Chapter 366: Fat Head, Big Ears

Gao Wanli did not yet know that the person who bullied her most had just entered Zhancheng from the south gate.

San Niang Hui would hire a caravan.

They would bring Wang Shen back from Shanhe County.

Wang Shen would take Xiao Mo with her.

Lin Wanmo declined a couple of times, then readily agreed.

After Xu Yuan left, the four men in the alley once again took the ancestral relics out of the box.

They also made contact with Xu Huanyang, who was still on the “Path of the Yellow Springs.”

Shen Daye was tasked with telling Xu Huanyang, in full detail, Xu Yuan’s current situation.

Xu Huanyang did not oppose Shen Daye’s arrangements.

Even if he grieved for his son, under these circumstances, he could not voice any objection.

San Niang Hui would grow obscenely rich, its caravan luxurious.

It had come all the way from Luocheng to transport everyone from Shanhe County to Zhancheng.

The price was one hundred and fifty taels of silver.

The caravan was also accompanied by guards, a cook, and others.

In the past, Lin Wanmo would never have ridden in such an expensive carriage.

Even if someone else paid, and she didn’t have to spend her own money, she still wouldn’t ride.

But now, Lin Wanmo’s mindset had adjusted.

She was not the kind of person who suffered needlessly.

When Xu Yuan first earned money, though he gave his stepmother several hundred taels at once,

she still lived frugally, hoarding every coin to save for her stepson’s future bride.

Now, with Xu Yuan’s achievements… her major life concerns were no longer worries.

And the silver he sent home kept increasing.

Lin Wanmo felt that her family’s life no longer needed to be as meager as before.

Moreover, Lin Wanmo had already discussed with Wang Shen: once they reached Zhancheng, San Niang Hui would collect all kinds of fabrics, and Lin Wanmo would craft new Hundred-Ailments Cabinets and Heart-Measuring Scales for them.

This was, in fact, the outcome of discussions Xu Yuan had held with Wang Shen and his stepmother during the New Year holidays.

Stepmother could not directly sell her own crafted items—that was the rule of Hejiang Alley.

Behind this rule lay Hejiang Alley’s secrets.

But if stepmother made something and gave it to Wang Shen, and Wang Shen was also a member of Hejiang Alley,

it was just as Xu Huanyang had done in the past.

Thus, stepmother could accept San Niang Hui’s offerings without guilt.

Xu Yuan intended to cultivate San Niang Hui to suppress Pingtian Hui and squeeze its living space.

The caravan delivered Wang Shen and Lin Wanmo to the Nan Cheng Patrol Office, where Fu Jingyu and Song Lu came out to greet them.

“Our Lord Xu has been promoted!”

All of San Niang Hui hurried to congratulate Ancestor Grandma.

Wang Shen smiled broadly, overjoyed.

I always said my Ah Yuan is a genius.

The caravan then took them to the Zhancheng Office.

The members of San Niang Hui took their leave first; on the way back to Huo De Ji Shi Tang, Master Fei ordered Miao Yan: “Nan Cheng is too far—we must acquire property near the Zhancheng Office so we can be closer to our Ancestor Grandma.”

Miao Yan replied without hesitation: “Rest assured, I’ve already planned it all.”

Miao Yan laid out his plan: San Niang Hui’s Zhancheng branch would open a new tavern, a pastry shop, a gold shop, and a silk shop near the Zhancheng Office.

These shops weren’t meant to make profit, but they would pay top silver to lure the best masters from the city.

From now on, offerings to the Ancestor Grandma—like daily meals—wouldn’t need to be bought outside; we’d produce them ourselves.

“You’re a filial lad—excellent, excellent!”

The veteran secretaries praised him in unison.

Miao Yan never imagined that years later, San Niang Hui’s series of “Zu Ji” shops, maintaining the highest standards, would become the city’s benchmark for upscale consumption.

And step by step, they expanded from Zhancheng across Jiaozhi, with branches even spreading throughout Zhengzhou!

They became San Niang Hui’s most profitable venture, surpassing its original core business of selling medicine with the Heart-Measuring Scales.

Lang Xiao Ba, guarding the yamen gate, rushed to greet Lin Wanmo and Wang Shen the moment he saw them.

He then dispatched a captain to quickly report to Lord Xu.

Xu Yuan stepped out and met Wang Shen and Lin Wanmo right outside Gao Wanli’s courtyard.

Everyone happened to see Gao Wanli leading her “servants” in chasing and cornering Da Fu.

Gao Wanli screamed hoarsely: “Catch this beast! I’m going to roast it…”

Da Fu was truly terrified.

This woman is already this fat—and she wants to eat me?

You should diet!

Da Fu scrambled wildly around the courtyard, flapping his wings and squawking loudly, calling for Fan Zhe to come save him.

When Wang Shen saw Da Fu being bullied, her eyebrows shot up in fury: “Stop!”

Gao Wanli ignored her completely.

Her subordinates, seeing only an old woman, paid no attention and continued chasing Da Fu.

Wang Shen was about to act when Lin Wanmo held her back: “Auntie, you can’t interfere.”

Lin Wanmo stared coldly at Gao Wanli.

The moment she saw this woman, Lin Wanmo felt an inexplicable, intense revulsion.

From soul to body, every part of her disliked this creature.

Xu Yuan reached out; the beast-tendon rope shot out, transforming into a vast net that settled over the courtyard, forming a “labyrinth.”

It blocked all pursuers, yet cleverly left one clear path open for Da Fu.

Da Fu flapped his large webbed feet, dashed in, and buried himself in Fan Zhe’s arms.

Now he no longer disliked Fan Zhe—he pressed his head insistently into Xu Yuan’s chest.

He beat his wings against his own breast, squawking loudly, as if to say: I was so scared…

Gao Wanli’s men were blocked, circled twice, and found no exit; one of them used his cultivation to leap into the air, trying to fly over the net.

But as they rose, the net rose with them.

One Wu Xiu, hot-tempered and full of pent-up rage from recent days, finally exploded—he drew his weapon and charged the net.

His weapon was an obscure one.

Two unusual curved blades, joined together to form a long, hooked scissor.

He believed his weapon perfectly countered the net, so he lunged and slashed at it.

But the expected result—the net being cut open—did not occur.

Instead, his scissors were entangled and wrapped layer upon layer by countless hair-thin, supple ropes emerging from the net!

The Wu Xiu yanked hard, but instead of freeing himself, he was pulled into the net, where more ropes surged forth and bound him completely!

He was like prey caught in a spider’s web, screaming and calling for his comrades to rescue him.

His companions were eager to help, darting everywhere trying to reach him—but they could not pass through.

Gao Wanli gritted her teeth and roared: “Xu Yuan! What are you doing?!”

Xu Yuan replied without mercy: “I was about to ask you the same—how dare so many of you bully my goose? This conduct is despicable. Gao Wanli, you’re a Sixth-Rank Artisan, from a prominent clan, Deputy Chief of Discipline at Zhancheng Office—don’t you find this beneath your dignity?”

Stepmother’s eyes slowly narrowed.

She immediately understood why she had felt such inexplicable loathing for this woman.

A New Artisan!

Gao Wanli, furious and wounded, pointed at the goose in Xu Yuan’s arms: “I’m bullying it?!”

(End of Chapter)