Chapter 240

Of course, this wasn't a gift; the shop cost a total of 550 taels, which could be said to be extremely cheap. If there were no war, such a prime shop on the main street of the provincial capital, with such a large storefront, couldn't be bought for less than 1,200 taels. It could be seen how determined the original owner was to dump the shop and leave.

After Steward Zhao left, He Lingchuan couldn't help but whistle a long whistle. Even in reality, he was now a person with property under his name!

"Congratulations, congratulations." Lingguang stretched its claws in front of He Lingchuan; this was called "begging for a reward."

He Lingchuan had no choice but to grab a big handful of winter melon milk candies for it. This thing was a specialty of the neighboring county, and the price was not cheap.

Such a good, pure-hearted medicine ape, why did it become more and more worldly after being by his side?

While the monkey was happily eating candy, the servant reported again:

Shan Youjun is here.

He Lingchuan had entrusted him with the first errand, and he really didn't neglect it; he brought his recommended candidate, Ding Zuodong, over before dinner.

Ding Zuodong was black, thin, tall, and also a bit hunchbacked, almost the opposite of the steward image in He Lingchuan's mind.

As soon as he saw He Lingchuan, he bowed deeply. "I am untalented, but I am willing to be a helper under the Young Master. If you have anything to do, just call me to run errands."

He Lingchuan hadn't started a family and hadn't opened a separate residence, so Ding Zuodong couldn't be a steward, so he simply called himself a "helper," which was a type of person who accompanied wealthy young masters to eat, drink, and have fun, and ran errands for them.

"Alright, let me test you." He Lingchuan greeted him to sit down. "A new Songyang Mansion branch opened on the main street today; you know that, right?"

Ding Zuodong nodded. "It opened in the morning. Chief Steward He and several officials from the government office all went, and the Li, Zhan, and Shu families also sent people to show their support."

"Do you know their background? Tell me about it."

Ding Zuodong thought for a moment and then told everything he knew one by one.

He Lingchuan listened; he not only knew the main business of Songyang Mansion but even knew the gossip about the Marquis of Songyang—

In other words, a washed-up steward far away in Xiazhou in the north knew these things, yet he was completely ignorant in Shi Huan City! He Lingchuan sighed at his own isolation once again.

When he sighed like this, Ding Zuodong became a bit worried. "Why did the Young Master sigh? Did I say something wrong?"

"No, the mistake is mine."

"…?"

"Shan Youjun guaranteed to me that you know Dunyucheng like the back of your hand."

"He exaggerated; I just know some street gossip."

"The original property of Shu Gan Sanye was all managed by you?" This was not simple. As far as He Lingchuan knew, He Chunhua didn't hand over most of the property in Heishui City to Steward Mo, because the latter mainly managed the miscellaneous affairs of the He residence.

Ding Zuodong, however, had to manage both inside and outside when he was under Shu Gan Sanye; he was a real workaholic.

"Exactly." This time Ding Zuodong didn't be humble.

The Shu family had blocked all his ways of life in Dunyu. If he didn't want to roll to the countryside and spend the rest of his life in gloom, he had to find a job here with Young Master He to break through and be reborn.

"That shop next to Songyang Mansion, the one on the east side, how much do you know about it?"

"The east side? It's a pharmacy, isn't it, called Huixiang Hall?"

He Lingchuan thought about it; it seemed that was indeed the case.

"The owner of Huixiang Hall is surnamed Cui, originally from Daji Township, and has been practicing medicine for generations. This is the second generation to settle in Dunyu. But his medical skills are mediocre, and as for this Huixiang Hall he opened, for such a good location, the business is just so-so. Recently, the medicinal materials transported from the south are in short supply, and the war in the north is going very poorly. I heard that the Xunzhou army is pressing over all the way and has even slaughtered two villages in Xinxian, so he probably had the idea of moving south."

Rumors were flying everywhere right now, which was most capable of shaking people's hearts. He Lingchuan smiled. "This shop has a good location, right?"

"That's a prime shop. Do you want to buy it?" Ding Zuodong thought for a moment. "But it's too unfortunate; if you had been two days earlier, I could have negotiated the price for you."

"It can't be done now?"

"I met the clerk of Huixiang Hall at noon, and he said the shop was just sold, right before the opening of the Songyang Mansion next door." Ding Zuodong sighed. "Once it's sold and handed over, there's no way."

He Lingchuan's heart moved. "Before the opening of Songyang Mansion?" Wasn't that before he went? The Marquis of Songyang clearly said she only bought one shop.

It looked like she bought both and quietly transferred one to He Lingchuan.

Also, who would complain about having too many shops in such a prime location?

He Lingchuan suppressed his doubts. "If I had sent you to negotiate at that time, what price could you have negotiated?"

This time Ding Zuodong calculated for a long while before saying, "I could have tried to press it to 500 taels."

"Pfft," a light laugh came from the front. He Lingchuan came back to his senses and realized Li Qingge was pursing her lips.

Ding Zuodong was very pleasantly surprised when he saw it. "Ah, so it was bought by the Young Master; you have an eye for it!"

"This one will still be Huixiang Hall, and its use won't change, because I also need medicine for my cultivation." He Lingchuan asked him, "How about leaving it to you to manage from now on? In ten days or half a month, or at most forty or fifty days, the situation in Xiazhou will stabilize. As for the transport routes to the interior, you don't have to worry too much." He was a member of the He family; if the transport team didn't transport other people's things, would they dare not transport his?

