Siheyuan: Relieve stress and relieve worries

Chapter 1213 The Temptation of Gang
Kova understood. Both royal families had their eyes on her distillery, but the distillery now belonged to the town mayor. She wondered what kind of power struggle was taking place between these companies.

Kuva turned around and pulled Dashan away to go back and prepare his things. He had discussed it with Grandpa Li and decided to first go to Red Bull Town to stay, and then get to know the town mayor's steward through Grandpa Li Dashan to see if there was a chance to go to the Wu Kingdom's martial arts academy.

Grandpa Li agreed because he had read his son's letter. Before returning, Kuva had already placed the letter and the three bodies in a thatched hut at the foot of the mountain. Grandpa Li knew it was too late to inform Li Dashan now, so he took it upon himself to bury them.

When Xiao Ga Tou's grandmother heard the contents of her son's letter, she cried her heart out. But there was one thing her son hoped Xiao Ga Tou would also learn martial arts to fulfill his unfinished wish.

After the village chief was called onto the boat, he explained the ins and outs of the distillery in detail. Kneeling on the ground, he dared not raise his head and said, "You esteemed guests are late. The distillery has already moved to Red Bull Town, and the owner is the town mayor."

The third prince remained seated high above without saying a word. Wang Tai thought for a moment and asked, "Besides the winery, where do you get the grains for brewing your wine?"

The village chief's heart skipped a beat. He thought to himself, "He really is a man of high standing. He can see things so clearly." He quickly said, "It was grown by our village. This crop called sorghum is only grown here. The town mayor has taken over all the fields now."

Wang Tai turned to look at the Third Prince, who thought for a moment and said, "Then let's move the whole village along with it."

Wang Tai agreed wholeheartedly and bowed, saying, "Yes."

The Third Prince squinted at Wang Tai and said, "I like your intelligence. You understand things immediately and handle them well. Alright, I'll leave this matter to you."

Upon hearing this, the village chief broke out in a cold sweat, thinking to himself, "They want us to move to the State of Wei!" But he dared not object, for even the Crown Prince's personal guards had been mobilized—a force that even the State of Wu feared.

The village chief quickly took his leave and ran back to the village to summon the clan elders for a meeting. Several clan elders, knowing the seriousness of the matter, hurried to the village chief's house.

After listening to the village chief's account, the elders also looked worried. Grandpa Li, however, said that this might not be a bad thing. They might even have a better life in Wei.

At this moment, the group pondered for a while before the old clan chief spoke up, "Wu Dayong, Wu Dayong, you're really useless. Didn't you even bother to find out if everyone was moving away, or just a portion of them? And where would they be staying? Only after you've found out can we make arrangements for packing."

Wu Dayong slapped his thigh. "Yes, I forgot to ask about such an important matter." He quickly packed his things and went to the ship to find Wang Shi. This was his responsibility, and the royal family had already told him.

Grandpa Li slowly returned home and told Kova and Dashan about it.

Kournikova thought for a moment and said, "We can't go. If we go, we might have to farm for the rest of our lives."

"Why?" Da Shan asked.

“That goes without saying. The royal family is ruthless. They sent us there to work on the land for their distillery. I guess someone will have to keep an eye on the people in this village,” Kourva replied.

Grandpa Li seemed to realize what was going on and asked, "Then what should we do?"

Kournikova said, "Before they figure out what's going on in the village, we should hurry up and head towards Red Bull Mountain. I know a shortcut."

Da Shan hesitated for a moment and said, "Could I go find Xiao Ga Tou?"

Kova nodded in agreement and said directly, "We can't go to Red Bull Town this time. Let's go straight to Fancheng, the capital of Wu."

The three of them quickly got to work: Dashan went to find Xiaogatou, Kuwa went to harness the horse-drawn carriage, and Grandpa Li hurried back to pack his belongings.

After an incense stick had burned, Xiao Ga Tou and his grandmother arrived, and they also hitched up a donkey cart.

The two vehicles set off immediately, without taking any detours, heading straight for Red Bull Valley.

When they left, they deliberately avoided the villagers. They didn't say a word, as everyone knew the seriousness of the matter. They walked until the moon was high in the sky before they finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Xiao Ga Tou's grandmother complained, "They just left like that, it's like they're fleeing a famine."

