Chapter 133: Return Like a Hero

Lu Lin was right, Ji Cheng Kang and his team needed to come back to Sha County not long after he reported on his work in the imperial court. Chen Xiao Cai and Chen Xiao Mai followed the team back, while Ji Yun An was left in the capital city to pursue his study.

Chen Xiao Mai had so much fun in the capital city and he was reluctant to leave. However, he didn't make a scene when he heard the news that they were leaving soon.

......

"Big Brother, we are back!" Chen Xiao Cai visited Chen Xiao Mi first after they had arrived, he was thrilled when he heard the great news that Shen Chi was pregnant.

"Lin Ge, we've made about 2400 taels of silver from the book sale, I've split the money with Ji Yun An like you told me. This is our half, 1200 taels, and I've spent some in the capital city."

Chen Xiao Mi was stunned, "So much! People in the capital city would spend so much money on a story!"

Lu Lin was also shocked, but he managed to look calm and collected.

Lu Lin thought that Chen Xiao Cai was indeed a genius! He was impressed by how much money Cai had made within such a short period of time.

Chen Xiao Cai then took out the bandars notes that Lu Lin had sewn under the linings of his clothes before they left for the capital city. "Lin Ge, here is the money you have given me for the trip, I didn't spend any."

"Cai, you've done an awesome job!"

"Lin Ge, you are flattering me, you should take the credit, people are paying for your story."

Chen Xiao Cai knew that Lu Lin had told people that he heard the story from a late mountain people when they were back in the Big Stone Village. However, Chen Xiao Cai knew that was impossible, mountain people were always too weighed down with work to take a break, let alone telling Lu Lin stories. What was more, how come Qin Yi, a mountain people himself, had never heard this story.

Chen Xiao Cai always felt that Lu Lin was loaded with secrets, but he did not dig into it.

"Cai, let's split the 1200 taels fifty-fifty," Lu Lin said.

Chen Xiao Cai shook his head and said, "I'll take two hundred."

Two hundred taels was already an amount that a lot of people could only dream of in their lifetime. Chen Xiao Cai felt he didn't deserve half because all he did was following Lu Lin's instructions and he felt Lu Lin could make way more than 2400 tales if he had the time to go to the capital city himself.

Lu Lin shook his head and said, "600 tales, I insist! You are having a baby soon, plus we are family, it doesn't make much difference."

Chen Xiao Cai nodded and took 600 taels of silver.

Chen Xiao Cai didn't have much cash in hand because he bought a commercial street in Sha County not long ago. He appreciated it so much that Lu Lin was making up excuses to give him more money.

"Our winery is doing pretty great, would you like to manage the winery now that you are back? " Lu Lin said.

Chen Xiao Cai nodded and said, "I'd love to."

Chen Xiao Cai hesitated for a second and said, "Lin Ge, I enjoyed doing business in the capital city, rich people just made everything so much easier, but it's easy to offend people there!"

"Oh? Care to explain?"

At first, Chen Xiao Cai and Ji Yun An decided to give Auspicious Clous teahouse the exclusive authority about the story-telling, but a few tea houses approached Ji Cheng Kang.

Other teahouses were owned by members of the imperial house, of course they had to change the plan because couldn't afford to offend the high-ranking officials in the slightest.

At that point, it was no longer something that Chen Xiao Cai could manage. Chen Xiao Cai handed the matter to Ji Cheng Kang's capable hands.

There were too many big shots in the capital city, Chen Xiao Cai knew he had to speak and act cautiously.

"Although everything is good in the capital city, I miss the freedom."

Chen Xiao Mi smiled and said, "You are back home now, Cai, just be yourself!"

......

Chen Xiao Cai sent a batch of wine to the military camp as a thankyou gift for their hard work on the trip.

Chen Xiao Cai now enjoyed some fame in the military camp. Along the way, the escorting soldiers could always get some snacks from Cai. After Chen Xiao Cai arrived at the capital, he had treated the soldiers to nice dinners from time to time.

The soldiers appreciated Chen Xiao Cai's gesture very much.

In the military camp, some of the soldiers who originally looked down on Chen Xiao Cai started to regard him with special respect when they heard he shared the profit with Ji Cheng Kang.

