Notes on Longevity

Chapter 232 In this mundane world, every ounce of silver is tainted with the stench of money; who isn't a profit-seeker?

"What should we do then?" Zhao Wuyong panicked when he heard that they hadn't caught up with the person. Lu Ya was known as the number one martial artist in the world, and the five of them hadn't been able to defeat or catch him. This showed that the person's skills were superior to theirs. If the person came back, Zhao Yunchu or Yang Chenghan would be in danger.

But Lu Ya said something else: "Master Zhao, you can rest assured. Yesterday's incident was my fault. I was provoked by that person and my mind was in turmoil, which is why I let him get away. However, after thinking about it, I realized that the person didn't seem to have any ill intentions towards Cheng Han and Yun Chu. On the contrary, he wanted to protect them."

Zhao Wuyong was puzzled and asked, "What do you mean by that?"

Lu Ya replied, "During our fight yesterday, he said that we helped 'him/her' so that he didn't continue to entangle with us. Although we don't know whether the 'him/her' he was referring to was Cheng Han or Yun Chu, it shows that the person really had no ill intentions. It's just that he refused to reveal his identity, but I think there must be a reason why he is hiding his identity."

Zhao Wuyong frowned slightly upon hearing this. He said, "Although there was no ill intent, the fact that this person could cause you all to suffer losses means that his skills must be extremely high. If we don't find out his identity, I will still be unable to eat or sleep in peace."

Lu Ya stood up and said, "Please rest assured, Old Master Zhao, if he dares to show up again, I will definitely capture him."

But Zhao Wuyong was still somewhat worried: "He can make you suffer once, and he can make you suffer a second time, so it's best to be careful."

Lu Ya laughed and said, "Since I dare to say this, I must have a way to deal with him. You can rest assured."

Zhao Wuyong also believed Lu Ya's words, and said, "In that case, I will trouble Young Master Lu."

"Of course." With that, Lu Ya suddenly bowed to Zhao Wuyong and said, "Now that we have explained the situation to you, we will take our leave first and come back tonight."

Zhao Wuyong replied, "Very well. I happen to have an appointment with merchants from the Wu Kingdom today, and they should be arriving soon."

"Farewell."

Lu Ya bowed and said.

Zheng Di, Wu Ke, Sun Cheng, Wang Huai, and the others also stood up and bowed to Zhao Wuyong, saying, "Farewell."

After saying that, the group turned and left the hall.

After the others left, Zhao Wuyong looked worried. Zhao Yunchu, who was standing next to him, quickly asked, "Father, didn't Brother Lu and the others say they were sure they could catch that person? Why do you still look so worried?"

An Zhilan also found it strange, so she asked, "Master, are you worried about Lu Ya and the others?"

Yang Chenghan wanted to speak, but he didn't know what to say, so he just sat quietly to the side.

Zhao Wuyong frowned and stood up, walking heavily to the entrance of the main hall. He looked at the guards standing outside the hall and Zhao Yunchu's two personal maids, then turned to look at Yang Chenghan and said slowly, "It's not that I don't trust Lu Ya, but I'm worried about the person they're fighting. If he's after Yunchu, I'm more at ease, but if he's after Chenghan, I'm more worried."

"Father, why?" Zhao Yunchu was somewhat confused. What did he mean by "I'm relieved that they're coming for me, but I'm worried about those who're coming for Yang Chenghan"?

Zhao Wuyong came to Yang Chenghan's side, put a hand on his shoulder, and looked at him, saying, "Too many people died at your father's hands. I'm afraid I'll become their successor."

"But didn't Brother Lu say that he stopped bothering them because they helped Brother Chenghan?"

Zhao Yunchu became more and more confused as she listened.

"You can't see into someone's heart; sweet words can easily deceive the world. But what if someone says that on purpose?"

Zhao Wuyong's words silenced the entire hall. An Zhilan and Zhao Yunchu also turned their gazes to Yang Chenghan. His intense stares made him uneasy. After a moment of silence, he asked Zhao Wuyong, "Uncle, did my father really kill so many people because of that demon?"

"real."

Zhao Wuyong's answer weighed heavily on Yang Chenghan's heart like a huge stone, making it hard for him to breathe: "But I heard from Young Master Lu that he is doing something remarkable."

"But he paid for it with the lives of many people."

Zhao Wuyong looked down at Yang Chenghan and shook his head helplessly: "His ideas are shocking and unconventional, and are not recognized by the world. The wheels of the tide have rolled over him. Although he fought alone in the martial arts world, he was ultimately wrong."

"Then why doesn't Uncle join the others in attacking Father?"

