Chapter 97: Can't Take Back

"Hey, She Dengke, what are you going to do if you have money?" Liu Quxing sat on the edge of the stone mill platform, chewing on the pancake his master gave him and asking.

"He'll definitely buy a house for his family first, of course. I want to buy a two-courtyard house. My dad, mom, elder brother, and sister-in-law will live in the back courtyard, and my second brother, second sister-in-law, third brother, and third sister-in-law will live in the front courtyard. They've had it too hard these past few years, the whole family squeezed into one room, sleeping on the floor, can't even turn over easily."

"What about you? Where will you live?"

She Dengke stuffed the last pancake into his mouth. "I'll live in the medical hall, no need to leave a room for me at home... Liu Quxing, what are you going to do if you have money?"

Liu Quxing thought for a moment and said, "I want to get my mom out of the Liu family so she doesn't have to look at the madam's face anymore. Every time she comes to bring me money and food, she gets glared at when she goes home and is often scolded."

"It's really good to have money," She Dengke said, lowering his head. "Money is like an old immortal; it can help people realize their dreams."

Liu Quxing suddenly asked, "After you have money, will you still be an apprentice at the medical hall?"

She Dengke was startled, and said a little hesitantly, "Yes, I'll still be an apprentice if I have money..."

Crack!

A bamboo switch landed on She Dengke's back, a burning pain.

She Dengke turned his head to look. Old Man Yao had walked up to his side without him knowing. He glared angrily at Liu Quxing. "Grandson, you goddamn set me up again!"

Old Man Yao scoffed at the two of them. "Oh, so you won't be apprentices at my Taiping Medical Hall if you have money, is that it?"

Liu Quxing quickly jumped down from the stone mill and said flatteringly, "Master, She Dengke said that, it has nothing to do with me. I will definitely stay at the medical hall and diligently follow you to learn medical skills, and then be respected by others like you!"

Old Man Yao sneered, "Why would several rich masters come to my Taiping Medical Hall to suffer?"

She Dengke said panicked, "Master, don't misunderstand, we will definitely stay at the medical hall and serve you. We remember how good you've been to us these past two years."

At this time, Liang Gouer was lying on a straw mat not far away, biting on a blade of grass and swinging his legs. "Five thousand taels of silver, how do you all plan to divide it? Haha, since ancient times, how many brothers have turned against each other, not because of sharing hardships, but because of sharing riches."

Liang Maoer raised his hand. "I just came to help out; I don't need to divide it."

Liang Gouer suddenly sat up and said, "Besides Chen Ji, you're the one who's worked the hardest these days. Why don't you divide it?"

Liang Maoer glanced at him. "Brother, just don't talk. Anyway, there's no share for you."

Liang Gouer: "..."

He opened his mouth for a long time but didn't say anything. Finally, he just leaned back, covered his face with his straw hat, and swung his legs even faster than anyone else.

The crowd gradually quieted down, facing each other, no one daring to speak first.

How should everyone divide the five thousand taels of silver? Even if dividing it was a good way, everyone knew that dividing it evenly wouldn't be fair to Chen Ji.

In this silence, Bai Li wanted to step forward and speak, but was pulled aside by Jing Wang.

He looked at this group of young lads with interest. "The world is bustling for profit, and the world is bustling for profit. Only before true profit can you see a person clearly. Don't speak first; let's just see if your friends can withstand the test."

Bai Li hesitated and said softly, "But why test human nature? This isn't fair to those being tested."

Jing Wang was startled, then laughed. "Silly child, where is there any fairness in this world? You must learn to protect yourself."

As he spoke, a carriage slowly stopped outside the kiln factory.

Zhang Zhuo lifted the curtain, carrying the hem of his official robe as he jumped down. After landing, he didn't forget to help Chen Liqin a bit before walking into the kiln factory with long strides.

The two of them came to Jing Wang's side. Zhang Zhuo cupped his hands. "Your Highness..."

Jing Wang raised his hand to stop him. "Don't speak first and disturb them. Just watch how they divide the money. Brothers dividing money is always a good show. You two came at the right time, you just caught it."

Zhang Zhuo was surprised. "Divide money? Divide what money?"

Jing Wang said with a smile, "I'll explain it to you slowly later. Right, Master Chen, Chen Ji is also among them."

At this time, Zhang Zhuo narrowed his eyes slightly, carefully distinguishing each person in the crowd. He pulled Chen Liqin aside and asked in a low voice, "Hey, why is that boy from your family here too?"

Chen Liqin hesitated and said softly, "I knew he was here yesterday and even specially came to take him back to the residence, but he wouldn't go with me."

Zhang Zhuo was surprised. "This child has quite a temper. He'd rather come to the kiln factory to do rough work than go back to the Chen residence with you?"

