Chapter Twenty-One: The Means to Secure One’s Place in the World

Having mountain bandits disguise themselves as laborers and swiftly driving away those damned masked men was truly a clever stratagem. Not a single jar of River Moon White was lost; the entire shipment arrived at the Drunken Immortal Tavern intact, while their enemies suffered bitterly this time.

The next morning, when Zhao He received the news, he immediately hurled his precious teapot to the ground in fury—never had he suffered such a humiliating defeat.

“And what about Hu Yong? Why hasn’t he dragged himself back here to report in person?”

The steward stammered, “Hu Yong was gravely injured. He’s lying at home now, and by the looks of it, he won’t be able to get out of bed for at least a year or more.”

“Aren’t they supposed to be professional thugs, experts in this kind of business? Yet they couldn’t even handle a few laborers? What a bunch of useless fools!”

Zhao He, in a foul mood, seized upon his steward and unleashed a torrent of abuse, his spittle spraying the man’s face.

“No, I can’t let Drunken Immortal Tavern continue to have the upper hand. I must come up with a new plan at once.”

Right now, the Drunken Immortal Tavern was in the limelight. If this went on, people in the city might soon forget entirely what Zhao’s Winery was known for. The thought left Zhao He desperate. Ambushing the delivery convoys to cut off River Moon White’s supply was no longer viable; he needed a more direct and effective method. As long as he could deal a blow to River Moon White and Drunken Immortal Tavern, Zhao He was willing to resort to any means necessary.

At that moment, the steward had a sudden inspiration and suggested, “Master, I do have an idea. What if we…”

Sidling up to Zhao He’s ear, he whispered his plan. A smile immediately broke across Zhao He’s face, and he praised him for his cleverness.

“Yes, do exactly as you’ve said. I see I haven’t raised you all these years in vain!”

Meanwhile, the Drunken Immortal Tavern was as lively as ever. After yesterday’s rush, the remaining stock of River Moon White was nearly sold out again. Lin Qingxuan, tallying the recent accounts, could hardly keep the grin off his face.

“Jiang Chen, you truly are my lucky star. If this keeps up, we’ll both be destined for fortune and glory, earning gold by the day!”

Lin Qingxuan placed a pouch of silver in front of Jiang Chen. According to their prior agreement, including silver notes, it totaled two thousand five hundred taels.

Yet Jiang Chen did not seem particularly excited. Lin Qingxuan was puzzled. “You don’t look happy at all—haven’t we already made plenty of money?”

“As long as we continue like this, we’ll never have to worry about food or drink again.”

Jiang Chen smiled faintly. “You’re the young master of the Lin family. Haven’t you always been free from such worries?”

“You don’t know what it’s like,” Lin Qingxuan sighed, speaking honestly for once. “The endless scheming in these wealthy households suffocates me every day. Who knows when I’ll be thrown out and left with nothing? Wouldn’t I have to worry about food and drink then?”

Jiang Chen understood Lin Qingxuan’s nature well enough; his complaints stemmed from being outmaneuvered by Lin Yuanzhou and Lin Lidong. If the tables were turned, if he ever gained the upper hand over his two cousins, there was no guarantee he wouldn’t be even more ruthless.

Thus, the relationship between Jiang Chen and Lin Qingxuan was purely one of mutual benefit—there was no real trust or loyalty, only a temporary alliance formed out of necessity.

“In a couple of days, I’ll be leaving the city for a while. I’ll leave things here in your hands,” Jiang Chen said, taking his share of silver and preparing to go home for some well-deserved rest after a sleepless night.

Lin Qingxuan called after him, “Where are you going? When will you be back?”

“Soon—just a day or two. I’m going to pick out some attractive jars.”

“Jars?” Lin Qingxuan was baffled. Jiang Chen’s actions were always hard to predict, but he quickly dismissed his curiosity. As long as the money kept rolling in, what did it matter what Jiang Chen was up to?

Returning home, Jiang Chen first handed a thousand taels to Butcher Wu so the debts Wu Qingshan owed could be settled promptly. He then pressed fifty taels into Wu Yue’s hands, telling her to buy some fine fabric for new clothes.

Wu Yue frowned and refused. “Brother Chen, why are you giving me so much silver? I have no use for it.”

“I told you to buy yourself something good to eat and some cloth for new clothes.”

“But this is far more than I need.”

Jiang Chen replied earnestly, “Back then, you were always the one helping me, making sure I had a hot meal even in my loneliest, most helpless days. Now that I’ve made some money, of course I should repay you.”

“This is only the beginning. Our lives will only get better from here, I promise you!”

Jiang Chen then told Wu Yue how much he had earned this time, and as expected, she was utterly astonished.

“This…that much?”

“Yes, I’ll use this as capital. As long as the business keeps rolling, soon we’ll be making this much every day!”

Wu Yue was overjoyed. She had never been a girl who cared much about wealth, but money was essential for a peaceful life. Now that Jiang Chen could earn so much, her father Butcher Wu would have no further objections, and their future seemed finally secure.

That night, Jiang Chen carefully considered his next steps. He knew that sooner or later, his alliance with Lin Qingxuan would end, so he could not put all his eggs in one basket.

He needed a thorough plan: to use Lin Qingxuan to steadily build up his own foundation, while ensuring he could strike out independently at any time and stand firm amidst the chaos of these troubled times.

The next day, Jiang Chen assigned the brewing work to Wu Qingshan, who would be supervised by Gu Jun, so nothing was likely to go amiss. He decided to devote all his time to Wu Yue, and the two of them spent a carefree, happy day together.

“Brother Chen, have you heard? The famine in the north is getting worse. Many refugees are fleeing south these days—I can’t imagine how many will perish along the way.” Wu Yue sighed. Those people were strangers to her, but she still felt a pang of sympathy for their suffering.

Jiang Chen tasted the dishes Wu Yue had prepared for him and said quietly, “Yes, the world outside is in turmoil. We must always be prepared; no one knows what the Grand Qian Dynasty will become if things continue like this.”

“Even though we’re deep in the mountains, it won’t be easy to stay untouched by all this.”

Wu Yue glanced at Jiang Chen, hesitated several times, and finally spoke. “Brother Chen, with things so chaotic outside, why do you still have to leave? I’m really worried about you.”

So, this little girl had been brooding over his coming departure. But Jiang Chen knew he had to go this time—and, in the future, he would have to venture out even more.