Chapter 99 – 99

Chapter 99 - 99

◎ Wei Datiger was a genius in business. ◎

Now that the courtyard walls were up, security had significantly improved. In case of any trouble, everyone could simply retreat into their houses and close the gates. As long as their attackers weren't humans, even a bear wouldn't pose a significant threat.

With everything running smoothly, Chen Dashi continued his daily task of chopping trees, while Chen Ersi prepared the timber needed for construction. Chen Sansi dug soil and transported stones without a moment's rest. Wei Datiger had accompanied him to find the ideal spot for digging; the soil required for the house needed to be loose with some scattered pebbles, which wasn't difficult to find. There was a slope near the old house with such soil, soft and easy to excavate.

After finishing her work in the kitchen, Fang Qiuyan would often lend a hand, carrying loads back and forth multiple times a day, drenched in sweat but never stopping. With each extra trip, she hoped to hasten the completion of the house, longing to be reunited with her two sons down in the valley.

Peach was no idle observer either; she meticulously prepared their three daily meals, ensuring that every dish satisfied their appetites to the fullest. Their bellies were filled with nourishment, and despite the intense labor they endured every day, no one complained of exhaustion. Instead, everyone was brimming with vitality and motivation. During the remaining hours, she assisted in transporting logs. Regardless of whether or not she could lift them, when manpower was scarce, she dragged the wood back to the yard, stacking them high. All of it was essential for the construction of their new home.

On this particular dawn, before the sky had fully brightened, Wei Datiger finished his instructions to his elder brother and, after having two bowls of porridge, descended the mountain.

He returned home to fetch the silver his wife had hidden there, not taken with them to the mountain. He informed his father about the progress in the hills and tried to persuade him to catch their chickens and ducks to have his uncle feed them while he himself could lend a hand in constructing the house, given his idle time. This earned him a scolding from Old Wei, who chased him barefoot, yelling, "Can't you just let me enjoy my peaceful days? At my age, you still expect me to help build a house?"

"Despite your advanced years, you're still full of vitality. I reckon you could live for another thirty or forty years without issue." Wei Datiger carefully stowed away the last of his household belongings in his chest, then patted his broad hands over them for reassurance. "What would you do alone down in the mountains, with no one to talk to? Even Little Tiger has followed us into the hills. Wouldn't it be too quiet for you here, just tending to these few chickens and ducks? Life in the mountains is bustling, and you should come see the grand walls of our courtyard. That's where Grandfather used to live; don't you miss it?"

How could Elder Wei not worry? Wasn't it because there was no one guarding the house? So what if he worried? Could he just abandon the house?

However, hearing his son's suggestion, he hesitated. With both his son and daughter-in-law in the mountains, even the energetic cub Little Hu who chased chickens around the yard was gone. He had no one to talk to every day, and life felt dull and without hope. It was too quiet.

"Are you really taking them to your uncle's place?" he asked uncertainly. "Won't that be too much trouble for them?"

"Well, you can take them to the mountain and put them in a basket. The kitchen hasn't been demolished yet, so those three hens wander around the kitchen and courtyard all day. A few more chicks and ducks won't make a difference, and it'll be livelier." This showed that Big Hu was already planning to settle in the mountains, even moving his livestock there. Old Master Wei didn't know what to say. Other hunters wished they could settle down at the foot of the mountain, but here he was. After his father had finally managed to marry a village girl and establish himself in the xenophobic Dahe Village with great effort, his son now wanted to return to the mountains.

But what could he do? He'd just have to go back.

Aside from feeling a little regretful about the vegetable garden, Old Master Wei didn't dwell on it. He nodded and said, "Aren't you going to the town to buy bricks? Hurry up and go. Be careful and don't linger in town. Just buy them and leave." Then, he stammered, "I... I'll head into the mountains in two days."

Big Hu was delighted. Old Master Wei's face turned red under his son's teasing smile. He threw the other grass shoe off his foot at him. "Scram! Scram quickly! Don't get in my way!"

"I bet you miss me when I'm not here, but now that I'm back, you're telling me to scram. You're such a two-faced old man!" Big Hu laughed as he dashed out of the yard, turning onto the mountain path.

He was fast, and it was still early when he arrived at Dinghe Town. There had been some significant changes since his last visit. As he walked, Big Hu caught a couple of hands sneakily reaching for people's purses. Of course, interrupting someone's misdeeds would earn him some angry glares, but he didn't make a scene. If the thief pleaded with him after being caught, he'd give them a warning and let them go. However, if they dared to glare at him or threaten him, he wouldn't show any mercy. With a slight increase in pressure, he easily broke their bones.

Big Hu wasn't too worried about offending people. What important figures could he offend in this remote corner of Dinghe Town? Every year, officials came to collect grain, grumbling behind their backs about how unlucky they were to draw such an uncultivated and desolate place. The ground was so dirty that it would soil their shoes just by stepping on it. As for their county magistrate, during the first two years when he claimed to be "reforming" Changping County, he had beaten his gavel every day in court, but he had never once ventured into the countryside. Since becoming an official, the magistrate probably couldn't even remember what rice plants looked like, let alone come to Dinghe Town.

These pickpockets and ruffians were merely rats lurking in the dark gutters. If he caught a couple and disabled them, what if he attracted more trouble? What was there to fear? He'd disable one if one came, and if two came, he wouldn't hesitate to eliminate both.

