Hua Kai held a village representative meeting for the first time, and he was the head of the family. Seeing that no one chose to leave, he announced that today's meeting would enter the theme.
"The first thing I want to tell you is that my grandfather's illness has been cured. The Hua family has found an alchemist who can make pills for him. As long as the medicinal materials are collected, my grandfather will recover soon."
Hua Kai announced loudly, and the three brothers Hua Ziqi looked at each other. They didn't know what Hua Kai was up to. It was not easy to invite an alchemist. Even if the king of Qi wanted to invite an alchemist to make pills, it was not easy. This could make everyone feel at ease, but if the old man couldn't be saved in a few days, the entire Hua family might be disbanded!
Hua Kai saw that the housekeeper and the three uncles all showed surprised eyes, and the loyalty of many other representatives in the village suddenly increased from more than 30 to more than 50 points.
Ordinary villagers may have never seen loose medicine in their lives. How can they know the value of pills? Hearing that the main family has found a way to treat the old master, everyone felt relieved.
"To refine the elixir to treat Grandpa's internal injuries, the main medicine must be the Qi-transforming fruit. As for the other auxiliary medicines, they are all on this prescription. Uncle, do you think these medicines can be bought in Guang County?" Hua Kai handed a list to his uncle Hua Ziqi.
Although Hua Ziqi didn't believe that Hua Kai could really find an alchemist, he still took the prescription and looked at it carefully. After seeing the several medicinal materials on the prescription, Hua Ziqi couldn't help but frown.
"The Qi-transforming fruit is not cheap. It can help children strengthen their bodies. The medicinal effect is mild and has no side effects. Guangcheng rumored that someone picked a Qi-transforming fruit from Dongling a few days ago, but it has been bought by the county magistrate Han's family for a large sum of money. Even if County Magistrate Han is willing to give the Qi-transforming fruit to us, our family has no money to buy it!" Hua Ziqi said after reading the prescription.
There are no metal mines underground in this world. All gold and silver are made from the bones of wild beasts, wild beasts and even monsters.
A wild beast skeleton can only refine a little silver, and the amount of gold is even scarcer. Gold and silver are the main circulating currencies in this world, and they are very hard. Hua Kai has tried it and found that the hardness of silver here is equivalent to that of fine steel, and gold is harder than high-strength alloys.
1 tael of gold = 100 taels of silver = 10,000 bone coins.
Bone coins are the most difficult part of wild beast bones to refine, and are used by everyone as basic currency.
An ordinary family of ten can live a good life with 10 taels of silver a year. Huajiabao spends more than half a year risking their lives every year to go to Hulin Country thousands of miles away to do business, but in the end they can only earn 20 or 30 taels of gold at most. Now the total assets of the entire Huajiabao are only 100 taels of gold.
"What about other secondary medicines besides the Qi-transforming fruit?" Hua Kai felt relieved when he heard that there was a Qi-transforming fruit. As long as there was one, it would always have a price, and he would have the opportunity to synthesize pills for his grandfather.
"Two of the other things are more troublesome, but they can be bought in Linzi, and they can be gathered in two days at the latest. The price is about 30 taels of gold, and the family can still take it out." The second uncle thought for a while and said.
"Kai'er, are you sure?" Fourth uncle Hua Zihuan looked at Hua Kai and asked seriously.
"As long as these auxiliary medicines can be bought back and the Qi-transforming fruit of County Magistrate Han has not been used, I am sure to refine it into a pill and save Grandpa." Hua Kai promised.
"Okay, Fourth uncle believes you, I will set off to Linzi in person now." Hua Zihuan turned around and said, "Second brother, you'd better draw me what medicinal materials Guang County lacks, and I will go to Linzi City immediately."
Fourth uncle left in a hurry, and housekeeper Hua Fu went to help him prepare gold. Some rare objects and paintings that were previously treasured in the family were taken out, and the valuable ones were picked out and taken to Linzi City to sell and buy medicine.
