Chapter 129

Chapter 129

There were only two days to prepare, and it was rushed.

As soon as Lu Yao went back, he began to pack his clothes. The weather had been getting cooler lately, and by the time they returned, it would be mid-October. They needed to bring winter clothes.

Each person brought four sets of clothes, both thick and thin, and they didn’t forget inner garments, socks, belts, hair crowns, and hats. They ended up with two large bundles.

Besides clothes, Xiao Dou also brought writing brushes, ink, paper, and a few books. After packing, Lu Yao prepared food for the journey.

Although the escort agency would stop at relay stations along the way, there would inevitably be times when they would have to sleep outside. Lu Yao packed a large piece of this year’s newly smoked ham, along with some salted fish and dried vegetables. Since Zhao Beichuan knew how to cook, Lu Yao wasn’t too worried about the meals.

Xiao Dou also wanted to bring instant noodles, so Lu Yao asked the maids in the kitchen for help. They spent the whole afternoon frying blocks of instant noodles, enough for more than ten days.

In addition to the food, Lu Yao prepared some medicine. He was worried they might get headaches or stomachaches along the way and that it wouldn’t be convenient to buy medicine. He went to the pharmacy to buy some medicine for colds, diarrhea, and coughs, which he then boiled into honey pills. He wrapped them in oiled paper to make them easy to consume on the road.

With departure approaching, Lu Yao was truly reluctant to leave. On the night before the journey, he hugged Zhao Beichuan, burying his face in his chest, his nose tingling with emotion.

Zhao Beichuan felt uneasy too. After so many years of marriage, apart from the time when Zhao Beichuan was conscripted for labor and was away for more than a month, they had hardly been apart.

“While I’m away, take care of yourself and don’t work too hard,” Zhao Beichuan said.

“Mm,” Lu Yao responded in a muffled voice.

“There’s no need to rush with Xiaonian and Xiaochun’s wedding. We can wait until I return to arrange it.”

“Alright.”

Zhao Beichuan continued to give instructions about household matters, and Lu Yao listened carefully. They chatted until they heard the rooster crow outside, and only then did Lu Yao urge Zhao Beichuan to rest, as he would have to get up early to continue the journey.

They slept for just over two hours before Zhao Beichuan got up.

Lu Yao also woke up and quickly took out the prepared silver from the chest. “I’ve brought 200 taels of silver and 50 taels of gold. There are also some loose silver pieces and copper coins. Don’t hesitate to spend money when needed.”

“I understand,” Zhao Beichuan replied, securing the money.

“If you find Uncle’s family in Qing Prefecture, help them if you can. After all, we don’t have any other relatives.”

“I understand,” Zhao Beichuan said, squeezing Lu Yao’s hand.

The servants had already fed the horses and harnessed the family’s large carriage. This carriage was the one Zhao Beichuan had bought in West Market earlier. It was spacious enough for him and Xiao Dou to stretch out while lying down.

They had two horses, so they could alternate them on the road to avoid exhaustion. They had left the big flower horse with the second brother’s family when they relocated.

After everything was ready, Zhao Beidou got into the carriage first, and Zhao Beichuan took the reins from the servant and led the horse out of the gate. Before leaving, he looked back, smiled, waved, and then climbed onto the carriage, gradually disappearing into the distance.

Xiaonian, Xiaochun, and Lu Yao stood there to see them off. Even after the carriage was out of sight, Xiaochun waved his bandaged hand, which looked like a wrapped zongzi, and shouted, “Big brother, have a safe journey!”

Lu Yao chuckled, feeling a bit less melancholic. “How’s your hand?” he asked.

“Much better,” Xiaochun replied, starting to untie the cloth to show it to him.

“Don’t unwrap it. You’ll have to rewrap it later.”

Xiaonian giggled nearby. “Brother-in-law, you don’t know. Our little sister-in-law is really worried about Second Brother. She visited him again yesterday and brought a lot of food.”

Xiaochun’s face turned red. “Don’t say that. We’re not married yet, so don’t damage her reputation.”

Lu Yao tapped Xiaonian's head. "No one should criticize the other. Your brother Ma Kuan should be back tomorrow."

"Really?!"

"By my calculations, he should be back around this time."

"Fantastic!" Xiaonian beamed with joy.

