Chapter 142: Ingenious

As soon as they arrived at the summit, besides Yu Fang and the other two women waiting there, the female cultivator dressed in the Diamond Sutra robe was present, along with Park Jeong-jin’s female disciple from Korea, Liu Tian, Gao Da the tough man, the one-handed uncle, the middle-aged recluse with thick sideburns, the lady who sang ancient poems with him, and the hermit who played the flute and zither atop West Peak—all had gathered there.

Seeing that each of the five carried several magical weapons and treasures, they all cheered joyfully. Under the flickering light of small fires, they descended the mountain together. Near the hermits’ quarters, everyone gathered to sit by candlelight and converse deep into the night, sharing and exchanging experiences. Master Jinyun presented magical weapons and treasures to the middle-aged recluse with thick sideburns and Jiang Ni. The Great Deity Hailian generously gifted each person a magical treasure as well, including the hermit playing flute and zither on West Peak and the female cultivator in the Diamond Sutra attire.

The next day, the group departed in batches, discreetly returning home. He Zhixing took the three women back to the provincial capital to check on Nuofeng Fashion Company, the chain of collectible shops, clothing stores, supermarkets, and bakeries. Over several days of visits to his enterprises and physical stores, he found everything running smoothly with no problems. The health drink produced in the Wuzhen Industrial Park was especially popular, with the Baisheng fruit beverages selling like hotcakes. The specialty wild vegetables and fruits from the countryside of Wuzhen were particularly fast sellers. The four varieties of wild strawberries were sold out daily; one of these was the bubble berry. Prices ranged from twelve to twenty-two yuan per jin, depending on daily supply—scarce stock meant higher prices.

After days of visits, he took the three women back to Wuzhen to see how the rural township’s specialty products were developing. When he left, the business was already taking shape; now it should be steadily advancing.

One small regret lingered in He Zhixing’s mind: his off-road vehicle was still at the vehicle management office in Yuncheng Town, Zhongtiao Mountain. The local government and police hadn’t found their people, so they probably hadn’t confiscated his car. Given He Zhixing’s current status, he didn’t care about that hundred-thousand-yuan domestic off-roader. This time, he drove one of his company’s dedicated vehicles back to Wuzhen—a white Toyota originally awarded to Hu Li. Hu Li had bought a car for Hou Juan in the provincial capital; since the two lived together, sharing one car was no problem. Hu Li didn’t accompany He Zhixing this time because she had to care for their youngest son.

Driving the white Toyota back, He Zhixing felt more at ease. Arriving in Leshi City, he made a point to visit the collectible shop to see Lai Fengzi. As soon as Lai Fengzi spotted him, he gave him a bear hug, exclaiming, “Well, brother! It’s been so long since you last came to see me. I thought you’d almost forgotten me!”

He Zhixing asked in puzzlement, “What’s going on? I just came. Is the shop running low on stock or treasures? I have BJ, the wholesaler from Panjiayuan who deals in antiques, calligraphy, paintings, and porcelain, delivering shipments three times a month to all five of our chain collectible shops, including this one in Leshi. How could the stock have sold out so quickly?”

Glancing around the shop, he saw some shelves still stocked. He also noticed Lai Fengzi’s wife busy showing jade pendants and other jadeite pieces to two beautiful female customers, explaining the fine qualities with expert knowledge.

Lai Fengzi quickly said, “No, it’s not that. I just missed you guys since it’s been a while. Also, my sister Lai Min said if she sees you or you call me, to tell you to come back and see her soon—she says she misses you...”

“Oh, got it,” He Zhixing replied, entering the store with the three women and approaching the shelves. Lai Fengzi’s wife looked up, and he quickly greeted, “Hello, sister-in-law!”

“Hmm, Xiao He, you’re here! Make yourself at home,” she said, then resumed explaining the jade pieces to the two ladies, promoting the shop’s jade and jadeite treasures.

He Zhixing then led Yu Fang, Jiang Ni, Wuxin, and Lai Fengzi outside the shop for a chat. He said, “Lai Fengzi, this is quite nice. Aside from antiques, jade, and calligraphy, I noticed some rural specialty micro-artistic plants from your sister Lai Min’s flower shop cleverly placed around the antique shelves and glass cases. It’s a brilliant design—you get to enjoy the greenery and the antique treasures simultaneously. You can buy the antiques, jade, calligraphy, or the potted plants and flowers. Indeed, very impressive! Who came up with this design? Was it you?”

Lai Fengzi laughed, “Haha, no, it was my precious sister. Once when she came to Leshi to see us, she said the place lacked some greenery. So she arranged various small potted plants and bamboo tube flower pots from her shop here. Honestly, after her touch, it really feels wonderful—a beautiful and comfortable environment where you can appreciate treasures and special wild flowers and grasses together. It’s really amazing!”

“Oh, I didn’t expect this little girl to be quite clever...!”

The three women smiled sweetly at He Zhixing’s praise of Lai Min, each slightly jealous and playfully rolling their eyes at him. Then they exchanged glances and laughed together.