The Xu Household's Business Plans (Combined Chapter; Please Keep Reading)

Dongxi Village.

The Xu Lineage's main residence.

"Third Brother,"

The head of the Xu Lineage tapped his knuckles against the table. Faint blood vessels threaded the redness around his eyes. "Xu Mao is your own flesh and blood, but our lineage has emptied its coffers to save him."

His brows drew together as though frost had settled upon them. His tightly pressed lips betrayed the weariness of a sleepless night.

Then he looked up, his gaze deep as a cold pool, and said quietly, "Once he's out of prison in a few days, if he causes trouble again, there'll be nothing more our lineage can do. You understand what's at stake, don't you?"

Third Master Xu's throat bobbed. His fingers clenched inside his sleeves until the knuckles went white. At last, he nodded firmly, his dark sleeve falling like a cascade of ink. "Rest assured, Big Brother."

"As for the Xu Household..."

The lineage head's silver beard trembled with his sigh. Regret clouded his eyes, and after a long silence, he rested a hand on his knee. "From now on, whenever our people meet anyone from the Xu Household, they are to treat them with courtesy. No one is to provoke them."

Neither Xu Zhen nor Third Master Xu objected.

The Xu Household's rise was like wildfire sweeping across the plains, like a gale scattering clouds. It was no longer something a lineage like theirs could stop.

They had a talent with the makings of a Grandmaster, and they were on good terms with the County Magistrate's Deputy.

Even the county town's Aristocratic Clans would treat them with respect.

"To think that Xu Chuan..." The lineage head stroked his silver beard and sighed, contempt mingling with admiration. "Back when he lived in our residence, he was only scraping by. He lowered his eyes and bent his back before everyone he met, no better than an ant beneath the steps.

"And now fortune has carried him this far. The world truly is unpredictable."

"A pity our lineage has no talent of that caliber."

The Xu Lineage had begun to decline after only three generations. Nor did the fourth generation have anyone capable of restoring its fortunes; instead, it had produced plenty of troublemaking parasites who dragged it down.

By the fifth generation, they might well part ways over their private interests and squander the family estate entirely.

Few families ever rose above the rest.

Only by building on three generations of work and pulling together could a family endure a hundred years and lay the foundations of an Aristocratic Clan.

Several days later.

Xu Mao was released from the County Yamen's prison, and a carriage from the Xu Lineage brought him home.

"Where is everyone? Can't you see your young master's back? Why hasn't anyone brought me tea?"

"You worthless lot! I'm docking your wages."

Xu Mao bellowed through the hall.

Then Third Master Xu entered with two guards.

"Father, the maids and servants here are hopeless. I say we sell them off and get a new batch."

Third Master Xu's face was dark, but Xu Mao paid it no mind. He even sounded aggrieved. "What's this? I've only just come home, and you can't even give me a pleasant look."

"What rotten luck!"

"Rotten luck? Having a son like you is the worst luck of my life!"

Third Master Xu roared, "You two, hold this unfilial wretch down! I'll break his legs today so he can't go out picking fights and ruin the foundations of the Xu Lineage again."

The guards obeyed.

"How dare you? Let me go!"

"Father, you're serious? I'm your only son!"

Third Master Xu raised the wooden club and tilted his head back, eyes shut. Reluctance and anguish showed on his face.

But Xu Mao's next words hardened his resolve.

"You old bastard, you're almost dead! If you break my legs, who'll see to your funeral?"

"You beast!"

Third Master Xu's eyes flew wide. Without another moment's hesitation, he swung the club down with all his might.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

"Aaaagh!"

Wretched howls rang through the courtyard.

The maids and servants dared not approach, but the sound eased some of the resentment in their hearts. They found it rather satisfying.

"Big Brother, I heard Xu Mao's father broke his legs."

"Tsk, tsk. That's ruthless."

"Still, what a relief! Hahaha!"

Xu Mingxuan heard the news on his way back from the martial arts school. Delighted, he hurried over to Xu Mingwei.

"Third Master Xu was decisive."

"But if it were our father, I reckon he'd be even harsher. If he had an unfilial descendant, he'd probably put him to death and be done with it."

"No way. Father dotes on us."

"That's why he's always teaching us so carefully, balancing affection with discipline—to make sure it never happens."

Xu Mingwei patted his shoulder. "Luckily, Father raised us brothers well, so you've nothing to worry about, Charcoal Head."

"Big Brother, you're just trying to scare me."

