In the Qin Family's house.
"Brother, you are going to the capital city soon, keep this in mind, stay away from trouble and take care of the two young masters!" Qin Lang said that in all earnestness.
Qin Ming nodded solemnly, "Don't worry, Big Brother, I know what to do."
Qin Ming was a grownup now. His Big Brother Qin Lang was recently engaged, so Lu Lin had entrusted Qin Ming with the task instead of Qin Lang. Lu Lin didn't want to in the way of Qin Lang and his happiness.
In fact, Qin Ming was quite happy about going to the capital city. Qin Ming had gone to many places in the past few years, but most of them were poor areas. Chen Xiao Cai told him that they were going to the capital city to do big business. Thinking of big business, Qin Ming couldn't help but get excited, how he wished he could make contributions to the big business.
In the past few years, Qin Lang had been undertaking several tasks under Lu Lin's instructions. Qin Ming was always the valuable assistant, he enjoyed that but he always wanted to take wing by himself, so he couldn't wait to fulfill his potential in the capital city.
Qin Ming felt that even if he still didn't get the chance to take charge as chief of the tasks in the capital city, he would feel so great about being part of this trip.
Lu Lin prepared buns, dehydrated foods, travel-friendly clothes and pants and shoes for them.
Lu Lin sewed bandars notes in the linings of Chen Xiao Cai's outfits. Lu Lin told Chen Xiao Cai that it was a safe way to keep the money and he should spend liberally while travelling.
Lu Lin prepared money for Chen Xiao Cai and food for Chen Xiao Mai.
Lu Lin made a giant hamper for Xiao Mai and stored countless snacks for him.
…
On the day of their departure, Lu Lin and Chen Xiao Mi went to see them off.
In order not to burden the team, Lu Lin prepared two horse-carriages for the kids in the family. The horses were much more valuable than the mules, each horse was worth fifteen taels of silver.
Chen Xiao Mai had been excited for days about this trip to the capital city, but now he pulled a long face when they were about the leave. He rested his head on Chen Xiao Mi's shoulder, refusing to let Chen Xiao Mi go.
Ji Yun An looked at Lu Lin and Chen Xiao Mi and said with an air of easy assurance, "Magistrate Lu, Brother Mi, don't worry, I will take good care of Mai."
Lu Lin felt the words meant more than they said, he permitted a dry smile and said, "Thank you, An, we are entrusting Mai to you."
Ji Yun An seemed to be encouraged by that and he nodded solemnly: "I won't disappoint you."
Seeing that it was getting late, Lu Lin patted Chen Xiao Mai on the shoulder and said, "Mai, it's time to say goodbye now."
Chen Xiao Mai waved at everyone and entered the carriage.
Looking at Chen Xiao Mai who was looking at them through the curtain on the carriage, Lu Lin felt this scene was more like they were marrying Mai off.
…
The moment Chen Xiao Cai and Chen Xiao Mai left, the house became cold and cheerless.
Lu Lin felt Shen Chi became more and more busy after Cai left. Lu Lin hired two assistants for Shen Chi.
"Magistrate Lu, Magistrate Lu," Yun Niang hurried in.
Lu Lin glanced at Yun Niang. "What's the matter?"
Yun Niang said with joy, "Young Master Shen is pregnant."
Lu Lin was overjoyed on hearing that, then he immediately regretted asking Cai to go to the capital city.
"Have you sent for a doctor?" asked Lu Lin.
Yun Niang nodded and said, "Yes. The doctor said that everything is good." Yun Niang hesitated for a second and said, "After seeing the doctor, Young Master Shen went to commercial house again."
'Oh my, Chi is such a workaholic, maybe I shouldn't sleep in every day,' Lu Lin made a face.
Although Shen Chi repeatedly promised that he was in good health and could definitely handle his work, Lu Lin was still a little worried and asked Shen Chi's assistants to share more work.
At this moment, Zhang Rui came to Sha County and that was some timely help!
"Rui, this is so great! How did you manage to convince your family though? " Lu Lin grabbed Zhang Rui's hands.
Zhang Rui scratched his head and said, "It hardly took any convincing, haha, my mother always joked about kicking me out of the house because my mind has always been unhinged since I left Sino Commercial House. And I don't get paid as much at my new job, that's not good." Zhang Rui was joking about his mother wanting to kick him out, but he was being honest about the income part, he earned two taels of silver a month in Sino Commercial House, and his income plummeted since he left Sino Commercial House.
Although his family was doing all right, their living standards had declined compared to when Zhang Rui worked for Lu Lin. Zhang Rui felty more pressured after they had a baby, so he discussed with his family and decided to come work for Lu Lin.
"How is everyone at home? Is your wife happy about your decision?" Lu Lin asked.
Zhang Rui nodded and said, "No problem. My family will reunite with me after I gain a firm foothold here."
Lu Lin nodded and said, "That's great."
Zhang Rui looked at Lu Lin and said, "Lin Ge, you're so amazing. I heard that you were rewarded by His Majesty. The Big Stone Village has been talking about you, everyone feels honored that one of their fellow villagers is rewarded by the emperor."
Lu Lin glanced at Zhang Rui in surprise and asked, "Has the news even reached Big Stone Village?"
Zhang Rui nodded, "Yeah! I heard that the emperor has rewarded you with money as well. After hearing that, Grandma Lu was very excited and even said that she was coming to find you."
Lu Lin narrowed his eyes and asked, "Is she really coming?"
Lu Lin's eyelids twitched and he thought to himself, "If Grandma Lu is determined to come, it will be troublesome."
"I don't think so. I heard that the Lu family found a group of travelling merchants to escort her, but the group rejected them because they don't think Grandma Lu can handle the long trip."
Lu Lin let out a sigh of relief. It was good to go far away.
Zhang Rui then continued, "I heard that there are other reasons as well. The group charged 8 tales of silver, but Grandma Lu directed a torrent of abuse at them, she even said…"
Lu Lin glanced at Zhang Rui and asked with great interest, "What did she say?"
"She said that she is the grandma of the magistrate in Sha County. It's their honor that she has asked them to escort her, otherwise she would ask her grandson to punish them!"
Lu Lin was speechless, he couldn't believe that annoying woman was using him to assume great airs.
"What did the merchants say? Did they fall for that?" "
"Lin Ge, don't worry, many people know about your relationship with the Lu family. The merchants are well informed, they know the stories between you and the Lus very well."
Lu Lin nodded and said, "That's good."
