Liu Mang rubbed his head as usual and complained in a low voice, "Dad, I’m a father myself now, can’t you not hit my head every now and then..."
The old Shopkeeper grabbed a game piece in exasperation and slapped it heavily onto the board, not bothering to pay him any attention.
Yang Ge suppressed his laughter with a "chichi" while looking down.
Liu Mang, seeing his father’s expression, dared not show anger or speak up. He could only turn his head and point his anger at Yang Ge: "And you’re laughing? If you can’t come up with a good reason today, see if I don’t beat you up and settle this!"
"Wasn’t it you who brought up the idea of the inn? How can you blame me?"
Yang Ge replied irritably, well aware that the guy disliked the business of running an inn.
To be precise, the guy disliked any trade that required putting on a smiling face to greet people.
Perhaps it was because he had grown up in the Yuelai Inn and often endured the disdain of ill-tempered guests...
Liu Mang didn’t respond, just glared at him with a disapproving expression.
Yang Ge had no choice but to suppress his laughter and said, "How about going into grain business? This trade doesn’t depend on anyone’s favors, and the profit is not bad. I have some connections in the capital, and there’s no shortage of supply or shops. If you’re willing to switch trades, I guarantee you’ll get the hang of it in three to five months."
"Grain business?"
Liu Mang suddenly remembered the miserable scenes when the three major grain merchants hoarded grain and caused a shortage among the people. He nodded and said, "If there are connections, it’s indeed a good trade. We won’t cheat anyone, just aim for a stable profit regardless of droughts or floods. It’s perfect for my directionless disciples to work as shop assistants at the grain store while they learn boxing from me on the side to make a living... But why go to the capital? Isn’t Lu Ting enough? Our Lu Ting is not so bad now!"
The old Shopkeeper also raised his head and looked deeply at Yang Ge.
Yang Ge lowered his eyelids, avoiding the Shopkeeper’s gaze, and chuckled, "The capital is the center of the world, after all. There’s a bigger market, more resources, and more prestige. If you can establish a grain store in the capital, you simply have to mention ’our grain store is from the capital’ when meeting others, and they’ll think more highly of you!"
"Moreover, isn’t it easy to come back to Lu Ting? You establish a footing in the capital first and then open a branch back in Lu Ting. Later on, you can still say that your family’s grain store is from the capital, but in reality, you’d mainly be doing business in Lu Ting. This way, you’ll have the best of both worlds, won’t you?"
Liu Mang was greatly tempted after hearing this but hesitated, "Don’t rush me, let me consider it for a few days..."
Yang Ge: "You’re a grown man, why are you hemming and hawing over decisions? Enough with considering. It’s settled then. Day after tomorrow, Fang Ke and the others are sending Miaomiao back to the capital, you can go with them on the journey, and have someone to look out for each other on the road..."
Liu Mang quickly waved his hands, "Wait, wait, how can you make a decision so quickly? Can’t I take some time to consider it? Also, what do you mean by ’you guys’?"
Yang Ge: "What else could I mean, you take the old Shopkeeper and your sister-in-law and nephew with you. You haven’t done business before, how can you manage without the old Shopkeeper coming out to give you some tips? Besides, you’ll be gone for at least two or three months, and you might not even be back for the New Year. Are you planning to spend it apart from your sister-in-law and nephew?"
Liu Mang’s eyes nearly spun in his head: "Just wait a minute, just wait... What about you?"
Yang Ge: "I have to look after the inn, don’t I? If you can’t make it back for the New Year, I’ll come to the capital to find you..."
Before Liu Mang could speak again, the old Shopkeeper interrupted him impatiently, "Enough, just do as the young master says. He’s not going to harm you... General."
Yang Ge glanced at the chessboard and realized that a knight had surrounded the central palace, and he couldn’t help but laugh, "Experience does count for something!"
Just then, Liu Deng’s robust voice called out from the kitchen, "Dinner’s ready!"
Liu Mang quickly got up and went to serve the dishes, "Coming, coming..."
The old Shopkeeper held onto his cane and sighed softly, "How long will you be gone this time?"
Yang Ge pursed his lips, forcing a smile, "If all goes well, maybe ten days to half a month to return. If not, then..."
The old Shopkeeper cut him off, "Then we’ll wait for you in the capital for ten days to half a month."
Yang Ge: "It’s really quite a task for someone of your age to travel back and forth..."
The old Shopkeeper shook his head, "Family doesn’t speak in two tongues... Come on, let’s eat."
