Chapter 164: If You’re the One Asking, It’s Not Impossible to Make an Exception
Wen Xiuyi observed the expressions of the old man and the old lady, then turned to look at Wen Yao beside him. “Yaoyao,” he called out.
Wen Yao flashed him an “OK” gesture. Catching his drift instantly, she began digging into her purse.
“Here you go, Brother. Ten taels.” Wen Yao placed a ten-tael silver ingot directly in front of Wen Nong.
Wen Nong looked at Wen Yao and Wen Xiuyi in astonishment, his eyes welling with tears. “Uncle…”
“Ah, we’re all family. Take this money and secure the storefront first,” Wen Xiuyi said. “Remember, you must pick a prime location. Strike while the iron is hot and before too many people start snapping up the shops. A business’s success is heavily tied to its location.”
“Mmh, mmh!” Wen Nong nodded vigorously.
Beside them, Lady Li and Wen Xiuzhu exchanged a glance. Lady Li spoke up directly, “Wen Nong, write an IOU to your uncle. Brother, consider this money a loan from us.”
“A loan? What loan? If you’re going to be like this, I might as well start tallying up our accounts. From childhood until now, how much of the money you two earned did I spend?” Wen Xiuyi put on a thoroughly displeased expression. “Fine, let’s sit down and calculate it right now.”
Seeing that he was genuinely angry, Wen Xiuzhu hurriedly spoke up, “Brother, that’s not what I meant.”
He really didn’t mean it that way.
Seeing his brother’s eyes flushing red with anxiety, Wen Xiuyi let out a sigh and turned to Old Man Wen and Old Madam Luo for help.
Old Madam Luo looked between the two parties and spoke up, “Eldest, let’s consider this money a loan to Wen Nong. Let him pay you back himself after he earns it in the future. Don’t refuse either. Once Wen Nong acquires this storefront, it belongs to him alone and has nothing to do with anyone else in this household. So you must accept this money.”
With a single sentence, the old lady settled the matter. Even if Wen Xiuyi didn’t care about the money, he had no choice but to accept it now.
“Alright then. Nong, there’s no rush, okay? Take your time paying it back.” Wen Xiuyi could only listen to his mother.
Wen Nong nodded repeatedly. He took the silver, wrote out an IOU, stamped it with his thumbprint, and the money officially belonged to him.
As for whether Wen Nong would actually return the money in the future, Wen Xiuyi truly didn’t care. Even if he never repaid it, Wen Xiuyi wouldn’t say a word.
With the matter of the storefront resolved, the family continued their dinner, and everyone headed back to their respective homes afterward.
Sanxi was shooed off by Wen Xiuyi to study, with Datou strictly instructed to keep a close eye on his two older brothers. Only then did Wen Xiuyi sit down in the courtyard with his son and daughter to discuss their grand plan.
“The County Magistrate is quite forward-thinking,” Wen Xiuyi remarked. “Back when I went to the docks to set up the stall, I noticed that Yunwu Town gets a lot of foot traffic and people coming and going. It’s just that the docks are so chaotic they look a bit unseemly. This is great; if it’s properly refurbished, it’ll definitely attract even more people.”
Recalling the state of the docks back then, Wen Jun nodded in agreement. Now that he was studying medicine under Doctor Jin, he spent his days almost entirely cut off from outside affairs. Feeling a twinge of guilt that he hadn’t been able to help out with the household chores, he spoke up, “Dad, since the family is so busy right now, how about I speak to Master and come home to help out for a while?”
Wen Xiuyi immediately blew his top. “No, no, no! You focus entirely on studying medicine. You are our family’s greatest hope. In the future, make a name for yourself as a divine physician to bring honor to your dad’s face. Don’t worry about household matters; aren’t your sister and I still here?”
Wen Xiuyi knew exactly what was on his son’s mind. He patted Wen Jun gently on the shoulder. Between men, a single look was worth a thousand words.
Wen Jun bit his lip, deeply moved. A quiet thought formed in his mind: how could he utilize his own knowledge to contribute to the family?
