Chapter 118: Every Family Is Different (Begging for Monthly Tickets!)

Mu Shulan's sudden departure left the Zhao household steeped in gloom. After tidying up, He Cuihua went to bed early. Zhao Jin's pre-sleep strength training was cut by half compared to usual — not from emotional turmoil, but because the day had utterly exhausted him.

He had fought a desperate, bloody battle against outlaws and seen streets awash in blood, strewn with severed limbs and shredded flesh. Zhao Jin had thought he would suffer nightmares all night, but instead, every dream was of Mu Shulan — every little moment with the girl surfaced in his dreams.

The next morning, Zhao Jin did not sleep in, though his whole body ached with soreness and fatigue. Still, he did not slack off. He dressed and went out for his morning training.

Moving quietly, he slipped out of the house. The moment he opened the courtyard gate, he saw Wang Zhaojing and Chen Sheng both waiting in front, smiling. Seeing him come out, they greeted him: "We've been waiting for you a while."

Seeing the friends who had fought at his side lifted Zhao Jin's spirits considerably. He spoke to Wang Zhaojing first: "We got lucky this time. Those dozen or so outlaws turned out to be wanted brigands with bounties on their heads. Killing them isn't a crime — it's a merit. We're in the clear now."

"Rampant killers who commit murder in broad daylight like that must have committed serious crimes before, with records at the yamen," Wang Zhaojing added with a smile.

Anyone willing to think it through could reach that conclusion, and Wang Zhaojing had figured it out too.

Yesterday they had prepared for all manner of official inquiries; today, certain they were safe and sound, everyone felt lighthearted and cheerful. Their morning run, far from tiring them, felt more comfortable the longer they ran.

After morning training, they agreed to meet later at the street intersection in front of the gate, then the three parted ways.

Back home, He Cuihua was already up and busy. Zhao Jin returned and greeted her, able to see that his mother's mood had settled. In truth, He Cuihua understood in her heart that the chances of Mu Shulan staying with the Zhao family were slim. A situation like this, akin to a child bride, was only possible when the girl's family was destitute and had no one to rely on. Little Lan's background was deep, with too many entanglements — sooner or later, she would have to return to her own family.

Zhao Jin acted completely normal and even got scolded by He Cuihua for being hard-hearted. Of course, she had no idea that what worried Zhao Jin now was not this, but how He Cuihua would react once word of yesterday's killings got back to her.

No matter how little she went out, she was bound to learn the truth sooner or later. If his mother heard that he had killed so many outlaws, she would certainly be terrified and worried, and would inevitably scold and reproach him. Zhao Jin was fretting over how to handle it.

The weather had turned warm. Zhao Jin changed into a single-layer robe at home before leaving the house. He did not wait long before Wang Zhaojing and Chen Sheng arrived as well.

The reason they had agreed to meet at the intersection instead of heading to the freight yard as usual was that Zhao Jin still dared not let his guard down. He did not want himself or his companions caught alone. Traveling as a group of three, they could fend off a great deal of trouble.

But what Zhao Jin had not expected was that the Chen brothers would come together, and that behind Wang Zhaojing would follow a middle-aged man in a black cap and green robe, carrying a wooden chest in his hand. Chen Hong smiled and greeted Zhao Jin first, but the middle-aged man behind Wang Zhaojing said nothing.

Seeing the questioning looks from Zhao Jin and Chen Sheng, Wang Zhaojing explained with some embarrassment: "The provincial exam is approaching. My father is pressing me very hard on my studies, so he arranged for an attendant to follow me with a book chest."

So the wooden chest held books, brush, and ink. But Zhao Jin noticed that the attendant's knuckles were thick, and though his build looked lean, he appeared tough and capable, with a bulge at his waist. In all likelihood, this was no attendant but a bodyguard. It was understandable — after such a major incident yesterday, the Wang family was surely uneasy letting Wang Zhaojing go out alone. In fact, it was surprising they had let him out at all.

Zhao Jin and Chen Sheng exchanged a look. Wang Zhaojing gave an awkward smile, clearly aware that everyone understood what was going on.

"Uncle He, we brothers just want to chat. Just follow behind us," Wang Zhaojing specifically instructed. The man called Uncle He silently put some distance between them, though not too far.

"That fight of ours yesterday — not only is it no crime, it's a merit. All told, there should be about seven hundred taels of reward silver. My father said he discussed it with Uncle Zhao, and all seven hundred taels should go to the Grand Elder's side," Chen Sheng said as they walked.

It seemed the Chen family's situation was much like his own — they were already treating the child as an adult, discussing and informing him of matters before acting.

Chen Hong had apparently just heard about this. He froze, then cut in: "Brother Zhao, Big Brother, how can we hand that silver over?"

At these words, Chen Sheng's eyes immediately widened. He turned and scolded: "What do you know? With so many people dead, if we don't spend silver to smooth things over, someone is bound to make trouble. This is no place for you to speak..."

Scolded by his elder brother, Chen Hong ducked his head, then immediately argued back: "Big Brother, that's not what I meant. Brother Zhao's Xu'an Trading Company is hiring people, doing renovations, and providing meals and lodging. These past few days, silver has been flowing out like water. There can't be much left. This money would be just enough to fill the gap. Otherwise, we won't be able to do anything next."

Hearing this, Chen Sheng turned to Zhao Jin and said, "Zhao Jin, if silver is short, I'll go home and think of something."

