Chapter 4 The Boss's Daughter-in-Law's Radish

  "Turns out it's daikon radish?!"

  Wang Lu opened his eyes wide in incredulity and stared at the object in his bowl.

  The proud son of the Wang family village, the unrivaled solver of the 12 linked tasks in Lingxi Town, had only one boiled white radish for dinner!?

  The suspicious gaze was cast on Shu Tong: "Must you be so frugal!?"

  Wang Zhong was extremely indignant: "Young master, you can't blame me for this. If you go out and take a look yourself, you'll know that the prices at this inn are simply outrageous. A single white radish costs ten taels of silver!"

  Wang Lu was stunned for a moment: "Ten taels is just ten taels, we rich second-generation kids don't lack money."

  "The boss's wife is still rationing! One person can only buy one!"

  "...... Have you told him that we are honored guests living upstairs?"

  Wang Zhong nodded vigorously and indignantly: "Yes, otherwise she would have asked for 500 taels per piece!"

  "Isn't that heavier than a radish?! The price of silver has plummeted to this extent recently?"

  Wang Zhong indignantly said, "That old lady is so cunning and thinks everyone else is a fool! Now the people in the main hall would rather starve than buy her radishes. And besides, it's not like she's the only one selling food in this town!"

  "You still bought this ten-tael radish? Do you really think we're rich now?"

  Wang Zhong continued to complain: "The prices of other places in the town have been driven up, now gold and silver are like dirt, ten taels of silver for a radish is already a fair price."

  Wang Lu frowned: "This conscience is not enough to make a living... I hate radishes the most."

  Wang Zhong said in a bad temper: "The young master doesn't eat, I'll eat. I'm still hungry."

  Wang Lu ignored Shu Tong's complaint: "I want to eat meat."

  "Radishes are five hundred taels, meat is probably five thousand taels a plate, the silver on our bodies can barely buy half a plate."

  "Hmm... " Wang Lu muttered to himself for a moment, looked down at the radish in his bowl, and suddenly asked, "Can this radish be sold by the store?"

  Wang Zhong shrugged: "Of course it can't be sold, only a fool would buy it."

  "In that case, our dinner plans are settled......" Wang Lu's eyes lit up, his fingers tapping involuntarily on the table, his expression growing increasingly excited.

  "Master?" Wang Zhong tilted his head, unable to understand.

  "Hmm, it seems like we'll have meat for dinner tonight."

  Having said that, Wang Lu picked up his luggage and stood up to leave.

  ——

  The landlady behind the counter on the first floor looked impatient.

  The kitchen boiled over a hundred white radishes, but now not even one has been sold - except for the one that was sold at a low price of ten liang. The royal and noble guests in the inn may be useless, but they are not stupid, and no matter how much wealth they have, no one will buy her "conscience" radish.

  In terms of cost, the loss of that pot of radish in the back kitchen is negligible, but as the owner of a small inn, her face can't afford to be hurt, more importantly, a certain bet might be lost.

  "Ugh... how annoying!"

  The landlady stretched her waist and scanned the hall with a glance through her narrowed eyes.

  "Hmm, that big-headed guy from Canglan country isn't here! Otherwise, I could have sold him dozens of..."

  Just considering whether or not to implement violent sales on the princes in the hall, a series of footsteps came down from upstairs.

  The arrival of someone made the boss's wife's eyes light up, and Wang Lu, who had just broken through the twelve-linked task chain, was back again.

  When she saw him, the boss couldn't help but want to laugh, especially when she thought of a certain someone's solemnly sworn unbreakable task chain being personally dismantled by him, the boss was even more holding back laughter until her stomach hurt.

  Looking at Wang Lu's appearance, going downstairs probably has ulterior motives, unfortunately there are no more task chains here.

  "Shopkeeper's wife, I've come to buy radishes."

  The boss's wife smiled: "Special price is only once."

  "It doesn't matter, I'll buy it at the original price."

  Original price? The boss's wife smiled and asked: "How much?"

  "First, five roots, want them to be a bit bigger."

  "A little bigger would be a bit more expensive."

  "It doesn't matter, it's not about the money."

  "Alright, 3,500 taels, pay first."

  Wang Lu said nothing and threw all his family's assets - more than a dozen silver notes from the Qingchuan State of the Great Ming Dynasty - onto the counter.

  The boss's wife waved her hand at Wang Lu: "I'll have it sent up later, you can go back now."

  Wang Lu didn't drag his feet either and immediately went upstairs. The boss's wife then wrapped up the stack of silver tickets and counted them slowly and carefully.

  What an interesting person, no wonder he can break through the twelve linked task chain. His way of thinking is completely different from those high-born but useless people in the main hall. Someone who was regarded as a heretic on the mountain may have found his kindred spirit.

  The boss's wife counted the money at a moderate pace, and when she finished counting the last bill, there were already several people standing in front of the counter.

  They were all attendants or personal soldiers of young masters, with smiles on their faces, but they smiled extremely unnaturally.

  "Boss lady, I'm here to buy..."

  "Boss lady, your radish..."

  "My young master wants..."

  The boss's wife didn't even lift her head: "One thousand two for one root, how many do you want?"

  The people were shocked: "Not five hundred taels?"

  "The price has gone up, love it or leave it."

  Everyone turned back to ask the master in distress, but got a definite answer without exception.

  If it's just being swindled, spending more money is a waste, but if it can bring about a thread of fate, even a thousand taels of silver would be worth it. Now it seems that the ridiculous price set by this strange inn has its own reason, just like the inexplicable task chain at the town gate.