Teahouses in the Capital City
As soon as Chen Xiao Mai left, Yuan Bao had lost all desire for food and drink, his missed his best playmate. Poor Yuan Bao had even lost weight.
Lu Lin was very anxious, he tried so many ways to cheer his son up.
But the rocking chair strategy and lifesize doll strategy had both failed. Lu Lin racked his brain and promised Yuan Bao that he would have a baby brother or a baby sister in no time.
However, after a few days, Yuan Bao discovered that he wouldn't have his baby brother or sister in at least a month, and he was very disappointed.
Yuan Bao felt that he had been fooled by his father. His father was a big liar.
In order to divert the attention of the Yuan Bao, and to save his image in Yuan Bao's mind, Lu Lin asked the craftsmen to make a set of building blocks. Yuan Bao had so much fun playing with the building blocks.
Lu Lin suddenly realized the building blocks might be yet another hit. Lu Lin asked the carpenters who were free to make building blocks.
The carpenters were busy making ploughs for people from other counties until days ago. However, the market had cooled down recently, so they had a lot of free time in hand.
The local people in Sha County also had limited purchasing power, the market was saturated at this point. Lu Lin gave the carpenters a few days off.
The carpenters who were used to getting their wages from Lu Lin on a daily basis didn't enjoy their days off, so they were very grateful when Lu Lin asked them to come back, making the blacksmiths envious.
Lu Lin showed the carpenters a few sketches about the building blocks, the carpenters weren't optimistic about this project. They doubted if this new item was marketable, but they didn't raise any objection on seeing how excited Lu Lin was.
…
The winery's business was heading to the right direction, people from the surrounding counties had heard their name and started to support their business.
Lu Lin was very happy about the validation.
Yuan Bao had been sulking since Chen Xiao Mai left. Lu Lin asked the kitchen to make a pot of sweet rice dumplings in fermented rice soup for Yuan Bao.
Chen Xiao Mi and Shen Chi finished off the whole pot while Lu Lin was not watching, which rendered Lu Lin speechless.
After Chen Xiao Mi got pregnant, Lu Lin stopped Chen Xiao Mi from drinking, leaving Chen Xiao Mi craving for more, so he sent Yuan Bao away on an excuse and finished the whole pot with Shen Chi.
…
Ji Cheng Kang's team headed towards the capital city in high and vigorous spirits. There were more than ten strong soldiers in the team, and no one dared to provoke them.
Chen Xiao Mai rode on his horse, looking daring and energetic.
Lu Lin selected a timid horse for Chen Xiao Mai for this trip in case he got bored in the carriage.
"I'm afraid we won't be able to reach the next town before sunset. We can only spend the night in the wilderness," Ji Cheng Kang looked at the sky and said.
"Are we going to camp?" Chen Xiao Mai asked excitedly.
Ji Cheng Kang nodded and said, "Yeah!"
"That's great."
Ji Cheng Kang looked at Chen Xiao Mai and showed a doting smile.
At first, Ji Cheng Kang was worried that Mai would cry bitterness without ceasing along the way. However, Ji Cheng Kang found that Chen Xiao Mai was very tough and seemed to be very interested in all the challenging activities. Mai was completely different from the Bios from the big families he had seen in the capital city.
Chen Xiao Mai jumped off the horse and got into the carriage. Then he took out a large chunk of smoked meat.
As soon as Chen Xiao Mai took out his smoked meat, the soldiers' eyes were almost glued to the meat.
Ji Cheng Kang shot a warning look at the soldiers, he didn't want them to scare Mai.
Ji Cheng Kang coughed softly. Several soldiers realized that it was inappropriate to stare like that and withdrew their gazes.
That smoked meat was specially made by Lu Lin. It was sprinkled with a lot of spices. The texture and the color were just so inviting.
Chen Xiao Mai made a fire, he roasted the meat for a brief moment before he cut off a piece with the Swiss Army Knife Lu Lin gave him.
Ji Cheng Kang looked at Chen Xiao Mai's knife with a strange glint in his eyes. That knife in Chen Xiao Mai's hands was more like a multi-tool, Ji Cheng Kang had never seen anything remotely as impressive as that pocketknife.
Chen Xiao Mai cut off a large piece of meat for himself, then he cut two pieces for Chen Xiao Cai and Ji Yun An. Chen Xiao Cai looked at the meat in Ji Yun An's hand, and suddenly he found Ji Yun An so annoying.
Chen Xiao Cai took a bite of the meat with relish, then he heard loud swallows from the soldiers.
Chen Xiao Cai cut two plates of meat and shared with the travelling companions, winning everyone's thanks.
"Young Master Chen, you guys are really well prepared."
Chen Xiao Cai smiled shyly, "This is all thanks to Lin Ge, he always teaches us to be thrifty at home and he doesn't have the heart to see us suffer a little bit when we are not home."
Chen Xiao Cai thought to himself, 'Lin Ge must have seen this coming, so he has prepared so much food for us.'
"I've eaten smoked meat before, but none of them was as great as this one, what's the secret?"
Chen Xiao Cai shook his head, he had no idea how Lu Lin made this so yummy.
Chen Xiao Cai started to miss Lu Lin as he ate the food meticulously prepared by Lu Lin. When Lu Lin first married into their family, Chen Xiao Cai disliked Lu Lin, he would deliberately give Lu Lin a hard time.
But as time went by, Chen Xiao Cai felt a heartfelt admiration for Lu Lin, and he would always go to Lu Lin for help, but he often pretended to be unconvinced.
Chen Xiao Cai now missed Lu Lin more than ever, he wished he had Lu Lin to turn to when he was in the capital city.
Chen Xiao Mai was carefree. After dinner, he ran to the carriage to sleep.
Chen Xiao Cai saw Ji Yun An tucking Chen Xiao Mai in later on, his face darkened immediately.
…
A month later, Chen Xiao Mi gave birth to a baby boy. Lu Lin named the boy Lu Yifei, taking the meaning of the soar up into the sky, the boy's nickname was Dash.
Chen Xiao Mi was very happy after giving birth to a boy.
Lu Lin didn't care the gender of the baby, but he was happy that Chen Xiao Mi was happy, but that didn't mean he preferred boys to Bios.
When Chen Xiao Mai left, Yuan Bao missed his Little Uncle so much that he had lost appetite for food and drinks. But Yuan Bao's heart was brimming over with happiness since Dash was born.
Like Yuan Bao, Dash's fed on goat milk.
