mtl008 Chapter 355 Did she see that right?
Chapter 355 Did she see that right?
The man paused for a moment, then walked past her.
Lu Yangyang resisted the urge to turn around; her mind was in turmoil.
No, she didn't see wrong, did she?
Sheng Junyi?
Why is he here?
What is his purpose? What does he want to do? Who sent him? The Third Prince?
If she wasn't mistaken, the Third Prince must have a share in the secret salt trade at the salt mine. The Third Prince needed money to compete for the position of Crown Prince, and selling smuggled salt was the most profitable way to do so.
So what is Sheng Junyi trying to do here? Does the Third Prince have some ideas? Is he worried that the Yang family will cause trouble and wants to eliminate the Yang family to take over the business for himself?
Also, did he recognize her just now?
Lu Yangyang wasn't sure. The reason she could recognize Sheng Junyi at a glance was simply because his eyes were so recognizable. Although he had also made some disguises, he probably thought no one here knew him, so he just pasted two long scars on his brow bone. Although it slightly detracted from his appearance, someone like Sheng Junyi, even if he painted his face black, she couldn't possibly mistake his bone structure.
But now, thanks to Wen Qingqing and Jiang Zhiyi's superb makeup skills, apart from her figure remaining unchanged, her face is completely different. It's unclear what Wen Qingqing told Jiang Zhiyi, but using two different colors of beauty cream can not only change her skin tone and cover blemishes, but even visually alter her face shape. In short, she herself feels different when she looks in the mirror; she just doesn't know how discerning Sheng Junyi is.
As Lu Yangyang pondered this matter, Chang Hai led her into the room. The room was small, and one could see from one end to the other at a glance. In the middle sat a middle-aged man in a grand chair, with two beautiful young maids massaging his shoulders and back. Chang Hai bowed and scraped as he approached, saying, "Fifth Master, two people have been sent from my hometown. Could you please take a look and arrange a place for them? This young man's surname is Lu, and the other is A Xiang, the girl from my neighbor's house when I was a child."
The middle-aged man, known as Fifth Master, tapped his pipe to the side without even looking up, and said slowly, "Little Chang, you know the rules here. Don't bring just any Tom, Dick, or Harry. I'm tired today. You take them back."
Lu Yangyang clasped his hands and said loudly, "This humble one is Lu Wei. I have met Fifth Master. I would like to ask Fifth Master to give me a chance. I used to be an apprentice in a medical clinic for a few years. I can do all sorts of odd jobs."
Liu Xiang also took out a silver hairpin hidden in her sleeve, stepped forward and handed it to Chang Hai, whispering, "Brother Hai, please talk to Fifth Master for us again. My husband is very capable."
Chang Hai accepted the hairpin, but naturally dared not keep it himself. He immediately stepped forward and presented it to Fifth Master. Only then did Fifth Master raise his eyes, glancing at Lu Yangyang before his gaze fell on Liu Xiang's small face. His eyes lit up, then his pupils darted around. He picked up his pipe, took another puff, and nodded: "Alright, Xiao Chang, take him and make the arrangements. Steward Yang will be back tonight. Do you understand what I mean?"
Chang Hai understood instantly, nodding and bowing as he replied, "You don't trust me to handle things? I understand, I understand."
Fifth Master hummed in agreement, glanced at Liu Xiang one last time with some reluctance, and then dismissed them.
After Lu Yangyang and the others left, the maid who was massaging his legs asked curiously, "Fifth Master, since you like that girl so much, why didn't you keep her?"
Fifth Master grabbed her small hand: "Oh, I only need you two sisters. That girl is as delicate and pitiful as a flower. Our chief steward has a particular fondness for that kind of thing, so we have to let him have a taste first."
Chang Hai led them to one of the rows of sheds and walked to an empty shed: "Don't say I don't take care of my own people. In this salt field, there are more than ten people living in one shed. I've reserved a single room for you. Stay here for now."
Lu Yangyang tactfully slipped him a handful of copper coins, saying, "Thank you for helping me through this, Brother Chang. This isn't much, but please keep it. I'll repay you properly when I have the chance in the future."
Chang Hai looked at Lu Yangyang's sincere expression, the corners of his lips curled up, and he rubbed the copper coin in his hand, secretly laughing to himself. It seems that this silly boy really doesn't know why he was able to get in!
He said with a smile, "Come on, let me show you around first. You can read, right? I'll arrange a good job for you later. But since you're new, you can only work on the salt-scraping task for now. Once you've settled in for a few days, I'll transfer you to another job."
Lu Yangyang immediately expressed her gratitude: "Thank you, Brother Chang. I'll say a few words to A Xiang and then go with you."
Seeing that he didn't seem to suspect anything, Chang Hai generously said, "Okay, I'll wait for you outside. Hurry up."
Lu Yangyang nodded quickly.
After Chang Hai left, only Lu Yangyang and Liu Xiang remained in the cramped shed. The shed was a real thatched shed, built with a few pieces of wood, offering neither warmth nor moisture protection. It was less than the size of a single room, with nothing but a layer of damp straw spread haphazardly on the ground.
Liu Xiang said softly, "I grew up here. The whole family was crammed into a shed. The men went out to boil salt, while the women and children did washing and cleaning in the back. This was how salt farmers lived for generations. When they died, they were thrown into an abandoned salt pit and never left this place."
Her eyes were slightly red. At that time, everyone's wish was to get out of here and see the world. Even if they could never get rid of their status as kitchen workers, it would be good to be able to go out and explore.
But when she finally had the chance to leave, she ended up back here. She didn't know if her parents were still alive, or if they were just surviving in some shack here. She really couldn't imagine it, and she didn't know how to face them.
Lu Yangyang patted her shoulder and handed her a packet of medicine: "This is full of sleeping pills. They have designs on you. I may not be able to get back in time. Be careful when you use it and don't hurt yourself. I'll come back to find you after I find someone."
Liu Xiang knew this wasn't the time to think about those things, so she quickly nodded: "I have an older sister at Hongxiu Pavilion. She was sent here a few days ago. I'll try to find out where she is. During the day, this place is mostly filled with women and children, so it will be much easier. With her help, we'll definitely be able to find the other women who were sent here."
"Okay, be careful. If you encounter any danger, be sure to hide and wait for me to come back," Lu Yangyang instructed.
Liu Xiang nodded, touched: "I know, I will be careful."
Lu Yangyang then left.
Chang Hai was in a great mood when he saw that Lu Yangyang had come out so quickly. Without wasting a moment, he led her toward the salt field, as he was waiting to come back to take care of other things.
Lu Yangyang followed along and saw salt workers everywhere, their bodies tanned, shirtless, barefoot, and with blank expressions; some even had chains on their feet.
Chang Hai led Lu Yangyang to a beach covered in salt pits. Many people were pushing wooden carts, loading baskets of soil covered in salt frost onto them—this was Lu Yangyang's work for the day. Chang Hai casually beckoned to someone, snatched a shovel from his hand, and shoved it into Lu Yangyang's hands: "Go on, get to work!"
Lu Yangyang thanked him, took the shovel, and jumped into the salt pit. She pretended to shovel a few times, then quickly looked for Luo the Boss. Suddenly, a hand landed on her shoulder.