"Young Master, rest assured, it will definitely be handled properly." Ding Zuodong stood up and bowed to him. "Shu Gan Sanye also had a medicine firm under his name, which I also managed."

"You have the connections, excellent!" He Lingchuan pulled him to sit down again. "You and Shan Youjun are really strange; one likes to stand, and the other likes to kneel."

Both of them laughed.

He Lingchuan added, "From now on, just call me Proprietor. Hmm, you also know that I just arrived in Dunyu and need to purchase some assets here. If you see any suitable ones, just acquire them for me."

Ding Zuodong couldn't help but lean forward. "Mountain and water businesses, can I do those too?"

He Lingchuan smiled slightly. "Of course."

The so-called mountain and water businesses refer to mines and wood on land, and fish and salt in lakes and rivers. Although these daily necessities are also circulated in the market, mines, wood yards, fishing grounds, and salt fields are not businesses that ordinary merchants can operate.

Those are businesses under the provincial government, managed by special personnel.

Even if there are sellers who want to dump them during this turbulent period, those who want to take over must be qualified.

In Dunyu, needless to say, the only ones originally qualified were the four great families.

Now, there was one more family surnamed He.

Ding Zuodong was overjoyed and stood up again with a thud. "I'll go back right now and pull up a detailed list!"

He Lingchuan waved his hand. "Don't be in a hurry; let's set a bottom line first. I only have 100,000 taels in my hand."

Ding Zuodong pondered slightly. "It's enough if calculated carefully; good goods are cheap now. Young... Proprietor, rest assured, I will save where I should save and spend where I should spend."

He Lingchuan smiled and threw him a ten-tael large silver ingot. "Go and get yourself an outfit first. Working under me, you can't be too shabby. Use the rest to buy some fruits and snacks for your kid, and just say it's my treat."

With the silver in his hand, Ding Zuodong's serious expression also thawed. Back in the day when he managed Shu Gan Sanye's property, he wouldn't have put hundreds or thousands of taels in his eyes. Alas, things have changed, and a hero can be stumped by a penny.

His grandson cried for ice cream last time, and he couldn't bear to buy it.

Ding Zuodong bowed deeply to He Lingchuan. "I will definitely do my best."

He Lingchuan pointed to Shan Youjun, who had been listening the whole time. "Take him to Huixiang Hall to get treated, and return a lively gold-medal fighter to me as soon as possible."

It was late now, and after the two saluted and thanked him, they retreated.

After they left, Sun Hongye said, "The Proprietor revealed his bottom line after just one meeting?" People of the time liked to keep their wealth hidden.

"Don't use people you suspect. People who have no way out can be trusted." He Lingchuan laughed. "When he becomes the majestic Steward Ding again one day, I'll have to guard against him."

He was certain that Ding Zuodong would grasp the last straw to turn things around and would do his best to work for him.

At least for a long time, this would be the case.

"Shan Youjun and Jiao Tai were the captain and deputy captain when they were rangers in the north. They have done camp raids, ambushes, reconnaissance, and interceptions, and have also killed many people. Shan Youjun is steady and has schemes, while Jiao Tai is straightforward and values loyalty." Sun Hongye said, "When I found Shan Youjun, he had already scouted the prison twice and told me that as long as Jiao Tai is rescued, their lives belong to the Proprietor."

"Do they have families?"

"Neither of them does."

"That's good. After rescuing Jiao Tai, let them make a blood oath to follow me." He Lingchuan patted his shoulder. "You handled this matter really well; keep working hard." Buying one and getting one free, he had gained a Ding Zuodong out of thin air.

Ding Zuodong's interview had already passed successfully, and he hoped this guy would also be capable later.

Time passed quickly in the mixed feelings of the people of Dunyucheng for five days.

He Chunhua and his son had been eating, living, and working in the government office for three days, and they also went everywhere to inspect. When He Chunhua returned home on the evening of the fifth day, he received the resentment from Lady Ying that was almost overflowing from the residence.

"My lady, I had no choice!" After finally pacifying his wife, He Chunhua and his wife bathed and changed clothes, and the family of three had a sumptuous dinner.

He Lingchuan was missing.

He Chunhua also hadn't seen his eldest son for several days. In the past, He Lingchuan would still run to the government office, but now the father had no time to see the son, and the son didn't go to find the father? "Where is Chuan'er?"

"Where is my brother?"

Father and son said in unison.

"He went out early this morning and didn't say where he was going. You only sent word at noon that you would return home at night, and I couldn't find him either." Lady Ying said gloomily, "One is busier than the other, leaving me, an old woman, to guard the big house."

Father and son apologized quickly, and He Yue smiled. "Doesn't Mother have fun too?"

The renovation of the big house supervised by Lady Ying was always in progress, clanging all day long. He and his father didn't return home for three days, partly because they were busy and partly because they were afraid of the noise.

Lady Ying hummed and didn't refute. She was having quite a lot of fun.

After dinner, He Chunhua returned to the study.

Steward Mo brought tea for rinsing his mouth and closed the door behind him.

"Is everything alright at home these past few days?"

"Everything is going smoothly, without any setbacks." Steward Mo said, "Except that the lady is not satisfied with the corridor in the west wing and asked the foreman to tear it down and redo it."

"What about the family's expenses?"

Steward Mo answered several key figures, which didn't exceed He Chunhua's expectations. "Just arrived in Dunyucheng, we haven't stood firm yet, so money must be saved and cannot be spent lavishly."

(End of chapter)