Yang Ge got up and helped him.
...
After the meal, Yang Ge and Zhao Miao walked out of the Liu family’s house, patting their full bellies, followed by Huang who was burping while walking.
Yang Ge, leading Huang, strolled leisurely towards the Yuelai Inn: "With your godfather and your brother and sister-in-law going to the capital, we’ll have to rely on you a lot more for looking after things..."
Zhao Miao rolled his pretty eyes at him: "What are you talking about? Isn’t it natural for me to honor my godfather? But why are you sending me back to the palace so early this year?"
Yang Ge laughed, "It’s colder this year than last, and it looks like the first snow will come earlier than last year too. It’s better to leave earlier and arrive earlier; if you delay, you might get stuck on the road..."
Zhao Miao stared at him skeptically, "Really?"
Yang Ge kept a straight face, "Have I ever lied to you?"
Zhao Miao became even more doubtful, "What do you say?"
Yang Ge almost lost his composure, annoyed and angrily said, "When have I ever lied to you?"
Zhao Miao, "Last year, you promised me yourself, that you’d come to the capital to pick me up at the beginning of this year... Hmph!"
Yang Ge helplessly said, "Alright, alright, let’s say I misspoke last year, okay? I will definitely come to pick you up next year. Look, your foster parents are all going to the capital, can’t you trust that I won’t lie to you now?"
Zhao Miao sneaked a sigh and glanced covertly at the side of his face, "Then how are you going to spend the New Year this year? You can’t really be alone, can you? Why not spend New Year in the capital too, it’s really lively over there, with temple fairs, lantern festivals..."
Yang Ge shook his head with a smile, "No, I still want to spend New Year in my own home."
Zhao Miao, feeling a rush of urgency and speaking quickly, said, "My home is your home too!"
Yang Ge snorted amusingly, "You should ask your dad first if he’s okay with that..."
Zhao Miao stubbornly grabbed his sleeve, "My dad is my dad, I am me!"
Yang Ge said softly, "But you carry your dad’s blood, don’t you?"
Zhao Miao was at a loss for words.
Yang Ge looked up and gently patted her head, speaking tenderly, "Little girl, some people, some things, aren’t being greedy, it’s a gift from fate, being greedy, it’s a punishment from fate..."
Zhao Miao lowered her eyelashes, her voice also dropping, "Just because my surname is Zhao?"
"Not just that."
Yang Ge thought for a moment, shook his head and said, "But this is indeed the biggest issue."
Zhao Miao mustered the courage to look up at him, "Don’t you always say that as long as a problem isn’t solved, it’ll always be a problem, and only by solving it, does it cease to be one?"
Updat𝓮d from freewēbnoveℓ.com.
Yang Ge looked at her in surprise, but what he saw was a young girl’s clear and persistent eyes, reflecting his own image.
He was slightly lost in thought, for a moment unable to express how he felt.
He hadn’t seen such eyes in many, many years...
He came back to his senses and instinctively avoided Zhao Miao’s gaze, "But solving a problem is hoping that after its resolution, things will become better. If you already know that after solving this problem, things won’t get better, and might even get worse, then what’s the point of solving it?"
Zhao Miao’s eyes brimmed with mist, "Do you really not trust me that much?"
Yang Ge shook his head, "It’s your dad that I can’t trust."
Zhao Miao replied without hesitation, "I don’t care about him..."
Yang Ge knitted his brows, "Wouldn’t that be forcing you to become enemies with your dad?"
Zhao Miao bit her silver teeth and said, "His children are many, one more or one less of me makes no difference..."
Yang Ge, facing her foggy, stubborn gaze, in the end, couldn’t keep his heart hardened, "You’re still young, we’ll talk about this later..."
Zhao Miao stood tall, "Where am I still young?"
Yang Ge grew angry and annoyed, "Don’t get too cocky, grrr!"
Zhao Miao stood her ground, tilting her head up, "Then you come to the capital for New Year!"
Yang Ge waved his hand impatiently, "No, don’t I have my own home?"
Zhao Miao changed tact, "If you don’t come to the capital, I’ll return to Lu Ting!"
Yang Ge glared at her furiously, "You’re craving my body, you’ve got no shame!"
Zhao Miao scoffed disdainfully, "If you’re not craving my body, you eunuch!"
Before she finished speaking, she took off running.
Yang Ge, enraged, leashed Huang and chased after her, "Don’t run... see if I don’t beat you today!"
"Woof woof woof..."
Just then, the sunset cast its glow from the west.