Chapter 72

While Shen Anyue and his servant almost clashed over a bowl of hotpot, Xie's father, who had tasted the delicious hotpot, smelled a business opportunity and personally came to find his son.

"Is this hotpot you had from the kitchen today the one given by Cheng Duo?" Xie's father asked.

"Yes, Cheng Duo and I have decided to open a restaurant together, specializing in this hotpot. Father, this hotpot is even more delicious when cooked on a small stove right at the table. Moreover, as autumn and winter approach, inviting a few friends to enjoy a steaming hot and delicious meal, we could even sell a lot of alcohol alone."

Hearing this, Xie's father glared at him, "If it's more delicious when cooked on the spot, why did you let the kitchen prepare it and bring it to us?"

"I didn't want to make you and mother endure the heat of cooking in such hot weather, that's why." Xie Yuan's eyes shifted, and he made a playful excuse.

Xie's father snorted, "I know you well enough. Look at what you've become now! You'd rather stay alone in the study than eat with us in the main courtyard. How long will you protect him?"

In Xie's father's eyes, as long as his old wife allowed Shen Anyue to stay with them day and night, it was already good enough. Yet, he actually made his son afraid to eat with them just because Shen Anyue was aloof and disliked serving them!

A fallen child of an official, what right did he have to be so arrogant?

Even though Shen's father had students all over the country and they were willing to give face to the Xie family for Shen Anyue's sake, as three years passed, the help Shen's family could provide the Xie family had become meager. Why should his son continue to suffer?

What made Xie's father even more intolerable was that Shen Anyue, being the legitimate wife, was unable to conceive, and he still didn't let his son visit his two concubines' rooms. At this rate, when would they be able to hold a grandchild?

"I'm telling you, Xie Yuan, if your room remains quiet this year, you must divorce that infertile man for me!"

"Father, what are you saying? It's not Anyue's fault if there's no progress! The two you picked for me haven't shown any results either, have they?"

"It's not his fault that there's no progress, but could it be your fault?" Xie's father was furious. His son had no face left due to his precious husband, and he dared to accept responsibility for such matters!

They had listened to his nonsense back then, thinking that he married Shen Anyue for the sake of the Xie family's business. Yet now, Shen's most promising student, the magistrate of Suyang Prefecture, Tao Heng, had been transferred to another prefecture, and his son still refused to divorce Shen Anyue.

Now he realized what it really was: he favored Shen Anyue himself!

"Father, let's talk about business. Why are you going off on a tangent? Let's discuss the real matter, the real matter…" Xie Yuan saw that his father's expression wasn't good and quickly steered the conversation back to the business.

To divert Xie's father's attention, Xie Yuan meticulously explained the agreement he had made with Cheng Duo, and also mentioned some feasible suggestions Cheng Duo had given him. He praised, "Brother Cheng is truly remarkable. The Shao Guang wine he presented not only brought immense popularity to our Xie's Restaurant, but now whenever people in Wudu County think of good wine, they think of Xie's Restaurant!"

"And this hotpot, such a superb delicacy, I don't know which master came up with it, but Brother Cheng wasted no time in teaching it to me. Besides these suggestions, he said I could have full decision-making power…"

Xie's father stroked his beard, showing a thoughtful expression. "I always felt that this person's background wasn't simple. Now, according to what you're saying, his insight might be no less than ours."

Xie Yuan also felt the same and nodded. Seeing this, Xie's father quickly reminded him, "If he refuses to reveal his origins, you mustn't go around prying."

"Dad, am I that reckless?" Xie Yuan sighed. He wanted to build a good relationship, not offend anyone.

After discussing further, Xie's father agreed to move the Xie family's storefront on Pipa Street, renovate it, and open a hotpot restaurant for Xie Yuan.

After his father left, Xie Yuan let out a sigh of relief. Fortunately, he brought Cheng Duo into the conversation at the critical moment; otherwise, his father would have kept on nagging.

Xie Yuan wasn't afraid of his parents, but he was worried that they might not be able to deal with Shen Anyue and go on to harass him instead. That's why he accepted the two concubines his mother arranged for him without hesitation and, to demonstrate loyalty, he hadn't stepped into their rooms for the past two years.

