Chapter 89: Horse Ranch
The second day, Liu Yuanfu brought six Liu-family children to the government office, where Yang Zhengshan chatted with them for a bit before taking them to the school.
The so-called school was just a small courtyard, with three standard rooms transformed into one large room that could fit forty students at the same time. The east and west wing rooms were used as the teachers’ offices and restrooms. Next door was a slightly larger courtyard, which Yang Zhengshan had set up for the soldiers to learn literacy.
On the eighth day of the tenth month, the school opened, and the first batch of forty children from the garrison were selected to attend, including Lin Zhan. On the same day, the first batch of soldiers completed their one-month basic training. After completing their training, they would return to replace others on sentry duty at the beacon towers and walls, allowing other soldiers to come for basic training.
Of course, this didn’t mean their training was over. After returning, they would have to continue their combat training on their own, including knife skills, marksmanship, and archery. Yang Zhengshan had scheduled the welcoming ceremony for the Wenguang Fortress to be held after the new year, when all the soldiers would have completed their basic training, and he could select some outstanding talents to fill the vacant official positions.
Time always flies by quickly when one is busy. Before he knew it, the twelfth month had arrived, and a heavy snowfall had transformed the Heavy Mountain Fortress into a silvery-white world.
Early in the morning, Yang Zhengshan pushed open the door, trampled through the thick snow, and let out a breath of mist.
“Father!” “Master!”
Yang Yunxue and Wang Yunqiao were already up, practicing their knife skills in the courtyard.
Yang Zhengshan gazed at their rosy cheeks and smiled, “Good job! Don’t slack off!”
“We never slack off, Father!” Yang Yunxue said coyly.
“Ha ha, you’re all good kids!” Yang Zhengshan laughed heartily, and his words came from the heart.
Regardless of whether it was Yang Yunxue, Wang Yunqiao, or Lin Zhan, they were all obedient and diligent. They would wake up early every day to practice, even earlier than Yang Zhengshan himself.
Although they hadn’t become martial artists yet, they had laid a solid foundation, and Yang Zhengshan felt that these three little ones would definitely surpass Yang Mingcheng in the future.
After giving them some brief guidance, Yang Zhengshan went to the front courtyard to instruct Lin Zhan, fulfilling his duty as a teacher.
Not just them, but also Yang Mingcheng and others outside the government office, whom Yang Zhengshan had instructed in the martial training grounds.
Over the past year, Yang Mingcheng and the others had made significant progress in their cultivation.
The highest level of cultivation among them was Yang Mingwu, who had already entered the tempering stage.
Yang Mingcheng had also reached the threshold of the tempering stage, but hadn’t entered it yet. The main reason was that he hadn’t been following Yang Zhengshan for half a year, and Yang Zhengshan couldn’t provide him with the Spirit Spring water.
To make up for Yang Mingcheng, Yang Zhengshan had been frequently giving him small treats, brewing a pot of Spirit Spring water for him and his brothers to drink.
Yang Chengze, Yang Chengxu, and others were similar to Yang Mingcheng, all nearing the tempering stage.
Only Yang Minghao and Yang Qinzuo were lagging behind, having just recently become martial artists, mainly because they were still young.
Martial artists began their true cultivation after the age of fifteen. Although the foundation could be laid earlier, Yang Zhengshan felt that this was related to human physical development.
He had never heard of anyone becoming a martial artist before the age of fifteen. Those who did would be considered child prodigies.
Yang Minghao and Yang Qinzuo were now fifteen, and they could be considered prodigies.
After instructing everyone, Yang Zhengshan went out of the garrison alone, arrived at a clearing by the Wenguang River, and began his own cultivation.
Cultivation requires perseverance, and no matter how busy he was, Yang Zhengshan would always set aside an hour each day for cultivation.
As for his cultivation level, it was making rapid progress.
He now almost treated Spirit Spring water as ordinary water, drinking it freely since it was his to begin with.
As his cultivation level increased, the thunderous sound of the Tortoise Martial Art was getting louder.
Now, with just one punch, it was like a real thunderclap, shaking the ground.
However, he usually wouldn’t display his full power, as the thunderous sound was really too loud.
“Grandpa, it’s time for breakfast!”
Just as Yang Zhengshan was about to finish his cultivation, Yang Chengye ran over with short legs.
Yang Zhengshan quickly put away his sword and picked up the little one.
The kid was barely five years old, but he was as strong as a seven or eight-year-old. On this cold day, he didn’t feel the cold at all, thanks to the nourishment of the Spirit Spring water.
Not just him, but every member of the Yang family had a robust physique.
“What did your mother cook for breakfast?” Yang Zhengshan asked, holding the little one and his sword.
“Dried vegetable and meat buns!” Yang Chengye blinked and said, “Grandpa, put me down, I can walk!”
He didn’t like being carried around now that he was getting bigger.
Yang Zhengshan put him down, and this big grandson didn’t like being held by his big granddaughter.
After returning to the government office’s backyard, Wang Shi had already set up the meal. The whole family, except for Yang Mingzhi, had gathered together.
“Let’s eat!”
Yang Zhengshan simply washed his hands, sat in the main seat, and grabbed a meat bun to eat.
