As for Liao Qinghe, he was in a state of disbelief.

He felt that the sky had suddenly collapsed.

After learning that she was pregnant, Wen Yingniang no longer cared about the affairs of the Liao family.

However even if she didn’t care about them anymore, there were always people around her who would tell her news about the Liao family to try to please her.

“Madam Wen, recently the Liao family is not having a good time.”

“That day, after Madam Zhang went home, she made such a scene that she forced Master Zhang to postpone the marriage. Then the Liao family became upset and directly withdrew from the marriage, but . . . who would dare to marry Liao Qinghe in the future?”

“Speaking of which, the Liao family didn’t drive Lu Luan away, so are they recognizing the child?”

“The Liao family really lost face this time.”

 

. . .

 

These people all wanted to please Wen Yingniang so they tried hard to belittle the Liao family in front of her.

Hearing this, Wen Yingniang thought she would be very happy, but soon found that things were different from her imagination.

Her mood did not become better, but rather she felt a little annoyed.

Listening to news regarding that family only dirted her ears.

It has been only three months since she left the Liao family but everything about them felt surprisingly distant to her.

Wen Yingniang changed the subject to talk about other things.

When these people saw Wen Yingniang chatting about other things they also changed the topic and followed Wen Yingniang to talk about other things, such as . . . the medicine store where Wen Yingniang always went for health check-up which was now particularly busy.

It was said that Wen Yingniang got pregnant so quickly because she went there to find a doctor to take care of her body. It was also said that Zhao Jinge of Jinzhen Escort Agency also went there to treat his body so he was able to get pregnant twice in less than three years.

This time, many women and gers from the city who had not yet given birth to a child ran to that pharmacy to get some medicine prescribed for them.

After Wen Yingniang became pregnant, she was protected like treasure by Wen Ming, but Zhao Jinge was different.

After confirming that Zhao Jinge’s health was good, Jiang Zhen did not forbid him from going out or prevented him from doing other things. Except for him getting more rest, Zhao Jinge’s life was not much different from before. Of course it was still somewhat different, because there were more people around him.

Even when he was pregnant with a child, Zhao Jinge took care of the affairs of the brick kiln and Jinzhen Escort Agency. As for Jiang Zhen his attention was basically all on the  seaside, and now he was intent on organizing a fleet that could go out to sea.

With the addition of Wen Ming, he was much more relaxed, but he felt more and more that it was not an easy thing to go out to sea to do business.

He was thinking too simply before.

There are too many requirements to pay attention to like crew sailors, route etc. so it would be very difficult for him to lead his team out to the sea if he doesn’t employ people who have gone to sea before.

Of course, Jiang Zhen originally was not totally unprepared. He thought to tempt a few sailors from other merchants to work for him. Unfortunately, if he could only find a few people willing to come work for him, his team would probably have to wait several years before it would go out to sea.

But with the addition of Wen Ming, the situation was different. Wen Ming often went out to sea and knew a lot of people. Without taking people from the Wen family he could find a lot of people that Jiang Zhen could use!

With this, it would not be long before they would be able to go out to sea.

Jiang Zhen began to prepare a variety of goods and was busy for two months. After the baby in Zhao Jinge belly became stable he made his first long voyage.

Big sea merchants like the Wen family may not go out on the sea in person but for a sea merchant like Jiang Zhen who just started, it was impossible not to follow the fleet of ships to go to sea.

Otherwise who knows if their ship would return?

After saying goodbye to the pregnant Zhao Jinge, Jiang Zhen got on the big ship and left Fucheng.

The land was getting smaller and smaller and finally, as far as the eye could see, there was only the azure sea.

Looking at the endless ocean and taking a deep breath of the humid air, Jiang Zhen knew that he had taken the first step.

In the future, he will go even farther and farther.

Three years later.

Hexi Village was once just a small village but now it has already changed and every family lived in a brick house.

The Zhao family dock, which was less busy than the wharf in the country town before, was now much busier.

This was also the headquarters of the Jinzhen Escort Agency, so many people who wanted to do business with the Jinzhen Escort Agency would come here, not to mention . . .

