The woman's voice was gentle without losing its sense of propriety, carrying a slight panic, but her articulation made Chuck feel somewhat strange.
And as her words fell, Chuck slowly furrowed his brows.
Yaoguang Society... merchant ship...
Two highly unusual nouns, yet their appearance in this situation felt exceptionally logical.
A woman suspected to be from ancient times, with rough palms, not looking like she came from a wealthy and influential family, yet dressed exquisitely and carrying a clearly valuable wooden box.
Not a commoner, nor likely from a noble house.
A merchant was indeed the only explanation.
A merchant traveling by sea on a merchant ship, instinctively clutching her most precious wealth when encountering a storm, and ultimately arriving here with the waves after the shipwreck.
Unfortunately, if this were an ordinary small island, perhaps wreckage of the shipwreck or bodies of other crew members would have washed ashore along with this woman in ancient clothing. But on this otherworldly island where not even a mineral water bottle could be seen, Chuck could only give her an honest answer.
"Sorry, I've only seen you, haven't seen your ship."
"..."
The bedroom fell into a long silence once again.
Chuck wasn't in a hurry either, just standing at the door waiting patiently.
Although they had never met before, Chuck still had the most basic respect for a stranger.
Anyone experiencing a disaster for the first time and waking up on a strange island needs time to accept the current situation; even Chuck himself was no exception.
Everyone's psychological quality and ability to accept things are different, so the time needed to recover from the initial shock also varies. But it seemed this female merchant from ancient times indeed possessed a psychological quality befitting her status.
"I just suffered a disaster... my mind is still unsettled. Please forgive my lack of manners, Young Master Chuck."
The woman's voice was still gentle and reserved, but with less of the panic from earlier. Chuck nodded: "It's fine. How should I address you?"
"This humble woman's surname is Liu, a manager of the Yaoguang Society in Suzhou Prefecture City. My lowly name is unworthy of your ears, sir."
"So it's Miss Liu."
Chuck turned his head and saw that the women who had been gathered around the dining table had already dispersed, seeing that the situation wasn't developing.
Rustling sounds came from the bedroom again. After a short while, the woman's voice rang out again.
"May I boldly ask, sir, whose... port territory is this?"
"There is no port. If you must know, this is my small island, my territory."
"..."
Whether she was shocked by this answer, worried about her own situation because of it, or both, this woman surnamed Liu fell into a long silence again. However, this time, Chuck finally lost his patience.
He didn't hesitate anymore and stepped directly into the bedroom. Then, amidst a gasp of surprise, he made eye contact with this woman surnamed Liu suspected of coming from ancient times.
The surging waves originally hidden beneath the cyan satin were now replaced by a set of loose linen clothing. The woman curled up her body, hiding in the corner of the large bed against the wall, using a blanket to cover her explosively fleshy body. But no matter how she blocked it, those overly undulating curves simply couldn't be concealed.
"Young Master Chuck! This humble woman is still resting... What is the meaning of this??"
Looking at the woman surnamed Liu's terrified and astonished gaze, Chuck remained expressionless, responding plainly: "I told you, this is my territory. Every brick and tile, including this bed you're lying on, was built by my own hands. So why bother asking?"
By today, Chuck's experience in dealing with women was already incredibly rich. Whether in bed or out of bed, regardless of what country they came from or what kind of personality they had, different women required different approaches. Of course, the final result was no different.
Therefore, after respecting her basic human rights, the first thing Chuck needed to do was see what kind of woman she was.
At the same time, let her know what kind of man he was.
Upon hearing Chuck's response, the woman surnamed Liu was stunned at first. After her expression changed several times, she didn't make a big fuss. Instead, maintaining her posture of covering her body, the gaze she directed at Chuck gradually calmed down.
"It was this humble woman who was abrupt... Young Master Chuck."
Neither obsequious nor supercilious, truly an authentic merchant.
This woman actually really came from ancient times.
Chuck narrowed his eyes, then smiled and waved his hand.
"It's fine. Feeling any better?"
"Thanks to Young Master Chuck's care."
"Very good."
Chuck nodded, didn't advance further, and spread his hands.
"I presume we both have many questions we want to ask each other. Since you're alright, then come with me. I'll wait for you outside."
"...Where to?"
"This is an island. For someone visiting for the first time, the scenery should be quite nice."
