A Western Doctor’s Happy Farming Life[1] chapter 84

Working together, they finally filled up a whole sack with lemons. And incidentally, they dug out a small size lemon tree and took it with them when they went back. They aimed to plant it in their yard. That was a good plan though.

After that, they went further into the mountain and finally, they found the trace of the monk fruits and some cumin. Well, Song Qinghan was right, at least there would grow the same plants within the same state.

After gathering another full pack of monk fruits and cumin, they directed their steps toward home.

All the people along the way were curious about them, it was such a queerly great visual impact for them.

Wu Dahu was carrying a big basket full of stuff which was half-shorter than him. Though all the stuff inside was tucked while being covered by a sack, and people failed to figure out what it was. It still could be predicted that it was something with heavy weight from the heavy ligature marks on his shoulder.

It was nothing big if it was just that. But Wu Dahu had a baby tied in front of him with broken clothes, while holding the buttocks of the baby meticulously with his another hand in order to protecting the him from any discomfort of dangling.

Such an awkward dilemma Wu Dahu was facing now!

On the other side, Song Qinghan walked aside empty-handed, looking around and enjoying wandering in the bustling street, as if he never came to realize the embarrassing situation his husband was facing now.

Finally, he got a sudden sense of strange eyesight from the crowd, people were just judging him with disdain and condemnation. Scratching himself confusedly on the head, Song Qinghan did nothing but just walked forward and checked out some other stalls.

They did plan to get their stuff on someone’s stall for selling just as they did in the previous town. But since they found the lemon, Song Qinghan changed his mind.

People here were ignorant toward everything new. Song Qinghan had already found out several things currently, he probably was able to find out more novelties when the spring came again with its wind blown and everything came back to life. It would be much better for him to get himself a good fame than to make a sale promotion one after another. With a good fame, they were able to make their goods more acceptable to the folks in the future.

Most importantly, he could communicate with his customers facing each other when he could be able to run his own stall, while getting the feedback from the market and adjusting his management strategy in time. If he just kept the situation like before being as a simple supplier, trouble would just always happen even though they still could make some profits from it. They wouldn’t be able to move forward and furthered their business without such a strategy.

Ambition makes a man. Right, though he wasn’t able to be a full-time doctor in such an environment, it was still possible for him to be a successful businessman.

Wu Dahu had always been fully supportive of Song Qinghan’s decision. He could feel that as long as he understood the basic rules, Song Qinghan was quite talented in business.

Since participating in the tournament was a risk, running a business was a risk either. Under such a circumstance, they should support each other facing the risks together.

It was nothing to be afraid at all. If they succeeded, they could get their life smoother. If they failed, they would still support each other and share the bitterness.

Along the way, Song Qinghan was absorbing in searching, but he failed to find one which was matching with the one in his imagination. As their house was not afar when he kept walking, he probably had to give up the plan in his mind.

But just as his gaze drifted around, he suddenly took a pause standing still with his eyes fixed, as if he discovered something new and fresh.

Seeing that Song Qinghan was walking directly to the further alley, Wu Dahu followed in astonishment.

Song Qinghan took a careful measurement up and down at the special shop hidden in the alley, and then he asked curiously, “Shopkeeper, are you going to resell your shop?”

The shopkeeper, who was dozing right in the shop, heard the sound and then woke up and rose immediately. When he finally figured what Song Qinghan intended to say, he responded excitedly, saying, “Yes, yes! Are you going to acquire this shop?”

The smile lingering on his face commenced being brighter and brighter when he thought he was able to sell this shop with bad luck.

With an utter confusion, Wu Dahu asked, “Han, this place is too out-of-the-way, I’m afraid that…”

Suddenly, the shopkeeper slammed the table and interrupted loudly, “Sir, you must be saying something out of your mind! Though it’s kind of a shop out-of-the-way, it’s located at a crucial position with a main road nearby which those officials pass through every day. You probably aren’t able to imagine how prosperous it is.”

Wu Dahu responded with amusement, saying, “I know, but no matter how prosperous the main road is, it is still nothing related to your shop, right? Otherwise, why did you choose to resell your shop?”

The shopkeeper stammered for a long time before saying, “it… It is because that I want to take a rest back in my hometown for my retirement. I’ve got enough money though, I can’t spend all my life earning money. Right?”

Hearing that, Song Qinghan stared at the shopkeeper in astonishment, as if he found out that the shopkeeper wasn’t sort of a simple person.

Although he knew exactly that the shopkeeper was ‘talking nonsense’ in a hurry, he still had to admit that what he said did make sense. At least, Song Qinghan was convinced.

He nodded, asking, “How much will you sell your shop?”

The smile on the shopkeeper’s face became more brighter, and then he stretched forth his hand showing his five fingers, saying calmly, “Five hundred silver coins.”

Hearing that, Song Qinghan turned around directly and walked outward without hesitation.

Being afraid that such a price might drive the only customers away, the shopkeeper shouted aloud to Song Qinghan, “I’m just kidding! Five hundred is way too expensive. One hundred, how about one hundred silver coins?”

Song Qinghan paused, and then turned back to the shopkeeper, and responded indifferently, saying, “Eighty silver coins. I don’t even want the stuff in your shop.”

Embarrassed, the shopkeeper dithered while staring at all the remaining stuff in his shop, and then he gritted his teeth, saying, “Take them all, one hundred!”

In fact, there only left something invaluable, but just some counters and chairs and desks. He didn’t get somewhere to get all of them stored, and it would be a waste if he just sent someone without reasons.

