Chapter 20: You’re Supposed to Observe and Learn, But You’re Looking at a Young Girl Instead?
“Old Second, tell me about your discoveries!” Yang Zhengshan asked Yang Mingzhi.
Yang Mingzhi walked alongside the ox cart, saying, “Father, I’ve been observing the Lu family for a while now.”
“Lu family?” Yang Zhengshan’s eyebrow twitched.
“Yes, the Lu family is the largest family in Anning County, with many businesses. From my observations, I’ve found that the grain store, blacksmith shop, tavern, teahouse, and silver shop on the east street of the county city are all owned by the Lu family.”
“Additionally, the Lu family has a clan school, with over 50 students, mostly Lu family members. They’re quite talented in their studies.”
“I’ve also befriended a Lu family member, Lu Cheng, who’s 18 years old and studies at the clan school.”
“According to him, the Lu family has an old master working as an official in the capital, possibly a Ministry of Revenue officer.”
Yang Mingzhi shared many tidbits about the Lu family, including their members working as officials and the talents of their clan school students.
Although he spoke in fragments, Yang Zhengshan listened intently, his eyes fixed on Yang Mingzhi.
These were all new aspects Yang Zhengshan had never encountered before, and despite knowing the Lu family was the largest in Anning County, his understanding was limited to their size.
As Yang Mingzhi continued to share, Yang Zhengshan’s gaze grew increasingly strange.
“Father, why are you looking at me like that?” Yang Mingzhi noticed Yang Zhengshan’s eyes and asked, somewhat puzzled.
Yang Zhengshan shook his head, saying, “Nothing, you’re doing well.”
What a talent!
This kid has managed to gather so much information about the Lu family in just a few days and even befriended one of their members.
The original body also knew someone from the Lu family, Lu Zhou, who was like a sworn brother, but the original body barely knew anything about the Lu family.
Comparing the two, the difference was stark.
“Old Third, it’s your turn!” Yang Zhengshan turned to Yang Minghao, who was walking behind the ox cart.
“Ah!” Yang Minghao, lost in thought, suddenly looked stunned.
“What did you discover today?” Yang Zhengshan asked, his voice flat.
“Uh, I found that the young lady at the cloth shop in the south city is very beautiful!” Yang Minghao blurted out.
Yang Zhengshan’s face darkened, and he almost slapped this foolish son of his.
You’re supposed to observe and learn, but you’re looking at a young girl instead?
Damn it!
Yang Zhengshan suppressed his anger.
“Not that, not that – I mean she’s very capable!” Yang Minghao quickly corrected himself, noticing Yang Zhengshan’s dark face.
Yang Zhengshan’s mouth twitched.
Are you kidding me?
“Capable?”
Yang Minghao, sensing Yang Zhengshan’s displeasure, quietly said, “I think she’s the one in charge of the shop.”
Yang Zhengshan took a deep breath, calming himself.
“Forget it, you don’t need to say more.”
Yang Zhengshan didn’t bother to deal with this foolish son, instead turning to Lin Zhan.
“And you?”
“I found that the business of medicinal materials and leather goods is quite good in Anning County!” Lin Zhan said, his young face filled with an uncharacteristic sense of gravity and seriousness.
“Do you have any other ideas?” Yang Zhengshan asked further.
“I think it’s a great idea to let the common people plant medicinal materials!” Lin Zhan looked at Yang Zhengshan with expectation.
Yang Zhengshan smiled, his mouth curving up.
To be honest, Lin Zhan was young, but his intelligence far surpassed Yang Mingzhi and his brothers. Plus, with a scholarly father, he excelled in knowledge and experience.
However, as he was still young, his views were somewhat limited.
“Planting medicinal materials does indeed earn more than planting grains, but you’ve neglected several issues.”
“First, ordinary farmers won’t plant medicinal materials. It’ll take years to promote medicinal material cultivation in Anning County.”
“Second, Anning County’s grain yield is not abundant, which affects the supply and demand relationship. If we let the people plant medicinal materials on a large scale, the county’s grain supply will be insufficient, and importing grains from outside will drive up prices.”
“That’s an increase in costs, and the profit from planting medicinal materials won’t be much different from planting grains.”
“Moreover, without grains, the people’s ability to resist disasters will decrease, and Anning County is prone to natural disasters and man-made calamities. If the people only rely on buying grains to survive, the price of grains will skyrocket.”
“As for the third point, it involves a change in mindset. The people value grains, and they won’t easily switch to medicinal materials.”
Yang Zhengshan shared all his thoughts with Lin Zhan, holding nothing back.
After two months of interaction, Lin Zhan had already gained his recognition.
“When viewing anything, analyze it from multiple angles. Don’t just see the benefits; also discover the drawbacks.”
“Only when you can make up for all the drawbacks can you successfully complete a task.”
Yang Zhengshan patiently taught Lin Zhan.
“Thank you, Master, for your guidance. I will remember it in my heart!” Lin Zhan said.
As they conversed, the sound of horseshoes suddenly echoed from the road ahead.
“Get out of the way!”
The dense sound of horseshoes accompanied by shouting swept past, and the ox driver, Yang Mingcheng, jumped in fright, quickly pulling the reins while the large yellow ox dodged towards the roadside fields.
Rumble, rumble…
The horseshoe sound was like thunder, and in an instant, a cavalry unit galloped past the ox cart, their riders wearing iron armor, iron helmets, and carrying long swords.
Yang Zhengshan sat on the ox cart, his eyes narrowing.
Cavalry!
But not from the border army!
Anning County was close to the northeastern border, and there were military units stationed within the county. Yang Zhengshan had seen border officials in the county city before, but he had never seen a cavalry unit like this.
The cavalry unit had over 300 riders, all wearing iron armor, iron helmets, and carrying long swords, exuding an intense, ferocious aura.
Yang Zhengshan believed this wasn’t a border army cavalry unit because, except for the personal bodyguards of high-ranking officials, most border army cavalry wore leather armor.
Especially during winter, the border army rarely wore iron armor.
So, where did this cavalry unit come from?
The dust settled, and the cavalry unit vanished into the empty fields, leaving behind a trail of dust and chaos.
“My goodness, where did these cavalry come from? They’re so intimidating!” Yang Mingcheng exclaimed, his heart still racing.
“They shouldn’t be from Anning County; they’re wearing iron armor!” Lin Zhan whispered.
“This is strange; why did they suddenly appear? Is there a war in the north?” Yang Mingzhi wondered.
The group marveled at the cavalry unit’s prowess, trying to guess their origin.
Yang Zhengshan thought for a moment, then said, “Let’s get moving. We have to go!”
Fortunately, their large yellow ox was calm, and although it was startled by the sudden appearance of the cavalry, it didn’t go wild, only dodging towards the roadside fields.
The group pushed the ox cart back onto the road and continued their journey home.
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