Chapter 166: Chivalrous Teahouse, Famous Speaker Little Quan
With a ten percent chance of success, do you dare to risk it all?
As the words fell, Zhao Guangxi’s fingers stopped spinning the old iron ball, producing a crisp click as it struck his palm.
Hearing this, Chen Shun’an’s expression shook, and a sliver of admiration rose in his heart.
Zhao Guangxi must have faced many dangers on his journey; a moment’s carelessness would have meant death.
Especially this contest for the wellhead, Guo Guanfu’s bizarre death must have been Zhao Guangxi’s doing.
Yet, in the end, it was Zhao Guangxi who smiled last.
The winner takes all.
Even with Chen Shun’an’s discerning eye, he considered Zhao Guangxi a formidable figure.
However, it was precisely because he had a superior like Zhao Guangxi, who dared to fight and gamble even with a ten percent chance of success, that Chen Shun’an could be sheltered from storms and live a stable life.
This suited Chen Shun’an’s old man physique perfectly.
“Oh, by the way, Landlord.”
Suddenly, Chen Shun’an seemed to remember something and walked into the well shed.
When he emerged again, he held two dark, gleaming objects in his palm.
These were a pair of specially made hollow iron balls.
The balls were crafted from the finest cold iron and then repeatedly polished with fine sand.
The interiors were hollow, containing not steel shot, but a pair of Green Xuan Beads.
As the sunlight gently touched them, the iron balls shimmered with a warm, rosy pearl-like sheen.
Chen Shun’an had specifically visited the Jinmen Black Market a few days prior.
The Black Market was originally located at Three Forked Road, but with recent tight security, it had moved to a wilderness area behind Bajia Village.
Ordinary people might not know, but for Chen Shun’an, who had been active in Wuqing County for many years and knew the ways of insects and ants like the back of his hand, this was no problem.
He then asked the blacksmith at the Black Market to dismantle the Green Xuan Beads and smelt them into this pair of Eastern Pearl Iron Balls.
It must be said that although the blacksmith was unscrupulous and had colluded with others to attempt black-eat-black, which Chen Shun’an silently noted in his ledger,
his weapon-forging skill was exceptionally high; even such intricate and novel little items were handled with ease.
Chen Shun’an was willing to humor him.
“Old Master, I noticed the Landlord has been handling that pair of iron balls for years, and they’ve become rusty. Coincidentally, while I was on a lucrative post at Black Fork River, I encountered that beast, the Pig-Dragon, and obtained a Green Xuan Bead. I pulled many strings, even finding a master craftsman at the Black Market, and finally had these Eastern Pearl Iron Balls made.”
Work achievements should be documented.
Chen Shun’an subtly conveyed the difficulty in obtaining these Eastern Pearl Iron Balls.
And Zhao Guangxi, as a new official, had not yet received his customary “welcome” gifts.
Sending silver, jewelry, or antiques could not compare to a gift that struck directly at the heart.
As expected, Zhao Guangxi, who was never without his Baozhou Hollow Iron Balls, found his eyes glued to the new Eastern Pearl Iron Balls the moment he saw them.
He directly discarded his old, rusty iron balls and accepted the Eastern Pearl Iron Balls as if he had acquired a priceless treasure.
Clatter…
The iron beads rotated, emitting a clear, resonant sound.
Immediately after, wisps of white steam seeped out from the hollowed-out Green Xuan Beads, converging into a misty vapor.
It was invigorating, making one feel refreshed and their Qi and Blood flow smoothly.
“Excellent! Excellent! Excellent!!”
Zhao Guangxi was overjoyed. He turned the Eastern Pearl Iron Balls over and over in his hands, looking as if he had acquired a delicate concubine, wishing to hold them as his most cherished treasure.
Elder Feng watched this scene and shook his head.
This young man, Chen Shun’an, had truly mastered the art of workplace relationships.
If he isn’t heavily promoted, who will be?
Meanwhile, Sun Xiao, San Dezi, and the others, witnessing this from afar, were deeply moved and felt they had gained valuable insights.
