Chapter 138: Cai and Chi are Back in Forest Town

It took Chen Xiao Cai and Shen Chi half a month to finally arrive at Forest Town.

After entering Forest Town the two of them didn't go back to the village directly. Instead, they found an inn in the town to stay.

Chen Xiao Mi had sold their house in the village a long time ago, Shen Chi still had a country house from Granny Shen. However, the house had been empty for years, it was inhabitable without a thorough cleaning.

Over the years, Shen Chi had been accompanying Chen Xiao Cai wherever he went. Sometimes, he would get nostalgia and recalled the quite days when they were back in the village.

For Chen Xiao Cai, life in the village was indeed not good. In fact, Shen Chi was similar. Shen Chi's parents died early, and his relatives became estranged with him and Granny Shen for fear that they he would borrow money.

However, Shen Chi was slightly better than Chen Xiao Cai. When Granny Shen was alive, she had a few friends in the village and they all had offered her help.

Sometimes, when Shen Chi recalled the days in the village, he would live to go back to the village and have a look. However, when he was really back, Shen Chi felt rather bewildered.

"Forest Town has not changed in the past few years!" Shen Chi said.

In Shen Chi's impression, Forest Town should be much more prosperous than Sha County. Back then, when Shen Chi and Chen Xiao Cai had just arrived at Sha County, Shen Chi thought that Sha County could not compare to Forest Town. And within a few years' time, Sha County now had progressed in leaps and bounds.

Many villagers obtained wealth by hard work. In comparison, Forest Town looked rather plain.

Chen Xiao Cai walked on the street with his hands clasped behind his back, "We have witnessed Sha County's fast development. Lin Ge is so capable."

In comparison, Forest Town's County Magistrate was useless. It had been many years since they had left and there had been no change in town at all. However, an official would be considered as a good official as long as they don't take bribes.

Chen Xiao Cai nodded, "Yeah, Sha County people should really thank Lin Ge!"

"Second Master Chen," Yang Heng Zhi greeted Chen Xiao Cai warmly. "My servants said that they saw you. I thought they saw wrong, but I didn't expect it to be true, what a nice surprise!"

"Master Yang! Long time no see," Chen Xiao Cai cupped his hands to Yang Heng Zhi.

"Long time no see, Second Master Chen, you look great!" Yang Heng Zhi thought to himself, 'A few years ago, Chen Xiao Cai was already a big shot, and now he looks even more imposing!'

"Master Yang, you are flattering me."

"Don't be so modest. I heard that you went to the capital two years ago?"

Chen Xiao Cai nodded and said, "Yes, me and a friend just tried our luck."

After Chen Xiao Cai came back, Ji Yun An seemed to have reprinted the story a few more times and soon Chen Xiao Cai had received more than 1,000 taels of dividends from Ji Yun An.

Yang Heng Zhi smiled and said, "Second Master Yang, you are like the old times, always so humble."

From what Butcher Zhang had said, Chen Xiao Cai stayed in the capital city for less than two months, and he had earned a few hundred taels of silver. The silver was not the most important thing, apparently Chen Xiao Cai had associated with people in the Ministry of War.

"I heard that Lin Ge is doing so great in the border that he has even received a commendation letter from His Majesty."

Chen Xiao Cai smiled and said, "Lin Ge indeed is doing a great job. Sha County used to be very poor, but now the people are doing so much better thanks to Lin Ge."

Lu Lin paid for the keeping of Sha County when they first arrived there. However, it all paid off, so many visitors came to Sha County to visit and relax, Lu Lin and Chen Xiao Cai's shops had made a lot of money.

Yang Heng Zhi smiled and said, "To be able to make a border county a better place to live, Lin Ge is so capable!"

The magistrates Sha County had always suffered adverse fortune, and several of them had died an unnatural death.

When Lu Lin first bought the official post, Yang Heng Zhi was very skeptical, he had mixed feelings, he was jealous and worried at the same time. He was worried about his friend and he was jealous that Lu Lin was so unrestrained, he was jealous because there would be a huge status difference between him and this friend.

Yang Heng Zhi did not expect that Lu Lin had done such a good job. It was said that Lu Lin had a good relationship with the local patrol camp in Sha County. A while ago, even a prince had visited Sha County.

A prince! Yang Heng Zhi did not expect that Lu Lin, as a petty official, would have the chance to receive such a big shot.

"Master Yang, your business is getting bigger and bigger, you have purchased a few shops in Forest Town now!" Chen Xiao Cai praised.

Yang Heng Zhi smiled and said, "I need to thank you and Magistrate Lu for paving the way."

Lu Lin was framed by the previous magistrate in Forest Town, so Yang Heng Zhi bought Sino Commercial House which already enjoyed a great customer base from Lu Lin.

Things were not smooth when Yang Heng Zhi first took over the commercial house, the previous magistrate tried to extort money from him.

At one point, Yang Heng Zhi regretted purchasing this commercial house. However, the magistrate was sent to jail soon. And things had taken off for Yang Heng Zhi after that.

