Mozi looked at Erlang. Erlang also looked at Mozi. Both of their gazes carried a probing meaning, as well as an unyielding stubbornness.

  "It seems we have no choice now." Mu Zi's smile was tinged with a hint of cunning amidst his helplessness.

  The second son felt that smile was annoying. "At this point, it's either eating a steady meal or letting us get on the boat. Indeed, you have no choice."

  "Alright, let me take charge. Shall we agree to let them board the ship? I'll explain things to the master later." Mozi downed her cup of wine because she suddenly came to a realization - whether or not she could leave Qiu San Niang, having silver by her side was always a good thing. Qiu San Niang's reluctance to part with her three hundred taels of silver, and even more so her insistence on repaying the debt to Fourth Madam, all proved that relying on others was not as reliable as relying on oneself. She would eventually stand on her own two feet and start her own household, it was time for her to start making plans.

  "Why explain? You two don't say, we don't say, the people on this boat don't say, how would your master know?" Zhong An was cunning, "If it's said, good things become bad things, and meritorious officials become treacherous officials. If it's a suspicious master, I'm afraid that from now on, even trust will have a rift."

  Cen Er's mind was indeed thinking along these lines. If he and Mo Zi kept their mouths shut, and Lao Guan had never seen Qiu San Niang before, it wouldn't be difficult to deceive them. But now that he had this thought, he didn't know what Mo Zi was thinking, so he nervously glanced at her.

  Mei Zi also happened to look over and said half a sentence, "If this trip goes smoothly..."

  Cen Er nodded in agreement, "If the journey is smooth and we return safely, then it's no big deal if we don't mention it to Qiu San Niang."

  Mozi smiled and nodded in response.

  The front line has been unified.

  "Now that it's settled, let's get on with it." Shi Lei thought everyone was on the same boat now, but little did he know...

  "Wait a minute," said Zǐzi, stretching out her hand. "We agreed to let you on board, but we should discuss the specifics of how you'll be getting on."

  "What conditions?" Er Lang stood in the dimly lit cabin. The surroundings were pitch black, without even a window. The murky air was filled with all sorts of smells, except for alcohol, which was hard to distinguish from the others. Was this what pirate ships were like?

  "Conditions." Mu Zi said openly, "Firstly, horses cannot board the ship. Since you all know we're transporting private goods, what's most feared is uncontrollable noise. Once attention is drawn, it's over. Moreover, your matters seem to be something that can't be exposed to light, riding horses is too eye-catching."

  "What can't be seen in the light, we are..." Shi Lei felt that Mozi was categorizing them as bandits and immediately became displeased.

  "Article one: I agree, no horse on the boat." Er Lang patted Shi Ke's shoulder with one hand, and Shi Ke fell silent.

  Mozi was satisfied with his cooperative attitude and continued to say, "The second item is the boat fare. Fifty taels per person, three hundred taels for six people, one way, pay now."

  "Fifty taels? You're robbing me?" It was Shi Lei again, his straightforward and impulsive temper, combined with his physical strength, clearly made him more suitable for using his fists rather than his brain.

  "I'm not robbing, I'm setting a price on the spot." Get it? Since you've boarded the pirate ship, you should be mentally prepared anyway.

  "What!" He became even more arrogant, Shi Lei puffed out his chest, glared with wide eyes, rolled up his sleeves and struck a heroic pose. But soon discovered that his two companions were calm and expressionless, so he had to hold back his anger, but in his heart he cursed.

  "Little brother, the meaning of 'one way' is - Zhong An is humble and eager to learn."

  "It's from the wild boat to the south of Germany, where you'll be dropped off. Of course, if it's a round trip, the fare can be discounted, and it's paid in full now. But if you miss the return point and don't show up on time, the fare won't be refunded." She took this from flying, using it once.

  "How much is the fare for a round trip?" Ah, this single and return ticket, it's really interesting.

  "One person ninety two, six people five hundred and forty two. The boat goes back and forth for six days, if you want to eat together, then it's a flat rate of six hundred two, all inclusive." The abacus clicks away.

  Shi Ke really wanted to go forward and trample the only broken table into a mess, sit on a broken boat for 600 taels. She's not just robbing money, she's literally a leech, insatiably greedy. And besides, they've already given her 200 taels.

  "Can't negotiate anymore?" Er Lang's voice was cold and clear, anyone could hear that his mood was extremely bad.

  Standing beside Mozi's body, Cen Er suddenly felt a chill run down his spine, but he didn't make a sound. He knew that Mozi was good at negotiating prices.

  "I won't, I've already given you the best price." Mu Zi was indeed not letting go. Two hundred taels she wanted to hide and not let anyone know, while three hundred taels were extra that had to be handed over to Qiu San Niang, as for the additional three hundred taels, they would go to Cen Er.

  "How can we not negotiate?" Shi Ke shouted in exasperation. "Even if you say six hundred taels, we'll only give four hundred taels. You've already taken..."

  "If we were to expose this, your boat wouldn't be able to leave either. All of your private goods would be confiscated and you'd be punished according to the law. If it's a serious crime, you might not even be able to keep your head on your shoulders." Er Lang interrupted Shi Lei's words, otherwise this deal really would have fallen apart. However, at the same time, he also didn't understand why the man in front of him was so calm and collected.

  "I know. But while you're shaking us down, I'm also shaking you down. We're smugglers, but can your secrets be kept hidden?" Mozi thus borrowed the fact that these three men couldn't speak of their secrets.

  Wow, impressive! Intelligent people are common around him, and he himself is also extremely good at manipulating people's hearts. However, it was unexpected that a small servant could make him look at himself in a new light. Erlang's eyes sank deeply, the pride that had been swirling around his body suddenly faded away, this was the first time he admired an ordinary person.

  "Zhōng ān." He looked at the ordinary dark face in front of him and called out to the person beside him.

  "It's here." Zhong An hurriedly replied.

  "Give him six hundred taels and have our people bring the goods on board." he instructed.

  Shi Ke's eyes widened to their limits, then gradually narrowed and he hung his head in silence. He knew clearly that although the officials of Luozhou couldn't investigate them, the secret they carried on their backs really couldn't be discovered by anyone, otherwise the consequences would be unthinkable. Let this kid accidentally hit the mark.

  "Little brother, when are we setting sail?" Zhong An adapted to the situation and handed over two silver tickets. The way he addressed him changed to a more familiar tone, as if they were old friends. He had a certain recklessness of a scholar, believing that heroes don't care about their background.

  "As soon as you board the boat, set off, the sooner the better. There is an official post house outside the wild boat crossing, where horses can be sent." On a boat, on a rope, Mozi didn't mind temporarily becoming a grasshopper in the same boat.

  "Shi Ke, go stable the horse." Who couldn't see that this comrade was furious? Er Lang let him go out for a walk and come back later.

  Shi Ke's breathing became heavier and heavier, his footsteps so forceful that he almost stumbled and fell.

  He followed closely and quietly, advising him to hurry up and leave.

  "The cabin is stuffy, Second Brother can go up to the deck to take in some river breeze and enjoy the view, it'll improve his mood." He was feeling down, but she was feeling great.

  She laughed and called Erlang brother, Erlang felt uneasy all over, "Bai Yu."

  "...". Mozi was stunned.

  "What's your name?" Erlang was impatient, wasn't this guy very clever?

  "Mo Zi smiled and said, 'Everyone calls me Mo Ge, nice to meet you!'"

  No wonder every time we meet it's unpleasant, turns out one black and one white, naturally incompatible.