Chapter Fifty-Six: The Appearance of a Third-Rate Shopkeeper

Wei Renshi called over Old Sun’s nephew. When the young man approached, he smiled and asked, “What instructions does this young master have for me?”

Wei Renshi pointed at Liu Yuxi and Lin Sumian, laughing, “I can’t understand what these two are talking about. Since you seem free, I called you over to chat.”

Old Sun’s nephew chuckled, glanced at Liu Yuxi, and, seeing him nod with a smile, sat down beside them. “What would you like to talk about?”

“There must be a lot of people passing through this post station every day, right?” Wei Renshi inquired. “Can you manage all the work yourself?”

“There are so many travelers!” Old Sun’s nephew replied, grinning. “We’re close to Luoyang—anyone going to or from Luoyang has to pass through here.”

“Have you seen any foreigners?” Wei Renshi pressed.

“Of course,” the nephew answered. “Perhaps you don’t know, young master, but those foreigners—some with green eyes and yellow hair, others as dark as charcoal—there are all kinds.” He proceeded to describe the exotic travelers he’d seen: green-eyed, yellow-haired merchants, and jet-black Kunlun slaves.

Taking advantage of his youthful appearance, Wei Renshi asked about all manner of trivia. Old Sun’s nephew showed no sign of annoyance; on the contrary, he joked and bantered to amuse Wei Renshi.

They chatted for quite a while before more guests arrived. The nephew excused himself, “Young master, customers have come. I must attend to them. Once they’re settled, I’ll come back and keep you company.”

After he left, Wei Renshi shed his playful demeanor and turned to Liu Yuxi and Lin Sumian. “What do you think of him?”

“Not bad,” Liu Yuxi replied.

“He’s patient, observant, and knows how to handle guests of different standings—he already has a bit of the shopkeeper about him,” Lin Sumian said with a smile. “With some training, he’ll be reliable.”

“Only ‘a bit’?” Wei Renshi laughed. “What about the rest?”

Lin Sumian explained, “He’s good with guests, but being a shopkeeper takes more than that. He’ll need to deal with peers, other shopkeepers, local officials, even ruffians, and always consider how to run the business well. So he scores three out of ten for now; the rest will come with time.”

“That’s a fair point,” Wei Renshi agreed. “It’s just that I’m eager to open my business and have no one I can use at the moment. I’ll have to start with someone of good character, let him take charge for a while, and observe him closely while teaching him myself.”

“There’s merit in that—someone you’ve nurtured yourself is less likely to have divided loyalties,” Lin Sumian observed.

“Master Wei, I plan to set out for Weinan tomorrow,” Liu Yuxi said. “Once I return, I’ll devote myself to two tasks: promoting the new plow, and planning for dams to trap silt. If I run into any issues, I’ll send someone to consult you.”

Wei Renshi nodded. “Good. In Weinan and the surrounding areas, there must be land formed naturally by river silt after flooding. You can investigate what conditions allow such land to form for reference. By the way, you might also try introducing earthworms to the fields—they loosen the soil, consume waste, and their castings enrich the earth.”

“Earthworms do that?” Liu Yuxi nodded. “Excellent! I’ll remember that.”

Thinking of earthworms reminded Wei Renshi of the saline wasteland that Zheng the village official had requested for him from the county office. His eyes lit up, and he asked, “Magistrate Liu, are there barren saline lands in Weinan?”

“Indeed,” Liu Yuxi replied. “Around Luyang Lake, thousands of acres can’t be cultivated.”

Wei Renshi smiled, “I’ve purchased some such wasteland in Fuchang myself, planning to see if I can turn it into arable land. Would you like to try as well?”

Liu Yuxi was taken aback, frowning and glancing about, before lowering his voice in astonishment. “Master Wei, do you know how to turn saline land into fertile fields?”

Wei Renshi nodded.

A sharp light flashed in Liu Yuxi’s eyes. His expression remained unchanged, but his breathing grew hurried; only after two deep breaths did he regain composure. Once calm, he exhaled slowly and asked, “Master Wei, do you realize how much saline wasteland there is just within Guannei Circuit?”

Before Wei Renshi could answer, he went on, “There are nearly ten million mu of saline wasteland just in Guannei. Not to mention Longyou, Henan…”

“I’m only experimenting for now,” Wei Renshi replied with a faint smile. “You can find a plot to test it as well. I’ll write out the method in detail tonight and give it to you tomorrow.”

Liu Yuxi’s expression was complex. After a moment’s pause, he suddenly stood and bowed deeply to Wei Renshi.

Wei Renshi quickly rose, sidestepping and pulling him up. “Magistrate Liu, please don’t. I know your heart is with the people, which is why I entrust this to you. In my hands, it can benefit only a village. Handed to the local county office, who knows when it would be implemented. I don’t deny there are upright officials at court, but I know none of them—only you. Given to you, it might benefit a whole county, perhaps even more in future.”

“Master Wei, your virtue is truly admirable!” Liu Yuxi sat down again with a sigh. “I am truly curious where you learned all these things. The woes that have troubled the world for centuries seem to be nothing to you. Are you perhaps an immortal come down to earth?”

As he finished, Liu Yuxi shook his head and chuckled.

“It’s a great thing!” Liu Yuxi sighed again. “Only a pity you won’t enter officialdom—what a loss!”

“I’m a country fellow too lazy for all the court’s protocols,” Wei Renshi replied with a laugh. “Better that you rise quickly, Magistrate Liu, and become my patron. In future, should I have other methods, I’ll entrust them to you to benefit the common people.”

The three shared a hearty laugh. Liu Yuxi, unable to sit still, urged, “We’ve eaten and drunk our fill—let’s return now, so you can write out that method!”

By now, noon had passed. Travelers had resumed their journeys, and those staying had returned to their rooms, leaving only a few tables occupied in the post station.

Wei Renshi stood and called out, “Sun Peng, come here.”

Old Sun’s nephew started, approached, and asked in surprise, “Young master, how do you know my name?”

“From this day forth, you are the manager of Wei’s Tavern, and will also temporarily oversee Wei’s Ice Shop,” Wei Renshi told him. “Your wife can run the ice drink counter at the front; I’ll teach her how. Your monthly salary is five hundred cash. If you don’t care for the monthly wage, you’ll receive a ten percent share of the tavern’s profits.”

Sun Peng was dumbstruck, then realization dawned and he stomped his foot. “You…you’re Master Wei?!”