Several more days passed.

Xu Chuan summoned Xu Mingyuan to discuss the Xu Household's future business development.

"A Yuan, tell me what you have in mind first."

Xu Chuan had handed almost every aspect of the family's business to Xu Mingyuan.

Xu Mingyuan considered it. "Our household is famous throughout Qingjiang County now. We're the county's new elite in every sense."

"Big Brother's potential as a Grandmaster has made his name known across Qingjiang."

"And you're on good terms with County Magistrate's Deputy Yang. I've heard even the county magistrate gives him a wide berth."

"So I think we should establish the fruit shop firmly, open a branch in three months, then expand into the East Market within a year and earn silver from the wealthy merchants."

"A chain of shops? With our household's name behind it, we'd certainly see returns quickly. But it would still waste some of our advantage."

Xu Chuan smiled faintly. "What do you think is the most valuable thing our household has right now?"

"Our name? Our reputation?"

"Our friendship with County Magistrate's Deputy Yang!" Xu Chuan said. "But a friendship like that has a limited window of value."

"Right now, wealthy families and merchants place great weight on that connection. They believe that befriending us could bring them closer to the deputy, so they'll offer us favorable terms in everything they do.

"But both reputation and Shitou's potential depend on the future.

"The more time passes, the more valuable our reputation becomes.

"And if Shitou keeps advancing, perhaps even reaching Xiantian, he'll likewise win the support of many people in Qingjiang.

"But neither of those advantages is ours yet.

"Right now, our most valuable asset is our friendship with the deputy.

"That makes this year the most critical period for our household's growth.

"We must show Qingjiang County's wealthy merchants and Aristocratic Clans our potential, turning relationships built on access to the deputy into partnerships bound by shared interests.

"After that, profits will breed profits, and we'll grow like a snowball rolling downhill."

Xu Mingyuan nodded. His father's reasoning made perfect sense. "But Father, what exactly should we do?"

"The common people's needs come down to four things: clothing, food, shelter, and travel."

"We'll open a distillery, a restaurant, a clothing shop, a general store, and a perfume shop."

"We'll use the fruit shop's profits to establish our businesses across Qingjiang County within a year."

Xu Chuan began handing Xu Mingyuan the liquor recipes, clothing designs, and cooking recipes he had spent spare moments developing over the years.

As Xu Mingyuan read the little booklets, his eyes widened until they seemed ready to leap from their sockets.

He stood stunned.

They were astonishing!

"These are the fruits of more than ten years of your father's work. I'm entrusting them all to you. Put them to good use."

Xu Chuan might have come from another world, but he could not do everything.

He knew only the general process of brewing liquor. For clothing, he had to work from memory and adapt the designs to contemporary tastes. Soap, perfume, toothbrushes—all of them required his own experiments.

They were precious assets.

Once the right opportunity came to reveal them, they could rapidly amass a fortune.

In the past, Xu Chuan's status had been lowly. Knowing that showing his hand too soon would bring disaster rather than good fortune, he had always kept his abilities hidden.

But now was the perfect time!

He had the tiger hide of County Magistrate's Deputy Yang's backing, and Shitou had the potential to become a Grandmaster.

For the time being, many Aristocratic Clans would be wary of the Xu Household. The family could expand boldly, without fear, and establish its businesses at speed.

In just two or three years, even Qingjiang County's Aristocratic Clans would have to think twice before moving against them. Was it worth fighting to the death and leaving both sides broken?

"Thank you, Father. A Yuan won't let you down!"

Xu Mingyuan's pupils tightened. Fire seemed to blaze in his eyes, making their dark irises shine.

Seeing the Xu Household's potential, many families in Qingjiang County were willing to befriend them.

Xu Chuan also visited Yang Zhao every few days.

Meeting face-to-face helped keep a friendship warm.

At times, they discussed governance and the people's livelihoods—subjects dear to Yang Zhao's heart.

Yang Zhao knew Xu Chuan had his own motives, but he learned a great deal from him as well, so he welcomed their frequent visits.

When Xu Yan heard how well the Xu family's fruit shop was doing, she sent Chen Ergou to learn the secrets of its business.

Xu Chuan told him only that Xu Mingyuan handled those matters.

The older Chen Ergou got, the more he cared about saving face. He could not bring himself to seek advice from a younger relative, so the matter went no further.

The Chen family's fruit shop did unremarkable business.

Still, no one came looking for trouble, and they could live quietly enough.

