Chapter 58: Sudden Rain

Chapter 58 Sudden Rain

The road connecting Xinfeng County to Lan County was finally completed. After the road was finished, the villagers couldn't help feeling a bit nostalgic. There would be no more chances to earn money from this project. Tan He had the logistics chef buy good liquor and dishes as a reward and farewell meal.

There was an abundance of chicken, duck, fish, and meat, and the liquor was specially purchased from the tavern. The chef's expertise was evident, as every dish was both visually appealing and delicious. Several tables were arranged, and as evening fell, a fresh lamb was roasted over an open fire.

"Lord Tan, I raise my glass to you," a Yamen Runner said, raising his cup to Tan He.

Tan He downed the liquor with gusto.

"Lord Tan, can we still build roads?" A man, having eaten and drunk his fill, opened his shirt to cool down. Feeling emboldened, he inquired with Tan He for updates. They were loath to part with the earnings from road construction and wished to save even more. He reckoned he had already made fifteen taels of silver from this road project.

If he were farming, it could take five or six years to amass that amount. This job offered food and lodging, albeit physically taxing.

"Lord Zheng mentioned plans to construct roads from the town to the county, so more opportunities should arise," Tan He said with a smile.

Upon hearing this, the men felt a sense of relief. They still had opportunities to make money. If they could build a few more roads and erect a tiled house in their village, it would undoubtedly spark envy among many.

The men boldly raised their glasses to Tan He, who drank liberally. As they grew intoxicated, they sang folk songs from their hometowns, with the wind and sand swirling, and only a few embers glowing in the night.

The chef brought out another pot of meat for them to enjoy.

Tan He was on the verge of speaking when sand gusted into his mouth. He spat it out and gazed at the road, feeling somewhat disoriented. As a refined scholar, he had grown somewhat coarser after laboring alongside these rugged men.

Tan He muttered a curse, figuring it didn't matter since no one was around to witness.

...

Zheng Shanci received word from Fan Ping that he would arrive in Xinfeng County in three days. Zheng Shanci felt a sense of reassurance. Once Fan Ping witnessed the concrete road in Xinfeng County, he would likely dispatch more trade caravans, drawing numerous individuals to establish factories in the county.

Xinfeng County was devoid of significant industries. While there were furniture shops, silk, and sundry goods stores, there were no large factories generating lasting profits. Such factories would produce goods continuously, not just for the county but also for external markets. Due to the soil structure, they had adjusted to grow medicinal herbs. Zheng Shanci was still considering what business to establish.

The accounting officer came in with the ledger, "Lord Zheng, here is this month's ledger. Please take a look."

"Leave it here."

Zheng Shanci saw that the ledger mostly recorded expenses. The medicinal herbs harvested from the people were still in the warehouse. He would know how much profit they could make after Fan Ping arrived. He set the ledger aside and went back to handling official duties. Recently, there were a few theft cases in Xinfeng County. Zheng Shanci had Archivist Zhu handle them, and there was nothing urgent left. Zheng Shanci reviewed the ledger every month. Some people always tried to exploit loopholes to embezzle money. When Zheng Shanci discovered this, he had them beaten twenty times with a board and expelled from the yamen.

Zheng Shanci would never tolerate such behavior.

He planned to visit the villages in the next few days, likely staying there to address grassroots issues. After resolving these matters, he would visit the county school. With the road completed and some medicinal herbs harvested, there was much to do.

He only brought Wang Fu with him when he went out. Hearing someone talking about him, Zheng Shanci stopped to listen.

"Lord Zheng had us plant chili peppers, soybeans, and medicinal herbs... what about our grain supply?"

"Didn't they say we could buy it from Lan County?"

"But what if there's a famine? Would other counties still give us grain? It would be a seller's market then."

The man waved his hand impatiently, "Why worry so much? We'll deal with it when the time comes. All I know is that Lord Zheng has indeed helped us make money. Now that we're selling medicinal herbs, the price is three times that of grain. If you still want to grow wheat on your sandy land, go ahead."

"That's not what I meant. I just tend to worry too much."

The two men walked away, still talking.

