Chapter 29

The next day, Ye Yu personally bought the plot of land from Zhou Laoer. For this plot of land, which was like a chicken rib, Zhou Laoer was more than happy to sell it.

Since someone was willing to buy it, Zhou Laoer happily sold it at a low price to Ye Yu. After the transfer of the land deed, Zhou Laoer secretly mocked Ye Yu, thinking that Ye Yu was buying trouble for himself!

This controversial plot of land, now bought by Ye Yu, attracted many onlookers.

Everyone knew that Ye Yu's dyeing workshop was to be built in Toad Pond, and as the rival in the fabric business, the Pan family would naturally not let Ye Yu have his way.

Therefore, now that this hot potato had been purchased by Ye Yu, a conflict and struggle between the two families, both in feng shui and business, was inevitable.

In the living room, Su Quanzhong looked at Ye Yu with some anxiety and said in a slightly reproachful tone, "Nephew, I had already explained the risks to you before. Why did you insist on taking on this hot potato?"

"That's right, Brother Yu, why did you have to buy that plot of land in Toad Pond? The county town is not small; you could have chosen another plot of land!" Su Yueyun, standing beside him, was also puzzled by Ye Yu's decision.

Since the two families were very close, Su Yueyun, after becoming familiar with Ye Yu, called him "Brother Yu" directly. Although Ye Yu had repeatedly asked her to call him "Sir," he could not change her insistence.

Later, Ye Yu felt that since they were of similar age, he went along with Su Yueyun's wishes.

Regarding the dissatisfaction of the Su family, Ye Yu did not take it to heart. He explained in a serious tone, "Although that's true, Uncle Su, you can see that after the New Year, expanding the dyeing workshop is already urgent. The dyeing workshop you initially gifted me, though well-equipped, is too small to meet the demand! What Yueyun said is feasible, but choosing a new location is not a trivial matter. It would take a lot of time to find another plot of land! To be honest, I can't afford to wait!"

"But how can you start construction after buying this plot of land? Will the second son of the Pan family let you have your way?"

Although Su Quanzhong acknowledged Ye Yu's point, the fundamental issue was not resolved, and he was still worried.

"Ha ha! Uncle Su, there's no need to worry. Since I can buy this plot of land, I have a way to start construction on the dyeing workshop!"

Seeing Ye Yu's confident demeanor, Su Quanzhong felt somewhat reassured. Since Ye Yu was not acting on a whim, he felt more at ease.

Although he did not know what Ye Yu's plan was, after more than half a year of interaction, he had a deep understanding of Ye Yu's cautious and deliberate nature.

At this moment, the steward, Old Sun, walked in quickly, "Young Master, there's news from Toad Pond. The matters you arranged have been taken care of!"

"Um! Old Sun, you're old, you don't need to be so anxious in the future!" Ye Yu, seeing Old Sun, who was over sixty and had silver hair, advised him with concern.

Old Sun's white beard trembled slightly, and he said excitedly, "Seeing that your business is thriving, I am happy! I'm afraid that if I move too slowly, I might delay your important matters. Your late father often complained about my slow legs..."

"Old Sun, you are my elder, you don't need to follow so many formalities! Alright, go and rest first!"

Ye Yu knew that this was an era of strict hierarchy, but influenced by the egalitarian ideas of the future, he found it hard to adapt immediately.

He treated Liu Yuanshan, the county magistrate, this way, and even more so with Old Sun. He could not bear to treat an elderly man like a servant.

After Old Sun left, Ye Yu bowed to Su Quanzhong and said, "Uncle Su, today is a good day to fill the pond and level the ground. Why don't you come with me to take a look?"

"But..."

Su Quanzhong wanted to say more, but at this moment, Ye Yu called Guo Xiaotian and pushed the wheelchair out of the hall.

Su Quanzhong did not know what Ye Yu was up to, so he could only follow behind.

...

By this time, a crowd had gathered at Toad Pond. Among them were not only onlookers but also some of Pan Chengfeng's servants and a group of brothers led by She Tongcheng.

However, the people under She Tongcheng no longer engaged in bullying and oppression. Under She Tongcheng's leadership, they had reformed.

At first, people did not have high hopes for this group, believing that it was hard to change one's nature. But in Ye Yu's view, while this belief was reasonable, it was not absolute.

Although these people were of mixed quality, with only a few being inherently bad, most were forced by circumstances. Although Ye Yu had not lived in the city, comparing them with the mindset of the future was not outdated.

Who would willingly become a despised thug if they could have a peaceful and prosperous life? Especially in this ancient era, where people believed in cause and effect, most would not commit crimes without reason.

