Chapter 162

Chapter 162

The pie Han Zhang was selling was too tempting, and the enormous profits from salt production were staring them right in the face.

Even if Tongpan Yang and the others suspected his motives weren't pure, they simply couldn't resist the lure of greed and ultimately chose to strike a deal with the devil.

Of course, they had considered simply seizing the "salt-making method" outright, kicking Han Zhang to the curb and keeping all the benefits for themselves. But after calculating their odds, they scrapped the idea.

The reasons were simple.

First, Han Zhang had offended so many people in the capital yet still managed to arrive alive at Yunyang Prefecture to take up his post—clearly, he was no pushover.

Second, a guy as smart and gutsy as Han Zhang coming to them for a partnership? He definitely had backup plans. Who'd buy that?

Third, setting everything else aside, Han Zhang could snatch him right out of his own residence without leaving a trace. If they pulled anything, as long as Han Zhang was still breathing, they were dead men walking.

In summary, the price of robbing Han Zhang was steeper than the risk of working with him!

So Tongpan Yang and the others planned to grab total control of Yunyang Prefecture, get the salt factory up and running, and only after they'd fully cracked Han Zhang's salt-making method would they make their move.

Win-win cooperation? Only an idiot would buy that.

Soup tastes best when you hog the whole bowl—that's how you eat till you're stuffed and dripping with grease!

Han Zhang had their greedy natures pegged, which was why he used the "one peach kills three" strategy. All three were way too selfish and greedy to ever be real allies.

As the saying goes: when the clam and the crane square off, the fisherman walks away with the prize.

While Tongpan Yang and the others fought over power, Han Zhang looked like he was doing nothing on the surface—still flipping through old account books at the yamen or wandering about chatting with people, looking like a lazy bum mooching free meals.

But in reality, he was stirring the pot and killing with borrowed knives, taking down a bunch of their trusted underlings, and promoting the yamen staff who actually got things done but didn't kiss up to anyone and had no connections.

Han Zhang didn't need these people to swear loyalty to him yet. He just needed to make sure that when he finally wiped out Tongpan Yang's crew, the yamen wouldn't come to a screeching halt from all the staff changes.

Time slipped by as the yamen churned with hidden currents.

Two months flew by.

By then, Han Zhang had been on the job for two months, and Shen Qinglan was four months along.

The Han family had finally wrapped things up in the capital and hit the road in full force, set to arrive at Yunyang Prefecture any day now.

Han Zhang got word from a servant who'd ridden ahead, took a few days off from the office, and personally took Shen Qinglan to the city gates to welcome Grandpa Han and the rest of the family.

Shao Langzhou, bored out of his mind at home alone, naturally tagged along.

By late afternoon, a cloud of dust appeared at the far end of the road beyond the city gates—a big procession was coming. The Han family had finally arrived.

"Big brother!"

The voice arrived before the rider did.

Leading the procession on horseback was none other than Han Zhang's second brother, Han Qinnian—the very one he'd been missing lately.

Han Qinnian was second not just among the eldest branch but among all the Han kids, so whenever Han Zhang was away, he was the ringleader of the younger siblings.

The Han Qinnian of today was no longer the scrawny, dark-skinned kid Han Zhang had first laid eyes on when he'd transmigrated.

At seventeen, Han Qinnian had really grown into his looks. He'd inherited the Han family's good genes—sharp brows, bright eyes, a straight nose, and a face that was flat-out handsome.

His body had filled out from regular training—lean muscle, a narrow waist, broad shoulders, tall and solid.

As he rode toward them now, his smile was beaming, dimples just barely showing, his face radiating that special youthful confidence. What a sight—a handsome young man in fine clothes on a fine horse, bursting with swagger!

Han Zhang watched from afar, deeply satisfied.

The Han family genes were seriously good. In just a few months, his second brother had grown even taller and better-looking than he remembered—indeed, just like himself, prime material for "living off a woman."

"Second brother, over here..."

Han Zhang raised his hand with a smile.

"Big brother!"

Han Qinnian responded joyfully upon hearing the call, then spurred his horse and galloped over.

Hooves kicked up a trail of dust as the young man, full of vigor, reined in sharply a few zhang before the city gates, vaulted off his horse with agile, fluid movements—utterly dashing.

It left Shao Langzhou, standing behind Shen Qinglan and merely curious at first, completely stunned!

His eyes didn't blink, his gaze locked unwaveringly onto that dashing figure, his breath caught slightly, and his heart began to pound...

However, no one noticed his expression at the moment.

Han Zhang smiled and patted his brother's sturdy shoulder, praising, "Good lad, you even learned to ride! When'd you pick that up?"

"Just started training hard in the half month since we got off the boat!" Han Qinnian grinned, revealing two slightly mischievous fangs, his dimples deepening. "Didn't big brother say you'd send me to the army for training once we got to Yunyang? I figured if I'm joining the army, I can't be clueless about riding! So I got right on it!"

