Chapter 113: Chapter 104: How Foolish
This was a very high-class restaurant in Xiahe County, located in the heart of the county town.
It faced the largest brothel in Xiahe County from across the Jade River.
The first floor of the restaurant was a common hall, the second floor had elegant seating, and the third floor was for private VIP rooms.
Setting aside the first and second floors, the VIP rooms on the third floor required advance reservations.
And dining in these private rooms was very expensive, especially in times like these, when even more silver was required.
After all, there were problems with the supply of many fresh vegetables and meats.
To guarantee both quantity and quality, one simply had to spend more money.
Today, Huang Yuangu had used his authority to book one of these private rooms.
"Second Uncle, you returned in such a hurry this time. Your nephew here barely had time to arrange a welcome dinner for you."
Huang Yuangu chuckled as he picked up the wine pot and poured a drink for the burly, bearded man before him.
This man was his second uncle, Huang Lie, the last influential figure remaining from the Huang Family’s older generation.
He held a post in the Prefecture City’s Guard Army, and it was precisely because of his existence that the Huang Family had been able to develop so well over the years.
Even when their tea business had lost a significant amount of money before, it wasn’t enough to seriously harm the Huang Family. As long as his second uncle was around, the Huang Family could weather any storm, no matter how great the hardship.
"Do you have a Tea Garden on your hands?" Huang Lie asked, not bothering to drink his wine, getting straight to the point.
Although Huang Yuangu didn’t know why Huang Lie was asking, he still explained,
"You’re right, Second Uncle. I did have a Tea Garden before, but in this climate, the garden doesn’t produce tea, and you can’t grow grain on it either. So I sold it off."
Speaking of which, Huang Yuangu still felt as if he had cast off a heavy burden.
After all, the Tea Garden wasn’t producing tea now, and he couldn’t grow grain on it.
Moreover, he had to pay people to look after the Tea Garden, which cost him several dozen taels of silver every month.
Now that he had sold the Tea Garden, his burden was lightened.
"By selling the Tea Garden, I save several dozen taels of silver each month. That adds up to four or five hundred taels a year."
Huang Yuangu calculated the figures for Huang Lie, nearly counting on his fingers.
As he did the math, he became convinced that selling the Tea Garden wasn’t a loss. No, it truly wasn’t a loss at all.
The person who bought his family’s Tea Garden, on the other hand, was a real fool.
How unlucky to buy such a money-losing venture.
"What? You bastard! How could you sell the Tea Garden? Are you an idiot? How could you be so stupid! Who told you to sell the Tea Garden? Why don’t you sell yourself instead!"
When Huang Lie heard this, his hand trembled, and the cup he was holding fell directly onto the table.
A wave of fury surged through him, and he slammed his palm down on the table.
The immense force instantly shattered the table to pieces.
Huang Yuangu jumped in fright, the smile on his face freezing instantly.
"I don’t care who you sold the Tea Garden to! Go and buy it back for me right now! If you can’t get it back, don’t bother coming back here!"
Huang Lie said, his face ashen. An invisible pressure emanated from his body.
"S-Second Uncle... wh-why?" Huang Yuangu asked, his expression bitter and utterly bewildered.
Whether it was selling off their tea gardens or uprooting the tea trees to plant grain, countless people in Xiahe County Town had done so over the past two years.
In reality, the Tea Garden he owned had been incredibly difficult to sell; no buyers had wanted it.
’Why, as soon as my second uncle returns, is he demanding that I buy the Tea Garden back?’
"You idiot! Why do you think? Because the disaster is about to end!"
Huang Lie rebuked him, full of disappointment.
If the disaster weren’t about to end, he wouldn’t have bothered with some Tea Garden.
Now, their family’s tea business could take this opportunity to quickly dominate the roasted tea market.
After all, because of the disaster, who knows how many tea gardens had uprooted their tea trees.
Even if they were to plant now, they would have to wait until next year for a harvest.
But a ready-made Tea Garden would allow the Huang Family to make a huge profit this very year.
"What!"
Huang Yuangu’s face turned pale, his expression changing dramatically.
He wasn’t a fool. He naturally knew that the tea market had suffered a massive blow over the past two years because of the disaster.