Lu Yao was also happy about Ma Kuan's return, as it meant he could be a hands-off manager again. This also gave him the opportunity to look for a house and prepare Xiaonian’s dowry.

As expected, the next afternoon, Ma Kuan returned from Zhong Prefecture with two carts of brewing yeast. This trip wasn't just about the yeast; it also brought big news.

The Feng family, prominent wine merchants from Suzhou, wanted to collaborate with them to sell Lu Wine in the southern market.

Previously, Lu Yao had been unable to break into the southern market. Firstly, southern merchants were tightly knit and exclusive, not easily allowing outsiders to disrupt their internal market. Secondly, Lu Wine was too strong, and southerners, accustomed to low-alcohol beverages, might not be able to handle it.

However, over time, no matter how much they are resisted, good products will gradually find their way in.

Many southerners resold Lu Wine from Zhong Prefecture to the south. They processed the wine, diluting it to reduce the alcohol content and selling it at high prices.

Several small merchants amassed considerable wealth within a few years by reselling Lu Wine.

Faced with such profits, even the most exclusive wine merchants had to consider accepting Lu Wine.

However, those people were arrogant and didn’t think much of Lu Yao. They only sent a few servants to Zhong Prefecture for negotiations and offered a ridiculously low price, as if it were Lu Yao’s good fortune to have them sell his wine.

Ma Kuan was far too shrewd to be fooled. Hearing their absurd offer, he pretended to be troubled and declined, "Oh, I'm really sorry, but our distillery is a small operation with limited production. We need to supply eight northern prefectures annually, so we really can't allocate any."

The other party said, "The northern market isn't as big as the southern one. Besides, transporting to Suzhou and Jinling is done by water, which reduces costs significantly. You should give us priority in supply."

"True as that may be, business must be conducted with integrity. We’ve already committed to supplying the northern prefectures and can’t go back on our word."

"What’s the minimum amount of wine you can allocate to us?"

Ma Kuan smiled without answering, and the other party's expression darkened. He had been confident when leaving home that he could secure the deal, but now it seemed difficult.

They stayed in Zhong Prefecture for only three days before leaving. Ma Kuan wasn’t in a hurry; he knew they would return. This time, he had come back to discuss the expansion of the Zhong Prefecture distillery with Lu Yao.

Lu Yao pondered, "Expansion is possible, but the price of the wine must be controlled by us. When hiring workers, we must be extremely careful to protect our secret recipe."

"Yes."

After finishing the business matters, Lu Yao brought up personal affairs.

"With the expansion of the Zhong Prefecture distillery, you’ll likely need to be stationed there long-term."

Ma Kuan's expression darkened slightly. "Yes."

"Do you plan to buy a house there with Xiaonian, or in Ping Prefecture instead?"

Ma Kuan looked up in surprise. "Either one is fine!"

Lu Yao said, "Either one? You want me to buy you two houses?"

"I'll buy it myself!" Ma Kuan had money. Over the years, Lu Yao had paid him well and given him a 10% share of the distillery. The more profit the distillery made, the more he earned. Last year alone, he received nearly 6,000 taels in dividends.

Lu Yao smiled. "You can buy a house in Zhong Prefecture yourself. I’ll get you another one in Ping Prefecture so you have a place to stay when you return."

Ma Kuan nodded excitedly.

Lu Yao put down the ledger and said, "Your elder brother has gone to Qing Prefecture and won't be back for a while, so I'm planning to set your wedding date for June next year."

"I'll leave it up to you, sister-in-law."

Xiaochun's wedding was set somewhat earlier, in February of next year. After all, Zhang's elder brother was of age, and after the New Year, he would be twenty-one; they couldn't wait any longer.

It appeared that Zhang Qiulan also had his eyes on Xiaochun. He had come to see her secretly several times. Although Lu Yao hadn't caught him, it was obvious from Xiaochun's demeanor how much she adored him.

Today, Lu Yao had also arranged to look at houses with Zhang Yu, so he didn’t talk much with Ma Kuan, telling him to get some rest since he looked exhausted from the long journey.

When Ma Kuan came out of the room, he saw Xiaonian waiting for him.

"Brother Kuan!"

"Yes." Ma Kuan quickened his pace and walked up to her. He took out a cloth bag from his pocket, inside which was a pair of earrings made of vermilion jade. This type of jade would be known as southern red agate in the future. It was very rare and quite expensive, and he had spent a long time searching for it before finally buying it through a contact.