Chen Liqin sighed. "I was also negligent as a father before. After he went to Taiping Medical Hall, I instructed the housekeeper to send servants to give him monthly silver every month. Who would have thought that the servant would secretly deduct it, changing three taels of silver each month to three hundred cash each month, and later simply delaying giving it. I guess he came to the kiln factory to earn some tuition for himself?"

Zhang Zhuo sized up Chen Liqin. "Master Chen, what happened to the servant?"

Chen Liqin replied, "Already caned to death."

Zhang Zhuo stroked his beard and asked again, "What about the housekeeper? Caned to death?"

Chen Liqin shook his head. "No, just caned ten times as a slight punishment."

Zhang Zhuo smiled meaningfully. "That boy from your family is indeed more resilient than the boy from mine. He'd rather endure hardship than go back and suffer this indignity. Do you think staying in a gambling house is also harmful from fair-weather friends? Let me give you some advice. First give that boy from your family two hundred taels of silver to calm his anxiety, and then cane that stupid housekeeper of yours to death to vent his anger. Guaranteed to bring him back."

"Cane the housekeeper to death?" Chen Liqin looked at Zhang Zhuo in surprise. "Why go to such an extent? This housekeeper is also an old man I brought from the capital, who has diligently managed things up and down for more than ten years. He has put in hard work even if he has no merit."

Zhang Zhuo laughed. "During the previous emperor's time, wasn't General Hu Guang's merit big enough? He recovered Chongli Pass, blocked the Jing dynasty iron cavalry for more than ten years. His merit was so great that he dared to hold military power and roar in court. What was his end? The previous emperor first promoted Liu Wencheng as the Minister of War Shangshu and entered the cabinet, and then let Cabinet Elder Liu cut off General Hu Guang's wings, and exterminated General Hu's family and clan. When Cabinet Elder Liu was scolded by everyone as a treacherous minister, the previous emperor demoted Cabinet Elder Liu back to his hometown with an imperial decree and was immediately praised as a generation of wise ruler."

Chen Liqin's face changed. "Adult, be careful with your words!"

Zhang Zhuo chuckled, and said firmly, "You are an upright gentleman and won't report my misdeeds to the eunuch party, you're just too pedantic."

Chen Liqin was called pedantic and was unhappy. He said with a stronger tone, "Master Zhang doesn't seem like a scholar, more like a villain."

Zhang Zhuo casually cupped his hands and said indifferently, "You flatter me."

The cold wind was biting.

Liu Quxing and the others' hands were frozen red but they didn't notice, all silently calculating how to divide the five thousand taels of silver.

The crowd looked at each other, no one willing to speak first.

Chen Ji broke the silence and said to Liu Quxing and the others with a smile, "I won't pretend to be humble. I'll take three percent of this silver every year, and you can divide the rest."

Take three percent?

Zhang Zhuo subconsciously looked at Chen Liqin. He counted that there were six or seven people in the field. The Chen family boy opened his mouth and wanted to take three percent? Then how should the rest be divided?

Chen Liqin's brows furrowed. He cupped his hands towards Jing Wang. "Your Highness, this humble official has no way of teaching his son. In the future, I will definitely bring him back to the residence and teach him strictly, teach him to be humble and courteous."

"Ha," Jing Wang laughed loudly. "Master Chen, don't be in a hurry. Even the one dividing the money isn't in a hurry, why are you in a hurry?"

Chen Liqin was startled.

The next moment, he heard She Dengke say in a muffled voice, "No good!"

The kiln factory was quiet again. Chen Liqin frowned and looked, afraid that Chen Ji would fight with others over the matter of dividing the money and shame his family.

But She Dengke suddenly said, "Chen Ji, we all know clearly that without you, there would be no such sum of money. Although we also put in effort, we actually just endured two days of cold and did two days of physical labor. This kind of work you can do by spending a few taels of silver in the East Market to find laborers. You take half of it, and we'll divide the rest. What do you think, Liu Quxing?"

Liu Quxing's face darkened. "What are you looking at me for? It makes me seem so greedy!"

She Dengke pressed, "Tell me if you agree or not!"

Liu Quxing gritted his teeth. "Agree! Agree! You big fool, he already said to take three percent, wouldn't it be better for you to just agree? Do you know how much money it is to divide two percent less?"

She Dengke glared. "You grandson, you finally spoke your mind!"

Shizi laughed heartily. "Good, good, good. If everyone keeps it in their hearts, it will only lead to resentment over time. Now everyone speaks their mind, it's more open and honest. To be honest, even I'm greedy for this sum of money. Tonight, I won't let Bai Li treat us to a meal; Chen Ji must treat us. The best private room at Yingxian Building, just order their most famous Eight Immortals Cross the Sea. If Chen Ji dares to frown, we'll just beat him!"

Liu Quxing said with heartache, "That's right, he took so much money. If he dares to frown when treating us, we'll just beat him!"

Chen Ji laughed. "Don't worry, I absolutely won't frown. The little monk is under a money precept and cannot touch money. The rest, Shizi, Bai Li, Brother Maoer, She shixiong, Liu shixiong, you five people divide it evenly."

