Chapter 48

Zhou Jing accompanied Shen Mo to Wang Gui’s house to settle the mule cart.

Upon seeing them, Wang Gui smiled and greeted them: “Why are you back so late today?”

Shen Mo smiled but did not answer. Instead, he said, “Uncle Wang, here is the rental fee for the past few days; you can count it.”

In the beginning, Zhou Jing had settled accounts daily, but afterward, it had been either weekly or monthly.

It was strange for Shen Mo to suddenly settle the payment today without any prior notice.

Although Wang Gui found it odd, he didn’t inquire further. After all, it had been agreed that if they did not need to use his mule cart, they would inform him the night before so he could arrange whether to send it out the next day.

Wang Gui was a man of few words; since the Zhou family had not told him they wouldn’t need his cart, he assumed they would still be using it the next day and didn’t think much of it.

Zhou Jing and Shen Mo stepped out from Wang Gui’s house, planning to head home after a few words. To their surprise, they met Aunt Shen and Wang Dali loitering around the entrance of their home.

This was the first time they had seen the mother and son since Wang Dali’s proposal to the Zhou family had been rejected.

Aunt Shen felt quite awkward; her face turned crimson as she hunched her shoulders and rubbed her hands together as if she had been transported back to the days of poverty when they could barely afford a couple of coins for a meat bun and had to settle for just smelling the aroma.

Shen Mo, however, did not show any particular reaction. He maintained his usual gentle demeanor and said: “Aunt Shen, have you come to deliver ducks? If so, please bring the ducks over, and I’ll have someone weigh them for you.”

“Yes, yes.” Aunt Shen replied timidly, glancing at Shen Mo. Seeing that his expression was unchanged from usual and that Zhou Jing was not as fierce as the matchmaker had described, but still exuded a remarkable presence, she felt that this must be the demeanor of someone important who wouldn’t bother to squabble with insignificant people like them. This thought eased her anxiety.

“Then I’ll go back and catch the ducks for you.” Aunt Shen said.

In the brief moment that followed, the Zhou family’s front door swung open, revealing Shen Lin’s head peeking out from inside.

“Big Brother, brother-in-law, I heard your voices from outside. How did things go?” Shen Lin asked, his gaze casually sweeping over the scene, only to land right on Aunt Shen and Wang Dali.

Instantly, the tension that had just lifted from Aunt Shen and Wang Dali returned, and they became stiff, unsure of how to position their hands and feet.

“Well, um… Shen Lin is here too.” Wang Dali blurted out awkwardly, completely at a loss for words in his embarrassment.

After saying that, he felt even more awkward, realizing that if Shen Lin wasn’t in the Zhou Family’s house, where else could he possibly be?

Shen Lin was momentarily taken aback before he responded with a passive “Mm.”

“What’s wrong, Xiao Lin?” Wang Ren, sensing Shen Lin’s sudden stiffness from behind, squeezed his way forward.

Upon seeing that Shen Lin’s unease was caused by Aunt Shen and Wang Dali, Wang Ren’s expression immediately darkened.

Since Aunt Shen and Wang Dali had not done anything wrong this time, he felt it inappropriate to confront them directly.

Instead, he reached out and grabbed Shen Lin’s hand, silently signaling him to take caution.

Zhou Jing interjected, “Wang Ren, since you’re here, later on, Xiao Mo and I will be heading to town to buy some things. Can you and Shen Lin keep an eye on the house? By the way, Aunt Shen is here to deliver ducks. Make sure to weigh them. Xiao Di has the money; you can ask him for whatever you need, and I’ll settle up with him later.”

Wang Ren agreed, feeling inexplicably excited. Shen Mo and Shen Lin, the two brothers, sensed that something was off but couldn’t quite put their finger on it.

At this moment, Aunt Shen’s first reaction was, “Goodness, how much money must Shen Lin be making with the Zhou family if he can even cover the payment for the ducks? A hundred bucks is no small sum!”

Due to past conflicts with several other families in the village that owned mule carts, Zhou Jing and Shen Mo decided to hire a cart from a neighboring village.

