After a comfortable sleep on his bed at home, Yan Liqiang woke up the next morning, feeling like a new man. He changed into a new outfit, then went to greet Yan Dechang first before both of them had breakfast together at home.
As Yan Liqiang had more matters to attend to, he was left with less time to spend with Yan Dechang. That was why Yan Liqiang exceptionally cherished the time he had with his father.
They had a very simple breakfast which consisted of millet porridge and steamed buns. Even though they were wealthy now, their breakfast remained the same. If it was too sumptuous, they couldn’t get used to it as they felt millet porridge and steamed buns were the best. The only difference was that they could add as much sugar as they liked into their millet porridge now. Since sugar was a luxury, they could only be found in wealthy households and not in ordinary households.
“Seems like you had a great harvest for cultivating in seclusion this time. I can see a lot of changes in you. You’re like a sword that has been quenched by fire…” Although Yan Dechang wasn’t a martial practitioner, as a father, he could still pick up the subtle changes in Yan Liqiang’s aura and energy. He thought it was the result of Yan Liqiang’s improvements in his cultivation. Little did he expect his son to have already progressed into a Martial Ancestor and was officially forging his way toward becoming a powerful martial practitioner. Even in the northwestern region, it was very rare to find people who had attained such a cultivation realm!
“Yes, I have indeed made a great harvest this time!” Yan Liqiang conversed with Yan Dechang while slowly sipping on his millet porridge. He was still very humble and kept his cultivation realm a secret from Yan Dechang to avoid shocking him. “If we run into anything now, I feel like I should be able to protect us!”
“That’s great!” Yan Dechang nodded and had a look of relief. “The people from the Lu Clan came to visit a few times during your absence over the past six months. They came bearing gifts and inquired after us. Since you’ve returned, you should pay them a visit if you have time as etiquette. I heard that Old Master Lu has left the woolen mill in Lu Beixin’s care. Even her brothers can only assist her from the side. The girl seems to be doing a great job though. It has only been a few months since the Lu Clan opened up their woolen mill, but customers and merchants are flocking there. They have already earned seventy or eighty thousand taels of silver since then. I see that the girl is also quite good at housekeeping. Since both of you will be getting married, you shouldn’t neglect her. Go see her when you should.”
Recalling the scene when Lu Beixin had thrown her gold hairpin into the water and asked the boatman to fetch it during their first meeting made Yan Liqiang laugh. “Lu Beixin has always been a very clever girl. She may have some temper from being spoiled since young, but she knows how to manage people well. If she really puts her heart into it, managing a woolen mill which mainly consists of female workers shouldn’t be a problem for her. I see that Old Master Lu has really given a lot of thought to this. Oh right, I just got back yesterday and haven’t gotten the chance to ask about our own woolen mill. How has it been doing for the past six months? Did we earn a lot?”
“I heard from Steward Zhou that the mill is doing extremely great. We have nothing to worry about selling anything with that partnership thing that you came up with. We’re selling as much as we produce. There are people lining up to pick up their goods every day in the Yan Fortress. In just half a year, we have earned more than forty hundred thousand taels of silver!”
“Hehe, not bad, not bad. Almost as much as I expected. It seems like the production rate of the woolen mill has stabilized and the reputation of The Greatest Mill has spread too!” Yan Liqiang nodded in satisfaction.
“Who would have thought that wool could make so much money? I heard that there are quite a few people recovering their fields outside Pingxi Prefecture growing grass and rearing sheep. It is really unprecedented for them to give up their field to plant grass instead of crops!”
This instantly raised Yan Liqiang’s eyebrows. The speed of people making enclosures for sheep was a lot quicker than he expected. Initially, he thought that he’d have to wait until next year before anyone would do something like that. Little did he expect some courageous people to start doing that this year. From a certain point of view, this could be considered a good sign.
“Are there many enclosures like that?”
“I heard that there are quite a lot from some merchants visiting the Yan Fortress. Since there’s price inflation for wool, people are fighting for them everywhere. These things that grow on the sheep are no longer just wool but shiny silver in many people’s eyes!”
“That’s true. If planting grass and rearing sheep can bring in more profit than crops, any smart person would get into this business!”
“I just can’t understand it. If everyone stops farming and starts planting grass, the sheep may eat grass but we humans can’t do that! I just find the whole thing outrageous!” Yan Dechang said with a frown.
“By the time less people are farming, food prices will go up. Then naturally, there’ll be more people farming again. In a busy world, nothing is ever outrageous. Everything just revolves around one thing — profit.”
Yan Dechang was still concerned. “Food has been scarce. There are hungry people everywhere. With more lands being used for grass, there’ll be less food. If a piece of land is used for planting grass, then it will be for feeding sheep. If it is used for crops, then it will be for feeding people. This is not negotiable. With more hungry people, there’ll be chaos!”
Yan Dechang’s economic mindset was typical of a small-scale farmer. They only saw the ratio between wool and food, but failed to see other things. Yan Liqiang wasn’t surprised about it either, because it was normal for someone to think that. If Yan Dechang could say that, then it meant that he had given it some serious thought, though it was limited.
“Well, any living person would solve that problem. If they are dead, what is the use of woolen fabric? Father, you have to believe that all things will eventually have a solution. When that time comes, countless smart people will find the easiest way to solve the problem. Wool is only a trend. Now that this trend has formed, it will flow like a river. Even if you can block the river, the river water will naturally continue flowing through another opening with the least resistance and will go straight into the sea…” While Yan Liqiang spoke, his eyes had a mysterious glow.
“I have no idea what you are saying!” Yan Dechang sighed emotionally. “When we were poor, all I can think of was to make a little extra money every day to put better food on the table and get you something better to wear. If I have more money to spare, then I’d find you a good master to train you. Now, money is gushing into our home like buckets of water from the woolen mill, manufacturing bureau, and salt pans. The amount of money you are earning is kind of scaring me. We can’t possibly spend everything in ten lifetimes. I sometimes wonder what propels you to make so much money!”
“Money is a worldly aspiration for everyone. With a certain amount of money, one will be able to do anything. It may even open up a whole new world. Rest assured, Father. We are making money through honorable methods. If you feel insecure about having too much money at home, you should travel somewhere more often whenever you feel bored. You can contribute back to the community as much as you want. The Yan Benevolence Halls can be found everywhere in Pingxi Prefecture. By next year, we’ll probably have one in every prefecture and province. If you wish to do some good deeds, the disciples from the archery academy will assist you…”