Water elemental became a god, ultimately becoming the master of heaven, earth, mountains, and rivers

Chapter 159 First Day in Office

The next morning.

Wan Niang rolled up her sleeves, revealing her fair arms, and helped Chen Shun'an get dressed.

Today is my first day on duty at Wohu Well.

The sky is frosty white, and early winter has arrived.

A cold wind swept through the streets and alleys, causing withered leaves to swirl and roll on the ground.

Chen Shunan was dressed in a brand-new jade-colored satin robe, with a fox fur coat underneath. His sideburns were neatly styled, and he looked like a wealthy man.

Chen Shunan was quite satisfied with his appearance.

At the same time, he summoned the precious edict.

【Grass Scroll (70/100)】

[Wish: 32]

During this period, the harvest of wishes has been steady and gradual, without any rush.

Meanwhile, the progress of the Grass Talisman has gradually climbed to 70, and it seems that it is not far from the completion of the Grass Talisman.

Li Shicheng contributed his efforts and Chen Shunan contributed money to support Rongyuan Orphanage, selecting a large number of suitable orphans to teach them martial arts and enlighten their minds.

Because these orphans have experienced the hardships of life, they are even more grateful and remember Chen Shunan's kindness.

Chen Shunan's daily average wish points are now quite impressive, exceeding 70 points, and he is making progress in the herbal talisman almost every two days.

Even if Chen Shunan did nothing and simply reaped the benefits, it would only take a little over a month to pile up the grass talismans to perfection.

Now that Chen Shunan has taken over as the manager of Wohujing, this process can be significantly shortened.

The herbal talisman is complete, within reach!
"Brother, it's done."

Wan Niang carefully ironed Chen Shun'an's clothes, her cheeks flushed, and she was even more excited than Chen Shun'an.

After preparing Chen Shunan's personal belongings, she went out first, deliberately pushed open the courtyard gate, and loudly hailed a private sedan chair at the alley entrance.

The villagers were both surprised and curious.

When Wan Niang learned that Chen Shunan had been promoted to manager of Wohujing, she thought she was dreaming.

How did you become a shopkeeper in the blink of an eye?

Moreover, it's the owner of Wohujing, a freshwater ancient well!
My God, isn't that guy now in charge of dozens of waterways and the drinking water of countless people?
Every day, hundreds of taels of silver slip through my fingers!
Seeing Wan Niang flaunting her lover like a young girl, Chen Shun'an chuckled and shook his head, but didn't say anything more.

As Chen Shunan stepped outside, Li Meizi next door was pounding the coal ash she had collected into coal with a stick and then piling it under the eaves to dry.

Winter is approaching, and poor families are already preparing for the cold.

Upon hearing Wan Niang's voice, Li Meizi wiped her dirty hands, stepped out of the door, and her eyes lit up when she saw Chen Shunan. She asked,

"Oh! Brother Chen, Wan Niang, what's going on? Why are you dressed so casually? There are still two months until Brother Chen's fiftieth birthday!"

Chen Shunan smiled without saying a word, while Wan Niang covered her mouth and chuckled softly.

“My son is favored by Master Zhao and is now the manager of Wohujing... Alas, he only manages a few dozen people and does accounts every day. How can he compare to Zhang's man, who is a skilled craftsman, the master craftsman Zhang Cai…”

Not far away, the door of Zhang San Niang's house, which had been slightly ajar, slammed shut.

"I haven't had a single good day since I married you!"

"You shrew, you dare hit me? Do you think you've got some kind of wicked idea?"

"Waaaaah, I can't live like this anymore! I'm taking Wangyue back to my parents' home!"

Moments later, the sounds of men and women arguing and even fighting could be heard.

"Zan'er" is a term used in the capital to refer to craftsmen who have a skill or expertise in various trades.

Zhang's son was a bricklayer, and his skills were actually quite good. When he was building a wall, he didn't need to use a plumb line. He could just sit there with his pipe in his mouth and finish the job by looking at the wall with a slanted eye. The wall would be perfectly straight and there would be almost no mortar joints.

