Chapter 5

Chapter 5

The Xie family's merchant ship was the largest among the surrounding vessels.

Based on his limited memory, Shen Yuan understood that the owner of this merchant ship belonged to a prominent aristocratic family, one with both power and influence.

In the Kingdom of Wu, the status of great clans was comparable to imperial authority.

Moreover, the traditional social order of scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants was flipped on its head here, with farmers at the bottom and merchants second.

The scholar and merchant classes were often intertwined, with the major aristocratic families also being top-tier wealthy merchants. This was why government clerks came aboard the merchant ships to register the laborers.

The Xie family led the aristocratic families, so their merchant ship received preferential treatment at the dock, taking priority in all matters.

Goods were passed down from the ship in an orderly manner. Shen Yuan and Wang Sanhu followed at the end of the line, moving forward.

Dockworkers on the ship handed down the cargo, and those below would shoulder it.

When it was Wang Sanhu's turn, he carried three large sacks on his shoulders. He gritted his teeth, the veins on his forehead bulging, as he hauled the goods without a sound.

In Shen Yuan's memory, his former self used to carry two sacks at a time. Considering that this body had truly died once yesterday and hadn't recuperated before starting this hard labor, he decided to carry only one sack for now to play it safe.

He would carry two sacks once he got used to it.

Since they were paid by the sack, no one was forced to carry a specific amount.

When it was Shen Yuan's turn, he followed the procedure and reported, "Shen Yuan from Big Tree Village, one sack."

The clerk keeping tally looked up at Shen Yuan. It was the first time he'd seen anyone carry just one sack for the Xie family's ship.

The daily cargo was limited, and work ended once it was finished. Everyone wanted to carry more to earn more.

Catching the clerk's eye, Shen Yuan instinctively smiled and greeted, "Mornin', sir."

Seeing the young man's thin frame and pale face, the clerk heard the odd but comprehensible greeting. With his brush, he drew a line on the bamboo slip.

"Don't try to get chummy. Hurry up and work."

Shen Yuan was taken aback. When had he tried to get chummy?

Before he could think further, a burlap sack landed on his shoulder.

When the sturdy sack hit his shoulder, Shen Yuan understood what "heavy as a thousand pounds" meant.

He nearly buckled under the weight.

Gritting his teeth, he summoned every ounce of strength and managed not to be crushed to the ground.

Shen Yuan inched forward with difficulty, step by step. Feeling the people coming and going around him, he lamented inwardly: Well, it looked like he wouldn't even be cut out for manual labor going forward.

He admitted it—he couldn't endure this hardship.

It was brutal.

Moreover, manual labor took a heavy toll on the body, led to hidden injuries, and paid poorly.

If he wanted to change his life, he would have to find another way out.

Shen Yuan finally managed to unload the heavy sack. Before he could catch his breath, Wang Sanhu passed by and reminded him, "Hurry up and carry more. If the cargo runs out later, you won't earn any copper coins."

Shen Yuan could only return with grim determination, his legs trembling like jelly, to continue carrying the large sacks.

Tired.

So tired.

Sweat dripped to the ground. His clothes were soaked through front and back. The heavy weight pressed on his shoulders, making it difficult to breathe. Shen Yuan's mind went blank, knowing only to move forward mechanically, emptying himself of thoughts and not focusing on his own sensations.

That was the only way he could ignore the pain in his back and the soreness in his legs, allowing himself to endure a little longer.

His physical strength was nearing its limit, and the slightest disturbance could lead to a major mishap.

The straw sandals on Shen Yuan's feet had worn through, and his foot slipped forward.

As he was about to fall, panic surged through him. The cargo on his shoulder was heavy, and being hit by it would hurt like hell.

But if he dropped the cargo, it could easily hinder other laborers.

This path was filled with laborers carrying goods; it wasn't just the Xie family's merchant ship transporting cargo.

Just as Shen Yuan was frantically trying to figure out how to fall to minimize the impact, he felt support against his body.

Someone was propping him up, pushing him to stand steady.

Shen Yuan steadied himself, unscathed. He looked back to see who had helped him and found an old man whose hair had mostly turned white.