Yang Chenghan's words left Zhao Wuyong unsure how to respond. Should he say he supported him, or that he also thought Yang Tianqian was right? He couldn't quite put his finger on it: "One cannot go against the tide. Just like in business, one must know when to advance and retreat, and understand what to choose and what to let go."

"Alright, sir."

Although An Zhilan was equally worried, she thought that what the man said might not be untrue. She quickly comforted Yang Chenghan, saying, "Whether what that man said is true or false, at least you're safe for now. Besides, since Lu Ya dared to assure us, he really does have a way, so please don't bring up those past events anymore. Now, the person in front of me is Han'er, and no one else knows his identity except us and Lu Ya. I don't believe that man can recognize Chenghan at a glance."

An Zhilan's words eased Zhao Wuyong's mood considerably. He patted Yang Chenghan's shoulder again and said, "Your aunt is right. Don't be too worried. I really don't believe that anyone in Huangzhou City can hurt you under my nose."

"Nephew understands."

At 2:45 AM, the Wu Kingdom merchants invited by Zhao Wuyong had already arrived at the residence.

Zhao Wuyong had Yang Chenghan lead the group around the courtyard first, and then they went to the main hall around noon.

Meanwhile, the servants of the Zhao family, who were on a purchasing mission, also brought back a lot of fresh ingredients. At Zhao Wuyong's request, the meals in the house today were all on the lighter side. The busyness in the kitchen seemed a bit out of place compared to the quietness in the main hall, but Zhao Wuyong didn't seem to care. He held a bowl of tea, skimming off the foam, blowing on the hot tea, and finally taking a small sip.

He hummed in agreement, seemingly in amazement at the tea.

After he put down his teacup, he patted his sleeves and said to the Wu Kingdom merchant sitting in the guest seat, "The Pu'er tea from Wu Kingdom is indeed as good as its reputation. It is rich, mellow, bitter, and has a sweet aftertaste."

As he spoke, he picked up the tea and smelled its aroma, carefully examining its color. He then remarked, "The tea soup is bright orange-yellow, and the tea leaves are especially plump and uniform in size after they have broken free from their round shape."

"Not at all. Compared to the Pu'er tea of ​​my dynasty, I prefer the Mengding Ganlu and Mengding Huangya teas of the Yan dynasty, especially the Xufu Longya tea. Its rich fragrance surpasses even the bitterness of Pu'er." The three merchants from the Wu kingdom were plump and fair-skinned, perhaps due to the climate and diet of Wu. Located in the southwest, Wu's climate is spring-like year-round, with lush forests. While not as gentle as the misty rain of Jiangnan, it surpasses the lack of distinct seasons in the Dayan dynasty, which only has winter and summer.

The two countries also have very different cuisines. If the Yan Dynasty is known for its spicy and numbing flavors, then the Wu Kingdom is famous for its tender, sweet, sour, and spicy dishes. Due to the special geographical location of the Wu Kingdom, most of their ingredients are locally sourced, and their cooking methods are very simple. This preserves the key flavors of the ingredients while also allowing them to be seasoned according to their characteristics, satisfying both the palate and the true taste of delicacies.

This also leads to the fact that most people from the Wu Kingdom become rounder after middle age.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Wuyong smiled slightly and said, "In that case, let's get back to business."

"Huangzhou City is different from the capital. The people in the capital have very little change in their clothing, food, housing, and transportation, while Huangzhou City is a melting pot of people from all over the world, with all sorts of strange and wonderful things to do. As you mentioned earlier, you want to sell clothing and fabrics made of silk to Huangzhou. Currently, the price of silk in Dayan is around eighteen to twenty taels per bolt, and the price of silkworm cocoons is twenty-three taels. In Wu Kingdom, the price of silk is roughly twelve taels per bolt, and the price of silkworm cocoons is sixteen taels. You bring me the woven silk and clothing to sell for you. According to you, after adding labor costs and the local market price, you can sell it for thirty taels per bolt. I will take a three-tenths profit, which means I will get nine taels of silver per bolt. Adding the shop's labor costs, I will take another one-tenth of the profit, which is twelve taels of silver in total. Thirty taels minus twelve taels, you will profit eighteen taels. With the highest market price in Wu Kingdom being sixteen taels, you will only profit two taels per bolt. By this calculation, you will be at a disadvantage."

After carefully calculating, Zhao Wuyong sighed in this way.

The Wu Kingdom merchant said helplessly, "Seven years ago, Wu Kingdom suffered a great defeat, its national fortune declined sharply, and all trades and markets were greatly affected. It has only recovered in the last two years. Now, the Great Yan Kingdom's national fortune is smooth and the market is booming. It is already difficult to get even a small profit from Master Zhao's willingness to join forces with us."

