Building a Martial Dao Celestial Family by Laying Low

Chapter 299: Chapter 295: Spring Rush

Lingxi.

The days grew warmer as spring deepened.

Everyone in the Chen Family was running off their feet.

Inside the training room, Chen Shouye began his seclusion.

He had already opened over three hundred acupoints by the end of last year and could have attempted a breakthrough at the start of this year.

However, Chen Li had tasked him with finding Qian Laibao and handling the various tasks of opening a silk shop, and the constant travel had caused delays.

Only after all these matters were settled did he return and finally quiet his mind for Cultivation.

The front courtyard, however, was a scene of bustling activity.

Chen Shouheng and Zhou Shuwei were assisting his mother, Song Ying, in managing the family’s businesses.

On one hand, there was the construction of the Textile Workshop; on the other, all the matters related to this year’s sericulture.

This year’s spring silkworms benefited from the one thousand acres of mulberry trees finally entering their peak production period, their branches flourishing and their leaf yield nearly tripling compared to last year.

The remaining 4,400-plus acres of new mulberry trees had only been planted for a year and a half. Although their growth was promising, their yield was not yet significant.

All told, the estimated yield of fresh cocoons from the spring silkworms was about 900,000 catties.

Calculated at one mace of silver per catty, that amounted to an income of 90,000 silver taels.

Handling such an enormous quantity was, naturally, extremely difficult.

Storage was the first major hurdle.

A single burlap sack could hold about forty catties of cocoons, meaning the 900,000 catties would require 22,500 sacks and storehouses large enough to hold them all while being moisture-proof and well-ventilated.

Fortunately, they had foreseen this at the end of last year. Before construction on the Textile Workshop began, they had already expanded and built several rows of new warehouses, which now came in handy.

Of course, they had no intention of selling the fresh cocoons this year.

Over five hundred silk-reeling machines were running simultaneously.

More than 1,200 hired short-term laborers tossed the cocoons into boiling pots, drew out the shimmering raw silk, and wound it into skeins.

Beyond reeling the silk, feeding these 1,200-plus people each day had also become a major affair.

The consumption of rice, flour, grain, oil, vegetables, meat, and eggs was astonishing.

At the Chen Family’s current scale, they no longer needed to make special trips to the market for daily supplies. Instead, local farmers and vendors delivered goods on a schedule, where the Chen Family’s steward in charge of purchasing would inspect them, weigh them, and pay for them.

This "at-your-door" delivery service seemed convenient, but there was a whole world of intrigue beneath the surface.

Purchasing had always been the most lucrative position, rife with opportunities for kickbacks.

Vendors, hoping for an easy process or a higher price, inevitably had to deal with the steward and the servants who did the weighing.

If the servants were left completely unsupervised, the chicanery involved was enough to silently hollow out a great family enterprise.

Song Ying understood the intricacies of this and entrusted the task to her daughter, Shouyue, repeatedly warning her to keep a close watch.

Chen Shouyue was patient and meticulous. After accepting the assignment, she stood watch by the open ground from morning till night.

She rarely inspected the goods herself, content to watch quietly and ask an occasional question.

Sun Shouyi stood silently to the side.

Seeing her like this, the stewards and servants felt a sense of trepidation and conducted themselves with propriety.

Of course, even so, there were always those who wouldn’t follow the rules.

This morning, a familiar vegetable vendor arrived pushing a wheelbarrow with several large, dew-kissed baskets of shepherd’s purse. It all looked fresh and vibrant.

The servant in charge of inspection, Chen Daifu, stepped forward, casually rustled the top layer of green leaves, and nodded, ready to weigh the produce and pay.

"Wait."

Chen Shouyue, who had been sitting behind a makeshift table, suddenly spoke and walked down slowly.

The vendor’s smile froze, and Chen Daifu stopped in his tracks.

Chen Shouyue walked over to the wheelbarrow and said, "Move aside that top layer. Let’s see what’s underneath."

Chen Daifu’s expression changed slightly. He forced a smile. "Third Miss, it’s all fresh. Old Wang has been delivering vegetables for a long time. He’s trustworthy..."

"Move it."

Chen Shouyue’s voice wasn’t loud, but it sent a chill down Chen Daifu’s spine.

Sun Shouyi took half a step forward.

Resigned, Chen Daifu had no choice but to reach out and carefully push aside the good vegetables on top.

