The group left Bixia City, and in the suburbs, there were truly vast expanses of fruit orchards.

Su Li looked through the carriage window. There were many varieties. She sighed, "As expected of the land of sweet fruits."

Patches of pomelos, persimmons, and even grapes. In the orchards, fruit farmers were busy picking fruits.

Jun Mo smiled, "Let’s get off and take a look."

Su Li nodded, and the two got out of the carriage.

Mo Yang stepped forward and asked a fruit farmer who was picking pomelos, "Elder, can we pick some ourselves? We can pay more silver."

The fruit farmer looked at the group. Their noble attire suggested they were young masters and ladies passing by, wanting to experience the joy of picking.

"Of course, you can. Our fruits here are very sweet; you can pick one and try it first."

Su Li happily entered the orchard, picking ahead. Once picked, she handed them to Jun Mo.

The group picked a lot, filling a carriage, and had it sent to the capital.

Su Li and her group also took a considerable amount.

In the carriage, Su Li ate the pomelo she had personally picked, finding it a few shades sweeter than what she usually ate.

"Master, after a short distance, it will be the water route." Mo Yang’s voice came from outside the carriage.

Jun Mo looked at Su Li and asked, "Li’er, do you get seasick?" 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

Su Li shook her head. "No."

Jun Mo added, "This is not comparable to boating on a lake in the capital."

Su Li nodded, "In my previous life, my master and I traveled far, so I won’t get seasick."

"That’s good. We’ll be on the water for at least two days. If you got seasick, it would be difficult to bear."

After traveling for another half an hour, Su Li heard some commotion outside.

"Young Master, Young Mistress, we are about to take the water route."

Jun Mo lifted the curtain and got out of the carriage, then helped Su Li down.

This was a small ferry crossing, with over ten boats of various sizes docked.

Each boat flew a flag with a large character ’Qin’ on it.

"Hey, where are you going? For short distances, take that small boat over there," a bearded man shouted loudly at them.

Mo Yang replied, "To Juishui City."

"Juishui City? That’ll take two days and two nights. Are all of you going?" the man asked.

Mo Yang nodded, "Yes, all nine of us are going."

"Alright, then take the largest boat over here. Go on."

Mo Yang asked, "Can we charter the boat?"

Before the boat owner could reply, a person sitting on a nearby boat answered.

"No way! This boat only departs every seven days. If you charter it, won’t we have to wait another seven days?"

"Exactly! So what if you have money! You still need to see if you’ll even make it to Juishui City alive."

Mo Yu angrily said, "What do you mean by that?"

At this moment, an older-looking man said, "Young man, he doesn’t mean anything else. Between Bixia and Juishui, people often encounter water disasters. It happens three or four times out of ten."

Mo Yu was greatly surprised. "That ominous?"

"Sigh, everyone says there’s a water monster at Bixia River. Unless absolutely necessary, and only by taking the water route, who would be willing to joke with their lives?"

Mo Yang looked at Jun Mo and asked, "Young Master, should we take a detour?"

Jun Mo frowned. "If we take a detour, a three-day journey will take more than ten days."

Su Li lowered her voice. "I’ve also heard a little about the Bixia River water monster. Some people have even turned these incidents into horror stories. At that time, I also checked some books. These frequent water disasters started three years ago, and there’s one suspicious point."

Jun Mo asked, "What’s the suspicious point?"

"That is, every water disaster only happens on longer water routes. And almost all the victims are travelers on boats. The boat owners and helmsmen usually manage to escape."

Mo Yang guessed, "Could it be that most travelers can’t swim, while boat owners and helmsmen can, so naturally their chances of escaping are higher?"

"That possibility cannot be ruled out," Su Li nodded.

"There’s another possibility: these water disasters are man-made. Otherwise, why are short-distance boat passengers unharmed?" Jun Mo analyzed.

Su Li looked at him and said, "I thought so too. Usually, passengers who spend several days on a boat, whether they’re going for business or moving south with their families, will carry a large amount of money."

Mo Feng, who had been silent, said, "Young Mistress means this is murder for profit?"

"Of course, this is just my guess. Let’s be vigilant once we get on the boat."

Jun Mo asked, "Li’er, can you swim?"

Su Li nodded. "Yes."

In her previous life, she was plotted against and fell into the water, encountering Zhao Huai’an.

In this life, as soon as she was reborn, she began to learn to swim, to avoid being plotted against again.

Jun Mo said, "Whether it’s man-made or something else, this king will protect you well."

"Hey, are you getting on the boat or not?" A voice came, urging them.

Mo Yang replied, "We’re coming."

The group boarded the boat, only to find that it was indeed quite large, with two decks.

At this moment, a helmsman came over and said, "From your appearance, you should want to stay on the upper deck. It’s twice as expensive up there."

Mo Yang looked at the murky surroundings below and said, "We’ll stay on the upper deck."

Jun Mo led Su Li forward, and Mo Yang, after paying the silver, followed them.

As expected of a price twice as high, once they reached the upper deck, they felt a sense of peace and quiet. There were also significantly fewer people.

The stern of the boat was less prone to rocking, so Mo Yang paid a high price, and the group settled in the stern.

Jun Mo and Su Li entered their room, finding it small but complete with all necessities.

Su Li chuckled, "Mo Yang being so flashy with his wealth, if our guess is correct, they’ve probably already been targeted."

"If our guess is correct, then their encounter with us means their lives are coming to an end!" A cold glint flashed in Jun Mo’s eyes.

Su Li surveyed the small room. Their location was good, and there was a small window.

Su Li opened the window and propped it with a wooden stick.

The stuffy feeling immediately lessened considerably.

"Ziyan, come look."

Jun Mo walked over and looked outside with her.

At this moment, the boat hadn’t yet departed. On the pier’s deck, a dozen burly men, dressed as helmsmen, were gathered in a circle, seemingly discussing something.

Finally, they carried a large wooden box onto the boat.

Su Li pulled her head back. "Tonight, let’s find an opportunity to investigate what’s in that wooden box."

Even if they planned to make a move, it wouldn’t be tonight. It would likely be tomorrow night, when the boat was in the middle of the river.

Jun Mo nodded. "I’ll arrange it."

Soon, the boat swayed, and Su Li almost stumbled.

Jun Mo pulled her, holding her protectively in his arms.

"The boat has left the shore."

At this moment, Mo Yun brought in Su Li’s belongings and arranged them for her.

She replaced the tea with the Mengding Ganlu tea Su Li was accustomed to, and the chessboard was also placed on the small table.

"Young Mistress, you must be feeling neglected," Mo Yun said, after arranging the items and looking around the room.

If Siqin and Zhishu Mowu were here, they would certainly serve the Young Mistress impeccably.

She wasn’t good at taking care of people, nor at making pastries. Wasn’t she neglecting the Young Mistress?

Su Li said softly, "This is already very good. I didn’t expect our Mo Yun to be so meticulous."

Mo Yun’s face warmed slightly. "Then, this subordinate will take her leave. Young Master, Young Mistress, please call me if you need anything."

Su Li nodded, and Mo Yun left the room.

Jun Mo sat by the small table, took a sip of tea, and said, "Li’er, let’s play a game."

The two sat by the window, drinking tea and playing chess. Outside the window, the vast river flowed, creating a very leisurely atmosphere.

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