Chen Daniu and Chen Fangfang went to Xu Chuan's home once again, arriving just in time for lunch.
Bai Jing naturally welcomed them.
Xu Mingwei and Xu Mingyuan did not attend the academy, instead taking time to study at home.
Sometimes, Chen Daniu and his sister would bring textbooks and assignments from the academy for the two brothers to reference.
It had to be said that the two brothers, Xu Mingwei and Xu Mingyuan, were both very bright.
Their knowledge was not inferior to the others', and their horizons were even broader.
Tempered by real-life experiences, they were polished into even finer young men.
At dusk three days later.
Stepping through the evening glow, Chen Ergou carried a jar of fine Huangliang Wine into the courtyard of the Xu family.
"Sister-in-law, is Brother Chuan back yet?"
Seeing Bai Jing on the walkway in front of the main hall supervising Xu Mingyuan's calligraphy practice, Chen Ergou called out with a smile.
"My husband should be back in a little while. If you have business with him, have a seat and wait; you can stay for dinner as well."
"Thank you, Sister-in-law. This is good wine I swiped from my Dad. He's had it stashed away for over ten years, and there's hardly any left."
Bai Jing smiled in surprise, took the wine inside, and brought out a bench for him.
Chen Ergou looked at Xu Mingyuan's calligraphy and nodded, saying, "This is much better than my Chen Daniu's. You really know how to teach, Sister-in-law."
"Where would I get such ability? It was all taught by your Brother Chuan by hand. I merely supervise them each day to complete the tasks my husband assigns."
"With Brother Chuan's level of learning, he could easily be a teacher at an academy."
Bai Jing giggled, naturally delighted in her heart to hear others praise her husband.
"What are you chatting about so happily? Ah, Ergou is here."
Chen Ergou turned to look and saw Xu Chuan and Xu Mingwei walking over, carrying hoes on their shoulders with their trouser legs rolled up.
In Xu Mingwei's hand was a wooden bucket.
"Brother Chuan, you're back."
Xu Mingwei handed the wooden bucket to Bai Jing and smiled honestly. "Mother, Dad and I gathered quite a few river snails today."
"Tsk, that really is a lot." Bai Jing smiled faintly. "Though river snails need to be purged for a day or two first. Otherwise, they'd make a fine dish to go with wine for your Dad and Uncle Ergou."
"Do you have something to discuss with me? Let's chat inside; dinner will probably take a little longer."
Chen Ergou nodded.
At this moment, seeing Xu Chuan return, Xu Mingxuan came pattering over, begging Xu Chuan to play with him.
Xu Mingwei swept Xu Mingxuan up into his arms. "Tantou, Big Brother will play with you. Big Brother will practice some punches for you to see."
"Yay! I want to see you punch!" Xu Mingxuan clapped his hands happily.
Bang, bang, bang~
As Xu Mingwei began practicing his boxing, bursts of explosive cracks echoed through the air.
Chen Ergou was taken aback, staring at Xu Mingwei in the courtyard for a long while.
"Brother Chuan, Shitou is incredible! He looks just like a Martial Artist. I bet in just a few years, he'll become a true Martial Artist."
Chen Ergou's vision was ultimately limited.
Had his eldest brother been here, he likely would have recognized at a glance that Xu Mingwei was already a Martial Artist who had birthed Internal Force.
Once he opened thirty-six acupoints, he would be a Third-rate Martial Artist.
Several years had passed, and the thirty-six-year-old Chen Daming was still merely a Second-rate Martial Artist.
Though he had Talent for martial arts, it was considered mediocre at best; in all his life, he would likely remain in the realm of a Second-rate Martial Artist.
"My brother even said you wouldn't be able to cultivate that Minor Dragon Elephant Technique, but I think his own Talent is just low."
Chen Ergou chuckled twice. "The next time I see him, I'll definitely mock him properly. I wonder how his Azure Jade Pear trees are doing."