Here you could always buy all kinds of novel and exotic things from overseas.

Almost every day, many ships from Hexing province or even farther away come to Hexi Village. Some of them for a short rest, some of them do business with the Jinzhen Escort Agency while others come here to buy goods.

On this day, a large ship, which was very expensive at first glance, approached Hexi Village and finally stopped at the docks.

On board, a fat man was looking curiously in the direction of Hexi Village. While looking around, he marveled: “I heard that this used to be just a small village . . . this can’t even be called a village anymore, even their country town can’t be more prosperous, right?”

“This really doesn’t look like a village.” A tall middle-aged man standing next to this fat man said, his eyes full of amazement. “That Jiang Zhen must have some ability.”

“When I saw him for the first time I felt that he was not simple. . . but him becoming so powerful I didn’t expect at all.” The fat man said again, looking like he was full of emotion.

The tall, middle-aged man glanced at the fat man and then looked in the direction of Hexi village. Just then their ship docked.

“Gentlemen, where are you from? What’s your business for coming to Hexi village?” A fifteen or sixteen-year-old boy holding a board with paper clamped on it and a pen in his hand came to the side of the ship and asked.

“Little brother, we are from the capital and we come here to do business.” The fat man laughed, but when his eyes fell on the pen held by the teenager, he asked, “Little brother, is this a pen you’re holding? Why does it look so strange?”

“This is a pencil, it was made by our chief and is very convenient for keeping accounts.” The teenager showed the fat man the thick pencil with two wood chips tied with a quill in his hand: “If you are interested, you can go to our grocery store on the dock to buy some.”

“I’m really interested. I must buy some later,” the fat man said. The pen looked ugly but its advantage was that it was easy to carry and didn’t need to use ink. It would be really convenient to  keep accounts with it.

Having the pencil in his hand recognized, the teenager became very happy. Showing a big smile he asked, “What is your name, guest?”

“My name is Luo Tianzhi.” The fat man smiled and said, “Speaking of which, I am acquainted with your chief. He personally escorted me at that time!”

This fat man was one of the people Jiang Zhen saved from the pirates on his way to the capital with Zheng Yi and was served by Liu Qianqian and Zhao Lingxi for a while.

Luo Tianzhi was from the capital and he came to Jiangnan this time to do business.

In fact it was not his first time coming to Jiangnan to do business, but he was robbed by bandits last time so he stopped for a few years.

As a result, after stopping for a few years and finally coming to Jiangnan again he suddenly found that Jiangnan was different from what he remembered.

Also as soon as he arrived south of the Yangtze River, he heard a lot about the Jinzhen Escort Agency.

Wasn’t this Jinzhen Escort Agency created by Jiang Zhen, who saved him at that time? He hasn’t seen them for a few years but the Jinzhen Escort Agency, which had only a few dozen people at that time, became so powerful?

Luo Tianzhi was very surprised. He was going to go to Wexing Province but when he thought of it, he decided to stop at Hexi Village first.

“Do you know our chief?” The teenager looked at Luo Tianzhi in surprise and asked: “Have you spoken to him?”

“I did!” Luo Tianzhi laughed.

“You are so lucky!” The boy looked at Luo Tianzhi with envy. He used to be a salt worker in Hongjiang Salt Farm and after being rescued by Jiang Zhen, he came here. Although he had seen Jiang Zhen, he had not spoken to him yet.

Luo Tianzhi: “Uh . . .”

Luo Tianzhi simply registered and wandered around the dock together with the tall and middle-aged man who came with him.

There were many houses near the dock. Although they all looked ordinary in appearance, they were all brick houses with a neat and tidy appearance.

Luo Tianzhi looked around in amazement when he finally saw an acquaintance.

“Liu Qianqian!” Luo Tianzhi looked at the woman in a man’s robe not far away.

Liu Qianqian once accepted his money and “took care of“ him for a time, so he would never be wrong about who she was. But . . . the previous Liu Qianqian who was thinking of catching a good man all day long, now looked like a completely different person. How was it possible?