In fact, Yuan Bao was weaned for a long time, but he would ask for some goat milk whenever he saw Dash having some.
Lu Lin had no choice but to boil more goat milk to feed his big baby and little baby.
Shen Chi always visited Dash, he would spend hours staring at Dash and fantasizing about his unborn baby.
"Uncle Chi, look at baby Dash, he's very chubby."
Shen Chi smiled, "Just like you when you were a baby."
"Look at his chubby hands," Yuan Bao said.
Shen Chi showed a doting smile.
Dash opened his eyes and smiled at Yuan Bao.
"Uncle Chi, Dash is smiling. Look at how happy he is after I said he's chubby. My baby brother is a fool, he liked to be called chubby."
Shen Chi stroked Yuan Bao's hair.
Chen Xiao Mi now walked in. "Ah Chi, there's some chicken soup stewed in the kitchen for you."
Shen Chi blushed and said, "I… Xiao Mi Ge, there's no need to cook for me specially."
They usually had three meals at a fixed time, and now it wasn't time for any meal.
"You suffer severe morning sickness, you didn't eat much for breakfast, just go enjoy some chicken soup, it's no trouble."
Chen Xiao Cai was away and Chen Xiao Mi cared about Shen Chi even more than before.
Yuan Bao was a little excited. "Daddy, do I have any chicken soup?"
"No," Chen Xiao Mi said firmly.
Yuan Bao puffed up his cheeks and said, "Why not!"
Chen Xiao Mi looked at Yuan Bao and said, "Look at your face, I want to call you Roundie."
Yuan Bao said sullenly, "Father Lin said that I look good."
Chen Xiao Mi smiled, 'Well, your Father Lin is obviously biased.'
Chen Xiao Mi paid a visit to the brewery this day. There were many employees working hard when he was there.
After the wine was brewed, some would be sent to the military camp, some would be sent to several nearby towns, while the rest would be kept for sale in Sha County.
Lu Lin and the soldiers in the military camp had a deal. The soldiers would work for Lu Lin on their days off, and Lu Lin could pay them with wine and food.
This winemaking business was the most profitable business in Lu Lin's hands.
Lu Lin zoned out this day, he was worried for the boys who had left for the capital city.
…
Chen Xiao Cai and the team had finally arrived at the capital city.
Chen Xiao Cai was very generous with money along the way. Every time he went to a county, he didn't hesitate to take care of all the team members. All the soldiers respected Xiao Cai for that.
Chen Xiao Mai opened the curtain on the carriage to look at the view in the capital city, he kept gasping!
Chen Xiao Cai looked at the people walking back and forth on the street with an odd expression on his face.
In Sha County and Forest Town, most people would wear patched clothes, you would be considered rich if there wasn't a single patch on your clothes. But people in the capital city would wear brocade gowns with jade pendants around the belt, Chen Xiao Cai had seen several valuable jade pendants.
Chen Xiao Cai and the others followed Ji Cheng Kang to his residence. Ji Cheng Kang lived separately from his parents, Chen Xiao Cai felt less uncomfortable going to Ji Cheng Kang's residence instead of his parents' house.
Ji Cheng Kang left soon after he had arrived home.
Ji Cheng Kang would be quite busy in the following days. During this period of time, he had to visit his families, contact his colleagues in the imperial court, and arrange an academy for Ji Yun An.
Chen Xiao Cai looked at Ji Yun An and said, "Your uncle has already started working, we should take action too."
Ji Yun An nodded, he was full of pride and enthusiasm. Chen Xiao Cai and Ji Yun An walked out of the gate and decided to look for the storytellers in the city first. They planned to ask the professional storytellers to tell the story of Journey to the West to promote the story.
There were many tea houses in the capital, a lot of storytellers worked there. Going to the tea house was one of the most popular entertainments for many rich people.
Ji Yun An and Chen Xiao Cai visited several big tea houses but to no avail.
Fortunately, Ji Yun An was a pretty well-known young master, they were rejected in a polite way at least!
Chen Xiao Cai said in a depressed tone, "These people don't want to talk to us!"
Chen Xiao Cai was also a respected figure in Willow Town and Sha County. Being treated so coldly at the capital city, he couldn't help but feel a little upset.
Ji Yun An blushed with embarrassment. "I think we need to talk to the less fancy tea houses."
Ji Yun An loved Lu Lin's story so much that he had hopes for it, so he aimed high and only talked to the high-class tea houses, but he had learned it the hard way, maybe he needed to lower his expectations.
Ji Yun An and Chen Xiao Cai searched for a long time and finally found a tea house called Auspicious Cloud who was willing to give their story a chance.
Auspicious Cloud used to have an amazing storyteller who was poached away by a competitor, the current storyteller in the tea house was not as great as the old one.
Recently, the business in the tea house went downhill. When Ji Yun An pitched the story to the owner Zhao He, Zhao He thought this might be a favorable turn for the business.
Ji Yun An told Zhao He the first few stories, Zhao He was completely enchanted by them.
"It'll be popular. This story will definitely be popular."
Zhao He as overwhelmed with admiration for the excellent stories, he would clap his hands and exclaim from time to time. He even coaxed Ji Yun An into telling one more chapter after he was finished.
After Ji Yun An and Chen Xiao Cai left the tea house, they found a printing house and printed a few copies of the first volume of Journey to the West.
…
Auspicious Cloud's business had gone downhill recently, but they had a big customer base.
The new storyteller had won everyone's cheers after he told the first chapter of Journey to the West.
The customers who were thrilled about the new story demanded more chapters, but the storyteller knew the importance of 'trailing a long line in order to catch a big fish', so he asked the customers to stay tuned for more chapters.
More customers showed up in the tea house thanks to the customers who were there the day before, they did a good job promoting the story by word of mouth.
Five Colored Stones that could patch a hole in the sky, a peach that could help you become immortal, the almighty Golden Cudgel that weighed one hundred thousand kilos…
The customers were fascinated by the story.
Journey to the West had become the most heated topic everywhere in the city, and so was Auspicious Cloud Tea House.
The show had a full house for every performance.
As the owner of the tea house, Zhao He became famous.
Zhao He was originally very angry about the fact that his old storyteller was poached, but now he felt like that was a blessing in disguise. If the old storyteller weren't poached away, he might not be interested in giving Ji Yun An's story a chance considering how young Ji Yun An was.
Zhao He had received so many big tips recently.