This ended up making an elderly man from that village very pleased, as he laughed at the families in Wangjia Village, wondering if they had lost their minds for pushing away such a profitable customer.

After Zhou Jing and Shen Mo had left for a while, Aunt Shen and her son brought the ducks over.

Wang Ren and Shen Lin weighed them and calculated the payment; it was precisely accurate without any discrepancies, making the transaction smooth and straightforward, with no signs of difficulty in their attitude or words.

Seeing this, Aunt Shen assumed that the Zhou family was no longer concerned about the previous events and felt completely at ease.

“There’s nothing more to discuss, so I’ll be leaving now. Maybe I can still catch some ducklings in town to raise and not delay your family’s business,” she said, clutching the heavy silver in her hands, feeling delighted.

Although the harvest had not been good this year, her family had a business deal with the Zhou family. By the end of the year, not only would they recover their losses from the fields, but there might even be a surplus.

Perhaps this opportunity could even help her son find a suitable girl from a good family.

Aunt Shen tucked the silver away and looked up to see several men bustling around in the Zhou family’s courtyard, laughing heartily. “Is the Zhou family building houses again? It looks like you could use some extra hands. I’ll have my son lend you a hand,” she said, not bothering to ask Shen Lin for his opinion.

She turned to her son and said: “I can head back on my own later; you stay here and help out. After all, our families have business dealings with the Zhou Family. You can skip today’s pay, and we’ll settle it tomorrow.”

Aunt Shen winked at Wang Dali, signaling that they had successfully negotiated. The two had discussed coming to the Zhou family to work, and the allure of 30 copper coins a day was too great for Aunt Shen’s family to resist.

However, they were unsure of the Zhou family’s attitude at first, so Aunt Shen only mentioned it in passing. Now, seeing that the Zhou family seemed to have forgotten the past incident, she genuinely believed that everything was behind them. She began to revert to her previous demeanor.

“Alright then,” Wang Dali said, rubbing his hands together with glee. “It’s just a bit of heavy lifting; we’ve got plenty of strength. Consider it a favor.”

As Wang Dali spoke, he took quick strides to head over, only to be blocked by Wang Ren.

Wang Ren appeared to be smiling, but there was an unfathomable cruelty behind that smile.

“No need.”

“Huh?” Wang Dali was momentarily taken aback, staring blankly at his mother. Aunt Shen was also stunned, looking at Shen Lin in confusion. Hadn’t everything been resolved? Why was there a change?

Shen Lin didn’t look at them at all, turning his face away instead.

Wang Ren said, “I forgot to mention earlier that we won’t be accepting your next batch of ducks.”

“What do you mean, you won’t accept them?” Aunt Shen exclaimed sharply.

Wang Ren shot her a cold glare.

“Yes, we won’t accept them. Aunt Shen, you remember how the contract was written, right? If the Zhou family finds any issues with the ducks you send, they have the right to notify you not to send the next batch when inspecting this one.

Don’t forget how Wang Fa was terminated from his contract. Also, while my brother-in-law’s house needs help right now, it won’t be from your family. Remember, any good fortune that comes from dealings with the Zhou family will not be yours in the future.”

Aunt Shen didn’t look at Wang Ren; instead, she fixed her gaze on Shen Lin. “Shen Lin, what do you say about this? The business belongs to your family, not to Wang Ren.”

Without even glancing at her, Shen Lin replied coldly, “When my brother left, he entrusted this matter to Brother Ren, so it’s only natural that Brother Ren makes the decision.”

The truth was that this issue had not been put to rest; it wasn’t that the Zhou family had chosen to overlook it—they were waiting for her to come to them.

Aunt Shen was all too familiar with the process that led to Wang Fa’s contract termination; she had been present at the time and knew that the contract clearly stated she had no option.

But now the harvest had failed, and if they lost the deal they had with the Zhou family, what would her family do?

Aunt Shen was truly dumbfounded.

She slapped her thigh and sat on the ground, crying.

“What kind of fate is this for us, a widow and her orphan? After a couple of days of good business and working diligently—I don’t even know whom I had offended. Just like that, they said we can’t work anymore, and it’s over…”

Aunt Shen cried and wailed as if Wang Ren had bullied her.