Song Qinghan then nodded decisively, “Alright, deal!”

Seeing that he agreed straightforwardly, the shopkeeper started to regret it again. “Well, some of the goods are still good though, I want to bring some back…”

Song Qinghan raised his eyebrows, saying expressionlessly, “Fine, take them as you wish as long as you don’t ruin any arrangement and structure inside.”

Hearing that, the shopkeeper showed his brightest smile while grinning, and closed the door directly, and then he led Song Qinghan to the court and transferred the legal proprietary of the shop to Song Qinghan.

When they came back the shop, Wu Dahu noticed that the shopkeeper really intended to remove all the stuff inside the shop, he raised his eyebrows and was about to say something. But since he noticed that Song Qinghan was being silent standing there, he chose to keep his silence either.

Back at home, Wu Dahu finally came to question Song Qinghan while being all confused, “That shop isn’t a good one at all, probably he it only cost him dozens of silver coins. Why did you acquire it for one hundred silver coins?”

Song Qinghan knew that Wu Dahu must have been suppressing his curiosity for a long time, so he stopped keeping it in suspense. He smiled, explaining, “The location of the shop is a bit bad, but the shopkeeper was telling the truth. The main road outside is such prosperous. In that case, I think if we can take advantage of that, the shop should be in a fabulous position. In addition, didn’t you notice the chairs and desks there? They are all still in a good condition. I think he must spend a lot on building them. A sum of one hundred should be just right for him.”

Wu Dahu nodded as if he figured out everything in his mind, but still asked in confusion, “But that shop hides in the alley, it will be overstated to say that it is close to the main road. People who just pass by might not notice the existence of it. How can we make a good use of it?”

Song Qinghan blinked, showing a grinning look as a “cunning fox”, and then said purposely, “I might not be a sage, but I’ve got bunch of ways. Let’s see!”

Wu Dahu shook his head with an indulgent smile, he decided not to ask further and then walked into the kitchen and started doing his own stuff.

After lunch, the two of them worked together to handle the packs of monk fruits and seasoning, and at the moment they commenced getting the lemons handled, someone knocked on their door.

Wu Dahu approached to open the door, and then the man outside spluttered directly without even a further check, “How’s it? Have you made your decision yet? If you keep being stubborn and do nothing, I will give you a… Wait. Who are you?”

The man who spoke stretched out his neck and looked into the yard. He noticed that not only did the people inside change, but the layout had changed either. With a shock, he immediately reacted and asked in surprise, “Did you buy this house from that stubborn old man?”

The penny did not drop until the man asked something like that, Wu Dahu came to realize the man as he recalled something the previous owner of the house mentioned. He then nodded, asking, “Are you from the Gao Mansion?… Or Zhu Mansion?”

The man wanted to ask Wu Dahu if he knew everything in advance, but after Wu Dahu mentioned the surname of his, he figured out that the newcomers was informed by that old man. He narrowed his eyes, saying as if he was about to teach, “You do have a gut, don’t you? I would say you’re coming to join the tournament, right?”

Wu Dahu was kind of resigned since every door-knocker could figure out that he was about to attend the tournament, he responded reluctantly, “It’s true, what’s the matter? Sir?”

The man stood there snorting, saying in a mocking tone, “I’m the chief examiner in this game, what do you think the matter is?”

An astonishment flashed across in the eyes of Wu Dahu, but it was just an instant moment. And then Wu Dahu made a bow with hands folded in front showing all his equanimity, saying, “Oh, since you’re the examiner of the TOURNAMENT, we will surely meet on the tournament. If you have nothing that you would love to get me informed, please forgive me that I will close the door now.”

Noticing that Wu Dahu stressed the pronunciation of the “tournament”, the man could find out what Wu Dahu meant by saying so. He knew that Wu Dahu was warning him not to harass his family. The fire of anger ignited all of a sudden in his mind. Just at the moment he intended to say something wicked, he heard a familiar voice rang just behind him.

“Hey you, poor old man Gao, are you too old to say something clear? You should tell him you’re just ONE of the examiners. Come on, don’t flatter yourself by saying that you’re the ONLY chief examiner. Do you mean by your words that you’re the only one examiner in the tournament? Listen to yourself, will you?”

After satirizing his longtime rival, he looked at Wu Dahu measuring up and down with his eyes, and then he praised while his eyes lit up with brightness, saying, “Perfect! Boy, you’re born with talent, aren’t you? I’m your neighbor, Zhu. Well, just call me Old Zhu, it’s fine for me. I’m a far cry from this poor old man, don’t get me wrong, I mean, he is kind of a person who does things by hook or by crook, I am the one who express myself straightforwardly. Tell me, how much will you sell this such shack to me?”

Old Man Gao worried that Wu Dahu would promise Old Zhu since Old Zhu was being so straightforward, he said hurriedly, “Hey, young boy! I will pay much higher than he pay. I will pay double. Just be wise!”

Old Zhu got his eyes wide open, and then he said fiercely, “If you double the price, I will triple it. Do you think I am weak as you are?”

Old Man Gao clenched his fists, saying while being rather cheeky, “If you triple it, I will quadruple it! Anyway, I will just double the number of yours.”

“…”

Wu Dahu stood there with a mock resignation watching these two old man verbally fighting against each other. It was quite amusing, because such two old men were just acting like two unruly children. Well, Wu Dahu finally could understand the mood of the previous owner of this house.