A Book Sale in the Teahouse
In front of Ji Yun An and Chen Xiao Cai were 200 copies of Journey to the West.
Not long after Chen Xiao Cai arrived at the capital city, he bought a closing down to printing house to print Journey to the West. In order to ensure confidentiality, Ji Yun An filled all the key posts with his confidants.
"Alright, now we have 200 copies in hand. We should do a book sale at the Auspicious Cloud tea house tomorrow like Lin Ge instructed me."
Ji Yun An nodded in approval, it had been says since the storyteller told the first chapter, many customers couldn't wait to find out what happened in the following chapters. He was optimistic about the book sale.
Chen Xiao Cai said expectantly, "I hope we can sell them all."
Ji Yun An said confidently, "We definitely can."
Chen Xiao Cai and Ji Yun An went to the tea house to talk to Zhao He early next day. When they arrived at the tea house, they saw Zhao He arguing with a middle-aged man and Zhao He turned the middle-aged man out of doors in a fit of pique.
There were quite a few people watching the scene. When they saw the middle-aged man being chased out, they burst into laughter.
The middle-aged man fled from the scene in embarrassment.
Zhao He beamed on seeing Ji Yun An and Chen Xiao Cai, he greeted them warmly, "Come on in, my guests."
Zhao He was in the ascendant recently. Not only did the Journey to the West win the love and support of the people, but it also won the affection of many nobles.
His tea house was not exactly one of the high-class ones. The patrons were usually some petty officials, merchants and some plain folks. However, thinks became different these days. He had spotted several high officials and noble lords in the boxes upstairs which were usually empty, he even had found some eunuchs among them.
Zhao He was shocked to the core, chances were the eunuchs were here to listen to the stories so they could tell the story to the members of the imperial house.
Zhao He knew his tea house wasn't Ji Yun An's first choice, Ji Yun An only turned to him after being turned down by the high-class ones. And now all the other tea houses were seized with remorse.
Knowing this situation, Zhao He became more and more proud, he felt like he was the only one who had recognized a diamond in the rough.
"Manager Zhao, who is that person?"
Zhao He's lips twitched, "An ungrateful soul, he was the old storyteller at our tea house."
The storyteller was cultivated by Zhao He him and he was very generous towards the storyteller, the storyteller gained some fame over the years and he was poached away by one of Zhao He's competitors. He even said Zhao He's tea house was unworthy of his talent before he left.
Zhao He put in so much effort to cultivate the storyteller only to be betrayed like this. Zhao He foamed with rage, not only had he lost money on this, but he was reduced to a laughing stock among his peers, they all looked down upon him for not being able to keep an employee.
Zhao He's tea house had been doing so great recently, packed with customers for every performance, and of course this meant his competitor's business went downhill. His competitor didn't take that very well, he fired that ungrateful soul right away.
The other tea houses were reluctant to hire someone who showed no sense of gratitude towards his previous employer. And that person had the guts to show up at Auspicious Clous Tea House to simulate loyalty. Zhao He was disgusted by that behavior.
Both Chen Xiao Cai and Ji Yun An were indignant on hearing that story.
"Is this the first volume of the book?" Knowing that Chen Xiao Cai and Ji Yun An were going to bring books to the tea house, Zhao He had long been waiting.
"Yes, Manager Zhao, we are going to have a book sale today. I hope that your storyteller can promote for us."
Zhao He flipped through the book and found that most of the chapters were had been told, there were only a few left untold.
"Of course." Zhao He reassured them.
Zhao He took out 400 taels of silver and split them in half, then he handed the silver to Chen Xiao Cai and Ji Yun An.
"Manager Zhao, what are you doing?"
"Young Master Ji, please take little token of my appreciation. This is a bonus for you. If not for your story, my tea house would still be struggling! And recently, quite a few nobles are frequently my tea house, that is an invisible fortune, even my father has praised me."
Ji Yun An was indeed really pressed for cash at the moment, so he didn't stand on ceremony with Zhao He. Zhao He promised them bonus money when they signed their agreement.
Ji Yun An and Zhao He discussed about the book, they decided to sell each copy for 1 tale of silver.
This book was sold out within two hours. Many people bought more than ten, twenty copies in one go. Chen Xiao Cai who was worried that the might get cold reception let out a sigh of relief, he decided to print more copies.
…
At Zhao He's invitation, Chen Xiao Cai and Ji Yun An spent some time in the tea house.
Chen Xiao Cai could not help but feel excited on hearing the audience's cheering and exclaiming over the stories.
"This story is really popular," said Ji Yun An.
Chen Xiao Cai nodded and thought to himself, 'Things are really different in the capital city! If we were still in Sha County, people wouldn't spend their day hanging out in a tea house doing nothing, they would be busy working and supporting their family.'
Chen Xiao Cai murmured, "No wonder Lin Ge told me that we could make a fortune in the capital city!"
Chen Xiao Cai walked out of the tea house in a daze, he recalled how they had sold out 200 copies books within two hours and he found everything too good to be true.
"Hey, young masters, what a coincidence to meet you guys here!" A well-dressed guy greeted Ji Yun An and Chen Xiao Cai warmly when they walked on the street.
Chen Xiao Cai recognized him immediately, it was the owner of the Cloud Lake tea house. A few days ago, they were chased out by him from his tea house when they tried to pitch the story to him.
The waiters in his tea house chased them out with haughty disdain.
Ji Yun An knew this manager must be regretting now, so he stepped forward and did the talk, Ji Yun An was more experienced in dealing with traditional code of conduct than Chen Xiao Cai. He turned down the manager's offer by saying they had made a deal with Manager Zhao in Auspicious Cloud tea house.
…
Chen Xiao Mai enjoyed the pastries with relish. The assorted pastries in front of Chen Xiao Mai were bought by Ji Yun An.
"Second Brother, Brother Ji didn't lie, there are so many yummy foods in the capital city," Chen Xiao Mai said.
Chen Xiao Cai nodded. "Yeah, but I think there are more rich people than yummy food in the capital city."
"Mai, how much did these pastries cost?" asked Chen Xiao Cai casually.
"One tael for each box. I heard it from the servant at home," Chen Xiao Mai said.
Chen Xiao Cai's eyes twitched, "What a rip-off!"
Chen Xiao Mai said sullenly, "Yes, they are very pricy, but Brother Ji said that the price of the capital city is like this."
