Chapter 48

Holding his book, Wei He continued walking towards the fabric shop. Before long, he saw a wine shop by the roadside.

However, there was no trace of the usual wine aroma at the entrance of the wine shop. Instead, a strong scent of tea filled the air.

Even during this season, the wine shop was filled with the sound of people boasting and chatting.

Wei He paused, then walked over, lifted the curtain, and entered the wine shop.

Inside, about ten people were sparsely seated, most of them dressed neatly.

Those who could still maintain a decent appearance and come to drink tea in such times were mostly people with some means.

In a corner, three emaciated, disheveled people were squatting, each with a wooden sign in front of them, on which were written in slanted letters: "Selling myself to bury my father," "Selling myself to bury my mother," and "Selling myself to bury my brother."

The three of them, lined up in a row, looked incredibly pitiful, but for some reason, Wei He felt speechless.

He carried his book and sat down at an empty table.

A girl immediately came forward to pour him water and carefully stated the prices.

Different teas had different prices, and here, they did not use mixed grain flour for transactions but instead accepted the Tongcheng Gang relief tokens.

"Relief tokens from the Tongcheng Gang?" Wei He was surprised. "What are those?"

"Sir, you may not know, but the leader of the Tongcheng Gang, out of compassion for everyone's difficult lives, has distributed relief in batches.

These relief tokens are used to claim relief grain. One relief token can be exchanged for a certain amount of mixed grain flour," the girl explained proficiently, as if she had said it many times before.

Relief tokens?

Could the Tongcheng Gang, one of the three gangs and two sects, be so kind?

Wei He didn't believe it; there was no such thing as a free lunch. There must be some ulterior motive behind it.

"If the guest doesn't have a relief token, you can also pay with Inner City gold beans," the girl reminded him.

Wei He did have gold beans.

He had recently killed many bandits, and the money bags he had looted were mostly filled with these so-called gold beans, which were actually copper coins mixed with gold.

Ten of these could be exchanged for a gold leaf, and ten gold leaves could be exchanged for one tael of gold, making them the simplest form of currency in the Inner City.

The Inner City could maintain stable prices thanks to the stability provided by the Seven Families Alliance.

It was uncertain how long the Seven Families Alliance could hold on.

Wei He sighed inwardly, ordered a pot of buckwheat tea, and placed it on the table, drinking it quietly. The price was one gold bean, and he still had some left.

The shopkeeper also gave him a small dish of peanuts.

The peanuts were a bit moldy, but the pot of buckwheat tea was full of buckwheat and mixed grains, which could serve as a meal after drinking.

Wei He sat down comfortably, planning to listen to the current city situation. Places like wine shops and teahouses were ideal for idle chatter and gossip, and thus, were natural hubs for information.

People who could come to such places were usually those who didn't worry about food and drink and had plenty of free time. Since they didn't worry about their basic needs, they were not ordinary families and had some means and connections.

As a result, they often had access to a lot of information.

Whenever these people had interesting or unusual stories, they would come here to spread them and share with their friends, becoming the center of attention and gaining a sense of status and satisfaction.

The gathering of these people also attracted those who did business with them, such as storytellers, street performers, and singers.

With more entertainment options, more people were drawn in.

These storytellers, who traveled far and wide, could bring even more varied and uncertain information.

This was exactly the kind of channel Wei He needed. Now that he no longer had Master Zheng's supervision, he had plenty of free time. Spending a day investigating the situation was necessary.

......

......

......

Yonghe Escort Agency.

On a somewhat desolate stone square.

Several major escorts and the main male members of the Cheng family were present, along with many other escorts who had come from various branches.

Nearly a hundred people gathered, forming a dense crowd, all waiting for news.

Cheng Shaojiu stood at the front of the Cheng family men, quietly waiting for news.

Waiting for news from the head escort, Cheng Zhengxing.

Before long, Cheng Zhengxing and several escorts entered the square from outside.

His face was stiff, and he remained silent as he walked towards the speaking platform at the highest point.

The surrounding escorts automatically made way for him.

When Cheng Zhengxing reached Cheng Shaojiu, he paused, glanced at his nephew, and seemed to want to say something.

But he didn't speak and continued towards the platform.

On the platform.

Cheng Zhengxing slowly ascended, standing at the highest point and looking down at everyone.

Everyone focused on him.

The already quiet atmosphere became even quieter, almost eerily so.

Everyone held their breath, waiting for the final news.

Cheng Zhengxing looked around at the large escort agency, which he had built over several decades.