Liu Yun flipped through the book in his hand and said, "General Ji, this story is really interesting."

Ji Cheng Kang nodded and said, "I'm glad you enjoy it. I heard that the imperial concubines in the palace also like this story."

Ji Cheng Kang even sent a few hardback editions to the imperial palace. The cost was actually very cheap, but it came with a great return. Ji Cheng Kang was never good at seeking credit for his accomplishment, so he tended to get invisible in front of the emperor. But now the emperor was so impressed by the books that he even recalled Ji Cheng Kang's brilliant achievements in war, the emperor even had mentioned giving Ji Cheng Kang a promotion.

Ji Cheng Kang was rendered speechless. He braved countless dangers over the years yet he remained invisible in the imperial court, now he had distinguished himself over a set of books.

Liu Yun smiled and said, "We can even tell the story to the soldiers as entertainment."

Ji Cheng Kang nodded and said, "Okay! Old Eight and others who went to the capital city all have heard the story, I'm sure they will be more than happy to share the story with others."

"There are more people settling down in Sha County recently," Liu Yun said.

Ji Cheng Kang nodded and said, "This is a good thing. We can reclaim more desolate land with more people."

Ji Cheng Kang felt that Sha County seemed to have changed quite a lot. Many villagers were repairing roads with enthusiasm. He thought the villagers must get paid really well considering how much enthusiasm they had.

......

Shen Chi was very excited about Chen Xiao Cai's return.

"Is the capital city prosperous?" Shen Chi asked curiously.

Chen Xiao Cai nodded. "The capital city is naturally bustling."

The most prosperous place in Sha County was the commercial street, but there were so many bustling districts in the capital city.

Antique shops, jewel shops, calligraphy shops, you could find everything that you could wish for in the commercial district.

It really baffled Chen Xiao Cai that one painting could be sold for over a few hundred tales of silver.

Chen Xiao Cai always felt like he was a nobody in the capital city, even though the book business was a hit.

"I brought you delicious food."

Shen Chi smiled, "Why bother? The food must have gone bad already, it's such a great distance from home to the capital city."

Although Shen Chi said so, he felt so warm at heart.

Chen Xiao Cai smiled and said, "I didn't get them from the capital city. I bought you some lotus root powder from the neighboring county."

Shen Chi nodded and said, "Lotus root powder sounds great."

"Mai is the one who has bought all the specialties before we let the capital city, a box for Big Brother, a box for Lin Ge, a box for you, a box for Uncle Qin... Where is your box, you may ask. Mai ate every single box before we arrived home."

Shen Chi couldn't help but give a soft smile.

"Mai is such a cute kid, Ji Yun An decided to stay in the capital city?" asked Shen Chi.

Chen Xiao Cai nodded and said, "Yes."

Shen Chi sighed and said, "He is a young master after all, of course it makes more sense that he stays in the capital city!"

Chen Xiao Cai nodded, "Yeah! However, he seems to be in a lot of trouble."

Although Ji Cheng Kang was a legitimate son, he didn't spend his childhood with his grandparents, so he wasn't favored by the elders.

Although Ji Yun An changed his surname and his name was in the pedigree of the Ji clan, after all, he was the son of a married daughter after all. He was underappreciated in the Ji family.

Ji Yun An's father was a hypocrite, and he had no intention to make up for what he had done when Ji Yun An was a boy.

Chen Xiao Cai pondered the situation his friend was in, then he shook his head in silence. Ji Yun An seemed to have to face a lot of difficulties if he aspired to pursue an official career.

"I haven't been away for long. The town is much more lively!" Chen Xiao Cai changed the subject.

Shen Chi nodded and said, "Lin Ge hired several teams to build roads, and he pays really well, 30 cents per day. The workers then decided to settle down in Sha County."

"This is a good thing," Chen Xiao Cai said.

Population was also an important criterion for evaluating the prosperity of a county. If the population in the county has increased significantly, it would be very beneficial for the assessment of the County Magistrate.

Shen Chi nodded and said, "Many people settle down here because of Lin Ge."