"Wow, they're so beautiful!" Xiaonian held them in her hands, loving them instantly.

"Would you like to try them on?"

Xiaonian took off the pearl earrings she was wearing and put on the vermilion jade ones. The vermilion jade stones made her face look as beautiful as a peach blossom, making Ma Kuan's heart beat faster.

"I saw someone wearing earrings like these before and thought they would look great on you, and now it seems I was right."

Xiaonian blushed deeply from his compliment, her earlobes turning red as if they were about to bleed. "Brother Kuan, go and rest. Xiao Lan'er has been asking about you for days."

"Hmm."

*

"This house has a good location and is quite spacious enough, and the price is very reasonable. Once you buy it and invest in some renovations, it will definitely be worth the price," the real estate agent said as he walked ahead, giving a detailed introduction.

Lu Yao and Zhang Yu walked behind, carefully inspecting the courtyard. The house was small, only two courtyards in size, but it would be enough for a young couple.

Although it was located on Changrong Street, it was a bit far from their home, requiring a twenty-minute walk.

"What do you two think?"

Lu Yao asked, "Who lived in this house before?"

"It was built by Magistrate Shi for his concubine, but some years ago, the concubine was brought into the main house, and I bought the property. Originally, I prepared this house as a bridal chamber for our second son, but he has been stationed in Ji Prefecture, so we don't need the house anymore."

Lu Yao nodded. "Can we negotiate the price for 3,000 taels?"

"Oh, Master Lu, this price is really not expensive. If you ask around, you won't find a cheaper house nearby."

Lu Yao smiled. "The house is acceptable, but it's quite old, and we'll have to invest a significant amount in renovations. It might be better to spend a bit more on a new house."

Zhang Yu also nodded in agreement. The wedding preparations were quite urgent. Qiulan's dowry had already been prepared, but Xiaochun's house was still not settled.

Originally, Zhang Qiulan had considered getting married in a house he had bought himself, but Zhang Yu thought it wouldn't be proper. Since it was a wedding, everything should follow the proper etiquette. If they got married at the Zhang family's home, it would be like Xiaochun was moving in with the bride's family, and Lu Yao certainly wouldn't agree to that.

After thinking it over, Zhang Qiulan gave up. He didn't want to cause any trouble.

These days, he took time to visit his young husband at the Lu family's tavern whenever he had a chance.

He was so adorable. Every time they met, his cheeks would turn red from bashfulness, and his clear eyes would look up at him, unable to hide the admiration in his gaze, making Zhang Qiulan want to ruffle Xiaochun's hair.

However, 3,000 taels for this house wasn't expensive, but there wasn't anything particularly valuable about it either, so Lu Yao wasn't entirely satisfied.

The seller hesitated. "The lowest I can go is 2,800 taels; any lower really won't be possible."

Lu Yao shook his head, "It's not that I'm lacking these two hundred taels of silver; it's just that renovating is such a hassle. Forget it, let's go look at other houses."

The two of them left the courtyard and took a carriage to another one. This one was also not very close to home, but it was larger than the previous one, a smaller three-compound courtyard with a total of fifteen rooms. It was priced at thirty-eight hundred taels, a full thousand taels more expensive.

However, this courtyard was relatively new. The main gate had a fresh coat of paint, and neat stone slabs were laid in the yard. The screen wall was carved from a single block of granite, giving it a very dignified appearance.

The materials used in the main house were of extremely fine quality. The doors and windows were made of oil pine wood, which was oily and resilient, able to withstand rain for a hundred years without rotting.

The rooms were all empty. The east room could be used for a bed, and the west room had a heated kang bed. It seemed that the owner, like Lu Yao, was also someone who feared the cold and would find sleeping on a heated kang more comfortable in winter.

The east and west wing rooms were also empty, seemingly never having been lived in.

After touring the place, Lu Yao and Zhang Yu were both very satisfied. The person responsible for negotiating the price was the estate's steward, who offered a lowest price of thirty-five hundred taels, refusing to go any lower.

After some thought, Lu Yao decided, "Please contact your master and arrange a time to complete the deed transfer at the government office."

Since this house was intended for Xiao Chun's marriage, they brought him along on the day of the deed transfer and put it in his name.