The leaves underneath were yellowed and wilted. Further down, some were even rotting and leaking fluid, emitting a faint, sour smell.

Chen Shouyue’s face darkened.

Seeing he’d been exposed, the vendor first panicked, then began to protest loudly, "Oh! They must have gotten jostled on the road! Third Miss, I’ll take them back right now and bring you a fresh batch!"

Chen Daifu quickly chimed in, "Yes, yes, it must have been the bumpy road. Third Miss, just let him go get a replacement."

Chen Shouyue ignored the vendor. She pointed with her right hand, and a burst of Qi Strength shot out, instantly tearing Chen Daifu’s sleeve.

Dozens of copper coins immediately tumbled out.

"Third Miss, what is the meaning of this?"

Sweat beaded on Chen Daifu’s forehead as he tried to argue his way out of it.

But Chen Shouyue turned to the vendor. "The Chen Family will not be buying your vegetables. Take your things and leave immediately. From now on, you are no longer welcome here."

The vendor wanted to argue, but Sun Shouyi stepped forward and drew his saber. The man fell silent, grabbed his wheelbarrow, and scurried away in disgrace.

Only then did Chen Shouyue turn to the pale-faced Chen Daifu. "You’ve served the Chen Family for many years; you should know the rules. You will be fined one stone of grain from your wages. If there is a next time, the Chen Family will not keep you. Do you understand?"

PLOP! Chen Daifu dropped to his knees, kowtowing repeatedly. "I understand! Thank you for your mercy, Third Miss! This lowly one will never dare again!"

Although Chen Shouyue had made an example of him, she knew it was uncertain how long this warning would remain effective.

The purchasing affairs were temporarily put in order, but soon, a far more troublesome matter arose.

The family’s grain reserves were running low.

At the end of last year, an inventory check showed a total of over 2,300 stone of grain in the granaries.

This number sounded quite substantial, and it would have been enough if it were only used to feed the current workforce of over 1,200 people.

The Chen Family didn’t treat its hired workers as harshly as other landowners, who would glare at anyone asking for even half an extra bowl of rice.

Anyone who worked for the Chen Family was allowed to eat their fill of congee and rice during mealtimes on workdays.

Eighty to ninety percent of these 1,200 workers were women, whose appetites weren’t large to begin with. As long as they were watched closely to prevent anyone from sneaking food out, the daily consumption was still within a manageable range.

The Chen Family’s rules were strict. If caught, a first-time offender would be severely punished. A second offense meant immediate dismissal for short-term workers and termination of contract for long-term ones, with no exceptions.

The real pressure came from paying their wages.

Once all the spring cocoons had been reeled into silk, it would be time to pay the workers.

The Chen Family had always settled accounts by paying in grain.

Chen Shouyue carefully checked the consumption records for the past few months and estimated the upcoming wage payments. Her heart sank.

At this rate, the family’s granaries would likely be empty by the time this batch of spring cocoons was fully processed into raw silk.

Chen Shouyue immediately went to find her eldest brother, Chen Shouheng.

"We’re running out of grain?"

Chen Shouheng’s brow furrowed instantly.

’If we don’t have enough grain, we can just buy more.’

With the Chen Family’s resources, they certainly had enough silver to purchase grain.

But things were never that simple.

The grain trade in Liyang County was almost completely controlled by the Commerce Association.

And behind the Commerce Association, besides a few great Noble Families, was Sun Huisou—the public face of Governor He Mingyun.

Using the national policy of "replacing rice with mulberry" as a pretext, the Commerce Association had turned Liyang’s grain trade into a monopoly, amassing a great fortune.

No one would pay any mind to common folk buying a few stone or a dozen stone of grain here and there.

But a family like the Chens, needing thousands upon thousands of stone, would definitely not escape the Commerce Association’s notice.

Even if they had their servants buy small amounts separately, once the cumulative quantity grew large, they would inevitably be targeted.

Thinking of his family’s relationship with Governor He Mingyun, Chen Shouheng felt a headache coming on.

Seeing his expression, Zhou Shuwei, who was beside him, spoke up. "My Zhou Family still has some grain stored in Ping County—a few thousand stone, at least. Since we are one family now, we can have it transferred over as a temporary measure. However, this is ultimately a stopgap, not a long-term solution. Of course, while this matter is tricky, it’s not entirely without a solution."