The little monk put his hands together and asked curiously, "After we finish eating, shall we go to Red Clothes Alley?"

The crowd laughed heartily. "You flower monk!"

Bai Li looked at Jing Wang with a smile. "It didn't turn out as you wished; they didn't fight!"

Jing Wang said regretfully, "I still thought I could watch a good show. Instead, they all have childlike hearts, which is rare and valuable. I only hope this childlike heart isn't refined into black by the world's great furnace."

By this time, Zhang Zhuo and Chen Liqin gradually felt something was wrong.

They thought it was just dividing the wages from this hard labor, but if it was just wages, how could they go to Yingxian Building and Red Clothes Alley?

Zhang Zhuo looked at Jing Wang and asked doubtfully, "Your Highness, how much money are they dividing?"

Jing Wang explained with a smile, "Five thousand taels of silver every year."

Zhang Zhuo subconsciously inhaled a cold breath. "So, the Chen family boy alone takes two thousand five hundred taels of silver?"

Jing Wang nodded. "Correct."

Zhang Zhuo slowly looked at Chen Liqin. "Master Chen, I'm afraid you can't bring that boy from your family back."

Chen Liqin was silent.

Zhang Zhuo continued, "The total annual expenses of your Chen family residence are probably not as much as his two thousand five hundred taels of silver each year. The days he lives outside may be much more comfortable than living in your Chen residence. Take everything I said earlier as if I didn't say it. If you want to bring him back, you can't use money. I'm afraid you have to reason with emotion and move him with reason..."

Chen Liqin didn't pay attention to him, just stepped forward and said doubtfully, "Your Highness, five thousand taels of silver is a huge sum. Where did it come from?"

Jing Wang led the two to the wall of bricks and let them hold a large hammer to knock it. "They developed this thing called 'cement'. It solidifies several times faster than glutinous rice mortar, and the cost is only two percent of glutinous rice mortar. My residence has already bought the formula for this thing and promised to give them a dividend of five thousand taels of silver every year. What do you two adults think, is this formula worth it?"

Zhang Zhuo's eyes lit up. He pinched some cement and rubbed it. "The cost is only two percent of glutinous rice mortar, and it solidifies faster than glutinous rice mortar? Worth it, too worth it! Your Highness, you said this thing was made by that group of young lads?"

Jing Wang nodded. "Exactly, the formula was conceived by Chen Ji, and the matter was done by them together."

Zhang Zhuo suddenly realized. "No wonder when the crowd was dividing the money, he said to take three percent, and the others even let him take five percent—it turns out this thing was made by him."

Chen Liqin also just remembered at this time what Chen Ji had said to Jing Wang yesterday about the "carbon infiltration into steel technique," and Jing Wang had even pretended to stop him and not let him take Chen Ji back to the residence...

In the kiln factory, Chen Liqin looked at Chen Ji, who was surrounded by the crowd, with a complex expression.

He thought that as long as he sorted out the servants at home, let Chen Ji vent his anger, and then persuade him with good words, he could bring Chen Ji back.

He also thought that perhaps if he cut off Chen Ji's silver, Chen Ji would obediently go home.

But things had reached this point, and the son he had driven out of the house no longer needed that house.

At this time, Chen Ji and several others cupped their hands to Jing Wang and said, "Your Highness, we are tired after working for several days. We want to go back and change clothes and celebrate a bit today, so we'll take our leave first."

Jing Wang waved his hand. "Go ahead. I'll allow you to drink alcohol today."

Chen Ji replied with a smile, "Thank you, Your Highness."

As he spoke, he hesitated a bit, turned around, cupped his hands to Zhang Zhuo and Chen Liqin. "Master Zhang, Master Chen, I'll take my leave."

Chen Liqin didn't say a word.

Zhang Zhuo watched as the several young lads sat on the ox cart and swayed out of the kiln factory. His eyes flickered. "That boy from your family seems to have gotten involved with the Wang residence. If he can become a favored person before Jing Wang, perhaps you and I can use him to connect with Jing Wang and get a share of the action from the Liu family in Yu Prefecture."

Chen Liqin slightly frowned. "Master Zhang, the Liu family is powerful. You and I are still tied down in Yu Prefecture, walking on thin ice. Why must we involve an inexperienced child?"

Zhang Zhuo rolled his eyes. "It's not like we're letting him charge ahead. Why are you protecting your calf? If you had taken care of him earlier, he wouldn't be calling you Master Chen word by word. Now you're pretending with me!"

Chen Liqin's face turned even darker. "You!"

However, just at this moment, Zhang Zhuo suddenly raised his hand to stop Chen Liqin's words.

After thinking for a moment, he opened his mouth and asked, "Master Chen, do you know if anyone has proposed marriage for Chen Ji? I have a daughter who has just grown up and is waiting in her boudoir..."