Taking the beaded necklace, the woman in red smiled sweetly: "Please follow me, everyone. My husband's surname is Du, and everyone here calls me Third Sister."
Xiao Zuo chuckled, "Thank goodness, it's Third Sister, not Tenth Sister. But their straightforward temperaments are exactly the same."
The woman asked, puzzled, "What's wrong with Shi Niang?"
"I'm afraid that if you sail halfway, my treasure chest will sink."
These words were clearly meant as a joke, but they struck me as a chilling blow. Just as I was about to be alarmed, I heard the woman laugh and say, "Third Sister is not Tenth Sister, and Tenth Sister was carrying her own trunk. Since you are not that heartless man, why should you be afraid?"
Baili Chenfeng suddenly quickened his pace and whispered in my ear, "This boatwoman seems to have some issues."
Indeed, how could an ordinary boat girl possibly know so much?
I noticed that the wariness in his eyes was gradually increasing.
At this moment, Gong Feicui suddenly turned to me and said, "Sister Qiansu, go and get more than ten rafts and tie them to the stern of this boat in case of any unforeseen circumstances."
"Yes." She had considered everything thoroughly. I immediately gave the order, and the Iron Cavalry, extremely efficient, quickly gathered ten sheepskin rafts. So everyone boarded the rafts, and the woman shouted, "Father, let's set sail!"
A short, thin old man climbed up from the bottom of the hold and spat a mouthful of phlegm onto the deck, causing Gong Feicui to frown immediately.
"Is the boat to depart exactly one hour from now?" the old man asked. Du San Niang then went over and whispered something to him. They both nodded in agreement, indicating that they had reached a settlement.
Baili Chenfeng said, "I am from Jiangnan."
“But my daughter speaks with a local accent.” I dismissed the concern implied in his words and smiled slightly. “Anyway, we’re in a hurry to cross the river now. Let’s make the best of it and see how things develop.”
After boarding the ship, Gong Feicui waved to the woman and asked, "Do you provide meals here?"
"Of course, our boat is the biggest, most affordable, and most well-equipped at this ferry crossing."
"Alright, there are fifty-three of us. Go and make fifty-three breakfasts."
Du San Niang quickly replied, "Sure, sure, but I'll have to charge extra."
"Whatever you want, but be quick!"
Du Sanniang turned around and called out, "Father, the guests want to eat breakfast, you go and make it."
Gong Feicui jumped up immediately: "What? You want this dirty old man to cook?"
"Oh, don't worry, Miss, my father's cooking is quite good."
"Anyway, I don't want him to do it! Replace him!" She was probably provoked by that spit earlier, which caused her spoiled princess temper to flare up again.
Du Sanniang sighed, "Alright, alright, in that case, I'll have to do it myself. My skills aren't very good, please don't blame me, Miss." With that, she swayed away again.
Gong Feicui suddenly turned her head and stared at Xiao Zuo, asking, "Don't you think she's beautiful?"
Xiao Zuo's gaze was still fixed on Du San Niang's back when he heard this. He turned his gaze back to her face and said, "This is a real woman! Mature, graceful, and full of charm."
I could almost see the arrows shooting from Gong Feicui's eyes. This Xiao Zuo, knowing she was testing him, still deliberately said those words to anger her. Are these two really natural enemies?
Gong Feicui snorted coldly and said, "I've heard that only immature, fragile, and childish men are infatuated with women who are older than themselves."
Xiao Zuo laughed and said, "Not bad, not bad. Only immature children like to argue with others."
Gong Feicui opened her mouth, but ultimately couldn't retaliate. She could only turn her face to the side, revealing a haughty expression, and remained silent.
For a moment, the cabin was quiet. Of the forty-seven iron cavalrymen, thirty-six stood guard outside, while the remaining eleven wounded guarded inside. Moreover, all of them were skilled swimmers, and there seemed to be no mishaps. However, I still opened the window and looked outside. Several boatmen were steering, and Du Sanniang was cooking at the stern, her red clothes as fiery as fire, as if the boat itself could catch fire.
She suddenly turned around and smiled slightly at me.
I nodded slightly in return. Just then, a voice sounded softly behind me: "Her steps were not light, but her posture was very steady."
I replied, "Making a living on the water year-round is the right thing to do."
"So, it seems there are no problems?"
“There’s a saying, I don’t know if you’ve heard it before?” I turned to face Baili Chenfeng, “Too many doubts make it less suspicious.”
"It's always better to be careful," Baili Chenfeng said. "Have you noticed that the ship's hold is quite large? I'd like to find a chance to sneak down and take a look."
Before I could speak, Du Sanniang brought breakfast into the cabin: white rice porridge, pickled radish shreds, and fried small fish.
Xiao Zuo took a bite and praised, "If this kind of skill is not good, then those famous chefs from Suzhou and Hangzhou should be crying."
Du Sanniang covered her mouth and laughed: "Young master, please don't tease me, I really mean it."
"How could it be a joke?" Xiao Zuo squinted and said, "To win a man's heart, you must first win his stomach. San Niang's husband is truly a blessed man!"
Du Sanniang pouted and said, "Don't mention that deadbeat. It's one thing for him to be lazy and good-for-nothing, but he also keeps other women on the side!"
Xiao Zuo laughed and said, "Since ancient times, clever women have always been accompanied by clumsy husbands. With Third Sister's looks and qualities, even the most outstanding man is not worthy of her. Why are you angry?"
"Oh! Young master, you really know how to talk!" Du Sanniang immediately beamed with joy. "This humble servant..."
Before she could finish speaking, Gong Feicui slammed her chopsticks down and coldly interrupted, "If you want to flirt, please go outside. Don't disturb other people's appetites."
Just when everyone expected Xiao Zuo to retaliate, he shrugged and said, "Since that's the case, I've already finished eating anyway. Third Sister, would you mind coming outside with me for a chat?"
Du Sanniang bit her lip and smiled, "I don't mind, but I'm afraid some people might..."
“For example—her!” She actually pointed her finger at me. I was taken aback.
"do you mind?"
"No..." Before I could finish answering, Du Sanniang looked at Gong Feicui again: "Then what about this young lady?"