CFRSIO Chapter 6

The group of men was a merchant caravan, and their leader was called He Jun.

And He Jun happened to be Tao Wenyu’s “ex-husband” and Tao Shuda’s brother.

When Lin Yunliang saw the people in front of him and understood their identities, he found it amusing when he realized why they were there. Lin Yunliang also remembered at this time that Tao Wenyu’s “ex-husband” had died strangely.

According to the plot he understood, He Jun was very fond of Tao Wenyu, and it was not impossible for him to be caught off guard and suffer.

It turned out that He Jun came here for his sister. His hometown was not here, but he came here as a traveling merchant after he grew up. His sister lived in the town, and his elderly mother was taken care of by a merchant family who stayed at home.

Originally, He Jun wanted to earn more while he was young and save some dowry for his sister, so that she would not be bullied when she got married. He Jia’s sister was marrying a scholar who lived in the same alley.

Although life was a bit poor, his sister was diligent, his brother-in-law was quite talented in his studies, and with his occasional help, he thought she wouldn’t suffer too much.

Who knew that after he left for only a few months for business, when he returned, his sister’s family was all gone.

He learned from his neighbors that his brother-in-law, not knowing what he was doing, had become addicted to gambling. Not only did he gamble away all the valuable things in the house, but he even sold his sister.

He Jun, a tall man, had his eyes red upon hearing this. After searching for several days, he found his brother-in-law in a beggar’s den, gaunt, skin and bones, and with a crippled leg.

Since he went crazy from gambling, he couldn’t afford tuition fees either. Once this matter spread, it would be detrimental to the reputation of the academy, so he was directly kicked out. With nowhere to go and no intention of restraint, he, penniless, dared to go to the gambling house again.

What kind of good people run gambling houses? Seeing that he had no money now, they still dared to disturb their gambling business, so they naturally beat him and threw him out without hesitation.

After repeated setbacks, the brother-in-law was left with only a breath. After he found him, it was probably a return of his life’s light. After apologizing to his brother-in-law He Jun, he told him everything Gao Sizhe had done and begged his brother-in-law to find his sister He Jia.

The matter of finding his sister did not need to be told by the scholar; He Jun would do it.

He Jun’s brothers were all loyal and righteous. Upon learning of this matter, they took turns monitoring Gao Sizhe at the entrance of the academy. Only then did they discover that Gao Sizhe had harmed more than one person. He targeted people with some family background, made them lose all their money in the gambling house, and then tricked them into signing indentures for their brothers, sisters, wives, and children.

He Jun and others were furious, but they also knew that the indentures were signed voluntarily by the husband and brother. There was no forced coercion, and after that, many people like the scholar went to the gambling house, and many were beaten and scared away.

Of course, no one spoke up.

In fact, the money scammed from one person was not much. After all, they were all from farming families or families with thin backgrounds. How much money could be squeezed out? However, the cumulative amount was not small.

Moreover, it was hard to say if they had bribed the county magistrate. If they had bribed the county magistrate, then there would be nowhere to appeal.

This was why He Jun and the others had not yet taken action.

He Jun was not surprised when he saw Lin Yunliang appear. While they were paying attention to Gao Sizhe, they also noticed Xiaomao Tao and others, and then they naturally discovered Lin Yunliang.

Moreover, he actually knew Lin Yunliang. As traveling merchants, they had many sources of information, and the people behind the Jade Pavilion were not ordinary. Therefore, even though their previous businesses were not popular, no one dared to target the Jade Pavilion.

Suddenly, a few new signature dishes appeared, which naturally attracted the attention of others.

He Jun’s other traveling merchant friends even came to the Jade Pavilion specifically to ask if they could sell more portions.

Many people were coveting it. Even He Jun had some desire, especially after the Jade Pavilion introduced a limited quantity, the business became even better, and even he was a little envious.

If it weren’t for the worry about his sister’s affairs, he would definitely go and inquire about it.

