Volume 1, Chapter 68: Fan Xiu is the one who saved Su Ying'er!

After leaving the Drunken Immortal House, Fan Xiu headed straight to the county magistrate's office to discuss the purchase of the horse ranch with Junior Magistrate Wang.

That horse ranch had been abandoned for several years and had simply never found a buyer.

Upon hearing that Fan Xiu wanted to buy it, Junior Magistrate Wang was overjoyed. Originally priced at one thousand taels of silver, he only charged Fan Xiu eight hundred taels and even returned two hundred taels to him.

Fan Xiu took out one hundred taels and handed it to Junior Magistrate Wang.

"Brother Wang, you've worked hard. Take this for the kids to buy some snacks," Fan Xiu said with a smile.

Although in Zhiyuan County the county magistrate held the highest authority, magistrates usually left once their term expired, whereas the junior magistrate always remained.

How did the saying go?

Flowing county magistrates, ironclad junior magistrates.

Junior Magistrate Wang was momentarily stunned, then laughed heartily as he accepted the silver notes and tucked them into his pocket. "Brother Fan is truly a wonderful man! Whenever Brother Fan needs anything in the future, just say the word."

"Many thanks, Brother Wang," Fan Xiu cupped his fists and said.

Junior Magistrate Wang looked around cautiously and then lowered his voice. "There is something I must warn you about, brother. Zhiyuan County has not been peaceful lately. Many outsiders and even soldiers have arrived, and even Magistrate Liu has started staying behind closed doors."

Fan Xiu was slightly taken aback.

Soldiers?

What was going on?

Zhiyuan County was just a shabby little county, not a strategic border fortress. First Xie Tangfeng had arrived, and now many more people, even soldiers?

Could all this be for the sake of a female spy from the Xingye Kingdom?

Surely that did not warrant such a massive display?

"Brother Wang, can you tell me what on earth is happening?" Fan Xiu asked.

Junior Magistrate Wang shook his head. "I don't know. Judging by the looks of it, this isn't just about catching a spy, but what is really going on is beyond my knowledge! Not to mention me, I even tried to sound out Magistrate Liu, and he doesn't know much either, other than that a major event is about to happen."

Fan Xiu cupped his fists. "Thank you very much, Brother Wang."

"We are brothers, talk of thanks is too formal. It's getting dark, you should hurry home as well," Junior Magistrate Wang advised.

Daring not to linger in Zhiyuan County, Fan Xiu took Fan Tie and returned directly to Qinglin Village.

On the other side.

In the courtyard where Xie Tangfeng was staying.

Liu Wenyang asked with a mixture of doubt and anxiety, "Young Master Xie, are we really just going to swallow this loss?"

Xie Tangfeng delivered a kick to Liu Wenyang, sending him sprawling to the ground.

"It's all because of your incompetence!"

Xie Tangfeng scolded coldly, "You didn't even notice that someone was following us!"

As he spoke,

Xie Tangfeng let out a long breath and said in a deep voice, "Naturally, I won't let this go unpunished, but there are more important matters at hand right now. Once I've finished dealing with those, it won't be too late to settle accounts with Fan Xiu!"

Liu Wenyang asked in surprise, "The matter Young Master Xie mentioned is..."

"Do not ask about things that do not concern you. Your only job is to keep an eye on Su Ying'er and report everyone who has seen her to me."

Liu Wenyang's expression shifted slightly as he said, "Young Master Xie, a total of two people went to see Su Ying'er today. One was Guo Xiulan, the concubine of Zhao Defu who is also from the Drunken Immortal House, and the other was Fan Xiu!"

"Fan Xiu? He went to see Su Ying'er as well? What is the meaning of this?" Xie Tangfeng asked in a deep voice.

"Yes,"

Liu Wenyang replied, "I heard that Su Ying'er was very displeased with Fan Xiu using her as a stake in a wager, so she demanded three hundred taels of silver, and Fan Xiu went to deliver it. Moreover, Young Master Xie..."