And now...

He opened his mouth to speak.

But the sun was scorching, and the heat made him sweat.

He felt a tightness in his chest, and despite several deep breaths, it only worsened.

He had been working tirelessly, traveling day and night, to maintain the agency's survival.

This last escort job was his last chance to turn things around.

He had bet everything on it.

But...

Cheng Zhengxing felt a chill despite the heat. He shivered, and his hands were cold.

"I..."

He finally spoke.

Everyone stared at him.

Everyone waited for him.

Cheng Zhengxing opened his mouth again.

"I... let everyone down..."

Suddenly, he felt dizzy, his ears ringing as if something had blocked them, and he couldn't hear anything.

His body involuntarily leaned back.

Thud.

He lost consciousness.

The Cheng family was about to fall.

This news spread like a storm, quickly reaching the escorts who were settling their accounts.

The escorts were waiting for the final outcome of this last job.

Unfortunately, the job was robbed.

The head escort, Cheng Zhengxing, who had been their last hope, fainted on the spot.

Due to the loss, the Yonghe Escort Agency faced a massive compensation claim.

With Cheng Zhengxing unconscious, the agency lacked leadership. They were already struggling to pay the escorts' salaries, and now, with the head escort down, the remaining escorts could no longer endure.

Some of the older, more loyal escorts, who had some savings, stayed to wait for the situation to improve.

But most of the younger escorts, who were more transient, quickly left to find other work.

Within a day, the agency became nearly deserted. Cheng Shaojiu, with the help of two major escorts, inventoried all the family's assets and food supplies.

To his shock, they were still short of the amount needed to cover the compensation.

"According to the double compensation rule... we are at least 700 taels of gold short..." Cheng Shaojiu's wife, Cheng Zhangshi, said worriedly.

"700 taels..." Cheng Shaojiu gritted his teeth, looking at the boxes of supplies and food.

In normal times, 700 taels of gold, though not a small amount, could be managed by the agency.

But now...

His uncle was unconscious, and all the family's private savings had been pooled, including the support of several major escorts.

They were still 700 taels of gold short...

Who could he borrow from?

Who in the area could come up with such a sum?

Cheng Shaojiu felt a heavy weight on his heart, as if a mountain was pressing down on him.

"Little Head Escort..." Major Escort Cheng Kai hesitated, knowing they were 700 taels short and unable to raise the amount.

"The other side wants our response within the next two days, or they will take the silver-kissed black snake breeding method as compensation," Cheng Zhangshi's voice echoed in Cheng Shaojiu's ears.

He clenched his teeth, not knowing how he managed to return to his room to rest.

The next day, he wandered aimlessly, saying he would find a solution, dressed, and headed towards Huishan Martial Arts Academy.

At the academy, he stood in his usual spot, staring at the iron sand pot with burning charcoal, motionless.

His fellow students, who usually called him brother, remained silent and did not approach him.

Xiao Ran, Jiang Yan, and Su, who had gradually distanced themselves from him, also ignored him.

He looked around, knowing everyone must have heard about the agency's troubles.

"Brother Cheng."

Suddenly, Wei He approached him.

"I heard the agency had an issue. If you need any help, just let me know."

Cheng Shaojiu and Wei He were close friends, and Wei He, who was affiliated with the Yonghe Escort Agency, was concerned about Cheng Shaojiu's situation and came to check on him.

Cheng Shaojiu looked up at Wei He.

He opened his mouth to ask about the money but then smiled bitterly.

700 taels of gold... Wei He's income was clear to him; he earned at most 40 taels of gold a month from his affiliation.

How could he come up with so much money?

Cheng Shaojiu hesitated, then smiled.

"Don't worry, I can handle it. Thanks, Xiao He."

Rather than burden Wei He with his worries, he decided to keep it to himself.

After all, this was a family matter, and it was unfair to involve Wei He.

Even if he told Wei He, he would only worry and be unable to help.

"Take care." Cheng Shaojiu patted Wei He's shoulder and smiled.

"Speak up if you need help. We are brothers, and I am also Cheng He's godfather. Don't keep it to yourself," Wei He said firmly.

He had been raiding and had accumulated a decent amount of gold, about 1,500 taels, and was thinking of how he could help.

"Thanks, I'll be fine," Cheng Shaojiu said, not wanting to burden Wei He.

He knew everyone was watching him, and at such a critical time, he couldn't show weakness or panic.

With his uncle down, if he showed any weakness, their old enemies would pounce like hungry wolves, tearing into their family's flesh!