Liu Qianqian did not immediately recognize Luo Tianzhi. After all, Luo Tianzhi became thin due to hunger when she knew him, so his appearance was not quite the same as now.

However, she soon recognized him. “Fatty Luo?”

Hearing this address, Luo Tianzhi felt somewhat helpless, but the middle aged men next to him just laughed.

Knowing that he was fat, Luo Tianzhi didn’t get angry, but he looked at Liu Qianqian in confusion: “You’re working at the docks now?” 

Jiang Zhen took his wife to work with him so Luo Tianzhi estimated that he would also allow women to work for him. Liu Qianqian dressed in men’s clothing without any make-up shouldn’t have to work at docks now, right?

“No, I am a female teacher in the academy.” Liu Qianqian said, “Classes are about to start, excuse me!”

Of course, Liu Qianqian was not only a female teacher in the school, and she also worked in the Qingfeng House.

However, compared to the job in Qingfeng House, she still preferred to be a teacher that taught the women in the school.

The school in Hexi village has now been open for more than three years and many students who graduated started to work for Jiang Zhen. Even the female students she taught have already started.

Women and gers couldn’t work on the dock or go with ships but they could do many other things, such as bookkeeping, managing other women and gers work or even follow Zhao Jinge and become his helper. . .

After seeing that the first batch of female students found good work, many more female and ger students enrolled.

Liu Qianqian left, but Luo Tianzhi still stood foolishly in the same place.

Liu Qianqian become a teacher?

Hexi village greatly changed, but Jiang Zhen did not live here anymore and would only return during the New Year time.

The Zhao Family spent most of their time in Fucheng.

Luo Tianzhi stayed in Hexi village for a day before leaving for Fucheng.

At this time, Jiang Zhen was not actually in Fucheng. He went out to sea, and was still there. However, from a distance, he could already see the land.

After three years Jiang Zhen became darker and stronger.

In the wind and sun of the sea, if you didn’t stay in the cabin all day like Wen Ming it was hard not to get darker.

“I’m home at last.” Jiang Zhen looked at the dock of Yabian village in the distance, and his face became filled with emotion.

On this trip, they went a little far, not only to the Western Ocean but they even met blonde-haired blue-eyed Europeans.

Naturally, they encountered a lot of danger after traveling so far and they even lost two ships, one of which was hit by a typhoon.  Jiang Zhen was blown off the ship.

Fortunately, he took some precautions and tied a rope to his foot.

That rope saved Jiang Zhen’s life, but it also hurt his foot. Even after more than ten days passed, Jiang Zhen was still walking with a  slight limp.

Even so, as long as he thought about the cargo on the ship he had to admit that this trip was worth it.

Even if he lost two ships, if he sold the cargo he had on the board he would still be able to earn a lot.

It’s just . . . a lot of human lives were lost.

“Yes, we are home at last.” Wen Ming said, rubbing his knees. The sea was humid, so after some time he developed an old problem. The good thing was . . . his knees would get a good rest in future.

He struggled with Jiang Zhen for three years. They hired and trained a lot of people, so they would no longer have to go out to sea with them in future.

When he thought of this, Wen Ming looked at the land in the distance, his eyes becoming extremely hot.

Jiang Zhen’s mood was the same as Wen Ming.

He could finally have some rest and accompany Zhao Jinge, Zhao Mingzhu, and his own youngest son.

More than two years ago, Zhao Jinge gave birth to their second child, a son.

Jiang Zhen took Zhao Mingzhu with him at first, but because he often went out to sea, he didn’t take care of the children much. Now when he thought about it, he felt a little guilty.

Fortunately, he will be able to stay with them for a few years, and teach his son and daughter well.

The fleet slowly approached the dock of Yabian village.

Jiang Zhen’s fleet was not the only one using this dock. At this time many ships were docked here with many people working. When they saw Jiang Zhen’s fleet, the people immediately became excited.

The people who went out to sea were back!

People ran to tell each other, and the first one told was of course Zhao Jinge. 

 

Edited by: Antiope1

 

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