Among Zhao Jin's current group, only Chen Sheng was still not used to calling him "Big Brother" or "Brother," but everyone found it normal. Wang Zhaojing, hearing this, also smiled and said, "Brother Zhao, I can come up with a little over a hundred taels on my side. I'll bring it over at noon."

Zhao Jin smiled and waved his hand, saying easily, "No need to worry about silver. Income will be coming in very soon."

His companions were all taken aback. Chen Hong scratched his head and asked, "Brother Zhao, what income do we have? The silver from Chen Ergou's side won't be arriving for a while yet, right?"

"You little brat, you really do think of yourself as the bookkeeper!" Chen Sheng laughed and cursed at his side.

Zhao Jin said as he walked, "We could demand it from Chen Ergou if we wanted, but we need to release water to raise fish. If we take too much at once, his business won't be able to keep running, and in the long run, we'll still lose out. But it won't take many days. Once he takes over Big Head Huang and Tuft Mao's business, his hands will be looser."

Everyone listened very carefully. Chen Hong had not gone to the freight yard yesterday and was not fully up to date on some of the new developments.

Listening to Zhao Jin's account, Chen Hong lowered his head and calculated, walking somewhat absentmindedly. Had Chen Sheng not grabbed him, he would have nearly tripped over a stone on the ground.

"Brother Zhao, it still might not be in time. Renovating the courtyard and the house both cost money. Even if we can get labor on credit, we can't get materials on credit. The silver we have left still won't last long," Chen Hong added urgently.

Zhao Jin had advanced a considerable amount of silver to the Shi and Ji families, and his plans for renovating the freight station were grand — knocking through courtyards, buying clothes for those household guards, furnishing beds and furniture, and so on. The money was indeed flying out fast and would not hold out for long.

"Don't worry, income is coming right away," Zhao Jin said with a reassuring smile.

Chen Hong was actually somewhat in awe of both Chen Sheng and Zhao Jin, but whenever it involved accounts and silver, he displayed a strangely stubborn nature. Hearing Zhao Jin's words, he pressed on: "Brother Zhao, what income?"

Chen Sheng, at his side, frowned, about to scold his younger brother for pestering, but Zhao Jin smiled and said, "Someone should be coming to deliver silver in the next few days."

"Why?"

"Because of what we did yesterday!" Zhao Jin's answer was vague, but his tone was brimming with confidence. Chen Heng paused, then did not press further.

Wang Zhaojing had been listening with a smile. When they finished, he asked Zhao Jin with a grin, "Brother Zhao trains in martial arts and studies books, and your ingenuity is boundless — how do you also know the way of business?"

"What way of business? Watch how others do business and haggle over prices, and you'll figure it out yourself," Zhao Jin answered with a laugh. He was indeed well-versed in commercial knowledge. Though the era was different, too many principles were the same at their core and could all be applied.

Hearing this answer, Wang Zhaojing shook his head and said, "My father has also led me to observe the people's livelihood, and I have studied the merchants' methods of calculation, but compared to Brother Zhao, I fall far short."

From Wang Zhaojing's tone, Zhao Jin could tell this was not an interrogation but curiosity. Patiently, he said, "You devote yourself single-mindedly to studying and martial arts every day. I'm a curious person and like to get to the bottom of things, so I know a bit more."

At these words, Wang Zhaojing smiled and nodded, tactfully refraining from asking further.

When they reached the freight yard west of the city, they found Sun Dalei and Dong Bingfeng already waiting at the entrance of the freight station. Sun Dalei wore a smile on his face; Dong Bingfeng's expression was indifferent. The two were chatting sporadically.

Several ox- and horse-drawn carts were parked in front of the gate. Those household guards were busy moving various materials. Zhao Jin noticed that besides the sixteen men from yesterday, there were some unfamiliar new faces — presumably those who had signed up yesterday afternoon.

Spotting Zhao Jin and the others from a distance, Sun Dalei shouted something toward the gate, then he and Dong Bingfeng quickly strode over to greet them.

The moment Chen Sheng saw Sun Dalei, his face darkened. Sun Dalei was far too calculating; several times when matters of life and death were at stake, he had refused to share the burden with everyone. This made Chen Sheng dislike him intensely, even though outsiders, seeing them, all thought they were on good terms, since both had large, burly builds.

Watching Sun Dalei approach with a face full of smiles, Chen Sheng was about to open his mouth and drive him away. Having spent so much time together, Zhao Jin knew what he was about to do. Before Chen Sheng could speak, Zhao Jin grabbed him and said, "We're all brothers here. No need to lose your temper."

"Who's brothers with him? A coward who shrinks back every time!" Chen Sheng answered furiously.

Zhao Jin smiled and lowered his voice: "When it's time to charge into battle and draw blood, he's still there with us. He's just afraid of taking responsibility. If he can fight at our side, he's a brother!"

By then, Sun Dalei had already reached them. Bowing and scraping with an ingratiating smile, he said, "Big Brother Zhao, Second Brother Chen, Third Brother Wang, you're all here so early."

At these words, even Chen Sheng couldn't help but laugh. "Who told you to go around assigning ranks? You've certainly gotten smooth with it yourself," he said, exasperated.

At his side, Dong Bingfeng hurriedly clasped his fists in salute, then spoke: "Yesterday I was too anxious and couldn't think of some things in time. Next time we run into something like this, all of you elder brothers can go take shelter at my family's estate outside the city. The prefectural office has no authority there."