Leaving this sentence behind, Chuck said no more, turned around, and walked out of the bedroom.
...
Admittedly, based on everything so far, there was still a certain possibility that this woman surnamed Liu was a fanatic Hanfu and ancient culture enthusiast, immersed in her own setting of being a female merchant running a silk business in a Jiangnan water town during a feudal society...
But whether looking at her face or her figure that could be called cow-like, this woman's age was probably in her early thirties. She was a mature woman close in age to Yitong and Janet.
And in modern society, for a woman at this age to still have chuunibyou (eighth-grader syndrome) without a family background rich enough to support her living a pampered life, is almost impossible.
Half an hour later, on the eastern beach.
Right on the sandy beach where Momo found the woman surnamed Liu, Chuck and the linen-clad woman surnamed Liu strolled slowly side by side, keeping a two-body distance between them.
Walking out from his deserted island residence, seeing this tropical small island and everything he had built, the reaction shown by this female merchant from ancient times was actually the plainest Chuck had ever seen.
Regarding this, Chuck somewhat expected it.
In that era lacking technology, everything was created from scratch. This pure feeling was full of shock for the other women in the house who came from modern times, but for the woman surnamed Liu, it was a matter of common occurrence.
For her, compared to the stone house, artificial cave, and Chuck's farm on this deserted island, the island itself, and those few Caucasian foreign women with white skin and green eyes in the surrounding crowd, seemed to have more impact.
Where... exactly is this place?
Could it be that after her merchant ship capsized in a storm at sea, she actually drifted with the ocean currents to the legendary far west?
Right now, the only one who could answer this question was this mysterious yet suspicious man in front of her...
But just as the woman surnamed Liu was about to take the initiative to ask, Chuck's voice broke the silence between them first.
"Although it might be a bit strange to ask, what year is it this year?"
The woman surnamed Liu paused in her steps, turning her head to look at Chuck with a strange gaze. But after hesitating for a moment, she ultimately answered truthfully.
"...The tenth year of Yuanhe."
So it's the tenth year of Yuanhe.
Haha.
So what fucking year is that?
Ignoring the woman's strange gaze, Chuck, left with no choice, had to elevate the question again.
"Alright, then what dynasty?"
"...Dynasty?"
The woman surnamed Liu's expression grew even stranger.
Looking at her expression, Chuck stroked his chin and finally thought of a suitable way to ask.
"How about this, last question, what nationality are you?"
"Young Master Chuck, surely you're not joking with this humble woman?"
The astonishment on the woman surnamed Liu's face quickly faded, replaced by a polite smile, as if playing along with the unfunny joke Chuck told. Pursing her red lips, she spoke softly.
"Besides being subjects of the Great Tang, could you and I possibly have any other identity?"
Finally figured it out.
Chuck nodded, didn't answer, but let out a long breath.
The Tang Dynasty. Although the span was still very large, for Chuck, knowing this was enough.
Since she had arrived on this deserted island, whether she came from the Great Tang or the Great Han, whether her identity was a merchant or a princess, this woman surnamed Liu would completely bid farewell to everything in the past, just like Chuck and the other women.
Regardless of whether she was willing or not.
"Young Master Chuck, although we've just met, this humble woman has a proposal I wish to discuss with you."
Although the matters Chuck wanted to understand had ended, clearly, as a female merchant, even in a completely unknown territory, facing a completely strange man, she was still able to find a business opportunity.
It's just a pity that even though she had only just started, Chuck already knew that no matter what she wanted to use as chips, the things she wanted didn't exist on this deserted island.
But Chuck still gave her a chance to speak. After all, he didn't dislike making "trades" with women.
Especially one with such big breasts, and an authentic ancient beauty to boot.
"My Yaoguang Society deals in the business of cloth and silk. Although our family circumstances cannot be considered wealthy, we do have some small wealth. Unfortunately, commerce at sea is fraught with unpredictable events. Having unfortunately fallen into distress here now, if I can obtain the Young Master's assistance to help me return to Suzhou Prefecture City, I am willing to thank you with a heavy gift of a hundred catties of pure gold!"
Chuck didn't interrupt, just watching the woman surnamed Liu finish. Then she raised her hands and actually bowed to him. The corners of his eyes twitched instantly, finding it somewhat both funny and exasperating.