Despite his advanced age and a body long unable to bear such heavy labor, the old man was still trembling as he carried two large sacks.

The old man's back was bent too low under the weight, preventing him from looking up at Shen Yuan. He managed in a trembling, weak voice, "Be careful. Getting hit by this thing will teach you a painful lesson."

The heavy load made the old man's breathing unsteady, and his voice grew softer. He wanted to say more but couldn't.

Shen Yuan felt as if a mountain were pressing on the old man's back, bending him over so much that his face couldn't be seen.

He wanted to reach out and help straighten the old man's back to relieve him, but he couldn't—he too was exhausted to the extreme. He could only nod and say, "Thank you."

The old man grunted in acknowledgment and continued forward, having no time to waste on conversation or pleasantries.

Shen Yuan withdrew his gaze and continued huffing and puffing as he carried the large sack forward.

Shen Yuan only felt like he had come back to life when the clerk struck the gong twice and called out that it was time to eat.

The Xie family's merchant ship provided one meal a day: a large coarse grain pancake.

It was as big as a person's face, moderately thick, and felt very hard to the touch.

It was also hard to eat.

But it was genuinely made from grain, and chewing it released the aroma of the grain. Although the coarse pancake provided by the Xie family was hard, the flour wasn't mixed with soil or spoiled flour, so the laborers liked it.

Shen Yuan and Wang Sanhu each received one and found a slightly shaded spot to sit down.

At noon, the dock allowed a break of two ke (approximately 30 minutes).

This gave the laborers time to eat and regain some strength for the afternoon's work.

Shen Yuan held the large pancake and took a bite, nearly chipping a tooth. He had to change his approach, using his teeth to slowly grind off a small piece and then chew it carefully.

It's hard, alright, but it sure fills you up.

It’s just that after eating it, your jaw aches.

He saw Wang Sanhu break off half and put it into his own small burlap bag, figuring he was saving it for his family.

Shen Yuan thought about it but didn't keep any back. His eyes were fixed on a nearby baked flatbread stall, where sesame seeds were sprinkled on the cakes, wafting a rich aroma of sesame and toasted dough as they came out of the oven.

The scent wafted straight into his nostrils, impossible to ignore.

He chewed the dry, flavorless coarse pancake, the smell of the sesame cakes filling his nose, thinking that after getting his wages, he’d buy two sesame flatbreads to take back and share with his younger siblings.

He decided to eat all of the coarse pancake.

Otherwise, he definitely wouldn't be able to get through the afternoon's work.

As he ate, Shen Yuan's gaze fell on an elderly man not far away.

Lao Xutou took out half a dry, hard steamed cornbread bun from his worn cloth bag. His teeth weren't what they used to be—several had already fallen out—so he ate the bun very slowly.

The bun was made from mixed grains, and the dough had turned dark after sitting for too long, giving it a bitter taste.

Lao Xutou chewed the bun with difficulty, not tasting the bitterness, only thinking about eating quickly before the break time was up, or else he wouldn't be able to eat at all.

They preferred younger, stronger men for labor. At his age, being able to continue carrying heavy loads at the dock was only possible because he'd agreed to help the overseer's clerk with emptying the night soil.

Emptying night soil at night, carrying heavy loads during the day—this way, his wife could afford medicine to cling to life.

Thinking that after today's wages he could buy a packet of medicine, Lao Xutou felt a bit of the gloom in his heart lift.

If only he were younger, then he wouldn't have to stretch one dose of medicine over several days until it lost its effectiveness. That was why his wife's illness never seemed to improve.

"Elder."

A shadow fell over his head as someone called out to him. Lao Xutou looked up and saw a young man.

For a moment, his mind went blank looking at the young man before him, only hearing the other's gentle voice speaking to him, "Thank you for helping me earlier, so I didn't get crushed by the cargo."

Shen Yuan recognized the elderly man sitting nearby eating the cornbread bun as the one who had helped him earlier. After telling Wang Sanhu, he got up and came over to thank him again properly.

If he had really fallen that morning, given his current situation, he definitely wouldn't have had the money to get treatment at a clinic.

He'd most likely have ended up lame.

