Chapter 10

"Are you hurt? Where did you get injured in Yiliang this time? Did you take care of the one who did it?"

Joy had already clouded Yang Shiqin's mind. Among his three sons, only the youngest had been by his side the longest, causing him constant worry. Yang's third son had become his Achilles' heel. When Ding Baojun went to Yiliang and lost contact, this man, known as the Ten Thousand Households of Yunnan, almost turned into a living Yama. He had gathered all the knife-wielders from the Yang family in Kunming and was about to set out when he received the good news that his third son had come to his senses.

"No major issues!"

Yang Meng rubbed his almost crushed hand, marveling at his adoptive father's strength.

"Baojun, starting tomorrow, set up a ten-mile long street banquet outside Kunming city. It should last a month. Have the horse caravans from all regions return and bring some exotic items to celebrate our Third Master coming to his senses."

In Yang Shiqin's words, his third son had become Third Master. One could only imagine how elated he was. From his tone, it seemed he no longer planned to do business, considering how much trouble the old Yang Meng had been!

"Father, let's skip it. It's too showy and will invite jealousy. I think the master wouldn't want to see that either. Let's just celebrate at home."

A ten-mile long street banquet for a month would be a huge expense. Moreover, people fear fame as pigs fear growth; such a display might make others envious!

"Alright! I'll listen to you. Each brother who came today gets one hundred silver dollars, and the others get fifty, the same for those outside."

Since Yang Shiqin had spoken, he had to make a show of it. Even the word "father" from his son was worth this much.

Yang Meng was speechless. The Yang family must be doing a huge business. Although he didn't know what silver dollars were, the expressions on the knife-wielders' faces indicated a significant amount. It seemed he would have the basic funds for his plans.

"Father, I also brought back a few people. Please arrange for them."

The two beauties, one big and one small, were still there. Since he brought them back, they needed to be settled.

"Don't worry about that. Baojun always handles things well. Come with me, let me see your injuries."

Upon hearing that his third son was injured in Yiliang, Yang Shiqin immediately became anxious and was ready to go to Yiliang himself. If not for Ding Baojun's strong opposition, the situation in Yiliang would have been different today.

The Yang family's masters and young masters returned to the inner hall of Wu Zhuang. The knife-wielders in the courtyard dispersed quickly under Ding Baojun's command. Cen Yuying, Ma Qinghu, and the beauty were settled in Wu Zhuang. After these matters were handled, the sky was already turning light.

Inside the main hall of Wu Zhuang, Yang Shiqin kept touching Yang Meng, afraid that his son might have internal injuries. After a thorough examination, this man, who was renowned in Yunnan, finally sat down next to Yang Meng, tears in his eyes.

Yang Meng felt both moved and awkward. He was moved by Yang Shiqin's deep affection for his son, but the closeness of two grown men made him feel uncomfortable.

Yang Shiqin didn't speak, just quietly looking at his third son. For sixteen years, no matter how many doctors or masters they consulted, nothing helped. He never thought an accident would make his son come to his senses. It was fate!

This timing was perfect. The third son was also ready to get married. Initially, he was so dazed that Yang Shiqin feared his new wife would be beaten to death, so the matter was delayed for a couple of years. Now, he was at the age to have grandchildren. Although the eldest son had a few, Yang Shiqin always felt something was missing, and now he realized it was the third son. After sixteen years, he finally had a complete family.

"Father, stop looking at me like that, it's creepy."

After a long time, Yang Meng couldn't bear it anymore. This scene reminded him of being interrogated; if he didn't say something, this middle-aged man might keep staring.

"Alright! I won't look, I won't look. Just talk, I love to listen!"

Yang Shiqin moved his chair, but it remained tightly next to Yang Meng. The sixteen years of sorrow were gone, and Yang Shiqin was in high spirits. Whatever the third son said made him feel as if he had taken an elixir, incredibly comfortable.

"Let's talk about our family business. On the way, Uncle Ding mentioned some things. He said you know the most about it, so tell me about the business."

This was the channel for his future business. He needed to understand it to know what kind of goods to deal with.

"Business is about buying low and selling high, finding buyers. Yunnan is a good place with many things to trade and many merchants who want them. The difficult part is the trade routes. Once a route is established, wealth flows in. Our family's business is the trade routes."

When talking about his rise to wealth, Yang Shiqin seemed distracted, finishing with just a few words.

"What trade routes do we have, Father? I love to hear about this."

One sentence from the third son made Yang Shiqin smile. He stroked his long beard and became interested.

"Initially, we inherited your grandfather's business. He was a tea merchant, supplying tuo tea to the horse caravans in Yunnan. The caravans transported the good tea to Sichuan and the inferior tea to the Tibetan border, providing enough for the family. When I came to Yunnan, I brought a group of brothers, and making tea and selling it was not enough.

To increase income, and knowing the roads between Sichuan and Yunnan, I started my own horse caravan. Initially, it was managed by your uncles, but as the business grew, I hired local knife-wielders from Yunnan, who were more convenient to use. A few of my own people were enough to manage it.

