Chapter 380 We're Nouveau Riche, Alright
Liu You's fresh aquatic noodle shop was raking in money.
For several days straight, the villagers of Gao Family Village lined up, eager to try something new, and business was absolutely booming.
However, such roaring success also presented a small problem.
The coal Liu You used to boil his fresh aquatic noodles had been hauled from Heyang County himself, along with his cooking equipment, on a small handcart. How much coal could such a cart carry? It was gone in the blink of an eye.
Now, he could only buy firewood from the "woodcutters" of Gao Family Village to burn.
Everyone knew that firewood's burning efficiency wasn't on the same level as coal. This, in turn, drove up the cost per bowl of fresh aquatic noodles...
Liu You began to long for the cheap coal of Heyang County.
After some thought, he decided he might as well make a trip back to Heyang County.
He had only come to Gao Family Village alone this time, scouting out the situation. His wife and children were still in their dilapidated house in Heyang County. His plan had been: if the fresh aquatic noodle business didn't work out here, he'd haul his cooking gear back home on the handcart. If business thrived, he'd bring his family over.
He figured he might as well seize the opportunity to haul back a large cartload of coal too.
So, he temporarily closed his fresh aquatic noodle shop, packed a few belongings, and set off for home. He was already out the door when a sudden flash of inspiration struck him: "Wait! Wouldn't it be utterly foolish to just go back and fetch coal like a simpleton? The grain prices here are so incredibly cheap, seven copper coins a catty! Why don't I bring some back? Hauling grain from here to Heyang County, then bringing coal back from Heyang County—I'd make an absolute killing!"
No sooner had the thought occurred than he acted!
Liu You had earned quite a few copper coins these past few days. He first exchanged them for more portable silver, then headed to the Gao Family Village grain store. He pulled out more than half of his recent earnings and bought enough grain to fill three ox-carts.
Next, he needed to hire carters.
Carters were a rarity in Gao Family Village before, but after the road to Chengcheng County was opened, many carters from the county town flocked to Gao Family Village looking for work. They often undertook grain transport for the village, responsible for delivering the relief grain dispensed by the Heavenly Lord to various small villages in Chengcheng County and to the prisons in the Huanglong Mountains.
Liu You had just hired three carters and settled on a price.
He then saw a middle-aged man, who looked very much like a high official, also coming to hire carters. And this gentleman's generosity was striking; he hired dozens of carters all at once.
Liu You couldn't help but whisper to the carters, "Who is that man? He seems to be a big shot, doesn't he?"
The carters whispered back, "That's the biggest person in Gao Family Village besides the Saintess, his name is San Shier! Everyone calls him Manager San! He's in charge of all administrative affairs in Gao Family Village."
Liu You gasped in surprise: "Isn't that just like the magistrate of Gao Family Village?"
As he was mumbling to himself, San Shier approached Liu You and greeted him with a smile: "Oh? Aren't you the proprietor of the Heyang specialty snack, the fresh aquatic noodle shop? You're not open today? What brings you here?"
Liu You was startled. Such an important figure actually recognized him! He quickly replied with deference, "Replying to Manager San, this humble one is returning to Heyang County to bring my wife and children to Gao Family Village to live together."
San Shier smiled: "Bringing your wife and children, that's excellent, excellent! Hmm? You're just bringing your family, a horse-drawn carriage would suffice, so why have you hired three ox-carts meant for hauling goods? This, it is called, 'a square handle for a round socket.'"
Liu You heard an idiom he completely failed to understand, and saw San Shier wearing a peculiar, self-important expression. He desperately wanted to punch him square in the face, but the man was a major official, so he didn't dare. He could only explain, "This humble one figures that grain is cheap here in Gao Family Village, and expensive in Heyang County. So, I plan to resell some grain; haul grain there, and bring some coal back from there."
San Shier's face broke into a smile: "Excellent idea! Very good! You're thinking exactly like me. Look, these dozens of carts I've hired are all for the same purpose."
That single sentence startled Liu You immensely.
Competition was here, and it was a large-scale takeover. No, he had to think the other way around: he was encroaching on a great lord's business. Would the official, in a fit of rage, order some men to beat him to death?
Liu You felt a pang of fear.
San Shier smiled: "Don't be afraid! Heyang County has over eighty thousand people. My few dozen carts won't be enough for everyone, will they? I won't steal all your business. You should set off quickly, get ahead of me, and you might even secure a better price. This, it is called, 'taking the lead!'"
Liu You: "Huh?"
Unexpectedly, he had encroached on the great lord's business, yet the lord not only wasn't angry but actually offered advice. Gao Family Village truly was full of good people, from top to bottom.
Liu You bowed deeply to San Shier, then quickly set off with his three carters. Hauling three carts of grain, they urged the oxen forward, speeding back to Heyang County town, and knocked on his own front door.
The door opened, and Liu You's wife emerged from inside. "Ah You, you're finally back! You've been gone for days without a single word, and the children and I have been so worried every day..."
Liu You's face glowed with excitement. "Heh heh heh, Gao Family Village is truly a wonderful place! Our family is going to get rich! I've come back this time to take you to Gao Family Village so we can live a good life together."
"What kind of fortune can we make running a small business?" Madam Liu shook her head. "As long as we're safe and sound, that's a good life."
Liu You said, "Look behind me. In just a few days, I've earned all this!"
Madam Liu looked behind him. On the street behind Liu You stood three ox-carts, each laden with sacks of flour—three full carts!
Madam Liu was not a little shocked. "This... is all... ours?"
Liu You was beaming with pride. "Yes, it's all ours."
By this time, Heyang County already had a fair amount of grain, as Gao Family Village had been continuously transporting it to pay the road workers three catties of flour per day. But even so, the grain shortage remained significant, and prices remained exorbitantly high.
Three carts of flour! That was a huge sum of money in Heyang County!
The sudden arrival of such fortune was too much. Madam Liu let out a soft cry, clutching her forehead, feeling a little dizzy.
"We'll sell all this grain, then buy three carts of coal to take back to Gao Family Village. From now on, I'll cook the fresh aquatic noodles, and you'll help me attend to the customers. Our little husband-and-wife shop will make serious money!" Liu You rubbed his hands together excitedly. "From now on, I'll be 'Greasy Rich,' and you'll be 'Madam Greasy Rich,' hahahaha!"
Madam Liu gave a wry smile. "Won't that nickname sound a bit too much like we're nouveau riche? It sounds awful."
Liu You retorted, "But we *are* nouveau riche! As nouveau riche, what's wrong with having a name that perfectly describes us? Are we supposed to pretend to be cultured gentlemen? That would be even more ridiculous, wouldn't it?"
"Well..."
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