Chapter 8

Sitting on the felt, Yang Meng's heart raced. These two beauties, one young and one mature, he didn't want to let them go. After such a hard-fought rebirth and acquiring this robust body, he felt he owed it to himself to do something.

"None of you have a place to go?"

While his mind was plotting, his words were another story. Yang Meng, whose heart was pounding with excitement, was already planning his next move.

"Third Young Master! This is my younger sister, Qinglian."

Ma Qinghu, the spoilsport, appeared at an inopportune moment, disrupting Yang Meng's good mood. However, by pointing out the younger beauty, he inadvertently gave Yang Meng a clear path forward.

"You two can follow me from now on!"

As soon as Yang Meng spoke, Ma Qinghu nodded eagerly. Both he and his sister Qinglian were living hand to mouth, and following the Yang family in Kunming would give them a stable future.

"Do you have a place to go, young lady? If not, you can come back to Kunming with me!"

Yang Meng extended an olive branch, and the young beauty nodded in agreement. A perfect ending, Yang Meng almost laughed out loud.

"As for you, if you're willing to follow me, that's fine! But you need to show your true abilities. If you're not interested, I can give you some money and goods. It's up to you to decide your own path."

Yang Meng said this to Cen Liuying, the young clerk from Yiliang. Despite his young age, Cen Liuying had many ulterior motives. Yang Meng had seen many people like him before; they were all after wealth and fame.

"Your student is willing to follow Third Young Master!"

Cen Liuying had already made up his mind on the road. Originally, he was supposed to return to his hometown in Guangxi this year to take the imperial exams. Even if he passed, it would take another ten to twenty years to make a name for himself. The Yang family in Kunming was a big tree, and if he could rely on them, he might make a name for himself in just a few years.

Thinking of his ancestors, Cen Liuying, as a descendant of a fallen chieftain, made his decision. The political landscape of Yiliang was a microcosm of the entire political scene. With the Yang family's influence, and his solid foundation, passing the imperial exams would be a trivial matter. The most important thing was his future path, and with the Yang family's power paving the way, even the top scholars wouldn't have such good fortune.

Ma Qinghu's interruption calmed Yang Meng's blood. Without the awkwardness, they needed to continue their journey. The night was still a bit chilly, and his wound on the back of his head hadn't fully healed. After a long afternoon, he felt quite tired.

The sedan chair was too bumpy, so Yang Meng had someone find a cart for him to sit on. The starry sky and the cool night air were a pleasant experience.

Seeing that Third Young Master was fine, Ding Baojun began urging the caravan to move faster. His older brother at home was surely worried about the third son, and getting back to Kunming quickly would make his brother happy.

Sitting on the cart, Yang Meng had time to familiarize himself with his robust body. He had just tested it by grabbing a handful of dry beans from the cart and squeezing them. Most of the beans crumbled, showing that his body was truly exceptional.

Just as Yang Meng was feeling elated, a familiar scent was carried to his nose by the wind. He knew this smell well; it was the same as in the plantations in the Golden Triangle.

The scent made Yang Meng's face, which had been relaxed in the night air, turn stern.

"Stop the cart!"

Stopping the cart, Yang Meng looked in the direction of the scent, but the dark night obscured everything. All he could see were vague mountain silhouettes.

"Ma Qinghu, take a few people to the nearby fields and see what's planted there. Bring back some samples."

The substance was highly harmful, and Yunnan was a good place for cultivation. According to the locals, it was just after the New Year, and it wasn't yet in bloom. For such a strong smell to be present, the planting area must be quite large.

Ma Qinghu and his men were quick. In a short while, they returned with seedlings, bean sprouts, and a few plants that Yang Meng recognized all too well.

"Where did you get this?"

This was the item Ma Qinghu had brought back. Seeing Third Young Master's anger, Ma Qinghu was too frightened to speak, only pointing tremblingly into the darkness.

"Take me there to see."

Just as Yang Meng was about to get up, Ding Baojun held him down on the cart. Ding Baojun had also seen the item and, as a seasoned local, recognized it immediately.

"Third Young Master, there's no need to see. There are over a thousand acres of mountain fields planted with this stuff."

The Yang family had estates in Yiliang, and Ding Baojun was familiar with the area. He was more concerned that Third Young Master might be interested in this harmful substance, which was highly addictive.

"Over a thousand acres!"

Yang Meng had a rough idea of how much could be produced from a thousand acres. With such a large planting area, he didn't need to guess what it was for.

"How could there be such a large area of this stuff?"

Since Ding Baojun was familiar with the situation, Yang Meng asked him directly.

