Carrying the books, Wei He continued toward the cloth shop. Before long, however, he spotted a distillery by the roadside.
Yet there was not the slightest scent of alcohol left at its entrance. In its place hung the strong aroma of tea.
Even at this time of year, boasting and chatter continuously drifted out from the distillery.
Wei He paused, then walked over, lifted the door curtain, and entered.
A dozen or so people sat scattered sparsely inside, most of them dressed rather neatly.
Those who could still maintain a respectable appearance in times like these, and could even come out for tea, generally had some family means.
In one corner by the wall, three thin, bedraggled people squatted on the ground. Each had a wooden sign placed before them, crookedly inscribed with: Selling myself to bury my father. Selling myself to bury my mother. Selling myself to bury my younger brother.
The three sat in a row, a picture of utter desolation, yet for some reason, Wei He found himself speechless.
Carrying his books, he walked to an empty table and sat down.
A girl immediately came over to pour him water, carefully explaining the prices.
Different teas cost different amounts. This place did not take coarse-grain flour in trade, but accepted Tongcheng Gang relief tokens.
"Tongcheng Gang relief tokens?" Wei He asked in surprise. "What are those?"
"Sir may not know this, but the Tongcheng Gang's leader took pity on how hard everyone has it and issued batches of relief.
"These relief tokens are used to collect relief grain. One token can be exchanged for a certain amount of coarse-grain flour."
The girl explained smoothly, clearly having repeated those words countless times.
Relief tokens?
Would the Tongcheng Gang, one of the Three Gangs and Two Sects, really be so kindhearted?
Wei He did not believe it. There was no such thing as kindness without cause in this world. There was surely some scheme behind it.
"If you do not have relief tokens, sir, you can also pay with Inner City gold beans," the girl reminded him.
Wei He did have gold beans.
Recently, he had killed quite a few mountain bandits. Of all the things in the money pouches he had taken, the most common were these so-called gold beans—really just copper bits mixed with gold.
Ten of them could be exchanged for one gold leaf, and ten gold leaves for one tael of gold. They were the simplest circulating currency in the Inner City.
The Inner City could still maintain stable prices even now, all thanks to the Seven Families Alliance.
Though who knew how much longer the Seven Families Alliance could hold on.
Wei He sighed inwardly and ordered a pot of buckwheat tea. He set it on the table and drank quietly. The price was one gold bean, with some change left over.
The shopkeeper even threw in a small dish of peanuts.
The peanuts carried a faint moldy smell, but the pot of buckwheat tea was packed full of buckwheat and coarse grains. After drinking the water, one could even eat the contents as a meal.
Wei He settled in, intending to listen carefully to the current situation in the city. Places like distilleries and teahouses were ideal for idle chatter and bragging, naturally making them hubs where information flowed.
People who came to such places were generally freeloaders with no worries about food or drink and nothing better to do. Such people often had plenty of time to squander. Since their households did not lack food or clothing, they were naturally no ordinary families, all possessing some means and connections.
Thus, they naturally had access to plenty of well-informed news.
Whenever these people encountered something amusing or strange, they would often come here to spread the word and share it with friends, making themselves the center of everyone's attention and satisfying their vanity and desire for status.
The gathering of such people, in turn, drew those who made a living from them—storytellers, wandering singers, song sellers, and the like.
As entertainment grew more varied, it drew in even more crowds.
And these storytellers and the like traveled north and south, bringing yet more information of every sort, some true and some false.
This was precisely the sort of channel Wei He wanted. Now that he had reached Stone Hide and no longer had Master Zheng watching over and urging him on, he had time to spare. Spending a day investigating the situation was necessary.
Yonghe Escort Agency.
On a somewhat desolate flagstone square.
Several Head Caravan Guards and the Cheng Family's core male members were all present. Quite a few escorts had also arrived from branch offices in various districts.
Dozens, nearly a hundred people, had gathered together, a dense sea of heads, all waiting for news.
Cheng Shaojiu stood near the front of the Cheng Family men, quietly awaiting word.
Waiting for news from Chief Escort Cheng Zhengxing.
Before long, Cheng Zhengxing entered the square with several escorts.
His face was stiff, and he said not a word as he made his way toward the raised wooden speaking platform.
The escorts around him automatically moved aside, opening a path for him.
When Cheng Zhengxing reached Cheng Shaojiu, he paused and looked at his nephew, seeming to want to say something.
But in the end, he did not speak, merely continuing toward the platform.
On the platform.
Cheng Zhengxing soon climbed up step by step, stood at the highest point, and looked down at everyone.
Everyone's attention converged upon him.
The atmosphere had already been quiet, but now it grew even quieter, so quiet it was almost frightening.
Everyone held their breath slightly, waiting for the final news.
Cheng Zhengxing looked around. This vast escort agency had been built by his own two hands over several decades of toil.
And now.
He opened his mouth, wanting to speak.
But the sun was too fierce, blazing down so hot that he was actually sweating.
His chest felt stifled. He took several deep breaths, but not only did it not ease, it grew increasingly worse.
He had stayed up night after night recently, rushing about everywhere just to preserve the escort agency's last flicker of life.
And this final escort job was all the capital he had left to turn things around.
He had wagered everything on it.
But.
Cheng Zhengxing's heart was icy cold. Though the day was scorching, his entire body felt chilled.
He clenched his hand hard, but there was not a trace of warmth in his palm.
"I..."
At last, he opened his mouth.
Everyone stared at him.
Everyone waited for him.
Cheng Zhengxing opened his mouth once more.
