Li Banfeng and Ma Wu took over the running of Blue Poplar Village, and the first thing they did was change some of the rules.

The first major change was the rule on business payments.

In Blue Poplar Village, no matter what business a person ran, they had to hand over half of their profits to the Song Family, which was far too exploitative.

Of course, it also made no sense for the villagers to pay nothing at all, since Li Banfeng and Ma Wu still had to guarantee the safety of the territory. After discussing it, the two of them set a new arrangement, and every household only needed to turn in twenty percent of their profits.

Besides the business matters, there was also the issue of hunting.

Anyone who hunted in the new land and sold their harvest through Ma Wu would receive a fair price, as good as or better than what the Song Family had imposed before. But if they refused to sell through him, would Ma Wu interfere?

This was the very problem that gave Ma Wu a pounding headache. He had no wish to pour his time and strength into such tiresome work.

It was true that the Song Family had once spent eighty percent of their energy watching every move the villagers made, and people who fixated on such things could hardly accomplish anything worthwhile.

However, if they left the matter alone, they would be letting go of a substantial source of income.

After turning the matter over in their minds for a long while, the two of them eventually settled on a plan they both agreed was sound.

First, anyone who chose to sell through them would be guaranteed a fair deal. The prices for many hunted goods were increased to more than twice what they had been before, and rare, desirable items could even be negotiated in line with market trends.

Second, if a villager chose not to sell through them, they would not interfere. But if anyone from outside came into Blue Poplar Village to buy up goods and steal their trade, that would be another matter entirely. Whoever attempted it would be dealt with, one by one.

Third, if someone wished to sell through them but felt the buying price was unsuitable, they could choose consignment instead. Any profit or loss would be the seller’s own responsibility, and they would take only a twenty-percent commission. Everything else was not their concern.

Once the notice was posted, the young villagers became lively with excitement. They ventured into the new land day after day, and more than ninety percent of them sold their harvests through Li Banfeng and Ma Wu.

The reason was simple. Most people had no reliable way to sell their goods on their own.

If three or five young fellows caught a sack full of earthen longevity peaches, could you reasonably expect them to deliver it all the way to Greenwater City?

They could earn more by selling them in Greenwater City, but the folk of Greenwater Bay were much too “simple” and “honest” for such ventures.

What if they were robbed halfway on the journey? Would the cost of food and travel not add up? And if rain or wind delayed them and the peaches went bad, who would they possibly complain to?

These were difficulties they had no way of escaping.

However, as the number of sellers grew, Li Banfeng and Ma Wu began to feel the strain. Their savings were limited, and they had already invested every bit of money they possessed. For a time, their funds simply could not turn over at the pace they needed.

Little Chuan came up with a suggestion. “How about we hang a sign tomorrow? For the time being, we only take consignment sales and stop purchasing goods directly.”

Ma Wu shook his head firmly. “No, that will not do. In business, nothing is more forbidden than this. Either you do not take the trade, or, once you do, you do not alter the rules halfway through.”

Li Banfeng rubbed his chin. “It appears we need to think of a way to make some quick money.”

However, where exactly could they get quick cash in the first place?

Li Banfeng considered himself a man who lived by the rules, so he could hardly go out and rob someone outright.

Just as they were worrying with no answer in sight, Little Chuan hurried over and said, “Master Wu, someone from the Liu Family has arrived.”

Ma Wu jumped in surprise. “WHOOO?”

“The bookkeeper, Hu Juncai.”

Ma Wu furrowed his brows. “He’s a troublesome one.”

Li Banfeng asked, “What does he want?”

Ma Wu sighed. “At a time like this, he must be here to collect debts.”

Little Chuan asked cautiously, “If he wants money, do we give it?”

Li Banfeng lifted a brow. “Certainly not. We do not have any money, so what could we possibly give?”

Little Chuan asked again, “Then when we earn money later…”

“We still will not give him a coin. He did not earn it, so why should he get anything at all?” Li Banfeng said with unwavering certainty.

Little Chuan turned to Ma Wu.

Ma Wu let out a soft sigh. “Invite him in first. We will speak with him in the new house.”

The “new house” referred to the residence that had once belonged to Landlord Wei.

The day before, Landlord Wei had signed an agreement with Li Banfeng, giving up all of his houses free of charge. The deeds to both the land and the houses were now in Li Banfeng’s possession. He had signed every page willingly, and Ma Wu could stand witness to that.

Li Banfeng and Ma Wu still lived in their old wooden hut, while the three-level building that had once belonged to Landlord Wei was now used for receiving guests and handling business.

Hu Juncai sat down in the living room and said with a smile, “Young Master Wu, when I arrived today, I went straight to the Song Family’s residence. When I saw it had become an empty lot, I thought I had gone to the wrong place.”

Ma Wu returned the smile. “The house was too old. A strong wind could send it wobbling. I intend to build a new one.”

