Wuxia: Drinking with Spring Breeze

The setting sun cast a warm golden layer upon Chaimen Street, adorning the frolicking elders and the yellow dog.

Yang Ge gazed at this heartwarming scene, as the smile around his lips slowly climbed up to his eyes...

"How long have you been here?"

He stepped forward and asked in a low voice.

Shopkeeper Liu responded with a smile, "Just arrived."

After a pause, he shifted his gaze toward the line of grain carts behind Yang Ge and asked with concern, "Why buy so much grain all at once? It's not economical!"

"You go inside and sit for a while, we'll talk it over in a bit... Mang, come on inside."

Yang Ge took out the keys and opened the courtyard gate, instructing the grain shop workers to unload the grain into the yard.

"Wow, your courtyard, it's really elegant..."

...

"Have some water."

After settling the grain, Yang Ge brought two bowls of cold boiled water and handed them to the father and son sitting under the grape trellis.

Shopkeeper Liu set his bowl of water beside him and once again asked the earlier question, "You must have bought about a thousand catties of grain today, right? What's the reason?"

Liu Mang also curiously stared at Yang Ge.

After a moment of contemplation, Yang Ge said vaguely, "I recently heard some rumors and think that the grain prices might not return to their original level for a while. If you have the means, you might as well stock up on three to five months' worth of grains... Having grain on hand will keep you at ease!"

He spoke quite implicitly.

Yet it still startled Shopkeeper Liu, who was so alarmed that he forgot to drink the water he had brought to his lips and pressed for more information, "Three to five months? What exactly have you heard?"

Yang Ge mumbled his reply, "Nothing much, just that the current situation doesn't seem quite right... Did we hear of any droughts or floods this year? How come the grain prices suddenly shot up? Who would dare to inflate the prices here in Luting County?"

Luting County might seem ordinary, with its small size, sparse population, and underdeveloped economy.

However, it was certainly extraordinary, being the gateway to Luoyang and a strategic location near the capital!

Shopkeeper Liu seemed to understand and a look of worry slowly emerged on his weathered face.

Seeing that the old shopkeeper understood, Yang Ge casually changed the subject, "By the way, did you and Mang sort out the inn matters?"

Shopkeeper Liu set his worry aside, and disdainfully glanced at his son, "Are you going to explain it to the young brother, or should I?"

Upon hearing this interesting tidbit, Yang Ge eagerly picked up his bowl of water and adopted a pose of attentive listening.

Liu Mang, dissatisfied, glanced at his father and placed his teacup down affectionately patting Yang Ge's shoulder, "What the old man means is..."

Shopkeeper Liu sipped his water and snorted.

Immediately, the words in Liu Mang's mouth changed and he said with an awkward smile, "My father means that we'll keep running our inn and my martial arts school will not fall behind either. From now on, little brother, you will be the shopkeeper of our inn as well as the head instructor of my martial arts school, earning two salaries!"

"This..."

Yang Ge looked at the old shopkeeper with a bittersweet expression, "This doesn't seem like your style!"

Implicit in his words was, 'If I'm confused, how can you too be confused?'

Liu Mang quickly interjected, "What do our young people's matters have to do with this old fellow? Little brother, just listen to your old brother. From now on, you and I shoulder to shoulder in the martial arts school, I guarantee you'll live well, drink spicy, and win a beautiful wife..."

"Hmm."

Shopkeeper Liu coughed forcefully, causing Liu Mang to shut his mouth, looking dissatisfied.

Yang Ge glanced at Liu Mang, then shook his head and addressed Shopkeeper Liu, "Old shopkeeper, you really need to think this through carefully. Getting involved in knifework and weaponry might be easy, but once involved, it's hard to get out."

Shopkeeper Liu also shook his head and sighed, "These days are not like the times of Taizong anymore. If calamity strikes, we can't avoid it even if we try. Having someone skilled with weapons in the house might actually make our lives more stable."

At this point, he helplessly glanced at Liu Mang and said with deep concern, "Besides, you've seen what your brother Fuyu is like. Even if he's willing to manage the inn, we can hardly expect any peace. We're getting old. We could help him for a year or two, but could we do it for a lifetime?"

"Since we can't stop him anyway, might as well let him mess around. Maybe if he breaks an arm or a leg, he'll settle down and stop causing trouble!"

"Young man, you're sensible and clever. It would be his good fortune if you could help this good-for-nothing a bit. But if you really don't want to get involved with this mess, let's just end the conversation here!"

"This minor matter shouldn't affect the relationship between our two families."

Liu Mang was already agitated. As soon as he finished speaking, he eagerly retorted, "Old man, you can't insult people like this..."

Shopkeeper Liu: "Shut up!"

Yang Ge: "Shut up!"

Both spoke at the same time, their expressions and tones strikingly similar.

Liu Mang shrank his neck, then immediately stiffened it, his face red and his ears burning as he yelled, "Fine, fine, fine, you two are ganging up on me, right? I'm leaving, I'm leaving, isn't that enough?"

While he spoke of leaving, his rear end was firmly nailed to the small stool as if it had grown nails.

Yang Ge ignored his protests and sighed heavily to Shopkeeper Liu, forcing a smile, "You know me, I just want a simpler, easier life, less thinking, less hassle..."

Shopkeeper Liu sighed in return, "We know it's hard on you, but who asked us to be saddled with such a hopeless case?"

Liu Mang's loud complaints gradually subsided as he realized what the two men were implying.

Yang Ge crossed his arms and stared intently at Liu Mang like a teacher eyeing a student.

Liu Mang met his gaze with a stiff neck, feeling an inexplicable pang of fear.

After a long silence, Yang Ge suddenly asked, "May I ask, Mang, do you have a fiancée?"

Liu Mang shook his head in confusion.

Shopkeeper Liu also shook his head, sighing.

Yang Ge lowered his arms, "Well, I can help Mang, but on one condition, Mang must get married and have children soon!"

Liu Mang jumped up, "What does that have to do with getting married?"

Shopkeeper Liu: "Which decent girl would fancy him!"

Yang Ge waved his hand at Shopkeeper Liu and looked straight into Liu Mang's flushed face, saying earnestly, "There are no outsiders here, so I'll speak frankly… In today's world, running a martial arts academy is indeed a path forward, but given your impulsive and impatient nature, it's debatable whether you can make it big without causing trouble!"

"Don't tell me that you'd become steady once you're the head of a martial arts academy. Ask yourself if you believe that!"

"So, you better settle down and start a family. Only if you are willing to settle down and have kids will I believe that you can change your reckless nature!"

"Only if you prove your worth will I be willing to set aside my peaceful life to support you, is that clear?"

"Furthermore..."

Yang Ge glanced at Shopkeeper Liu, "If you were to die outside one day, having descendants would ensure that the Liu family doesn't lose its lineage, right?"

Out of respect for Shopkeeper Liu, he wouldn't mind putting in more effort to help Liu Mang build up the martial arts academy.

Just as he and Shopkeeper Liu had assessed, the current situation isn't great, and starting a martial arts academy is indeed a good way out...

But he couldn't always be Liu Mang's nanny, chasing after him to clean up his messes!

So, it was still up to Liu Mang to prove himself.

The father and son were stunned, and their eyes simultaneously flickered.

Liu Mang: "No way!"

Shopkeeper Liu: "This is good!"