Shen Yuan didn't have anything to give, so he could only break off half of his coarse pancake and shove it into the old man's hand.

He had naturally seen the dark, hard bun the other was holding.

It was as hard as a rock; even after gnawing it for a long time, only a tiny piece had come off.

"Take this coarse pancake, elder. It's a small token of my gratitude. Please don't look down on it."

Lao Xutou looked at the yellowish coarse pancake in his hand, noticing a faint dark spot where his hand had touched it. Such good food made from proper grain—how could he possibly accept it?

"I can't, I can't. This old man just did what anyone would do. How could I accept something so valuable as thanks? Take it back and eat it yourself. Look at you, kid—you're so skinny it's pitiful."

Lao Xutou raised the coarse pancake to return it to Shen Yuan, but Shen Yuan dodged. "Hey, you said it yourself—I'm skinny, so I don't eat much. You have this. I kept some for myself."

As he spoke, Shen Yuan showed Lao Xutou the remaining half in his hand.

"That bun is too hard to chew, and break time's almost up. You should eat a few bites of the coarse pancake to tide you over, or else you won't be able to handle the afternoon's work."

Shen Yuan's words struck Lao Xutou's inner worries. It had been a long time since he'd eaten such good grain, and the smell alone made his mouth water. After repeatedly thanking Shen Yuan, he lowered his head and bit into the coarse pancake.

It was really delicious.

Shen Yuan watched as Lao Xutou broke off half of the coarse pancake and put it away, thinking he must be taking it back for his family too.

Over there, Wang Sanhu was calling him. Shen Yuan said goodbye to Lao Xutou and returned to his original spot.

On the way, he ran into the clerk in charge of the Xie family merchant ship and habitually greeted him, "Hey, brother, good afternoon! Eating?"

The clerk glanced at him. "I told you, stop trying to get chummy."

Shen Yuan didn't take the other's scowl to heart. If the clerk truly disliked him, it wouldn't be like this—he'd have already lost his temper and started cursing.

Wang Sanhu knew that Shen Yuan, to thank the old man for saving him, had given half of his coarse pancake to the other.

Remembering how Shen Yuan had nearly starved to death yesterday and how Shen Dong had knelt all over the village begging to borrow grain, he reached into his burlap bag.

"Here, eat this." Wang Sanhu stuffed the coarse pancake he'd saved earlier into Shen Yuan's hands. "You've been going too hungry lately. You need to eat your fill."

Shen Yuan had originally thought he'd carry less in the afternoon, but since Wang Sanhu gave him the coarse pancake, he didn't refuse.

"Thank you, Brother Sanhu. After buying grain at the shop today, I'll scoop out a bowl for you."

Hearing this, Wang Sanhu wasn't pleased. Whether it was giving grain before or giving a pancake now, he treated Shen Yuan like a brother. He just wanted him to survive, not expecting anything in return.

He said, "Shen Da, are you looking down on Brother Sanhu? Giving you half a pancake means you owe me a bowl of grain? If you really want to repay me, work hard and live well. Get back on your feet first, then talk about repaying the grain."

Shen Yuan chewed on the dry pancake and nodded vigorously.

Just you wait, Brother Sanhu—after I finish eating, I'll work like crazy!

The break was short, and after finishing the pancake, Shen Yuan couldn't work like crazy—instead, he worked half-dead.

The idea was good, but putting it into practice was a killer.

By the time the clerk struck the gong again, announcing that the Xie family merchant ship's unloading was complete, Shen Yuan was completely exhausted. He plopped down on the ground, so tired that even breathing felt like an effort.

Seeing this, Wang Sanhu stepped forward to pull him up. "Hurry up and line up to get your wages."

Although he could still get paid if he went later, when it came to collecting money, the sooner, the better.

Shen Yuan had little strength left and was practically leaning on Wang Sanhu for support as he walked.

His half-dead, noodle-like appearance made Wang Sanhu laugh. "You never used to let anyone touch you before. Are you really this tired?"

Shen Yuan thought for a moment. It was true that the original owner disliked being touched, but it wasn't due to cleanliness—it was just his personality, uncomfortable with close contact.

