Li Feng felt a chill run through him after hearing that.
By this logic, Hai Yazi really wasn’t a bad choice.
After talking with Shun Ge, he returned to his room.
Inside, Lu Liu had just tucked the two little ones to sleep. Seeing Li Feng frowning, he asked, and Li Feng honestly explained Shun Ge’s search for a husband and their mother’s intentions. Lu Liu thought it over and agreed—it wasn’t a bad idea.
Lu Liu asked, puzzled, “You don’t like Hai Yazi? Why?”
Li Feng said, “If we pick him, the marriage will happen sooner.”
Lu Liu: “…”
Their mother really knew her children—she could tell he was reluctant.
Lu Liu said, “Shun Ge is finding a husband, but he’ll still live at home.”
Li Feng blinked, as if just realizing this point. After all that talk about finding a husband, it hadn’t occurred to him.
“Oh, then he’s fine. I’ll think of a way to get him and Shun Ge together, let them handle some tasks, see how they get along.”
Lu Liu laughed, “You’ll have worries ahead—you’ve still got the wheat!”
Li Feng’s furrowed brow deepened once more.
“Ah!”
Chapter 183: Kindred Spirits
After resting at home for a few days, Lu Yang had regained his energy. He entrusted Li Feng to deliver a formal visit note to Hong Chu, selecting a date for a proper visit.
Hong Chu replied the same day, confirming a date.
Having left the provincial city in a hurry, Lu Yang was concerned about Hong Chu’s situation. The next day, he brought a few pastries to visit the Hong household.
The Hong residence was large, neatly constructed—not like the Wu family’s piecemeal expansions. A courtyard led to the house, where the family lived. Beyond the covered walkway were the stables and servants’ quarters. The front courtyard also had a tea room, kitchen, heated room, and a family school, as well as a central hall.
Hong Chu took Lu Yang through the hallways, explaining their uses.
“The main hall is the largest, used for family discussions. If more space is needed, the four surrounding screens can be removed, merging four smaller rooms. Usually, the main hall is only for big events at year’s end; otherwise, smaller halls suffice.”
Two halls were in use now, and Lu Yang faintly heard voices from inside.
Hong Chu showed him an empty hall. “These small halls can fit three to five shopkeepers. If business problems arise, clients have issues, or goods get held up elsewhere, matters are discussed here at home.”
Past the front hall was the inner courtyard, where the Hong family lived. Hong Chu’s two brothers resided there as well.
The family wasn’t fully divided—Hong Chu’s father’s branch and uncle’s branch shared the space.
Passing the inner courtyard’s main gate led to a small garden, separating east and west sections. The east belonged to Hong Chu’s branch, the west to his uncle’s. They were referred to as the East and West Courtyards.
Walking east, there was a row of side rooms—Hong Chu in the middle, with his brothers on either side.
The main house included the main hall, side hall, study, and a guest room.
The inner courtyard was more compact than the front hall. Once inside, people and matters were visible; passing by, several maids, servants, and stewards might be reporting to the back courtyard.
Hong Chu said, “These are the people my father wants to see. Since he handed me most of the business, he seldom meets them. These past two years, he’s been holding the fort. Starting this year, he couldn’t handle the pressure. Some elders came, and I bore the family penalties for choosing a younger man as second in command. Funny, our Hong patriarch, kneeling in the ancestral hall because of a young man he picked.”
Lu Yang looked at him, mouth agape. “Ah?”
Hong Chu laughed at his expression. “The family’s foundation—it can’t fall because of one young man.”
Lu Yang: “…so it falls to these old fools instead.”
The inner courtyard tea room was small; several stewards were waiting to see the head. Hong Chu led Lu Yang to his room.
His room was similar to Lu Yang’s—bedroom and study combined, walls lined with full bookshelves, leaving space at the window.
The bedroom was just enough for sleeping, the study larger with a low table for playing zither or chess.
His desk layout mirrored Lu Yang’s, though Lu Yang was used to manuscript paper; Hong Chu had books and account ledgers.
One side held books to read, the other ledgers to review. A pen rack sat in the middle, an abacus atop the ledgers. Behind the chair, a shelf held miscellaneous items for convenience.
Hong Chu cleared the pen rack, pulled a tray from a shelf, and served tea and pastries to Lu Yang. Everything was warm, prepared by servants.
At home, he was careful—checking each silver ring before eating.
“Once someone’s dead, it’s over. The living matter more. They shouldn’t damage sibling bonds,” Hong Chu said.
Lu Yang also had a silver ring, bought by Lu Liu after Li Feng’s guarding duty. He had never worn it.
He looked at Hong Chu, then at the steaming tea, muttering, “Are they even human? Acting like beasts.”
Hong Chu invited him to sit. “With a big family business, there’s no family loyalty—only allies and rivals.”
Lu Yang worried about Hong Chu’s situation. Hong Chu smiled calmly: “Since returning to the city, I swore in the ancestral hall—I will never marry. Now it’s my turn to deal with them.”
The two families’ gap was huge; Lu Yang didn’t know how he could help.
“You’re smart. I don’t have many ideas either.”
Hong Chu shook his head. “Talking to you keeps me entertained. Being among men makes me sick.”
Lu Yang recalled the layout of the Hong residence and asked, “Where do you educate the children?”
“They like that provincial city’s mediocre scholar. Since they’re satisfied, I send the kids to study under him. How can they object? Whether they succeed or become useless… hehe, I trust they can control that scholar. Every parent worries about their own son.”
He was still the Hong second-in-command, with the docks under his control. Sending people to the provincial city was easy.
He also used this as an excuse to discipline anyone trying to take the children back—no courtesy would be shown.
Lu Yang felt relieved, chatting about things he’d heard from Uncle Wu and Wu Ping—about large families, big businesses, and merchant risks. He wanted Hong Chu’s perspective.
Hong Chu’s answers matched what he’d heard from the Wu family.
“Our family manages the docks in the city, heads the merchant guild, handles imperial commerce. The city and provincial officials are our support. Hosting officials and inspectors? We cover expenses. Naval salaries? We donate tens of thousands of taels annually. City needs—disaster relief, road repairs, donations—we lead collections. Support can’t rely on one official—they’re fickle. Today here, tomorrow gone.”
Who knows when it might end up in the gutter.
Regarding family business scale, Hong Chu shrugged. “Ours is huge. The family you mentioned, Wu? Not bad. I’ve heard—they have a shop on our dock, trading cotton, handling procurement…”
He paused, thinking. “Annual turnover three to five thousand taels. Outwardly low-key like merchants making a few hundred. Check the guild records—no trace.”
Lu Yang was surprised. “You even know this?”
Hong Chu smiled. “Docks, escort agencies, carriage services, shipping—we have stakes, docks first. I watch their shipment types and volume, know their capacity. They’re clever at hiding wealth. I’ve formally taken over family business, reviewed ledgers, understood merchants, and found clues in minute records. Their flaw is too few names—spread responsibilities, and I can’t tell.”