If the disaster ended, whoever could seize this opportunity would surely make a fortune.
’My second uncle would never lie to me. So, is it true? Is the disaster really about to end?’
But...
’I sold the Tea Garden for just over one thousand taels of silver... This... this is a loss of several ten thousand taels!’
When Huang Yuangu thought of this, his chest suddenly felt tight.
Then, unable to bear it any longer, a rush of blood surged up, and he spat it out.
Immediately after, his vision went black, and he lost consciousness.
~~~~~~
The next day was the last day of the month.
He woke up early, but the heaven-sent sweet dew and widespread rain he had imagined had not occurred.
Huang Yuangu walked toward the Government Office, looking utterly dejected.
After waking up from his fainting spell yesterday, he had specifically gone to question his second uncle again.
The answer he received was that the disaster would end by the end of this month.
In other words, today was the day the water shortage would change.
Once the disaster passed, the entire Shanyang Prefecture was bound to be revitalized, and the roasted tea market would surely boom again.
At that time, tea gardens would become a hot commodity.
But he had sold his Tea Garden.
And to none other than Fang Yue, the Martial Scholar with whom he had a feud.
The crucial point was that Fang Wuju had already returned to the countryside, and he had no time to find him and buy back the Tea Garden now.
If the disaster continued past today, then the Tea Garden would remain a worthless, money-losing asset.
But if the disaster passed, then the Tea Garden’s value would soar.
’As long as the new owner isn’t an idiot, who would be willing to give it up?’
’As for using power to force him—the other party is a Martial Scholar at the Bone Marrow Transformation Realm. What could my Huang Family possibly use to coerce him!’
Huang Yuangu sighed incessantly. Losing so much money was simply unbearable for someone like him, who loved to take advantage of others.
"Isn’t this Lord Huang? I heard you got rid of that Tea Garden you were holding. Congratulations, congratulations! You must finally feel relieved after getting rid of that money pit."
Just then, a portly middle-aged man walked toward him. Upon seeing Huang Yuangu, he immediately clasped his hands in a salute and spoke.
It was Zhen Dongxi, the butcher from town.
"You filthy scoundrel, what did you just say? Even you dare to laugh at me?"
Hearing this, Huang Yuangu felt the man was mocking him and could no longer hold back his anger.
He immediately rushed forward and began punching and kicking him.
~~~~~~
「Noon.」
「The Fang Family Residence.」
Father Fang paced anxiously around the courtyard.
"Dear, stop pacing in front of me. You’re walking back and forth so much, you’re making my eyes dizzy."
Ms. Chen was stitching a shoe sole. As Father Fang paced back and forth, the light flickered, and she nearly pricked her hand with the needle.
"Sigh, I can’t help it. I’m just worried. It’s almost noon, why hasn’t it rained yet?"
Father Fang looked at the still-clear sky, his face full of anxiety.
Even though he believed what Zhi’Er had said, now that the moment was here, how could he not be worried and nervous?
It was only human nature.
"Since Zhi’Er said it would happen, it definitely will," Ms. Chen said in a calm tone.
"Sigh, that’s easy for you to say, but I just can’t calm down," Father Fang said, continuing to pace. He simply couldn’t stand still.
If he stood still, he would only feel more nervous.
After another moment, Ms. Chen noticed the light was gradually dimming again:
"Hey, dear, I told you not to block my light. Why are you blocking the sun again? I can’t even see the eye of the needle."
"What? I’m not blocking it."
Father Fang’s voice came from behind Ms. Chen. He had just gone inside to pour some water and heard her words as he came back out.
"You’re not blocking it?"
Ms. Chen paused for a moment, then abruptly looked up at the sky.
Just then, a dark cloud had drifted into the once-clear sky, seemingly out of nowhere.
The sun was obscured, and the sky began to grow dim.
A moment later, raindrops as large as beans began to fall.
"It’s raining?"
"It’s raining!!!"
Seeing this, Father Fang froze for a second before rushing into the middle of the courtyard. He looked up at the sky, letting the raindrops fall onto his face.
His face, which had gradually become lined with worry, was nourished by the rain, and his expression slowly relaxed.
After two long years, it was raining again.
The disaster was over.
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