“Master Lin? May I ask Master Lin’s purpose for seeking me out?”

Lin Yunliang did not expect this person to know who he was, nor did he expect such a title. “Boss He knows me?”

“I dare not be called boss; I am just a small businessman,” He Jun said. After their eyes met, they both realized that they had something to say to each other.

However, this was not a suitable place for them to discuss such matters. So Lin Yunliang took the initiative to say, “I have already asked someone to book a private room at the Jade Pavilion. I wonder if Boss He would honor us with his presence?”

“Since Master Lin has spoken, I naturally obey rather than refuse.”

Over the years, many people had wanted to target the Jade Pavilion, but unfortunately, none of them had succeeded. Everyone realized that the owner of the Jade Pavilion was probably not ordinary. Many people changed their methods and wanted to do business with them, but very few people actually succeeded.

Lin Yunliang, who was quiet and unnoticed, actually managed to do business with the Jade Pavilion, which was unexpected.

“May I ask why Master Lin is also targeting Gao Sizhe?”

“Because Gao Sizhe was the first to target me,” Lin Yunliang said, taking a sip of wine and then putting it down.

The quality of the wine in this era was generally average. Although Lin Yunliang was not someone who loved wine excessively, he would hardly take another sip if the taste was unpleasant.

“What?” He Jun was surprised. After all, Lin Yunliang now looked extraordinary. He Jun’s brother-in-law was one of the victims, and he later discovered several other victims whose conditions were all very bad.

“Please don’t joke with me like this.” Who would dare to do business with the Jade Pavilion if they were not someone to be trifled with?

“No, I’m not joking.”

Lin Yunliang smiled and gestured to the dishes on the table, “Try these. These are new dishes from the Jade Pavilion.”

“It is said that business is best discussed over drinks. You eat and drink, and I can also talk about business with you, don’t you think?”

He Jun was curious about what business Lin Yunliang wanted to discuss with him. However, the food on the table smelled very fragrant. As a traveling merchant for many years, he had seen all sorts of good things, but it was the first time he had encountered food whose aroma was so captivating.

“Then I won’t be polite.”

He Jun started to use his chopsticks. After taking just one bite, his appetite was greatly stimulated. If it weren’t for the fact that Lin Yunliang was present, he would have picked up the bowl and eaten without restraint.

“It’s delicious, isn’t it?”

“It’s very delicious.”

“The business I want to discuss with Boss He is related to this.”

He Jun’s expression became serious. He had heard about Lin Yunliang’s business with the Jade Pavilion. If it was related to this, then it meant he could cooperate with the Jade Pavilion.

This realization surprised him. His expression clearly became much more serious: “Master Lin, what do you want to do?”

“Delivery,” Lin Yunliang took another small sip of wine. The rough taste made him quickly put it down again.

“Delivery?”

“Yes,” Lin Yunliang said, “Boss He has been in town for quite some time. He should know that there are many wealthy people in town. Many of them want to taste the new dishes from the Jade Pavilion.”

“But they often can’t get them.”

He Jun nodded. He learned from the waiter that the idea of limiting quantities was Lin Yunliang’s. Therefore, when he saw this person again, he agreed to have a meal together.

“I plan to discuss with Manager Wang and add ten delivery slots.”

“And this delivery refers to delivering the Jade Pavilion’s dishes to their residences.”

He Jun did not speak, but continued to listen to Lin Yunliang’s arrangements. However, his heart was somewhat shocked. Such an idea was simply brilliant. Delivering food to people’s doors, He Jun thought, even just hearing Lin Yunliang’s idea now, he could foresee how lively the scene would be when it was actually implemented.

What Lin Yunliang didn’t say was that in his world, delivery guys were magical beings. So, he could also use some of his influence. He could develop his own power in the town, and at the same time, they could help him gather information. He could also use these means to establish some relationships with those who were officials.

Then, what else would he have to worry about regarding Tao Zhiyuan?

