[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-after-the-immortals-disappeared":3,"chapter-after-the-immortals-disappeared-after-the-immortals-disappeared-chapter-958":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","After the Immortals Disappeared",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2284842,4468,"Chapter 958: Rising Costs","after-the-immortals-disappeared-chapter-958",958,"\u003Cp>If you go bankrupt, you have no choice but to liquidate and sell off your assets.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By that time, the Lu family will have another chance to take back the Yangshan Archipelago.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The eldest son was still very shrewd when it came to these matters, and Lu Zhensheng felt slightly relieved:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Furthermore, the Earthly Yin Meridian erupts with baleful energy every seven days. If the man surnamed He wants to ensure the safety of the people and livestock on the island, he must repel the baleful energy in real time. He certainly cannot manage that on his own.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Qing'an understood as soon as he heard this: \"Father wants to find out what method he uses to repel the baleful energy?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Of course.\" Lu Zhensheng smiled with hidden meaning, \"If he truly can repel the baleful energy, we wouldn't mind learning from him with an open mind.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The reason the Yangshan Archipelago could not be utilized for many years was precisely because of that deadly baleful energy. If the man surnamed He had a way, this entire archipelago would be a hot commodity; why couldn't it be a new source of wealth for the Bailie people?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A lack of money had always been the Lu family's biggest problem.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Zhensheng asked again: \"How are the sales of their palm oil?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I hear the quality is quite good.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Zhensheng tapped his finger on the table twice: \"From today on, any dish on this table that is deep-fried must use palm oil from the Yangshan Archipelago.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Food fried with palm oil is fluffy and crispy, has a beautiful appearance, and does not turn black even after long frying. High-end restaurants in Bailie, Qing, and Mou all use palm oil for fried foods.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He pointed to the side again, and only then did Lu Qing'an notice a round object placed there, looking like a drum or a water bucket at first glance, made of bamboo.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That is a barrel for holding oil, crafted from the Giant Dragon Bamboo on the archipelago.\" Lu Zhensheng shook his head, \"I originally thought that even if they picked all the palm fruit on the island to press for oil, they wouldn't find suitable containers. As it turns out, they don't even have to spend money to buy oil barrels.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Giant Dragon Bamboo has a diameter of over a foot, with a waistline similar to a water bucket, and it has natural bamboo nodes inside. Therefore, sawing off a section of the bamboo creates a natural container that is sealed and leak-proof, and it is even lighter than wood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The locals really did use it as a water bucket, and He Lingchuan had taken it a step further.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I don't know if this Young Master He is as cunning as a ghost, or if he is truly just that lucky, but he has done all these things in such a earth-shattering way.\" Lu Zhensheng stroked his long beard under his chin, \"But he is an outsider after all, unfamiliar with the local area, so he will still suffer some losses.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He asked his eldest son again: \"Has the autumn grain in our territory all been harvested?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"More than half. If the farmers in the south are no longer drawn away by the Yangshan Archipelago, we can finish harvesting within ten days.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You must hurry.\" Lu Zhensheng said meaningfully, \"The heavens change in an instant.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"By the way, since the Yangshan Archipelago has been bustling with activity lately, their palm oil should be ready for large-scale shipment.\" Lu Zhensheng added, \"While it's not too late, go and give a heads-up to Superintendent Wu at the Blade Harbor Maritime Trade Office.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He let out a heavy snort: \"My clan has been weak for many years, and now even an outsider from a wealthy family dares to come and swindle Bailie!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old man just wouldn't stop talking about the Yangshan Archipelago! Lu Qing'an forced a smile: \"Alright, I will go there personally in a moment. But let's agree on this: once we've spoken to Superintendent Wu, let's stop worrying about the Yangshan Archipelago for now. The east is the...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The Ya Kingdom in the east is the priority! I know that!\" Lu Zhensheng interrupted, changing the subject, \"Is Qingbin taking his sister with him to the front lines this time?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes. After the first battle was won last year, and he even cut off the head of the enemy's deputy general, Feiyan has joined the army again this time.