Looking north towards the rivers and mountains

Chapter 165 Combining Elimination and Attack

There was a group of people practicing their craft in the courtyard, creating a rather chaotic scene.

Upon seeing the arrival of the Liu family, they gradually stopped what they were doing.

The reactions of the Liu family members were clearly somewhat divergent.

Some of the men, seeing the rather burly man, were not afraid at all; in fact, a hint of nostalgia appeared on their faces.

Needless to say, this guy is a seasoned killer, most likely a man from the Wen area who used to travel by sea, but later reformed.

However, the Wenzhou earthquake and tsunami in July damaged countless houses and farmlands, and killed thousands. The old talents went bankrupt overnight and had no choice but to go back to business, supplying high-quality talent to the Yuan Dynasty society.

Another group of people performed poorly. They were mostly newcomers to the business world and didn't have much skill. However, they were mostly members of the Liu clan, relatives by marriage, or neighbors, so they were reliable.

Liu was much calmer than these people. She only glanced at them briefly before turning her head to look outside the courtyard wall.

Someone was waving at her from there.

She turned and told most of the people to stay in the courtyard. Then, she gently pushed open the small back gate and stepped onto the bluestone slabs to enter a makeshift shed. The shed was actually a kitchen. Because Shao Shuyi had brought too many people, the grain shop's original kitchen was not enough, so they had to set one up temporarily. A fire was already burning on the ground, the earthenware pots were bubbling and crackling, and the aroma was irresistible, tempting everyone's appetite.

"You really have a lot of leisure time," Liu said, glancing at him. "First, you kill people in the street, then you gather their remaining forces, and then you contact the merchants in Huaidong. One step after another, it's all planned out long ago."

"Watch your step." Shao Shuyi pointed to the other two earthenware pots on the ground and asked, "Are you hungry?"

Liu's imposing manner faltered slightly as she asked, "Are you planning to sell the salt capital to those newly recruited people?"

Shao Shuyi bent down and went to the earthenware pot, took a bowl, and filled it with some meat broth. He said, "The bowl is new, no one has used it. This is kelp and pork rib soup. I knew you were coming, so I started stewing it before dawn. Come, come, have something to eat first, we can talk about it later."

After serving the soup, Shao Shuyi placed the bowl on the side table and said softly, "Here it is."

Liu's expression shifted slightly; she had come so early in the morning and was indeed hungry.

However, she still scoffed and said, "I'm thirty years old, what haven't I seen? Why are you being so obsequious?"

"Sit down, what are you trying to prove?" Shao Shuyi stepped forward, naturally pulling Liu's hand and pressing her down into a chair. Liu stiffened, saying, "How dare you!"

The tone wasn't very harsh, which the radar automatically picked up.

So Shao Shuyi went to the stove again, opened a steamer, took out two steamed cakes and put them on a plate. Then he presented them to Liu Shi as if they were treasures, and said with a smile, "I made them myself. They don't look very pretty, but please make do with them."

Liu's momentum had completely waned. She stared blankly at Shao Shuyi's hands, as if wondering how the hands that held knives and bows could also cook soup and steam cakes.

"I learned it from Wu Heizi." Shao Shuyi sat down opposite Liu Shi and laughed, "Don't let Heizi's big, burly appearance and ruthless killing fool you. He's actually a good cook, quite skilled. Eat first, don't go hungry. We can talk later. Life is short, only a few decades. Money can be earned back, but health is hard to recover once it's damaged."

Liu was hungry, but persuaded by Shao Shuyi's sincere gaze, she slowly picked up the steamed bun and ate it with the meat soup.

Shao Shuyi stared at her expectantly, as if waiting for her evaluation.

Liu seemed not to notice and quietly ate and drank.

[At this point, I hope readers will remember our domain name: ①⓪①ⓚⓚⓢ.ⓒⓞⓜ]

After a long while, she finished the two pancakes and the bowl of soup. She picked up a handkerchief, wiped her mouth, and said, "Not bad." Shao Shuyi was overjoyed.

Liu rolled her eyes at him and said, "Is that all the grit you've got? Where's the bravado you had when you killed Zhu Ding in the street?"

Shao Shuyi shook his head and said, "Killing Zhu Ding is nothing to be proud of; it was just a casual act. But to receive your praise for my cooking is quite an achievement, and it makes me even happier." Liu Shi remained silent for a moment, then said, "Your methods are useless against me. What haven't I seen?"

Shao Shuyi chuckled softly, looked into Liu's eyes, and asked, "The inns in Jiangning aren't listening to you much anymore, are they? Isn't Lin's residence there?"

Why are you asking these questions?

Shao Shuyi didn't answer, but continued, "Ever since Lin She started her training, Xu Dafeng and his group haven't been paying much attention to you. The three inns in Jiangning have become independent, and they all submit to Lin She, right?"

"Since you already know, what's the point of asking?"

"No, I might be wrong," Shao Shuyi said. "You used to live mostly in Taicang and Liujiagang, and you didn't go to Jiangning very often. Those three inns there are doing quite well in the grain and oil business, who wouldn't be envious? If I were Xu Dafeng, I would have already treated the inns I manage as my own property. It's just that in the past, because you, Madam, were strict and you had a group of relatives to rely on, they didn't dare to go too far. Now that you, Lin She, are in charge, everything is perfectly legitimate."

"Xu Dafeng is not that kind of person," Liu said.

Shao Shuyi nodded and said, "If it's not Xu Dafeng, then what about Zhang Dafeng and Li Dafeng? Lin She is very easy to fool. He nominally serves him as his master, but secretly he uses him to make benefits for himself. He no longer listens to your orders, or he may outwardly comply but inwardly defy you. This is very likely."

