The seafood shipped by the Zheng family finally arrived.
Five enormous ships, heavy with their haul, sailed into port one after another. From a distance alone, the smell of the ocean seemed to roll in ahead of them.
In order to properly honor the value of the Divine Bell, the Zheng clan had mobilized an entire fleet of fishing vessels and thrown themselves into a frenzied campaign at sea. Nets were cast day and night. Hooks were dropped without rest. Before long, prized catches such as abalones thick as palms, giant lobsters with armor-like shells, and massive tuna were piled high in the holds of five twenty-meter junks.
Even after dispatching such a bounty, the Zheng family still felt vaguely uneasy. To coastal fishermen, five ships of seafood were impressive but not unimaginable. The sea, after all, was their granary.
But the Divine Bell that Mr. Li had given them was something else entirely. That was no ordinary object. That was a treasure that touched the realm of the gods.
So the five ships were escorted carefully to Zhoushan Dinghai Port and presented in full before Li Daoxuan.
Now it was his turn to feel troubled.
He stood at the dock, staring at mountains of abalone, lobster, and tuna overflowing from the five vessels, and for once even he did not know whether to laugh or cry.
There was simply too much.
No matter how enthusiastic a foodie might be, there were limits imposed by a single human stomach. Before he could finish even a fraction of this, half of it would begin to spoil. The mere thought of five ships of seafood rotting under the sun made his chest tighten. What kind of culinary sin would that be?
Keeping them alive posed its own problems. This was the Ming Dynasty. There were no modern aquaculture systems, no oxygen pumps, no refrigerated transport. Relying solely on the experience of fishermen would not prevent heavy losses. At least half would still perish along the way.
Li Daoxuan rubbed his forehead and let out a long groan. Having too much at once, he realized, could be just as agonizing as having none at all.
Whenever confronted with absurd dilemmas like this, he preferred to consult what he liked to call the wisdom of strangers.
He opened his favorite history and military forum and posted anonymously.
"Hypothetical scenario. If you time traveled to the Ming Dynasty and ended up with five ships full of fresh seafood on the coast, far more than you could personally consume, what would you do?"
A reply appeared almost instantly.
"Any giant octopi in there? Could get creative with them and impress the ladies."
Another user responded immediately.
"Where are the moderators? Please escort the gentleman on the first floor out of the premises."
A third comment appeared.
"Fill the ship's hold with seawater and keep the seafood alive inside. Transport it inland and sell it. You'll make a fortune."
Someone else countered.
"The mortality rate would be terrible. Even today, with oxygenation equipment, there's still some loss. In the Ming Dynasty they don't have any of that. The losses during transport would be astronomical."
The previous commenter replied without hesitation.
"Then raise the price. If losses are high, just charge ten times more."
The speaker had not meant much by it. The listener, however, took the idea seriously.
Li Daoxuan leaned back in his chair and thought it through. He could not eat it all himself. Through his proxy, he would only taste a fleeting fraction. Letting the rest go to waste would be unforgivable. It would be far better to send these treasures back to Gao Family Village and let everyone share in the feast.
The only obstacle was oxygenation during transport.
True enough, such equipment did not exist in the historical Ming Dynasty. But the Ming inside his box was no longer purely historical. Gao Family Village already possessed steam powered water pumps. If they could draw water with steam, could they not also push air into it?
He immediately summoned Young Master Bai and Wang Zheng.
"Blowing air into water," Young Master Bai repeated thoughtfully, stroking his chin. "Our steam powered pumps draw water upward using pressure. If we reverse the principle, instead of drawing in, we force air downward."
Wang Zheng nodded, smiling as the idea took shape. "The divine ships granted by Dao Xuan Tianzun are powered by celestial electric motors. We can divert a small portion of that rotational force through a shaft, connect it to a pipe system, and install aeration nozzles inside the cargo holds. As long as the ship is moving, the motor turns. As the motor turns, the air flows. Continuous oxygenation."
