Chapter 50 Mo Shiyu

"My elder sister said the same thing."

Lin Feng thought to himself, no wonder Liu Ruofu cherished his wife so deeply; she truly was a virtuous and capable helper.

Some people say that half of a man's success is due to having a wise and clever woman at home, and Lin Feng had always agreed with this sentiment.

"Brother, you are from the imperial capital of Chu. I wonder how the capital compares to Jiangcheng?"

Lin Feng smiled and said, "The capital is majestic and grand, but Jiangcheng has a unique charm of its own."

Zhang Yuan let out a breezy laugh. "Shall we go out and seek some entertainment, then?"

Lin Feng smiled. "Let's save it for another day. I've come to Jiangcheng—where every inch of land is worth a fortune—to do business, and I need capital, so I must be thrifty. Once I've earned more silver, I will treat you to a proper night out, Brother Zhang."

Zhang Yuan nodded. "With your skills, Brother, I believe you'll soon be making a fortune. I... I want to..."

Lin Feng smiled. "Between brothers, is there anything that cannot be spoken?"

"I want to go into business with you. I just don't know if you'd be willing, Brother."

"Of course I am willing."

Zhang Yuan was overjoyed. "Just tell me whatever work needs to be done in the future, and I'll do it."

Zhang Yuan was a clever man. He knew that upon coming to Jiangcheng, he could not simply rely on his brother-in-law. In Jiangcheng, Liu Ruofu's word did not carry absolute weight, and in the future, he would likely have to carve out his own path; for now, he could only count on Lin Feng.

He knew that following Lin Feng would definitely lead to wealth.

Since Zhang Yuan wanted to follow him, Lin Feng naturally welcomed it. If he wanted to expand his endeavors, he would need manpower, and Zhang Yuan was undoubtedly an excellent candidate.

At the very least, Zhang Yuan was not a petty villain; his nature was not bad, and he knew how to show gratitude. As long as he was given appropriate benefits, he would undoubtedly follow him wholeheartedly.

Zhang Yuan asked, "Brother, are you still planning to sell spiced peanuts and candied hawthorns?"

Lin Feng nodded. "I will definitely sell those, but I don't want to set up a street stall anymore. Instead, I want to rent a shop to do business."

"Renting a shop requires a lot of silver. Jiangcheng is not our Luping Town; renting a shop here might cost ten or a hundred times as much silver."

"Let's look around and see. Perhaps we'll find something affordable and suitable," Lin Feng said with a smile.

As they spoke, the three of them reached a very bustling area of Jiangcheng. The entire street was lined with beautiful pavilions, and lanterns were hung from every tree. Although it was already the midnight hour, the grand street was still bustling with a constant stream of pedestrians.

Across the street lay a stunning, emerald-clear lake. The moonlight was like water, and the Milky Way seemed scattered across the earth. The lake appeared like a fairyland; a gentle breeze swept across, causing ripples to dance. Lanterns on the flower boats swayed on the water, reflecting like a celestial palace cast into the lake's waves.

Countless stars filled the night sky, their reflections mirrored upon the lake surface, intertwining with the shimmering ripples and lantern light to create a dreamlike, breathtaking scene that stirred the heart.

Literary scholars, eccentric poets, and young gentlemen with fair maidens still lingered, strolling leisurely along the lakeside.

"This must be Jiangcheng's famous West Lake!" Zhang Yuan exclaimed in admiration. "I often heard my brother-in-law speak of the magnificent scenery here at West Lake."

Lin Feng was slightly startled. This was actually the West Lake?

It seemed Jiangcheng was none other than the Hangzhou of his past life!

"So many flower boats!" Liu Xi said with a smile. "They are no fewer than the ones in the capital."

"No wonder there are so many men on the street; they must all be here to tour the flower boats," Zhang Yuan chuckled.

" Eldest Brother! That restaurant is up for rent!" Liu Xi pointed to a restaurant across West Lake and said.

The restaurant was named "Wangjiang Tower." It stood three stories high, adorned with carved beams and painted pillars, and its exterior possessed an antique, elegant, and refined charm.