The new magistrate had taken warning by his predecessor's failure, he was much more low-key than the previous County Magistrate.

Yang Heng Zhi looked Chen Xiao Cai up and down and once again he exclaimed in his heart that Chen Xiao Cai seemed to be a lot more imposing. Before Lu Lin bought the official post, he was just a merchant, but now he was a successful official. He even had associated with high-ranking officials in the capital city, he was no longer the alone and helpless peasant anymore.

"How is Magistrate Lu?"

Chen Xiao Cai nodded and said, "Lin Ge is doing great."

Chen Xiao Cai thought to himself, 'Lin Ge is the brainpower, he is full of ideas and plans, and he is great discovering able people and putting them at suitable posts. People usually think he must be so busy, actually no, he is leading a comfortable life because the people under him would do things for him readily.'

"Magistrate Lu has such a prophetic vision! Selling official titles is now banned by the government, you cannot buy an official post no matter how much money you are willing to pay," Yang Heng Zhi sighed.

In the same year when Lu Lin bought the official post, some people were intrigued by several other vacant official positions available. However, those positions were not very good. Although many rich people had taken a fancy to them, they all hesitated because they wanted to look for a better position, however, the whole selling official titles system was soon banned by the government.

Chen Xiao Cai shrugged and said, "Although owning a title of county magistrate sounds great, it was actually not that good when they first arrived at Sha County. Even the roof of the County Yamen was missing, we'd be homeless if not for the renovation work we have done."

"I heard that Sha County has fundamentally changed over the years thanks to Magistrate Lu!" Yang Heng Zhi said.

Chen Xiao Cai nodded, "That is true!"

......

Chen Xiao Cai's popularity in the village was not very good, but he enjoyed a good reputation in town. Knowing that Chen Xiao Cai was back, several merchants chipped in and organized a welcoming banquet for Chen Xiao Cai.

Many people in the town knew that Lu Lin now was a successful official.

Lu Lin was just a businessman back then, but now he was a government official. Chen Xiao Cai's social had risen thanks to Lu Lin.

Quite a few people who had chipped in just wanted to associate with Chen Xiao Cai in the name of the welcoming banquet.

Lu Cheng Yu and one of his classmates named Sun Hu happened to walk past the Good Luck Restaurant when the banquet was taking place.

"What's going on? It seems to be very lively!" Lu Cheng Yu said.

Sun Hu glanced at Lu Cheng Yu and said, "A successful merchant came back to visit his family's grave, the merchants in town are throwing him a welcome banquet now."

Lu Cheng Yu asked curiously, "Which merchant are you talking about?"

Sun Hu said with a strange expression, "Haven't you heard the news? You know that person really well, the one who sold the commercial house for the official title in Sha County!"

Lu Cheng Yu's face darkened, and his heart gave a jolt, "Do you mean my cousin Lu Lin? He is back?"

Lu Cheng Yu frowned. 'Lu Lin is already an official now, can he leave his duties without authorization?'

"Not Lu Lin. His brother-in-law."

"Not Lu Lin!" Lu Cheng Yu suddenly felt relieved. Although he was unwilling to admit it, Lu Cheng Yu didn't want to see Lu Lin.

Two years ago, Lu Cheng Yu failed to pass the imperial examinations at the provincial level.

It was such a wake-up call for Lu Cheng Yu who used to have such a good opinion about his ability, he felt so dwarfed by those articles written by the fellow candidates. Then he became mad jealous about Lu Lin who just got an official post with money.

And right after that, the Commendation Letter about Lu Lin issued by the Emperor had reached the village, then Lu Lin became the talk of the village again. Every time they heard the villagers talk about Lu Lin with admiration, Lu Cheng Yu felt very jealous and uncomfortable.

In the past two years, the circumstances for the Lus hadn't improved much. Grandpa Lu passed away two years ago.

Grandma Lu started to restrain herself since that, she didn't make a fuss easily like she used to.

Lu Cheng Yu stood on the street, watching Chen Xiao Cai and Shen Chi being surrounded by several big shots in Forest Town.

Everyone was talking lively and jovially, no one seemed to have noticed Lu Cheng Yu who was standing outside.

Shen Chi who was always quite observant had vaguely noticed Lu Cheng Yu's gaze and he cast a glance outside of the window. Lu Cheng Yu immediately left.

Sun Hu looked at Lu Cheng Yu and said, "Your cousin Lu Lin is cold-hearted, isn't he! He is already an official, but none of your family members has benefited from him."

Lu Cheng Yu pilled a long face and he didn't say anything. He was too proud to even try to talk to Lu Lin.

'I wonder why Chen Xiao Cai came back, just to visit his family's grave? And I wonder whether the Chens know he is back.' Lu Cheng Yu thought to himself.

Thinking of Chen Xiao Cai, who was surrounded by all those big shots in town, Lu Cheng Yu suddenly felt that he was inferior. Although he was a Xiucai, none of those big shots would be bothered to get to know him, but they all fawned on Chen Xiao Cai like that!