The White-Bone Demon of the Farm is as rich as a country

Uncle Ma had traveled extensively when he was young, and was familiar with various places in the Eastern Zhou Dynasty. When he heard Ru Yue asking him about Hui'an County in Yingzhou Prefecture, a look of surprise immediately appeared on his face, as if Ru Yue was asking about something incredible.

"Uncle, is there something wrong with Hui'an in Yingzhou Prefecture?" Seeing Uncle Ma's expression, Chu Ning'an knew that there must be something special about this place, and immediately asked on behalf of Ru Yue.

Uncle Ma pondered for a long time, his face full of confusion, as if he had something to hide. After a long while, he finally said, "Huian says it belongs to our Yingzhou Prefecture of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty. In fact, its geographical location is very special. It is a no-man's land. It borders Pinggu City of Western Qin to the west and Daban City of the Northern Territory to the north. The county is even more of a mixed bag. It's better to say that it is a county seat of the Eastern Zhou people than to say that it is a hybrid of the Three Kingdoms. Many merchants secretly call it... a... a hybrid city."

By the end of his speech, Uncle Ma's old face had turned red. Ru Yue didn't feel anything, but Chu Ning'an understood that Ru Yue was a little girl who had not yet reached marriage age. He was afraid that Ru Yue would feel embarrassed if he said some things out loud. Uncle Ma was doing this to avoid Ru Yue's reputation.

"Uncle, it's okay. We can just talk about it behind closed doors. No one else will know. This involves our family business, so I have to clarify it with you." Chu Ning'an explained to him and asked, "Uncle, how far is Hui'an County from us?"

Uncle Ma thought for a long time before speaking uncertainly, "I once took a road a few years ago. It's actually closer from our town than from the provincial capital. It would take about seven or eight days by carriage, but that road is very remote and even infested with bandits. I don't know if it's still passable after all these years."

After listening to Uncle Ma's words, Ru Yue had a general understanding in her mind and began to have doubts about this merchant. However, she still had to meet him in person to know the details, as guessing could not solve anything.

After thanking Uncle Ma, Ru Yue and Chu Ning'an walked side by side to the second floor of the shop in front. There was a meeting room there, which was specially used for discussing matters. When they stepped into this meeting room, Ru Yue's eyes lit up.

This meeting room was surprisingly similar to the one in the Mengjia Village workshop, giving it a familiar and friendly feel. But upon closer inspection, it was also somewhat unusual. Its overall layout and atmosphere resembled the spacious and bright conference rooms found in modern enterprises of later generations.

When Ru Yue entered, she saw Wang Shuisheng sitting at a table with a middle-aged man, leisurely sipping tea. Several plates of exquisite food were spread on the table, but these weren't the kind of snacks ordinary families would entertain guests with. Instead, they were the three signature dishes Mingyue stalls often used to attract investment: a plate of snow-white, soft steamed buns, emitting an alluring aroma; a dish of authentic, spicy chili sauce, stimulating the taste buds; and a dish of rich, fragrant meat sauce, even more mouth-watering.

Just then, Ru Yue approached gracefully. Wang Shuisheng, upon seeing her, quickly stood up and introduced her to the crowd with a broad smile, "Master, this is Mr. Fan Qifeng, a major merchant from Hui'an County, Yingzhou Prefecture!" He then turned and explained Ru Yue's identity in detail to the burly man.

Only then did Ru Yue get a closer, closer look at the man before her. He was dressed in a black, cross-collared gown with gold trim and intricate cloud patterns. His every move exuded an air of extravagance. A closer look revealed a tall, straight figure, perhaps around thirty-five or thirty-six years old. His square face, with its short, thick, dark eyebrows, stood out, instantly reminding Ru Yue of the adorable and playful Crayon Shin-chan from her past life. However, what was unexpected was that beneath those short eyebrows nestled a pair of narrow, deep eyes. When their eyes met, a gleam of lightning flashed across his eyes, and Ru Yue couldn't help but catch a glimpse of a subtle, ruthless edge.

His facial features were more three-dimensional and profound than those of the people he usually saw. His stature was also noticeably taller and stronger than the average person. Standing there, he resembled a towering mountain, giving off an invisible sense of oppression. Ru Yue's heart skipped a beat, and she thought to herself, "Judging from his appearance, this man is probably more than just an ordinary businessman..."

"Greetings, Boss Fan." Ru Yue stepped forward gracefully, cupped her hands, and bowed gracefully, performing a standard bow to Boss Fan. Her figure was graceful, her movements elegant and generous, as fresh and refined as a blooming lotus.

This action surprised Boss Fan, who was standing across from him. "Hello, young lady! Haha, seeing is believing! I never imagined the young lady from the renowned 'Ming Yue' stall would actually be such a young and beautiful girl. I'm so sorry I didn't recognize her. Hahaha!" Boss Fan was stunned for a moment, then he reacted and burst into a hearty laugh. His laugh was resounding and full of energy, and his words were filled with admiration and praise, not the slightest hint of contempt.