Grandpa Li didn't indulge her and said, "You're just being smug because you got a good deal. If you don't leave, you and Xiao Gatou will be kept in captivity for the rest of your lives." Xiao Gatou was very happy, finally able to talk for a while, and asked Kova, "What are we going to do in Fancheng?"

Kournikova said, "Let's see. We made a lot of money selling wine before. You can make a lot of money selling what you bring there too. You can open your own shop and be the manager."

When Xiaoga Tou's grandmother heard this, she was delighted and stopped complaining. The journey had been along mountain paths, but fortunately, Da Shan and Grandpa Li were no ordinary people, and their families had a tradition of martial arts.

Grandma Xiaogatou just lay down in the car, not tired at all, even though it was a bit bumpy sometimes.

And so the small convoy traveled through Red Bull Mountain. Kournikova planned to drive diagonally when they reached the top of Red Bull Mountain, thus avoiding both Red Bull Town and the big river. Although it was a longer route, it was safer.

After traveling for five days, they finally arrived at a city, which was Yancheng, the secondary capital of the Wu Kingdom. This was the fiefdom of the younger brother of the Wu Kingdom's ruler.

The city was very large, second only to the capital Fancheng in the Wu Kingdom. It was also the fiefdom of the Second Prince, who had a particular fondness for food. He would eat food from all over the country. Therefore, the city had the most restaurants and hotels, and it was said that some of the restaurants were personally invited by the Second Prince from various countries.

Every year, the city also hosts a culinary competition, attracting food lovers from several countries to participate in this grand event.

Kuva and Xiao Gatou's oxcart slowly entered the city. Grandpa Li said that they needed to find a caravan shop to stay in first. There were many idle people in the city who were responsible for taking care of newcomers. As soon as they entered the city, they were spotted by a man who ran up to Grandpa Li.

"Sir, are you looking for an inn? Since this is your first time here, may I show you the way?" the man said with a smile.

"Oh, that's great! How much do I need to pay you for your hard work?" Grandpa Li asked, looking at the man.

The man introduced himself, saying, "Sir, my name is Tietou. I'm a long-time resident here. If you're looking for an inn, I can recommend one. You can pay whichever you prefer."

Grandpa Li was taken aback for a moment. Seeing that the old man hadn't agreed, Tie Tou said, "Just give me whatever you think is appropriate. The inn will also give me a tip for my trouble."

Grandpa Li suddenly realized what was going on, turned around to look at Kova, who nodded, and Grandpa Li said to Tie Tou, "Then I'll have to trouble you, Brother Tie Tou."

The two carriages followed Tie Tou into the city. After traveling for a short time, they saw a large inn with stables and warehouses in the front yard to store horses and carriages. A waiter came to greet them.

"You gentlemen are here to stay, right? This is the largest inn in Yancheng. We will take care of your carriage and horses, so you can rest assured. What kind of rooms would you like?" the waiter said with a smile.

Kournikova then stepped forward and asked, "What kind of room is this?"

The waiter immediately knew that these people were staying at the inn for the first time, and said, "We have three types of rooms: upper, middle, and lower. Of course, the upper room is the best, the middle room is next, and the lower room only has a few beds and no other furniture."

Kournikova said, "Let's stay in the best. How much is it per night?"

The waiter immediately replied, "The superior room is one tael of silver per night, including meals. Of course, you can choose not to eat here, but the price will remain the same. The cost of the carriage and horses is also one tael of silver per day, since you have two carriages."

Kova looked at Little Gato, then at Grandpa Li, and said, "Then bring us three superior rooms, and make sure the carriages and horses are well taken care of."

The waiter quickly agreed and turned around to call out, "Distinguished guests have arrived! Three superior rooms are available."

Kuva chuckled at the waiter. He had no silver, only gold ingots. He took out a five-tael gold ingot, handed it to Dashan, and turned to Tietou, saying, "Brother Tietou, we're new here and don't have much silver. Why don't you take my brother to exchange some silver and see if you can sell his goods? I'll settle the bill when we get back. I promise you won't be disappointed."

Tie Tou quickly agreed. Grandpa Li knew that he didn't have any money, only silver notes, and they were worth ten thousand taels. They were too flashy and he couldn't take them out before he settled down.

After Dashan and Tietou left, Kova led the others back to their guest rooms to rest.

(End of this chapter)