In addition, Lin Yunliang had another plan. He didn’t want to be in the spotlight. He wanted to be the one pulling the strings from behind the scenes. That would be much more interesting. That’s why he deliberately asked A Quan to pass a message to the waiter, asking them to leak the matter of his cooperation with the Jade Pavilion to He Jun.

He Jun was Tao Wenyu’s “ex-husband.” Now that this “ex-husband” had become his helper, although it had changed the possible plot, the benefits were on his side. Lin Yunliang was very willing to do it.

After Lin Yunliang got He Jun’s answer, Manager Wang was not present today. This matter still required Manager Wang’s cooperation, so the two of them discussed a time and decided that the three of them would sit down together and discuss this matter thoroughly.

Unbeknownst to Lin Yunliang, many things had happened in Tao Village.

Lin Yunliang’s words that day had a significant impact on Zhang Qing’an. He was not a very obedient person to begin with. He was willing to do these things because he had some feelings for Tao Zhiyuan.

But Lin Yunliang was not wrong.

He secretly went to find Tao Zhiyuan. Even though there was an engagement between the two, Zhang Qing’an still did not want to be talked about. He also did not want these words to spread, especially to Lin Yunliang.

No, why would he care if Lin Yunliang knew about it!

“Qing’an?” Tao Zhiyuan looked at Zhang Qing’an, whose expression was constantly changing.

“Brother Zhiyuan,” Zhang Qing’an restrained his emotions and said. He was pondering how to start.

Tao Zhiyuan spoke first, looking expectantly at the person in front of him, “Qing’an, have you found the wild ginseng?”

Tao Zhiyuan’s words back then were actually just an excuse. It wasn’t because his teacher was sick; his teacher was perfectly fine. It was just that he had found other avenues in town, which could guarantee his rapid rise to power.

He was not willing to be a small farmer here. Becoming a top scholar was just a small goal for him. He had even grander goals. Tao Village was just a small corner of the world, and he was just lacking a stepping stone. He was about to soar to the heavens.

Tao Zhiyuan thought that if Zhang Qing’an could really find what he wanted, then he could still give him some good looks. The engagement could continue, but the position of the main wife was impossible.

He was going to be a high official in the future. His wife must be a learned and eloquent beauty, and must be someone who understood his heart and harmonized with him.

Tao Zhiyuan had not reached that point yet, but he was already dreaming.

It was a pity that Zhang Qing’an did not think that way at all. His purpose in coming here was simple: “I haven’t found the wild ginseng, but Brother Zhiyuan, I…”

Before Zhang Qing’an could finish speaking, he was interrupted by Tao Zhiyuan. When Tao Zhiyuan learned that Zhang Qing’an had not found it, his expression fell. He angrily flicked his sleeves and said, “Since you haven’t found it, what are you doing here?”

“So Qing’an has never taken me to heart. Since that’s the case, I’ll tell my mother about this and go to the mansion to annul the engagement.”

In fact, this was not the first time Tao Zhiyuan had said this to him.

Before this, when he went to deliver rice and noodles to Tao Zhiyuan’s house, Tao Zhiyuan had privately asked him if his family could provide some money, saying that he was about to participate in a poetry gathering. He also said that the people at the poetry gathering were all well-known and learned, and he would definitely achieve success if he went.

However, the poetry gathering required a lot of money, and his private savings were not enough. Not wanting to disappoint him, he had to find Zhang’s father. Zhang’s father’s expression clearly showed disapproval, but since his son had spoken, he finally agreed.

But what was the result? Tao Zhiyuan did not achieve success. When Zhang Qing’an, who had learned of this, went to find him, his purpose was not to question why he didn’t pass the exam. Instead, he was more concerned about Tao Zhiyuan being sad and wanted to comfort him.

But who knew that Tao Zhiyuan would think he was there to blame him? Angrily, he also said that he wanted to break off the engagement. Zhang Qing’an didn’t have any thoughts at the time. He just felt that he had pushed too hard.

