The aroma of cooking filled the house: I sent my eldest brother to become the Grand Secretary.

March 1st.

Clear skies.

sunny.

When she woke up early, Shen Cao could even hear the chirping of sparrows returning from the south.

Emerald green shoots sprouted from the branches.

Shen Cao was dressed in light green men's clothing, and her hair was tied up on top of her head.

Ji Lingfeng, dressed in black, stood beside Shen Cao.

When Grandma Zhou saw Shen Cao's attire, she felt a pang of sympathy.

She had already learned everything about what was happening at the dock from her son a couple of days ago.

I never imagined someone could be so vicious, hurting people without even understanding the situation.

But looking at Shen Cao's radiant appearance, she seemed unaffected by what had happened before.

But who is that little girl next to Shen Cao?

She seemed very attached to her, unlike her sister who had visited the Zhou residence before.

Shen Cao pulled Wan Yue to Grandma Zhou's side.

"Grandmother, this is my friend and my dear sister, Wanyue."

"Greetings, Grandmother!" Wanyue greeted Shen Cao sweetly.

Wanyue, the name seems somewhat familiar.

Princess Wanyue, the child's name is the same as Princess Wanyue's title.

She had no idea that the dignified Princess Wanyue was the person standing in front of her.

Although they are about the same age, this place is a long way from the capital.

Princess Wanyue could not possibly be in a place so far from the capital.

The group traveled to the dock in a carriage belonging to the Zhou family.

The Zhou family's carriage appeared at the dock without attracting anyone's attention.

Countless horse-drawn carriages come and go at the dock every day, and the Zhou family also needs to come to the dock occasionally for business.

After Shen Cao and his group arrived at the dock, they got off the carriage.

The sound of seagulls on the shore.

The distant shouts of dockworkers.

Occasionally, you can hear their shouts and calls as you pass by.

Grandma Zhou rarely came to the dock, but she had seen the dock before.

Now, the once empty spaces on both sides of the dock have been transformed into neat rows of stalls.

It stretches as far as the eye can see.

The area behind the stall was empty; it was probably used to place tables, chairs, and benches.

What surprised her most was that there was a long bamboo pipe on the highest step behind the stalls, with drainage outlets provided for each stall.

Clean water is flowing out of the drain.

The water flows through the drain into the stone troughs in each stall's basin.

It is very convenient for washing dishes or washing hands.

The sewage was discharged along the original channel.

This design is very convenient.

After walking for a short while, their group attracted the attention of other people.

Many people noticed Grandma Zhou, and some even recognized Wei Siyu.

[Isn't this Grandma Zhou? I heard she wasn't feeling well a while ago, but it seems she's better now. Thank goodness!]

It's Grandma Zhou, it's her. I survived back then thanks to the porridge she gave me. She's such a kind person.

[Grandma Zhou's health has improved; good deeds are truly rewarded.]

Many people came over to greet Grandma Zhou.

Supported by Granny Zhang, Old Madam Zhou greeted everyone with a kind smile.

"Grandma Zhou, are you feeling better? I heard you weren't feeling well a while ago, and my husband was so worried he went to the temple to burn incense," an old man, about fifty or sixty years old, pushing a cart, asked loudly with concern.

Grandma Zhou didn't speak, she just smiled and nodded.

"Thank you all for your concern. My mother was indeed unwell for a while, but thankfully she is now fully recovered thanks to God's blessing."

【That's good!】

Those around her were relieved to hear that Grandma Zhou's health had improved significantly.

Some of them were busy going from street to street, and left after hearing about it.

Some people, having nothing else to do, strolled leisurely along the dock with Shen Cao and the others.

Shen Cao has now truly witnessed the charm of Old Mrs. Zhou.

In her previous life, her popularity would have been comparable to that of an idol star.

No wonder Wei Siyu said she wanted Grandma Zhou to vouch for them; then the matter at the docks would definitely be fine.

On the dock, a group of people dressed in matching outfits were walking towards Shen Cao and his group.

As Wei Siyu walked, she introduced the setup of each stall to Grandma Zhou.

This isn't the young master of the Wei family; it's said he's also involved in things at this dock.

Yes, that's him. I saw him at the docks a while ago, pulling people aside to introduce himself.

[How come Old Mrs. Zhou is with the young master of the Wei family? Could it be that Old Mrs. Zhou also wants to run a stall at the dock?]

[Grandma Zhou isn't that kind of person.]

Grandma Zhou was eager to know if the stalls at the dock were truly profitable.

[It's possible. Look at how Grandma Zhou is nodding as she listens; she must be very satisfied.]

Actually, I went to that little house before and inquired about it; I have to say, it was really tempting. But my wife disagrees; she's afraid it's a scam.

Me too, my wife is also worried I'll get scammed.

A group of people were chattering away.

Soon, a group of neatly dressed people walked into the crowd.

They recognized Wei Siyu.

He walked up to Wei Siyu and asked, "Young Master Wei, has anything happened here?"

"That's what the leader asked."

Wei Siyu nodded, "Captain Li, it's alright. I'll just accompany Grandma Zhou for a stroll around the dock today."

“These people are all with us, and no one is causing trouble.”

Captain Li quickly surveyed the people around him. When he saw Ji Lingfeng, he paused for a moment, but quickly recovered.

Seeing Shen Cao dressed in men's clothing, he paused for a moment, then nodded and greeted her.

After confirming that there was no danger in the surrounding area, Captain Li and his men said goodbye to Grandma Zhou and went on patrol again.

Grandma Zhou was somewhat surprised. She recognized the uniforms of the yamen runners; they were completely different from those of the others from before.

Who are these people?

Shen Cao smiled and explained, "Grandmother, these people are from the Axe Gang."

"The Axe Gang?" Old Mrs. Zhou was even more shocked. The Axe Gang members were all fierce and menacing. She had heard of them before, but the person just now was clearly very friendly.

“Grandmother, we’ve reached an agreement with the Axe Gang to let them take charge of security at the docks.”

"You know how bad the security is at the docks. Even the government can't control it, but the Axe Gang has a way of dealing with it."

"With their addition, no one will cause trouble at the docks anymore."

So that's why Shen Cao said there was no need when she said she wanted to bring some guards.

When she arrived at the dock, she found that there were indeed no troublemakers there.

She actually thought of cooperating with the Axe Gang; she really is a courageous girl.

Thinking about it this way, it's no wonder she charges rent; the maintenance of these facilities and the management of the dock all require money.

After walking for a while, she noticed that every few stalls there was a small pavilion that was different from the stalls, which seemed to be a place for people to rest.

"What is this little pavilion?"

"There is usually one person stationed in this pavilion to manage the chores such as keeping the stalls in front of him clean."

"Because the dock is not yet open, there is no one here right now."

Grandma Zhou nodded; Shen Cao had even thought of hygiene.

As she looked around, she nodded more and more frequently.