Three Generations to an Aristocratic Clan

"Xiao Mei, go to Shopkeeper He and collect twelve hundred taels in banknotes," Chang Haowen said, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, young master."

The maid beside him left the room and returned before long.

The silver and the goods changed hands.

Xu Mingwei breathed a sigh of relief. Once again, he had seen what his younger brother was capable of.

A few words, and he had sold it for another two hundred taels.

That was no small sum for the Xu Household.

"Young Master Chang." Xu Mingyuan cupped his fists. "My family will be opening a fruit and vegetable shop on Everjoy Street in the West Market soon. If you have time, please come to the opening."

"We'll be selling Jade Pears then. You could buy some to try."

"If I haven't left Qingjiang by then, I'll certainly drop by."

Xu Mingyuan nodded, and the two brothers took their leave.

Once they were gone,

Xiao Mei glanced at the Tiger Hide and asked, "Young master, our residence has no shortage of things like this. Why give them so much face?"

"And we even have an orchard full of Jade Pears."

"They might be precious in the Qingjiang County Seat, but in the Commandery Seat, Jade Pears are hardly a rare delicacy."

Chang Haowen chuckled. "Different places, different circles. You can't judge them by the same measure."

"The Xu Household grew from common folk to its present size in little more than a decade. That took no ordinary skill."

"Aren't they just newly rich?"

Xiao Mei seemed unconvinced and continued gently waving the jade fan.

"To tell whether a family is merely newly rich, look at its descendants. If those who inherit the family business across three generations are all shrewd, one lifetime is enough to lay the foundations of an Aristocratic Clan."

Chang Haowen turned to her with a faint smile. "What did you think of those two today?"

Xiao Mei tilted her head and thought for a moment, then smiled. "They're both handsome, but neither compares to you, young master."

Chang Haowen smiled despite himself and teased, "You shallow little thing. What am I to do with you?"

"Hehe."

Xiao Mei stuck out her tongue and giggled. "If you really want my opinion, Xu Mingyuan has a silver tongue and a clever head. His elder brother is duller. He sat there like a block of wood the whole time. So boring."

"Xu Mingyuan is the second son. His elder brother is the family's eldest legitimate son, so different things are expected of him.

"Look at my own elder brother. He's reserved too. When we meet, we exchange a few pleasantries, but he rarely opens up and talks freely."

"That's true." After a moment's thought, Xiao Mei nodded in surprise. "I'm frightened of the eldest young master every time I see him."

"With an eldest son like that, the Xu Household has someone to carry it on. At the very least, it will keep flourishing through the brothers' generation."

"And besides..."

"Besides what, young master?"

"I rather envy them. They may not have halls overflowing with gold and jade, but they treat each other with sincerity. In some great families, the direct-line children are born swaddled in silk, never knowing that threads of intrigue have already been sewn into the brocade."

"Even if they don't want to guard against each other, they have no choice."

"Really? How come I never noticed?"

"Silly girl. If you could see it, you'd be a young lady, not a maid."

"I like being your maid. I'll look after you for the rest of my life." Xiao Mei chuckled and slid a hand from the back of his neck down to his chest.

Chang Haowen caught her soft hand and gave it a gentle tug.

Caught off guard, Xiao Mei let out a soft cry. Half resisting and half yielding, she fell into his lap.

"Young Master Chang is quite remarkable. I doubt he's from Qingjiang. With that bearing, he may be from the Commandery Seat."

Xu Mingwei spoke quietly as they walked down the street.

"I thought the same thing, elder brother. That's why I've kept in touch with him. I hope the connection will benefit the Xu Household someday," Xu Mingyuan replied.

"You're better at that than I am."

"Haha, Father kept you by his side and taught you himself. How could you be worse than me? Just look how well Father handles his relationships with everyone around him."

"I don't have even two or three tenths of Father's shrewdness."

"You've simply devoted most of your energy to the Martial Way."