Later, he sent a lot of good things to the Tao family, including cloth, pork, and white sugar. Each item was not cheap. It took a lot of effort to appease him.

But what about Zhang Qing’an himself? Who could he complain to about his grievances?

Now that this person said it again, before this, someone had told him that in this world, only he himself was worth the most. This sentence really touched him.

It also made him feel warm. This indescribable sense of security was once given to him by someone, but now this person seemed to have changed.

Tao Zhiyuan paused. This trick had always worked before. Tao Zhiyuan felt very proud, thinking that he had Zhang Qing’an under control. He thought that the person was probably too honest and tongue-tied to explain, so he magnanimously decided to let him speak: “Qing’an, I also…”

“Okay,” Zhang Qing’an’s heart was made up. This was the first time he had made a decision so quickly.

“What?” Tao Zhiyuan was stunned. It was only then that he realized that some things were gradually slipping out of his control. This realization made his heart suddenly leap, and he became a little flustered. He quickly wanted to speak and stepped forward a few steps.

Zhang Qing’an calmly took a step back, “Since Brother Zhiyuan feels it’s inappropriate, let’s annul the engagement as soon as possible.”

“Then we will each marry our own, and neither will interfere with the other.”

Tao Zhiyuan had never expected Zhang Qing’an to say such a thing to him. He remembered Zhang Qing’an’s shy expression when they first met. At least it showed that this person was not without feelings. But how long has it been since he could say such a thing? He didn’t believe that no one had taught him.

Some people are like this. They complain that heaven gave them such a background, complain that their parents are not working hard enough, complain about others, but never think about whether they are right or wrong.

How ridiculously laughable.

Looking at the calm Zhang Qing’an in front of him, Tao Zhiyuan said with malice, “Annul the engagement? This is not something you can annul just because you say so.”

“Who in Tao Village doesn’t know that your Zhang family is eager to marry off their shuang’er!”

“I am a Tong Sheng, and soon I will be a Xiu Cai! It is already a great grace for our Tao family to allow you to marry into our family. What face do you have to dare to tell me to annul the engagement?”

“Moreover, even if you annul the engagement, so what! By then, you’ll be a broken shoe. I’d like to see if you can find a better family!”

Tao Zhiyuan was not wrong. This world was like this. The status of men was much higher than that of women and shuang’er. Therefore, after the two were engaged, there were many voices saying that they were not a good match and that Zhang Qing’an was the one who had climbed high. If the engagement was indeed annulled, then Zhang Qing’an would not have a good ending.

However, Zhang Qing’an did not expect the usually gentlemanly Tao Zhiyuan to say such things. It really opened his eyes. It also strengthened his resolve to annul the engagement.

He was now sure that this person was not the person he was in the past. Although the person in the past had a bad mouth, he had a good heart. He couldn’t help but touch the bracelet on his wrist. Could a person really change like this? He was truly enlightened.

“Tao Wenyu.”

“What?” Tao Zhiyuan’s heart panicked. He quickly argued, “This is between you and me. Don’t involve others. Let’s clarify things between us!”

“Brother Zhiyuan, I hope you know what I’m talking about.” Previously, perhaps because he had some filter for this person, he didn’t realize how wrong this person was.

But now it was different. He was sober. He realized it. Thinking about what had happened during this time made Zhang Qing’an even more impatient to deal with him.

“Qing’an!” Seeing that the person was really about to turn and leave, Tao Zhiyuan finally became anxious. He quickly stepped forward, trying to reach out and hold Zhang Qing’an.

But Zhang Qing’an ignored him.

Tao Zhiyuan was somewhat dumbfounded. But his pride made it impossible for him to ask him to stay. He could only watch as Zhang Qing’an left.

Zhang Qing’an left silently, and at the same time, he did something.

He went to find everyone who had rented land from his family and also asked someone to come from the town to write documents, asking the person to write several contracts.