  Being in Lingxi Town, everything is a coincidence. The princes in the main hall were hesitant and watching, but now they see someone taking the lead, so they naturally follow suit like a swarm of bees.

  Even a rustic fellow from Lianan Mountain can produce several thousand taels of white silver, let alone others who can produce even more.

  "Then... shall we buy two first?"

  "I want five!"

  "I want ten!"

  "My goodness, our young master has booked the whole venue!"

  The counter in front of the boss's wife quickly piled up with silver tickets from various countries. Not to mention the hundred radishes being cooked in the back kitchen, even the next few pots were fully booked. These princes and nobles didn't have much else, but they had a lot of money, so much that it made the boss's wife's hands soft from counting it.

  Businessmen making a fortune is naturally a joyful thing, the boss's wife counted the tens of thousands of dollars in profit, facing a group of customers with almost infinite purchasing power, but the smile on her face was far less sincere than before.

  "Good grief, what a bunch of idiots."

  This time, she said it out loud with great clarity and boldness.

  ——

  Midnight.

  Accompanied by the gentle breeze outside the window, the soft gurgling sound is particularly noticeable.

  "Master, are you hungry?"

  At one end of the room, Wang Zhong spoke in a low voice. At the other end, the young master grumbled in a bad mood: "I'm not hungry."

  "......Young master, there's still half a radish left that I haven't touched. If you're hungry......"

  "I would rather starve than eat radish"

  "Master, people are made of iron and rice is steel..."

  "If you care about me so much, then go outside and dig up some wild vegetables, hunt for wild boar."

  "How is it possible?!"

  "Shut up."

  Wang Lu finished speaking and turned over, no longer saying a word. Shu Tong wanted to speak but stopped himself, also falling silent.

  Some things can't be said.

  The young master had high hopes when he put up all his family's belongings, but now it seems that the expected results have not been achieved - let alone any chicken, duck, fish or meat, even the five water-boiled radishes that were supposed to be delivered are nowhere to be seen.

  For a young master who has always been proud and never suffered setbacks, this kind of novel experience is probably not pleasant, however... after all, he is not an immortal swordsman, and encountering setbacks in life is inevitable.

  Shu Tong slightly shrugged on the bed, thinking that it wouldn't be a bad thing to let Young Master have a taste of his own medicine. Otherwise, he would really think he was some kind of heavenly being, different from all ordinary people.

  Just then, I suddenly heard the sound of knocking on the door.

  At the moment when Wang Zhong was stunned, Young Master had already gotten out of bed.

  Open the door, and the boss's wife's pretty face is outside the door. Then, two small hands holding a large food box that doesn't look like it belongs to her, with towels underneath.

  Standing in front of the door, Wang Lu smiled and said: "Boss's wife, you've finally arrived."

  The landlady responded with a similarly tacit smile: "Sorry to keep you waiting, dear guest... it's really not intentional. But there's nothing we can do, that group of idiots booked all 100 pots of radish and just finished cooking them, so... your dinner will have to be delayed for a bit."

  While they were talking, the landlady had already walked into the house with big strides and put the heavy food box on the table. The food box was not opened, but a strong and rich meat fragrance wafted over, making one's mouth water.

  Wang Lu hastily opened the food box. The candlelight in the room was dim, but those sparkling oil droplets dazzled people's eyes.

  Wang Lu wiped his mouth while praising: "The boss's wife is really a trustworthy person... and also a skilled trustworthy person."

  The boss's wife patted her hand: "You helped me earn tens of millions, what's the big deal about this little rural skill?"

  Although the lunch box is big, the dishes inside are quite ordinary, including braised pork, stewed pork with rice noodles, wood ear meat, and chicken wings.

  But at this moment, even if I had a fortune of thousands, it would be impossible to exchange for this box of rural handicrafts.

  Wang Lu brought the dishes from the sea bowl to the table one by one, inviting Shu Tong to share a meal. Both of them were in their prime and had impressive combat strength. Before long, they had devoured about a third of the food in the food box.

  Wang Lu put down his bowl and chopsticks, although his stomach was uncomfortably full, he felt refreshed all over: "Boss lady, take the rest back, don't waste it."

  The boss's wife raised an eyebrow: "What are you talking about? This is your food for the next week. I think it's a waste that you guys ate so much earlier."

  "What's up for this week?"

  The boss's wife explained matter-of-factly: "There are still six days until the Ascension Festival, but you shouldn't have any money left on you, right? If you don't save a bit for food, in the last few days you'll only be able to drink northwest wind."

  Wang Lu was stunned for a long time, and then asked incredulously: "Boss, what do you mean? Shouldn't it be you who takes care of our food and accommodation from now on?"

  "Haha, how is that possible? You're thinking too much."

  "...Even if we don't count the money I helped you earn, at least I just spent 3,500 taels of silver, that can't be wrong, right?"

  The landlady snorted: "Now the prices in this town, you can buy this box of meals with 3,500 taels? Stop complaining and save some for later. The leftover food will last you six days. Think about those fools who spent tens of thousands of taels and couldn't even fill their bellies with radishes. At least you'll have meat to eat until the very end."

  “……”

  The boss's wife suddenly remembered something: "Oh right, after careful calculation, the money you gave me indeed has some left over, I'll return it to you."

  A moment later, the landlady bid farewell and left. Looking at the old copper plate left on the table, Wang Lu couldn't help but fall into deep thought.