Protect Our Clan Leader

Wang Licui, however, seemed uninterested in anything else. Instead, she was scanning the bustling streets for delectable food.

The sight of roadside stalls offering local delicacies or tavern grills made her unconsciously swallow her saliva in anticipation.

Were it not for Wang Shouzhe’s repeated reminders before they entered the city, she would have been ready to dive into the culinary delights instantly.

“Listen to Fourth Uncle, patience is key to a grand scheme,” Wang Licui kept reminding herself. Fourth Uncle had promised that after their visit to the Wang family of Longzuo, they would stay in Longzuo County for a few days. He had assured her that she could eat whatever delicious food she wanted.

To most of the Wang family members, everything in Longzuo County Town was fascinating.

As for Wang Shouzhe, he rode his Fire-treading White Cloud horse alongside Wang Xiaorui, finding the local customs Wang Xiaorui explained to him quite engaging.

However, his attention was mainly caught by potential business opportunities like textile manufacturers, Spirit Seed shops, etc. Virtually anything available within the whole of Longzuo County could be found within this county town.

This was a massive economic hub, a commercial center, and a political core. While Realm Cultivators from the Spiritual Platform were a rare sight in remote locations, they could occasionally be noticed in Longzuo County Town.

The place was filled with shops.

Just on their way, they had already spotted four or five textile manufacturers. Wang Shouzhe even speculated that the silk being sold in those shops might have been produced from raw materials supplied by the Wang Family’s Silkworm Manor and processed by the Xu family in Changning.

The horse-drawn carriages moved at a steady pace through the town’s main street.

It took them about two hours to reach the main residence of the Wang family of Longzuo.

The residence was grandiose, expansive, and boasted several towers that reached dozens of feet high, surrounded by other magnificent structures.

They either served as the headquarters of certain companies or belonged to the Prominent Families of the Purple Abode.

The provincial capital of Longzuo was also located not far from the area.

Therefore, this place was the heart of the county town of Longzuo, inaccessible to common people without a special pass.

“Clan Leader Wang, what do you think about our Wang family’s main residence?” Clan leader Wang Xiaorui asked with a slight sense of pride in his voice.

“The prominent family main residence is indeed impressive,” Wang Shouzhe remarked, “Isn’t that the famous Lingyun Building I’ve heard so much about? I’ve been told that our Old Ancestor, Wang Hong, spent his last two hundred years living there.”

Wang Hong, the Old Ancestor, was a forefather to both the Wang family of Longzuo and the Wang family of Ping’an.

And Wang Shouzhe’s recurrent use of “ours” made Wang Xiaorui feel a sense of closeness. He sighed, “The Old Ancestor built the Lingyun Building with the aspiration of treading upon the clouds. Unfortunately, he did not take that step in the end. The building serves as a reminder for future generations to maintain vigor and make diligent progress. It is us, the later generations, who have failed him. The clan’s fortunes have worsened over time, and we almost failed to ensure a smooth succession in the Celestial realm.”

He then smiled, “Clan Leader Wang, please do not take these grievances to heart. Let’s go home.”

With that,

Under the guidance of Wang Xiaorui, everyone stepped into the Wang family’s main residence.

True to its reputation as a prominent family of a thousand years, every plant, every brick, and every pavilion conveyed a thick historical significance, ancient and profound. The residence occupied a vast area; according to Wang Xiaorui, it housed hundreds of courtyards and thousands of servant quarters and secondary rooms.

While the design of the main residence of Wang family of Ping’an sought to be grand, it was about a third the size of the main residence in Longzuo.

“Clan Leader Wang, I have prepared several courtyards for everyone. We are all descendants of the Wang family, there’s no need for formalities. You must be exhausted from traveling, please rest for a while. This evening, I will arrange a welcoming banquet at the Yonglong Pavilion,” Wang Xiaorui explained calmly. “Tomorrow morning, I will take you to meet our Old Ancestor Zhou Bo. Do you have any objections with these arrangements?”

“Clan leader Xiao Rui, your arrangements are very thorough. Many thanks for your efforts,” Responded Wang Shouzhe. As a guest, it was natural for him to follow the host’s arrangement.

Then, the group checked in, freshened up, took a rest and dusted off the arduous journey.

