Chapter 311: Missing One—Yu Zhengqing
This was the wilderness. When they first arrived here half a year ago, everything was barren—nothing but yellow soil and rocks, with barely any greenery in sight. There wasn’t a single courtyard, let alone a developed town!
Yet, in less than a year, Yu Luo’s family of three, with the help of over ten thousand people and the power of Ye Jiamei’s maternal family, had miraculously built an impressive city right here in the middle of nowhere.
Not only had Yu Luo’s family become the absolute rulers of this city, but they also had nearly twenty thousand people working for them, along with tens of thousands of acres of reclaimed land growing various crops, vegetables, and fruits.
And what about the rest of them? They were still living day to day, feeling fortunate just to have a stable life with food, shelter, and a small monthly stipend of one or two taels of silver. Compared to the hardships they had once feared, exile had turned out to be manageable—tough, but at least secure.
But now, seeing the stark contrast, it was impossible not to feel envious.
The same family that had once shared a cramped mountain cave with them upon arriving in this wasteland was now living like nobility.
How could this even be called exile? Yu Luo’s family had practically been reborn, turning this barren land into their own paradise, where they could prosper and make money!
Perhaps this was simply fate.
Even though they envied Yu Luo’s family’s luxurious life, they couldn’t deny that without the Yu family’s capabilities, many of them would have likely starved to death long ago.
“Yes, we owe it all to my uncles. Stay for dinner tonight—it’s a good chance to catch up with my parents.”
“Great, great! Then we won’t hold back. Considering your family’s wealth now, feeding a few extra people won’t hurt you in the slightest!”
Yu Yongcai’s words made everyone laugh heartily, including Yu Luo.
For a moment, it felt like they were back on the road to exile—except now, the Yu family’s legitimate heirs were no longer present. Yu Zhengqing, their former leader, was also missing from the scene.
Before Yu Luo could ask why they had come today, Yu Haojie arrived in a hurry.
And when the group saw his fine silk attire from head to toe, they immediately started teasing him.
“Hahaha! Well, what can I do? I’m a city lord now—I have to dress the part, don’t I? We just opened the city gates yesterday. Even though there aren’t many travelers passing through, I still have to maintain a proper image. Besides, my brothers-in-law worked so hard to build this city for me—I have to manage it properly, right?”
“That’s right! And we have to admit, your wife’s family really stands behind you, Second Brother. With their support, you have to make the most of it! Besides, without you building this city, where would the twenty thousand of us even live? This is all thanks to you.”
Yu Yongjun, the most eloquent among them, spoke first, and the rest quickly nodded in agreement.
“You’re here about the shops, aren’t you?”
Yu Haojie had suspected this the moment they arrived. Just two days ago, they had announced that shops in Luo City would be available for rent. Now that this group had come together, it was obvious why they were here.
“Yes, Second Young Master Yu, we won’t beat around the bush. We’ve discussed it with our families, and we all want to open a shop to do some business. Even though there aren’t many people in this wilderness, once winter comes, our families will move into the city, so we figured now is the time to secure a place. That’s why we’re here to ask about shop prices.”
Bai You didn’t bother with formalities. Even though he had once held a government position, he had no reservations about becoming a merchant. To him, nothing was more important than providing for his family.
“That’s not a problem. You’re all part of our community, so we wanted to give you priority. But let me be upfront—business has risks. You need to have a clear plan before committing. Also, since this is a remote area, sourcing goods will be difficult. I suggest you consider businesses that don’t require large amounts of inventory to get started. That way, you’ll avoid logistical headaches later on.”
Yu Haojie sincerely wanted his former companions to thrive in exile, so he gave them his honest advice.
The group had already thought about this issue before coming here. That was precisely why, after Yu Haojie’s words, only the Zhang family and Yu Shanhai seemed confident—while the rest hesitated awkwardly.
“Uncle Bai, Uncle Liu, Uncle Shanhai, Uncle Juncai, Uncle Yongjun… judging by your expressions, don’t tell me you haven’t even decided what business to start?”
As soon as Yu Luo asked, all of them turned to her with embarrassed looks.
“Sigh, nothing gets past you, Xiao Luo. You’re absolutely right—we still haven’t figured out what business to start. The biggest problem is sourcing goods. That’s why we came to ask for your advice.”
Among them, the Yu family’s third branch had the closest relationship with Yu Luo’s family. Seeing that she had seen through their dilemma, Yu Yongcai shamelessly admitted their troubles.
Hearing this, Yu Luo and Yu Haojie exchanged glances before scanning the others’ faces. One by one, they all nodded sheepishly.
“Xiao Luo, Second Young Master Yu—no, I should say City Lord Yu now. After all, your old title doesn’t apply anymore. You’re the rightful ruler of Luo City now.”
Just as the conversation stalled, Zhang Yuan turned to Yu Haojie and spoke again.
“Haha, it’s just a title. You can call me whatever you like. Brother Zhang, what’s on your mind?”
“Well, since Luo City is in the wilderness, there are plenty of martial artists around. My family has blacksmithing skills, so we want to open a forge. The only problem is sourcing materials. We know you have the ability to acquire raw iron, so we’d like to partner with you.”
Yu Haojie’s interest piqued at this suggestion. “Partner up? You mean we provide the materials, and you provide the labor?”
“Exactly. We can forge weapons, and we can split the profits. If you’re willing to collaborate, we can discuss the profit-sharing terms in detail later.”
Hearing this, Yu Haojie didn’t hesitate to nod. “That sounds like a solid plan. Luo City definitely needs a blacksmith shop. Let’s sit down later and work out the investment and profit-sharing details.”