The three of them arriving in this world together was their greatest reliance. Seeing the two of them getting all mushy, Wen Yao cut in, “Dad, I think what Wen Nong said makes a lot of sense. Why don’t we take this opportunity to secure a few storefronts at the docks ourselves?
Think about it: who knows how Yunwu Town will develop in the future? The docks are the absolute primary gateway into Yunwu Town by water. In the future, that land might be worth its weight in gold. Strike while the iron is hot, Dad!”
No matter the era, real estate was always king!
Wen Yao understood this truth deeply. Right now, a storefront only cost ten taels of silver; in the future, it might easily fetch over a hundred taels.
Spurred by her reminder, Wen Xiuyi’s eyes lit up. “You’re right! How did I not think of that?”
Wen Yao smiled triumphantly. “It always takes me, heh heh. Dad, go with Wen Nong tomorrow. The County Magistrate knows you; maybe he’ll even give our family a prime, front-row location.”
The corner of Wen Xiuyi’s mouth twitched. What did the County Magistrate know him for? Wasn’t it all just riding on the coattails of Manager Qiu and Doctor Jin?
Still, acquiring some storefronts was definitely a viable move.
“Alright, then I’ll make a trip tomorrow. How many should we get?” Wen Xiuyi asked.
Wen Yao pondered for a moment. “If the storefronts are large, let’s get five. If they’re small, getting eight or ten should be perfectly fine, right?”
With money in their hands now, they felt no panic. Even if they didn’t use the storefronts themselves in the future, leasing them out would still provide a steady stream of income.
Wen Xiuyi smiled and tapped her on the head. “Your capability isn’t that vast, yet your tone is certainly grand—eight or ten storefronts, indeed. The docks are undergoing a refurbishment right now, so the prices of the shops are cheap. There are bound to be many people who want to secure one. I’ll go check out the situation tomorrow first. If the rules state that each household can only get one, then we’ll just secure one for now.”
“Fine.”
The next day, Wen Xiuyi took Wen Nong straight into the city. Upon arriving at the county yamen, they announced their names, and before long, someone led them inside to meet the County Magistrate.
County Magistrate Chen welcomed Wen Xiuyi with immense warmth.
“Ah, it’s Scholar Wen! This official was just wondering who would come calling at this hour.”
Wen Xiuyi cupped his hands in greeting, and Wen Nong hurriedly followed his example. County Magistrate Chen nodded and invited Wen Xiuyi to take a seat. “Has Scholar Wen come today regarding some specific matter?”
Wen Xiuyi didn’t beat around the bush, stating directly, “Lord Chen, this commoner won’t mince words with Your Lordship. The reason I came today is that I heard from my nephew that Your Lordship intends to refurbish the area around the docks.”
As a highly astute man, County Magistrate Chen caught Wen Xiuyi’s drift instantly. He smiled and said, “There is indeed such a plan. You see, although our Yunwu Town isn’t large, the constant influx of travelers makes it quite prosperous. The docks have been filthy and chaotic for years, which severely damages our local image. That is why I thought to reorganize the area. Why? Does Scholar Wen have some ideas to share?”
Wen Xiuyi hurriedly said humbly, “I wouldn’t dare presume to display my lack of skill before Your Lordship. It’s just that I heard from my nephew that one can pay to construct a storefront there, so I wished to inquire with Your Lordship on how the registration process works.”
“Hahaha!” County Magistrate Chen chuckled. “So it is for this matter. This is simple; just go register with the yamen clerk. You may choose any location that hasn’t already been selected by someone else.”
Wen Xiuyi nodded, leaning in slightly closer as he asked, “Then may I ask Your Lordship, how many storefronts is a single household permitted to acquire?”
County Magistrate Chen raised an eyebrow, understanding dawning in his heart. The people who had come to find him over the past two days were all asking for this exact reason. He replied honestly, “Well… by right, a single household is only permitted to acquire one. But if Scholar Wen is the one asking… it’s not impossible for this official to make an exception.”
