Chapter 380: We Are Just People with Overnight Riches

Liu You’s Fresh Water Hele shop made a crazy amount of money.

For several days in a row, the villagers of Gaojia Village stood in line to come try the novelty. Business was exceptionally good.

However, the overwhelming business also caused a minor issue.

The coal Liu You used to cook the Fresh Water Hele was coal he had brought by his own cart from Heyang County, along with his cooking utensils. How much coal could that little cart hold? It ran out in no time.

He now had to buy firewood from Gaojia Village’s “woodcutters”.

As everyone knows, the efficiency of firewood is no match for coal. Consequently, the cost per bowl of Fresh Water Hele increased…

Liu You began to miss the cheap coal back in Heyang County.

He thought about it and decided to just make a trip back to Heyang County.

He had come to Gaojia Village alone this time to scope things out. His wife and children were still back in the broken house in Heyang County. His plan was that if the Fresh Water Hele business couldn’t be done in Gaojia Village, he’d just load everything back onto his cart and head home. But if the business was viable here, he’d bring his wife and children over.

Now that his scouting trip was a success—Gaojia Village seemed like a place where he could make a fortune—there was no reason to hesitate. He definitely needed to go fetch his wife and children.

He might as well take the opportunity to haul back a big load of coal.

So he temporarily closed his Fresh Water Hele shop, packed some luggage, and prepared to head home. Just as he stepped out the door, a sudden inspiration struck him: “Wait! If I foolishly go back just to fetch coal, wouldn’t that be stupid? The grain price here is so cheap—only seven wen per jin. Why not bring some back? Hauling grain from here to Heyang County, and then coal from Heyang County back here… I could make a killing!”

Thinking it, he acted on it.

Liu You had earned quite a bit of cash during these days. He first exchanged it for more portable silver. Then he went to Gaojia Village’s “Village Grain Store” and spent the majority of his earnings to buy enough grain to fill three oxcarts.

Next came hiring the carters.

Gaojia Village hadn’t had professional carters before, but after the connection to Chengcheng County was established, many carters came from the county town to Gaojia Village looking for work. They often handled shipments for Gaojia Village, mainly transporting the aid and food distributed by the Deity to small villages in Chengcheng County and the prison up in Huanglong Mountain.

Liu You had just hired three carters and settled on the price.

Then he saw a middle-aged man who looked like a high official, also here to hire carters. And this man’s scale was impressive—he hired dozens of carters in one go.

Liu You couldn’t help but ask the carters quietly, “Who’s that man? Seems like a big shot?”

The carters whispered back, “That’s the second most important person in Gaojia Village after the Saint Lady. He’s called Thirty-Two, everyone calls him ‘Third Steward’! He manages all the administrative affairs of Gaojia Village.”

Liu You was startled: That’s practically the magistrate of Gaojia Village, isn’t it?

While Liu You was murmuring to himself, Thirty-Two walked over and greeted him with a smile. “Huh? If it isn’t the owner of the Heyang specialty, the Fresh Water Hele shop? Why aren’t you open today? What brings you here?”

Liu You was taken aback that such a big shot recognized him. He quickly replied respectfully, “Reporting to Steward Thirty-Two, this humble one needs to go back to Heyang County to fetch his wife and children to live in Gaojia Village.”

Thirty-Two smiled warmly. “Bringing your wife and children? Excellent, excellent! Huh? But to fetch your family, hiring one horse cart would be enough. Why hire three oxcarts? You’re trying to fit a square peg into a round hole here.”

Liu You heard a proverb he completely didn’t understand and saw Thirty-Two posing with a weird, pretentious expression. He felt a strong urge to punch him in the face. But since he was a big official, Liu You dared not. He could only explain, “This humble one reckoned, since the grain is cheap in Gaojia Village and expensive in Heyang County, he might as well trade some grain. Haul grain here over there, and bring back coal from there.”

Thirty-Two’s face brightened with another smile. “A good idea! Excellent! We think alike. See, the dozens of carts I’ve hired are all for that task.”

This sentence truly shocked Liu You.

Competition! And big competition at that. No, wait—actually, it was him who was competing with the big lord! Would the big lord get furious and have people beat him to death?

Liu You started to feel afraid.

Thirty-Two smiled reassuringly. “Don’t be afraid! Heyang County has over eighty thousand people. How can my few carts be enough? I won’t take all your business. You hurry up and set off ahead of me. If you get there first, you’ll get a better price. That’s called ‘to take the lead’.”

Liu You let out a surprised sound. “Huh?”

He hadn’t expected that not only wouldn’t the big lord be angry about him competing in the business, but the lord would actually give him suggestions. Everyone in Gaojia Village, from top to bottom, truly were good people.

Liu You gave Thirty-Two a deep bow, quickly gathered his three carters, and set off. Driving the three oxcarts laden with grain, they urged the oxen forward, hurrying back to Heyang County City. He knocked on the door of his own house.

The door opened. Liu You’s wife appeared. “A’You? You’re finally back! You’ve been gone for days without a single word. The child and I have been worrying sick every day…”

Liu You radiated happiness, grinning ear to ear. “Hehehe, Gaojia Village is a wonderful place! We’re going to be rich! I’m back to take you and the child to Gaojia Village to live a good life!”

“What kind of fortune can we make with a small business?” Mrs. Liu shook her head. “Peace for our people is what makes a good life.”

Liu You gestured proudly. “Look behind you! In just a few days, I’ve earned all this!”

Mrs. Liu looked past him. On the street behind Liu You were three oxcarts. They were piled high with sacks—three carts full of grain!

Mrs. Liu was utterly astonished. “This… this is all… ours?”

Liu You puffed out his chest. “Yes, it’s all ours.”

Heyang County now had an increasing supply of grain because Gaojia Village had been transporting grain continuously to pay the road construction workers their daily three jin of flour. But even so, the grain shortage remained significant, and the grain price stayed high.

Three cartloads of grain! This represented a huge sum of money in Heyang County!

The happiness hit too suddenly. Mrs. Liu gasped, clutched her forehead, and felt slightly dizzy.

“We’ll sell all this grain,” Liu You explained excitedly, rubbing his hands together, “then buy three cartloads of coal to bring back to Gaojia Village. After that, I’ll cook the Fresh Water Hele, you’ll help serve the customers. Our husband-and-wife shop is going to rake in the money! Henceforth, I’ll be called ‘Rich and Wealthy,’ and you’ll be ‘The Rich and Wealthy Wife,’ hahaha!”

Mrs. Liu looked torn between laughter and tears. “A nickname like that… isn’t it too much like those with overnight riches? It sounds awful!”

Liu You declared brightly, “But we are people with overnight riches! Since we are like that, what’s wrong with having a name that fits it? Would it be funnier if we pretended to be gentlemen instead?”

“This…”