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Why do you call her 'Feiyan' too? Feixuan is the name her parents gave her.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Qing'an rubbed his nose and did not argue with his father.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Zhensheng said with emotion: \"Qing'an, you have managed Bailie so impressively, and Qinglin is making a name for himself on the front lines; Bailie is becoming more and more significant in the eyes of the Mou Kingdom. Ha, with civil and military strength to secure the nation, our clan will surely see a revival!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The most difficult period had already passed, and everything would only get better from here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Qing'an nodded vigorously: \"When that time comes, let alone the Yangshan Archipelago, we will also take back Blade Harbor and the other lands that were occupied!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For other nations to say such things would be like a fool's dream. But Bailie was different.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The decline and revival of the Lu family were like flowers withering and blooming, nothing more than one cycle after another.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A revival would surely come, and good fortune would surely arrive; all the Lu family members believed this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>￥￥￥￥￥\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In this season, the hundreds of old peach trees on Dragon Spine Island were laden with fruit, the flesh juicy and sweet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although manpower was tight, Leini still specifically allocated some people to pick peaches to be sold at the docks of Blade Harbor and the markets within Bailie.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Dragon Spine Island Peaches\" was a gimmick; almost no one had eaten them before. Everyone was curious and bought some to taste, and the hundred or so baskets of plump peaches were swept away in less than half a day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were two large merchant ships that bought three or five baskets at once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that time, Leini told He Lingchuan that they needed to open a few specialty produce stores, otherwise such good things would just rot on the island. He Lingchuan agreed, thinking to himself that it seemed like it was time to brew some peach wine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were two restaurants in Jade Balance City that specialized in brewing wine; he could go and steal a recipe to use in reality.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unfortunately, there was a severe shortage of manpower for everything right now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Currently, Lingguang was sitting at the table gnawing on a peach while watching Ding Zuodong report the accounts to He Lingchuan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The master was busy as a spinning top every day; how could he be as leisurely and carefree as it was, eating when it wanted and sleeping when it wanted? It pinched its own belly—hmm, it was thicker again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Autumn was the time to put on some \"autumn fat.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Lingchuan was stroking his chin while looking at the ledger, his face full of joy: \"The recruitment progress is far faster than expected; this is a good thing.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>According to the original plan, it would have been decent to recruit four thousand three or four hundred farmhands, but who knew the number of people on the island had already exceeded seven thousand three hundred! That was half as many again as expected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His territory was most in need of people. A territory without people had no value.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With more people working, the progress of various projects naturally accelerated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This is because the number of refugees moving south and islanders from the east has increased.\" As a qualified chief steward, Ding Zuodong had the duty to investigate matters clearly so that the proprietor could make further decisions, \"Last winter, although the friction between Bailie and the Ya Kingdom did not last long, the Ya Kingdom frequently burned, killed, and looted at the border, destroying fields and burning towns. Bailie eventually even paid reparations, causing many Bailie people to no longer be able to endure it, leaving their homes and moving south.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Furthermore, the Ya Kingdom has been abducting people from various countries for many years, but the Great Chieftain of the Ya Kingdom drove some of them out of the country last year. These people had stayed in the Ya Kingdom for many years—the longest for twelve or thirteen years, and the shortest for four or five—and with no homes or fields to return to in Bailie, they became the destitute. As soon as we recruited, they came.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Trees die if moved, but people live; in most cases, local sentiment cannot compare to a full bowl of rice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Also, a Bailong tribe from the Ya Kingdom fled south as a whole clan because they offended the Great Chieftain. Their chieftain was killed, the tribe was torn apart, and hundreds of them moved overseas to make a living; we recruited over six hundred of them.