Hu Juncai nodded thoughtfully. “Quite sensible. A new business should have a new face. Young Master Wu knows how to manage things well. With Blue Poplar Village in your hands, it is sure to flourish.

“I have come today for two things. First, to offer my congratulations. Second, to have a look at your ledger.”

The instant he heard the phrase “look at the ledger,” Ma Wu realised exactly what Hu Juncai was after. This bastard had indeed come for money.

He was not willing to let anyone see the ledger, but he knew he had little choice. The strength of the Liu Family was on an entirely different level from that of the Song Family.

He passed the ledger to him. Hu Juncai flipped it open, glanced down, and his brows knitted at once. “Dear me, Young Master Wu, you have been in charge for three days and have not made a penny. On the contrary, you have lost quite a bit.”

Ma Wu smiled sheepishly. “Ah, I feel bad about it, I really do. The shop is newly opened. A bit of loss at the beginning is just to stir up some excitement.”

Hu Juncai shook his head. “The prices you are offering for goods are far too high. Running this business in the future will not be easy.”

Ma Wu only smiled and said nothing.

Little Chuan gave Hu Juncai a sidelong glance. Old man, what experience do you think you have? How dare you presume to teach our Young Master Wu how to earn a living?

Hu Juncai shut the ledger with a quiet thud. “I trust Young Master Wu, but I must state the rules clearly. When the Song Family oversaw business in Blue Poplar Village, they were required to give eighty percent of their income to Shopkeeper Liu. We never kept the entire sum, for a share always had to be delivered to the Si Family. Every bit of this is recorded in official documents. I would not dare make it up.

“The document states plainly that whatever the profit or loss may be, the monthly payment must not fall below three thousand silver dollars. If you do not believe me, I can show you the document myself.”

Hu Juncai passed the document to Ma Wu. Ma Wu examined it line by line, and it was exactly as Hu Juncai had said.

Ma Wu was not surprised. The Song Family had been merciless in their exploitation, and much of it could now be traced back to the severity of the Liu Family’s demands.

The Liu Family’s harsh demands were the result of the Si Family’s even greater greed, and the Si Family themselves had to pay tribute to the Lu Family. At each higher rung, the grip tightened and the greed became more shameless.

Ma Wu pondered for a long moment. “Elder Hu, I really cannot give you that much money right now. Can you spare me a few days?”

“Young Master Wu, you make things hard for me. For over twenty years, payments have always been collected on the appointed day. Let me suggest this instead. I will look through your warehouse and select a few goods to take back, valued as they should be.”

Let him pick goods? Ma Wu thought. He could empty the entire warehouse, and he would almost certainly name prices that Ma Wu could never accept.

When Ma Wu did not respond, Hu Juncai let out a weary sigh. “Young Master Wu, if you can offer neither money nor goods, it will be very hard for me to give an explanation for this when I go back.”

Ma Wu raised his head. “Elder Hu, please let Shopkeeper Liu know that I honestly do not have enough at this moment. After I earn some money in the next few days, I will go and give it to him myself.”

Hu Juncai’s brows knitted further. He remained silent for some time before rising. “Young Master Wu, if the rules are broken, the business will falter. I can give you only this single piece of advice. What comes next rests with you.”

When Hu Juncai finally left, Ma Wu stepped back into the room to discuss it with Li Banfeng.

“Brother Li, how much do you think we should give him? Three thousand silver dollars sounds too high. I’ll talk to him another day. Maybe we can settle for two thousand.”

Li Banfeng set down the newspaper and looked at Ma Wu. “We already said we’re not giving him a single coin, remember?”

Ma Wu said helplessly, “We can’t refuse. They will scheme against us if we do.”

“How would they even scheme? Do they really think they can charge into Blue Poplar Village?”

“Not that,” Ma Wu said, shaking his head. “The Liu Family will never face us head-on. They prefer to act from the shadows, and they can be ruthless. Liu Liangyi used to be a bandit. If I’m not mistaken, he will block our only route for sending goods out.”

Li Banfeng froze. “I really did overlook that.”

Ma Wu’s face grew serious. “We cannot ignore this. In two days, a batch of goods will be on its way to Greenwater City. If it gets robbed, we will never recover the money. Our business will collapse.”

***

Hu Juncai returned to the paper oblation shop and reported everything to the old shopkeeper, Liu Liangyi.

A thin smile crept onto Liu Liangyi’s face, the kind that never quite reached the eyes. “Ah, the habits of the wealthy,” he murmured. “Ask them for one coin and they cling to it as if it were their last.”

Hu Juncai said, “I checked his ledger. He truly didn’t earn a thing. The prices he pays for goods are far too high.”

Liu Liangyi shook his head. “Old Hu, that is where you misunderstand. The Ma Family’s fifth son is one of the cleverest men in Puluo Province when it comes to turning a profit. If he offers a high buying price, every hunter in the region will head out at once. The first few months may be difficult, but once he recovers his costs, he will earn far more than the Song Family ever did.”

“Then we can give him a few months of grace.”