For the first time, Big Tiger Wei didn't head to the noodle stall when he came to town; instead, he went straight to the shop where he had bought bricks previously. This time, there was an ample supply, and the owner's anxious, blistered lips indicated that business hadn't been good lately. It made sense; in these times, people were busy hoarding grain, who would think of building houses? Even if they did, their money would be prioritized for food, given how much prices at the grain shops had soared. Money, oh money, what kind of grain could one buy with it now? It was as if they were eating silver itself.

"The same price as last time, however many you want, I'll give them to you!" How could the owner not be anxious? Since the town began seeing price hikes, everything had gone up: rice, flour, oil, buns, fruits, preserved foods, clothes, even a bundle of firewood cost two extra copper coins. Only his bricks remained untouched – not only had they not increased in price, but even a discount of ten percent couldn't attract any customers.

Nowadays, who would bother tearing down old houses to build new ones? Every household was struggling financially, and those who had money were guarding the grain shops. The poor couldn't even afford meals, let alone buy bricks. In this dire situation, who had the heart for matchmaking and weddings? There were more funerals than weddings. Besides high-ranking officials needing bricks for tombs, ordinary folk were buried in simple coffins wrapped in straw mats – the dead didn't need bricks. As for weddings, how could a new home not be built for a marriage? Building a house required bricks, but that was the problem. With skyrocketing prices, everyone was on edge; who had the mind for wedding banquets and marriages? They were all delaying it!

With stocks piling up, his workers hadn't fired the kiln in over half a month. Now that a potential customer had shown up, the owner was desperate.

Traders usually kept their emotions in check, but last time, the owner had been relaxed and jovial. This time, his anxiety was evident. Big Tiger Wei, sharp as he was, didn't say a word, neither confirming nor denying his interest or satisfaction with the price, leaving the owner to guess his intentions.

How could the owner not understand? He'd encountered all sorts in his business. Entering his shop indicated a need, and his silence could only mean dissatisfaction with the price. Could there be another reason?

"I'll give you a twenty percent discount. How does that sound?" He closed his eyes momentarily, clearly making a tough decision. Of course, he remembered Big Tiger Wei, the towering giant who always drew attention when he visited the town. He was willing to compromise because the man looked formidable. In these times, who knew what might happen? If he provoked him, the owner feared that Big Tiger Wei might gather a group to plunder his stock. Such incidents had occurred in the town before, and the usually intimidating officials seemed to have disappeared, leaving the town in chaos.

In tiny Dinghe Town, several factions had already formed. These lawless troublemakers were up to no good, and the owner urgently wanted to clear his inventory, close shop, and move his family to the capital city to seek refuge with relatives.

"How many bricks do you have in stock?" asked Big Tiger Wei.

"Over two thousand in total." There was no point hiding the number – the burly man might just buy them all.

"I'll take them all for one tael of silver," Wei Datiger said to the shopkeeper. The bricks were of good quality, and they weren't cheap anyway. Peasants had been living in those two mud houses for generations, and during family disputes, they would fight fiercely with their own siblings just to keep them. What did they value? It wasn't the "ancestral home" but rather the fact that those two houses were the only shelter for their families, even if they leaked rain in summer and wind in winter. It was the only place they had.

Only wealthy landlords with hundreds of acres of fertile land could afford to build elegant brick houses, which could cost tens or even hundreds of taels of silver. Thus, the price of bricks was quite high. And this shopkeeper, who ran the only business of its kind in Dinghe Town, must be quite wealthy.

So what if he seemed eager? Wei Datiger's purse was full; why should he be polite to the man? After all, it was just a matter of negotiating. Last time, he bought over a hundred bricks for two qian of silver, and he didn't think the price was too high then. Why should he think it was too low now?

The shopkeeper almost choked with anger, but he dared not glare at Wei Datiger. Instead, he hesitantly held up two fingers. "Two taels, no less than two taels. If you agree, you can take all the bricks in my warehouse right away."

Wei Datiger replied, "Then I'll only take a thousand bricks for one tael of silver."

"…" The shopkeeper tried to calm himself down. The more he thought about it, the more he realized something was off. On the surface, it seemed like he was making a profit, but in reality, he was still losing money. There were more than two thousand bricks in his warehouse, and Wei Datiger had initially offered one tael of silver to buy them all. But he refused and counter-offered two taels, yet now he only wanted one tael for a thousand bricks. Wasn't it as if he had gained a thousand bricks for the same price? However, last time, he had paid two qian for over a hundred bricks. Based on that price, five hundred bricks would have been worth one tael. Even if he gave a twenty percent discount, he still felt like he was losing out.

The shopkeeper was dizzy from confusion, especially due to the contrasting offers of one tael for two thousand bricks and one tael for one thousand bricks. However, he was eager to go to the capital city to seek refuge with his relatives and open a new shop there. So, he nodded. "Alright, one tael for a thousand bricks. You can load them yourself."

Wei Datiger took out one tael of silver and handed it to him. The shopkeeper accepted it, still hopeful. "How big is the house you're building? A thousand bricks might not be enough, right? You've taken a thousand, and now I have another thousand left in the warehouse. How about I give you another ten percent off, and you take them all?"

"Another ten percent off would mean a thirty percent discount, wouldn't it?" Wei Datiger turned to look at him. "In that case, you should return me some silver. For these thousand bricks, you should refund me one-tenth of the price."

"..."

"Author's Note"

(I'm almost losing track of the business at hand, but it seems like Dahu is quite impressive, isn't he?)

I went to get traditional Chinese medicine early in the morning, and my head feels a bit feverish now. I'll go grab a quick noodles meal and strive to write another chapter later.