Zheng Shanci had thought about this issue but hadn't implemented it yet. He wanted to build a large granary in the suburbs and have each town build one as well. When the harvest was good, they would buy grain from Lan County and store it. If a crisis arose, they could use the stored grain. Every household should have the concept of storage. Zheng Shanci himself liked to stockpile things.

For example, he would stock up on three months' worth of stationery. He noticed that Yu Lanyi also liked to stockpile things, particularly pearl powder, buying four boxes at a time.

It seems as if stockpiling is an innate instinct for them.

Upon hearing this, Zheng Shanci thought it was time to get the granary project underway. "Tell Lord Jiang to find a suitable plot of land in the outskirts that the county office can use."

Wang Fu acknowledged the command.

While Zheng Shanci was searching for land, Yu Lanyi was also looking for a place in the outskirts to set up a warehouse for his tavern. He was negotiating prices with a landlord, who was asking for five taels of silver annually. Jin Yun believed there was still room to negotiate.

Yu Lanyi, now managing his own affairs, was eager to save money for future purchases and fully supported Jin Yun's bargaining efforts. He wasn’t skilled at haggling and only knew one tactic.

Jin Yun said, "Who else would rent your warehouse in the outskirts now? If we rent it for a year, we’ll rent it again the next year. If you don’t agree, my master will leave right now."

Yu Lanyi thought this was exactly right—rent for a year, then another, and after three years, they would return to the capital.

Yu Lanyi's one tactic was to feign departure.

The landlord: "..."

Seeing them actually about to leave, the landlord panicked and gritted his teeth, saying, "Four taels and five maces, that's the lowest I can go, no less."

Yu Lanyi felt victorious but maintained a calm demeanor. Jin Yun remained expressionless. They had the landlord sign the contract and paid the four taels and five maces.

The landlord sighed, "This is the least profitable deal I've ever made."

Having dealt with these merchants for a while, Yu Lanyi snorted inwardly, thinking, "Unprofitable? When have you ever taken a loss?"

Holding the contract, he stood firm, "Then we won’t sign."

The landlord quickly urged Yu Lanyi to return, thinking he was quite a challenge.

The location was ideal for a wine storage facility. Yu Lanyi saved five maces of silver, spent two maces on pastries, and intended to save the remaining three maces.

He glanced at Jin Yun, who was still eating pastries, and then looked back at him.

"I need a box to store my savings."

Jin Yun’s pastry fell onto the table.

Yu Lanyi frowned, "What a pity."

Jin Yun stammered, "Master, don’t you already have plenty of boxes?"

"But those are already occupied with other items. The money I save needs to be kept separately," Yu Lanyi said brightly. "Once I’ve saved enough, I’ll purchase a house in the capital."

Jin Yun: "..." That’s improbable, as it would take a lifetime.

After all, the master had said this more than once.

The two sat in the pastry shop eating, the sky partly cloudy, and soon it began to rain.

Without an umbrella, they sat there eating pastries, hoping the rain would ease, but it only intensified.

The clerk brought the guests a bowl of tea, "This rain might continue all day. Summer rains are typically heavy and occur in short bursts."

Dark clouds gathered in the sky, and the rain beat against the windows like oil crackling in a pan. A flash of white light streaked across the street, followed by a deafening clap of thunder.

Sitting by the window, Yu Lanyi quickly closed it. A cool, musty smell drifted in, making him feel queasy. The people in the pastry shop sat down, ordered a pot of good tea, and decided to wait and see if the rain would stop.

With the windows closed, the room was dark, and everyone’s faces seemed to have ink spots. Yu Lanyi was afraid of thunder and easily startled. He rubbed his arms, which were covered in goosebumps.

The shop was bustling with people, which made it lively; otherwise, he wouldn’t have been able to handle being alone. They started gossiping about which rich family had taken a concubine, which young master was good-looking, and where the best food was.

Their favorite topic was still the gossip about the city’s wealthy families. Even though they couldn’t interact with them, they loved hearing their stories.

"Did you hear? Master Wang died suddenly and mysteriously at home. People say a ghost was behind it."

“Yeah, I heard. A few years ago, Master Wang’s health was failing, and they almost buried him. But then, they somehow found a wandering sorcerer who saved him, and he lived a few more years. Now he’s gone.” This was a big deal in the city, and they were really into these creepy stories.

Yu Lanyi felt a chill run down his spine.