More importantly, Xu Mingyuan had no time to spare for the Chen family.

He was busy carrying out the Xu Household's business plans: recruiting people, selecting workers to brew liquor and make clothes in secret, then opening a restaurant.

A month later, a new restaurant called the Drunken Cloud Residence opened in the West Market.

Its dishes were novel and delicious, and business boomed every day.

Next came the distillery, the Thousand Gold Distillery.

The name declared that its fine liquor was worth a thousand gold pieces.

Brewing took time. Though Xu Mingyuan recruited a number of master brewers, the distillery did not officially open for another three months.

It produced yellow wine, rice wine, distilled spirits, and fruit wine, each variety bearing an elegant name such as "Greenleaf Intoxication" or "Yellow Millet Dream."

There were drinks to suit young and old, men and women alike.

They also came in premium and affordable ranges, catering to wealthy merchants and Aristocratic Clans as well as ordinary people.

Once the Drunken Cloud Residence began serving liquor from the Thousand Gold Distillery, its business surged again.

Before long, the restaurant had branches in both the East and West Markets.

Then came clothing and shoe shops. One after another, fresh and pleasing designs became fashionable across Qingjiang County, inspiring people to imitate them.

Last came the perfume shop, named the Cloud Fragrance Pavilion.

Perfume was a luxury, so the shop opened only in the East Market and charged high prices.

Its many scents suited most women's tastes and proved especially popular with the wives of wealthy merchants.

Xu Mingyuan also kept his people developing more varieties of goods.

He knew innovation was the heart of the Xu Household's competitive strength.

Of course, some people were blinded by profit and came looking for trouble. Xu Mingyuan found ways to deal with them one by one. When he could not resolve a problem himself, he turned to County Magistrate's Deputy Yang.

For Xu Chuan's sake, the deputy readily cleared a path for them, provided they broke no laws.

Spring gave way to autumn.

In the blink of an eye, three years slipped past like a white colt flashing through a gap.

The Xu Household's fruit and vegetable business had long since captured thirty to forty percent of trade in the West Market, and it had gained a foothold in the East Market too.

Demand for market stalls outstripped supply, driving rents ever higher.

The household had also signed contracts with many restaurants and inns to supply fresh fruit every day.

The Drunken Cloud Residence, the Thousand Gold Distillery, the Heavenly Garment Pavilion, the Cloud Fragrance Pavilion, and their other ventures brought in gold day after day.

All had branches in both markets.

By now, monthly revenue ran to tens of thousands of taels, sometimes exceeding a hundred thousand.

Even among all the wealthy merchants and Aristocratic Clans of Qingjiang County, the Xu Household ranked near the top in earning power.

With growth came the need for more people.

The household had hired many over the past two years.

The clerks and managers working in its county-town businesses numbered seventy or eighty in all.

In Dongxi Village, it had taken on more than a hundred farmhands, servants, and maids.

It had also recruited over a hundred guards, most of them young, strong martial artists with some training.

Some guarded the county-town businesses against troublemakers; others watched over the residences and patrolled the fields and woodlands.

For convenience, the Xu Household had also purchased a residence in the East Market of Qingjiang County.

When visits to the Yang Household ran late and the city gates were closed, they stayed there for the night.

Azure Cloud Street.

Bluestone paved the broad road.

The Yang Residence stood along it.

A young man nearly two meters tall and a girl seated on the back of a white tiger with crimson-gold eyes swaggered up to its gates.

The guards at the entrance hurriedly cupped their fists and smiled. "Miss Mingshu, Young Master Xu! Please, come in."

When their eyes met those of the White Tiger, which stood more than half a man tall, they felt as though needles were pricking their backs. A chill ran down their spines.

"I told you not to bring him. See? You've frightened everyone."

Xu Mingwei laughed despite himself and tapped Xu Mingshu on the head.

"Little White said staying at home was too boring, so I brought him out for some fresh air. Isn't that right, Little White?"

The White Tiger seemed to understand. He let out a roar on cue, frightening the guards of the Yang Residence into retreating several steps.

"I'm curious. How did you get such a fierce Mutant to listen to you, Xueji?"

"Hee-hee, it's a gift. You can't learn it, big brother."

"Little White and I can read each other's minds."

Hearing the tiger's roar, the eldest Yang son came over. "So it's you, Little Xueji. Have you brought Little White to get revenge on me?"