“No grace,” he said. “Rules are rules. Once you break them, they never go back the way they were. Whether he borrows money to pay us or if he pays us with goods, he pays in silver or in goods, the amount must not fall short by even one coin.”

Hu Juncai nodded. “I will go to Blue Poplar Village again tomorrow and explain it to him properly.”

“What else is there to explain?” Liu Liangyi said. “In this world, reason is not won through words but through actions.”

With that, Liu Liangyi summoned Liu Changyu. “You were saying two days ago that you wanted to meet Ma Wu. I will send you now, but not to Blue Poplar Village. You will go to Jueding Mountain and lie in ambush along the mountain road.

“That mountain road is the only path from Blue Poplar Village to Greenwater City. Once you are there, stop every wagon and horse that passes. If they are carrying anything produced in Blue Poplar Village, take all of it. Seize the goods only and do not hurt anyone.

“Ma Wu is a clever man. He may not send goods out in the next day or two. You may have to wait longer. The weather is freezing. Can you endure the hardship?”

Liu Changyu thumped his chest proudly. “Father, you needn’t worry about me. I can endure whatever comes. I’ll see the task through.”

Liu Liangyi nodded. “Remember this well. You take the goods, and you hurt no one. Understood?”

“Understood, Father. Should we tell him our name, so he knows who he should be begging for mercy?”

Liu Liangyi laughed. “No need. Jueding Mountain is our territory. If he is robbed there, he will know well enough.”

Liu Changyu brought his men to Jueding Mountain and arranged them in an ambush along the roadside, ready for anyone who passed.

The boy was indeed able to endure hardship. In the weather of November, the cold wind hitting the face felt like it could tear off a layer of skin.

The hours crept by, and Liu Changyu and his men rotated through their positions, holding the ambush without pause. He stayed sharply alert the whole time, never letting himself loosen his guard, and even sent the ghost servant drifting out to watch every direction at once.

A caravan creaked along the road, its wheels crunching over the hard-packed dirt. Liu Changyu signaled sharply, and his men moved in to stop it. They swept through the wagons with swift precision. In the end, it held nothing more than clay jars bound for the city.

With so many craftsmen in the surrounding villages, it was obvious the items hadn’t come from the new land. Liu Changyu sent them on their way and resumed his wary post along the mountain road.

As Li Banfeng made his way along the mountain path alone, a faint rustle at the roadside caught his attention. He tapped into the Threaded Earring, listened carefully, and confirmed that there were indeed people lying in wait.

With Keen-Eyed Perception[1], he cast a quick glance around and immediately spotted several wandering souls drifting nearby.

Ma Wu had predicted correctly. The Liu Family had really blocked their path to deliver the goods.

Li Banfeng glanced at the sky. Snow drifted down in lazy flakes, only to vanish the moment they touched the ground. Squatting here in weather like this was nothing short of torture. It was not easy at all!

With just a single glance, he could tell these men were the sort who could grit their teeth through anything!

With no wagon, no horse, and nothing to draw attention, Li Banfeng looked like any ordinary passerby. Liu Changyu, of course, didn’t bother stopping him.

When Li Banfeng finally reached Greenwater City, he rented a room, brought the goods out from the Pocket Dwelling, and made his way to the Imperial Workshop Hall. He needed to find Shopkeeper Zhu and have him send men to collect the goods.

Shopkeeper Zhu received the goods and paid him on the spot with ledger in hand.

Li Banfeng stashed the money safely in the Pocket Dwelling before strolling over to the Miao Sound Gramophone Shop. He stocked up on fuel and engine oil and couldn’t resist choosing a few records as well.

After stepping out of the gramophone shop, Li Banfeng chose a cozy old restaurant, ordered a table of hotpot, warmed a jar of Shaoxing yellow wine, and hired two young women to sing at his table to brighten the mood.

Once he had eaten and drunk his fill, Li Banfeng wiped off the rouge and powder on his body and returned to the Pocket Dwelling.

“Weyah~ In this deep-winter cold, husband must be frozen stiff. Come to your little wifey’s side quickly.”

With a playful puff of warm steam, Wifey wrapped herself around him and kept him snug until morning.

At daybreak, Li Banfeng set off on his return journey. When he passed Jueding Mountain, he saw that people were still keeping watch by the roadside.

Liu Changyu was, without doubt, a young fella who could swallow hardship whole. His father had ordered him to stand guard, and apart from catching a bit of sleep, he hadn’t budged from the spot.

Impressive, Li Banfeng thought. Only by swallowing hardship could one go on to swallow even more. With perseverance like this, these lads were destined to suffer endlessly in the years ahead.

Li Banfeng offered them two silent nods of praise in his heart before heading back to Blue Poplar Village.

Author’s Note:

PS: Readers! It’s the middle of the month! This is such a good book! Vote for Salagus!

1. This is the name of the ability when the gramophone sang the lyric: “With golden eyes that see even the finest hair, discerning the secrets of yin and yang.” ☜

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep