Chapter 119

"The world has always misunderstood us."

The drunken Eunuch Zhang, his face flushed red, held a wine cup and shook his head as he complained, "They all say we're greedy for money."

He raised his hand and pulled the woman pouring wine beside him into his embrace, laughing heartily.

"In truth, we don't just crave money; we also lust after beauty~~~"

Without a doubt, this counts as an industry insider exposing themselves.

And a senior industry insider at that.

Come to think of it, it makes sense.

They merely lost their tools; they didn't turn into second-rate stools.

Correspondingly, after losing their tools, they became even more worked up and irritable.

Lin Dao picked up his wine cup, and a thought stirred in his heart.

He called the Madam over. "From today on, all of Eunuch Zhang's expenses here go on my tab."

"Don't worry about spending silver; whatever the bill comes to, I'll honor it."

Of course she honored it; anyway, when your backer Xin Cheng Bo's manor gets raided, I'll take it all back with interest.

"Young Master Lin."

The Madam agreed at once, then followed with one part complaint and nine parts jest. "You took my good daughter away, and who knows if she's faring well or ill now."

"These matters." Lin Dao calmed his breath and glanced at her. "Don't bring them up again."

"Right, right, right." The Madam caught the drift and repeatedly patted her own mouth. "It was all my loose talk; this mouth of mine deserves a beating."

She finally escaped the sea of suffering—she couldn't be happier—why bring it up again and again!

"Young Master Lin." The Madam hurriedly got down to business. "Shizi has already returned Dong Shi's contract of servitude."

She didn't dare mention the daughter again. "Shizi asked me to pass a message to you."

"He wants to invite you to the Bo manor for a banquet."

"Forget the banquet; I've been rather busy lately." Lin Dao's heart stirred. "I understand his meaning."

"Pass word back: consignment is out of the question. But as long as the money and goods are in place, however much he wants to buy, I'll give him priority supply."

Ju Bao Lou's business was getting better and better.

Now the bulk of the business no longer came from customers buying in the shop.

Instead, it came from major merchants across Jiangnan, desperately doing wholesale and then exporting far and wide.

There were even rumors that Ju Bao Lou's goods had appeared in Lingnan and Liaodong, winning high praise.

Without a doubt, the number of people eyeing his business with envy was also growing.

Those demanding a lion's share wanted to directly monopolize the distribution rights.

Give them all the goods at a low price, and they mark them up and resell.

It was only because Lin Dao had secured the Garrison Eunuch's connection and had the Garrison Eunuch backing him.

Otherwise, relying on Qian Qianyi and Ruan Dacheng's face alone, he wouldn't have held out this long.

The meritorious nobles and local gentry of the late Ming—they truly eat people and don't spit out the bones.

Want to make it big without background or connections?

Go home and dream on!

On the road back to Ju Bao Lou, Lin Dao sat in the horse cart with his eyes closed, patting his thigh.

"Need to speed up the training."

"These bone-gnawing, marrow-sucking powerful nobles probably can't hold back much longer."

"How did that saying go online? Eat the Marshal's food, wear the Marshal's clothes, take the Marshal's pay."

Inside and out, Ju Bao Lou was hung with glass lamps.

Even in the bustling Jinling City, it formed a unique scenic line.

Crowds of idle people surrounded it on all sides, lively watching the rare bright scenery under the night curtain.

As the proprietor, Lin Dao naturally walked through the main gate.

The moment he got down from the carriage, he saw the area outside the main gate ringed with people.

Not gawking commoners, but burly men with slanted brows and dangling eyes, clothes open at the chest.

Every one of them wore a fierce expression, and at their waists hung various knives, axes, and iron chains; they clustered in scattered groups.

The commoners dared not approach, all wearing looks of fear.

Lin Dao frowned first, then smoothed his brow.

His gaze swept over these people feigning ferocity, and he strode into the shop.

Seeing him return, Tian Wen let out a long breath of relief.

He hurried forward. "Proprietor, you've finally returned."

Lin Dao glanced at him and said nothing.

"The leaders of the city's several major gangs have all come today, saying they want to buy into our business."

"Right now they're all waiting in the rear hall."

Lin Dao raised a hand and rubbed his brow.

Vexed.

He busied himself day in and day out with great affairs of state and nation, yet still had to worry over these lowlifes coming to stir up trouble.

These city foxes and temple rats—bullying commoners, every one of them an expert; they're veritable fiends.

But in front of the Beggar Marshal, what are they? Not even a fart.

If this were Yonghe Spacetime, if they were lucky enough to catch even a distant glimpse of Liu Hu, it would be their ancestors burning high incense.

"East House."

Tian Wen's words were panicked. "Still, quickly send a xunzhang to Ying Tian Fu, find some yamen runners to come~"

Lin Dao didn't pay him any mind, striding straight toward the rear hall.

Six people in the hall, sitting in two rows drinking tea.

The younger ones, faces full of ferocity, legs crossed and feet propped on chairs, as if they couldn't wait for everyone to see their ruthlessness.

The older ones, on the other hand, carried a hint of smiles, narrowing their eyes as they drank tea.

Seeing Lin Dao enter, each person made a move.

Some drummed up their imposing aura, others grinned wide, revealing smiles.

But Lin Dao didn't give a damn about any of them.

His gaze swept over the crowd, and he spoke directly. "Xiajiekou here, whose territory is it?"

A burly man with bared chest and belly, a fierce tiger head tattooed on his chest, stood up. "Shopkeeper Lin, I am the Heishanhu Chief, Xia Shanhu."

"You lot." Lin Dao raised his hand, pointing at the remaining five. "Whoever can wipe out the Heishanhu, I'll reward ten thousand taels."

The hall instantly fell dead silent.

They had come by agreement to pick up a bargain, but this Shopkeeper Lin, he didn't play by common sense.

"Think it's too little?"

Lin Dao's brows furrowed slightly. "Then twenty thousand taels!"

In Yonghe Spacetime, when things happen, they just send the Qihuo Army to crush them.

Here in Chongzhen Spacetime, the newly trained troops aren't up to snuff yet, so just smash them with silver.

Backed by a Cthulhu that produces ten thousand tons of silver per year, Lin Dao, in this world, is a true tycoon.

"You!"

That Xia Shanhu flew into a great rage. "You're seeking death!"

Lin Dao didn't give a damn. "Right now, whoever can slaughter him, five thousand taels reward money, paid immediately."

This bunch are all desperadoes who lick blood off knife edges, what they seek is wealth and honor.

If anyone else said this, they wouldn't believe it.

That's five thousand taels, not five thousand wen!

But this Shopkeeper Lin before them, he's famous for being generous, his word is his bond.

A group of artisan households building a shop for him could all get five thousand taels reward money, this matter had long spread throughout Jinling City.

That's five thousand taels!

Reputation-wise, absolutely guaranteed.

Xia Shanhu was shocked and furious, instinctively wanting to step forward and seize Lin Dao.

But his rival had long since charged up, kicking him sprawling to the ground with one foot.

The remaining few gang bosses swarmed forward to besiege him; in no time at all, this Xia Shanhu became a dead tiger.

"Tian Wen."

Lin Dao called the shopkeeper. "Pay them five thousand taels."

Raising his hand to point at that dead tiger. "Take this with you, all of you scram!"

A half-hundred-year-old man saluted respectfully. "Shopkeeper Lin, the twenty thousand tael reward you mentioned before, does it still count?"

Lin Dao finally looked at him properly. "You're not afraid of their masters behind them?"

That old man saluted respectfully. "Us lower-nine-stream types, there are as many as you want."

"Today the Heishanhu is gone, tomorrow there'll be a White Tiger Society, a Red Tiger Society."

"The masters casually throw some bones, and we'll all scramble to gnaw them."

Just black gloves.

As many as you want, who would stick their neck out for black gloves.

Lin Dao looked at him with interest. "Today's matter, who drummed it up?"

That old man's face showed a hesitant look.

Lin Dao turned his head to look at Tian Wen. "Reward him an extra thousand taels."

The old man immediately spoke. "The Heishanhu, mostly does work for the Xin Cheng Bo Fu."

Lin Dao turned and waved his hand.

The crowd hurriedly saluted, each departing.

Encountering this kind of thing, personally charging in to kill in all directions or whatever, that's wuxia xuanhuan novel tactics.

Here with Lin Dao, usually it's using the army.

Before the army forms combat power, then use silver to smash.

His greatest advantage in this spacetime is that he has more than enough silver.

Whether bandits, imperial court, emperor, sea merchants, Guan Ning Army, wild boar skins, added together they still don't have as much silver as him.

"They all say the Ming Army isn't paid in full, full pay cannot be defeated. Where is there full pay, Guan Wai Huangtai is the extreme."

Lin Dao glanced at the bloodstains left when Xia Shanhu was dragged away. "Here it's not just full pay, there's extra rewards."

"Use silver to smash you to death!"

The Xin Cheng Bo Fu matter, Lin Dao isn't in a rush.

Wait until the day troop training ends, that's the day to send their whole family on their way.

Completely no need to rush.

"Ranks neat, military discipline strict!"

On the open ground of the Imperial Villa, Lin Dao, holding an electric baton, walked among a group of selected seed officers.

"Stand steady, stand firm!"

"Orders must be obeyed, deserters will be killed!"

"These are the things you must do!"

"As for how exactly to train the soldiers, Qi Shaobao's 'Record of Actual Military Training' has already written it clearly, just follow it!"

"Remember this!" Lin Dao waved the electric baton, tapping the unsteady legs. "You are all still only Wuzhang, Qianhu."

"Among you, those who are outstanding and exceptional will be promoted to Qi Guan, Bai Zong, Fu Bai Zong, even promoted to Ba Zong, Fu Ba Zong!"

"Then you will receive more grain, more pay!"

Calming his breath, Lin Dao's voice grew louder. "What constitutes outstanding and exceptional?"

"First, you must be literate, know arithmetic!"

"Second, care for your comrades in the same Wu, your comrades in the same Shi!"

"Furthermore, perform excellently during this unit's training!"

Turning around, he walked out of the formation and arrived at the wooden platform.

Lin Dao's gaze swept over the crowd, raising the trumpet in his hand. "I give you pay! Full pay!"

"Look carefully, in all the Great Ming, besides me, who else would give full pay?"

"It is I who let you eat your fill! Three days and you can eat a meal of meat!"

"With opportunity, you must seize it well!"

"Otherwise~~~"

Lin Dao reached out, pointing at the dark mass of people to the side. "They are all waiting to take your place!"

The refugees' training gradually got on track.

First, a batch of people with some foundation were selected.

People with good physical condition, basic literacy, slight knowledge of martial arts, and a certain degree of organizational ability.

Lin Dao took the lead in distributing military pay to them, while also raising their food standard.

Not only could they support themselves and their families, even their living conditions greatly improved, and they had better future prospects.

Whether it was buying a horse's bone with a thousand gold, or setting up wood as a pledge of trust.

These people received better treatment, had better prospects, and it also caused the atmosphere of the entire refugee group to change accordingly.

The most significant change was that the male members selected into military households began to actively attend night school in the evenings.

The rule at Lin Jiaolian's place: if you are not literate and don't know arithmetic, you can only be a rank-and-file soldier for life.

For learning, no amount of supervision or persuasion is of any use.

Only when they truly realize that through learning they can gain better benefits can they truly put their heart into it.

Calming his breath.

Lin Dao shouted loudly, the ending phrase that must conclude every speech.

"You all!"

"Whose rice do you eat? Whose clothes do you wear? Whose pay do you take?"

The dark mass of military units erupted in a thunderous shout.

"Eat Jiao Lian's rice! Wear Jiao Lian's clothes! Take Jiao Lian's pay!"

(End of Chapter)