As expected of Old Chen, no wonder his progress has been so swift!
And the two youths, Niu Dabiao and Du Xiaohua, had a seed planted in their young hearts, as if the world had become clearer.
“This is too much, too much! Old Chen, this gift is too precious, please take it back.”
“Now that it’s in the Landlord’s hands, how can I take it back? This was all Chen Mou’s earnest effort…”
Zhao Guangxi, feigning resistance, held Chen Shun’an’s hand as they walked together.
After a few polite refusals, he looked on with feigned helplessness as Chen Shun’an forcefully tucked the Eastern Pearl Iron Balls into his waist pouch, and they left Crouching Tiger Well.
Chen Shun’an stood by the street, smiling as he watched Zhao Guangxi depart.
Chen Shun’an turned, holding the hem of his robe, his expression serene, his gaze like jade, and walked back to the well shed.
As he passed, the water carriers parted like a tide, their faces showing respect and awe.
Even the newly hired water carriers were well-behaved, completely subdued, and dared not even breathe loudly.
First, the water well seemed to possess spirit, expanding the business.
Then, he quietly used Zhao Guangxi’s hand to force out Old Fei San.
Landlord Zhao even more so valued Shopkeeper Chen, regarding him as a confidant.
Some people looked at Chen Shun’an with a hint of fear and trepidation.
To grow old without dying is to be a demon; Old Man Chen, cunning as a fox, had in just a few days firmly established himself at Crouching Tiger Well and taken complete control.
This planning, this decisiveness…
Fortunately, fortunately, he is our shopkeeper, he is one of us!
Chen Shun’an sat back down under the well shed’s elm wooden table and surveyed the crowd.
As his gaze swept over them, every water carrier who met his eyes lowered their heads.
With Old Fei San gone, Chen Shun’an was in high spirits.
“Du Fuli.”
Suddenly, Chen Shun’an looked towards a dark-skinned man pushing an empty cart, returning to the well to fetch water.
“Yes, Landlord! What are your orders?”
Du Fuli wiped the sweat from his brow with a handkerchief and trotted over, with deep marks from the cart still visible on his shoulders.
“How has the Bone Strengthening Flying Golden Elixir been?”
“Thanks to the Shopkeeper, I broke through to second-rate last night.”
Du Fuli rubbed his hands, a reddish glow appearing on his bronze complexion.
“Very well. In recognition of Du Fuli’s meritorious service, for successfully recruiting new staff, and for his usual diligence, from today onwards, you will be in charge of water pumping. Your benefits and treatment will be the same as a second-rate martial artist.”
Chen Shun’an tapped his fingertips on the elm wooden table, speaking with a calm expression.
Buying a thousand-li horse with a hundred taels of gold.
Du Fuli was the “horse” Chen Shun’an deliberately chose to encourage others.
Du Fuli paused for a moment, then became ecstatic.
“Thank you, Landlord, thank you, Landlord.”
Du Fuli’s eyes were even a little moist.
Water pumping was a genuinely lucrative post.
Firstly, it meant no exposure to wind and sun, nor the hardship of running around; secondly, it was a stable income, as payment was based on the amount of water pumped, so the monthly salary was already higher than that of ordinary water carriers.
Not to mention, Elder Feng was stationed here.
If Elder Feng were to bestow some guidance, any martial arts doubts would be resolved, and one would receive profound enlightenment!
At this moment, Du Fuli’s life creed gained a new addition, placed after marrying a wife and marrying off his son.
Loyalty to Shopkeeper Chen, to the death!
Of course, this was all conditional on not delaying his marriage plans.
…
“What? Brother Shun An, you want to increase the investment in martial arts resources for those orphans?”
In the Li Mansion’s floral hall, sandalwood incense wafted.
Li Shicheng looked at Chen Shun’an with astonishment.
Chen Shun’an picked up the Sparrow Tongue Tea in front of him and took a leisurely sip.
He could now taste its flavor.
His throat was moistened, and a clear, sweet taste spread from his tongue, leaving a lingering fragrance in his mouth.