By the evening, members of the Wang family arrived to escort Wang Shouzhe and his group to the Yonglong Pavilion.

Yonglong Pavilion.

This is where the Wang family of Longzuo entertains their honorable guests.

This time, they went out of their way to impress, with countless exquisite and delicious dishes. Many of them were new even to Wang Shouzhe and he had never heard of some of their dishes before.

They offered an open supply of spiritual wine and spiritual tea.

Clearly, the reputation of a certain glutton had spread to the ears of the Wang family of Longzuo.

They even brought in a whole Spirit Horned Yak for a grand feast, half of which was given to Wang Licui.

She was very satisfied with this meal, calling it very addictive.

Even with mental preparation, watching Licui eat half a Spirit Horned Yak and another whole bucket of Ziyu Jing rice was still very shocking.

This girl has an incredible appetite.

The Ping’an Wang family must have had a hard time raising her.

However, the Wang family also presented a list of gifts, including some high-quality Spirit Rice and Spirit Meat, among which were some valuable level three spirit meats. These gifts, added up, already exceeded ten thousand Qian Gold.

This made Wang Xiaorui keep on declining until he finally reluctantly accepted.

Afterwards, several core Elders, Family Head Wang Xiaorui, and other core figures such as Wang Shouzhe, began to chat over tea and discuss casual matters.

As the Clan Leader of a celestial being’s prominent family, Wang Xiaorui is a well-rounded individual with a wide range of experience. He casually mentioned some of the strange stories and unique events of Longzuo county, which all found very interesting and immersive.

After three rounds of tea.

Wang Xiaorui’s expression became slightly serious, and he lightly said to Wang Shouzhe, “Chief Shouzhe, my grandson Shouyue has written to me about your care for him. He has connected with the Chen Clan of Donggang and Young Master Dantai, and has received their warm welcome. He has secured a huge share of imported goods for our family. I, on behalf of the Wang family of Longzuo, want to express my deepest gratitude to Chief Shouzhe.”

“Chief Xiao Rui is too polite,” Wang Shouzhe smiled and returned the salute, “Just now, Chief mentioned that we are one family, all connected. Such small matters are not worth mentioning.”

Those so-called “imported goods” were produced by Wang Shouzhe in collaboration with a few other families. Which doesn’t matter who they sell to?

If the Wang family of Longzuo has this demand, they naturally get priority supply. But he will not disclose the secret that he is the real mastermind behind the scenes.

“What Chief Shouzhe considers small is greatly beneficial to the Wang family of Longzuo,” Wang Xiaorui said with emotion, “Chief Shouzhe may not know that competition in Longzuo County Town is fierce, and no business is easy.”

“We are all family. Without hiding anything, we are barely maintaining our present circumstances with only a few storefronts and remaining farms left by our ancestors. Now with the import trade, our financial difficulties can be greatly relieved. Chief Shouzhe, there is one more thing…” Wang Xiaorui hesitated slightly while speaking.

“Are you talking about the Wang No.9 Rice Seed?” Wang Shouzhe said with a smile, “I’ve already prepared for this. The Qian Family’s trading company will deliver it later, you just need to receive it. This batch of rice seeds amounts to about ten thousand dan, enough for fifty thousand mu of good land, I don’t know if that’s enough.”

Wang Xiaorui immediately responded with a surge of energy, “Enough, enough. We have only thirty thousand mu of good land. Chief Shouzhe, I’ve heard that each dan of the Wang No.9 rice seeds is priced at around eighteen copper coins. Including transportation costs, the total comes to two thousand Qian Gold. Please accept this amount and don’t refuse.”

After some mild refusal, Wang Shouzhe accepted the offer.

Gifts are gifts, business is business.

Given that this Wang Xiao Rui is also a discerning person, making the distinction very clear, Wang Shouzhe has no fear in continuing their cooperation.

He looked around seriously and said, “Chief Xiao Rui, since we are all one family, please excuse my frankness. The Wang family of Longzuo obviously has a golden goose, why wouldn’t they make good use of it?”

Wang Xiaorui’s eyes immediately lit up and said, “Chief Shouzhe, in such a short period, you managed to bring the Ping’an Wang family to prominence. Your vision must be extraordinary. Please teach me!”

…