Even if Lin Yan had come to humiliate her, she could only stand there and endure it.
She had always been proud. Even now, in her misfortune, she didn’t want to appear too wretched in front of Lin Yan. She simply lowered her gaze and said in a hoarse voice, "Brother Lin, what a coincidence."
Looking at Li Yu’s state, Lin Yan could guess what was on her mind. He gave a slight nod, his tone even and devoid of any mockery. "Miss Li, are you also here to see the fireworks?"
Li Yu kept her eyes downcast, her voice hoarse. "Yes. I didn’t expect to run into you here, Brother Lin. What a coincidence."
"Since we happened to meet, let me be the first to wish you a happy and successful New Year, Miss Li."
This blessing, however, left Li Yu stunned. She snapped her head up to look at Lin Yan, her eyes filled with astonishment.
’In her mind, she had just run through countless taunts Lin Yan could have thrown at her, imagined the smug look he might wear, but she had never once considered that he would offer words of blessing.’
"I... I also wish you a happy Lantern Festival, Brother Lin, and a smooth journey on your martial path."
Lin Yan felt her gaze and glanced at her, but said nothing more.
’His impression of Li Yu wasn’t favorable, but he didn’t hate her. When his master had arranged matchmaking sessions for him, the other families hadn’t even bothered to show up. Li Yu, at least, had come to meet him. She had even offered him twenty taels of silver, though he hadn’t accepted.’
As she watched Lin Yan walk toward a group of young men, take one with him, and leave, Li Yu remained rooted to the spot. Finally, tears she could no longer hold back streamed down her face.
’If she had just accepted the marriage proposal back then, would her family have avoided this fate? Would she now be the object of her friends’ envy?’
But in this world, there is no cure for regret. What was lost was lost forever.
The New Year began!
In the morning, Lin Yan went to the Martial Arts Hall bright and early, just like any other day.
He ate some noodles, but wasn’t there for long before his master kicked them all out, just like the previous year.
When Lin Yan got home, he found the house was already bustling with activity.
His Fourth Aunt, Li Min, and her husband, Fourth Uncle Cai Wanlong, had come with their son Cai Jun to pay a New Year’s visit. Zhang Wei and Wang Tao had also arrived.
According to the customs of Guangping County Town, a married woman was to bring her husband to pay New Year’s respects to the male relatives of her generation in her family.
Lin Yan’s late father and missing uncle were merely Li Min’s cousins. But given Lin Yan’s current power, as far as Li Min was concerned, that made them closer than true siblings.
In the main hall, Mrs. Liu was busy boiling water and cooking, with Li Min helping her. The two women chatted and laughed, taking on all the duties of hosting the guests themselves.
The two little ones, Lin Mo and Cai Jun, had slipped out long ago, off to run wild somewhere.
Cai Wanlong sat to one side, sipping his tea with a smile, his gaze drifting from Lin Yan to Zhang Wei and Wang Tao.
"Wei Zi, have you two ever thought about starting a business?"
Lin Yan put down his teacup and looked at Zhang Wei and Wang Tao.
’I’m a Third-Time Skin Smoothing Martial Artist now. I have the ability to help my two childhood friends.’
"Start a business?" Zhang Wei scratched his head and gave a wry smile. "The two of us don’t have the skills for that. I can barely read. I’m just scraping by at the Escort Agency. If I were to actually go into business for myself, I’m afraid I’d lose the shirt off my back."
Wang Tao also waved his hands in dismissal. "It’s the same for me. As a Clerk at the apothecary, I already get an earful from my uncle every day."
They weren’t just being polite; they spoke with sincerity, truly believing they weren’t cut out for it.
Just as Lin Yan was about to say something more, Cai Wanlong, who had been sitting to the side, set down his teacup and spoke with a chuckle.
"My young friends, that’s where you’re mistaken."
Zhang Wei and Wang Tao both turned to him, their faces filled with confusion.
Cai Wanlong unhurriedly stroked his beard and smiled. "Young brother Zhang Wei, you’ve worked at the Escort Agency for many years. You may not be literate, but you know the ins and outs of the docks. You know all the trade routes, which roads are safe and which are dangerous, which passes are easy and which are troublesome. I imagine you know these things better than anyone, correct?"