She did indeed intend to leverage the situation a bit. After all, there were so many villagers working for the Zhou family in the courtyard.

She thought that if she cried and made a fuss, using her age and experience to her advantage, the Zhou family would fear the opinions of others and the so-called “morality” that the villagers spoke of.

She believed that this would force them to continue doing business with her. It was even quite possible that in order to placate her, they would keep her son on as a worker.

Unexpectedly, Zhou Jing had summoned only his own people, all of whom were relatives connected to Wang Ren in one way or another. Wang Ren himself was a reasonable person who understood right from wrong. The friends he made and the relatives he helped shared his temperament.

Hearing the commotion, they directly grabbed the tools and came over.

“What’s going on, cousin? Are they trying to blackmail you?” Zhao Dazhuang asked with a harsh tone.

Wang Ren replied with a half-smile, “It seems that might indeed be the case.”

“How dare they!” Zhao Dazhuang’s eyebrows shot up. “To bully our family, they’ve got guts! Brothers, shut them up and throw them out!”

At his command, several men rushed in, using their hands and feet to subdue the situation.

They gave Aunt Shen and her son no chance to speak, stuffing a filthy rag into her mouth before tossing her out the door.

Despite Wang Dali being tall and strong, it was useless; he couldn’t withstand the sheer number of opponents, and it was as easy as child’s play for them to handle him.

The mother and son’s embarrassing situation was seen by the villagers who frequented the Zhou family.

They recalled the well-known story about the shameless marriage proposal from this ger, which had involved outrageous demands. Instead of stepping in to help, the villagers merely pointed and laughed, covering their mouths while making snide remarks.

Aunt Shen and her son got up, utterly humiliated.

Having lost her husband early in life and endured hardship, she had always valued her dignity.

Little did she expect that due to her own aging and confusion, this incident would ruin everything.

Once back home, she nearly cried her eyes out and refused to eat for several days, but it was all in vain.

This incident made her realize that Zhou Jing would never extend a helping hand to her again, not even for the slightest favor.

Shen Lin asked Wang Ren, “You just sent her away like that? Aren’t you afraid my brother will blame you for acting on your own?”

Wang Ren chuckled, “No way. Since my brother-in-law entrusted this matter to me, he should have anticipated that I would handle it this way. After all, no man can swallow the humiliation of having his family bullied.”

—o—o—o—

Zhou Jing and Shen Mo hurried to the town, heading straight for the cattle market. Despite being called a cattle market, it was not limited to selling cows; mules and donkeys were also sold there.

Mules were the cheapest since they couldn’t reproduce and had a lifespan of only a few decades, costing only three to five silver coins. Donkeys were next in line, priced around seven or eight silver coins. The most expensive were the cows, which cost between thirteen and fifteen silver coins.

Zhou Jing set his sights on a small heifer. The calf’s coat shone with a healthy luster, lying smoothly against its back, and compared to the other cows in the market, it looked particularly spirited.

“Let’s buy a heifer.” Zhou Jing said. “Cows are generally more docile, and with you and Xiao Di handling the cart, I’ll feel more at ease. After all, if the business keeps growing, I won’t be able to follow you around all the time.”

Shen Mo also found the heifer quite rare. He simply appreciated it, having come from a poor family where he had envied others’ mule carts, let alone a cow.

Shen Mo liked the calf so much that he reached out to stroke its head. Perhaps sensing his affection, the heifer didn’t resist; instead, it gently nuzzled Shen Mo’s palm in response.

At that moment, Shen Mo truly fell in love with the calf, turning to look at Zhou Jing with a face that clearly said he wanted it.

Seeing this, the man selling cows remarked, “This little calf seems to have a connection with your family. Don’t hesitate; just buy it. Look at its coat and its energy—you can tell it’s in great shape. It’s definitely healthy.”

“I don’t know how much silver you plan to sell it for?” Zhou Jing asked.

“14 silver coins,” the man replied nervously. He knew that price was a bit high; if he added just one more silver coin, he could get a larger, fully grown cow of good quality.

Zhou Jing frowned slightly. “That’s too expensive.”

