Chapter 213: Wealthy and Bold

Not far from the thatched cottage, there was a cellar hidden by weeds.

It stored large quantities of alcohol, white rice, and white flour, as well as a small amount of vegetables; this should be the place where the blind man and others kept their living supplies.

They couldn't often go down the mountain, so stockpiling supplies was necessary.

These people spend money recklessly when they have it, but their lives are actually quite prosperous, eating only good things.

The price of white rice and white flour has now almost shot up to the sky in Yunan City, making even the wealthy shake their heads.

"Move it, and withdraw immediately after finishing!" Chen Wuji ordered the crowd.

Some people had resolved tonight to be a mute who would choke to death on chrysanthemums, and this command naturally fell to Chen Wuji.

The clansmen were also clear about this.

Tonight is not only to let Chen Wuji see their strength, but also to let everyone see Chen Wuji's abilities.

Bag after bag of food and jar after jar of alcohol were hauled out of the cellar in a relay.

Immediately, those carrying alcohol carried alcohol, those shouldering food shouldered food; a group of people swiftly retreated, disappearing into the vast moonlight of Que Wei Shan.

Yang Yu stood before the thatched cottage, half-bent, sneeringly watching Chen Wuji and the others until they had completely gone away, then he descended the mountain while beating his leg, saying, "This brat is a handful—looks like the world really is going to chaos; when such a figure pops up, damn it, could it be a good thing?"

……

Chen Wuji and the others all the way avoided villages, took mountain trails, and returned to Xishan Village just as dawn was about to break.

Regarding these few spoils of war, Chen Wuji originally had no intention of taking charge.

He was unfamiliar with this procedure and didn't know how Chen Bushi and the others usually did it.

As a result, Chen Bushi and Chen Luozi continued to choke on chrysanthemums to the point of death, yet remained silent.

Chen Wuji said helplessly, "You already have experience with this; just keep doing it as before. Why force me to break a well‑established practice and make a mistake?"

"You speak first; after you finish we'll discuss." Chen Bushi said.

Chen Wuji: ……

After looking around at the surrounding clansmen, he said speechlessly, "Everyone just carries their share back home—that's the decision."

"Isn't that too hasty?" Chen Bushi asked in surprise.

Chen Wuji chuckled lightly, "What else could we do?"

"Go back and drink the alcohol whenever you want, close the door and eat a few good meals of the white rice and flour—just don't let anyone know. Look at how high the price of white rice and white flour has risen in the city; if we eat them openly, we'll inevitably arouse suspicion, so hide them and tell your family not to show off. If you really can't keep your mouth shut, then hide them first and don't eat them for now."

"If I'm to decide, that's how I'll decide—how do you normally handle it?"

Then Chen Bushi said, "Each person gets a share, and the rest goes into storage."

"In the mountains?"

"Mm."

Chen Wuji thought for a moment, "Let it go this time; white rice and flour won't keep, so let everyone improve a few meals. Tomorrow I'll take some silver, wait for grain prices to drop a bit, then buy some storable millet and barley— a thousand taels' worth of millet should be enough to feed us for a year or two."

Chen Bushi's eyes widened, "You want to take a thousand taels to buy grain? Are you done living? You brat, you've already earned this much lately?"

Chen Bushi asked three questions in astonishment.

Chen Wuji's actions were as clear to him as a mirror; basically he understood everything.

In fact, he had also silently calculated how much silver Chen Wuji had earned recently.

But his calculation showed that, at most, it was only about five or six hundred taels.

Who would have thought this brat would now raise his hand and produce a thousand taels?

Being able to produce that much, he surely has some extra left over.

Chen Bushi calculated carefully, but what he didn't know was that Chen Wuji had recently gained a lot of unexpected wealth.

Just the Emperor's reward alone amounted to a full thousand taels.

Chen Wuji's net worth, not counting the profits from the iron pot, is already around twenty‑six hundred taels; otherwise, how could he dare be so rich and bold?

"Don't worry, I won't empty out the family's savings; I just want everyone to live better, not starve myself." Chen Wuji gave a light smile, "San Shu, I can only say you seem a bit inadequate—you've made such a big fuss, yet even a thousand‑tael family fortune hasn't been depleted."

Chen Bushi's face darkened, "Get out of my way!"

He had just wanted to praise him a couple of times, but now he'd rather give Chen Wuji two slashes.

This brat, he's infuriating!

Chen Wuji waved his hand with a smile, "Alright, that's settled—you handle the rest, I'm heading home."

He didn't take much, just shouldering a bag of white flour and holding a jar of alcohol.

Coincidentally, the white flour at home had just run out; with this bag, they could probably have sugared baked buns for a while. Huo Sanniang said it was too extravagant, but the three of them still loved that kind of bun immensely.

For someone like Chen Wuji, who has an extremely spoiled palate in modern society, that bun sometimes evokes nostalgia; in the Dayu Dynasty, it's an absolute dimensionality‑crushing blow.

In the future, when the tavern opens, this bun could perhaps serve as a mainstay.

Huo Sanniang and the others had just gotten up and were washing up by the well platform.

Seeing Chen Wuji suddenly enter the door, the three women were all startled.

"Wuji, why are you back so early today?" Huo Sanniang asked in surprise, her eyes full of a little worry as she looked him up and down twice; only after confirming he was uninjured did her gaze soften.

"I came back after finishing the business." Chen Wuji said, walking into the kitchen and setting down the flour and alcohol he'd brought, "Hong Dou, come over here."

Xue Hongdou was a bit dazed, her steps slow and lethargic as she walked over.

Shen Youwei quickly tied her hair up and shouted excitedly, "Hong Dou, your husband wants to set up a little stove for you—hurry, pick up the pace!"

"Acting crazy again first thing in the morning." Huo Sanniang snapped irritably.

Shen Youwei laughed hehehe, catching up to Xue Hongdou while shouting, "Sister, your husband must have gotten some stimulus last night and can't wait to practice on you, Hong Dou."

"For this sort of thing, Wuji should have looked for you first—why look for Hong Dou?" Huo Sanniang teased.

Shen Youwei's mouth corner twitched, "Maybe your husband thinks you're too open…"

Xue Hongdou heard Shen Youwei's teasing words, walked into the kitchen, gently closed the door, and was about to take off her skirt.

Seeing that suddenly exposed snow‑white skin, Chen Wuji hurriedly stopped her, "What are you doing? If I want to talk to you about something, why would I call you to the kitchen for that kind of thing?"

Oh……

"Your matter is settled; from now on there's nothing to worry about. If you keep giving me this life-or-death act—'the only solution is death to relieve a thousand sorrows'—I'll see how I deal with you. Did you hear?" Chen Wuji threatened.

Xue Hongdou suddenly lifted her head, "Settled? Really settled?"

"Bringing the head trophy back might scare you, but there's no need to deceive you." Chen Wuji said.

"Thank you, master, for granting this; I'll behave from now on." Xue Hongdou's lips curled with a smile; although she tried hard to control it, her joy could not be hidden.