The author of this article

Chapter 355 I'm More Greedy Than They Think

As autumn draws to a close, the leaves wither and a cold wind blows.

Countless refugees arrived empty-handed and left empty-handed, followed by even more refugees queuing up and stumbling as they poured in.

From a distance, the main street adjacent to Wulu Trading Company was packed with people, so crowded that it was impossible to move, just like a temple fair, with a constant cacophony of noise.

As the grain shovels rubbed against the plump millet grains, making a rustling sound, bags of relief food were continuously sent out. These refugees, who were being used as tools, then loaded the food onto the practitioners' carts, which were then driven away one cart after another.

As if by prior arrangement, such a scene appeared in every corner of the six states of Qingyun, and it intensified over time.

The price tags that used to hang in front of the shops are now deserted, and some have even been torn down due to the crowding of refugees.

This contrasts sharply with the previous scene where the exorbitant prices deterred many, even cultivators, leaving people sighing in dismay.

After all, with the influx of refugees into the city, the so-called sale had degenerated into a situation where people could only watch helplessly as others plundered their property.

That grain was something only I had; the arrogance of "take it or leave it" was shattered and trampled underfoot by the powerful families.

"I never expected things to turn out this way. Seeing this scene, I can't help but feel a pang of pity."

"Pity? Why don't you think about the price he set in the first place? He has only himself to blame for what he's got today!"

“Brother Fang is right. His current predicament is his own doing. After all, our immortal sects and families also care about our reputation. If he hadn’t made such an exorbitant demand, what would have happened if he had bought it with real money? He has only lost more than he gained.”

On the terrace of the tea pavilion on the second floor of Zuixianlou, Fang Jincheng and his group of cultivators looked down at the crowded main city road and applauded the sudden reversal.

Meanwhile, the sons and daughters of several families from Zhongzhou continued to cater to him.

They hadn't expected the aristocratic families to act so swiftly and effectively.

In just a few days, they seemed to see the Wulu Trading Company being breached, countless grains pouring out for free, and Ji You at a loss.

At roughly the same time, in front of the Chongwang Mansion, a group of officials from the pro-immortal faction were also watching this scene, silent and gazing intently.

They had expected this outcome, so they weren't surprised.

After all, before the Immortal Supervisors made their grand entrance, they were the ones who served the immortals, so they naturally knew how unscrupulous those immortal families were.

Ji You is clearly not qualified to exploit powerful families.

Imagine if the Wulu Trading Company were owned by those direct disciples of the Holy Sons; under the suppression of the Immortal Sect, who would dare to use such methods?

Unfortunately, even though his talent was so extraordinary that it was astonishing, and he suppressed countless peers, leaving them far behind and even surpassing those close disciples, he still lacked proper background.

This is why, despite his immense fighting prowess, he was still considered a son-in-law by a powerful family with a long history.

In this world, the strength of one person can never be considered true strength.

"How long do you think this will last, Father?"

“Continue until those noble families are satisfied,” Prince Chong replied, stroking his beard.

"What level would be considered satisfactory?"

"That's their decision. If they're still not satisfied, they'll keep going until the Fengzhou granaries are completely empty."

"Aren't those powerful immortal families afraid that the people they support will actually starve to death this winter?"

Prince Chong raised his left hand, which was adorned with a thumb ring, and waved it lightly: "After emptying Fengzhou, the aristocratic families will naturally provide relief to those refugees themselves, and they can even earn a reputation for saving people from suffering, right?"

As the leader of the Immortal Faction and the uncle of the current Emperor of Great Xia, Prince Chong, who has painstakingly cultivated his power over many years, has a very clear understanding of the current situation.

Those powerful clans and families would not allow the people who had supported them for generations to die in large numbers. After emptying Fengzhou, they would surely choose to spare some grain from their own pockets to help them.

But the prerequisite is that Ji You must be completely drained of his resources.

Whether it's stored grain or the arrogance of powerful families over the years, it all has to be emptied out.

"Hopefully he can learn a lesson this time and curb his arrogance."

Zhao Yunyue calmly turned her gaze to the west, looking into the distance at the Wulu Trading Company, whose threshold was practically worn flat by countless footsteps.

When she saw Ji You kill Chu He and enter the inner courtyard, she specially sent a message wanting to marry him, but was rejected. That arrogance was something she had always hated.

She had always wanted to see him suppressed, so she contacted Liu Junchi, who was at the Fusion Realm, and even went to watch the preliminary selection of the Heavenly Academy of the Forbidden Sword Path.

However, Ji You's constant misfortunes and good fortunes led to the fulfillment of her wishes, which in turn hindered her Dao heart and caused her cultivation level to stagnate.

At this moment, she felt that she could finally see his arrogance being worn down.

"..."

"Young Master Kuang, the grain reserves of merchants in various regions are running low."

Upon hearing the steward's report from the granary on the west side of Fengzhou Prefecture, Kuang Cheng couldn't help but look up at the sky.

The weather after the Frost's Descent has been bad, overcast every day, with faint rumbles of thunder, as if snow and wind were brewing.

This situation is similar to that before last year's snow disaster, which makes people worry.

Wei Rui was by his side at this moment, her eyes filled with worry as she looked at her lover.

In her view, Wulu Trading Company was now truly stuck in a quagmire, unable to stop, and continuing would only cause more pain.

Thinking of this, Wei Rui couldn't help but reach out and gently grasp his hand.

"Continue distributing grain."

"Yes."

Under the limited sunlight and overcast skies, the vast procession of wagons continued to carry grain across the border, the heavy atmosphere they created along the way resembling a dragon trying to rise and take flight.

Cultivators all over the world watched with great interest as the grain carts from Fengzhou drove into the city in a grand procession, as the grain was unloaded bag by bag, and as the grain was led away by refugees at the front gate, and then as the refugees put it into the carriages of the noble families.

This seems to be the most enjoyable program since the catastrophe befell humanity.

Of course, there are also many who estimate how much grain Fengzhou actually has stored.

Winter Solstice arrived in the blink of an eye, and the grain distribution by Wulu Merchants had just reached its peak. Grain carts from Fengzhou had replenished grain in all directions several times, but those aristocratic families still showed no sign of stopping.

However, as temperatures plummeted and winter's chill set in, those who had signed labor contracts in Fengzhou but received no food became true refugees, quickly returning to the city with their starving families.

Without food, they would have a hard time surviving the winter, and their only hope was to go to the city to beg.

For several days in a row, the streets of major cities were filled with refugees sitting huddled on the roadside, shivering and holding pottery bowls in their hands.

"Isn't this all Ji You's fault?"

“That’s right. If he hadn’t raised the price of grain so high, why would our aristocratic families have resorted to such a desperate measure? They might have already received relief grain.”

"If you offend the powerful families of the world, you'll never have a good outcome."

"It was clearly his own impulsive act that caused the people of the world to suffer. I wonder what Ji You think now."

"He was probably panicked, but he was at a loss."

Amidst the city's discussions, more and more refugees began to enter the city to beg, making the cultivators even more eager for what would happen next.

In less than half a day, the Wulu Trading Company, which had been continuously distributing relief grain, finally began to take action.

In the backyard of the shop, a group of employees carried out a long table, and then the kitchen helpers from the city's restaurants appeared with pots and pans, and began to cook porridge in the cold wind.

The aroma of the food quickly spread throughout the city, attracting countless refugees.

The cooked rice porridge was then scooped into the earthenware bowls in their hands, one spoonful after another.

Upon witnessing this scene, the cultivators in the teahouses and taverns couldn't help but exchange glances.

In fact, ever since the Qingyun family started using refugees to demand food, many cultivators have been afraid that Ji You is unaware of the great setback he has suffered and is unable to bow his head because he truly feels fear.

When they saw Wulu Trading Company start distributing porridge, they were certain that Ji You knew about it.

If he didn't know that the relief grain taken by the people was being put into the hands of powerful families, why would he have ordered the distribution of porridge in Fengzhou, which was thousands of miles away?

But he was truly at a loss and could only take it one step at a time.

The inner courtyard of Tianshu Academy, the Purple Bamboo Zen Forest.

Because the matter of the Wulu Trading Company had spread like wildfire, no one was in the mood to cultivate. A large number of disciples were paying attention to this matter and discussing it among themselves for a long time.

In their view, Ji You's ability to stir up the world's affairs on his own was something countless people couldn't even dream of doing.

But they also understood that the situation was now clearly dangerous.

"Junior Sister Xiang, how much grain does your Fengzhou actually have?"

"I don't know about this."

Inside the inner courtyard, Xiang Fu, who hailed from Fengzhou, sat quietly at the tea table. Before she could even pick up her teacup, she was questioned by Wang Gaocen.
However, she was indeed unaware of Fengzhou's grain production data, especially after the Qingyun disaster, when Fengzhou had no actual statistical data. Only Ji You knew the details.

The problem is that the amount of grain stored has nothing to do with this.

Because those powerful families didn't have to pay anything to take away the grain from Wulu Trading Company; they could take as much as they wanted.

Wang Gaocen turned his gaze back to the others and said, "Do you think Ji You might just cancel the distribution of relief grain and switch to distributing porridge instead? I think that's a good idea."

"You know what, this method isn't entirely unworkable. Once it's ingested, how can anyone else take it out?"

"We must not tell Ji You about this, lest he actually manages to turn the tide."

Gu Zetao chuckled upon hearing this: "You can come up with such a method, but Ji You can't?"

Upon hearing this, Wang Gaocen propped himself up on the table: "People say that those involved are often confused, while bystanders see things clearly. If he could figure it out, how could he have known that powerful families were like cunning birds lurking behind him and still released so much relief grain?"

Just as the two were talking, a group of elders suddenly came up from the mountain.

They were also looking down the mountain with peaceful eyes, silently watching the refugees who were constantly wandering around the city.

Upon seeing this, all the disciples in the Purple Bamboo Zen Forest immediately stood up and bowed to the elders.

What were you discussing just now?

“We were saying that if the distribution of relief grain were changed to porridge distribution instead, Wulu Trading Company might be able to get out of its current predicament,” Wang Gaocen replied.

Upon hearing this, Elder Wang, the great-grandfather, frowned and said, "You're thinking too simply."

“Is it not possible…?” “How many refugees are there in the world? How many workers does Wulu Trading Company have? Distributing porridge is just a temporary measure. If this continues, Wulu Trading Company will not even survive this winter and will be dragged down.”

Wang Gaocen opened his mouth: "I hadn't thought of that..."

"Winter will pass, but spring and autumn will come. Humanity will not be able to catch its breath until the next harvest. Ji You can only continue to distribute grain until relief grain reaches the people."

"..."

“Gentlemen, uncles and elders, the host said that each person could drink two bowls, so why did you leave after only drinking one bowl?”

Inside the Wulu Trading Company in Zhongxing County, Tie Niu spoke while watching the elderly people walking out, his face full of confusion.

"Forget it, we old folks who are half-buried in the yellow earth won't eat it. You guys have some too."

People living at the bottom of society may not understand anything, let alone what grudges and entanglements are involved, but if they think about how the grain was taken away by those immortals and look at the faces of the shop assistants, they can probably understand something.

The Wulu Trading Company, which traveled thousands of miles to provide disaster relief, faced a perilous predicament. There was not much they could do but save some money for them.

In fact, besides these elderly people, there are many other refugees who are also silently resisting.

But this action improved the situation, and in addition to the daily distribution of porridge, the distribution of relief food continued.

They even set up additional grain stations in major cities, allowing the acquired post station grooms and restaurant workers to come and distribute grain.

But how long can this situation continue? At this moment, everyone is waiting for the moment when Fengzhou runs out of food.

豱辱辱辘——

On the official road outside Fengzhou Prefecture, a carriage was slowly traveling.

The carriage was very spacious, and the carriage was like half a house.