The restaurant doors were tightly closed, and a wooden sign hung at the entrance reading: *Restaurant for sale, price negotiable in person.*

"This restaurant is truly magnificent!" Zhang Yuan exclaimed in wonder.

Lin Feng nodded. "It's not for rent, though—it's for sale!"

Zhang. Yuan sighed, "A restaurant like this probably costs several thousand liang of silver to buy. We needn't even dream about it."

Lin Feng looked at the restaurant, then glanced across at the West Lake. The location was simply too prime; he truly wanted to buy it.

Zhang Yuan was right—he simply didn't have the money. By the time he managed to earn several thousand liang of silver, this restaurant would have long since been sold to someone else.

"Let's go back. I'll come by again tomorrow."

"What are you coming back for?" Zhang Yuan asked.

"To talk to the seller, of course."

"What?!" Zhang Yuan stared in disbelief. "Brother, have you lost your mind? Where on earth are you going to get the money?"

"There's always a way. Let's wait and see tomorrow."

---

It seemed yesterday's visit to Prefect Liu had yielded results. Prefect Liang was exceedingly pleased, and early the next morning, the official in charge of the workshop bureau at the prefectural yamen came to the inn. He announced that Prefect Liang had already arranged a residence for Liu Ruofu, allowing his family to move in and settle down.

Prefect Liang told Liu Ruofu to settle in today and report for duty at the prefectural yamen tomorrow, which would not be too late.

Therefore, taking up the entire morning, the staff from the workshop bureau helped Liu Ruofu move and settle into his new home.

Liu Ruofu had also heeded Lin Feng's advice yesterday and temporarily refrained from mentioning the refugees to Prefect Liang, letting them stay in the backyard first while helping to clear and clean the courtyards.

Although Liu Ruofu's home was not exceptionally large, accommodating a few more people posed no problem at all.

He even wanted Lin Feng to move in with them.

However, how could Lin Feng ever live under someone else's roof? He politely declined Liu Ruofu's warm hospitality, saying that he would soon find a place of his own.

He wasn't needed to help with the moving and cleaning, so he left Liu Xi and the other two at the inn while he headed back to the restaurant on West Lake Street.

However, the restaurant remained closed.

Next to the restaurant was a bookstore named "Wanke Bookstore," and Lin Feng stepped inside.

The Wanke Bookstore was quite sizable. Aside from selling writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones, the shelves were lined with numerous books for sale.

What surprised Lin Feng was that the books included not only handwritten manuscripts but also printed editions.

It seemed the Great Chu Dynasty had already mastered printing technology.

There were many customers buying books in the shop, including quite a few women.

"We're sold out! Come back tomorrow!" the bookstore assistant shouted loudly.

Disappointment immediately showed on the faces of the women.

"I've come two days in a row, and I still haven't been able to buy a copy."

"Let's go to another bookstore!"

"That's right, there are plenty of bookstores in Jiangcheng."

"..."

The bookstore assistant smugly said, "Our shop is the exclusive seller of these two books, *The Romantic Scholar Fell in Love with Me* and *Those Amorous Affairs of Young Gentlemen and Fair Maidens*. You simply cannot buy them at any other bookstores or publishing houses!"

"Really? Can't you stock a few more copies?"

"These are handwritten manuscripts personally written by the author; how could there be so many? Being able to write a few copies a day is already impressive!"

The group of women finally left the bookstore in utter disappointment.

Lin Feng thought to himself that the Great Chu State actually had such brainless pulp fiction, and moreover, it was quite popular.

The bookstore assistant looked at Lin Feng and asked, "Are you looking to buy books, patron?"

Lin Feng smiled. "I'm not here to buy books. I just wanted to pop in and ask why the restaurant next door is closed."

"Didn't you see the sign at the entrance? The proprietor wants to sell the restaurant and is quitting the business."

"If someone wants to buy the restaurant, where can they find him?"

"He usually comes once every three days. Tomorrow happens to be the third day. He doesn't open for business when he comes; he just cleans up a bit and sees if anyone is looking to buy the restaurant."

"I see."

At that moment, someone suddenly called out, "Mo Shiyu!"