From the moment Su Kunliang saw the shopkeeper, he felt that he looked familiar, as if he had seen him somewhere before.
"Master Su, welcome to our Longtan!" the shopkeeper said with a smile, bowing and greeting.
"Are you Lin Jiu?"
Lin Jiu chuckled and said, "Master Su has a really good memory."
Su Kunliang patted him on the shoulder, "Can't believe it! You're a shopkeeper now!"
"How dare I? I am deeply grateful for the kindness of the City Lord and Boss Wu," Lin Jiu said with shame.
Back in Linjia Village, he was a genuine farmer; this was his first time being a shopkeeper.
“This inn…” Su Kunliang wanted to say that it wasn’t his, but he was afraid that it would be inappropriate.
Lin Jiu remained composed. "This inn belongs to the government. The city lord said we'll receive a share of the profits at the end of the year. The rooms are ready. Master Su, please come upstairs!"
Lin Jiu had originally prepared three superior rooms for the Su family father and son, but Su Kunliang insisted on having only one.
"Master Su, please rest for a while. The kitchen is already preparing the meal."
"Thank you for your trouble!" Su Kunliang said, bowing with his hands clasped in thanks.
Lin Jiu had just come downstairs when he saw Su Yunzhi leading Dao Fuzi in from outside.
"Master Su is in the 'Heavenly Room' upstairs," Lin Jiu said with a smile.
"Thank you, Uncle Jiu!"
The lively and energetic Su Yunrui heard her older brother's voice from her room, came out and waved to Su Yunzhi downstairs, "Big brother, we're here!"
Su Kunliang excitedly grasped Dao Fuzi's hand and looked him up and down.
"Brother Sichen, it's been a year since we last met. It seems you've recovered greatly!"
Dao Fuzi sighed, "This year, we are very grateful for the care and support of Anan and Yiheng."
Seeing the two reunited after so long, chatting with tears in their eyes at the door, Su Yunzhi prepared tea and stepped forward respectfully, saying, "Father, Master, the tea is ready. Please sit down and chat."
After sitting down, Master Dao seemed to open up and began to tell Su Kunliang in detail about their experiences in Longtan over the past year.
They talked from dusk till late at night, and the four Su brothers listened with great interest.
The next day, Deng Kang got up early, had breakfast, and then strolled through the streets and alleys of Longtan County with his trusted steward.
"Sir, have you noticed that many streets only have one or two shops open, and some streets don't have any shops open at all?" The steward said in a low voice so that passersby wouldn't hear.
It's easy to tell whether a shop is open or not; the space where a sign should be hung above the entrance is completely blank.
Deng Kang remained silent, surveying the location of the shops, a vague guess forming in his mind.
"Let's go back to the inn first."
Turning off the road, one sees Wu Xingwang and his servants waiting at the entrance of the inn.
Upon seeing them from afar, Wu Xingwang's eyes lit up, and he quickly went to greet them.
"Patriarch Deng got up very early!"
Deng Kang smiled and said, "There's nothing I can do, I'm getting old and need less sleep."
"Have you had breakfast yet?" Wu Xingwang asked.
"The master went outside for a walk after eating to help digest his food."
The manager smiled and spoke succinctly, implying that they were not intentionally trying to find out, but were simply going for a walk to digest their food.
A look of understanding flashed in Wu Xingwang's eyes, but he still wore a polite smile. "Then let's go. The city lord should already be waiting at the county office."
In the council hall, Lin Yinan and the county government leadership were all present, and even Yun Mo, who usually went to the military camp early in the morning, was sitting next to her.
Wu Xingwang introduced him to each of them.
Although Deng Kang was mentally prepared, he was still slightly taken aback when the city lord saw Lin Yinan.
He originally thought that a woman who could not only protect her family and clansmen from fleeing to the south from the northern border city, but also build up Longtan into such a city in a short time and become the lord of a city must be tall and strong and highly skilled in martial arts.
The Lin Yinan we see now is not yet eighteen, but she is outstandingly beautiful, with bright eyebrows and white teeth. Her dark eyes are full of confidence and determination. She sits quietly at the head of the table, exuding an innate majesty.
Her husband was handsome and resolute, exuding a strong aura of killing intent that was unmatched by any other military general in the entire Cangwu Prefecture and the Southern Lands.
Looking at all the managers and staff present, they were all young, capable, and full of vigor.
Sure enough, he made the right decision to come.
Lin Yinan smiled faintly, nodded slightly to him, and said in a cool voice, "Patriarch Deng has come from afar, please have a seat!"
"Lord Lin's abilities truly make me feel ashamed of my own inferiority!"
"Master Deng is too kind."
Everyone took turns praising each other, and after they finished praising each other, they officially got down to business.
After some familiar flattery, Deng Kang went straight to the point, "Lord Lin, I see that many of the shops in the city are empty. Are there any plans to sell them to the public?"
"That's right, the shop was completed before the new year. I was thinking that after Longtan made a name for itself, it would attract some businessmen to invest here," Lin Yinan admitted frankly.
A glint flashed in Deng Kang's eyes, and an idea immediately formed in his mind.
"How much will it cost?"
Lin Yinan's lips curled slightly, but her face remained expressionless. "Master Deng, please don't be in a hurry. In addition to the shops, we also have unique hillside villas and beautifully designed courtyards for sale. I'm sure you haven't seen these two places before, have you?"
"No, that's true."
As the saying goes, seeing is believing, hearing is deceiving. Deng Kang wasn't very interested in the mansion and villa he hadn't seen in person.
His current priority is to secure a shop in a good location. Given the current momentum of Longtan and the absence of the threat from the Japanese pirates in Xihe, he believes that the city will surely prosper soon, and he doesn't want to miss this opportunity.
Seeing his lack of interest, Wu Xingwang's eyes lit up. "The Chen family head of Yongqing City was the first to cooperate with Longtan. He has chosen shops, villas, and mansions."
Upon hearing this, Deng Kang immediately understood.
So that's how it is. No wonder Chen Xianming holds the distribution rights for the cheap salt in the entire southern region. It turns out that the old man had already made connections with Longtan a long time ago.
"When does Your Lordship plan to open all the shops for sale?"
He felt he needed to get the shop matter sorted out first.
“We will have an auction in three days, but I don’t know if Patriarch Deng has enough time?” Lin Yinan didn’t keep him in suspense any longer.
Deng Kang exchanged a glance with the steward beside him, and after a moment's consideration, said, "Alright, then I'll wait three days."
"Then it's settled. I'll have someone take Patriarch Deng to see the villa and the mansion later. You can take a look first, and then you can make your move at the auction."
Deng Kang remained silent.
Lin Yinan continued to throw out bait, "Last year we improved a lot of agricultural tools and equipment, as well as methods to increase grain production and income. If Patriarch Deng is interested, I can have someone take you to see them."
Deng Kang raised an eyebrow, leaned out of his chair, and stared intently at Lin Yinan.
"It seems your city still has many treasures. Lord City Lord, please don't keep them hidden away."
Lin Yinan smiled and said, "I'll be hosting lunch at the Longtan Hotel for Patriarch Deng. Would Patriarch Deng do me the honor?"
"Since Lord Lin has invited me, I, Deng, will certainly be there on time."
Deng Kang was looking forward to seeing what surprises Longtan would bring him next.
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