As the weather grew colder, thick curtains were hung in the carriages, and charcoal fires were lit inside.

Ji You was sitting at a warm table surrounded by quilts, drinking tea with Ding Yao, Zhuo Wanqiu, the Lu sisters, and Senior Sister Wen.

Five days ago, Ji You handed over the task of distributing relief grain to Kuang Cheng, and then left Ji Village.

First, he went to see the refugee resettlement in Youyun and Youzhou, then visited the markets in various prefectures after being guided through them, and finally went to the western border of Fengzhou to check on the border wall that was under construction.

The demon and barbarian tribes invaded the Youyun and Youyun states, and then headed south, seemingly having no interest in Fengzhou in the northeast.

However, in Ji You's view, when these two states are completely occupied and they are unable to continue southward due to fear of the sacred artifact, they may well have designs on Fengzhou. Therefore, some preparations should be made in advance.

He possessed a copy of the Heavenly Pattern Encyclopedia, which led him to constantly ponder whether a structure similar to the northern border city wall could be built along the border of Fengzhou.

And to complete such a layout, city walls are the most basic element.

This matter was just as important as distributing relief food, so he naturally wanted to personally check on the progress.

Because of the rivalry between the aristocratic families and the Wulu Trading Company, the atmosphere in Ji Village was very tense. The five fairies were all a little restless, so they went for a stroll with Ji You.

"The market in Fengzhou is quite interesting. It's a pity that my sister and I have to leave, otherwise I could have explored it more with my senior brother."

Lu Hanyan held her teacup and couldn't help but mutter something under her breath.

They came to Fengzhou for sightseeing, and now that half a month has passed, it's time for them to go back.

After all, for the Lu family now, with the spirit mines occupied by the demon race, the cultivation of their two daughters may be the key to their family's resurgence, so they have set a date to leave.

Although it was just a casual stroll, the Lu sisters still found the trip quite rewarding.

They had always wanted to solidify their relationship with Ji You, and their visit to Ji Village was a step closer to that goal.

However, Lu Qingqiu still had no clue about the people behind Ding Yao and Zhuo Wanqiu, which made her feel somewhat regretful.

"It's not too late to visit next time you come. Fengzhou will get better every day," Ji You replied softly.

"I'll still try my best to marry into this family..."

Lu Hanyan muttered something under her breath.

Wen Zhengxin then turned to Lu Qingqiu and said, "After the human race's disaster, the Heavenly Academy was severely weakened and short of manpower. Most of the fifth-year students stayed in the Office of Management to work. If you want to enter the Office of Management, Ruyi will write a letter for you. This will also benefit the Lu family in the future."

"Thank you sister."

"You are welcome."

As Ji You watched them call each other "sister" and "brother," she calmly picked up her teacup and felt a sudden ache in her back.

Just then, a smooth and soft jade foot suddenly appeared in his left hand, which was placed under the bedding around the table.

Whose feet are these...?

They traveled around Fengzhou for several days, spending most of their time in the car except for sightseeing. Because the space under the kotatsu was small, feet often peeked out from under the table.

It wasn't Ding Yao's; that girl's feet were just like her mistress's—cold and ticklish.

She had appeared calm and collected when she secretly reached out earlier, thinking that Ji You was unsure, but in the end, she couldn't control her expression at all.

Of course, these weren't Lu Hanyan's lively feet either; Zhuo Wanqiu's feet were even smaller.

With this in mind, Ji You focused her suspicions on Lu Qingqiu and Wen Zhengxin.

"Son."

"Ok?"

Ding Yao looked at him, holding her teacup: "What should we do about the relief food?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the atmosphere in the carriage suddenly fell silent.

Although traveling may bring them a good mood, a good mood cannot solve problems.

They all knew that the powerful families were now exploiting the common people to ruthlessly squeeze the Wulu Trading Company, just like greedy leeches.

More importantly, this time they are not just trying to satisfy their own needs, but also want to make Ji You submit, so they are unlikely to stop.

They had been silently worrying, but Ding Yao finally asked them about it.

Upon hearing the question, Ji You subconsciously squeezed the delicate jade foot in her palm.

