"This is?"
In front of Yang Ze, a huge piece of land was covered with cotton plants. The land, which seemed to be the same size as the area of Darati City, was covered almost completely in white. From afar, it seemed like a land covered in snow.
For a moment, Yang Ze was stunned by such a huge piece of land that was used purely for growing cotton. The only thing that stood out in this white field were the two exquisite buildings which were clearly different from the usual buildings in Darati City.
"That's the cotton farm. Because of the soil, it could only be grown in this area. In fact, there wasn't a Darati City before. It was only established long after this place was used for cotton plantation."
"As for those buildings you see over there, one of them is the warehouse while the other one is the production building where they send cotton to be refined." Sensing Yang Ze's gaze, the old man beside him answered his doubts before adding further. "Everything you see is the property of the Yang family."
"I see."
Nodding his head, Yang Ze observed the buildings and the field for a while before exhaling softly. If not for this morning's walk, he wouldn't have bothered to come here in the first place and it would have taken him another few days to know about it.
After giving it one last glance, both of them started walking back to the road they came from. Throughout the journey, the two of them would chat occasionally. There wasn't much to chat about other than a few basic things.
After an hour, the two of them were back in the village.
"It's been a nice walk. Hope we will meet again."
With a smile, the old man took his leave.
"Mmm... Take care." Yang Ze nodded in response before looking at his manor above the mound and muttering to himself, "It's about time I go back too."
The sky at this time was beginning to turn bright, bringing much-needed warmth and brightness into this bleak village.
....
"Young master, how are you feeling today?"
By the time Steward Li came in, it was already noon. He looked at Yang Ze who was sitting on the bamboo chair with a handkerchief covering his entire face while facing the sky above before the corners of his lips twitched. He had never seen someone as carefree as this little bastard. It was as if he was here to enjoy his life instead of taking over.
"Huh?"
Removing the cloth, Yang Ze looked at the steward Li, who had just arrived. "Hmm..." He gave him a nod before standing up with a yawn.
"I am feeling good."
"I see."
Even though Yang Li was displeased in his heart, he didn't show it on his face. No matter how dissatisfied he was with the Yang family, he didn't dare to show it on his face. With a smile, he walked inside Yang Zi's house before coming out again.
"What are you doing?"
Looking at Steward Li, who had brought a chair and table from the house, Yang Ze furrowed his brows for a moment. He didn't like other people going through his room. But since this was his first time and he was new here, he didn't make a fuss over it.
"It's about the textiles industries that you are going to manage from now."
With a smile, Steward Li put down the thick notebook he was carrying with him on the table and sat on the chair before opening the notebook.
"Currently we deal in cotton and silk clothes. You might have seen the fields and the warehouse during your morning walk."
In this small city, there was nothing that was kept a secret from him. The moment Yang Ze decided to take a stroll, Yang Li was notified of his actions.
"Every two months, we will pluck out the cotton, store it in the warehouse and then process it. After that, we will ship it to the nearest city of Ignis. The profits will then be dispatched to the main house yearly."
Steward Li kept his eyes on Yang Ze the entire time during his explanation, hoping to see any changes. But looking at his face, which didn't have any expression, he shook his head in disappointment.
"If you would follow me, I will show you around."
Signalling him to follow him, Steward Li stood up and slowly started walking. After walking for ten or so steps, he paused for a moment after not hearing any footsteps.
"Young master?"
Looking at Yang Ze, who was still sitting in the chair, Steward Li was gashing his teeth. If not for the identity of the second young master, he would have trashed him instantly. How dare he, a trash without any redeeming qualities, disrespect him.
"I think I need to make some things clear Mr. Li."
Just when he was wondering why this little bastard wasn't coming, the voice of Yang Ze echoed in his ears, waking up from his train of thought.
"Please speak, young master."
Even though his voice appeared to be calm, one could still feel a trace of anger in it.
Ignoring the obvious, Yang Ze continued in a calm voice.
"I have no interest in taking charge of this textile industry."
"HUH?"
Yang Li thought that there was a problem with his hearing, but looking at Yang Ze sitting there calmly, he was stunned for a moment.