Shen Yuan once again felt relieved. Thankfully, he hadn't tried to imitate the original owner's personality—these small details would have easily given him away.

"That's definitely because I wasn't tired enough back then," Shen Yuan earnestly made up an excuse.

Wang Sanhu laughed. "How did you get this tired? Want Brother Sanhu to carry you?"

Shen Yuan was tempted, but thinking about how Wang Sanhu had carried three burlap bags at a time and had given him half of his own pancake, he knew the man must also be exhausted. With a conscience, Shen Yuan shook his head. "No need, Brother Sanhu. Just pull me along."

Wang Sanhu was strong and had much more stamina than Shen Yuan. He nodded in agreement, and for the rest of the way, he practically dragged Shen Yuan forward.

When they got to the place to line up for their pay, the two were a little late, and a long line had already formed in front.

Shen Yuan was practically slumped over Wang Sanhu's back, letting Wang Sanhu pull him along as they shuffled forward; he didn't have a single bone of posture in him. Wang Sanhu didn’t push him off; instead, he felt rather pleased, sensing that they had grown much closer.

The line moved fairly quickly, and the clicking of the clerk’s abacus grew clearer and clearer to Shen Yuan.

“Sir! Sir! You can’t deduct it, sir!”

“Keep yapping and I’ll throw you into the river!”

From behind came an angry roar, along with the pleading voice of a laborer.

Hearing the commotion, Shen Yuan turned to look.

Not far away, wages were also being settled. A young, lean laborer was kneeling on the ground, desperately begging the clerk seated in a chair.

“Sir, I beg you, please show some mercy. If you deduct any more, my family will run out of food.”

The clerk snorted coldly, the fat on his face trembling. “What does your family running out of food have to do with me? Who told you to slack off and hide while moving goods? If you wanted more money, didn’t you know to carry a few more sacks? Now, because the unloading was delayed, the master said to deduct the pay. If you don’t pay up, should I, the official, pay out of my own pocket? Who do you think you are?”

The laborer knelt on the ground, wiping the tears from his face in distress. He had tried his best to move the goods, but he was simply too exhausted and weak. Working himself to the bone for a few measly coins wasn’t even enough to cover the deductions.

His children were wailing from hunger at home, waiting for his wages to buy grain for the pot.

What could he do?

“Sir, I beg you, you can’t deduct it, you can’t take the money…” The laborer didn’t know what else to say, only repeating the same pleas over and over, praying the clerk would show some leniency.

Annoyed by the crying and with a crowd still waiting behind, the clerk kicked the table aside and then gave the laborer a sharp kick, shouting angrily, “Are you deaf? Keep causing trouble and you won’t get any of the remaining money either!”

Hearing this, the laborer was terrified and quickly fell silent, afraid of losing even the little money he had left.

Shen Yuan watched the whole scene, feeling deeply upset. Making a living at the docks was tough; even when wages were unfairly docked, one could only swallow the injustice—there was simply no other way.

At the same time, he felt a pang of guilt.

Oh no, oh no… He had thought that since payment was calculated per sack, how much one carried was up to the laborer. It turned out that carrying too little and causing delays could also lead to deductions.

No wonder his previous self had worked until he collapsed, always carrying two sacks at a time.

He had only carried one sack each trip today—he was definitely going to get docked too…

“Shen Yuan from Dashu Village.”

It was Shen Yuan’s turn to collect his wages, and the call snapped him back to attention.

“First day: twenty wen, second day: twenty wen, third day: seven wen. Total: forty-seven wen.” The clerk handed Shen Yuan four strings of copper coins tied with hemp rope, plus seven loose coins. “Count them.”

Shen Yuan took the coins, somewhat surprised. “No deduction?”

Hearing his low exclamation, the clerk couldn’t help but sneer. “With the little you carried today, if I really deducted anything, do you think there’d be anything left?”

Shen Yuan felt a wave of relief, as if he had narrowly escaped disaster, and said happily, “Bro, you’re really a good person!”

The clerk frowned, his expression turning stern. “How many times do I have to tell you? Stop trying to get chummy. Take your money and leave quickly. Don’t block the way.”

“Sure thing, bro!” Shen Yuan pocketed the copper coins and slipped away.