Volume One, Chapter 34: The Business Expands

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Fan Xiu chatted with Assistant Magistrate Wang for a while longer before Magistrate Liu returned.

“Your student pays his respects to his teacher,” Fan Xiu said courteously.

“Ha ha.” Liu Zhengjun smiled. “You are too modest, Provincial Graduate Fan. You and Liu Wenyen passed the provincial examination together—that is a glory for our Zhiyuan County! Not a single successful candidate came from neighboring Linshan County this year. This proves that Zhiyuan County is flourishing in scholarship!”

“It is all thanks to your excellent leadership, Magistrate,” Fan Xiu said, cupping his hands and flattering him.

Whatever the circumstances, it was never wrong to flatter one’s superior first.

Hearing this, Liu Zhengjun threw back his head and laughed.

“That also depends on your own talent!”

Liu Zhengjun patted Fan Xiu on the shoulder. “It is just a pity that you intend to abandon your studies for commerce. You truly cannot think things through. I was even considering pulling some strings to have you appointed an expectant county magistrate.”

Fan Xiu cupped his hands.

An expectant county magistrate.

Although the title included the words “county magistrate,” such a position carried no real authority. It did not even come with a salary; the holder merely assisted the actual magistrate with official business.

Moreover, most expectant county magistrates remained expectant county magistrates until the day they died.

Seeing Fan Xiu remain silent, Liu Zhengjun sighed. “I have heard about your troubles. The Four Seas Money House is indeed hateful. You borrowed twenty taels of silver, yet the debt grew to two hundred. But behind the Four Seas Money House stands the Xie Family of Pengcheng. Even I have no way to deal with them.”

“Your student understands.”

Fan Xiu cupped his hands. “That is why I did not come to trouble you, Teacher. As for the debt, I will certainly repay every last coin.”

Although he had not known that the Xie Family stood behind the Four Seas Money House, he knew that its backing was complicated.

Liu Zhengjun might be the county magistrate, but before the Xie Family of Pengcheng, he was utterly insignificant. The Xie Family were honored guests of the prefect of Pengcheng. A single word from them to the prefect would be enough to make Liu Zhengjun suffer terribly.

Liu Zhengjun exchanged a few more polite remarks with Fan Xiu.

As they were about to part, Fan Xiu said, “Teacher, I would like to host a banquet for you at the Flavor Pavilion. Would you be willing to honor me with your presence?”

“Very well. But I have arrangements today. Let us do it in a few days. I will notify Liu Wenyen as well, and you should invite your own mentor.”

“Thank you, Teacher.”

Fan Xiu cupped his hands.

The purpose of his visit had been to personally host a banquet for Liu Zhengjun.

He also intended to borrow the prestige of the magistrate’s name as a shield.

With Liu Zhengjun behind him, his business in Zhiyuan County would proceed much more smoothly.

After leaving the county office, Fan Xiu went straight back to Qinglin Village.

Fan Yuan and the others had already finished making the cold rice noodles.

The process required little technical skill. As for the tea-braised eggs, they were even simpler: all they had to do was boil the eggs and toss them into the tea broth.

The tea broth could be reused as well.

His second uncle, Fan Shouyan, and his family had also arrived.

Fan Xiu’s little female donkey had been a gift from his second uncle.

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Like his elder brother, Fan Shoucheng, Fan Shouyan was honest and dutiful. His wife, however, and Fan Xiu’s two young cousins were both exceptionally lively.

His younger son, Fan Tie, was especially energetic, with a broad, innocent face.

With their help, the cold rice noodles were being produced even more efficiently.

“Brother Xiu!”

The moment Fan Tie saw Fan Xiu return, he rushed over. His head was covered in sweat, but his face was filled with barely concealed excitement.

“The cold rice noodles are ready. Just as you instructed, we made a full two hundred portions today,” Fan Tie said happily as he wiped away his sweat.

Times had been difficult.

Previously, the family of four had earned less than one tael of silver a month, and that was after working themselves to the bone.

The night before, Fan Yuan had approached them and offered each of them two taels of silver a month to help make cold rice noodles.

The four of them would earn eight taels altogether.