Chen Xiao Mai sighed. Although he had made a lot of money, he was born and raised in Big Stone Village, frugality takes strong root in his heart. He just felt uncomfortable spending extravagantly even though he could afford that.
Chen Xiao Cai took a deep breath and he was more determined to work hard and make a great plan with noble ambition.
"Now I miss our Sha County for all the cheap stuff," Chen Xiao Cai said.
Chen Xiao Mai nodded and said, "Actually, these pastries aren't as delicious as the ones I made," Chen Xiao Mai grumbled as he stuffed himself.
Chen Xiao Cai looked at Chen Xiao Mai's puffy cheeks with a doting smile, "Yeah, whatever, this is Mai's first trip to the capital city, he can spend as much money as he wants, I just want him to be happy. Plus I can always make more money!'
Chen Xiao Cai did a quick math in his mind, he beamed with smiles as he thought about how much money he could make from the second batch of books.
Chen Xiao Cai reckoned he could bring home at least 1000 taels of silver home, he couldn't wait to surprise his family.
Chen Xiao Cai suddenly recalled something Lu Lin always said. 'You gotta dream big, young man!'
Chen Xiao Cai sometimes felt that Lu Lin was a little crazy and often muttered things that he couldn't understand. But as he grew older, he idolized Lu Lin more and more.
"Second Brother, you are here to do business, right? How is the business going?" asked Chen Xiao Mai.
Chen Xiao Cai nodded and said, "Yes, the business is going great. We have made a lot of money already."
There were still people having not sufficient food to eat in Sha County, but most people were leading an extravagant life in the capital city, some even staked tens of thousands of cash in one throw of the dice.
Chen Xiao Cai had mixed feelings on thinking about the book sale in the tea house, some customers even stamped their feet when the books were sold out.
Chen Xiao Cai recalled a poem, 'Behind the vermilion gates meat and wine go to waste while out on the road lie the bones of the frozen'.
Chen Xiao Mai said excitedly, "That's great, Second Brother, you're making money already. You have to buy me some delicious food!"
Chen Xiao Cai smiled, "Of course…"
…
Ji Cheng Kang looked at Ji Yun An with a strange expression and said, "Is it you who is selling that booked called Journey to the West?"
Ji Cheng Kang had been busy finding the best academy for Ji Yun An since they came back, little did he expect his nephew suddenly became famous now.
Ji Cheng Kang heard about this from his friends. Some people asked him whether they could buy the second volume in advance from Ji Yun An and they were more than happy to pay more money.
At first, Ji Cheng Kang thought that those friends were just messing around, no one would be this intrigued by some story-teller's scripts.
However, Ji Cheng Kang could not help but be stunned when more and more friends visited him and asked for the second volume of the book.
Ji Cheng Kang found it mind-blowing that even some of the most reserved friends bracing themselves up and visited him over a book.
Ji Yun An nodded and said, "Yes, let me show you some of the money we have made, Uncle." Ji Yun An took out three hundred taels of silver and showed Ji Cheng Kang.
Ji Cheng Kang's lips twitched when he saw this.
Ji Cheng Kang thought to himself, 'They have made this much money over a few days! A big commercial house in our family can only earn this much over a year!'
Ji Yun An nodded and said, "This is just from the first batch of the first volume, we are going to sell another batch in a few days."
Ji Cheng Kang looked at Ji Yun An suspiciously. "Who is the author? Is it you?"
Ji Yun An shook his head and said, "No, it's not me. Magistrate Lu told me this story, and I am only responsible for the recording and transcription. However, Magistrate Lu said he didn't write the story, he heard it from some mountain people in Big Stone Village."
"Where is that mountain people now?"
"He passed away a few years ago."
Ji Cheng Kang sighed, "It's a pity! How did you and Chen Xiao Cai split up the money?"
"We go half half."
Ji Cheng Kang said awkwardly, "Xiao Cai should take more."
Ji Cheng Kang was not used to taking advantage of people. Lu Lin told Ji Yun An the story, so Lu Lin and his family should take more.
Ji Yun An nodded and said, "I think so too, but Magistrate Lu insisted on going half half before we left Sha County. He told me if we didn't feel comfortable, we could use some of the money to buy military supplies for our soldiers."
Ji Cheng Kang was stunned for a moment and asked, "For military supplies? An, I've never met an official who is willing to do that for us!"
Ji Yun An suddenly recalled what Xiao Mai told him a long time ago, 'Lin Ge said a good official is someone who is able to bring benefit to the people! Being honest and upright doesn't make you a good official.'
Ji Yun An originally thought that was a groundless statement, but now he seemed to be convinced.
Looking at the silver in front of him, Ji Yun An suddenly felt that Lu Lin was very unfathomable. He had predicted everything even though he had never been to the capital city. Ji Yun An knew that Ji Cheng Kang had been busy contacting all the great academies for him but to no avail, it had something to do with money.
Ji Yun An used to hate money and now he started to appreciate it.
Thriving Business
Chen Xiao Cai's business in the capital was flourishing, the three volumes of Journey to the West were widely acclaimed.
After releasing the three volumes of Journey to the West, Ji Yun An also launched the hardback edition, he and Chen Xiao Cai had even invited artists to do the illustration.
They printed 100 copies of the hardback edition and each was sold for eight taels of silver.
Of course people scrambled to buy the hardback edition, even those who had purchased before wanted to add the new edition to their collection.
Chen Xiao Cai heard that this book seemed to be very popular among the rich young ladies. Many young ladies had asked their servant girls to come out to buy books.
Chen Xiao Cai once again exclaimed that how wealthy people in the capital city were! They were willing to spend 8 tales of silver on books.
Because the hardback editions were limited took pride in being able to snatch one set.
Chen Xiao Cai thought hesitated a while when Ji Yun An suggested pricing the book as 8 taels, he wasn't confident that anyone was willing to spend that much money on a set of books. But to his surprise, the books were sold out as soon as they were launched.
Chen Xiao Cai's eyes sparkled as he checked the account book, "We've made so much money!"
Ji Yun An nodded and said, "Yeah!"
Ji Yun An thought to himself that most of his uncle's money was used to help out the veterans, and his uncle had been struggling to find an academy for him, he felt like it was time he should support his uncle.
Chen Xiao Cai balanced the accounts with great excitement, he had made more than 1,000 taels of silver within a month since arrived at the capital city. And that was after he shared half with Ji Yun An.