His eyes sparkled with admiration and eagerness, like a puppy begging for praise: "Big brother, did you see how I rode just now? Was I any good?"

"Good, you rode great, absolutely great—just what I'd expect from my brother!"

Han Zhang laughed heartily, not stingy with praise.

That one sentence made Han Qinnian grin so wide his gums were showing. No amount of flattery from outsiders could match his big brother's approval, because his big brother was the person he admired most.

He scratched the back of his head sheepishly, then turned to Shen Qinglan beside him. His gaze was immediately drawn to the clearly prominent belly, and he said with delight:

"Brother-in-law! Your belly's already showing this much? How's my little nephew? Does he kick around much?"

"We were originally going to delay a few more days before setting out, but the moment we received word that you were expecting, Grandpa, Grandma, and our parents couldn't sit still any longer. They rushed and hurried, insisting on coming sooner..."

Shen Qinglan raised a hand to gently stroke his belly and smiled: "He kicks, oh he kicks. This child, I reckon, takes after your big brother—those little hands and feet move with quite a lot of force."

"But what about you all? You should have persuaded them to slow down. Rushing like this—Grandpa and Grandma are getting on in years. Can their bodies handle it?"

"Grandpa, Grandma, and our parents are all in great health. The moment they heard you were expecting, they were overjoyed beyond words and packed up in a flash... We all wanted to come see the little nephew sooner."

Han Qinnian laughed heartily, chattering on about matters from the capital and the journey.

Just as he was getting into the swing of it, he suddenly felt a gaze seemingly fixed on him from the side. He instinctively turned and met a pair of startlingly bright eyes.

It was a young man with a hint of heroic spirit in his brows and eyes, tall of stature, radiating vibrant vitality.

By the current preference for delicate, graceful beauty, this young man's features might only be called handsome, not beautiful.

But to those who favored dashing, spirited charm, this young man was a vision of peerless beauty.

And Han Qinnian happened to be exactly the type who favored spirited charm.

So the instant he laid eyes on him, he was completely stunned, standing there dumbfounded, his face brimming with admiration that practically screamed:

This young man... is, is something else!

Shao Langzhou, seeing that he had finally looked his way and was staring at him with such a dazed expression, his cheeks went bright red in an instant.

He felt both shy and thrilled inside, and for a moment he didn't know what to do. His eyes met the other's gaze, and his hands unconsciously fidgeted with the hem of his clothes, his fingertips trembling slightly from shyness.

Because his looks were on the more striking, heroic side, which didn't quite match the current beauty standards for young men like him, aside from that pest of a Qianhu Hong, no man had ever looked at him with such admiration before.

Though it was a bit bold, he could tell the guy was staring at him, dumbstruck, out of genuine appreciation... not like Qianhu Hong, who looked at him like he was sizing up goods.

Their gazes locked and tugged at each other, and the air around them somehow turned hot.

Han Zhang looked at his younger brother's dumbstruck expression, then at Shao Langzhou's flushed cheeks, and immediately understood the situation.

Yep, looks were everything.

When it came to matters of marriage, no matter how smooth a matchmaker talked, or how slick your moves were, nothing could compare to the advantage of a handsome face. The love of beauty was universal.

His brother's cushy deal was locked in!

"Cough..."

Han Zhang cleared his throat, cutting through the awkward tension, and said with a smile, "Qinnian, this is the grandson of Old General Shao of the Weiyuan Marquis Manor, Master Shao Langzhou. He is also your brother-in-law's close friend, and is currently staying at our residence, guarding your brother-in-law during the day."

Then, he introduced to Shao Langzhou, "Zhou Geer, this is my second brother that I often mention. Qinnian's a bit rough around the edges; don't mind him."

Han Qinnian finally snapped out of his daze, hastily trying to compose himself and put on a steady demeanor, but his hands, feet, and expressions simply wouldn't cooperate.

He went beet red, bowed all stiff and clumsy, and stammered:

"I, I... Shao, Master Shao, I'm sorry, I just... I spaced out for a second, please forgive my rudeness! I am Han Qinnian, pleased to meet you."

As he spoke, he couldn't help but sneak a glance upward, trying to catch another glimpse of Shao Langzhou's expression, only to find that Shao Langzhou was also secretly looking his way.

Their eyes met again, and both jerked away like they'd been burned—one with ears burning red, the other with his neck flushed pink.

Shao Langzhou hurriedly returned the bow: "Han, Second Young Master Han, no need for such formality. Just call me Zhou Geer."

Then, after saying that, he felt it might have been too familiar, and his face grew even redder as he lowered his eyes, not daring to look again.

Young love was just like this—burning hot and a little clumsy.