"All right, let's talk business. What did you come looking for me for today?"
Chen Ergou said, "It's about what Ayuan told my two kids a couple days ago. I think it's very suitable."
"By now, the Xu family has grown to a decent scale under your leadership. If you want to expand further, you certainly can't manage it all on your own. You know I have plenty of free time, so anything you don't have time to handle, you can leave to me."
"That way, everyone wins."
"Uncle Chen agreed?"
"My Dad thinks very highly of you. As soon as I mentioned it to him, he agreed right away and even said I finally used my head."
Xu Chuan smiled slightly. "Then how do you propose we cooperate?"
"Let's go with the second option. I'll handle selling the produce from both our families. All of your family's profits stay with your family, and my family's profits... a thirty-seventy split."
"Thirty percent of the profits is no small sum. Can you really bear to part with that?"
Chen Ergou thumped his chest. "Even forty percent would be fine!"
"I appreciate your goodwill."
"Brother Chuan, you won't agree?" Chen Ergou panicked a little.
"No, what I mean is that twenty percent is enough. You handle the planting in your own fields—the amount doesn't matter, and I'll only be responsible for providing guidance. Your family handles the sales, but my family must also provide a person."
"It's not that I don't trust you, but that this is the only fair way."
"Brother Chuan, you're stepping in personally? Will you have enough time?"
"Naturally not me, but my Ayuan." Xu Chuan smiled. "He has considerable Talent in the Dao of commerce. Having him take some time to travel around with you and broaden his horizons would be excellent tempering."
"Ayuan is indeed impressive. If he hadn't brought up this suggestion, I never would have thought of it."
Xu Chuan nodded. "Furthermore, I suggest you reach out to your elder brother to recruit a few honest, dutiful, and trustworthy Martial Artists during the selling period, just to prevent any unforeseen accidents."
"Brother Chuan, you really think through everything." After careful consideration, Chen Ergou said, "Not long ago, I heard my Dad say that a disaster struck the west, and quite a few refugees are heading toward our area."
"Is that so?"
Xu Chuan narrowed his eyes, thinking that when he had free time, he should divine the fortune and misfortune of this matter.
With all the busy farm work recently, he had only used it to calculate the day's weather and the like.
Having settled the cooperation between the two families, Chen Ergou's anxious heart finally settled, thinking that when he went back tonight, he could finally sleep peacefully.
That night.
Chen Ergou became dead drunk, so it was Xu Mingwei who supported him on the way home.
On the road, however, a figure suddenly darted out and slammed a cudgel onto Xu Mingwei's head, knocking him dizzy and disoriented.
His grip slipping, Chen Ergou tumbled straight to the ground with a groan.
Xu Mingwei clutched his head and turned to look closely.
Though the night was dim, he possessed eyes that were far from ordinary.
In a shadowy corner, a ragged beggar holding a wooden stick trembled slightly, his eyes glowing green like a vicious wolf's as he glared at Xu Mingwei.
Seeing that despite striking with all his might, the target was practically unharmed, the beggar's eyes were filled with disbelief.
"Who are you?!" Xu Mingwei roared.
The moment the words left his mouth, the disheveled beggar turned and fled.
Xu Mingwei wanted to give chase, but Chen Ergou clung tightly to his leg, mumbling, "Wife... Wife..."
Xu Mingwei could hardly leave Chen Ergou alone there, so he helped him up and escorted him home.
Afterward, he didn't forget to urge Xu Yan not to go out casually at night, mentioning that he himself had just been ambushed with a club.
Had he not possessed a formidable physical constitution, the valuables on both of them would likely have been stripped clean, and their lives might even have been in danger.
"Is that so? Then Shitou, be careful on your way back too."
After returning home, Xu Mingwei also spoke of the matter to Xu Chuan.
"A beggar?"
"It seems things are going to be chaotic for a while."
"Lately, don't go out at night unless it's necessary."
"Understood, Dad."