Neither man was fond of empty talk. Once the concept was clear, they immediately set artisans to work.
Since the power source already existed, they only needed to add shafts, pipes, and sealed compartments. In less than half a day, the system was complete.
The five ships of seafood from the Zheng family were carefully transferred into the sealed holds of Gao Family Village's river sea vessels. The compartments were filled with seawater, pipes inserted, joints secured.
When the ships set into motion, the pipes began to gurgle. Streams of air bubbled steadily through the tanks.
Li Daoxuan watched the bubbles rise and felt his mood brighten considerably.
"Excellent. Set sail immediately. Transport everything back."
Who would dare delay the decree of Dao Xuan Tianzun?
Several river sea vessels departed at once, their holds alive with the restless motion of marine treasure, heading inland toward Shaanxi.
Several days later.
Luoyang. Xiaolangdi Naval Base.
Bai Yuan rose early, as he always did. The morning sun shone warmly, the river surface glittering like scattered gold. Everything looked pleasant. Yet fatigue clung to him from the moment he opened his eyes.
He exhaled slowly.
"I am getting old," he murmured.
When he first arrived at Gao Family Village in the seventh year of Tianqi, he had been just over forty, in his prime, strong enough to fight without fear. Now it was the ninth year of Chongzhen. Ten years had passed in what felt like a single breath. Threads of white had crept into his hair.
"I wonder how many years I still have left to busy myself," he thought quietly, "and whether I will live to see peace beneath heaven."
As he stood there in contemplation, one of the animated statues of Dao Xuan Tianzun approached, accompanied by Gao Yiye. The statue lifted a hand in greeting.
"Bai Yuan, good morning."
Bai Yuan immediately bowed deeply.
"Greetings, Dao Xuan Tianzun. Greetings, Saintess."
Even at fifty, he never neglected the rites among the Six Arts of a gentleman. Respect came naturally to him.
"Dao Xuan Tianzun, Saintess," he asked, straightening, "what brings you to the Naval Base so early? Are there important instructions?"
Li Daoxuan's proxy chuckled softly.
"Nothing especially important. Some good things are about to arrive."
Bai Yuan blinked, puzzled.
"Come. Let us wait at the dock."
Holding Gao Yiye's hand, Li Daoxuan led him toward the waterfront.
The dock was already lively despite the early hour. Ships came and went in steady rhythm. Sailors shouted. Porters hauled cargo. It felt less like a military base and more like a bustling marketplace.
Merchant vessels from upstream and downstream increasingly converged here. Some belonged to Gao Family Village's own network. Others were independent traders drawn by profit.
From Gao Family Village, Xi'an, and Puzhou came goods such as the famed Warm and Sleepy wool sweaters, cotton knitwear from the textile mills, pottery from Yaotou Kiln, and delicate glassware from the village's glass workshop.
Independent merchants brought their own wares from along the Yellow River, exchanging curiosities and regional specialties for the unique products of Gao Family Village.
The Warm and Sleepy sweaters in particular had become legendary. Within Dao Xuan Tianzun's territories they were already a staple. Beyond those borders, they were regarded as rare marvels. In Jiangnan, where wool was scarce, people examined them as though touching something almost magical.
As Li Daoxuan reached the edge of the dock, he noticed a large ship being loaded with cargo.
The goods were unusual.
Crates upon crates of bottles and jars were being carried aboard. Each jar bore a red label with bold characters reading: Dao Xuan Seafood Soy Sauce.
Gao Yiye pointed toward the vessel, a hint of pride in her voice.
"Dao Xuan Tianzun, this is the celestial soy sauce you bestowed upon us. The factories in Luoyang have already bottled it. It is being shipped to Jiangnan."
Li Daoxuan stepped closer and picked up one bottle from an open crate. He turned it slightly in his hand, admiring the label.
"Make a note," he said lightly. "I am taking one bottle. It will prove useful very soon."
The smile in his eyes suggested that somewhere, someone's taste buds were about to experience a revelation.