Your uncles then explored the routes to the Tibetan border, where the demand for tuo tea was high. Most of the tea in the Tibetan region comes from us, and we control a large part of this route.

Later, we expanded to Vietnam and Guangdong, which were your eldest brother's achievements. I didn't get involved much.

With the trade routes established and wealth accumulated, I started buying tea mountains in Yunnan. Over time, the profits grew.

Why are you asking about this? The trade routes are tough, and your eldest brother is already handling it. You just focus on what you want to do; the family's wealth is enough for you."

Yang Meng sensed that his third son might want to venture out. Thinking of this, Yang Shiqin didn't want to continue.

Yang Shiqin spoke lightly, but Yang Meng understood the complexity. These trade routes were likely not entirely legal, and any business involving armed escorts would have significant disputes.

"Does our family only deal with tea?"

From what Uncle Ding said, this old man seemed to be against opium. He didn't want to start a business that would anger the old man, especially given his strength.

"Besides opium, we deal with anything profitable. Third son, remember, never touch opium; it's a harmful thing!"

Indeed, Yang Shiqin was against opium. It seemed he would have to plan his business in secret. Mentioning it now might anger the old man and lead to suspicion.

"On the way back, I saw many opium plants in Yiliang. Is it widely grown in Yunnan?"

He had many plans, but he needed the raw materials. Since the old man forbade it, he would have to find a way himself.

"That damn Zhou Dasheng. Half of Yiliang's good land is his. The income from his land is enough for him, yet he still engages in these despicable businesses. He truly deserves to be killed!"

Hearing about the opium fields in Yiliang, Yang Shiqin was furious. Without these opium growers, Yunnan wouldn't have so many opium addicts. Since the opium was brought to the Qing by foreigners, hundreds of Yang family's knife-wielders had been dismissed, all due to opium.

"Zhou Dasheng?"

Yang Meng was interested. He needed a plantation, and he wondered if Zhou Dasheng could meet his needs.

"Yes, that Zhou Dasheng. This old bastard started uncleanly. During the rebellion in western Yunnan, he was a leader in the Qing army. After suppressing the rebellion, he started buying land in Yiliang and engaged in despicable businesses. In recent years, he has also been involved in human trafficking. If not for his official background, I would have killed him long ago."

This old man seemed decent, opposing opium and hating human traffickers. Speaking of human trafficking, Zhou Dasheng seemed to have a connection with his plans. He wondered if Zhou Dasheng was involved in the Yiliang incident, which would be perfect.

"Father, I was hit on the head in Yiliang because of human traffickers. Could it have been this Zhou Dasheng?"

The matter of the head injury was settled, but Yang Meng wanted to gauge his father's attitude.

"Zhou Dasheng? Even if he had the nerve, he wouldn't dare to do it to you. I didn't kill him to maintain the face of the Yunnan gentry. Most of the human traffickers in Yiliang are from the Zhou family. This time, I'll take care of it for you."

Hearing that his son's injury was related to Zhou Dasheng, Yang Shiqin lost his calm, becoming more like a mountain bandit or a living Yama.

"No need. I'll handle it myself. Once I recover, I'll meet Zhou Dasheng and kill him. Will it cause trouble for you, Father?"

If the old man agreed, his business would be settled. He didn't want to do it himself.

"Just a washed-up official. If you do it secretly, no one will dare to challenge you."

With this assurance, Yang Meng felt more confident. Killing was easy, but taking over the land was hard. He decided to listen to his father's advice.

"Isn't it a waste to let his thousands of acres of good land go to waste?"

"What do you need the land for? It doesn't produce much and requires a lot of effort. Our family's land in Yiliang is only for our own food supply. If you want land, I'll get you a large estate in Kunming tomorrow."

This was the tone of a wealthy merchant. Although Yang Shiqin had numerous properties, most were tea mountains in Yunnan. Money could buy food anywhere.

"Since it's good land, using it to train knife-wielders would be beneficial. It would be a waste to let it go."

Hearing his father's words, Yang Meng had a plan. Taking over Zhou Dasheng's estate would be advantageous.

"If you really want to do this, you need to establish connections in Yiliang. Jiang Yuangji is a corrupt official. Give him some benefits, and have him deal with Zhou Dasheng's informants in the government. In Yiliang, he will have the final say."

With his father's advice, Yang Meng felt more at ease. Feeling relaxed, he realized he was tired. A small yawn, and Yang Shiqin glanced outside, seeing that it was already daylight. His third son needed to rest after the head injury.

"Go back and sleep! It was my fault to keep you talking all night. I completely forgot about your injuries."

Seeing his son's fatigue, Yang Shiqin blamed himself for being too excited. He called for the servants to arrange for his son to rest. He then went to the Yang family's ancestral hall in Wu Zhuang, burned incense and paper, and worshipped for the whole morning before returning to rest with a heart full of joy.