"Forgive my frankness, but before this, we had also approached other wealthy merchants, but the profits they offered were negligible. We are all businessmen, and it is only natural to make a profit. However, to push people to the brink of ruin shows that they have no sincerity in cooperating. Moreover, the current price of thirty taels is just to test the market. If it is acceptable, we will naturally raise the price further."

"Master Zhao knows that the quality of our silk is incomparable to other silks. After the price goes up, the profit he makes will naturally go up as well, so there's no need to worry about such a small difference."

Zhao Wuyong nodded in agreement and said, "Your materials are truly different from others, otherwise you wouldn't dare to set such a high price."

“Besides silk, there are also jewelry.”

At this moment, another merchant stood up and bowed to Zhao Wuyong, saying, "I have already shown the jewelry to Master Zhao. As for the specific price, I haven't finalized it yet, but based on profit, Master Zhao can get four percent profit on each piece of jewelry, and the shop will give an extra seven taels of silver. Once I have finalized the price, I will send the price list to your residence for your review."

Zhao Wuyong didn't speak, but just smiled and nodded. After a moment, he spoke again: "We are all in business, and we all know what business is for. It's nothing more than making a little profit. Since you have all made yourselves so clear, I can't refuse. But I'll say this first: this is now, and the selling price in the future will depend on the market."

Upon hearing this, the group exchanged glances, a hint of unease on their faces, but they quickly regained their composure and stood up, saying, "Then we thank you in advance, Master Zhao."

"Now that the matter has been settled, we'll take our leave."

One of them said, taking out a wooden box from his sleeve and handing it to Zhao Wuyong: "This contains a piece of medicinal wood. It was broken off from an ancient tree by a small merchant while he was traveling around. This wood was soaked in thirty-two kinds of good medicine for three years. It has the effect of nourishing the heart and calming the mind when you hold it in your palm and rub it."

Zhao Wuyong took the box, glanced at the ginseng-like wooden branch inside, and smiled, "Thank you for your thoughtfulness. Please have a meal before you leave."

The merchant was clearly taken aback; they hadn't expected Zhao Wuyong to invite them to dinner.
afternoon.

Zhao Wuyong led Yang Chenghan to the backyard and laid him on a long bench. Two maids sat on a couch and gently fanned them.

Zhao Wuyong closed his eyes to rest, while Yang Chenghan pondered the conversation between Zhao Wuyong and the merchants. After a moment, Zhao Wuyong began to pose a question.

"Chenghan, your uncle is asking you, what was the name of the first person who spoke to me? Where in Wu Kingdom was he from? How old was he?"

After thinking for a moment, Yang Chenghan replied, "The silk merchant's surname is Gu, and his given name is Yi. He is from Xiongcheng in Wuguo and is forty-two years old. His family has been in business for generations, but they fell into ruin in the fifty-second year of Shangyuan. He and his wife have been living off their last savings until now."

"Not bad."

Zhao Wuyong was somewhat surprised by Yang Chenghan's answer. He had thought that Yang Chenghan could only answer the previous questions at most, but he did not expect that he would even mention the decline of Gu Yi's family.

"However, I'm a little curious how you knew about his family background?"

Yang Chenghan answered truthfully: "When we were strolling in the courtyard earlier, some merchants asked about my relationship with my uncle and learned that I came to learn business from you. Then they talked about their past and asked me to say good things about them to you."

"Do you know why they're willing to tell you these things?" Zhao Wuyong asked after learning the reason.

After pondering for a moment, Yang Chenghan replied, "It's probably a way of trying to curry favor after knowing about my relationship with my uncle?"

Yang Chenghan found it hard to say the word "flattery," after all, they were all businessmen, but judging from the situation in the lobby earlier, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call it a kind of flattery.

“Yes, but not entirely,” Zhao Wuyong said with a slight smile.

Yang Chenghan was puzzled and asked, "What does Uncle mean by this?"

Zhao Wuyong glanced at Yang Chenghan and said, "You've only learned a little bit of what others have learned."

"What they're telling you is actually just them playing the victim, trying to curry favor with you, which is actually letting them off easy."

Zhao Wuyong's tone was full of disdain for them.

"Playing the victim?" Yang Chenghan frowned, then carefully reviewed the situation in his mind and said, "What Uncle means is that they told me these things because I am your nephew, because of this relationship. And the reason they played the victim is what they said to me at the end."

Zhao Wuyong laughed and said, "Your reaction was quite quick."

“If you weren’t my nephew, they would never have told you these things.”

"But the most important thing is what you told them: you came here to learn business from me. That's the main reason."

Zhao Wuyong sighed and said, "In this mundane world, everyone is tainted by the stench of money; who isn't a profit-seeker?"

(End of this chapter)