"Opportunities are sometimes rare. The human race has suffered a great loss of strength due to the disaster, causing all living beings to be trapped. The whole world needs the grain products of Fengzhou. This is something that has never happened before in the thousand-year history of the human race."

"If we want to wait for the next one, who knows if it will be another thousand years. Since the opportunity is so rare, we should be more proactive."

“I want more than just today, or just this year; I’m more greedy than they think.”

"..."

Tianchang County in Zhongzhou was under the jurisdiction of Qili County.

Manager Tang, who was in charge of the business here, was leading fifteen employees in three large horse-drawn carriages along the long-neglected official road of Daxia.

Qili County is one of the largest arable land areas in Zhongzhou. Every year, Qili County's produce accounts for a large portion of Zhongzhou's autumn harvest.

Of course, this is also one of the largest gathering places for the people of Zhongzhou, with new graves piled on top of old ones all over the high hills.

Manager Tang drove his carriage into Qili County and headed straight for the local county government office without stopping for a moment.

After entering the county government office, the grain cart stopped, and Manager Tang, along with his employees, carried three heavy wooden boxes into the residence of the local magistrate.

Inside the wooden crates were the lists of those who had signed the convention; the thin sheets of paper alone filled three large crates.

"A ten-year land lease? And I get 20%?"

“That’s right. The sir rented the land to us, and Fengzhou will only take 80% of the output here. The remaining 20% ​​will stay in the county, uh... I mean, in your pocket, sir.”

The magistrate of Qili County was named Jia Bai. At this moment, he stared blankly at the horse-drawn cart in the courtyard that was full of grain.

After the crop failed, their lives became difficult, and their once large bellies shrank somewhat.

The women in his household couldn't contain themselves any longer and ran around the grain carts to look them over.

After hearing this, Jia Bai looked up and said, "Twenty percent is too little."

"Grandpa, what's wrong? This is an extra 20%."

"?"

Shopkeeper Tang sat up straight: "Think about it, all your subjects go to Fengzhou to farm, and every year they pay you the full amount of taxes to deal with the immortal sects and aristocratic families. This 20% is all going into your pocket."

Upon hearing this, Jia Bai's narrow eyes trembled slightly. After pondering for a while, he said, "Thirty percent!"

“Our boss said that we can only get 20%. You’ve seen those labor contracts. All the labor force in Qili County is going to Fengzhou. These farmlands will just be abandoned in your hands. No one will cultivate them. If you don’t agree, you won’t get a single cent.”

Upon hearing this, Jia Bai couldn't help but grit his teeth, cursing under his breath.

Some time ago, a group of immortals came to their county and took away a large number of people. He had no idea what they were doing.

It's only now that we realize that those who were taken away all signed the Fengzhou Convention, and he didn't get any benefit at all, so naturally he felt resentful.

What Manager Tang said was indeed true.

If all the labor force in Zhongzhou goes to Fengzhou, the farmland left behind will be nothing but wasteland, completely useless to them.

"Will 20% really stay?"

Shopkeeper Tang chuckled softly after hearing this: "How much grain do we spend on disaster relief every year? Do you think we'd be short a little bit from you?"

After hesitating for a long time, Jia Bai nodded: "Then it's 20%."

"Master Jia is indeed a wise man." Manager Tang took out a page of documents from his pocket. "Please sign this agreement, and then take out the fish scale book issued by the Great Xia and the Immortal Sect and hand it over to my Ji Village for signature."

"Just sign the contract, would I, Jia Bai, renege on the deal? Don't underestimate me just because I don't know anything. I know you have powerful backers. I don't have the guts to do that."

"I'm really sorry, but this is also a requirement of our employer. Think about it, we produce hundreds or thousands of products every year. Without this, it would be terrible if things got complicated later."

Upon hearing the words "thousands upon thousands," Master Jia's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately stood up: "You wait here."

Upon hearing this, Manager Tang cupped his hands in greeting and said, "Thank you for your trouble, Master Jia."

(End of this chapter)