Tea Merchants of the Song Dynasty

Chapter 154 Alone

Li Ji's words made Jiang Yin confused for a moment. She didn't understand why Li Ji asked her this question, so she also raised her own questions.

Li Ji smiled awkwardly and said, "I'm just asking, I don't have any other intentions."

It's so hard to be alone with Jiang Yin, so I have to seize the opportunity to strengthen our relationship.

Jiang Yin's mouth twitched slightly, and then he said casually: "It's possible at any time, maybe he will come later."

She paused and continued, "It's very hot at noon, and the porters will find a place to rest and eat dry food. We can pay more attention to them."

She raised her hand to wipe the sweat off her forehead. The weather was too hot. If it weren't for the mountain road where it was cooler than outside, it would probably be even hotter.

She looked at the thin porters carrying tall bricks of tea and sighed in her heart.

Porters carry tea, and those who carry less, such as a child, can only carry more than 30 kilograms.

But those who carry a lot and have good physical strength, such as young and middle-aged people, can carry more than 300 kilograms.

Porters carry a load of tea in groups of at least a few or as many as a hundred, led by a porter.

On the way, walk 'seven up, eight down, eleven on flat', that is, seven steps uphill, eight steps downhill, eleven steps on flat ground, and then use the T-shaped crutch for support to rest.

They had to stop to rest after walking only a few steps, so you can imagine how heavy the tea leaves they were carrying were.

But in life, everyone has their own different way of living.

Porters come out to earn this hard labor money, either voluntarily or forced to do so, it is their own choice.

Even if they want to help, they can only help for a while, not for a lifetime, so it is better to do nothing.

Li Ji lowered his eyes and looked at Jiang Yin, then picked up the fan in his hand to block the sun for Jiang Yin.

Jiang Yin waved her hand to refuse: "Cover it yourself, don't worry about me."

She is now dressed as a man. How can it be normal for a grown man to fan another grown man? Don’t you see that there are strange looks from people around?

"It doesn't matter, let them wait and see." Li Ji said calmly, "What happens to them has nothing to do with us."

He paused, looked at Jiang Yin, and then said, "Besides, with your stature, even a sharp-eyed person can tell that you are a woman."

Jiang Yin was small in stature, and she was only disguising herself as a man to fool others. Anyone with a discerning eye could tell that she was not a woman if they wanted to investigate further.

Jiang Yin's pupils shrank slightly, and he opened his mouth, unable to help but ask, "You mean, I'm a woman dressed as a man, so I can be easily recognized?"

You know, when she was in Huizhou before, she always disguised herself as a man and ran around with Su Shan, Li Qing and others.

If it is true as Li Ji said, then Su Shan and the others had already guessed that she was a woman, but did not expose her out of consideration for her feelings.

Li Ji paused, then said comfortingly: "It is easy to recognize, but it is probably because I am more familiar with you.

Besides, your coarse clothes don't suit you at all. It would be more natural if you changed into a fine robe."

Jiang Yin's temperament and appearance have little to do with this coarse cloth outfit.

Li Ji was still shielding Jiang Yin from the sun, and Jiang Yin simply let him do it. Then he waved his hand and said, "Forget it, if it doesn't look like a man, then it doesn't look like a man. Anyway, I don't want to pretend to be a man all my life."

As for Su Shan and Li Qing, she will tell them her true identity after things here are resolved.

Li Ji didn't say much, he just squinted his eyes and continued to block the sun for Jiang Yin.

The number of people on the road gradually increased, but they were scattered. Those who walked fast could rest for a longer time when they arrived at the rest area.

Those who walk slowly may need Li Ji to deal with them again just after they have taken a break.

At noon, the porters called on the porters to gather under the shade of the trees to enjoy the cool air.

Groups of people gathered together, and it was much more lively than before.

Jiang Yin and Li Ji chose a corner with few people to eat their dry food, and while eating they observed the behavior of the porters.

In order to avoid attracting attention, the dry food they ate was very simple, just steamed buns and side dishes.

Unfortunately, when the porters started to carry the tea and continued on their way, they did not notice anything unusual.

There were many people gathered here at this moment, so Jiang Yin and Li Ji did not chat anymore, but hurried on their way.

As they hurried on their journey, it was already night.

The mountain roads are rugged, so porters usually don't travel at night, but instead find a familiar place to rest for a night before continuing.

Familiar places include but are not limited to dilapidated temples and post stations built by the imperial court. However, this post station is not that post station.

The post station on the Tea-Horse Road was like a dilapidated temple, just an empty house that could barely provide shelter from the wind and rain, but it was enough for this purpose.

Jiang Yin and Li Ji didn't have much luggage, so they were able to travel easily. After they arrived at the ruined temple, they also chose an inconspicuous corner to hide in.

The people who came in later just glanced at them and didn't make any other moves.

After unloading the things on their backs, the people began to eat the dry food in groups of three or four. Some of them were more frugal and only drank some water to fill their stomachs, and did not eat the dry food.

Among those who refused to eat dry food, there was a little boy who was estimated to be ten years old.

Jiang Yin noticed him during the day. If he guessed correctly, this child was a porter.

Seeing him curled up alone in a corner not far away, like a wounded little animal licking its wounds secretly, Jiang Yin felt very uncomfortable.

She raised her hand and pushed Li Ji beside her, then nodded towards the little boy, signaling Li Ji to help.

Li Ji followed her gaze and said in silence, "You want to help him?"

He also noticed this child, but this kind of thing happened every day and he couldn't help.

However, Jiang Yin nodded and said, "Yes, I want to help him, and I'll have to trouble you to come forward."

Li Ji pondered for a moment, then raised his hand and waved to the man.

But the child seemed to have seen nothing and simply ignored Li Ji.

Li Ji's mouth twitched slightly, then he stood up and strode towards the little boy.

He stood there for a while, but the man still ignored him.

Helplessly, he could only squat down and look at the person who was huddled together, silently guarding the tea leaves.

Then, Li Ji took out a steamed bun from his sleeve and handed it to him.

He didn't say anything, but this time he could clearly feel the man moving.

"Why? Are you afraid it's poisonous?" Li Ji's voice was cold and he did not persuade him to accept it.

The person opposite him stiffened, then immediately snatched the bun from Li Ji's hand and stuffed it into his mouth with lightning speed.

He looked as if he hadn't eaten for hundreds of years.

"Eat slowly." Li Ji frowned and looked at the man with disapproval.

You don’t have to worry about choking when eating so fast.

Sure enough, just as he was thinking about this possibility, he choked.

He choked so hard that even people around him looked over.

Li Ji threw a kettle to him expressionlessly, then stood up and returned to Jiang Yin's side.

But after this incident, some people really started to pay attention to Jiang Yin and Li Ji.