This time, Liu did not refute.

Shao Shuyi leaned closer and whispered, "If there's a chance in the future, I'll help you take back those three inns and kick those traitors out. How about that?"

This time, Liu remained silent for a relatively long time.

Shao Shuyi smiled and said, "Within the territory of Jiangyin Prefecture, as long as you maintain a proper official facade and prevent the government from arresting you, leave the private matters to me, and no one will bother you. The three shops in Wenmiao, Xiapu, and Yunting are in good locations, and you've already made a fortune selling salted fish. No one will compete with you for these places. You can even open one or two more shops. Let me know when you've opened them, and I'll coordinate the salt delivery."

Liu secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Her biggest worry was that Shao Shuyi would abandon her and go it alone, and stop supplying her with goods, because she knew that he didn't actually have much stock on hand. If he supplied one company, he would inevitably cut off supplies to another, causing her to suffer losses.

Now that the supply to the three stores—Wenmiao, Xiapu, and Yunting—is guaranteed, and she's even allowed to open two more new stores, her own business is stable. After all, she just brought over a dozen people from her hometown of Wenzhou—to be precise, a dozen families—and there are too many places to spend money; she can't afford to be idle and live off her savings. "Madam, don't you understand the ways of the world these days?" Shao Shuyi continued, "I attacked and killed Zhu Ding in the street, and nothing happened. The government only cares about closing the case quickly, regardless of whether the real culprit is still at large. As long as it doesn't stop them from profiting from the Chen and Zhu families, that's fine. Actually, this is considered good. In the future, as the world becomes more chaotic, what's the use of making more money? If someone comes knocking on your door, can you protect yourself? Unless your second brother repents now, diligently hones his skills, and earnestly wins people's hearts, perhaps he can raise a team to protect himself. But what is he doing now?"

Liu glanced at Shao Shuyi and said, "You seem to know him quite well."

Shao Shuyi chuckled and said, "Madam, this is not the time for jokes. A man who does not plan for the future will have trouble in the present. Since Liu Xing cannot shoulder this great responsibility, then I will have to work harder myself. You and I are actually one, I consider you one of my own, and I will protect you in every way."

Liu felt slightly uncomfortable.

Shao Shuyi's attitude changes every single day; it's too fast.

Thinking back to a few months ago, when Sun Chuan was in dire straits and she quietly transferred her assets to open a shop in Jiangyin Prefecture, this person in front of her was cautiously discussing selling salted fish with her, almost as if he was begging her.

But not long after, she somehow obtained salt, then attacked and killed Zhu Ding in the street. Then, unexpectedly, she decisively absorbed Zhu Ding's remaining forces and openly sold salt herself.

Its rapid rise is astonishing.

Lady Liu even suspected that Shao Shuyi was doing things she didn't know about in private, such as cultivating relationships with officials and gradually consolidating his power base in Jiangyin Prefecture. If he really succeeded, another Zhu Ding would emerge, perhaps even stronger, because he could borrow some influence from her and build connections among the officials in Jiangyin Prefecture.

"That's all I have to say. Madam, you should think it over carefully." Shao Shuyi went to a clay stove, first extinguished the fire inside, then ladled a bowl of fish soup onto the stove, and said, "We're living together now, neither of us can do without the other. From now on, I'll take care of all the troublemakers down there. You just need to keep an eye on Madam Fei."

"We can give her a portion of the money we make selling salt at the shop. Well, maybe I'm overthinking it. You should have done that already. I just want to say that if Lady Fei and Zhu Daocun have too big an appetite and we don't have enough money, you can ask me for help. We can pool our resources to feed them." After saying this, Shao Shuyi thought for a moment and said, "I should be able to come up with another hundred ingots. Take them with you when you leave. We don't need to be so clear about the difference between us. If I run out of money, I'll just earn more. It's no big deal."

Liu rolled her eyes at him and said, "You're saying this because you're sure I won't take your money, aren't you?"

Shao Shuyi laughed and said, "Madam is joking."

Liu ignored him.

At this moment, she suddenly realized what was going on. Wasn't she supposed to be here to confront him? Instead, she was caught off guard and ended up sitting here in a daze, eating and drinking while talking about what they would do in the future. Just as he said, the two of them were living together as a couple.

However, she didn't seem to mind it much.

Liu sighed inwardly. She recalled how her father had been doing business at sea, and when the affair was exposed, her mother panicked and cried uncontrollably. But her father remained calm and composed, and immediately gathered a few of his old buddies to discuss countermeasures, ultimately weathering the crisis safely.

When my late husband was besieged by the government's navy, I was also very panicked on the shore, but fortunately, the men saved me from danger in the end.

When it comes to life-or-death situations, women are ultimately limited. Others may not necessarily listen to a woman like you. A family still needs a pillar of support, otherwise it's really too tiring, both mentally and physically.

Shao Shuyi ate a flatbread in a few bites with the fish soup, then said, "When we get back, make sure to keep a close eye on Liu Xing. He's really a promising martial arts talent; if he continues to indulge in pleasure all day, he'll never achieve anything in his life. Besides, you, as his older sister, need his protection. Carefully screen the people from Wenzhou; pick a few who can endure hardship and train them rigorously. Have your younger brother take care of them. I'll go check on them when I have time. Just don't let him slack off, understand?"

Liu responded naturally.

Shao Shuyi then stopped talking and lowered his head to eat the second pancake.

This family will fall apart without me.