girl in front of him and couldn't help but frown. He hadn't expected the Naval Commander his foster father valued to be such a young girl.
Could she really be reliable going to sea like this? But thinking of his foster father's twisted legs, and Shi Fang's words that if there was no medicine, his foster father might never walk again, he asked, "Miss, can you really go to sea?"
"Yes!" Ling Qingyu looked at Ding Dong calmly and said.
"Alright then. I'll be the helmsman, and Zhang San and the others will operate the sails, but we don't have a single rower," Ding Dong said, pointing to the few young men standing beside him. They were all trained by Ding Budong, and although they knew their strength was no match for Second Master Xie's, they all harbored thoughts of revenge after Ding Budong's incident.
"Rowers, they just need strength, right?" Ling Qingyu asked. She remembered Zheng Xi explaining the crew configuration of current sea vessels, saying that helmsmen and sail operators required technical skill, but rowers, who were in the highest demand, only needed strength and to follow instructions.
"That's true. However, our goal is medicine. Miss Ling, do you know how to get to Borneo?" Ding Dong asked. The furthest he had traveled with Lin Shen's ship was Srivijaya, but Borneo was a place even his foster father had never been.
Yet, this time, his foster father had excitedly said he could follow Miss Ling to Borneo and even further places. His foster father had been so looking forward to this voyage. "Second Master Xie, just you wait. I'll have my day with you."
Ling Qingyu couldn't help but smile, guessing that these young men were waiting here to pressure her into going to sea. She said, "Of course we're going. If it weren't for me, Uncle Ding wouldn't have faced such a great calamity. Brother Ding, you all prepare in secret recently, and don't attract the attention of that Xie villain. We'll take care of the rest."