Chapter 133 - 117: Breaking Ground on Taisui’s Head
"This isn’t right, is it? So many gifts... they’re too expensive."
During a quiet moment, Ms. Chen pulled Fang Yue aside and asked in a hushed voice.
The Fang Family had grown more prosperous in recent years, and Ms. Chen had seen her share of wealthy landowners and Martial Scholars who came to visit.
Those people usually brought only small gifts, like a box of pastries, a tin of tea leaves, or some local specialty.
This was the first time she had seen someone as "generous" as Chubby right from the start.
This was nothing like what Scholar Liu had brought before. Chubby’s gifts weren’t just more numerous; one could tell just by looking at them that they were far more valuable than anything Scholar Liu had given on his several visits.
"It’s fine, Mother. I’ll give him a gift in return next time I go to the Prefecture City," Fang Yue said softly, reassuring Ms. Chen.
He also explained Chubby’s identity—the man who had paid a high price to trade rooms with him for the woodshed.
She recalled not believing at the time that such a simple-minded person could exist, but now, seeing Chubby in the flesh, she realized it was true.
Hearing Fang Yue’s explanation, Ms. Chen finally relaxed. She grasped his hand and said, "Then don’t you forget. We may be country folk, but we mustn’t neglect our manners."
Ms. Chen wasn’t one to take advantage of others. Having accepted Chubby’s gifts, her mind was already set on giving something back.
"Aunty, what is this you’ve made? It’s absolutely delicious! It’s even better than what the head chef at Deyun Building in Shanyang Prefecture makes." Bai Xingqiu held two spring rolls in his hand, with another one stuffed in his mouth.
It had to be said, Bai Xingqiu was fair and plump, with a naturally cheerful and auspicious look about him.
He was also a sweet-talker, and his flattery was incredibly smooth.
Ms. Chen was naturally all smiles. "Oh, these? They’re called spring rolls. It was Zhi’Er who told me how to make them..."
Overjoyed, Ms. Chen began explaining to Bai Xingqiu how to make spring rolls.
And Chubby would chime in from time to time, either agreeing, asking questions, or offering praise. It was clear he was a professional sycophant.
Fang Yue watched Chubby’s performance, which was clearly his natural self. ’It seems this guy acts like this at home all the time.’
After that, Fang Yue was naturally unable to leave that day.
However, he couldn’t turn down the County Magistrate’s invitation, so he would just have to wait a day and go the next.
When Chubby heard this, he beat his chest and stomped his feet, lamenting that he had come at a bad time.
With only one day, he wouldn’t get to eat nearly enough delicious food.
He went on and on about how much he regretted not being able to enjoy more of Aunty Ms. Chen’s excellent cooking.
This, however, made Ms. Chen very happy. For lunch that day, she prepared a great many dishes.
During the meal, Chubby made full use of his physique. He didn’t hold back, eating and drinking with gusto. Half the dishes on the table ended up in his stomach.
His appetite made the entire Fang Family stare in astonishment.
He could eat even more than Zhi’Er.
That afternoon, Fang Yue took Bai Xingqiu to the village’s fields.
Most of the tea trees in the fields had survived and were growing splendidly. By next spring, they would be able to harvest the first spring tea.
"I was worried our business would be difficult to get off the ground, but I never expected you to have done such a fine job with this Tea Garden, Fang."
Looking at the endless stretches of tea trees, Chubby was quite excited. When they came across a farmer’s plot and saw him weeding, Chubby even clamored to go into the fields and give it a try.
Fang Yue didn’t stop him, just watched as Chubby grabbed a hoe and eagerly entered the Tea Garden.
"That Chubby... honestly."
Fang Yue shook his head. That was just how Chubby was—straightforward, wearing his heart on his sleeve.
’Perhaps that was exactly why they had become friends.’
After showing Chubby the Tea Garden, it was already evening by the time the two returned.
"Now, I’ll show them! I, Chubby, can get things done too! Once this business succeeds, we’ll see who dares to laugh and say I’m only good for freeloading!"
Chubby walked ahead, chest puffed out and head held high, strutting as ostentatiously as he possibly could.
Dinner time.
"Aunty, this lotus root soup you’ve made is simply divine! The color, aroma, and flavor are all perfect. The best part is how it doesn’t overwhelm the natural taste of the lotus root..."
Watching Chubby continue to display his talent for flattery, coaxing a beaming smile from Ms. Chen,
Fang Cheng leaned in close to Fang Yue. "Zhi, who is this?"
Of course, Father Fang also leaned in to listen.
The two of them had been out inspecting the Tea Garden all day and only returned in the evening to find a guest at home.
They didn’t know much about this Chubby character, only that he had managed to make Ms. Chen so happy.
Fang Yue immediately explained Chubby’s background.
"Oh, so it’s him," Fang Cheng said, nodding in understanding.
This was the rich young master who had traded his premium room for Fang Yue’s woodshed. To thank Zhi, the man had even treated him to several meals.
’I never expected him to be like this.’
’He seems so shrewd. How could he do something so foolish?’
But this was something Fang Cheng and the others didn’t understand.
For the imperial examinations, many people would do far more than just swap rooms for the sake of some ethereal luck. Praying to gods and buddhas, seeking fortune-telling sticks, and consulting diviners were all common practices.
And wasn’t it true? Ever since Chubby passed his exam.
And since Fang Yue had been staying in that very woodshed when he passed the exam to become a Martial Scholar.
The inn’s reputation had skyrocketed. The price for the woodshed, which now symbolized academic success, was driven to astronomical heights.
It was said that a single night’s stay cost two taels of silver.
Even so, come examination season, it was in high demand. Just having silver wasn’t enough to secure a stay there.
「The next day.」
Fang Yue left home with Chubby and headed for Xiahe County Town.