“Young Master Zhang, please take a look.” After the document writer finished, he handed the documents to Zhang Qing’an.

Zhang Qing’an was literate, but he did not write beautifully. This was Zhang’s father’s request. They had a lot of land at home. If their child knew nothing, how could they manage the family business?

Looking at the neat handwriting, Zhang Qing’an thought to himself that he should also put practicing calligraphy on his agenda. Otherwise, it would be troublesome to always need outsiders to register.

Zhang Qing’an took it and looked at it, nodding with satisfaction. “That’s right. Please write a few more copies in the same way.”

“Yes, yes,” the document writer nodded repeatedly. Today, he could earn a lot from this job, so he was naturally happy.

More and more people were arriving at the entrance.

There was a large courtyard at the entrance of the Zhang family. Zhang Qing’an moved out two sets of tables and chairs, and then sat unmovably at the table. The document writer sat at another table.

Some people at the entrance, who were bolder, took the initiative to go forward and curiously asked, “Qing’an, what are you doing?”

“Uncle Liuye, you’re here.” Zhang Qing’an recognized the person in front of him. He didn’t rush to answer. He glanced at the few people who had arrived at the entrance and understood. “How many more people haven’t arrived?”

The people present looked at each other. No one answered Zhang Qing’an. Zhang Qing’an was not annoyed. He looked at them calmly and said, “Since not everyone has arrived yet, let’s wait outside for a while.”

“Uncle Liuye, please go and call those who haven’t arrived yet.”

“We’ll wait for another hour. If they still don’t come, they will bear the consequences themselves.”

Zhang Qing’an’s usual attitude was relatively amiable. It was rare for him to be so sharp, which surprised everyone present. Despite the surprise, they still did not move. Even Tao Liuye, who was named by Zhang Qing’an, did not react much. After all, Zhang’s father had also convened them in a similar way before.

They all thought this was arranged by Zhang’s father. Recalling the previous situation, everyone was very calm and indifferent. The group of people clearly did not realize what they were about to face.

An hour passed, and people still had not arrived. Although more people arrived successively, they still had not all arrived.

Zhang Qing’an frowned. He knew why. He was a shuang’er. Many people thought that he would eventually marry out and would not stay in the Zhang family for long, and that he would not have much say. However, they did not know that Zhang Qing’an had realized some things during this time.

His state of mind had begun to change. And today was the first step of his change.

Zhang Qing’an still had a record in his hand. He ticked off the names of several people and then asked the document writer to re-register their names.

“Today,” Zhang Qing’an put away the booklet and then said, “I have invited all the uncles and aunts here because I hope you will sign this contract.”

“Of course, if any of you uncles and aunts cannot write your own names, it doesn’t matter. We can also use handprints.”

Zhang Qing’an was thoughtful and had prepared everything, but in the eyes of the villagers, this was an act of mistrust.

“Sign a contract? Qing’an, we’ve been renting for so many years, there’s no need for this, right?”

“Yes, we are all from the same village. Aren’t you showing mistrust to the villagers by doing this?”

“Also, Brother An is all grown up now and will soon be the husband of a Xiu Cai. He’s also gotten temperamental.”

“What about Uncle Zhang? Zhang Qing’an, you’re not doing this behind Uncle Zhang’s back, are you! See if Uncle Zhang doesn’t beat you to death!”

“We are all from the same village, why are you saying such things between two families!”

A group of people chattered, each saying a sentence, and the whole courtyard became noisy. The document writer also looked at the scene with some astonishment.

He was a document writer, and he naturally knew Zhang Qing’an’s identity, which was why he was shocked. He specialized in writing documents and letters for people in town.

The lords in town were all incredibly arrogant, as if they were the most powerful people in the world.

Even the group of people under them all left with a false sense of superiority. This was the first time he had seen a homeowner surrounded by tenants like this.