Chen Xiao Cai shared the money with Ji Yun An without a fuss. He was well aware network was more important than anything in a place like the capital city, the reason their business went so smoothly was due to the Jis. He shared the money with Ji Yun An, it actually meant he was sharing the money with giving Ji Cheng Kang.
If he came to the capital city alone to sell his books, he might have been targeted by others.
Chen Xiao Cai found that he seemed to have become a celebrity now, there were so many people dying to meet him.
Ji Cheng Kang arranged several bodyguards for him in case people with an ulterior motive pestered him.
…
Chen Xiao Mai came back home with sugarcoated haws on a stick and exclaimed, "Second Brother, Second Brother."
Chen Xiao Cai looked at Chen Xiao Mai with a gentle look in his eyes, "Hey, Mai, were you out?"
Chen Xiao Mai nodded, "Yeah! Brother Ji took me to the market just now. We saw a monkey show!"
Chen Xiao Cai murmured, "Monkey show?"
During this period of time, there was a new trend in the capital city, rich families liked to raise monkeys as pets. Especially after he and Ji Yun An started to sell the book Journey to the West, people were more interested in raising monkeys.
Chen Xiao Cai couldn't help but feel he had become a trendsetter.
"Where's Ji Yun An?" Chen Xiao Cai asked casually.
Chen Xiao Mai shook his head and said, "He went to see the guests. He doesn't seem happy though."
"What guests?"
Chen Xiao Mai shrugged, "It seems to be his father and mother."
Chen Xiao Cai squinted his eyes. Ji Yun An's mother had long died. The guests must be his father and stepmother. Ji Yun An almost died when his stepmother 'took care of' him back then.
Chen Xiao Mai and Chen Xiao Cai were chatting about Sha County when Ji Yun An walked in with a long face.
Chen Xiao Cai glanced at Ji Yun An and asked with concern, "Are you okay?"
Ji Yun An nodded and said, "I'm fine, I'm just uncle is back."
Ji Yun An clenched his fists. His father never bothered to check on him since his uncle took him under his wings. His uncle had been busy finding him the perfect academy since they were back in the capital city, his father made it clear that he didn't want to get involved. And now his father showed up uninvited, wanting to get a cut from the book sales.
Ji Yun An let out a sigh of relief when his uncle was back home, he knew his father feared his uncle, he was glad that he didn't have to deal with his father.
Chen Xiao Cai looked at Ji Yun An and thought to himself, 'Never judge a person solely by his appearance, who would think such a young master like actually had a tough childhood!'
Just as Ji Yun An had expected, his father Zhao Heng who had put on airs in front of him had fled in dejection not long after Ji Cheng Kang came back.
Ji Cheng Kang was resentful towards Zhao Heng, he didn't even bother to stand on ceremony with him and his wife, he just showed them the way out.
"Uncle, are they gone?" Ji Yun An walked over to Ji Cheng Kang and asked.
Ji Cheng Kang nodded and said, "Yeah! They are here for you, you and Cai's business is really a hit.
Ji Cheng Kang originally thought that their book was just another story-teller's script to help people pass time, however, rumor had it that even the members of the imperial house were addicted in the story. And Ji Yun An had gained some repute in the imperial palace.
Fame plus money, of course that scum Zhao Heng wanted to patch things up with Ji Yun An.
"You've earned a lot recently, haven't you?"
Ji Yun An nodded and said, "We've earned another800 taels recently."
Ji Cheng Kang smiled. Many people in the capital city loved to mingle with men of letters and pose as a lover of culture, Zhao Heng was one of them. But he was from an ordinary family background, he actually couldn't afford that lifestyle.
Zhao Heng had an official post with very little to do, and he couldn't pick up any profit on the side, however, he married several concubines over the past few years. Ji Cheng Kang thought that bastard had been using his sister's dowry money for that vanity, and he thought chances were the Zhao family was already an empty shell with Zhao Heng's extravagant lifestyle.
Of course Zhao Heng would love to patch things up with Ji Yun An who was a golden goose now.
The more Ji Cheng Kang thought about it, the more disgusted he was by Zhao Heng. He couldn't figure out why his late sister would be so determined to marry that bastard.
…
Zhao Heng and his wife Liu Qingmei were chased out by Ji Cheng Kang.
"Yun An is just as unruly as his uncle, I cannot believe he talked to me like that, so disrespectful towards his own father." Zhao Heng always felt inferior in front of Ji Cheng Kang due to his ordinary family background.
"Heng, don't be angry. No need to lower yourself to their level. " Liu Qingmei comforted him gently.
Zhao Heng said sullenly, "Yun An starts to do business when he is supposed to study at school, I was so mad at first, but he has actually accomplished something! Everyone in the capital city is taking about that book!"
Zhao Heng was furious when he first heard Ji Yun An was doing business, he blamed Ji Cheng Kang for that.
To his surprise, the book Ji Yun An had launched had swept the whole city within days, even the members of the imperial house were talking about the story.
Zhao Heng was a sinecurist in Hanlin Academy, he wished he could have a promotion for years. Therefore, he visited Ji Yun An in the hope of patching things up and using Ji Yun An to get his promotion.
Zhao Heng felt so frustrated after this visit, neither Ji Yun An or Ji Cheng Kang bothered to stand on ceremony with him.
Liu Qingmei pinched her handkerchief in hand and felt very unhappy.
She was one of Zhao Heng's concubines when Ji Yun An's mother Zhao Xue was still alive, Zhao Heng asked her to take care of Ji Yun An after Zhao Xue passed away, and she abused that poor boy almost to death if not for Ji Cheng Kang. Her heart was still fluttering with fear when she recalled the scene where Ji Cheng Kang almost strangled her on seeing dying Ji Yun An.
Liu Qingmei secretly hoped that Ji Yun An would die on the battlefield or become illiterate. However, never had she expected that Ji Yun An would make his name known by doing business. She went mad jealous on thinking about her son who persevered in his studies in spite of hardships yet still remained unknown.
…
In Sha County.
Chen Xiao Mi let out a sigh in the yard, "It's been a while since Cai and Mai had left!"
Lu Lin nodded. "It's been a while indeed. I wonder when they will be back."
Chen Xiao Mi said worriedly, "I've only heard good things about the capital city, what if the kids indulge in pleasure and forget to come back home."
Lu Lin rubbed his chin and said, "It shouldn't be. Cai is a determined person, Mai not so much, but I'm sure Cai will convince Mai."
Chen Xiao Mi suddenly put on a serious face, "I've heard a sad story."
"What sad story?"