For a moment he didn't know how to react. He had been raking his brains, searching for a way out. He had even thought about handing in a part of the profits just for the sake of keeping the textile industry under his own control. But who would have thought that the boy would tell him such an explosive piece of news. Momentarily joy followed by confusion made him unable to speak for a while.
Looking at Steward Li, Yang Ze sighed before continuing his speech.
"You can take care of business. Other than my food and clothing, you don't need to worry about other things."
"If that is all, you can leave now."
"Yes, yes."
Nodding his head, Steward Li walked away from there with a dazed expression.
Sometimes happiness comes suddenly. At first, he was afraid of Yang Ze taking away industries from him. To him, it was his lifeblood. Half the profits made from the industries are pocketed by him. No one knows how much funds he had embezzled. If the main family found out about it, the lightest punishment would be his expulsion from the family. But looking back now, his worries were in vain. The second young master didn't seem to care about industries and profits.
The plans and schemes that he made yesterday with his wife, now seemed worthless. If the second young master wasn't going to interfere with him, then he didn't have any reason to go after him.
"Father, what happened? Where is he?"
Just down the mountain, Yang Che was standing anxiously. Just like his father, these industries meant a lot to him, too. It was the money from here that helped him condense his qi. He didn't dare to think about the difficulties of stepping into the Qi Guiding realm if the industries were gone.
When his father went to meet with the second young master, he was filled with nervousness and stood at the bottom of the mountain in silence. The only thing he did the entire time was to walk back and forth anxiously. His anxiety was relieved slightly when he saw his father coming back. But looking at his father who seemed to be in a daze with no sign of that bastard, he was confused for a long time.
"Go... Let's go home first." Steward Li's breathing was a bit chaotic. After taking a mouthful of air, he nodded before walking away.
Looking at his father, who didn't seem to be in his usual state, Yang Che gritted his teeth and looked at the house where Yang Ze lived with murderous intent in his eyes. After looking for a long time, he nodded his head before following his father.
....
"Wait, father. Are you serious?"
Inside a luxurious room, Yang Che suddenly jumped up from his chair and asked in a loud voice.
After listening to his father's explanation, he couldn't calm down. He still couldn't believe there would be a fool in this world who would give up such a massive fortune.
"Heh. No wonder he doesn't have any achievements. How can the people from my generation not have any ambition?"
"Simply a waste. No wonder he was kicked out of the family."
Steward Li looked at his son before smiling with approval before looking at his wife.
"What do you think about this?"
Sitting on the bench was a beautiful lady who seemed to be in her early thirties. Right now her black hair was scattered behind her back like a waterfall. Wearing a red revealing robe, that was exposing a lot of white skin, she looked like a mature beauty with all the right proportions. At the moment she was like a lazy cat, constantly squirming around. After Yang Li was finished speaking, she didn't give an immediate reply but looked at him with a deep gaze.
"Gulp."
Looking at his second mother, Yang Che secretly swallowed his saliva. His mother died after giving birth to him. His father married this woman when he came to this town to take charge of the industries. Even though the three of them had been together for more than five years, he still couldn't get used to her beauty.
"Husband."
Her voice, which sounded sweet as honey echoed in the room.
"I think you shouldn't be happy this early."
"Oh! Why is that?"
Steward Li was confused for a moment. It was this woman, his second wife, who helped him manage the textiles industries. Without her, he wouldn't be as successful as he is right now.
"Hehe."
With a sweet laugh, she continued.
"He may be the second young master of the family, but right now, his situation is nowhere near as it was before. He might not have any ideas about the industries now, but who is to say that it won't be the same after some time? Who is to say that his ambitions lie in living a peaceful life?"
The room went silent for a long time.
After hearing her, Steward Li was silent for a long time. Just like his wife said, the second young master of the family has lived his entire life in comfort. Perhaps he was not willing to take charge now because of his anger towards the family. But how long can one's anger last in front of such wealth? He who has lived in comfort would soon be eyeing this business after his anger fades away and he realizes just how monotonous his life is.
"I truly am a fool."
For a moment, he even wanted to slap himself for believing in that little bastard so easily. The momentary joy that steward Li and his son were feeling vanished after the woman pointed it out.
The atmosphere in the room became grim in an instant. The three sat there in an eerie silence, each with a different thought in mind, thinking about their futures...