He knew that, as a merchant's son, he wasn't worthy of his husband's status. Even if Shen Anyue didn't like him and was indifferent towards him, he didn't want to let go.

Occasionally, Xie Yuan felt that he was quite despicable. He knew that what Shen Anyue wanted was a talented and knowledgeable partner who could discuss poetry and literature. But he wasn't that kind of person. Whenever he read, he dozed off, and he was a mess when it came to music, chess, calligraphy, and painting.

What he excelled at was precisely what Shen Anyue detested…

After seeing how well Cheng Duo and Yong Ge got along, Xie Yuan had always thought that his cold heart could be warmed up if he persisted. However, when he saw how affectionate the couple was, he inexplicably felt a bit uneasy. Was he torturing Shen Anyue like this?

Shaking his head to dispel these thoughts, Xie Yuan decided not to dwell on them. He'd better think about how to arrange things and send supplies to Cheng Duo tomorrow…

"""

(T/N: I hope there is an extra for these two's happy ending)

After Xie Yuan left, the molds Cheng Duo ordered from the carpenter arrived quickly. He had initially ordered one hundred molds, and since they were square and didn't require much carving, the carpenter delivered them promptly.

The carpenter's surname was Luo, and Cheng Duo had paid five coins for the mold, which totaled five hundred coins for one hundred molds. After Cheng Duo and his husband inspected the molds, Carpenter Luo nervously asked, "How are they? Are they usable?"

"They are usable." Cheng Duo nodded and had Yong Ge return to the room to get the money. He then asked Carpenter Luo, "I saw that the unicycle cart you used to deliver the molds was quite convenient. Can you make one… well, make two more for me? Also, besides the square brick molds, I need two hundred more for the thick tile molds."

Carpenter Luo gasped, "So many?"

"Not much. If there's a need for more later, I'll come to you again," Cheng Duo said to Carpenter Luo, who was amazed by the large order. However, when Yong Ge came out with the silver to settle the payment, Carpenter Luo became happy again.

Apart from the fact that making molds was an easy job that earned him five hundred coins in less than half a month, he was eager for Cheng Duo to continue placing orders with him.

After bidding farewell to Carpenter Luo, Cheng Duo looked at the messy courtyard and frowned, "We have all the tools now. Tomorrow, I'll find someone to build the house at the mountain pass."

Otherwise, everything would pile up in the house, making it inconvenient for him, and there would be the risk of accidentally dropping something and harming Yong Ge.

"Sure, I'll find people to make mud bricks tomorrow," Yong Ge said enthusiastically. He and Cheng Duo had discussed that Cheng Duo would handle building the house and kiln, while he would gather the village women and men to make mud bricks.

The mud bricks needed some time to dry, which would be perfect once the kiln was built.

Cheng Duo, seeing Yong Ge all pumped up, affectionately kissed his forehead, "Then, my husband, you'll have to work hard."

Yong Ge knew Cheng Duo was teasing him, so, in return, he didn't hold back and gave a kiss to Cheng Duo's chin, blushing afterward.

Cheng Duo embraced his little husband's slender waist and kissed him thoroughly. Given that they had been intimate for most of the previous night after being unsealed with great difficulty, Cheng Duo kept it brief this time and didn't go overboard.

As they needed to find people to work, the two went to the village together in the afternoon, but they parted ways at the crossroads. Cheng Duo went to Uncle Li's house, while Yong Ge carried the wild rabbits they agreed upon and headed to Shanzi's house.

Shanzi happened to be home and was surprised and delighted when he saw the rabbits, "You really caught rabbits?"

"Of course." Yong Ge nodded proudly, pointing at the wound on the rabbit's neck, "See, I shot it. The hole is still there."

"Yong Ge, you're amazing!"

Yong Ge also thought he was quite remarkable. Just two or three months ago, he couldn't have dreamed of being able to shoot a rabbit with an arrow.

Shanzi's younger siblings were also excited to see the rabbits. His elder sister, Xiao Hui, even brought a bowl of sweet syrup for Yong Ge. Don't underestimate this small amount of syrup – she rarely gave it away, and only when her younger brother cried uncontrollably would she feed him a bit to soothe him.

