Chapter 89

Zhou Chong was completely unaware of the Japanese people's plan to eliminate him. After arranging the affairs of the chamber of commerce, he then had Sun Tong prepare a fast boat. On a sunny morning, he left Shuangyu Port and by afternoon, finally arrived at the smuggling port in the southeast of Songjiang Prefecture, which was under the jurisdiction of the Qincun Thousand- Household Office, hence it was called Qincun Port.

Just as when Zhou Chong left, Qincun Port was still bustling with activity. Most of the smuggling ships from Songjiang Prefecture entered and exited through this port, with a constant flow of people. In particular, large smugglers like the Xie family had fixed berths at the port, which were not under the jurisdiction of the Thousand- Household Office. The Xie family's personnel and ships did not have to pay taxes, indicating the immense power behind the Xie family, to the point that even the Thousand- Household Office, which controlled the area, did not dare to offend them.

Although the Nanyang Chamber of Commerce was not weaker than the Xie family in the past, it did not have a fixed berth in Qincun Port. This was mainly because the goods of the Nanyang Chamber of Commerce were generally supplied by suppliers like He Xian, unlike the Xie family, which not only collected goods from outside but also transported some goods by land to save costs, thus requiring a dedicated dock.

After Zhou Chong's ship docked at a random berth, he got off with Wangcai and Fugui, along with more than a dozen guards arranged by the chamber of commerce. Originally, Zhou Chong wanted to return to Songjiang alone, but San Niang considered that they had just destroyed the Jeolla and Kōriyama chambers of commerce, especially since the leader of the Kōriyama chamber, Kōriyama Hong'er, had not been captured. She was worried that Zhou Chong might be retaliated against, so she insisted on arranging these guards for him.

"Master, we will protect you as you enter the city. Once in the city, we will find a place to stay near your home and will secretly guard the front of your residence every day. If anything happens, you just need to tell the guards on duty," Wangcai said to Zhou Chong.

"Alright, I understand," Zhou Chong nodded. When he left home, he told Aunt Wang and the others that he was visiting friends. If he brought Wangcai and the others back now, he wouldn't be able to explain it, and Zhou Chong temporarily did not want his family to know that he had taken over the Nanyang Chamber of Commerce and was involved in smuggling. Therefore, he could only let Wangcai and the others stay outside for the time being.

However, just as Zhou Chong and the others stepped onto the dock and were about to find a carriage to leave, they saw a long line of people slowly moving towards the dock on the only major road leading to it. These people were ragged and emaciated, clearly refugees from outside Songjiang City.

Seeing this endless line of refugees, Zhou Chong was somewhat puzzled. He wondered why these refugees, who should have stayed outside Songjiang City, had all come to the port. Moreover, among these refugees were not only able-bodied men but also women and children. If they were fleeing, their faces would not have shown a hint of hope, which was completely different from the numbness Zhou Chong had seen in them before. Refugees would never show such expressions!

Not only was Zhou Chong very curious about these strange refugees, but the other people at the port were also discussing it. Some who knew the inside story began to boast about their well-informed sources, quickly gathering a crowd of curious onlookers.

Zhou Chong also went over to listen and, upon hearing that the Xie family was recruiting these refugees, he slapped his forehead and shook his head with a bitter smile, muttering to himself, "I didn't expect the Xie family to act so quickly. They are already recruiting refugees to prepare for the soap workshops. It looks like the soap will be on the market by next spring."

Xie Lingyun had previously told Zhou Chong that they planned to set up soap workshops on Dàyáng Island and Xiǎoyáng Island near the waters of Songjiang. These two islands were located on the route between Songjiang and Shuangyu Port, making it convenient for the Xie family's ships to transport the necessary supplies and the soap produced later. The refugees Zhou Chong saw were being recruited by the Xie family to work on the islands.

Understanding the origin of these refugees and seeing that they were bringing their families along, Zhou Chong realized that the Xie family was doing things properly. They were not only recruiting able-bodied men but also bringing their families to the islands, which would help the refugees feel more secure and work more diligently.

Zhou Chong stood on the dock and watched the refugees walk to the Xie family's fixed berths on the east side of the dock, where several large sailboats were waiting. He watched as the refugees boarded the sailboats, and then Wangcai and the others found a few carriages. Zhou Chong rode in one, and Wangcai and the others in the others. They then left Qincun Port and soon entered Songjiang City.

After entering the city, Zhou Chong's carriage did not immediately return home but first went to Zheng Jing and Li Zheng to inquire about the situation. He learned that although Aunt Wang had sent Xu the Steward to their residence to inquire about the situation, they had all persuaded the servants to send him back. Additionally, to cover for Zhou Chong's lie, they had not gone out for a while to avoid encountering Xu the Steward. Therefore, the Zhou family still believed that they were out traveling and had not been actively searching for them.