"Master Wang died peacefully in his sleep, or at least that’s what the Wang family’s young master claimed. We don’t know if it’s true. Some say the Wang family’s beautiful concubine was having an affair with the young master, and when Master Wang found out, they had him killed."

"Or maybe it was a servant who’d been humiliated by Master Wang and couldn’t take it, so he poisoned him."

If you thought about it, these theories didn’t add up, but in the dimly lit room, everyone stayed quiet as a man slowly told the Wang family’s story. Yu Lanyi’s hair stood on end, and he felt a shiver.

The clerk, holding a teapot, was hooked. This was even better than a professional storyteller’s tale.

Yu Lanyi’s hands shook. He glanced at Jin Yun, who was leaning forward, hanging on every word.

Outside, the sound of a suona and mournful wails could be heard, along with the steady footsteps of a funeral procession.

The man in the gray robe, the storyteller, glanced over and said, "They’re here."

As soon as he finished, the man in gray opened the window. A cold, rainy wind blew in, and through the window, they saw mourners in white carrying a coffin through the rain. The suona’s sharp, piercing sound cut through the air, and every now and then, someone would sob on the sidelines. Yu Lanyi, watching this, felt his mind go blank.

Speaking of Master Wang and his childhood sweetheart, they were forced apart. By the time Master Wang made it big, his sweetheart had already married and become a widow. The two of them fell for each other and secretly met in a rundown temple to carry on an affair.

If he’d had a storyteller’s clapper, the man in gray would’ve used it. He paused, building the suspense—

Yu Lanyi’s heart was pounding in his chest.

"They embraced, kissing passionately, and started tearing off each other’s clothes."

The childhood sweetheart said, "Bite my tongue."

Master Wang replied, "I’m biting, I’m biting."

The childhood sweetheart said, "I want to bite your tongue too."

Right then, the childhood sweetheart bit off Master Wang’s tongue and swallowed it, laughing like a bell.

Yu Lanyi wanted to scream. His forehead was drenched in sweat, and his lips went pale. He knew he’d have nightmares tonight.

The people in the pastry shop were hooked and begged the man in gray for more.

The man in gray, full of enthusiasm, took a sip of tea and told another ghost story.

...

The rain grew heavier. Zheng Shanci returned from outside, with Wang Fu holding an umbrella for him as they arrived at the county office. He went back to his room and patted the water off his shoulders. The kitchen had prepared ginger soup and brought it over.

"Wang Fu, have a bowl too."

Wang Fu complied, and after drinking the ginger soup, his stomach felt warm. Zheng Shanci looked at the rain, which was still accompanied by lightning and thunder, and said, "This rain came at the right time; it must be a sudden downpour."

Zheng Shanci had finished his official duties and picked up a book on case judgments to read. Listening to the rain and sipping tea while reading was just perfect.

Scribe Jiang held an umbrella, walking through the puddles, using his left hand to lift his robe, and only putting it down when he reached the eaves to greet Zheng Shanci.

"Lord Zheng, a bridge in the county has collapsed, killing eight people. Archivist Zhu has led the Yamen Runners to investigate."

Zheng Shanci stood up, startled. "The rain is heavy, but not enough to cause a collapse. Let's go and talk as we walk."

Scribe Jiang quickly followed with a nod.

The bridge was located over a rapid river in the county town, and it looked as if it had been split in half, with a gap in the middle. Zheng Shanci drew a sharp breath in shock.

"The people saw the heavy rain and decided to rush home to seek shelter, as it seemed like it would never stop. As they walked in the middle of the road, they suddenly heard a tearing sound, and several people fell from here."

Zheng Shanci could imagine the danger—falling from a great height with nothing to hold onto, and even the stones from the bridge would come crashing down on them. It was a heavy rainstorm, and once people fell into the water, there was no sound. People cried out for help, but who would dare to venture into such a swift river?

The sound of rain mixed with cries and curses, the air heavy with moisture, and the cold wind blew, making Zheng Shanci feel a chill all over his body.

Several women and men were crying and shouting, and the Yamen Runners had cordoned off the area around the broken bridge. For now, no one dared to descend to recover the bodies; they would have to wait for the rain to subside and enlist some skilled swimmers for the task.