Saying this,

Liu Wenyang's expression turned sinister. "The biggest beneficiary of Su Ying'er being rescued is Fan Xiu! Not only did he win the wager between you and me, but it also served as free publicity for his cold skin noodles! Therefore, I believe there is a high probability that Su Ying'er's escape is related to Fan Xiu!"

Hearing this, Xie Tangfeng's eyes instantly narrowed.

"Very well! Excellent!"

Xie Tangfeng said with a gloomy expression, "What a fine Fan Xiu! How dare he play tricks on me! I..."

Just as he was speaking,

a soldier suddenly rushed in from outside.

"Young Master Xie, several women are attempting to break through our blockade!" the soldier reported, cupping his fists.

Upon hearing this, Xie Tangfeng's expression instantly lit up with joy!

"I've finally waited for you!"

Xie Tangfeng nearly laughed aloud and said eagerly, "Immediately mobilize all personnel to surround them! They must not be allowed to escape! Remember, I want them alive! I'll go with you!"

With that,

he hurried away.

Watching the anxious Xie Tangfeng, Liu Wenyang's face was filled with utter confusion.

What was going on?

Several women breaking through the blockade?

Never mind.

It had nothing to do with him. Right now, the person he cared about most was Fan Xiu!

Once Xie Tangfeng was done with his business, he could then proceed to deal with Fan Xiu, right?

At this thought, Liu Wenyang couldn't help breaking into a chuckle.

At the Fan family residence.

When Fan Xiu brought out all the silver he had obtained today and placed it before his family, their eyes all widened in astonishment.

Li Chuntao quickly counted it up and cried out in shock, "One... one thousand one hundred and forty-five taels of silver? How is this possible?"

His father Fan Shoucheng and mother Lady Zhou were completely speechless, their breathing turning rapid.

The two elderly people could barely earn a single tael of silver after working themselves to the bone for a whole month, and that was only during a good harvest.

Yet Fan Xiu had managed to bring back over a thousand taels after just a few days?

His eldest brother Fan Yuan asked with a grave expression, "Fan Xiu, you... you didn't go rob someone, did you?"

Fan Xiu said speechlessly, "Robbery? The origins of this silver are completely clean! Oh, and there's more!"

As he spoke,

he produced the deed to the horse ranch and said, "Our house is too small, so I bought a hundred-mu horse ranch, which cost nine hundred taels of silver. Otherwise, I should have been able to bring back over two thousand one hundred taels."

After a momentary daze, Li Chuntao and Lady Zhou could not hold back their tears.

It was not from sorrow, but from overwhelming joy!

Empress Xiao Ruoqing, sitting inside, watched with wide-eyed astonishment.

Even as an empress who never cared about petty amounts of money, she was genuinely startled by the fact that Fan Xiu had managed to rake in over two thousand taels in just a few days.

Back when she hadn't ascended the throne, her monthly allowance was only eight hundred taels!

Yet Fan Xiu had accumulated this much in a mere few days.

It was obvious that things went far beyond simply selling cold skin noodles!

Fan Xiu handed ten taels of silver to Li Chuntao and said, "Sister-in-law, this is the ten taels you borrowed earlier! Take this back to your family first. Besides..."

Saying this,

he took out another ten taels and handed them over, adding, "This is your interest!"

"No need,"

Li Chuntao hastily refused. "I'll keep these ten taels, but you should keep the rest for yourself. You will still need money for many things in the future."

Fan Xiu chuckled and said, "I'll make more money whenever I need it! You are my founding investor, and these ten taels are just the current interest—there will be more in the future!"

When he was completely penniless, it was Li Chuntao who had run back to her maiden family to borrow those ten taels for him!

Such deep affection could never be measured merely by ten taels of silver.

After thrusting the silver into Li Chuntao's hands, Fan Xiu ran over to where Xiao Ruoqing was staying.

"Wife!"

Fan Xiu smiled broadly and said, "Didn't I tell you the truth? What did I say before? Follow me, and I guarantee you'll live in luxury!"

Xiao Ruoqing sincerely gave him a thumbs up and said, "I am impressed! It seems you truly have a knack for business! If I guessed correctly, you've already sold the recipe for the cold skin noodles, haven't you?"