Chapter 239: Opportunities Everywhere on the Street

Li Li Qingge said with deep meaning, "Where the power lies, that is where the money lies."

"I haven't taken up my post yet."

"But you are the eldest young master of the He family, the primary successor to Chief Steward He, and you are right beside the seat of power." Li Li Qingge smiled. "Near vermilion, one gets stained red; why shouldn't the eldest young master of the He family make good use of this in the future?"

He He Lingchuan raised an eyebrow: "I like that!"

"If you have confidence in your own family and in Xiazhou, you can start sweeping up goods at low prices right now." Li Li Qingge continued to offer advice. "At a time like this, the identity of Chief Steward He's son is more useful than anything else. Even if there is some resistance, it can be easily broken. Once the crisis passes, those will all be golden geese laying eggs. Will you ever have to worry about money again?"

He He Lingchuan stood up and bowed deeply to her: "Your words are like a divine infusion of wisdom. Many thanks, my lady."

He had never done business before and lacked that particular knack, but with this bit of guidance from the Marquis of Songyang, he suddenly felt enlightened.

That's right, everyone in Dunyu and all of Xiazhou wanted to curry favor with the new Chief Steward, but he alone didn't need to.

With such an advantage, why not make good use of it? Don't talk about fairness; a gentleman should be adept at leveraging his position.

Li Li Qingge waved her hand: "A small matter, just a few idle words. The shop next door is truly quite good; would you like me to help you acquire it?"

"Very well." He He Lingchuan did not refuse this time. How could one drift through the world without getting entangled in human favors? He would just find an opportunity to repay it later. "Then I will trouble you, my lady."

He accepted the favor, and Li Li Qingge smiled with particular satisfaction.

He He Lingchuan looked at her and sighed: "Why is my lady helping me like this?"

"I've said it before, I have a good eye." Li Li Qingge was very straightforward. "When the Songyang Estate makes investments, the lowest level invests in fields and shops, the middle level invests in businesses, and the highest level invests in people—I think very highly of the eldest young master of the He family." She was willing to cultivate a connection with him for this reason.

He He Lingchuan mocked himself: "It seems I have to start from the lowest level of investment."

Li Li Qingge chuckled.

With the conversation concluded and having gained an unexpected windfall, He He Lingchuan stood up to take his leave.

The Marquis of Songyang stood by the attic window, watching him walk through the corridor below and return to the front hall, then asked the maid behind her: "Did Steward Zhao negotiate the shop next door?"

"It has already been negotiated, and the contract will be finalized at noon."

"Tell him to change the buyer to the eldest young master of the He family, and have this contract delivered to the He residence before dinner."

He He Lingchuan went to the bank again and exchanged the one-hundred-thousand-tael silver note for smaller denominations of various amounts.

Then, he specifically took a carriage to travel all around the city.

Pedestrians on the street came and went in a hurry, with few smiles. Dunyu was currently very fractured; the main street seemed to still be bustling with business, and the large restaurants were full of guests at night, but on the other side of the city, all trades were desolate and people were panicked.

He He Lingchuan had just passed several grain shops, where long lines were forming at the entrances. Just then, two shop assistants stuck "sold out" signs in front of the vats, and the commoners who were a step too late were deeply disappointed.

These were not good signs at all. He Yue had told his brother that Dunyu City was not actually short of grain.

So this sudden panic buying stemmed from fear and the hoarding of grain.

Right, and there was also the reason of the local tycoons and gentry buying and donating grain over the past two days to curry favor with the new provincial official.

He He Lingchuan didn't believe his father couldn't see these things, but the government wasn't putting much effort into pacifying the people, only posting a notice to calm the public, which was filled with stiff official language; the poor effectiveness of this was easy to imagine.

Before meeting the Marquis of Songyang, He He Lingchuan would only have lamented the cruelty of war; but after coming out of the Songyang Estate branch, his perspective had changed, as if the whole street were filled with gold and silver beckoning to him.

If he didn't make good use of this, he would be doing himself a great disservice.

At the He residence, the renovations were still in full swing. He He Lingchuan returned to his courtyard, and the rock wolf was nowhere to be found. Its hearing was too sensitive to stand the endless clanging, so it had simply found He Yue's big black wolf to go out and play.

He He Lingchuan drank water while watching the broken blade, seeing its color becoming increasingly golden; clearly, the broken blade was absorbing the refined gold quite happily.

He was very much looking forward to the transformation of this blade.

He He Lingchuan touched the hilt of the blade and suddenly thought of the shop that the Pengcheng Bureau had specifically exchanged for him.

Was this the broken blade hinting that he could do the same in reality to solve his money troubles? It was a pity he hadn't been able to grasp it until the Marquis of Songyang pierced through this layer of window paper.

"Sorry, I was dull-witted." This blade could surely understand him. "But next time you give a hint, could you be a bit more direct?"

The broken blade, of course, did not answer.

Just then, the monkey jumped in from somewhere and knocked on the door frame: "Sun Sun Hongye is here, and he brought someone with him."

It was almost becoming He He Lingchuan's doorman; could it get extra pay? Sun Sun Hongye walked into He He Lingchuan's small courtyard, closed the door behind him, and pointed to the person he had brought: "Proprietor, this is Shan Shan Youjun."

He was one of the two Li family private soldiers he was recruiting for He He Lingchuan.

"After that incident, Jiao Tai was arrested, and Shan Shan Youjun also left the private army; they are no longer people of the Li family."

Shan Shan Youjun knelt down on the spot, resolute and decisive: "As long as Jiao Tai is rescued, this humble one, Shan Shan Youjun, is willing to serve the eldest young master as a dog or horse!"

The movement was too large and pulled at the wound on his buttocks, making him wince in pain.