"This harmful stuff has been around since the Ming Dynasty, but it wasn't widespread. In recent years, with the conflict between the court and the foreigners in the southeast, this stuff has become more valuable. It's increasingly common, and there are opium dens in Kunming. One pound of this stuff is worth a whole cart of grain. How could it not be widely planted? Yiliang produces a lot of grain, so the planting area is relatively small, but in other places, it's even more extensive."

Ding Baojun's words left Yang Meng in silence. He finally understood why he was here. The so-called foreigners were likely the Eight-Nation Alliance. With such large-scale cultivation, how much of this stuff would spread across China?

Yang Meng wasn't sure how the Qing people used this substance, but he knew it wouldn't be the same as in his time. With his technical knowledge, he could process it further and even export it. This exclusive business would be highly profitable.

Most importantly, he wanted to get back at the Eight-Nation Alliance. These despicable foreigners were using this to harm people. Since he was here, he would give them a taste of something better. There's an old Chinese saying: "Share the good fortune."

With his family, beautiful women, and a profitable business, this was truly paradise!

"Ha ha ha..."

The loud laughter, though it made his head hurt, filled Yang Meng with joy. This life wasn't in vain. Previously skeptical of ghosts and gods, he now felt a sense of reverence. It seemed the concepts of heaven and hell were not baseless; he was in heaven.

"Third Young Master! Third Young Master!!..."

Yang Meng's sudden laughter frightened Ding Baojun. He was fine just a moment ago, but now he seemed to have gone mad.

"Uh... It's nothing. I just had a sudden realization. I'm happy."

Suppressing his excitement, Yang Meng explained and urged the caravan to continue. If the Eight-Nation Alliance dared to use this to harm people, they must be very cautious. He would need to develop a better formula for consumption, which would be key to his success.

"Third Young Master, opium is highly addictive. Once you start, it's hard to stop. Please don't touch it. The old master at home hates it the most."

Ding Baojun wasn't stupid. Yang Meng's sudden realization was clearly related to the opium plants. He was afraid that Third Young Master might become addicted.

"Smoke this? Only if you beat me to death!"

In his previous life, Yang Meng had suffered enough from drugs. His new robust body, though strong, would still be ruined if he started using it.

"That's good! That's good! Let's hurry and continue the journey. The old master at home must be getting impatient."

Although Ding Baojun was accommodating, he was worried. He would have to keep a close eye on Third Young Master to ensure he didn't touch opium.

Ding Baojun was calculating, and so was Yang Meng. He had tried various substances in his past life and knew exactly how to mix them. A slow-acting formula would be best.

Ideally, the formula should reduce the initial discomfort and be kept secret. Various formulas ran through Yang Meng's mind, but none seemed practical. The white powder was too scary and wouldn't work.

"Uncle Ding, do the foreigners use snuff?"

Suddenly, Yang Meng thought of snuff. He had heard of it but never seen it. Ding Baojun was the best person to ask.

"Snuff? I don't know if they use it, but it seems to be a foreign thing. The best quality comes from the foreigners, but we have it here too. There's a good merchant in Sichuan who makes it."

Ding Baojun didn't use snuff, so his knowledge was limited. He had heard about it from his fellow horsemen.

"Oh... Do we have any at home?"

Yang Meng needed to see what snuff was like. Since it was an imported product, the Eight-Nation Alliance would likely accept it. If he could produce heroin and mix it in, he could easily resell it back to them.

"No! We ban smoking and drinking, so we don't have those things."

Ding Baojun's words puzzled Yang Meng. Was he part of a minority that banned smoking and drinking? That wasn't a common practice among the Han people.

"However, if Third Young Master wants some, we can have the horsemen bring some back. We have a horse team that runs to Sichuan, so it's just a matter of asking."

Snuff it is! As long as it wasn't opium, the Yang family would do anything to make Third Young Master happy. Ding Baojun was relieved that Yang Meng was interested in snuff. This young master was lawless, and his older brother was easily swayed. As long as he didn't touch opium, he could do as he pleased.

"Oh... We have a horse team? Where do they go?"

This was good news. Yang Meng knew about horse teams. In his past life, he had smuggled redwood, jade, and gold through the mountains using horse teams.

"One route goes to Sichuan, another to the Tibetan border, another to Annam, and the last one is run by your older brother, to Guangdong. Our family became wealthy because of these routes."

Ding Baojun, who had witnessed the family's rise, was now more talkative.

"Great! Really great! This is fantastic!"

Yang Meng was overjoyed. Guangdong must be Guangzhou, a major commercial port that did business with foreigners. He had heard about the Thirteen Factories before.

This was perfect. He had the raw materials and the channels. All he needed was a good product. With a good formula, he could continue his life of luxury. This place was better than heaven.