Now that Ye Yu had given them a chance, not only did they have a monthly salary to support themselves, but they also had stable jobs to maintain their livelihood and reform. They were naturally willing to turn over a new leaf.

"Boss, do you think there will be a fight today?" A yellow-faced man approached She Tongcheng and asked.

Before She Tongcheng could speak, a fat-faced man behind him crossed his arms and said disdainfully, "What, are you scared, Big Yellow? Then get lost!"

"Hey! Fatso, are you spouting nonsense again? Why can't you say anything decent!?"

The fat man swaggered over to the yellow-faced man, nudged him with his elbow, and sneered, "Your nickname is Big Yellow, which is a dog's name! That dog's mouth should be on your face. Don't you know if it can spit out ivory?"

"You!..." Big Yellow, nudged by the fat man, almost fell to the ground. After hearing the fat man's taunt, his yellow face turned pale with anger.

"Enough! Are you done arguing?" She Tongcheng, who had been silent, turned around and shouted at the two of them.

"Boss..."

"Boss..."

The fat man and Big Yellow were shocked and immediately stopped arguing.

She Tongcheng glared at the two of them and said sternly, "Whether there's a fight or not, it's up to the boss to decide! When did it become your turn to argue?"

"Boss, Ye Yu is only seventeen, and you are four years older. Are you willing to submit to him..."

Slap!

Before Big Yellow could finish, he felt a gust of wind, followed by a sharp sound on his face. Big Yellow then felt a burning pain on his left cheek and held it, looking at She Tongcheng in fear.

"Is my brother's name something you can call directly? How many times do I have to tell you? In the underworld, it's all about courage and loyalty, not seniority! He has shown us no grudges and given us important positions. I, She Tongcheng, admire his magnanimity! If I hear any more disrespectful words from you, don't blame me for being merciless!"

She Tongcheng's stern reprimand made Big Yellow nod repeatedly, too scared to say another word.

The fat man, who loved to argue with Big Yellow, now said, "Boss, Big Yellow was just speaking without thinking. Don't take it to heart. By the way, Boss, I understand why the boss sent us to bring so many stones, as they are needed to fill the pond. But why did he also send us to invite two bun shops and their staff? I don't understand that!"

The fat man pointed to a pile of steamer baskets under a tree and said, puzzled, "Now that we have the people and equipment to make buns, is the boss planning to open a bun shop here?"

"Enough, don't ask! Just do your job!" Although She Tongcheng was also puzzled, he trusted that Ye Yu would not act without a reason after their time together.

"..."

As people were chattering, Ye Yu arrived at Toad Pond in his wheelchair. The onlookers automatically made way for him, and She Tongcheng, seeing Ye Yu, quickly went to greet him.

He first bowed to Ye Yu, then greeted Guo Xiaotian with a bow. The two of them acknowledged each other.

Ye Yu nodded and then looked around and said softly, "Tongcheng, you've done well!"

"It's my duty! Brother, just give the order, and I'll take care of the Pan family's thugs!" She Tongcheng said confidently, patting his chest.

"Ah! No need for that. Today is the groundbreaking day for my dyeing workshop, and it's not a good time for a big fight! However, there is one thing I need your help with!"

Ye Yu took five bamboo poles from Guo Xiaotian, each tied with a copper coin. She Tongcheng, seeing the poles with strings, thought, "Is Brother planning to fish here today?"

How leisurely! Just as he was puzzled, Ye Yu said, "Tongcheng, select five brothers and have them insert these five bamboo poles into the water according to the positions on this map."

Ye Yu then took out a map from his sleeve and handed it to She Tongcheng. She Tongcheng looked at the map and saw that it formed a '田' (field) character.

However, in the center of the '田' character and the centers of the four squares, there were five points. She Tongcheng, seeing these five evenly distributed and equally spaced dots, knew these were the five positions Ye Yu mentioned.

Since the shape of the Toad Pond was not very regular but generally square.

"Brother, rest assured! I will take care of it! Earlier, I thought..."

She Tongcheng looked ashamed as he spoke.

Seeing She Tongcheng's expression, Ye Yu smiled and teased, "You thought I was just here to fish? Tongcheng, the copper coins are not for fishing. They might be for catching the legendary treasure toad!"

She Tongcheng then chuckled and turned to give the order.

However, this strange action immediately sparked discussion among the onlookers, as no one understood Ye Yu's intention.

Even Su Quanzhong and his daughter, who had followed, were puzzled by Ye Yu's actions.