However, facing Boss Fan's enthusiastic and forthright attitude, Ru Yue couldn't help but feel suspicious. She thought to herself: This person may seem sincere and open, but the business world is like a battlefield, where people's hearts are unpredictable. It's best to be cautious.

She smiled calmly and asked softly, "I wonder what kind of business Boss Fan does?" As she spoke, her beautiful eyes looked around and stared at Boss Fan closely, trying to catch some useful information from his expression and answer.

"Young Master, you've undoubtedly heard of Hui'an County, situated at the junction of three countries! I often smuggle our local novelties, unique charms, and unique items to other provincial capitals. Then, I purchase rare items from these places that you won't find in Hui'an County and resell them. Hahahaha, thanks to the good deeds of my ancestors, this business is manageable!"

His loud and hearty laughter is extremely contagious, as if it can instantly dispel the barriers and strangeness between people, making people unconsciously like him and unconsciously let down their guard and vigilance.

"I wonder what Boss Fan's purpose is in coming all the way to our Jiaqing Mansion?"

Ru Yue blinked her big watery eyes, like an innocent little girl who knew nothing about the world, and asked with curiosity on her face.

"Hahahaha, the main reason I came here this time was to bring a batch of our local specialties, intending to find a good market here. Just now, I happened to taste the chili sauce in your store, and the taste is so special! So, I wanted to discuss with you, little boss, whether you could order some of this delicious chili sauce for me to take back to Hui'an County to sell?"

This person's words were flawless, and every answer was just right. But if you think about it carefully, you will find that although he seemed to have said a lot, in fact, the truly valuable information was almost zero.

However, facing this situation, Yue already had her own plans and considerations in mind. Her lips curled up slightly, revealing a meaningful smile as she softly said, "Haha, it's truly an honor for me that Boss Fan appreciates my food! Logically, I should be extremely delighted to have the honor of meeting such a generous client like you." With that, Ru Yue began to engage in the usual polite conversation, slowly interacting with Boss Fan.

Upon hearing this, Mr. Fan's face suddenly darkened. The smile that had been on his face disappeared without a trace in an instant. Instead, he put on a serious expression. He stared at Ru Yue closely and asked in a stern tone, "Why? Could it be that the young boss is unwilling to take over this business with me, Mr. Fan?"

"Boss Fan, you misunderstood. It's not that I don't want to do business with you. It's reality that forces me to push you, the God of Wealth, away!" Ru Yue sighed and continued, "Jiaqing Prefecture is too far away from Hui'an. It takes ten days to half a month to travel there. Now that the weather is getting hotter, the goods will rot before they reach you. There's really no way to transport them there."

"I can get there in seven days, traveling day and night."

Ru Yue still shook her head and explained, "It takes three days for the hot sauce to travel from my workshop to the capital, day and night, and another three days to get to your place. Do you think it will still be sellable when it gets there?"

"Is there really no better way?" He frowned tightly, his eyes revealing a stubborn unwillingness. As if as long as there was a glimmer of hope, he was unwilling to give up looking for a solution to the problem.

"Boss Fan, honesty is the foundation of business. If this deal can be successfully concluded, why would I possibly turn it down? After all, who doesn't want to make money? But there are some things that cannot go against principles." As he spoke, the man sighed helplessly, trying to make Boss Fan understand his difficulties.

"Well...how about we just add more salt in it! That way we can keep the food for a few more days, right?" Boss Fan seemed to have a flash of inspiration. After thinking of this idea, he became excited, as if he had seen the light of solving the problem and was determined to do so.

However, Ru Yue couldn't hold back any longer after hearing this. She had been trying to deal with Boss Fan patiently, but now she finally lost her patience.

She put away the smile on her face, and her expression became serious and resolute: "Boss Fan, do you think people like us who make a living by word of mouth can do such a stupid thing as destroying our own reputation?" Although her voice was not loud, it carried an unquestionable power.

Boss Fan stared at Ru Yue without blinking, his face trembling slightly, his eyes showing a cruel look, and his tone was filled with danger, "Young boss, you don't want to do business with me, Fan!"

Wang Shuisheng saw that the two of them had broken down in their conversation, and fearing that Ru Yue would suffer a loss, he hurriedly tried to smooth things over, "Well, well, we can talk it over, we can talk it over."

"Boss Fan, why do you have to force me?" Ru Yue didn't even blink. Although she was small, her aura was not weak at all.

"Okay, okay!" He shouted twice, slamming his hands on the table. "Master Meng, I'm glad to meet you. Goodbye!"

Ru Yue didn't even look at him, she just said coldly, "Goodbye, I won't see you off!"