This Sweet Spring from the ice cellar and the Sparrow Tongue Tea, brewed over charcoal, was indeed much better than Gao Sui tobacco and herbal tea.
Chen Shun’an felt as if he had wasted his life for decades; it turned out that these damned rich people and imperial clan descendants, with their elaborate pleasures, truly had something to them!
He should enjoy them thoroughly.
“Of course.”
Chen Shun’an gestured to the maidservant beside him to refill his cup and then said,
“Martial arts training is paramount. Given the same aptitude and time, the reason the true disciples of noble families have far superior martial path cultivation than those from humble backgrounds is due to resources, isn’t it?”
Chen Shun’an continued, “Among those children, there are some good seedlings. If left to their own devices, it’s unknown how long it would take for them to mature. Therefore, we must lay a solid foundation early, even replacing old blood and diseased marrow if necessary.”
Hearing this, Li Shicheng looked at Chen Shun’an with a strange expression.
Supporting the orphanage and even imparting martial arts to those orphans,
Li Shicheng could understand.
But seeing Chen Shun’an’s demeanor, sparing no resources and rushing the timeline…
He muttered to himself,
“It feels like Chen Zhuyou is raising a private army, aiming for secession and rebellion?”
Li Shicheng dared not voice this thought.
It was a capital offense.
Li Shicheng put down his teacup and said with some difficulty,
“I have instructors who can teach martial arts tailored to their aptitude and perform bone-setting for them, and I can even personally step in; I also have channels for obtaining treasures like Zhu Guo Lingzhi to build a martial path foundation… but the problem is, there’s no money.”
Li Shicheng sighed, “A clever housewife cannot cook without rice. If it were simple training, it wouldn’t cost much. But if it’s truly according to Brother Shun An’s plan… currently, there are twenty-three orphans with martial arts aptitude, and even if we select the best among them, seven or eight would have above-average potential.”
“At this rate, it would cost a hundred taels of silver per month, and there’s no upper limit!”
Li Shicheng felt a headache coming on.
Once or twice, his Li Mansion could barely afford it.
But this was a continuous investment.
Chen Zhuyou was also a new shopkeeper, and there were expenses everywhere.
To his surprise, Chen Shun’an said with confidence,
“As I said, I’ll handle the money matters!”
Chen Shun’an discussed a few more details with Li Shicheng, then crossed the threshold and left the Li Mansion.
However, before leaving, he discreetly took quite a bit of the Li Mansion’s stock of Miyun Sweet Spring and Sparrow Tongue Tea.
This was not because Chen Shun’an was greedy for pleasure and had forgotten his original intentions.
Rather, he was no longer a commoner; he had ascended into the privileged class.
Therefore, he had to blend in and humble himself to learn these luxurious pursuits that signified status.
Only by doing so could he infiltrate the enemy’s ranks!
A black private sedan chair passed through the streets, heading towards Guanghui Money House.
On both sides of the street, shop signs were densely packed, swaying in the wind.
Barbers, grasshopper breeders, young masters of Bai Shan Ren with their caged birds, vendors selling candied hawthorns… all sorts of people bustled about like clouds.
Passing by a “Chivalrous Book Teahouse,” it was boisterous, with a packed entrance; nearly a hundred tables inside were almost completely full.
Chen Shun’an heard that Yu Xiaoquan, a famous speaker renowned in the Capital City, had returned to the Chivalrous Book Teahouse after several months.
This time, he would complete the “His Majesty the Emperor’s Nine Complete Martial Arts Series,” filling in all the plot holes.
And Yu Xiaoquan was an extraordinary person, originating from Jinmen. Although a woman, she was incredibly knowledgeable, familiar with all walks of life in the Capital City, and could effortlessly perform various styles of storytelling, both literary and martial.
Every spring and winter season, she would come to Wuqing County to tell stories.
Chen Shun’an was her fan, never missing a performance, and would often visit the Chivalrous Book Teahouse every few days, fearing he would miss a glimpse of Yu Xiaoquan.
