Recalling last night's scene, Lu Chao couldn't suppress the smile tugging at his lips.
Lord Lu had looked utterly shocked when he saw the agreement.
"My son, are you telling me you secured two hundred thousand taels of silver for your father?!"
Lu Chao nodded and handed him the agreement.
Lord Lu scrutinized the document, then touched his own forehead, still struggling to believe it.
He had scoured half the county just to gather twenty thousand taels, yet his son had casually mentioned two hundred thousand—how terrifying.
"Which friend of yours did this? You must explain this to me first!"
He couldn’t help worrying that his son had been swindled.
Lu Chao had no choice but to bring up Xu Zhiren.
"Do you remember that chubby kid who was kidnapped with us two years ago?"
Lord Lu vaguely recalled him—mainly because when the boy’s family came to fetch him, he had clung desperately to the stone lion at the gate, refusing to leave until he heard the rest of the Monkey King story.
When rescued, the boy had been lively and energetic, but by the time he went home, he was limping and wailing after a thorough beating.
"He’s the only son of the Xu Family, the wealthiest merchant clan in Yangzhou."
Lord Lu sucked in a breath.
The memory of that tear-streaked, snotty round face suddenly seemed much more refined.
"I’ve heard the Xu Family is known for their benevolence, distributing porridge and charity every year. It seems the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree—Zhiren, young as he is, already carries his father’s virtues. Truly, a mighty father breeds no weak son!"
Lu Chao’s lips twitched.
"However, he doesn’t want this to get out. It’s his private savings, so only our family should know. Please don’t spread it."
Lord Lu nodded dotingly at Lu Chao.
"Chao'er, make sure to thank him on my behalf later. This is one of your strengths—you take after me in making friends. Yuanyi, you should learn from your brother!"
Lu Yuanyi, yawning on the side, hastily agreed.
"And what’s this about a business venture?"
Lord Lu glanced at the bundle of twig-like items placed by his bedside.
Lu Chao picked up the two types of astragalus roots he had bought from the herbal shop.
"Father, do you know how much these astragalus roots are worth?"
The Lu family’s storeroom also housed high-quality astragalus and ginseng—precious medicinal herbs highly sought after by noble families.
After all, when money is no object, life-preserving treasures become priceless.
But this was only true for the aristocracy. Common folks had no use for such things; to them, these were no better than firewood.
"Yours are of average quality. In Yingchuan, they’d fetch maybe two or three taels."
Lu Chao pressed further, "And do you know how much they’re worth in Yuxi County?"
Lu Yuanyi raised his hand eagerly. "Ten coppers."
He remembered clearly—he had gone with Chao'er to the herbal shop that morning.
Since ancient times, nine out of ten medicinal herbs were astragalus, earning it the title "king of herbs."
"That cheap?!"
Lord Lu was stunned.
"Because Yuxi is abundant in astragalus, and the only herbal shop here, Huichun Hall, can’t possibly buy up all of it."
The apprentice at Huichun Hall had looked at the astragalus with the same disdain as one would at cabbage, grumbling that the mountains were full of it—they only accepted roots aged five years or older.
Lord Lu rubbed his hands excitedly.
"If we can find a merchant, the people of Yuxi County will have another way to make a living!"
"The Xu Family has connections. They’ve entrusted me with procurement, but there’s a condition—the quality must be good."
Lord Lu nodded solemnly. "That won’t be a problem."
This was fantastic news for Yuxi’s residents, though he’d need to devise a plan to teach them how to identify herbs and prevent villagers from fighting over foraging grounds.
"Wild herbs take years to grow, and their supply is limited. Have you considered that, Father?"
Lord Lu sighed. Of course he had. For now, any income was better than none.
"What else can we do, then?"
"Cultivation."
"Herbs can be cultivated? We don’t know how! If fields are used for herbs, what will the people eat?"
Lord Lu was baffled—he’d never heard of anyone farming medicinal plants.
"Why not? If vegetables and fruits can be grown, so can herbs. Yuxi County has plenty of mountains. Why not encourage the people to clear land for herb farming? To be honest, I saw a patch of medicinal plants in the backyard of Huichun Hall."