\" Ding Zuodong said, \"Among the laborers recruited, besides the dock workers and day laborers at Blade Harbor, these three types of people are the most numerous.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"These are all good things.\" He Lingchuan rubbed his hands, \"Ahem, for the Yangshan Archipelago.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"There are pros and cons; according to the progress, we have already severely overdrawn!\" Ding Zuodong's expression was serious, \"The Yangshan Archipelago has not yet started producing grain, so all grain must be purchased from outside. But the Mou Kingdom is at war with Beijia, and both the Qing Kingdom and Bailie need to support them with grain and fodder, causing grain prices on the market to soar. At this time last year, one shi of rice was four hundred and fifty wen; now the market price is already one thousand three hundred wen, having directly tripled! And the more we buy, the more expensive it gets; I estimate that in five days it will be at least one thousand five hundred wen.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For people doing hard labor, isn't it a small matter to consume a jin of grain every day? Eight thousand people consume at least eight thousand jin of grain daily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, grain is not just rice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And there is meat, fruit, and vegetables that haven't been counted yet; people can't just eat rice without vegetables.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To attract farmhands to the island, the Yangshan Archipelago had put out the banner of providing food and lodging.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Recently, grain prices in the Qing Kingdom and Bailie had skyrocketed, and many people, in order to get a full meal, were no longer afraid of the yin baleful energy and ran to the Yangshan Archipelago. If the condition of providing food and drink hadn't been so attractive, Ding Zuodong wouldn't have been able to recruit so many people in such a short time; conversely, the pressure of feeding these thousands of mouths was suddenly shifted onto He Lingchuan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Also, livestock like cattle and horses couldn't just eat grass; they wouldn't have the strength to pull cargo or plow fields, so it was essential to mix concentrated feed like bean dregs and wheat bran into the roughage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Compared to the price, He Lingchuan was more concerned about whether they could buy enough grain. Having money but nowhere to buy it—that was the real problem.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Can we buy it? I remember foreign merchants have been shipping grain to Blade Harbor.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If it weren't for that, the grain would have run out long ago! The grain shipped by foreign merchants is snatched up as soon as it hits the shore, otherwise, it wouldn't have risen two or three times.\" Ding Zuodong shook his head, \"I heard that the Qing Kingdom has already banned the export and resale of grain, and there are quotas for civilian purchases. It is thanks to Blade Harbor being a free port that it is not subject to this, otherwise, we would have been unable to buy grain long ago.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Yangshan Archipelago was not Qing Kingdom territory, so grain merchants in Blade Harbor selling grain to the Yangshan Archipelago counted as \"exporting.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Go import grain from other places; don't just limit yourself to Blade Harbor.\" He Lingchuan reminded Ding Zuodong, \"Otherwise, if interested parties find out how much grain we are buying, they can deduce how many people we have hired.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ding Zuodong's ledger was full of secrets that could not be told to outsiders.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There would be troops stationed on the Yangshan Archipelago in the future, so it would be bad if other forces figured out the number of people on the island.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I know. A few days ago, I just finished negotiating with several grain merchants from the Ya Kingdom in the east, letting them deliver grain directly to the archipelago so we don't have to go through Blade Harbor.\" Ding Zuodong nodded, \"But it is very difficult to drive the price down.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Lingchuan was indifferent: \"Whatever it costs, it costs; this is the time to expand our sources of goods, you don't need to be too stingy.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Money, after all, isn't it meant to be used no matter how much you save? \"Next year, when the island's grain is harvested, the pressure in this regard will be less.\" Several islands were suitable for farming and were now being urgently reclaimed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In addition, the expenses for other means of production also exceeded expectations, such as farm tools, cattle and livestock, and ships and timber.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Happy Mid-Autumn Festival!!!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Three banquets today, let's go!!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",2270,"2026-06-20T02:23:34.395Z",1,"Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite","ee2af39b724af2091659b56813adb8e14ce50a7c6e49a47b7d48f672f393a881","after-the-immortals-disappeared-chapter-959","after-the-immortals-disappeared-chapter-957",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fafter-the-immortals-disappeared-cover.jpg"]