They traveled by horse and arrived in Xiahe County Town before dusk, the journey taking just a day.
The sky was growing dark, so their first priority was to find lodging.
As they walked, they found themselves in front of a familiar inn. A look at the sign confirmed it was the same one where they had stayed in the woodshed.
Returning to an old haunt brought a peculiar mix of feelings.
"Welcome, you two! Please come in. Are you here for a meal or a room for the night?" An attendant spotted them and greeted them enthusiastically.
"A room, of course," Fang Yue replied.
Although he owned a house in Xiahe City, it had been vacant for a long time. It would be uninhabitable without a thorough cleaning.
"Hey? You two look awfully familiar. Have we met before?" The attendant saw so many people come and go every day; anyone he remembered must be someone extraordinary.
"Attendant, I hear this inn of yours has a ’Success Pavilion.’ Has it been booked for today?"
Just then, a man who looked like a rich young master walked into the inn.
The first thing he asked about was the woodshed.
"Well now, your timing is impeccable! The room happens to be free. This way, sir, this way."
The attendant’s face lit up with a huge smile. But just as he was about to move, he suddenly glanced over at Fang Yue and his companion.
"Oh! It’s you two! I knew you looked familiar! Come, come, please come in! I’ll get you two premium rooms right away."
With a look of sudden realization, the attendant immediately started to lead Fang Yue and his friend to the premium rooms.
But at that moment, the rich young master who was about to take the woodshed became displeased.
He was about to stay in the inn’s most premium room! Didn’t this attendant know to serve him first?
Why was he running off to guide those two?
It was as if he didn’t exist! He was going to take the Martial Scholar exam this year. He planned to book this "Success Room" until the exam started. With that, how could he possibly fail?
"Where’s your boss? Is this how you treat guests? Don’t you know to serve the higher-paying customer first? On what grounds do two paupers get to go before me!" the young man sneered, cursing arrogantly.
Who was he? He was the young master of the Wang Family from Xiaowangzhuang.
His family was wealthy, loaded with money. Who didn’t show him some deference?
When he was out and about, he acted just like a spoiled brat from a rich family.
"Fusheng, take our two honored guests to their rooms. I’ll attend to this young master," the Shopkeeper said, having heard the commotion and come over. He stood between the groups and first gave instructions to the attendant.
Then, he quickly whispered a few words into the ear of the Young Master Wang, who was about to lose his temper.
The young master from Xiaowangzhuang, whose face had been contorted with rage, saw his anger immediately vanish. It was replaced by surprise, which finally turned into delight.
"Such a thing happened? Why didn’t you say so earlier! You made me miss my chance to meet the living legends! Ah, really, this is truly..."
This Young Master Wang slapped his thigh in regret. He couldn’t believe he had just encountered the two legendary Martial Scholars who had passed the exams.
It was because these two had passed their exams one after another that the inn, and especially that room, had become so famous.
He had met them in person today and almost started a fight. It was so inappropriate!
What a pity they had already left. Otherwise, he would have shamelessly tried to befriend them.
"Still, this means I’m definitely going to pass this year!"
The Wang Family’s young master was quite confident.
~~~~~~
Since it wasn’t yet time for their appointment with County Magistrate Liu Zheng, Fang Yue took Bai Xingqiu to see the local Tea Garden and its tea-roasting workshop.
In reality, the tea-roasting technique was no longer much of a secret. In the years since it had become popular, other merchants had already figured it out completely.
The most important thing in the tea market now was supply. Whoever had stock could quickly seize the market.
After all, during the recent disaster, many tea plantations had cut down their tea trees to plant grain.
Even if they replanted tea trees now, they couldn’t compete with Fang Yue in terms of timing.
"Not bad, not bad at all! This place is great! With this thousand-acre Tea Garden, we can capture the market in Shanyang Prefecture City this year. Our business is sure to be profitable!"
Bai Xingqiu said gleefully, gazing at the green mountainside and the young women moving through the fields, picking tea leaves.
"Yes, that’s about right," Fang Yue said with a nod.
’Buying this Tea Garden was truly the right decision.’ Thanks to this thousand-acre plantation, he would earn a considerable amount this year.
And because of this year’s market conditions, he could sell it at a high price.
Next, Fang Yue led Chubby to a pavilion halfway up the mountain.
He then instructed the Tea Garden’s Steward to bring a tea set and fetch some mountain spring water.
When drinking tea, the quality of the leaves is one factor, but the water used for brewing is another.
This Tea Garden happened to have a spring with excellent quality water.
Before long, cups of clear tea were placed before Fang Yue and his friend.
GULP, GULP~
Chubby, unafraid of the boiling water, drank it straight down.
"Ahh, that’s refreshing. Really quenches your thirst."
’Well, so much for that.’ Fang Yue had originally wanted Chubby to taste the new tea and evaluate its quality.
But he never expected the oaf to be like an ox chewing a peony—he wasn’t savoring the tea at all, just using it to quench his thirst.
Just then, a commotion erupted from the entrance of the Tea Garden.
"What are you doing? This is Scholar Fang’s Tea Garden! You can’t come in... Ouch! Why are you hitting me...?"
"You dog! I’ll beat the hell out of you! Don’t you know who I am? Fang Wuju’s Tea Garden? You dogs, don’t you even recognize your own master?!"
The shouting was loud and the disturbance was significant; even Fang Yue and his companion could hear it from halfway up the mountain.
"Hmph. Sounds like someone’s here to make trouble. I’d like to see which blind fool dares to cause a scene here!"
There was no way Chubby could sit still. This tea was the key to the success or failure of their business.
He absolutely would not allow anyone to come here and cause trouble.
"Let’s go and see what’s happening."
The two of them immediately headed towards the entrance of the Tea Garden.