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

Chapter 21 Li Mansion
San Dezi's eyes were vacant as he said, "He's lost his mind, really. He's only been married for less than two years. Before, they were inseparable, always sharing a pillow and never leaving the house until dawn... How did he change his ways now?"

So you were forced to come and practice martial arts?
Upon hearing this, Chen Shunan turned his head and saw Liu Daoba not far away, completely absorbed in practicing martial arts with a focused expression.

He had no inappropriate desires.

"Perhaps this is for the best."

Chen Shunan pondered to himself, then turned his head and glanced at the long knife in San Dezi's hand. Suddenly, he paused and asked in surprise,
"A medium-strength knife? Or is it made by the Northern Gate Bureau?"

The weapons of the Holy Dynasty are of two types: those made by the government and those made by private individuals.

The official system was generally of high quality and uniform in style. It was made by the Yangxin Hall Workshop and the Military Equipment Academy, and there were also distinctions between "Imperial System", "Academy System" and "Department System".

Privately made weapons varied greatly in quality, including all sorts of strange weapons. They came from blacksmith shops by the roadside to sword-making manors in various places.

The "juzhi" refers to blacksmiths who were retired or dismissed from the Imperial Workshops or the Ministry of Works, and who opened their own blacksmith shops to continue their work.

Therefore, the quality is generally good, and it can be flexibly modified according to the customer's needs, and can be measured personally.

Of course, the price isn't low either.

Moreover, such sharp blades require regular maintenance, including wiping them with lard and soaking them in tung oil.

Even after fighting and killing people, repairing the breaches can cost a lot of money!

Chen Shunan had also considered buying a medium-strength knife.

However, faced with the high price and subsequent maintenance costs, they had no choice but to back down.

San Dezi noticed the envy in Chen Shunan's eyes, casually executed a sword technique, producing a whooshing sound, and said smugly,
"It's not expensive, only thirty taels of silver."

Chen Shunan's heart burned with excitement as he looked on, and he asked,
"San Dezi, you've struck it rich?"

"He made a windfall."

San Dezi glanced at the others, then leaned close to Chen Shunan's ear and whispered...

"I broke down the news about the Qianning Kingdom sending an envoy to visit the Emperor into smaller parts and resold them! I made quite a profit from this transaction!"

You cunning intelligence broker!
No wonder he can spread rumors so easily that I've surpassed second-rate status!

Chen Shunan glanced at San Dezi.

I've discovered this guy is quite a talent!

"By the way, Brother Chen."

San Dezi suddenly thought of something and asked, "Interested in pulling off a big heist?"

"Oh? Tell me in detail."

San Dezi: "The delegation from Qianning Kingdom will be visiting the Emperor, and will send twelve ocean-going Fujianese ships and one ten-masted bronze ship with a carrying capacity of 1,000 tons, passing through the Grand Canal. Not to mention all kinds of gold and silver treasures, these barbarians from Qianning Kingdom are all blond and deep-eyed, and some even have three heads and six arms and strange shapes... There will definitely be crowds of people and spectators!"

San Dezi became more and more excited as he spoke, as if he could already see the grand scene of the future.

"I plan to have Manager Li go out and talk to the brothers who have fresh water wells to make ice and brew drinks, and sell chilled drinks during the hot weather! We'll monopolize the drink business in Sakano-tsudo on the day of the visit to the saint!"

"We'll definitely make a fortune then! Brother Chen, are you interested in investing?"

Chen Shunan was somewhat tempted.

San Dezi's plan sounded extremely plausible at first glance.

But... can San Dezi, Manager Li, and the others really handle such a business?

Unless Zhao Dongjia intervenes.

But recently, Mr. Zhao has been busy smoothing things over and buying his way into a position, so he probably won't have time to worry about these small sums of money.

Moreover, ever since he touched a hidden corner of the Changbai Holy Dynasty and discovered the Hibiscus Ointment, Chen Shunan always felt that the Qianning Kingdom's delegation's visit to the Holy Dynasty was not as simple as it seemed on the surface as promoting trade between the two countries.

The final outcome of this matter will likely be quite unexpected.

"Oh, why didn't you say so earlier? I took on the job of delivering water to the Li family, and I have to pay almost a tael of silver for the daily water supply. I really don't have any extra money!"

Chen Shunan looked regretful.

