Upon hearing this, Yu Su looked at Lu Yan and, after a moment, smiled, "Well, I know."
Although Lu Yan always liked to stick to him, it had to be said that in some sense, Lu Yan was the person who understood him the most and was the most compatible with him. No matter what he did, he could always receive Lu Yan's support, and that feeling wasn't bad.
Just like at this moment, because of Lu Yan's words, he felt a sense of reassurance in his heart.
Moreover, he had a feeling that no matter when, there was someone walking side by side with him, and this idea was given to him by Lu Yan.
For a moment, he seemed to understand why Lu Yan was so eager to build the foundation before, why he wanted to catch up with him so desperately. Perhaps Lu Yan not only wanted to catch up with his footsteps but also wanted to walk side by side with him, to be able to do what he wanted at any time.
Yu Su looked seriously at Lu Yan, thinking not "perhaps," but that Lu Yan indeed felt this way.
It's truly magical; at this moment, he completely understood Lu Yan's thought process.
Seeing Yu Su continuously looking at him, Lu Yan's heartbeat, which was already faster than before due to the light in Yu Su's eyes, now beat even louder.
"Thump thump" "Thump thump"
It felt like his heart was about to leap out of his chest.
It seemed like Lu Yan understood something from Yu Su's gaze; he felt like Lu Yan had peered into his heart.
"What are you doing?" Yu Su suddenly spoke.
Lu Yan suddenly reached out, hugged Yu Su, and lifted him up, looking at him with intense eyes.
Yu Su was momentarily stunned, not knowing what Lu Yan was up to.
Lu Yan looked at him with a burning gaze and said, "I want to hold you."
Yu Su: "??"
Why would he suddenly want to hold him?
A surge of intense emotions was brewing in Lu Yan, making him feel excited and almost unable to contain himself. He had to touch Yu Su.
Actually, he wanted even more to hold Yu Su in his arms, letting the two be close to each other. But he thought Yu Su might get angry, so he lifted Yu Su in front of him, facing each other.
Yu Su had to support himself with both hands on Lu Yan's shoulders. "Put me down quickly."
His legs touched Lu Yan's chest, and Lu Yan's heartbeat intensified, making Yu Su's heart accelerate as well. He had no idea why Lu Yan suddenly went crazy like this.
At this moment, someone noticed their strange posture, revealing a puzzled expression.
Yu Su felt a subconscious sense of guilt and said to Lu Yan, "Quickly, can't you hear me?"
Lu Yan didn't want to let go because Yu Su supporting himself with both hands on his shoulders, looking down at him, was too beautiful. He really wanted...
"Lu Yan!" Yu Su exclaimed in embarrassment.
Lu Yan snapped out of it, and he could see anger in Yu Su's eyes. He had no choice but to put Yu Su down.
Once Yu Su steadied himself, he immediately asked, "What were you doing just now?"
Lu Yan: "Lifting you."
Yu Su lowered his voice, "I mean, why did you suddenly lift me?"
Lu Yan: "I wanted to."
Yu Su: "..."
It felt like talking to a brick wall.
"Lord Yu Su," at this moment, Yu Ye, who had gone to inform everyone about the evening meeting, returned, "everyone has been notified, and they will all be in the council chamber on time."
"Good, thank you for your hard work," Yu Su said calmly.
Yu Ye looked at him and Lu Yan, somewhat worried, and asked, "Did you and Leader Lu have a quarrel?"
Yu Su: "...No, we were just fooling around."
Yu Ye finally showed a relieved expression, saluted, and then left.
Yu Su descended the observation tower, ignoring Lu Yan.
Lu Yan immediately followed, saying, "Don't be angry."
Yu Su stopped and looked at him, "You knew I would be angry?"
Lu Yan remained silent.
Yu Su looked at him, "Then let me rephrase it. Why would I be angry?"
Lu Yan: "Because I lifted you up."
Yu Su opened his mouth but sighed, "It's not exactly that, but in any case, you can't just suddenly lift me, especially in front of so many people. What does it look like?"
Lu Yan's eyes lit up, "So, if I didn't lift you suddenly, you wouldn't be angry?"
Yu Su was taken aback, "I didn't say that. In any case, no more lifting."
The light in Lu Yan's eyes dimmed slightly.
Yu Su: "..."
What the heck, it seemed like he bullied Lu Yan.
...
In the evening, council chamber.
Everyone was present on time, waiting for Yu Su to speak.
"Tonight, I called everyone here to discuss one thing. I want to establish a trading market on the east bank of the river," Yu Su said.
A trading market?