He's just lazy, only working sporadically.

They won't go to places that are hard, they won't respond to requests that are tiring, and they look down on places with low pay; they stay at home all day.

Clearly, Wan Niang also held a grudge.

Do you remember two months ago, when a petty thief broke into Chaodou Hutong with the intention of stealing? Zhang Sanniang not only watched coldly but also chased after him for the money afterward.

So now, whenever there's an opportunity, I'll fight back.

Chen Shunan knew exactly what Wan Niang was thinking, so he could only shake his head helplessly and let her go.

Once inside the sedan chair, the porters lifted the pole and headed towards Wohu Well.

Wan Niang watched Chen Shun'an leave with a happy smile.

As they were almost completely out of Chaodou Hutong, Chen Shunan caught a glimpse of two somewhat familiar figures through the gap in the sedan curtain.

Xiao Qingchou and Bai Manlou walked one after the other.

Xiao Qingchou, looking like a martial arts instructor, led the way, while Bai Manlou, carrying a load on a shoulder pole, appeared to be a charcoal seller, following behind Xiao Qingchou.

Xiao Qingchou said in a low voice, "Didn't you go back to Sichuan? Why are you back so soon? Fifth Master Hong, how is everyone doing?"

Bai Manlou said, "Master Xin's body has been returned to its ancestral home and buried there. Naturally, I returned to the capital without delay... Everyone is doing well. Speaking of which, you probably don't know, but a few days ago we killed..."

Seemingly noticing a sedan chair passing by, Bai Manlou immediately shut up.

The two stood in the shadows by the roadside, heads bowed, their presence barely noticeable, allowing the sedan chair to pass by.

"That's... Chen Shunan?"

Xiao Qingchou vaguely heard the whispers of the neighbors and learned that Chen Shunan had actually been promoted to manager of Wohujing, which shocked him.

"Three refinements of the body, harmonization of tendons, Manager Inoue, a late bloomer..."

Xiao Qingchou watched the sedan chair depart, his eyes filled with contemplation.

He never imagined that teaching martial arts to the son of an old friend would lead to such a casual encounter with a person in a street.

He always felt that Chen Shunan was not as simple as he appeared on the surface.

But he couldn't say anything more specific.

...The sun was rising higher, on Nanguan Street.

The streets were bustling with activity, and people came from all directions to attend the early market.

Wohujing is located in the center of Nanguan Street, surrounded by stone railings and a well cover, and is also planted with a gnarled banyan tree.

Passengers and vehicles had to detour around the edge and pass by on both sides.

A small sedan swayed and rocked its way over.

"Get off the sedan!"

The sedan bearers spoke loudly and with great energy, bowing and scraping as they lifted the sedan curtain.

Although this sedan chair was a private sedan chair, it was not something that just any family could afford to ride in. The cost of one ride was equivalent to half a month's expenses for an ordinary family.

So many locals and shopkeepers along the way looked on curiously.

I wonder who this person is.

Having been notified in advance, the 21 people from Wohujing Water San'er and Jiaoshuipu greeted the new manager with a bow and clasped hands.

"Welcome, Manager Chen."

The sound was so powerful that it shattered the clouds in the sky.

Seeing this, Chen Shunan slowly walked down, clasped his hands in return, and said...

"Brothers, my name is Chen Shunan. I'm not exactly a newcomer, and I reckon many of you still recognize my face. From now on, we'll all share the same well. I won't waste any more pleasantries; just focus on your work, and I'll lead the brothers to make money!"

Upon hearing this, many of the men exchanged glances, each with a different expression.

Some breathed a sigh of relief, while others didn't care at all.

Some people held the idea that "the shopkeeper is always the same, no matter who comes, he's the same."

But at least outwardly, no one dared to offend Chen Shunan, and they all replied respectfully at this moment.
"Thank you, Manager Chen, please go ahead!"

……

Shuiwozi, one of the four most powerful families in the capital, still retains a strong sense of江湖 (jianghu, the world of martial arts and chivalry) and banditry. They don't follow the usual court etiquette of new officials giving speeches, receiving their seals, or even worshipping the City God.