Zhang Wei paused, then nodded instinctively. "That’s true. I’ve been on the road with the Escort Agency for over two years now. I’ve traveled many of the trade routes. I know which mountains have bandit forts, which stretches of road are prone to ambushes, and which relay stations are safe to rest at. I’ve got it all mapped out in my head."
"That’s a real skill." Cai Wanlong slapped his thigh. "What’s the biggest fear in business? Something happening to the goods in transit. You know the roads, you know the trade, you know how to avoid risk—that’s an incredible asset. You can hire a bookkeeper if you can’t read, but if you don’t know the routes, you’re helpless."
Zhang Wei opened his mouth, but for a moment, he was at a loss for words.
Cai Wanlong then turned to Wang Tao. "As for you, young brother Wang Tao, getting scolded by your uncle is just how elders show they care. In their eyes, the younger generation is never quite good enough, no matter how capable they are. The job of an apothecary Clerk is nothing to scoff at. You interact with many Martial Artists, which means you have to be good at reading people. In business, being able to read people is half the battle."
Zhang Wei and Wang Tao looked at each other, both of them a little stunned.
"The Cai Family is in the textile business," Cai Wanlong said with a smile. "Before the year’s end, I was thinking about acquiring another shop or two, but I don’t have anyone I can trust to run them. If you two are willing, how about this: I’ll provide the capital. Brother Wang Tao, you’ll be responsible for negotiating prices with the dyeing houses. Brother Zhang Wei, you’ll handle escorting the shipments. Any profits, we split three ways. Any losses are on me."
"This..." Zhang Wei’s eyes widened. "Master Cai, that wouldn’t be right, would it?"
"Who says you aren’t contributing anything?" Cai Wanlong waved his hand dismissively. "You’re contributing your skills, and those are things money can’t buy."
Hearing this, Lin Yan couldn’t help but glance at Cai Wanlong.
’This uncle of mine is truly a sharp one.’
’On the surface, he was bringing Zhang Wei and Wang Tao into a business venture. In reality, he was helping me look after my two old friends.’
’He’d phrased it so well, making them feel like they were earning their keep by their own merits, not accepting a handout.’
’He provides the capital and assumes all the risk, yet the profits are split three ways. It was a flawless gesture of goodwill.’
Seeing Zhang Wei and Wang Tao still hesitating, Lin Yan spoke up:
"Wei Zi, Monkey, our uncle means well. You shouldn’t turn him down."
Zhang Wei scratched his head. "But we really don’t know the first thing about business. We’re afraid we’ll end up losing Master Cai’s money."
Wang Tao chimed in to agree. "If we really do this, we should just take a regular wage."
"How about this," Lin Yan said. "As for the startup capital, I’ll lend it to you two. We can’t let our uncle shoulder all the risk alone. If you’re worried about bookkeeping, I can recommend a couple of people. Mr. Sun, the man who taught me to read, is good with numbers and could serve as your Shopkeeper. Then there’s Xu Ping from Willow Lane. He used to be a Martial Artist. Even though he was crippled, he still has connections in that world. He’d have no problem working as a Steward."
He knew his friends. If Zhang Wei and Wang Tao didn’t contribute their own capital, they would be too embarrassed to accept a share of the profits.
’As for Mr. Sun, leaving aside the bond they shared as teacher and student, Lin Yan owed him a massive debt just for the ’True Understanding of Earth Veins’.
’And Xu Ping was another matter entirely. He had taken the fall for him and given him the opportunity for a post with the Tang Family. The debt he owed him was immense.’
With the conversation having reached this point, Zhang Wei and Wang Tao could no longer refuse.
They knew in their hearts that Master Cai was only including them in this partnership for Stone’s sake. Their job now was to not embarrass Stone. They had to make this business succeed, no matter what.
"Then... then we thank you, Master Cai." Zhang Wei cupped his fists, a rare bashful look on his face.
"What’s to thank? We’re all family now. As for Mr. Sun and Xu Ping, the three of us will go and extend the invitation in person when the time is right." Cai Wanlong laughed heartily, raising his teacup. "Come, let this tea be our wine! A toast to our first venture of the spring being a great success!"

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