"I ask everyone..."
Suddenly, waves of dizziness washed over him. His ears went muffled as though something had plugged them, and all at once, he could hear nothing.
His body involuntarily tilted backward.
Thud.
He knew nothing more.
The Cheng Family was about to fall.
Like a storm, the news swiftly spread through the escorts who had settled their accounts and left.
The escorts had all been waiting to see whether this final shipment could save everything.
But unfortunately, the shipment was finished. It had been robbed.
And Chief Escort Cheng Zhengxing, on whom everyone had pinned their hopes, had completely collapsed from illness and fainted on the spot.
Because the shipment had been lost, Yonghe Escort Agency now faced an astronomical compensation payment.
And with Cheng Zhengxing unconscious and bedridden, there was no one left in the agency who could hold the overall situation together. They had already nearly been unable to pay the escorts' wages, and now that the Chief Escort had fallen, the gathered escorts could no longer endure it.
Some older escorts, bound by loyalty and with grain at home, reluctantly remained behind to wait and see.
But most of the younger escorts had always come and gone freely. They swiftly left to seek other work.
In just one day, the escort agency became sparsely populated. With the assistance of two Head Caravan Guards, Cheng Shaojiu took stock of all the family's grain and assets.
Only to discover in horror that they were still short of what was needed to compensate for this shipment's value.
"According to the rule of double compensation, we are still short at least seven hundred taels of gold."
Madam Cheng, Cheng Shaojiu's wife and formerly an accountant, spoke in a low, worried voice.
"Seven hundred taels..." Cheng Shaojiu gritted his teeth as he looked at the crates of supplies, grain, and meat before him.
In ordinary times, seven hundred taels of gold was neither much nor little, but his escort agency had a large estate and broad foundations. He could have produced it.
But now.
His uncle had collapsed into unconsciousness, and every person in the household had contributed all their private savings. Several Head Caravan Guards had even offered their strongest support.
Yet they were still short seven hundred taels of gold.
Whom could he borrow such a sum from?
Who around him could possibly produce that kind of money?
Cheng Shaojiu's heart was filled with confusion. At the same time, it felt as though a mountain were bearing down heavily upon it.
"Young Chief Escort..." Head Caravan Guard Cheng Kai hesitated, but thinking of the gap of seven hundred taels of gold, he had no way to scrape together that much.
"They want us to give them an answer within these next two days. Otherwise, they will take the rearing method for the Silver-Kissed Black Snake as payment," Madam Cheng's voice echoed in Cheng Shaojiu's ears.
He gritted his teeth, not even knowing how he made it back to his room to rest.
The next day, dazed and muddleheaded, he said he was going out alone to find a solution. After changing clothes, he headed toward Huishan Fist Academy.
Once in the courtyard, he stood blankly in his usual corner, staring motionlessly at the iron-sand basin where charcoal had been lit.
The fellow disciples who ordinarily called him brother said nothing and did not come over to greet him.
Xiao Ran, Jiang Yan, and Jiang Su had also gradually grown distant from him long ago and did not think much of him.
He looked around and knew that everyone must have heard about the escort agency.
"Brother Cheng."
Wei He suddenly approached him.
"I heard yesterday that something happened to the escort agency. If there is anything you need help with, just say the word."
Cheng Shaojiu and he were as close as brothers, and Wei He was also attached to Yonghe Escort Agency. Now that the agency was in trouble, Wei He worried Cheng Shaojiu might not be able to handle it and hurried over to ask about the situation.
Cheng Shaojiu looked up at Wei He.
He opened his mouth, about to ask about money, but then laughed bitterly inwardly.
That was seven hundred taels of gold. He knew perfectly well what little income Junior Brother Wei He had. Even with everything added together, his attachment brought him no more than forty taels of gold a month.
How could he possibly produce that much money?
The words reached his lips, but Cheng Shaojiu fell silent, swallowed them back, and forced a smile onto his face.
"It's nothing. I can handle it. Don't worry, Little He."
Rather than say it and make Wei He worry with him, it was better to keep it bottled up himself.
After all, this was the Cheng Family's matter. It had nothing to do with Wei He.
Even if he said it, Wei He could do nothing but worry. Since that was the case, it was better not to say anything.
"Don't worry." Cheng Shaojiu patted Wei He's shoulder again and smiled.
"If you need help, say it plainly. You and I are brothers, and I'm still Cheng He's godfather. Don't keep everything bottled up by yourself," Wei He said in a low voice.
He had been robbing people constantly lately and had gained quite a bit. Together with his own income, which he had barely spent, he had saved up more than fifteen hundred gold notes. He had been wondering whether he could help.
"I know. Don't worry," Cheng Shaojiu said. The more Wei He spoke like this, the less he wanted to drag him down.
His own family's affairs had to be handled by himself. How could he burden his brother?
"It's just that this month's wages will have to be put on hold," Cheng Shaojiu said with a bitter smile.
"That's fine. Handle your side first," Wei He nodded.
Seeing that Cheng Shaojiu truly seemed all right, Wei He gradually felt reassured.
"Are you really all right?"
"Really, there's no problem." Cheng Shaojiu revealed a brilliant smile.
He knew everyone around them was watching him. At a time like this, he could not show weakness, and he could not panic.
His uncle had already fallen. If he too showed weakness and exposed the Cheng Family's true condition, their former enemies would not simply stand by and stare.
Like starving wolves, they would seize upon the Cheng Family's weakness and pounce from every direction to tear flesh from his family!
Before you continue