"Get up." He He Lingchuan lifted him up with one hand. Shan Shan Youjun only felt the other party's powerful strength, forcing him to stand up involuntarily, and he was slightly surprised in his heart.

This wealthy young master seemed to have some skills as well.

He He Lingchuan asked Sun Sun Hongye: "Can you get Jiao Tai out?"

"I have already found three or four eyewitnesses who can testify that it was someone else who pushed the pregnant woman into the fake mountain, not Jiao Tai." Sun Sun Hongye said, "They have already gone to the government office to testify and sign their depositions. Once the real culprit is caught, Jiao Tai should be able to come out very soon."

He paused and added: "The Li family should know about me doing these things very soon."

"The one who pushed the pregnant woman was just a small leader in the private army, a distant relative of Li Zhi. At a critical moment, the Li family won't deliberately protect him. If Li Shuang is a bit smarter, he should tie him up and send him to the government office early." He He Lingchuan smiled at Shan Shan Youjun and said, "Don't worry, this matter will be settled very soon."

For the past two days, Shan Shan Youjun had been terrified, his heart filled with the frustration and grievance of being unable to save anyone. Yet, the eldest young master He before him had determined the fate of two people with just a few understated words.

He was about to kneel again, but He He Lingchuan grabbed his arm to stop him: "Enough, enough, with knees so soft, how can you do things for me?" He turned to pour a cup of hot tea for each of them.

Sun Sun Hongye accepted it calmly, while Shan Shan Youjun was a bit trembling.

"In these two days, you must find a way to recruit one more person for me." He He Lingchuan made another request to Sun Sun Hongye. "This person must be an old hand, someone who knows the human relationships and worldly wisdom of Dunyu like the back of his hand, someone who understands both the high-class and low-class circles, and can rattle off the domestic affairs of the four great families of local tycoons and gentry. Just like..."

He thought for a moment and came up with a benchmark figure: "Just like Liu the Assistant in Shihan City."

Sun Sun Hongye had only become a staff member just before He He Lingchuan left Shihan and had only seen Liu Bangban once or twice, but he knew very well what people like "assistants" did.

"What the proprietor wants is an assistant who is proficient in Dunyu affairs?"

A good summary. He He Lingchuan shook his index finger: "Not just that, this person must also be proficient in business and can handle financial matters for me."

He could foresee that the main theme of his life from now on would be either cultivation or fighting; where would he have the time to manage a business? Therefore, he needed a suitable manager.

Hearing this, Shan Shan Youjun suddenly said: "This humble one has a candidate to recommend."

"Speak." That's right, this fellow was also a local.

"He is the former steward of the third master of the Shu family, surnamed Ding, named Ding Ding Zuodong. He is a Dunyu native and has lived here for over forty years. When the third master was alive, the family's harvesting, purchasing, and managing were all handled by Ding Ding Zuodong, and everything was arranged perfectly. Among the several masters of the Shu family, his household was the most orderly and respectable."

"Later, the old man of the Shu family died. The third master lacked self-awareness and wanted to fight with the eldest, but he didn't win and was ostracized from then on. Two years later, the third master of the Shu family went out of town on business and drowned in the river, so the Shu family found an excuse to drive Ding Ding Zuodong out."

"Ding Ding Zuodong looked for several jobs afterward, but they were all ruined by the Shu family. He was depressed to death, and in these past few days, he has been thinking of taking his family south, which would be a real pity."

Sun Sun Hongye asked: "What is this person's character like?"

"It's good." Shan Shan Youjun said, "Just after the third master of the Shu family died, a wealthy gentleman in Daji Township to the south hired him as a steward and offered a very high salary. Ding Ding Zuodong didn't go because the third master of the Shu family left behind a widow and three children. As far as I know, after Ding Ding Zuodong left the Shu family, he even arranged the last of the third master's assets clearly and handed them over."

He He Lingchuan nodded and suddenly asked: "How do you know so clearly?"

"Among the stewards under the four great families, these people are the most discussed by everyone, and Ding Ding Zuodong's reputation is actually quite good." Shan Shan Youjun coughed softly, "Also, he is my uncle. I was originally in Youxu County in the north, and I came to Dunyu to rely on him."

He He Lingchuan smiled; no wonder.

"Then how is it that he was a steward in the Shu family, but you were a private soldier in the Li family?" Serving two different houses.

"When I arrived in Dunyu, he had just been driven out by the Shu family." Shan Shan Youjun sighed, "He couldn't even take care of himself, so he found someone to get me into the Li residence."

He and Sun Sun Hongye looked at each other, and the latter nodded slightly.

He He Lingchuan then said: "Don't avoid relatives when recommending talent; go back and talk to him. If he is willing to work under me, come over tonight for an interview."

Shan Shan Youjun was overjoyed: "Good, I'll go right now!" After bowing, he retreated.

Sun Sun Hongye said to He He Lingchuan: "The proprietor was full of high spirits when he returned; did you have some gains outside?"

This kid was very observant. He He Lingchuan then told him about the Marquis of Songyang's advice.

"That is very true; I should have thought of it sooner." Sun Sun Hongye blamed himself after hearing it, "The whole street is full of opportunities, and I actually turned a blind eye to them?"

"Your talent does not lie in making money and business." He He Lingchuan laughed out loud, "Otherwise, you wouldn't have spent so long in Shihan and only earned a few more patches."

An afternoon passed quickly.

Before dinner, Steward Zhao from the Songyang Estate came and presented a box to He He Lingchuan.

Inside was the contract for the shop next to the Songyang Estate. He He Lingchuan still had to go to the relevant department to record the contract and make a record so that this real estate would truly belong to him.

(End of chapter)