Chen Xiao Cai smiled and said, "I didn't expect Lin Ge to be this influential. I have underestimated him..."

Shen Chi looked at Chen Xiao Cai helplessly and said, "Lin Ge is not just a business genius!"

Chen Xiao Cai thought to himself, 'Chi, you've only seen the heroic side of Lin Ge, trust me, he wasn't like this when Mai and I were younger. He used to play all kinds of silly tricks on us... but I'm not going to tell you that and ruin his image in your heart.'

......

Qin Ming sat on a high stone pillar, sharing what he had seen and done in the trip with the workers.

The workers were stunned by Qin Ming's stories.

Qin Ming enjoyed all the attention.

"Bro Ming, did the young master Cai really make a fortune from selling books?"

Qin Ming nodded, "Yes! There were too many rich people in the capital, and they are very stupid. You know what, young master Cai sold the books for 8 tales, but they scrambled to buy them!"

"How much money for one set of books did you just say?" A carpenter asked.

"Eight taels," Qin Ming gesticulated wildly with his hands.

The workers instantly cried out in shock, "Eight taels! You can buy at least 5 piglets with that money!"

" Eight taels! That's my annual income!"

"Were there really people willing to pay that amount of money?"

"Of course! It was mind-blowing how many people were in line, scrambling for a set!" Qin Ming said with a proud tone.

"What kind of book is it!"

"This story, ah, it's about a monkey! The title is Journey to the West."

"The story of a monkey can be sold for so much money? People in the capital city are indeed wealthy and stupid!"

Qin Ming said, "Those people also like to vie with each other, your outfit is 10 tales of silver, then I'm going to spend 15 taels on mine, you know, just very silly! Our young master Cai is nothing like that, he is very down-to-earth, he doesn't care other silly people laughing at him for what he is wearing."

"How much did Young Master Chen earn?" A blacksmith couldn't help but ask.

Qin Ming shook his head and said conservatively, "I don't know the exact number, but I do know he has split the money fifty-fifty with young master Ji. I think they each had got about 1000 tales, at least."

Qin Ming's words had provoked an uproar from the workers, 1000 taels was an amount they could only dreamed for.

"Young master Cai is amazing!"

"No wonder he has bought a commercial street! He is so capable!"

Qin Lang looked at Qin Ming who was sitting at the center and enjoying all the attention with a doting smile on his face, he was glad that his little brother had so much fun in the trip. He wished he were on that trip as well, but he genuinely felt happy for his little brother.

"Father, Second Brother seems to be very happy recently."

Qin Yi smiled and said, "Let him be, of course he feels proud that he has been to the capital city at such a young age. In the entire Sha County, the people who have been to the capital city are numbered."

Qin Lang nodded, "That is true!"

Qin Yi was very satisfied with his current life. A few years ago, he was a struggling mountain people, and now he and his sons were leading a comfortable life.

Due to the inconvenient transportation in this time and space, few people could afford to go on a long journey. A trip made for great conversations.

......

"Father, Second Uncle is amazing!" Yuan Bao nibbled on a bun and said that.

Lu Lin nodded, "Yeah! Your Second Uncle is amazing."

Yuan Bao raised his head and said, "I want to be like Second Uncle when I grow up."

Lu Lin tilted his head and thought to himself, 'Why Yuan Bao doesn't say he wants to become someone like me, his own father! I'm just as amazing as Cai, aren't I?'

Lu Lin said with a sour tone, "Yuan Bao, don't you want to become someone like Father?"

Yuan Bao cast a sidelong glance at Lu Lin and said in disdain, "But father, you are afraid of snakes and worms."

Lu Lin, "..."

Chen Xiao Mi walked in and happened to hear the conversation between the father and son.

Seeing that Lu Lin's expression was bad, Yuan Bao made a face and took to his heels.

Lu Lin said with a sour tone, "Cai becomes a hero in the county now, everyone is talking about him."

Chen Xiao Mi smiled and comforted Lu Lin, "You are the one who contributed the most!" Without you, he doesn't have a book to sell."

Lu Lin touched his chin and thought to himself, 'That is true, I guess I'm the unsung hero.'