The man understood the reality of the situation. He had been at the market for several days, and this price hadn’t attracted any buyers. He knew that waiting a few more days wouldn’t help either, as no one would be willing to pay that much for a small cow. He felt a bit dejected.

Gritting his teeth, he said, “Brother, to be honest, this little calf is from my family’s big cow. I never intended to sell it; I was planning to keep it and raise it well. We’ve taken good care of its feeding and upbringing. The truth is, our family has faced some business losses recently, and we’re short 14 silver coins to pay off our debts. Otherwise, I wouldn’t sell it no matter what. Now, I just want to find it a good home since my wife and I are going back to our hometown.”

Zhou Jing looked at the man’s attire and his manner of speaking; he truly didn’t seem like a farmer but rather someone who dealt in trade. Coupled with his sincere expression and deep sense of distress, it was clear he was not lying.

Shen Mo had already made up his mind about the little cow. Even if the price was high, it was only a matter of one silver coin. In the past, a single silver coin had been a significant amount, but now Zhou Jing was willing to spend it to make his husband happy and help someone in need.

“We’ll take it,” Zhou Jing said decisively.

The man immediately burst into a smile, repeatedly expressing his thanks. “I also have a ready-made cart that I originally intended for personal use. I had it specially customized. I was planning to sell the cart separately since the cow wasn’t fetching a good price, but now that this will help me pay off my debts, I’ll give it to you.”

Although the cart wasn’t luxurious, it was very practical.

Shen Mo happily approached and hitched the small heifer to the cart. The calf stood patiently as Shen Mo worked—behaving wonderfully. Shen Mo’s heart melted at the sight of her.

“She’s really cute.” he said.

Zhou Jing: “I’m glad you like her.”

Then Zhou Jing talked to the cow vendor: “By the way, since you’re doing business in town, I wanted to ask you about something. Is there a good Broker here? I’m thinking of checking out a storefront.”

On the way there, Zhou Jing and Shen Mo had discussed the possibility of buying a shop if the price was right. This would make it easier to do business, facilitate deliveries, and eliminate the worry of being unable to set up a stall in bad weather.

The man scratched his head and said shyly: “Actually, I’m not a local; I’m from the neighboring town. I came here to do business, but just a few days in, I’ve lost everything. However, I’ve heard from others that there’s a shop called something like ‘An’ that’s quite good. They don’t raise the prices much and offer reasonable rates. They’re upfront about their strengths and weaknesses. I can’t remember exactly what ‘An’ it is; you should ask around some more.”

“Okay, thank you.”

After Zhou Jing left, the man suddenly recalled that the business he was talking about was Sheng’an, and there was another one in town called Ping’an.

Though the names were only one character apart, the two shops operated their businesses in completely different ways. One was honest and straightforward, revealing both strengths and weaknesses, while the other was all about deception, hiding what they could and tricking people whenever possible. Their classic saying was, “If we told the truth, would you still buy from us?”

Shen Mo pointed at the cart, marveling, “This thing is one of a kind in our village; their mule carts and donkey carts don’t have anything like this.”

Zhou Jing smiled and replied, “In the future, we’ll have even more unique things, and our lives will only get better. Let them know that even if Shen Mo is a ger, it doesn’t matter. He’s lucky; his partner cares for him.”

Shen Mo felt a bit shy, as if he wanted to ask but was afraid Zhou Jing would be upset.

Not asking left him feeling uneasy.

After thinking it over, he decided to voice his concern.

“Brother Jing, Doctor Zhong also said I’m in poor health. He mentioned that it’s not just about the state of my body being weak, I might not even be able to have children.” Shen Mo said cautiously, his tone hesitant as if testing Zhou Jing’s reaction—yet there was a hint of bitterness in his words.

Zhou Jing didn’t feel any anger when Shen Mo still didn’t trust him after they had been together for so long; instead, it was concerning that Shen Mo was unaware of his feelings.

As time went on, he learned more about Shen Mo’s past and the customs of the era, realizing how obsessed people were with having descendants.

For Shen Mo, all Zhou Jing felt was love.

He couldn’t hug Shen Mo in front of so many people for fear of being pointed at, so he gently patted his head, showing a kind of tolerance akin to that of an elder comforting a child.