Holding the thin deed, Xiao Chun was filled with mixed emotions. What had he done to deserve such a wonderful brother and sister-in-law? A house this large, he could never have afforded it on his own in a lifetime.

Seeing Xiao Chun crying uncontrollably, Lu Yao patted his shoulder, "Foolish child, what's there to cry about? You're my brother, and it's only right that your sister-in-law and I settle you down properly."

"Thank... thank you, sister-in-law... wuwuwu..."

"Quick, wipe your tears. People will laugh if they see you like this."

Wiping his nose, Xiao Chun thought, I can’t help it today.

After purchasing the house, they needed to start renovations and furnish it. Lu Yao entrusted these tasks to Xiao Chun to oversee. After all, he would be the one living there, so it was best if he made sure everything was to his liking and had any necessary changes made.

*

Before they knew it, it was the end of August. Zhao Beichuan and the others had been gone for over half a month.

During this time, Lu Yao had been busy and hadn't thought much about him, though occasionally he would remember when he called for someone to light a lamp in the middle of the night and no one came, reminding him that Zhao Beichuan wasn't home.

There was a slight feeling of loss, but it wasn’t too sad because Lu Yao knew Zhao Beichuan's return date and that the trip should be without danger.

On the long road to Qing Prefecture, Zhao Beichuan dozed in the carriage. The driver was an escort agency employee. Originally, Zhao Beichuan had thought about driving himself, but Qu Tian had already arranged everything, so he took the opportunity to relax and laze in the carriage with his younger brother.

Old Lady Zhao wasn’t sitting with them. There was another carriage for servants, where a servant woman from the main household sat with her, providing company for conversation.

The carriage traveled on the official road, occasionally jolting. Zhao Beichuan would open his eyes slightly, see that all was well, and continue dozing.

Xiaodou, however, was full of energy. He opened the carriage window to constantly look out at the scenery, occasionally composing a poem to read to his elder brother.

Zhao Beichuan couldn't understand a word of it, akin to playing music for a cow. Actually, cows have good temperaments, but Zhao Beichuan not only didn't understand but also found it annoying and would hit Xiaodou a few times when he got too irritated, telling him to recite fewer pretentious poems.

Xiaodou felt wronged but didn't dare to resist under the suppression of force, so he wrote all his poems down on paper, planning to show them to Zijian when they returned. As the saying goes, reading ten thousand books is not as good as traveling ten thousand miles. This trip was indeed an opportunity to broaden his horizons.

The journey from Ping Prefecture to Qing Prefecture was about two thousand li. Normally, it would take over twenty days to travel, but there were many mountain roads along the way, making the journey extremely difficult, so it took nearly a month to reach Qing Prefecture city.

Like Ping Prefecture, Qing Prefecture was an ancient city with a history that could be traced back seven hundred years. It was originally called Qing Commandery, named for its location in the east, corresponding to the wood element in the Five Elements, which is associated with the color green.

As the carriage entered the city, they had to check the travel permit. The escort agency had already prepared it, so Zhao Beichuan and the others didn't need to make any extra preparations.

Upon arriving at their destination, the head of the escort agency, Zheng Lian, approached Zhao Beichuan. "Master Zhao, the people from our agency have never been to the Jiuyuan County you mentioned, so we won't be able to guide you further. You'll probably have to find your own way from here."

Zhao Beichuan nodded in understanding, "This journey has been a lot of trouble for you."

Zheng Lian bowed, "There are rental carriage services in the city. If you ask them, you might find directions to Jiuyuan County. We'll be stopping in Qing Prefecture for ten days of rest. If you haven't returned by then, we may have to leave first."

"Thank you!" Zhao Beichuan knew that this ten-day period was arranged by Qu Tian. Otherwise, with the escort agency's busy schedule, they wouldn't have stayed to wait for them for so long without reason.

Zhao Beichuan called for Old Lady Zhao to ask if she still remembered the way to Jiuyuan County.

After thinking for a while, Old Lady Zhao shook her head, "We walked the mountain roads back then, so we didn't know which way was which."

Following Zheng Lian's suggestion, Zhao Beichuan found the rental carriage service and indeed got directions to Jiuyuan County. He also hired an experienced driver who frequently went to Jiuyuan County to accompany them.