Chapter 2

Liu Yu's shoulders relaxed, and the pile of firewood, which was like a small mountain, fell to the ground, kicking up a cloud of yellow dust. His eyes gleamed coldly, piercing the young master, and his voice carried a stern edge: "According to the laws of the Jin Dynasty, when officials above the state and county level travel, they should have a bell rung to clear the way, and the people should avoid them. I wonder which official this young master is?"

The young master's brows furrowed slightly, and Diao Mao jumped up, shouting: "Are you blind? This is the younger brother of the newly appointed governor of this region, Governor Diao Kui, Young Master Diao!"

Liu Yu laughed heartily: "I thought it was Governor Diao on an inspection tour, with such a grand entourage. It turns out it's just his younger brother. I wonder what position Young Master Diao holds now?"

Diao Mao was stunned, unable to speak. A clerk-like figure glanced at the large man, walked up to Young Master Diao, and whispered a few words. Young Master Diao's face changed, he gritted his teeth, and said in a low voice: "Let's go!"

He waved his hand, turned his horse, and galloped away without looking back, kicking up a cloud of yellow dust. Dozens of ruffians followed behind, running madly.

Diao Mao's face turned ugly, and he pointed at the large man, shouting: "Kid, you've got guts! Just wait and see!" With that, he turned and ran.

A cold light flashed in Liu Yu's eyes, and he kicked a clod of earth, hitting Diao Mao's buttocks. Diao Mao let out a cry, fell forward, and got up cursing, not bothering to brush off the dust, and hurriedly ran after them: "Young Master, wait for me."

The clerk turned his head, looked at the large man, and sighed: "Liu Yu, defying the powerful is not a good thing."

Liu Yu said calmly: "Liu Yi, you are also from Jingkou. Can you just watch the villagers be bullied like this?"

The clerk's face changed, he shook his head, and walked away.

Liu Yu watched their figures disappear around the corner of the road. The farmer beside him stood up and bowed in gratitude: "Thank you, Brother Liu, for your help." As he thanked him, he bent down to pick up the money bag on the ground.

Liu Yu's face changed, and he took two steps forward, kicking the money bag far into the paddy field dozens of steps away. He punched the thin, dark-skinned farmer in the chest, making him stagger back two steps: "Xierzi, can't you have some backbone? Can you take this money? Your attitude only deserves to be bullied forever!"

Xierzi lowered his head in embarrassment. His tattered clothes, worn through in several places from the beating, revealed bruises and cuts on his skin, some still oozing blood.

Liu Yu sighed and pointed to the pile of firewood: "Sell the firewood I cut, use the money to see a doctor, and buy some wine. Remember, we are from Jingkou. We can give up our lives, but we cannot lose our dignity!"

Xierzi's face lit up, and he hurriedly ran to the road to untie the pile of firewood.

But he suddenly thought of something, turned around, and called to Liu Yu, who was walking away: "Brother Liu, if you give us the firewood, what will you do today?"

Liu Yu didn't turn back, just waved his hand: "I'll go to the Garlic Mountain Ferry to pick up the barbarians."

Jingkou Town, Garlic Mountain (today's Jinshan) Ferry.

On the Yangtze River, white sails dotted the surface. Over a five-mile-wide river, hundreds of boats raced, with the yellow dragon warships and red horse swift boats of the Eastern Jin navy patrolling the river. From the Guazhou Ferry in Guangling County (today's Yangzhou), large flat-bottomed ferries carrying people and horses frequently docked at the Garlic Mountain Ferry on the north side of Jingkou, releasing batches of northern visitors. The scene was bustling and lively.

Several small boats slowly sailed by the riverbank. Fishermen and fisherwomen, dressed in straw raincoats and wearing bamboo hats, either cast large nets into the river to catch carp or sat leisurely at the bow, fishing with long lines.

Joyful singing echoed through the sky: "In the morning, I fish in the east of the city, in the evening, in the west. The oars hum softly, the lotus seeds rise and fall. Holding the net, I enter the deep water, the golden scales are as big as hands. The fish's tail splashes the round waves, a thousand pearls fall on the Xiang lotus."

On both sides of the ferry, there were over a dozen shops of various sizes. Some shops displayed small dried fish, salted and favored by traveling merchants, while others offered fragrant fruit preserves, sprinkled with white sugar, their aroma invigorating and refreshing.

At the outermost shop, a hunched old woman waved a small palm fan, weakly calling out: "Tea soup, the best tea soup, only available in the south of the Yangtze River, invigorating and refreshing!"

Next to her, on low stools, were over a dozen large bowls filled with fragrant tea soup. In the pot behind her, two young men in their twenties, wearing hemp shirts, were stirring the pot with long poles, sweating profusely, occasionally adding pepper and salt to brew the tea.

Liu Yu walked with his hands behind his back, patrolling among the shops. The vendors in nearby shops laughed: "Hey, Brother Liu, why are you here at the ferry today? Didn't you go to the mountains to cut firewood?"

"Brother Liu, are you in such a leisurely mood today that you want to check for suspicious people at the ferry?"

Liu Yu was a descendant of Liu Jiao, the second son of Emperor Gaozu of Han, Liu Bang, and the 22nd generation. Now, his family had fallen on hard times, and he was just a village head in Jingkou County.

Liu Yu's brows furrowed, and he said in a low voice: "Nothing major, just an order from above. Recently, the false Qin in the north has intentions to invade the south, threatening our Jin Dynasty. Northern Han people are fleeing south, and we in Jingkou, as a resettlement area, need to accommodate them and check for spies. Xianzhi, why aren't you at home studying? Why are you here doing business?"

The boy named Xianzhi, surnamed Xu, was a thin, dark-skinned teenager of about fifteen or sixteen, with bright eyes. His stall was piled with candied fruit made from yellow peaches and red berries, and he held a palm fan to shoo away the flies circling the fruit.

Xu Xianzhi smiled: "Brother Liu, many northern guests have come to the riverbank these past two days. My mother said it's good for me to come out and gain some experience, and to sell some fruit preserves to help with household expenses. Why don't you try some of our fruit preserves?"

Liu Yu smiled and walked past Xu Xianzhi's stall. His words drifted to Xu Xianzhi's ears: "Don't just focus on selling fruit preserves; keep an eye out for me."

The old woman selling tea soup smiled, picked up a bowl of tea soup, and handed it to Liu Yu: "Have a bowl of tea soup to quench your thirst."

Liu Yu accepted it without hesitation, thanked her, and drank the tea soup in one gulp. When he put down the bowl, his brows furrowed: "I still can't get used to tea soup with pepper. It's not as refreshing as wine."

Xu Xianzhi also came over and smiled: "Don't worry, Brother. My eyes are sharp! I can spot a spy at a glance and won't let them slip into Jingkou."

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