“Foolish Xiao Mo, to be honest with you, the obsession with having children has faded quite a bit in my hometown. Many families only have one daughter, and they don’t know how carefree and happy they are. Besides, in my hometown, only men and women can have children. People like us can’t possibly have kids. So from the very beginning of our relationship, I never thought about having you bear children. We don’t have to force it; if it really doesn’t work out, we can adopt one and raise him well. It doesn’t mean he would be any worse than a biological child.”

Shen Mo didn’t know whether Zhou Jing was telling the truth or if he was just trying to deceive him.

After all, in his understanding, gers had existed alongside men and women since ancient times; how could there be no gers?

But he was deeply moved, he rubbed his nose, suppressing the sourness in his heart, and spoke with a smile.

“Brother Jing, you should sit in the ox cart today; I’ll drive for you.”

Zhou Jing chuckled, “Sure, but I won’t go inside. I’ll sit outside and keep you company.”

Shen Mo waved the whip, guiding the little ox onto the main road. The rhythmic sound of the ox’s hooves was crisp and pleasant to hear.

Passersby saw the ox cart and quickly moved aside, especially since this kind of cart with a cabin was typically owned by wealthy families.

The ox cart was already a luxury; wealthy merchants usually rode in them. As for horse-drawn carriages, they were not as common as depicted in later television shows.

In reality, the management of horses was quite strict at this time, and ordinary people rarely came into contact with horse-trading.

Only high-ranking officials and wealthy merchants could afford to buy horses.

Horses were a symbol of status, and when common folk saw someone riding or driving a horse in the streets, they instinctively stepped aside to avoid them.

As Shen Mo traveled, he garnered many envious glances, especially when they stopped to inquire about the dental practice named something like ‘An.’ The woman who answered them was very respectful, unable to resist peeking inside the cart to catch a glimpse of the nonexistent big shot.

They learned that the dental practice was called Ping’an Dental, a shop specifically for selling commercial properties.

The shopkeeper at the dental practice knew they were looking to buy a property and slapped his thigh in excitement.

“I’m telling you, you’ve come to the right place. Not only do I have a good reputation, but my prices are also low. You’re lucky; recently, a shopkeeper had some issues with his business elsewhere, and his funds got tied up, so he listed his shop with me for sale. Since he needs the money urgently, the price is quite reasonable. It’s two stories, totaling 221 square meters, and it’s only 185 silver coins. The location might not be on a bustling street, but it’s not bad; it’s only two or three streets away from a cluster of wealthy residences.”

The price was indeed quite reasonable; the normal price should have been around two hundred 20 to 30 silver coins, but this shop was being offered at a discount of seventy to eighty coins, suggesting that the owner was in urgent need of money.

With that price, the money in his hand, along with what Shen Lin had, would be sufficient.

“Brother Jing, we’re really lucky; we’ve stumbled upon a great deal today,” Shen Mo exclaimed.

“Yeah,” Zhou Jing replied with a smile. “The price is good, but we need to take a look at the shop.”

Having done business for two lifetimes, Zhou Jing knew that finding a hidden gem wasn’t easy, but it was certainly possible.

Moreover, commercial properties could be inspected openly. They primarily needed to check the decor, assess the quality, and see if the location was good. As long as they were careful, they could identify everything and wouldn’t have to worry about being deceived.

The shopkeeper nodded and said, “Of course, let’s go right now.”

When the broker of the shop came out and saw Shen Mo’s ox cart, he was momentarily taken aback, likely not expecting that these two young men, dressed modestly, would have such financial power, especially with a cart that had a cabin.

He stood in front of the cart for a while, his expression shifting and conflicted. It wasn’t until Zhou Jing urged him that he finally gritted his teeth and followed.

The broker explained that due to poor management, the shop had already closed, so there was no one there.

The owner was at home, and he would go get him.

“Zhou Da, hurry up; someone wants to see your shop!” The broker knocked loudly on the door, and soon after, a man stepped out.

Zhou Da hesitated when he saw the potential buyers had come in an ox cart.