Xu Mingyuan's eyes flashed, suddenly bright and intent. "If the Xu Household wants to rise further, we'll need a powerful martial artist to stand behind us. Look at the Xu Lineage. One First-Class Martial Artist was enough to let them throw their weight around Dongxi Village for more than twenty years."

"Even with Father's intelligence and talent, he could only bow his head before them."

"But those days are coming to an end."

Xu Mingwei smiled knowingly. "They are."

Xu Mingyuan offered to show him around some more, but Xu Mingwei shook his head. There was no need to do it today.

They left through the city gate, mounted their horses, and returned to Dongxi Village.

Xu Mingyuan and the others had won over quite a few independent fruit and vegetable vendors in the West Market, but the vendors had only agreed to sell them produce. None had agreed to pay rent for a stall.

He knew it would take time, so he did not press them.

The shop they had bought covered a sizable area, though more than half of it was intended for stalls.

Since no one had agreed to take a stall, they could only close that section off for now.

The remaining space was enough to display the Xu Household's various fruits and vegetables.

Before long, they set a date for the shop's opening.

Xu Mingyuan sent invitations to the people he knew.

Everything else was manageable. The Jade Pears were the one problem.

Xu Mingyuan feared that when the Xu Lineage learned his family would no longer sell Jade Pears to them, they would make things difficult, perhaps even use force or cause trouble on opening day.

He made a special trip home to discuss it with Xu Chuan.

But Xu Chuan told him not to worry and to return to the County Seat to prepare for the opening.

Xu Mingyuan trusted him, so he obediently went back.

He bought a two-courtyard residence in the North District, near the West Market, as a place for the Xu Household to stay in the County Seat.

In the blink of an eye, harvest time for the Jade Pears arrived.

The Xu Household's shop was due to open the next day.

The Xu Lineage naturally knew nothing of what the Xu Household had done in the County Seat. As expected, Xu Mao arrived at their home with seven or eight servants.

Xu Mao was the eldest son of the Xu Lineage's third master.

As the third master had grown older, he had handed the purchase of the Jade Pears over to Xu Mao several years earlier.

They reached the Xu Household's gate.

Xu Mao looked it over for a moment, contempt showing in his eyes.

A middle-aged steward beside him leaned close and whispered, "Eldest young master, the Xu Household isn't what it used to be. In Dongxi Village, its standing now rivals ours."

"Don't forget what the third master told you before we left."

"I know. I'll be polite to Xu Chuan."

Xu Mao answered impatiently, though he added to himself, If he knows what's good for him.

The steward glanced at him and sighed inwardly.

Both men were nearing forty, yet he and Xu Chuan were as far apart as earth and sky.

Xu Mao spoke and acted like a brash teenager, with no thought for the consequences.

"Is Master Xu at home?" the steward called out with a smile.

No sooner had he spoken than

two children, a boy and a girl, came out. The girl held a white cat in her arms. Its red-gold eyes watched the people in the courtyard.

They were the siblings Xu Mingxian and Xu Mingshu.

"Who are you?" Xu Mingxian asked warily.

Hearing the voices, Bai Jing hurried out from the inner room. She smiled when she saw the visitors. "Young Master Xu, Steward Xu. What brings you here?"

"My husband and the others have gone to pick Jade Pears. They'll probably be back in a little while."

"I see. Then we'll wait in the courtyard."

"All right."

Bai Jing nodded and brought out two chairs for Xu Mao and the middle-aged steward.

Xu Mao stared at the docile white cat in Xu Mingshu's arms. Its red-gold eyes surprised him. Where did they get a Mutant white cat? If I take it to the County Seat and present it to County Magistrate's Deputy Yang, he'll surely be delighted.

"Girl, let me see that white cat you're holding."

Xu Mingshu turned her head away and ignored him, continuing to play with her pet.

"Hah. No manners at all. What else would you expect from a wild child's spawn?"

At that, anger appeared on Bai Jing's face. "Young Master Xu, mind your words!"