The vicious sun at summer's end dazzled the eyes until they could barely open.
More than a dozen ten-thousand-bushel ships flying merchant flags bearing the character "Yang" arrived at the docks of Ji Prefecture.
As soon as the fleet docked, the porters who had long been waiting swarmed aboard, hurriedly pulling away the rainproof tarpaulins on deck to reveal mountains of sacks beneath.
In an instant, the fresh scent unique to newly harvested grain spread across the docks. Countless people peered curiously at the "Yang" merchant flags, wondering which grain firm had such deep pockets that it could ship more than a dozen boatloads of new grain at once.
One young porter, confident in his youth and strength, shouldered two sacks at once and grunted his way off the ship. But as he crossed the gangplank, he failed to notice the muddy water underfoot and slipped. Before he even hit the ground, his heart sank. Please don't let me wrench my back. If I do, I'll have to rest for days again...
Just then, a pair of powerful arms, each thicker than an ordinary man's thigh, appeared behind him. One hand steadied the sacks on his shoulder, while the other supported his lower back.
Their owner helped him regain his footing and said with a warm chuckle, "Careful, young fellow. Don't hurt your back."
Once the young porter stood steady, he turned to find a broad-backed, burly man with a full beard smiling behind him. The man's black satin clothes gleamed lustrously in the sunlight and were plainly extremely expensive-but a large, dusty sack print now marked them.
Startled, the porter immediately tried to put down his sacks and apologize. "Sir, I-I-I..."
The bearded man held the sacks in place with one hand, preventing him from putting them down, and