Song Qingshu's expression was so strange because he vaguely remembered that, in the original story, Ruan Xingzhu had lived in seclusion near Mirror Lake. Among Duan Zhengchun's several lovers, she had never had much of a presence. She could not compare to Li Qingluo's ravishing beauty or Dao Baifeng's ethereal grace, and even compared with Qin Hongmian and Gan Baobao, she was not especially outstanding.
What left the deepest impression was that she was skilled in watercraft and was the mother of the sisters A Zhu and A'zi. As for her family background, it had never been mentioned. There had only been a few brief words saying she came from a prominent family with extremely strict rules. Terrified after becoming pregnant out of wedlock, she could only entrust A Zhu and A'zi to others to raise, directly causing the sisters' tragedy.
Who would have thought that in this world, she had transformed into the matriarch of the Ruan family, the Number One Imperial Merchant?
Song Qingshu had initially worried that he might have guessed wrong, but considering that Li Qingluo could be the White Lotus Holy Mother, Ruan Xingzhu's current identity no longer seemed all that surprising.
"According to how the plot developed, A Zhu and A'zi should have already met their mother, right?" Song Qingshu was intensely curious, wondering whether they knew about her identity as their mother.
"Or perhaps I guessed wrong... Hmm, I still need to verify it before it counts." Song Qingshu asked the boatman, "Would they take passengers aboard such a large ship?"
The boatman understood what he meant and shook his head like a rattle-drum. "They're the Number One Imperial Merchant. Do they lack that tiny bit of passenger fare? Don't even think about it."
Song Qingshu smiled faintly. "Not necessarily."
As they spoke,