So the group of water buffs greeted Chen Shun'an. After Chen Shun'an took out the red seal of the shopkeeper and pressed his first mark on the ledger, they all scooped water, pushed the cart, and went to deliver water.

"Senior Feng."

Under the well shed, beside the banyan tree.

Chen Shunan clasped his hands in a salute to Elder Feng.

Today, a group of Shui San'er (a nickname for a group of people) gathered on the street to welcome Chen Shun'an, but one person was not present.

This is the old man Feng.

He remained seated on his stone bench the entire time, never leaving it.

But Chen Shunan showed no sign of anger.

This Feng Lao is the true master under Zhao Guangxi, who cultivated the Immovable Zen Technique and had not moved his position for decades.

He was also an old servant of the Zhao family, who watched Zhao Guangxi grow up.

Chen Shunan had only heard of the man's reputation before, but today was the first time he had met him, which made Chen Shunan very surprised.

In Chen Shunan's perception, Elder Feng seemed to be one with the banyan tree and this world, inseparable from it.

Although the energy is weak, like a drifting spark, it can suddenly ignite into a prairie fire in the next moment.

His will was as vast as the sea and as powerful as the tide. The place he sat in controlled the feng shui of Wohu Well. No matter what happened within a radius of several miles, or even any unusual occurrences at Wohu Well, he could not hide it from him.

Slay the five thieves!
Moreover, they annihilated the Italian bandits!

Master Feng is arguably the person with the highest level of martial arts that Chen Shunan has come into contact with in all his years of martial arts practice.

Old Feng slowly opened his eyes, looked at Chen Shun'an, and exuded a profound and dignified aura. He said calmly,

"My master once mentioned you to me, Xiao Chen. I don't want to interfere in the affairs of the well. You can do whatever you want. And with me here, you don't need to worry about anyone daring to damage the Crouching Tiger Well, or even causing you to fall into it again!"

At this point, Old Feng's voice carried a hint of menace.

Upon hearing this, Chen Shunan felt immediately at ease.

Cho Guangxi was the right person to latch onto!
Having such a real old monster backing you up, and being extremely worry-free and not giving you any orders, is truly a blessing for future generations!

"Thank you, Elder Feng! Please continue to rest, Elder Feng. I'll go and get back to my work."

"Ah."

Back under the well.

As expected of an ancient freshwater well, even the well cover is built in a much more impressive manner than that of a gravel well.

A sturdy elmwood table, set with a fine porcelain teapot, writing brush, ink, paper, and inkstone, and a full-red armchair, serves as the manager's office for accounting.

There were even special small rooms for the shopkeeper to take short breaks.

It's hardly a well shed anymore; it's practically a small room exclusively for the shopkeeper.

Of course, there was also a place for Shui San'er to rest and store miscellaneous items. There was a sunshade set up next to the well shed, which was clean and spacious, and also provided with chrysanthemum tea, sorghum tea, jasmine tea, etc.

This treatment is leagues ahead of gravel wells.

The fact that the money comes from the sheep also reflects that the daily revenue and earning power of Wohujing are far superior to those of Shaxijing!
Chen Shunan sat at the elmwood table, flipping through the accounts to familiarize himself with the expenses, customers, and other information of Wohujing.

Not far away, on the edge of a well, two workers were slowly drawing water.

Yi Shui San'er said impatiently, "Fei Lao San, hurry up! This vat of water isn't the Dragon Palace, why do you need to stir it for so long!"

A slightly older shop assistant, of medium build, with a bald head, thick eyebrows, and beady eyes, was like a tough nut to crack.

He didn't get angry. Even though he was being urged by several water men, he still slowly and methodically wrung and poured water, gradually filling the water tank to about half full.

Fei Laosan said quietly, "Don't rush me, don't be annoyed. There's never enough work to do. We can't keep up with the cakes, we can never earn enough money, and the shopkeeper is no exception... Sigh, let's send these waters first, and I'll take a break."

(End of this chapter)