At first, they had hardly dared believe it.

Only after Fan Shoucheng personally promised them the same thing did they finally accept it. Then the entire family had hurried over to help.

To keep the two little rascals from disobeying Fan Xiu’s instructions, Fan Shouyan had given them both a beating at home before bringing them along.

After all, two taels of silver a month was more than even a constable at the county office earned!

Naturally, Fan Xiu had also set down two requirements.

First, everything had to be kept clean and sanitary.

Second, they were absolutely forbidden to reveal the method of making cold rice noodles to outsiders.

That was also why Fan Xiu had not dared hire outsiders.

The method was extremely simple. Anyone who had seen it done once could reproduce it on their own.

But his second uncle’s family were honest and upright people. They would not play tricks.

“Very good.”

Fan Xiu smiled. “You have worked hard.”

Fan Tie grinned. “It was no trouble. My father said that if I worked hard alongside Brother Xiu, he would find me a new wife next year!”

“Ha ha!”

Fan Xiu burst out laughing. “Very well. When the time comes, I will give you a huge wedding gift.”

Just then, Li Chuntao came over with both hands on her hips.

“Fan Xiu, we have already used nearly half of the ingredients you bought. And there are not enough pots for steaming the cold rice noodles! The pots in our house have not stopped working for a moment. At most, we can make two hundred portions. We cannot produce any more than that.”

Fan Shoucheng said, “Why don’t we set up a few more pots in the courtyard?”

“No need. I will go speak with Village Chief Zhao. You load the cold rice noodles onto the cart. I will take them to the city later.”

Business would only improve over the next few days.

If they could not keep up with demand, the losses would be enormous. They had to obtain more pots immediately.

Building hearths would take time.

More importantly, cold rice noodles were not a business that would last forever. Fan Xiu felt that within two or three months at most, other people would begin selling them as well.

He had never intended to remain in the trade for long. That was why he did not plan to build new hearths. He intended to borrow pots instead.

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Before long, Fan Xiu arrived at Village Chief Zhao’s home.

The villagers knew nothing about his cold rice noodle business—not even Village Chief Zhao.

When Fan Xiu reached the house, however, he could not find the village chief.

“Brother Fan Xiu, are you looking for Grandpa Zhao?” A child from the neighboring house tilted his head. “Grandpa Zhao went to the ancestral shrine. I heard it was about letting you enter the shrine.”

“What?”

Fan Xiu froze.

Enter the ancestral shrine?

Qinglin Village was not a clan village, but it still had an ancestral shrine.

However, the shrine did not belong to every villager. Qinglin Village had originally been dominated by two great surnames, Zhao and Lin, with the Lin family being especially prominent.

The shrine enshrined the ancestors of the Lin and Zhao families, along with certain officials and people who had made great contributions to Qinglin Village.

The other villagers had no right to enter.

And now Village Chief Zhao actually wanted to place Fan Xiu’s name in the ancestral shrine?

He was indeed a successful provincial examination candidate, but he had already abandoned scholarship for commerce. The villagers of the Lin family would surely never agree.

Sure enough, when Fan Xiu reached the ancestral shrine, a crowd had gathered outside. Heated arguments were raging within.

He could hear Village Chief Zhao trying to calm everyone, along with the angry voices of the others.

“Provincial Graduate Fan is here!”

Someone shouted.

Everyone surrounding the shrine immediately turned to look at him, and the people inside also fell silent.

A moment later, Village Chief Zhao came out.

Several men with hostile expressions followed behind him.

“Provincial Graduate Fan, you have arrived,” Village Chief Zhao said with a smile.

Fan Xiu cupped his hands. “Uncle Zhao.”

At that moment, a man in his forties standing behind the village chief said coldly, “It is useless even if you have come. Do not even think about entering the ancestral shrine of Qinglin!”

Fan Xiu remembered the man.

His name was Lin Tianlei, a representative of the Lin clan.

“Why are you so impossible to reason with?” Village Chief Zhao said sternly. “Letting him into our ancestral shrine would be an honor for the shrine. Does anyone in our entire shrine bear the title of successful provincial examination candidate?”