"Shuwei, what’s your plan?"

Chen Shouheng asked eagerly.

Zhou Shuwei smiled. "A long-term, stable supply of grain will likely depend on you and your brother, as well as that Miss Liu Ruoyi."

Chen Shouheng was taken aback by her words, not immediately understanding her meaning.

"The great Noble Families may own vast tracts of land, but they also support even more servants and Guests, leading to immense consumption. Furthermore, not all their land is used for growing grain; some is used for mulberry, hemp, cotton, and lacquer. They aren’t the ones with a large surplus of grain available for sale."

Zhou Shuwei explained, "The ones with substantial grain reserves who might be willing to sell are actually the local Gentry and landlords. Their individual stores of grain might not compare to the vast amounts held by the Noble Families, but there are a great many of them.

"Grains of sand build a pagoda; their combined total would be a considerable sum. It’s just that in recent years, most of them have been reluctant to sell, and they won’t part with their grain unless absolutely necessary. Unless, that is, they have a reason they can’t refuse, or a pressing need of their own."

"For example, if their children are training at a martial arts hall, which costs a fortune and requires silver or resources?"

Chen Shouheng’s eyes lit up as he immediately understood.

"Precisely. The path of literature is for the poor, the path of martial arts for the rich. A disciple who can train peacefully at a martial arts hall must come from a family with at least a hundred acres of fertile land to their name."

Zhou Shuwei nodded. "They need a considerable amount of silver every year to buy Medicinal Cuisine. Even if they don’t need silver taels, we can trade for things they desperately need. Then, grain won’t be an issue."

Chen Shouheng thought back to his own family’s situation all those years ago. It was so similar.

However, he was from the Tiger Subduing Martial Arts Hall, but it had long been shut down, and his martial brothers had all gone their separate ways, making them difficult to find.

His second brother, Shouye, on the other hand... His Kao Mountain Martial Arts Hall master, Li Weikun, was also his father-in-law. If they could ask him to step in and contact the families of disciples from outside Jingshan and Lishui counties, it shouldn’t be difficult.

What’s more, the family’s Vajra Bone-Forging Ointment was a hot commodity at the Kao Mountain Martial Arts Hall. If they offered it in exchange for grain, the other parties would most likely not refuse.

Liu Ruoyi was from the Zhuifeng Martial Arts Hall, and Qingshui County hadn’t implemented the policy of replacing rice with mulberry, so their grain supply was abundant.

If they could purchase grain through the Zhuifeng Martial Arts Hall’s channels, the quantity would surely be substantial. The only problem was that the Zhuifeng Martial Arts Hall had no prior connection to their family. Whether they would be willing to sell remained an unknown.

Unless... they could offer them Medicinal Cuisine for their Cultivation.

But the family’s Elixirs, even the lowest-grade Mysterious Black Tortoise Tribulation Secret Medicine, were the very foundation of the family.

Even the family-born servants who practiced martial arts were only given Blood-Strengthening Powder.

’This matter will have to wait for Father’s return to be decided.’

He immediately said, "I’ll wait for Shouye to come out of seclusion, and then I’ll discuss it with him."

But Zhou Shuwei added with a knowing smile, "Actually, there’s another ready-made path that you might not have thought of, Shouheng."

"What path?"

Chen Shouheng asked, curious.

Zhou Shuwei chuckled lightly. "Don’t forget your master, Zhou Zhen. He’s acquired quite a bit of property in Ping County over the years—at least a thousand or two acres. He also has many disciples in Ping County, most of whom come from well-off families. If he were willing to help, I imagine gathering a shipment of grain wouldn’t be difficult."

Chen Shouheng’s eyes brightened, and he nodded. "I really should pay him a visit."

「Two days later.」

Chen Shouye emerged from his seclusion, a joyful expression on his face. He had clearly reached the Profound Acupoint Pass.

The two brothers discussed the plan in detail and, finding it feasible, decided to act separately.

Chen Shouheng would go to Ping County to visit his master, Zhou Zhen.

Chen Shouye would go to Jingshan County Town to seek help from Li Weikun.

With the plan set, the two of them left together.

They had just reached the main road when they encountered two horse-drawn carriages.

As the carriages drew closer, they saw it was none other than a travel-worn Chen Li, returned at last.

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!