The next morning, after eating the white porridge brought by the crew, Li Yan finally pushed open the cabin door, wanting to come out and get some fresh air—an uncommon desire.
"Lord Governor."
Li Yan looked down and saw that it was Chen Yuewu's younger daughter, Chen Jiao, speaking to him. He smiled and nodded his head, about to respond, when he noticed Chen Jiao looking down with pursed lips, evidently upset as she passed by him.
Li Yan didn't pay it much attention, but once he went up to the deck and saw groups of sailors whispering among themselves, he sensed something amiss in the atmosphere.
On the deck, there stood a teppanyaki station. Cha Xiaodao was flipping freshly cut cod fillets with a spatula, while Cao Yongchang, sporting a black eye, stood by.
"What happened here?"
Li Yan skewered a piece of cod with a bamboo pick and placed it on his plate, Cha Xiaodao, without looking up, said, "I didn't add salt, add your own."