Blossoms in Adversity

The liveliness of a dock always indicated the prosperity of a place, and the capital's dock had always been bustling with people and carriages.

Hua Zhi stepped down from the carriage, and as the pungent smell of the sea filled her nostrils, images of various delicacies came to mind. Seafood was something that those who disliked it truly couldn't stand, but those who loved it were genuinely fond of it. She only needed to cater to the preferences of the latter group to make a fortune.

Standing in place for a while, she observed that although most people hurried past the seafood stalls holding their noses, there were still some who stopped to pick and purchase items. Judging by their attire—mostly blue robes and small hats—they were likely servants from wealthy households. This showed that not everyone failed to recognize the value of these goods.

She approached to examine the goods laid out on the ground. From south to north, to maximize cargo capacity, it was impractical to transport live seafood in seawater. Thus, most of what she saw were dried goods, with fish being the majority.

But these were not what she was looking for.

Hua Zhi looked up and noticed a middle-aged man by the ship watching her with a hesitant expression. She smiled and walked over, giving a slight bow. "Are you the ship owner?"

The man was not tall and was lean and wiry. Seeing such an elegant young lady from a prominent family bowing to him, he grew flustered, unsure how to respond. He dared not step forward to assist her, so he rubbed his hands together and replied, "Yes, I am the ship owner. My surname is Zhang, Zhang Xing. Are you... are you...?"

Xu Ying glanced at her young mistress and pushed forward the servant who had been waiting at the dock. "This is our household servant, and this is our eldest young lady."

Recognizing the familiar face of the servant, Zhang Xing knew he had not waited for the wrong person. Though surprised that a woman from the capital would be in charge, his years of travel had taught him the importance of discretion. He showed no trace of astonishment and bowed respectfully. "How may I assist you, eldest young lady?"

"May I come aboard to take a look?"

Unsure of her intentions but unwilling to refuse on someone else's turf, Zhang Xing agreed. Besides, with her party of only six people—men and women combined—and his ship carrying more crew members, he felt more at ease having them aboard.

Once on board, Hua Zhi only examined the ship's structure and how the cargo was stored, without venturing inside. This further reassured Zhang Xing. Seizing the opportunity while she looked around, he set up a table with tea on the deck, rubbing his hands apologetically. "Please excuse the simplicity, eldest young lady. This is all we have on the ship."

Hua Zhi sat down, lightly holding her sleeve with one hand while using chopsticks to pick up a golden-fried small yellow croaker. She took a bite, and the crisp sound echoed—the frying had been perfectly timed.

Zhang Xing was taken aback by her natural ease but also felt a sense of closeness because of it. Someone who neither embarrassed others nor showed disdain for humble food surely had a good heart.

Setting down her chopsticks, Hua Zhi looked up. "I came today to seek your advice on a matter, Ship Owner Zhang."

Zhang Xing straightened up. "Of course, please go ahead."

"The seafood on your ship must be the most common and least valuable where you live, right?"

Zhang Xing tensed. "I don't know why you would say that, but I swear these goods are all perfectly fine."

"I am not an official and have no intention of questioning the quality. I ask this only to tell you that I know a thing or two about the place where you live, Ship Owner Zhang." Hua Zhi gazed at the bustling dock. "By the seaside, there should be far more live seafood, shouldn't there?"Zhang Xing carefully weighed his words, "You're absolutely right, everything freshly caught is naturally alive. But we have no way to keep them alive indefinitely - they can't survive once removed from seawater. With limited ship space, we can't transport many live creatures, so we can only process them into dried goods for sale."

Hua Zhi reached back and took a stack of papers from Ying Chun, placing them before Zhang Xing. "Shipmaster Zhang, please see if you recognize all these items."

Zhang Xing wiped his hands on his clothes before daring to touch the pristine white paper. His homeland was impoverished, where paper was yellow and only a privileged few had the chance to become literate. Originally illiterate himself, he had gritted his teeth to learn some characters after earning some money, to avoid being cheated during his voyages.

Carefully examining each page from beginning to end, Zhang Xing looked up and said, "These items are indeed available, and in great abundance."

Hua Zhi nodded, unsurprised. She had drawn common specimens - as long as these were available, she could establish her business. As for rare varieties, if they existed, she would naturally encounter them during her upcoming trip.

"Might I ask if Shipmaster Zhang operates independently or works for others?"

"This humble one runs his own business."

"Is this vessel also yours?"

Unsure of the lady's intentions, Zhang Xing steeled himself and confirmed it was.

"If I wished to partner with someone for a business venture, could Shipmaster Zhang recommend one or two reliable individuals?" Hua Zhi paused slightly before adding, "Your ship is too small to handle this venture alone, though you could certainly participate to some extent."

Zhang Xing's spirits lifted. "Though my words carry little weight, I do know several people. May I ask the scale of the venture you have in mind, and what size vessels would be required?"

"First, let me ask how many days this journey has taken you?"

"I typically dock at major ports for several days, so my speed isn't representative. However, I'm familiar with this route - with favorable winds, about ten days should suffice. During stormy seasons, arriving within half a month would be considered smooth sailing."

After a moment, Zhang Xing added, "That would require larger vessels - my ship falls somewhat short."

Quite honest, Hua Zhi thought, nodding. Her estimates aligned with this. Calculating based on this speed, a round trip including stopovers should take about a month. She could employ multiple vessels - the second ship departing seven or eight days after the first, followed by a third. Three ships would suffice before the business expanded. As for dried goods, one shipment could last quite some time, and Zhang Xing could handle that.

Zhang Xing's current trade yielded modest profits, merely better than struggling at home. Having a steady buyer would not only ease his burden but also reduce his long absences. Even if it meant more frequent trips - more voyages meant more earnings!His heart stirred. Seeing Hua Zhi remain silent, Zhang Xing began to worry the deal might fall through. After some consideration, he said, "To be frank with you, Miss, before working on my own, I spent many years at a trading company. The owner was kind-hearted—when I left, not only did he not make things difficult for me, but he even sold me this ship at a low price. If you're truly interested in this business, I'd be willing to act as a middleman to connect you. Moreover, the owner has even faster ships, though the cost is higher than other vessels. If I can persuade him to deploy one, a round trip could be completed in as little as half a month. What do you think...?"

This was excellent news! With that speed, all problems would cease to be problems!

Hua Zhi showed no other emotions and merely nodded, saying, "I plan to head south and would trouble you for a letter of introduction. Rest assured, if this succeeds, you won't be left out."

Zhang Xing readily agreed and immediately returned to the ship to write a letter, sealing it before handing it to her. If not for the unsold cargo still on board, he would have wanted to set sail back immediately. If this matter succeeded, he would benefit not only from Miss Hua's side but also from the owner's generosity.

PS: I won't be posting chapters together anymore. I'll write and upload one chapter at a time. There are fewer issues during the day, so I'll try to update in the daytime from now on.