"A poor Xiucai went to the capital city to attend the imperial examination, leaving the parents and kids to his wife in the village. He didn't write home for years, and it turned out he had passed the imperial examination and married a young lady in the capital city" Chen Xiao Mi said.
Lu Lin let out a sigh as he heard that, "I've heard a lot of similar stories, it's sad how fame and wealth can change a person, isn't it?"
Chen Xiao Mi narrowed his eyes and said, "What are you trying to say? Do you think Cai would fall in love with someone else in the capital city?"
Lu Lin shook his head and said, "Of course not! I'm very confident in our Cai. I'm just afraid that Chi will overthink about this, I just hope Cai and Mai come back soon."
Chen Xiao Mi couldn't help but think how popular Cai was before he was engaged to Shen Chi. There were still villagers who wanted to marry their daughters to Xiao Cai as concubines, but Chen Xiao Mi and Lu Lin had turned them down.
"You need to talk to Chi more! Chi is very shy and reserved, especially he is pregnant now, let's talk to him more often, a few reassuring words can set his mind at ease. We can even say Cai isn't the young ladies' type, how about that?"
Lu Lin burst into laughter, "In fact, our Cai is very gentle and well-cultivated. Of course the young ladies will fall in love with Cai."
Chen Xiao Mi glared at Lu Lin and said, "You are not helping!"
Lu Lin made a face and changed the subject.
"I hope everything goes well for them, I hope General Ji has found a good academy for Ji Yun An, and the book business is going great! " Chen Xiao Mi said worriedly.
Lu Lin comforted Chen Xiao Mi, "Don't worry, everything will be just fine. And I think they will be back soon, General Ji was just back to report on his work. Let's just wait patiently, they will be back safe and sound."
Chen Xiao Mi nodded and said, "That's right, you have a point."
Return Like a Hero
Lu Lin was right, Ji Cheng Kang and his team needed to come back to Sha County not long after he reported on his work in the imperial court. Chen Xiao Cai and Chen Xiao Mai followed the team back, while Ji Yun An was left in the capital city to pursue his study.
Chen Xiao Mai had so much fun in the capital city and he was reluctant to leave. However, he didn't make a scene when he heard the news that they were leaving soon.
…
"Big Brother, we are back!" Chen Xiao Cai visited Chen Xiao Mi first after they had arrived, he was thrilled when he heard the great news that Shen Chi was pregnant.
"Lin Ge, we've made about 2400 taels of silver from the book sale, I've split the money with Ji Yun An like you told me. This is our half, 1200 taels, and I've spent some in the capital city."
Chen Xiao Mi was stunned, "So much! People in the capital city would spend so much money on a story!"
Lu Lin was also shocked, but he managed to look calm and collected.
Lu Lin thought that Chen Xiao Cai was indeed a genius! He was impressed by how much money Cai had made within such a short period of time.
Chen Xiao Cai then took out the bandars notes that Lu Lin had sewn under the linings of his clothes before they left for the capital city. "Lin Ge, here is the money you have given me for the trip, I didn't spend any."
"Cai, you've done an awesome job!"
"Lin Ge, you are flattering me, you should take the credit, people are paying for your story."
Chen Xiao Cai knew that Lu Lin had told people that he heard the story from a late mountain people when they were back in the Big Stone Village. However, Chen Xiao Cai knew that was impossible, mountain people were always too weighed down with work to take a break, let alone telling Lu Lin stories. What was more, how come Qin Yi, a mountain people himself, had never heard this story.
Chen Xiao Cai always felt that Lu Lin was loaded with secrets, but he did not dig into it.
"Cai, let's split the 1200 taels fifty-fifty," Lu Lin said.
Chen Xiao Cai shook his head and said, "I'll take two hundred."
Two hundred taels was already an amount that a lot of people could only dream of in their lifetime. Chen Xiao Cai felt he didn't deserve half because all he did was following Lu Lin's instructions and he felt Lu Lin could make way more than 2400 tales if he had the time to go to the capital city himself.
Lu Lin shook his head and said, "600 tales, I insist! You are having a baby soon, plus we are family, it doesn't make much difference."
Chen Xiao Cai nodded and took 600 taels of silver.
Chen Xiao Cai didn't have much cash in hand because he bought a commercial street in Sha County not long ago. He appreciated it so much that Lu Lin was making up excuses to give him more money.
"Our winery is doing pretty great, would you like to manage the winery now that you are back? " Lu Lin said.
Chen Xiao Cai nodded and said, "I'd love to."
Chen Xiao Cai hesitated for a second and said, "Lin Ge, I enjoyed doing business in the capital city, rich people just made everything so much easier, but it's easy to offend people there!"
"Oh? Care to explain?"
At first, Chen Xiao Cai and Ji Yun An decided to give Auspicious Clous teahouse the exclusive authority about the story-telling, but a few tea houses approached Ji Cheng Kang.
Other teahouses were owned by members of the imperial house, of course they had to change the plan because couldn't afford to offend the high-ranking officials in the slightest.
At that point, it was no longer something that Chen Xiao Cai could manage. Chen Xiao Cai handed the matter to Ji Cheng Kang's capable hands.
There were too many big shots in the capital city, Chen Xiao Cai knew he had to speak and act cautiously.
"Although everything is good in the capital city, I miss the freedom."
Chen Xiao Mi smiled and said, "You are back home now, Cai, just be yourself!"
…
Chen Xiao Cai sent a batch of wine to the military camp as a thankyou gift for their hard work on the trip.
Chen Xiao Cai now enjoyed some fame in the military camp. Along the way, the escorting soldiers could always get some snacks from Cai. After Chen Xiao Cai arrived at the capital, he had treated the soldiers to nice dinners from time to time.
The soldiers appreciated Chen Xiao Cai's gesture very much.
In the military camp, some of the soldiers who originally looked down on Chen Xiao Cai started to regard him with special respect when they heard he shared the profit with Ji Cheng Kang.
Liu Yun flipped through the book in his hand and said, "General Ji, this story is really interesting."
Ji Cheng Kang nodded and said, "I'm glad you enjoy it. I heard that the imperial concubines in the palace also like this story."
Ji Cheng Kang even sent a few hardback editions to the imperial palace. The cost was actually very cheap, but it came with a great return. Ji Cheng Kang was never good at seeking credit for his accomplishment, so he tended to get invisible in front of the emperor. But now the emperor was so impressed by the books that he even recalled Ji Cheng Kang's brilliant achievements in war, the emperor even had mentioned giving Ji Cheng Kang a promotion.