Everyone was surprised after hearing this, but some seemed to have an idea.
Someone said, "Lord Yu Su, are you planning to emulate what Salt Village did?"
Yu Su: "Sort of. With Salt Village disbanded and the previous exchange market gone, our village is now at the center of the north-south road connection, making it the most convenient trading location. One stall is not enough to meet everyone's needs, so I plan to establish a comprehensive trading market."
Yu Su explained some of his thoughts about the trading market to everyone.
People gradually became serious after hearing this because Yu Su's idea went beyond their understanding. They knew about stalls, but leasing shops was something they had never heard of before.
After Yu Su's explanation, some understood the significance, while others did not. The discussion became lively as they exchanged opinions.
"Just give them a place for exchange; why bother building a trading market for them? It has nothing to do with our village."
"Yeah, Lord Yu Su, why go to such trouble for them?"
"Besides, who would be willing to pay money or goods to rent a shop?"
"I think Lord Yu Su's idea of a trading market is advantageous. Now that we have a smooth road leading to the tribes in the Barbaric Forest and another road to the northern plains, people from many villages can come to our village for trade. This will help consolidate our position in Yu Village."
"But just for a once-a-year exchange, is it necessary to build a trading market specifically?"
"That was before; now that we have roads, people from various villages will find it more convenient to come to our village. It won't be like before, where they only came once a year. They can come more often."
"That's right, and the more horses and horse equipment we sell, the more people can travel on horseback. That means they'll come to our village even faster."
"You're thinking too little. Right now, there's only the north-south road. When we open the road leading to the plains behind the eastern mountains, more people will come to our village!"
In summary, some realized the necessity of the trading market, while others still held on to their old ideas. After discussing from various perspectives, they all looked at Yu Su.
"You have some concerns, and I understand. Let's do this: before discussing other matters, let's first establish a trading market that suits the current situation. Give everyone a place with shelter, and as the market gradually grows, we can make further improvements. I believe that by that time, you will understand," Yu Su said.
After Yu Su spoke, those who held different opinions also agreed with this approach.
Whether the establishment of the trading market was necessary and whether it would follow Yu Su's vision would be answered after practical implementation.
The next step was to discuss the location and construction issues. After a night of discussion, everything was settled, and they were ready to start the next day.
It happened that the road leading to the Barbaric Forest was also completed. There were enough people for the job.
...
Early the next morning, preparations for this matter began.
Many outsiders visiting Yu Village saw the slaves of Yu Village building something vigorously on the east bank of the river. They were curious
and asked what was going on.
"That is the trading market our village is building. Lord Yu Su said, for the convenience of exchanges between various villages, a trading market with shelter for everyone is being built on the east bank of the river. In the future, everyone can set up stalls there."
"Really?! Is it like the one in Salt Village from before..."
"Much better than that. Salt Village was an open and muddy place. Each village had to build its own tents. Ours won't be affected by wind and rain. You don't have to set up your own tents, and it's clean and hygienic inside. There will be dedicated personnel managing it. You'll understand how good it is when it's completed."
"Such a good place. Do we need to pay something to use it?"
"Lord Yu Su said that the stalls are free."
Upon hearing it was free, all the outsiders were pleasantly surprised.
This way, they could set up their stalls on their own. Moreover, coming here was much more convenient than going to Salt Village before. They could travel on a smooth road, saving a lot of time. They could come more frequently.
This news, not only the villages on the northern plains but also the tribes in the Barbaric Forest, were excited when they heard it.
"So, we don't have to go so far to trade. In the future, as long as we set up stalls in Yu Village's trading market, we can exchange for what we want?"
"This is great. When the trading market is built, I'll be the first to go!"
"I'm already a little impatient."
As the news spread, various villages were eagerly looking forward to the completion of the trading market.
Almost every day, outsiders would come specifically to see when the trading market would be completed.
Some people even brought tents and stayed nearby, watching the progress of the trading market's construction every day. They even took the initiative to help.
Such a warm response also surprised the people of Yu Village.
Because many of them hadn't expected that everyone would look forward to this trading market so much.
Jian Yunchuan smiled and said to Yu Su, "It seems, Su'er, that your ideas will be realized faster than we expected."
Yu Su: "I didn't expect everyone to be so eager."
He thought that perhaps the lives of various villages had improved a lot, and everyone had things to exchange and wanted to exchange.
Jian Yunchuan: "When we open the road leading to the east behind the mountains, more people will come for trade."
Yu Su smiled slightly, "Hmm."
At that time, it wouldn't just be a matter of more people; there would be other things as well.
But he didn't say that because it wasn't time yet.