"By the way, Cheng Duo and I plan to build a brick and tile workshop. Do you and Hewazi want to help us make mud bricks?" Yong Ge briefly explained the process of making mud bricks and added, "Ten mud bricks cost one coin, and we'll need as many as possible…"

Shanzi's eyes lit up instantly. Before Yong Ge finished speaking, he couldn't wait to respond, "We're going!"

Hewazi was also excited. According to Yong Ge, making mud bricks wasn't difficult; the only challenging part was pounding the clay into the molds with force.

But that wouldn't deter them. They had already done heavy tasks like fetching water and chopping wood at home. How could they be afraid of two palm-sized mud bricks?

"Yong Ge, can I also help?" eight-year-old Xiao Hui hesitated for a moment before asking earnestly.

"But Xiao Hui, if you go, what about Xiao Xing and Mai Ge?" 

"Yeah, Xiao Hui, Mai Ge and I will handle it. You can stay at home and take care of your younger siblings. There's still laundry and cooking to do at home, and Xiao Xing can't manage it alone," Hewazi quickly persuaded.

Though Xiao Hui felt disappointed, she realized that her second brother spoke the truth, so she didn't insist further.

Yong Ge understood her feelings; she was afraid of poverty and saw this opportunity to earn money, so she didn't want to miss it.

Many others shared the same idea. After leaving Hewazi's house, Yong Ge went to Aunt Qian's house. Aunt Qian, Yu Ge, and even Yu Ge's three sisters-in-law agreed to help the next day.

Aunt Qian's daughter-in-law cautiously asked, "I have a younger brother who also married into our village. Can I invite him too?"

"Sure, but let me be clear: if he doesn't work well and the mud bricks don't meet the standard, I'll send him away directly." Yong Ge had learned many things from Cheng Duo during this time and could look quite stern when necessary.

"No, no, my younger brother is well-behaved. I promise he'll be obedient."

She wanted to say something, but Aunt Qian stopped her, "Forget about your family. They're used to taking advantage of you and bullying you. Don't let them get you into trouble when it comes to earning money."

After Aunt Qian said that, she glanced at Yong Ge, and he immediately added, "That's right, whoever is brought here is responsible for their work. I won't go easy on anyone."

Though she couldn't let go of her family, she could only sigh and say, "I'll listen to Mother."

After Yong Ge left, she rushed to her younger brother's house to share the good news with him. Unexpectedly, she caught her several sisters-in-law bullying her younger brother, throwing their clothes into his room.

She was furious and scolded her younger brother angrily, "Are you made of clay? They ask you to wash clothes, and you just do it? Forget about them! Tomorrow, I'll take you to earn money!"

"Earn money? How?" One of the sisters-in-law scoffed, looking disdainful.

Was money so easy to come by? Their family couldn't even make a few coins!

She glared, "By making mud bricks! Ten mud bricks for one coin. You can earn as much as you want!"

"What? Making mud bricks can earn money?" One sister-in-law instantly changed her expression, eager to get more information from Aunt Qian's daughter-in-law.

Aunt Qian's daughter-in-law coldly snorted, "I won't hide it from you. Yong Ge is the one hiring people. His hunter husband is not to be trifled with. He's cunning and resourceful. For people like you, who won't even wash your own clothes properly, if you go, you'll be kicked out!"

"You're just exaggerating, you…"

Several sisters-in-law were angry and immediately started arguing with her. Consequently, the news that Yong Ge was hiring people to make mud bricks spread throughout the village before it was even dark.

"Have you heard? Yong Ge is hiring people to make mud bricks. Ten mud bricks for one coin!"

"Is it true? Why didn't I know about this?"

"Aunt Qian's daughter-in-law quarreled with someone, and she said it herself. How can it be false?"

"What's so difficult about making mud bricks? I can do it too! Yong Ge needs more people, so I want to go and ask."

"Let's go, let's go! Let's go together while it's not yet dark. Many people are going."

"Ah, why didn't you say so earlier…" The people who joined the conversation hurriedly followed along.