Chapter 136 - 95: The Righteous Boss Ji, the Earth Treasure ’Jade Marrow Cold Lotus’, and the Vow for Jiangyin Prefecture

Chapter 136: Chapter 95: The Righteous Boss Ji, the Earth Treasure ’Jade Marrow Cold Lotus’, and the Vow for Jiangyin Prefecture

The sun rose and the moon fell. Silently, a touch of silver frost, carried on the bleak, cold wind, settled upon the small county town at the end of the year.

It was snowing.

Ringing out the old year and welcoming the new, the timely snow promised a bountiful harvest.

Even in harsh times, when survival itself was a struggle, people always yearned for a better future.

Even though the new year was still over half a month away.

Outside Anning County, many villagers from the mountain towns and hunting manors had already begun to arrive. They drove donkey and mule carts laden with goods, bringing their entire families to the county market.

Fine snowflakes drifted from the sky. On street corners adorned with red silk ribbons, children in gray, cotton-padded jackets tossed firecrackers, creating a boisterous scene.

The faint atmosphere of the coming new year washed over the senses.

Ji Xiu, along with his younger sister Ji Wei, officially moved into the brand-new Ji Residence in the western part of the city.

He rode ahead on the Jade Deer.

Ji Wei followed in a horse-drawn carriage, arriving a short while later.

The residence was expansive, with four main courtyards, converted from the former Tiger and Leopard Hall. All the hired maids, servants, kitchen staff, Stewards, and so on were veteran staff from the Lin Residence, all of them well-trained.

Old Yao, for instance, was flushed with success. He now wore much more respectable robes and had been made Chief Steward, smiling from ear to ear all day long.

Hong River, who had originally been his Groom from the Wind and Cloud Association, was also brought over by Ji Xiu and given the post of Hospital Instructor.

With familiar old hands managing things both inside and out, everything ran smoothly for Ji Xiu.

Furthermore, anyone who heard of it would remark that the Mountain Road Chief of the Ji Residence was a man who remembered his old followers and treated them well. In this way, he also earned a fine reputation.

"Boss, regarding the money-lending business the Three Great Gangs used to run... it was all compounding interest, the predatory sort where you’d borrow nine and have to pay back thirteen. All in all, they issued several hundred contracts. The principal amounts weren’t huge, but they snowballed into several thousand taels of silver."

"Ever since you took over the territories of the Three Great Gangs and converted them into Mountain Dao shops, the old gambling den debts have naturally been transferred to your name."

"Now that the year-end is approaching, it’s time to settle annual accounts. I’ve sent men to ’invite’ over all the indebted men. Should we...?"

Lin Zhenhai sat in a wheelchair, pushed by Lin Ruyue. Nourished by the Treasure Medicine Grand Pill, his complexion had improved considerably. It looked as though it wouldn’t be long before he recovered a measure of his former strength.

As the influential magnate who had founded the Lin Residence and weathered decades of turmoil in the County...

...Lin Zhenhai knew how to carry himself but also when to lower his pride. Having bet his entire fortune on the currently ascendant Master Ji, he was now putting his all into the work.

The Ji Residence was a scene of festive cheer, decorated from top to bottom with large red lanterns.

Yet amidst this, a large, dense crowd of commoners, escorted by the Nursing Home and Martial Artists, were gathered together. With anxious expressions, they huddled in a group, waiting for their ’new master’ to pronounce his judgment...

Ji Xiu watched as Lin Zhenhai presented a wooden box. Inside, it was filled with contracts in black ink on White Paper, each marked with a handprint. He couldn’t help but rub the bridge of his nose.

"The Central Yellow Remnants from the Lion Hall, the Tiger and Leopard Hall, and the Eagle Falcon Gang who ran these gambling dens... truly unconscionable. How many people did they drive to ruin, a debt of just two or three taels of Silver snowballing into more than ten, sometimes even dozens?"

He recalled the sister of Zhang Qing—also known as Zhang the Sixth—and how in the slums and old alleys where he’d grown up, people were constantly forced to sell themselves or their property deeds, yet still couldn’t clear their gambling debts. Ji Xiu loathed the practice.

"Since I’m in charge now, and I’ve dismantled those gambling dens..."

"...then I won’t require you to repay these debts with silver coins. I want you all to have a good new year."

Ji Xiu declared with a grand wave of his hand.

The commoners, who had been ashen-faced and filled with anxiety, were instantly overcome with elation. They stared at one another, hardly daring to believe what they’d heard.

’The debt is forgiven! We don’t have to pay back the Silver?’

’This...’

Some of them were lazy, good-for-nothing idlers.

Upon hearing this, their eyes darted about. They were about to fall to their knees and kowtow, hoping this great master would show even more kindness and toss them a few coins for the new year. However...

Ji Xiu, however, neither burned nor tore up the debt contracts.

Instead, he closed the box, handed it back to Lin Zhenhai, and gave his instructions.

"Reorganize these contracts. Make a new list of who owes how many silver coins."

"They don’t have to pay back the Silver, but they do have to work off their debt."

"It just so happens that for our Mountain Living, we have plenty of manual labor—escorting goods, hauling things... We’re desperately short of manpower."

"The Boss has a kind heart. He sees that you are all poor folk in debt, so he’s offering you a way to survive."

"When you get outside the County, remember to put your backs into it at the Mountain Towns and Hunting Manors."

"The Boss will provide you with clothing, food, and shelter. Once you’ve worked off your debt, he’ll even pay you in silver coins. You won’t be mistreated."

Ji Xiu’s face was a mask of benevolence.

The moment these words were spoken...

With the exception of a few simple, honest men—thinly clad and with no other recourse, who had fallen into debt out of desperation—who breathed a sigh of relief with a hint of joy on their faces...

...the remaining ninety percent of the crowd simply stared, their faces frozen in shock.

’Escorting goods on the Mountain Dao? Braving the wind and rain, in the freezing cold? And for no pay, just to work off a debt!’

’How is that any different from just demanding payment in another form?’

’It’s no different from going from monetary repayment to indentured servitude!’

For a moment, some wanted to complain, but then they saw the powerful bow on the young man’s back and the courtyard full of Martial Artists...

...and in the end, they didn’t dare make a sound. They could only lower their heads in submission.

Seeing this, Ji Xiu sneered inwardly, his eyes filled with disdain.

’Heh, as if I, the Boss, don’t know what gambling addicts are like?’

’Aside from the few who are truly desperate, ninety percent of them are just worthless scum who racked up debts at the gambling dens.’

’I, the Boss, am being benevolent enough to send you to the mountains for rehabilitation. You’ll contribute to my enterprise and have a chance to turn over a new leaf.’