All along, Chuck had always controlled everything in negotiations, because on this deserted island, he possessed absolute power and resource advantages.
But this time, Chuck was momentarily lost for words.
Agree to her proposal? Even with his cheat, he didn't have that ability.
Refuse? Then he had to give a reason for refusing. But even if he kindly told the truth, it would only make this woman more vigilant, which wouldn't help in taking her in for his own use in the future.
Therefore, unable to find words to respond, he could only smile slightly.
"A very good proposal, Miss Liu. I will consider it seriously."
"..."
Seeing Chuck's noncommittal attitude, the woman surnamed Liu's smile ultimately stiffened for a moment, but she still nodded and said no more.
Sometimes, letting others slowly discover the truth themselves is wiser than presumptuously instilling it in them.
...
Temporarily brushing off the woman surnamed Liu's request, delaying for two or three days shouldn't be a problem. As for subsequent matters, he would talk about them later.
And as the two continued their conversation, Chuck also learned her full name—Liu Siyao.
Despite appearing very astonished and her cheeks inexplicably blushing when asked by Chuck, after hesitating, Liu Siyao ultimately still informed him.
It was also after seeing her reaction that Chuck realized with hindsight that in that era, it was inconvenient for women to tell their fragrant names to outsiders.
But obviously, to engage in commerce in a feudal society as a woman, Liu Siyao was not an ordinary woman either. Plus, the social atmosphere of the Tang Dynasty was relatively more open compared to other dynasties. So their subsequent conversation was unexpectedly smooth.
Returning from the beach, along the way, Chuck briefly introduced the facilities around the residence to her, as well as some basic information about the small island. Liu Siyao also roughly told him about her situation when she met with disaster. She said it was on the third day after setting sail that they encountered an extraordinary storm at sea. The final result was that the entire ship was overturned by giant waves and completely sank into the bottomless ocean.
So she was very clear in her heart that her merchant ship had already sunk. Asking Chuck was merely wanting to see if anyone else on the ship survived besides herself.
It's just that when Chuck asked about her purpose for going to sea, Liu Siyao evaded and didn't speak. Seeing this, Chuck didn't press the matter. After all, even if matters of the Tang Dynasty were bigger than the sky, they really had nothing to do with him, and even had nothing to do with the current Liu Siyao anymore.
She just didn't know it yet.
But since she was temporarily trapped on this unnamed small island and had no way to return home relying on her own strength, Liu Siyao could only temporarily accept this reality, and simultaneously accepted Chuck's goodwill.
Lending her the wooden bed Janet had personally built in the storage room temporarily, and placing it on the innermost side of the artificial cave. Despite the limited conditions, Liu Siyao, who seemed to have endured much hardship already, had no complaints about this. Instead, she was polite and thanked him profusely again, which actually made Chuck feel somewhat helpless for a moment.
Our ancestors' culture is indeed extensive and profound, but regarding etiquette, it is indeed somewhat cumbersome.
However, upon stepping into the artificial cave and inadvertently seeing the mulberry leaves neatly stacked on wooden trays by the wall, and the silkworms slowly wriggling and eating amidst the layers of leaves, that mature face finally revealed visible surprise for the first time.
"Young Master Chuck... so you are also in the cloth and silk business?"
"If this little bit of silkworms could also be used for business, wouldn't it be a bit too hasty?"
Hearing Chuck's answer, Liu Siyao nodded thoughtfully. She walked over to those silkworms and observed for a moment before turning her head and speaking again.
"This deserted island is isolated from the mortal world, and everything must be done by oneself. Young Master Chuck, it was this humble woman who was abrupt."
"It's fine."
"However, I see the breed of silkworms in Young Master Chuck's hands is one I have never seen before. I am somewhat curious about this silk. Young Master Chuck, would it be possible for me to observe the finished silk fabric?"
"Of course you can, but it's getting late, and I have other things to do. Next time when I'm free."
"Of course, of course."
Liu Siyao nodded repeatedly, still maintaining her manners.
However, talking up to this point, Chuck suddenly thought of something. The corners of his lips curled up, and he couldn't help but clap his hands.
"Right."
"Since Miss Liu is an expert, staying on the island idly is still idling. How about passing on some of your silkworm-raising and silk-reeling techniques to us?"