Two big pots of meat buns were quickly devoured.
Everyone had a good appetite, just like a group of big eaters. Yang Zhengshan was raising a family of big eaters, and if not for the two thousand taels of silver given by Lu Er, Yang Zhengshan estimated that he would be bankrupted by these filial sons.
“Older brother, let’s go check out the horse ranch!”
After finishing breakfast, Yang Zhengshan called out Yang Mingcheng to go to the horse ranch.
The horse ranch had been built over a month ago, consisting of over ten horse stables, five warehouses, and seven or eight residential buildings, forming a large courtyard. Such a ranch could easily raise fifty or sixty horses, but currently, there were less than thirty horses, including the initial ten inferior horses bought by Yang Mingcheng, and some foals and mother horses bought later.
As they arrived at the horse ranch, a middle-aged man in cotton-padded jacket came forward.
“Greetings, sir!”
This was Ma San, the horse keeper Yang Mingcheng had hired from Guan Cheng, who was one of the Yang family’s long-term employees.
Apart from Ma San, there were over ten long-term employees, both men and women, mostly hired from Northfire Docks.
Ma San led the horse, Red Cloud, over to Yang Zhengshan, who asked, “Is everything going well?”
“Everything is fine, sir. We cleaned the snow off the rooftop last night and added firewood to the horse stalls. The horses are doing well!” Ma San replied respectfully.
Originally a horse keeper at the Metropolitan Prefecture Office, he was unfortunately forced out after offending someone. Yang Mingcheng had taken pity on him and hired him, and now he lived in the horse ranch with his family, all of whom were Yang family long-term employees.
Yang Zhengshan walked into the horse stable and took a look around.
The initial ten inferior horses had completely transformed, becoming much stronger. Although not yet excellent, they were much better than before.
“If we sell these ten horses, how much silver can we get?” Yang Zhengshan asked.
“I think we can sell each horse for fifty taels of silver, sir,” Ma San replied cautiously.
Actually, he was puzzled, as with his twenty years of horse-raising experience, he couldn’t understand why these ten horses had become so strong.
When he arrived, these ten horses were already much stronger, but he still felt that it was unreasonable.
Fifty taels per horse? That would be five hundred taels for ten horses! In just three months, two hundred taels had become five hundred taels!
Yang Zhengshan said, “Contact people to sell them, and after selling, buy some mother horses and foals to bring back!”
Some things couldn’t be done too obviously, or people would notice something was off.
This business of inferior horses becoming excellent horses could only be done once. From now on, the horse ranch would mainly focus on breeding foals, which would be more acceptable to others.
“Yes, sir,” Ma San replied.
Yang Zhengshan didn’t need to worry about selling the horses. Ma San was familiar with the cattle market in Guan Cheng and would handle it himself.
Yang Mingcheng mainly supervised the finances and personnel, as he was the master and didn’t need to intervene in every detail.
As for Ma San, Yang Zhengshan trusted him, and even if he wanted to do something fishy, he wouldn’t dare. This was his bottom line, and Ma San was someone Yang Zhengshan had chosen from the small flag officers in Northfire Docks.
If Ma San dared to do something fishy, Yang Zhengshan could take his life at any time.
Yang Zhengshan found an excuse to shoo Ma San and Yang Mingcheng away, then poured two bowls of Spirit Spring water into the horse troughs before leaving with Yang Mingcheng.
After returning to the Wenguang Fortress, Yang Zhengshan sat down in the study.
Lu Wenhua soon came over.
“Sir, here are the earnings from the needlework shop and charcoal kiln from last month!”
Lu Wenhua placed two money chests in front of Yang Zhengshan.
Yang Zhengshan opened the chest and took a look.
The earnings from the needlework shop were not much, only around four or five taels of silver per month.
However, the charcoal kiln’s earnings were considerable, especially during this peak demand season.
Li Erhu had built over ten charcoal kilns in the Wenguang Fortress and 三山 fortress, employing over a hundred people to burn charcoal day and night. The monthly charcoal output had reached thirty thousand pounds.
Looking at the three silver ingots in the money chest, Yang Zhengshan calculated silently in his heart.
He had thirty taels, which meant Lu Jin had earned twenty taels, and Li Erhu and the others roughly five hundred copper coins each.
On average, that was less than twenty copper coins per day, which was better than hiring short-term workers in the village.
Previously, in Yang Family Village, hiring a short-term worker would cost ten copper coins per day, and if they got a meal, it would be twelve copper coins.
With this income, Li Erhu and the others should have a decent year.
“A hundred workers are like one hundred military households,” Yang Zhengshan said.
“Let Li Erhu plant some trees on the mountain in the spring. If not, the trees will be cut down in a few years,” Yang Zhengshan instructed.
The mountain’s trees were finite, and to sustain the charcoal business, planting trees was essential.
“Okay, I’ll let Li Erhu know,” Lu Wenhua replied.
“Record it in the accounts,” Yang Zhengshan said, closing the money chest.
“Yes!”
Lu Wenhua took the money chest and left.
(The chapter ends)
Previous Chapter | TOC | Next Chapter