"Hmph, I'm not as petty as you, Brother Shichang. I came with big brother to bring Godfather and Godmother some Jade Pears to try, and to visit Sister Ronghua while we're here."

Yang Shichang laughed. He understood well enough and teased, "Brother Xu, I've been waiting for your family to come propose marriage until my eyes are nearly worn out."

Xu Mingwei shook his head helplessly. "Brother Yang, it isn't that I don't want to. My father wants me to become a Xiantian Martial Artist before I think about marrying."

"Xiantian? Uncle Xu is ruthless. He's far too strict with you."

"You're not even nineteen. My father was nearly thirty when he became a Xiantian Martial Artist."

"Hmph, how could you guess what my father's thinking?" Xu Mingshu shot back. Then she smiled. "Still, I agree that big brother should marry Sister Ronghua soon. Then she could chat with me all the time."

"You little rascal!"

"You want your brother to marry just so you'll have a sister-in-law to chat with?"

Neither man knew whether to laugh or cry.

Yang Shichang circled the White Tiger, looking him over. Clicking his tongue in admiration, he said, "You really are something, girl. You managed to tame a Mutant like this."

Xu Mingshu said smugly, "My father said Little White isn't fully grown yet. Once he is, even a warrior at the Houtian Peak might not be able to beat him. If you pick on me again, I'll have Little White whip your backside."

The White Tiger played along, swishing his thick, long, black-and-white-striped tail like a whip.

A solid lash from that tail would probably make even a First-Class Martial Artist cough up blood.

Yang Shichang looked at Xu Mingwei. "Your sister's so fierce, I'm afraid no one will dare marry her."

"None of your business." Xu Mingshu bared her teeth and pulled a face at Yang Shichang.

Little White stayed in the front courtyard. They did not bring him into the rear courtyard.

He lay there quietly, dozing, and no one was foolish enough to bother him.

In the rear quarters of the Yang Residence.

"Sister Ronghua, I've come to see you!"

Xu Mingshu strode boldly into Yang Ronghua's room.

Yang Ronghua was doing needlework. At the sound of her voice, she immediately set down her needle and thread and rose to greet her.

Her face was like a fresh lotus beaded with dew, her brows like distant mountains veiled in mist. Her eyes held the clear shimmer of autumn water, and her lips bore a touch of vermilion.

A butterfly-shaped flower ornament adorned her forehead. Her dark hair was swept into a soaring-swan coiffure, with a kingfisher-feather silver hairpin set at an angle. Moon-bright earrings swayed gently from her ears as she walked.

She wore a jade-green gauze jacket with a cloud-patterned crossed collar. Silver-thread vines embroidered its edges, and its sleeves narrowed at the cuffs into a pipa shape. When she raised her hands, the fabric rippled like overlapping green waves.

Below it was a pleated skirt in alternating shades of mugwort green. As she walked, a crimson waistband showed above it, and twelve jade rings hanging from the hem chimed with every step.

"Little sister Xueji, how did you find time to visit today? Didn't Uncle Xu make you practice martial arts?"

"Even martial arts practice needs a little rest."

Seeing Yang Ronghua keep glancing toward the door, Xu Mingshu covered her mouth and laughed. "Sister Ronghua, what are you looking for?"

"My big brother went to see Godmother. He's talking with her."

"I didn't ask about him." Yang Ronghua grew shy, and her flawless cheeks flushed at once.

Xu Mingshu giggled. "Sister Ronghua, why don't you ask Godfather and Godmother to speak to my father? They could ask him not to be so strict with big brother, so he can marry you sooner."

"Little sister Xueji, you're teasing me. Just wait until I tickle you!"

The two young women laughed and tussled, their finery fluttering as they moved.

Meanwhile.

"Aunt Yang, my father brought these Jade Pears and seasonal fruits for you to try."

"Your father is very thoughtful. Please thank him on my husband's behalf," Madam Yang said warmly.

Xu Mingwei then took an invitation from inside his robe and handed it to her. "In half a month, the Xu Mansion will be completed. We will hold our Founding a Clan ceremony, open the ancestral shrine, and pay respects to our ancestors. We hope Uncle Yang and Aunt Yang will come to witness it."

"Of course we will. I'll tell my husband when he returns."

"Then I won't disturb you any longer, Aunt Yang," Xu Mingwei said respectfully.

"Mother, Little Xueji is with my sister. I'll take Mingwei over there," Yang Shichang said with a smile.

Madam Yang smiled and nodded. "Go on. You young people can talk among yourselves."