He left it at that—it was up to Lord Lu to act. Otherwise, this discussion was pointless.
"Dear Father, the meal is practically in your mouth. What’s there to hesitate about?"
Lu Yuanyi, unable to hold back, spoke up—only to earn a glare.
"Quiet!"
Imagining Yuxi County transformed in a few years, with his name forever etched in its records, Lord Lu felt a surge of excitement. He carefully reviewed the agreement again, then pressed the official seal onto it with trembling hands.
Two copies were made—one kept at the county office, the other in Lu Chao’s possession.
"My son, rest assured! Yuxi’s astragalus will always be yours first! Once the roads are built, I’ll erect a monument in your honor!"
Tears welled in Lord Lu’s eyes. The herbs were nothing—having buyers was already a blessing. He assumed Chao'er had sweet-talked the Xu Family’s young master for his sake.
Lu Chao smiled but said nothing.
Besides astragalus, he also wanted to cultivate chili peppers in Yuxi. But since the peppers were still in the breeding stage, large-scale planting wouldn’t be possible for at least another year, so he didn’t mention it to Lord Lu.
The thought of chili sauce reminded him of his favorite spicy noodles and laoganma-style mixes. Lu Chao swallowed hard—once the next batch of chilies ripened, he’d treat himself to a feast first!
Zhou Qingyuan noticed Lu Chao’s distracted expression and nudged him with an elbow.
"Hey, snap out of it. What’s got you so lost?"
Lu Chao chuckled sheepishly. "Sorry, I wasn’t listening. What did you say?"
Zhou Qingyuan pulled him aside conspiratorially.
"Give me the inside scoop. I’ve got some spare change—can I invest a little? Don’t worry, I won’t be a nuisance."
Lu Chao grinned ingratiatingly. "How much can Qingyuan spare?"
Heh, maybe he could recoup some losses from the Zhou Family.
Zhou Qingyuan coughed and whispered a number into Lu Chao’s ear.
Lu Chao’s face fell as he gave Zhou Qingyuan a once-over.
How could this guy seriously think of investing with just three hundred taels?
Xiao Youcheng, standing nearby, sighed inwardly at the Zhou Family’s situation.
The Zhous were a scholarly farming family. Zhou Sanwei was half-farmer, half-scholar. After passing the imperial exams, he gained the emperor’s favor precisely because he wasn’t tied to noble clans. To avoid noble influence, he married the daughter of a minor official, leaving the family’s finances threadbare.
Mrs. Zhou had tried managing household finances like other noble wives, but luck was never on her side—either she lost everything or got scammed.
Lord Zhou was too embarrassed to report the frauds, fearing ridicule from colleagues. He resigned himself to the idea that the Zhou Family simply wasn’t destined for wealth, leaving his children to live frugally.
"Lu Chao! Are you looking down on my money?!"
"It is a bit little. So, are you still in or not?"
Zhou Qingyuan’s anger flared—but only for a moment.
"Invest."
"With this amount of money, it's not enough to buy shares. How about contributing with your skills instead?"
Zhou Qingyuan scratched his head in confusion. "What do you mean by 'skills as shares'?"
Lu Chao and Xiao Youcheng exchanged a glance, grinning like wolves luring a lamb.
"It means I provide the capital, you provide the labor, and at the end of the year, you'll get your share of silver!"
Lu Chao planned to start by purchasing five hundred catties of astragalus to produce a trial batch of astragalus wine. He had been worrying about how to break into the Bianjing market—what perfect timing for this opportunity to fall into his lap.
Xiao Youcheng thought to himself: Lu Chao is truly a good brother, always looking out for him. If Zhou Qingyuan stayed in Yingchuan for too long, he’d have a hard time explaining it to his father. An occasional return to show his face would be ideal!
"Exactly! Lu Chao’s idea is excellent. You can’t always rely on your family for everything."
With Xiao Youcheng’s words, Zhou Qingyuan was left speechless.
"I... I!"
Fine, so he was just here to work for Lu Chao. Sob—no wonder his father had told him to eat more steamed buns to toughen up. He’d been set up from the start!