He also knew the reason. It was simply because they thought the homeowner was young and a brother, and would eventually marry out. They also thought that they were from the same village, and their vision was extremely narrow.

Thinking about what Zhang Qing’an had asked him to write, he silently offered condolences to these people.

Zhang Qing’an was not in a hurry. After they had finished speaking, he said.

“Are you all done speaking?”

“Then, uncles and aunts, I… I’ll be straightforward. This contract is not only about our future cooperation.”

“It’s not just me who will be regulated, but also all of you uncles and aunts.”

“Do you think people in the same village can be so unscrupulous? Don’t forget, those fields are under my family’s name.”

“From now on, if anyone is late in paying rent before the next rent collection, my family will take back the land and will not cooperate with those who are late.”

As soon as these words were spoken, they immediately caused a stir.

There were already quite a few people who came to watch the excitement. Now that they heard this, many were watching the fun, and some immediately ran to find the village chief and Uncle Zhang. How could such a matter be decided by a junior? Wouldn’t their faces as elders be trampled underfoot?

“Has Tong Sheng Tao returned?”

“He returned early. He said the academy teacher had something to do, so they were given a holiday.”

“Then we must invite Tong Sheng Tao to preside!”

“Yes, yes, Tong Sheng Tao is Zhang family’s future son-in-law, so he should naturally manage these matters. He should also manage Zhang Qing’an. As a junior, he actually has this attitude. If he marries in the future, who knows what he will do!”

“Third Aunt Tao worked hard for Tong Sheng Tao all her life. We can’t let a junior torment her casually.”

Their words were very pleasant to hear, but only they knew that they just wanted to see more excitement, and they also couldn’t stand seeing Tao Zhiyuan’s family do well, nor could they stand seeing Zhang Qing’an’s family do well.

Ever since Tao Zhiyuan became a Tong Sheng, Mother Tao’s tail was practically in the sky. If they didn’t know he was just a Tong Sheng, they would have thought Tao Zhiyuan had become a Xiu Cai or even a scholar.

When Tao Zhiyuan learned of this, he was shocked. In his impression, Zhang Qing’an was usually decent, even if his behavior was occasionally rough, otherwise his mother would not have proposed the marriage.

But now he had done such a thing.

Mother Tao’s reaction was even greater. In her opinion, Zhang family’s land would sooner or later be theirs. How could they let an outsider point fingers? Moreover, Tao Zhiyuan’s subsequent failures to pass the exams had made the village a laughingstock. She was counting on this land, hoping to hold her head high in the future.

She was enjoying herself when someone immediately came to tell her that Zhang Qing’an wanted the people renting Zhang family’s land to sign a contract and wanted to take back the land.

Indeed, renting land between farmers also required a written note, but the Zhang family was an outsider family and did not have the same status as the Tao family in Tao Village, so they did not proactively bring up this matter, intending to build good relations with Tao Village. However, subsequent events told them that constantly enduring did not bring any benefits.

Mother Tao immediately rushed to tell Tao Zhiyuan to go with her.

Tao Zhiyuan naturally had to go. After all, he was Zhang Qing’an’s fiancé. Even though they had some arguments now, they could be easily resolved. He also did not want his future husband to be such a petty and vulgar person. That would be too embarrassing for him.

Not only the village chief was present, but also other elders in the village, as well as countless villagers. Zhang Qing’an was surrounded by them. If they didn’t know the cause and effect, they would really think that they were bullying the weak and using their numbers to overwhelm the few.

Zhang Qing’an had always sensed something was wrong before, but his mother always told him to be obedient and sensible, and to get along well with the villagers, so that he would have a place to stay when he was old and died.

Now, seeing their imposing manner, he realized that his feelings were not wrong. It was indeed like this. These people had never truly accepted their family from beginning to end.

Zhang Qing’an was already thinking about annulling his engagement with Tao Zhiyuan. Now he had to think about one more thing: whether there was any need to stay in Tao Village any longer.