Hearing that everything was normal at home, Zhou Chong finally felt relieved. He then made plans to drink with Zheng Jing and Li Zheng another day and returned to the Zhou residence by carriage. However, after Zhou Chong's carriage stopped, Wangcai's carriage quickly left, and they would find a place to stay near the Zhou residence with the guards.

Zhou Chong got off the carriage with several large and small packages, which contained gifts he had prepared. There were clothes for Aunt Wang and Zhuo'er, toys for Duo'er, and tonics for Xu the Steward and Su Niang. After paying the driver and sending him away, Zhou Chong turned to look at the familiar gate of the Zhou residence. He had been away for nearly twenty days and wondered how Zhuo'er and the others were doing.

Thinking of his family, Zhou Chong felt a surge of excitement and walked quickly to the gate, knocking on the door ring. Soon, he heard heavy footsteps, and the gate opened. A fat face, shiny with oil, appeared in the gap, and it was Xu the Steward.

"Master! You're finally back! It must have been a tiring journey, right?" Xu the Steward exclaimed with surprise upon seeing Zhou Chong, then squeezed out of the gap and patted the dust off Zhou Chong's clothes, though there was none.

Zhou Chong grabbed Xu the Steward's hand and laughed, "No need to fuss. I came by carriage, so I'm not dirty. How are Aunt Wang and Zhuo'er? Has anything happened at home these days?"

Seeing his master return, Xu the Steward's fat face lit up with a broad smile. He took the packages from Zhou Chong and replied, "Aunt Wang, Miss Zhuo'er, and Miss Su Niang are all well. They were just worried about you being away for so long and sent me to inquire about your situation several times. Nothing much has happened at home. We've just been preparing for the New Year, and Wu Shan's injuries are almost healed, and he can walk now."

Hearing these words from Xu the Steward, Zhou Chong finally felt relieved. However, he then thought of someone else and smiled, "Xu the Steward, you forgot to mention one person. How is Su Niang? She is pregnant, so you mustn't let her overwork."

"Hehe, thank you for your concern, Master. Su Niang is doing well. Since she entered the residence, she has been eating and sleeping well, and her belly is noticeably bigger. The doctor said the baby will be born by next June," Xu the Steward's face lit up even more when he mentioned Su Niang and her baby. He was in his fifties and had never married, so he never expected to have a child in his old age, which made him even more attentive to Su Niang.

As Zhou Chong and Xu the Steward chatted about family matters, they walked into the courtyard and towards the inner quarters. When they reached Aunt Wang's courtyard, they heard the laughter of women, which sounded like Aunt Wang and Zhuo'er.

Hearing the familiar voices of his family, Zhou Chong could not contain his excitement and walked quickly into the room. He saw Aunt Wang, Su Niang, and Zhuo'er sitting around a table, embroidering and chatting.

"Chong'er!" Aunt Wang, who was facing the door, was the first to see Zhou Chong. She stood up in surprise and called out, dropping her embroidery on the table.

"Brother, you're finally back!" Zhuo'er, seeing Zhou Chong with a smile, threw her embroidery aside and ran over to hold his hand, filled with joy. If she were not already a young lady, she would have probably thrown herself into Zhou Chong's arms and pouted, as this was the first time they had been separated for so long.

Su Niang also came forward to greet Zhou Chong, and Aunt Wang pulled him to sit down, asking about his food and sleep while scolding him for being away for so long without sending a message.

Others might find Aunt Wang's nagging annoying, but Zhou Chong, whose parents had passed away early in his previous life, always longed for family. Therefore, he found Aunt Wang's nagging not only unannoying but also very endearing, as it felt like a real family.

However, while Zhou Chong was listening to Aunt Wang's nagging, he suddenly heard the sound of children playing outside. Then, two little girls, about the same age, rushed into the room. The first girl, upon seeing Zhou Chong, immediately screamed in delight and jumped into his arms, shouting, "Brother, why did you take so long to come back? Duo'er missed you so much!"

Holding Duo'er in his arms, Zhou Chong laughed heartily. Honestly, during his time in Shuangyu, he had missed Duo'er, his innocent and adorable little sister, the most.

However, Zhou Chong also noticed the other little girl who had rushed into the room with Duo'er. She was about the same age as Duo'er, with a delicate and adorable appearance. This girl, seeing a stranger in the room, suddenly became quiet, biting her finger and standing by the door, hesitant to come in. What puzzled Zhou Chong was when this girl had appeared in his home, and she seemed very familiar, as if he had seen her somewhere before.