San Dezi opened his mouth, though he wanted to persuade Chen Shunan not to be so superstitious, saying that sending such a precious gift was a waste of money.

However, out of respect for the elderly and for Chen Shun'an, San Dezi could only suppress his inner grumbling.

He then joked,

"That's alright. After all, this matter is risky. With Brother Chen sending me so much good fortune, if I ever go bankrupt and have nowhere else to turn, I can still come to you for help."

Chen Shunan nodded with a smile: "As long as you, San Dezi, are willing to bang on the bowl in front of the door, I'll definitely give you a share!"

...The alley is deep and secluded, with blue bricks and gray tiles, and vermilion gates hidden in the city.

Dressed in short, tight-fitting clothes and looking travel-worn, Chen Shunan seemed to have stumbled into another circle.

No ordinary people come and go; all around are martial artists, and occasionally you can even see a first-rate swordsman passing by with his sword on his back.

They wore silk, rode in sedan chairs, and consumed food and goods far beyond the imagination of ordinary people.

There is a saying in Wuqing County that the east is noble and the west is poor, and the north is noble and the south is lowly.

The Jinshe Li family is located in the east of the county, but not in the core area; rather, it is under the overpass bordering the western county.

The waterwheel stopped at the side gate of the Li Mansion.

Two burly guards, dressed in indigo cloud-patterned outfits and carrying swords and spears, gave Chen Shunan a lukewarm look.

"Who brought the water? What's their name?"

Chen Shunan stepped forward and, without making a sound, took out two purses from his pocket and handed them to the two men.

The purse was bulging, full of copper coins, and when shaken slightly, it made a crisp and pleasant clattering sound, which immediately conveyed sincerity.

Of course, in reality, it wasn't much money; it was probably only two or three hundred coins in total.

But it looks good and makes you look good!

After all, if the gift is too expensive, it will cost the giver a lot of money, and the other person won't dare to accept it.

Without something shabby, both you and others will feel disgusted.

Now, it's just right.

"My name is Chen Shunan, a water carrier from Weiheng Street. I'm here on behalf of Brother Sun to deliver water to your residence. I hope you will take good care of me in the future."

The guard accepted the purse, a smile appearing on his face.

"You're too kind, Old Chen. Please wait a moment while I inform Steward Zhao."

A guard entered the mansion at a leisurely pace.

The remaining guard spoke softly.

"Old Chen... Butler Zhao will probably take you to meet Master Li first. Don't worry, the master is kind and has always been on good terms with your Jingwozi. He won't make things difficult for you, he'll just ask you a few simple questions."

The guard gave some instructions, including not to trespass into the backyard or disturb the female relatives.

Thinking to himself that the money was well spent, Chen Shunan nodded and smiled, "Thank you for the advice, brother."

In no time.

A middle-aged man with a plump figure and a goatee came out.

"You're Chen Shunan? Old Sun has mentioned you. Come, follow me."

Butler Zhao appeared very amiable, supporting her with his long, flowing robe as he led the way.

Upon entering the Li Mansion, one is greeted by five steps leading up to the top and three turns around. The mansion features a gable roof with gray tiles, and the main house is adorned with dragon-head ornaments. It has a total of three courtyards!
Chen Shunan's low-rise house, in front of the Li family mansion, was the place where the servants and grooms lived.

It just doesn't stand up to close scrutiny.

Some of the gray-blue tiles on the roof were broken and the paint on the vermilion pillars was peeling off. It seemed that the Li family couldn't even afford the extra money for annual repairs and wall patching.

It eventually fell into ruin.

However, this was actually a beneficial thing for Chen Shunan.

He paid particular attention to the population structure of Li Prefecture.

The outer courtyard had guards, gatekeepers, and grooms, while the inner courtyard had maids, cooks, and Steward Zhao, totaling nine people.

Although the Li family was facing a generational gap with the current generation of Master Li, they still had one principal wife, two wives and concubines, and three daughters and two sons.

Although some of the descendants have separated from the family, or opened grocery stores or worked at the military academy, there are still seven members of the Li family who remain in the mansion.

These maids and grooms, including Steward Zhao, were all dressed simply, even with patches on their clothes.

Only the two gatekeepers were dressed in fine clothes, clearly a display of the Li family's status.

"This is a truly benevolent person!"

Chen Shunan felt a surge of excitement.

Once the Li family is developed into a benevolent family, the average daily income from their wishes might double!
(End of this chapter)