Ji Cheng Kang was rendered speechless. He braved countless dangers over the years yet he remained invisible in the imperial court, now he had distinguished himself over a set of books.
Liu Yun smiled and said, "We can even tell the story to the soldiers as entertainment."
Ji Cheng Kang nodded and said, "Okay! Old Eight and others who went to the capital city all have heard the story, I'm sure they will be more than happy to share the story with others."
"There are more people settling down in Sha County recently," Liu Yun said.
Ji Cheng Kang nodded and said, "This is a good thing. We can reclaim more desolate land with more people."
Ji Cheng Kang felt that Sha County seemed to have changed quite a lot. Many villagers were repairing roads with enthusiasm. He thought the villagers must get paid really well considering how much enthusiasm they had.
…
Shen Chi was very excited about Chen Xiao Cai's return.
"Is the capital city prosperous?" Shen Chi asked curiously.
Chen Xiao Cai nodded. "The capital city is naturally bustling."
The most prosperous place in Sha County was the commercial street, but there were so many bustling districts in the capital city.
Antique shops, jewel shops, calligraphy shops, you could find everything that you could wish for in the commercial district.
It really baffled Chen Xiao Cai that one painting could be sold for over a few hundred tales of silver.
Chen Xiao Cai always felt like he was a nobody in the capital city, even though the book business was a hit.
"I brought you delicious food."
Shen Chi smiled, "Why bother? The food must have gone bad already, it's such a great distance from home to the capital city."
Although Shen Chi said so, he felt so warm at heart.
Chen Xiao Cai smiled and said, "I didn't get them from the capital city. I bought you some lotus root powder from the neighboring county."
Shen Chi nodded and said, "Lotus root powder sounds great."
"Mai is the one who has bought all the specialties before we let the capital city, a box for Big Brother, a box for Lin Ge, a box for you, a box for Uncle Qin… Where is your box, you may ask. Mai ate every single box before we arrived home."
Shen Chi couldn't help but give a soft smile.
"Mai is such a cute kid, Ji Yun An decided to stay in the capital city?" asked Shen Chi.
Chen Xiao Cai nodded and said, "Yes."
Shen Chi sighed and said, "He is a young master after all, of course it makes more sense that he stays in the capital city!"
Chen Xiao Cai nodded, "Yeah! However, he seems to be in a lot of trouble."
Although Ji Cheng Kang was a legitimate son, he didn't spend his childhood with his grandparents, so he wasn't favored by the elders.
Although Ji Yun An changed his surname and his name was in the pedigree of the Ji clan, after all, he was the son of a married daughter after all. He was underappreciated in the Ji family.
Ji Yun An's father was a hypocrite, and he had no intention to make up for what he had done when Ji Yun An was a boy.
Chen Xiao Cai pondered the situation his friend was in, then he shook his head in silence. Ji Yun An seemed to have to face a lot of difficulties if he aspired to pursue an official career.
"I haven't been away for long. The town is much more lively!" Chen Xiao Cai changed the subject.
Shen Chi nodded and said, "Lin Ge hired several teams to build roads, and he pays really well, 30 cents per day. The workers then decided to settle down in Sha County."
"This is a good thing," Chen Xiao Cai said.
Population was also an important criterion for evaluating the prosperity of a county. If the population in the county has increased significantly, it would be very beneficial for the assessment of the County Magistrate.
Shen Chi nodded and said, "Many people settle down here because of Lin Ge."
Chen Xiao Cai smiled and said, "I didn't expect Lin Ge to be this influential. I have underestimated him…"
Shen Chi looked at Chen Xiao Cai helplessly and said, "Lin Ge is not just a business genius!"
Chen Xiao Cai thought to himself, 'Chi, you've only seen the heroic side of Lin Ge, trust me, he wasn't like this when Mai and I were younger. He used to play all kinds of silly tricks on us… but I'm not going to tell you that and ruin his image in your heart.'
…
Qin Ming sat on a high stone pillar, sharing what he had seen and done in the trip with the workers.
The workers were stunned by Qin Ming's stories.
Qin Ming enjoyed all the attention.
"Bro Ming, did the young master Cai really make a fortune from selling books?"
Qin Ming nodded, "Yes! There were too many rich people in the capital, and they are very stupid. You know what, young master Cai sold the books for 8 tales, but they scrambled to buy them!"
"How much money for one set of books did you just say?" A carpenter asked.
"Eight taels," Qin Ming gesticulated wildly with his hands.
The workers instantly cried out in shock, "Eight taels! You can buy at least 5 piglets with that money!"
" Eight taels! That's my annual income!"
"Were there really people willing to pay that amount of money?"
"Of course! It was mind-blowing how many people were in line, scrambling for a set!" Qin Ming said with a proud tone.
"What kind of book is it!"
"This story, ah, it's about a monkey! The title is Journey to the West."
"The story of a monkey can be sold for so much money? People in the capital city are indeed wealthy and stupid!"
Qin Ming said, "Those people also like to vie with each other, your outfit is 10 tales of silver, then I'm going to spend 15 taels on mine, you know, just very silly! Our young master Cai is nothing like that, he is very down-to-earth, he doesn't care other silly people laughing at him for what he is wearing."
"How much did Young Master Chen earn?" A blacksmith couldn't help but ask.
Qin Ming shook his head and said conservatively, "I don't know the exact number, but I do know he has split the money fifty-fifty with young master Ji. I think they each had got about 1000 tales, at least."
Qin Ming's words had provoked an uproar from the workers, 1000 taels was an amount they could only dreamed for.
"Young master Cai is amazing!"
"No wonder he has bought a commercial street! He is so capable!"
Qin Lang looked at Qin Ming who was sitting at the center and enjoying all the attention with a doting smile on his face, he was glad that his little brother had so much fun in the trip. He wished he were on that trip as well, but he genuinely felt happy for his little brother.
"Father, Second Brother seems to be very happy recently."
Qin Yi smiled and said, "Let him be, of course he feels proud that he has been to the capital city at such a young age. In the entire Sha County, the people who have been to the capital city are numbered."
Qin Lang nodded, "That is true!"
Qin Yi was very satisfied with his current life. A few years ago, he was a struggling mountain people, and now he and his sons were leading a comfortable life.
Due to the inconvenient transportation in this time and space, few people could afford to go on a long journey. A trip made for great conversations.
…