Tian Family Village.
A group of boys around ten years old were playing paper flower cards in the pavilion.
"Changgeng, I heard you invited that fat kid too?" a boy dressed in golden-trimmed brocade asked curiously.
"Yeah, everyone better behave later. No trouble," Tian Changgeng nodded and added another reminder.
"Why invite him all of a sudden? Is his father getting promoted?"
Another boy in an indigo-blue robe muttered under his breath.
Their circle had its own unspoken rules—who to mess with and who to avoid. If Magistrate Su climbed the ranks, Su Yunzheng was definitely not someone to offend.
"He’s coming, but what about Lu Chao?"
Usually, Su Yunzheng stuck to Lu Chao like a shadow, following him everywhere. If Su Yunzheng was here, did that mean Lu Chao was coming too?
If only Lu Chao would show up.
"No, he said it’s a family member’s birthday, so he’s busy. But he sent me this!"
Tian Changgeng proudly pulled out an embroidered box.
"Open it!"
"What is it?"
Several boys crowded around Tian Changgeng, eyes gleaming with curiosity.
Lu Chao was the best at games—who in the school didn’t want to play with him? But the guy was slippery, polite yet distant, hard to get close to.
"It’s Gomoku!"
Tian Changgeng opened the box.
The Gomoku board was carved and polished from golden nanmu wood, with delicate engravings on the grid. Two small wooden boxes on the side held black and white pieces.
"Lu Chao said this is a prototype from Baizhen Workshop. Ahem! If you want to buy one, you’ll have to wait two months."
"Wow!!"
"So jealous!"
"It looks a bit like Go. How do you play?" someone eagerly asked.
He didn’t study at the Lu family school and had no idea when this Gomoku game had become a thing.
By the time Su Yunzheng and Chen Peng arrived, the pavilion was buzzing.
One group was playing paper flower cards, getting so excited they stood up and rolled up their sleeves.
Another group was playing Gomoku.
"Hey, wait!"
"No takebacks!!"
"Ahhh!! I missed that three-in-a-row! Again, again!"
Servants discreetly announced their arrival.
Tian Changgeng spotted Su Yunzheng, slapped his thigh, and went to greet him.
"Yunzheng! You made it!"
Su Yunzheng smiled awkwardly and handed over a pre-prepared gift.
"Brother Tian, just a small token. Hope you like it."
Tian Changgeng accepted it with both hands.
"You’re too kind. Just having you here is enough. I’m thrilled you could come."
He gestured for someone to make space.
"Yunzheng, sit here! Everyone, this is Young Master Su, my classmate and good friend."
Su Yunzheng looked uneasy, pursing his lips into a stiff smile.
Tian Changgeng patted his shoulder and introduced him to everyone in turn.
"Come on, let’s play cards. You’ll get to know each other soon enough!"
Unable to refuse the hospitality, Su Yunzheng went along. Whether it was paper flower cards or Gomoku, he and Lu Chao had played them all—he was pretty decent.
"Yunzheng, we always see you with Lu Chao. He knows so many games—are there others besides these?"
Su Yunzheng nodded. "There are, but since he’s not here, I’d need his permission to teach you."
"I’m so jealous you get to sit with him. Too bad he didn’t come this time, but he sent me the Gomoku set. I was thinking of giving him a gift in return. Do you know what he likes?"
"Chao is easygoing. He’ll be happy as long as it’s thoughtful."
"Where does he usually hang out?"
"Chao rarely goes out—just home and school."
Su Yunzheng studied his cards seriously.
"Double Joker, bomb! I win!"
Turns out he wasn’t that bad after all, haha! When playing with Lu Chao, he usually got crushed. But! He was addicted despite being terrible, always dragging Lu Chao into games.
Tian Changgeng didn’t get much info. Watching Su Yunzheng’s cheerful grin, he wondered:
What’s this chubby kid’s deal? Playing dumb?
Su Yunzheng soon sensed something off.
Why was Tian Changgeng asking so much about Lu Chao?
Were they trying to replace him?!
A wave of crisis hit Su Yunzheng, making him extra cautious.
Tian Changgeng found no openings.
Noticing Su Yunzheng’s wariness, Tian Changgeng quickly changed the subject and avoided mentioning Lu Chao for the rest of the gathering.
Meanwhile, Lu Chao was going over accounts with Qiu.
Earnings from Spring Breeze Ten Miles remained steady. Lu Chao had Qiu build connections with merchant caravans, sourcing strange plants and seeds to experiment with on the estate. So far, they hadn’t acquired much—just enough for tenant farmers to test.
Money didn’t last long.
Staring at the nearly depleted ledger, Lu Chao felt the familiar anxiety creeping in.
"Qiu, you’ve been traveling with Boss Lu’s caravan for a while now. Got any money-making ideas? I’m counting on you to turn a profit!"
Hearing this again still made Qiu’s heart race.
A while back, when Lu Chao handed her a bag of silver and told her to join Boss Lu’s caravan, she’d been flustered.
"Young Master, I’m a woman. You… me? Can I really do this?"
Lu Chao thought she was worried about propriety.
"Concerned about your reputation?"
Qiu shook her head.
"No, no! That’s not it. I just don’t want to waste this chance—or the money."
She was just a woman. Even when her father was alive, he’d never let her make decisions. And now, after barely knowing her employer, he was handing her so much silver? She couldn’t possibly repay it if things went wrong!
"Money spent always makes some noise. Even if it’s just a lesson, it’s worth it. I believe in you—you should believe in yourself too."
Lu Chao waved it off casually, then grinned.
"Who knows? Maybe you’ll be my top manager someday."
Heh, my money-making machine!
Back then, pumped up, she’d taken the silver and eagerly boarded the merchant wagon, dreaming of soaring success—only to be slapped by reality.
Small profits were possible, but big money? Hard.
She returned crestfallen, kneeling with tears in her eyes.
After a month on the road, she’d lost all the silver, bringing back a cart of counterfeit ceramics.
Lu Chao laughed heartily when she recounted her misadventures.
"No worries, consider it tuition."
Then he tossed her another bag of silver.
"Young Master… can I really go again?"
She’d assumed he’d lost faith in her.
"Of course. Who else would go? Money comes and goes—just come back safe. Oh, and if you see anything interesting, bring it for me. I love oddities."
Wiping her tears, Qiu swore to earn back the Young Master’s money.
She joined the caravan again. Boss Lu looked like he had something to say, probably suspecting she’d swindled her employer.
Now, after her third trip, she’d finally broken even—though her profits weren’t even a tenth of what Lu Chao made from a single bottle of wine.
So embarrassing.
