The east bank was guarded so tightly that no one was allowed anywhere near it. From time to time, tightly sealed carriages drove inside, then rolled lightly out on their two wheels. Once, on a very rare occasion, he thought he heard faint crying from within, but the next instant someone kicked him to the ground, pointed a blade at him, and told him to get lost. On another occasion, he heard someone showing off an official waist token and saying something about the "Golden Guards."
The west bank had no such prohibition against approaching, but the transport river narrowed there. No boats moored on that side, so naturally no one went there.
Only after working there for four years did Zhang Ercai learn that a large ship would dock there late at night.
It was the first month after he had brought the neighbor's second son to work with him. The young man was in his early twenties, had accomplished nothing in his studies, and was no good at martial arts either, spending his days idling about with wandering swordsmen. Fortunately, he was fairly sturdy, so his older neighbor had entrusted him with finding the boy a livelihood.
Who could have known that he would make a mistake in his very first month?
Chapter 496: Chasing the Sail
It was a rainy evening. Rain struck the river all around, shrouding it in mist, and any light a little way off became a hazy glowing blur.
Many ships had come that day, and with the rain as well, work inevitably dragged on past dark. The overseer seemed somewhat irritable, constantly urging them to carry the loads faster. After finishing one trip, Zhang Ercai thought he saw someone even higher up arrive, with the chief overseer standing behind him.
Half a