Chapter 10

Although Yueming's fever had subsided, Lan Yingde didn't let her get out of bed. He brought her porridge and fed her mouthful by mouthful, just like he did every time she was sick as a child.

The celebration would last three days. Changsheng told her there would be a dragon boat race today, and people would splash water on the streets. She could imagine the lively scene and begged Lan Yingde to take him to the riverside to watch the fun.

Lan Yingde used a handkerchief to wipe the soup and porridge that had overflowed from the corners of her mouth: "You're not well yet, you can't go to the riverside to get some fresh air. Besides, if you go outside, you'll definitely eat something you don't like."

Yueming wanted to act coquettishly again, but Changsheng knocked on the door and came in and said to Lan Yingde, "Master, Yang Guotou is here and is waiting to greet you in the living room."

Lan Yingde placed a handkerchief on the bowl of porridge and placed it in Yueming's hand, and reminded her, "Eat by yourself first. Be careful of the heat. Dad will come over as soon as he finishes his business."

Her appetite was already bland from being sick, and now she was being forced to eat this tasteless white porridge. As soon as Lan Yingde left, Yueming had already placed the bowl of porridge on the small bedside table. Lying back on her bed, her hands resting on her head, she gazed out the window at the Burmese osmanthus trees. The warm March breeze blew open the buds of the trees, and the rich fragrance of the Burmese osmanthus drifted into the house on the wind. The scent moved her heart. She thought of the fireworks last night, which seemed like a dream, as beautiful as gilded water cast by the gods in the night sky. She got up, put on her shoes, and went to search for her painting supplies in her luggage, which she hadn't yet packed. She wanted to paint that scene.

Yang Laoliu, who was arranging the furnishings in the living room, saw Lan Yingde come in and hurried forward to greet him.

"Great peace, Lord Lan."

Lan Yingde bowed in return and said, "Thank you for your hard work, Yang Guotou. Please take a seat. I'll serve you some tea."

After Lan Yingde sat down on the chair in the main hall, Yang Laoliu said, "I should have come to pay my respects to Master Lan last night, but I arrived late and was afraid of disturbing Master Lan's rest. I hope Master Lan will not be offended."

Lan Yingde waved his hand and said, "Yang Guotou, you are out of touch. We are brothers and we are on the road to wealth together. I am ashamed of your politeness."

Yang Laoliu, originally from Zhenxiong, Zhaotong, had long worked as a salt merchant hauling salt. He was connected to Lan Yingde through his fellow Zhaotong gang member, Wuye. His first trip with Lan Yingde was to Honghe. On his return, Lan Yingde even advised him to bring back perfume, pearls, agarwood, and other goods. He made a killing.

Lan Yingde promised that as long as he was willing to go to Yunxiang with him, he could make four trips a year, but he could only follow him and was not allowed to take other jobs.

He couldn't make up his mind, so he made an appointment with Wu Ye to have dinner at the Muslim Restaurant on Huiying Street. His fellow villager didn't like anything except the beef chops and poached chicken at the Muslim Restaurant.

Chewing on the sizzling beef chops, Master Wu squinted at Yang Laoliu and said, "You want to eat meat but you're afraid of getting beaten?"

Yang Laoliu attentively filled Wuye's glass with wine from the pot and said with a smile, "I've only ever seen the sparrows on the mountain flying down the dam, but never the old tiles on the dam flying up the mountain. I've worked hard all the way from Zhenxiong and finally established myself in Kunming. Now I'm going to that Shangla with Mr. Lan. I'm so unsure!"

"Established a foothold in Kunming?" Fifth Master pointed at him with a cow bone and sneered, "You can't even afford a shabby hut by Dianchi Lake, and yet you dare to say you've established a foothold in Kunming? You're really arrogant."

Yang Laoliu made some money after following Lan Yingde on a trip, and he felt very proud and thought he had made a name for himself. However, he felt embarrassed after being ridiculed by the Fifth Master.

"It's not that I'm narrow-minded. I've just been so complacent after not eating potato rice for three days. So I need your support, Fifth Master!"

Wu Ye threw away the big pie in his hand, wiped his hands with a handkerchief, took a sip of wine, smacked his lips and said, "Go to the window and look, and tell me what you see?"

Yang Laoliu went to the window and looked out. The street was brightly lit and people were coming and going. Apart from being extremely lively, he couldn't see anything special about it.

He turned around and smiled at Fifth Master, "I'm not very experienced and my vision is poor. Fifth Master, please give me some guidance."

Wu Ye pointed out the window and said to him, "All the shops on this half of the street belong to Lan Yingde. As soon as Lan Yingde says he wants to take them back, all the Hui people on this half of the street will have to go back to Weishan to slaughter cattle."

Yang Laoliu's eyes widened. Half of the shops on the street belonged to Lan Yingde? Oh my god! How rich must Lan Yingde be?

Seeing him staring, unable to speak, the Fifth Master laughed again and said, "His follower, Du Guotou, also opened a shop here. Lan Yingde half-sold and half-gave him a few." Seeing Yang Laoliu's eyes almost popping out of his window, he knew he couldn't wait to follow Lan Yingde to the position of Prime Minister. He warned him, "But I'm telling you, wealth and honor are sought in danger. Going to Burma is a risk within a risk. You'd better think carefully."

Yang Laoliu was so engrossed in the prospect of a bright future that he was filled with confidence. As Wu Ye had said, wealth and honor are achieved through risk. How could one succeed without risking their lives these days? The people of Zhenxiong had no other advantages except two: they were bold and daring.

Yun Xiang, he went to make the decision.

Now looking at the smiling Lan Yingde, he still couldn't believe that this bookish man had such great abilities. He could get connections with the government, the military, and even foreigners. He was neither too enthusiastic nor too slow in doing things, but he would get involved in the most volatile business at once.

He straightened his expression and said, "Master Lan, you are embarrassing me. You have given me a way to make a fortune. I, Yang Laoliu, am deeply grateful to you. How dare I call myself your brother?"

Changsheng came up with a tea tray and served tea to Yang Laoliu and Lan Yingde. Just as he was about to leave, Lan Yingde stopped him and said, "Changsheng, stay. You have to come with me this time and listen too."

When Lan Yingde returned to Yueming's room, Yueming had fallen asleep again. The easel was placed in front of the bed, paints were scattered all over the drawer, and the paints in the palette were not dry yet. She must have been tired from painting.

There was rice greasy residue on the surface of the bowl on the bedside table. It must be that he hadn't eaten a single bite since he left.

Lan Yingde sat by the bed and looked at his sleeping daughter. She caught a cold yesterday and probably had a stuffy nose, so her mouth was slightly open. Although her face was still a little pale, she knew that picking at her lips meant that she was almost well.

Lan Yingde was worried about leaving for Lashio in two days. The child had only been there a few days and was about to be left alone in an unfamiliar place. But he had no other options. He had no one he could trust, and the cargo was important, so he had to take Changsheng with him.

I originally thought that Tusi Han would take good care of Yueming because I worked hard for him to make money, but I just went to the mansion to pay my respects and came back in a mess.

There are too few people I can trust!