He said to the broker: “Can this work? It seems this family is quite wealthy; let’s not make a fuss…”

The broker replied, “Why are you so timid? Are you going to sell it or not? If not, I don’t care anymore. Don’t come to me with your troubles in the future.”

The two whispered back and forth for a long time, and in the end, Zhou Da still got on the ox cart.

The shop was as the broker had described; the location was acceptable. While it was not on the busiest street, it was not far from the most prosperous one. The area itself housed middle-class families in town, who had a moderate amount of wealth and could still afford to buy something if they wanted.

As for the geographical location, Zhou Jing had indeed taken a liking to it at first glance. From the outside, the small building looked quite nice and elegantly decorated, and it seemed to be a shop that had just opened not long ago.

He walked inside and found that the tables were all in order and everything that should be there was present. The kitchen was on the first floor, behind the counter, with tables and chairs in front to prevent customers from wandering into the kitchen.

“This has been newly renovated, right? Why is it closing down?” Zhou Jing asked.

“It’s nothing; it’s just poorly managed,” Zhou Da stammered.

Zhou Jing went up and down the stairs, deliberately checking everything carefully. The building was not only well renovated but it was also built nicely—not poorly constructed. It should be true, as Zhou Da said, that it was merely a case of mismanagement that forced the sale.

“It’s okay, but I don’t have enough silver on me; I need to look around some more.”

“Why don’t you consider paying a deposit first? I won’t introduce it to anyone else; I’ll just hold it for you two. I’m telling you, this shop is truly a good match for whoever comes across it. Zhou Da is in a hurry for money; otherwise, it wouldn’t be this cheap,” he said.

Zhou Da added, “I really need the money. Many who have come to see the shop couldn’t pay in one go; they insisted on installments. But I need the money right now, or else it really won’t be available for you two.”

Just then, a man walked in. He saw Zhou Da and smiled obsequiously.

“Brother Zhou, just sell the shop to me. I’ll give you an extra 20 silver coins, making it two hundred in total. The only thing is, I don’t have cash right now; I can pay you in installments and guarantee to settle it in six months.”

Zhou Da cursed, “Six months? By then, I’ll be in deep trouble! Do you know I’ve borrowed from loan sharks for gambling? If I don’t pay it back soon, they’re going to come after me!” After saying that, he seemed to realize he had let something slip, covering his mouth in horror as he looked at Zhou Jing.

So that was the situation; no wonder he was so desperate for money and was keenly aware that they had cash on hand—so he was not willing to let go.

Loan sharks, regardless of the era, were always bad guys—ruthless and not to be trifled with.

Zhou Da knew he had revealed too much, but it was too late, and thankfully, he confessed everything.

“Since you both know the truth, I won’t hide it from you anymore. As long as you can give me cash today, I’ll lower the price by another ten silver coins. I’m truly at my wits’ end. I can’t borrow from the loan sharks anymore; every day I delay, the interest just keeps piling up… sigh…” Zhou Da let out a heavy sigh, his face filled with worry.

Shen Mo felt tempted and quietly said to Zhou Jing, “Let’s buy it. Everything here is suitable, and you said there are no quality issues. Once we complete the paperwork and transfer ownership at the government office, we won’t have to worry about them playing tricks.”

Zhou Jing felt similarly swayed; it was indeed hard to find such a good shop at this price.

After thinking it over, he also realized that as long as the paperwork was complete and the government office approved the transfer, no one could interfere.

“We can sign the contract today, but we need to go back and get the silver,” he replied.

“Then you’ll need to give me a deposit of ten silver coins; I won’t let anyone else see it,” Zhou Da insisted.

“Sure.” After paying the deposit and signing the contract, Shen Mo and Zhou Jing immediately went back to get the silver.

As Zhou Da watched them fade into the distance, he muttered, “Who are they? They can even read and write.”

The broker replied, “At this point, who cares about their background? You can only sell the shop now. Besides, we haven’t deceived them about anything. You meticulously selected everything from the renovations to the tables and chairs. Furthermore, all the paperwork is complete; it’s just that some things were concealed. Ultimately, that’s a private matter for you; not mentioning it doesn’t count as deceiving them.”