The village representatives in the meeting hall were all glad that they did not say the words of escape just now, otherwise they would not only leave the powerful backing of Huajiabao, but also leave the stigma of betraying their master in the future.
"Having said the first thing, let's talk about the second thing. Huajiabao suffered heavy losses during this business trip, including my father who lost 37 lives in Huajiabao. According to the previous Hua family regulations, the pension for the Yunqi realm is 20 taels of silver, the pension for the Queti realm is 50 taels of silver, and the Qidong realm can get 1 tael of gold. As for the compensation for the injured, the Hua family will pay it at their discretion, and the Hua family will not reduce the wages of everyone who follows the caravan."
This price is not low. Many families in Huajiabao may not have seen silver in their lifetime. It is enough for everyone to use bone coins for transactions.
Hearing Hua Kai talking about the pension issue, all the representatives felt relieved.
Yesterday, seeing the situation of Mr. Hua Xing, everyone thought that Huajiabao was going to be finished. Unexpectedly, the pension could be paid today. It seems that the situation is not as bad as they imagined.
Butler Hua Fu was anxious to remind Hua Kai, but he didn't say anything in the end. The family didn't have much money to begin with. Hua Zihuan took away more than 30 gold coins, and the rest had to be given as pensions. Many things in the family had to be sold. By then, the entire Hua family would be left with only an empty shell. Even if the old man came back to life, the Huajiabao would probably not be able to be saved.
"The third thing is that I plan to trade the recipe for brewing wine at home with County Magistrate Han Xu in exchange for the Han family's Huaqi fruit."
The fine wine of Huajiabao is still very famous in Guang County. Many families are hard to find a pot, but Huajiabao only sells a maximum of 100 bottles a year, which makes many families very dissatisfied.
Hua Kai has no choice. If the amount of this fine wine is too much, others will inevitably be jealous. Huajiabao is just a small ant in the eyes of the big families. If it is too much, it will inevitably suffer a disaster. If the supply is limited, others will think that the fine wine of Huajiabao is really difficult to brew. In this way, the family can ensure that it continues to earn income by relying on brewing technology.
"Young Master... Master! You have to think about it. If you hand over the winemaking recipe to County Magistrate Han, our family won't make a penny in this area in the future." Butler Hua Fu reminded distressedly.
"I know this. I also plan to hand over our porcelain making technology to the Shen family to resolve the conflict between our two families." After Hua Kai finished speaking, the hall suddenly became quiet. Many people gritted their teeth and bowed their heads in silence. It is difficult for ordinary people to understand this kind of grievance unless it happens to themselves.
"In addition, Grandpa Fu, you should send generous gifts to the other seven villages outside the city, all kinds of calligraphy and antiques, and invite them to attend my father's funeral in six days. Our eight villages outside the city should support each other."
According to the customs of Guang County, Hua Kai is going to bury his father according to the seven-day ceremony of the head of the family, and no one else objects.
Huajiabao is in this crisis. This funeral will be the biggest test for Huajiabao. The future of the Hua family will be concluded on this day at the latest. Try to have a good relationship with the families in Guang County, at least to resolve the crisis of the family in a short time. Hua Kai has spent all his family wealth to reduce the number of people who are spying on him.
Hua Kai's performance today has been temporarily recognized by the housekeeper and three uncles. As the elder of the family, Hua Fu took the task after seeing Hua Kai finish speaking.
"The change of the head of Huajiabao should also inform the villages outside the city. I will go to the seven villages in person in a while." Hua Fu's housekeeper said.
"It is better to let the third brother go with the housekeeper! Kai'er, other families in the city must also be taken care of."
The second uncle reminded a lot. Hua Kai had just become a family leader and had not considered many things very thoroughly. The third uncle and the housekeeper went together to report the death, which could better show the unity within the Hua family. Hua Kai agreed with the second uncle's proposal.
"Then trouble the third uncle to go to the seven villages. Second uncle, you will take care of the various families in the city."
After Hua Kai finished speaking, he felt the housekeeper behind him tremble. Now the family will be completely emptied. It would be good if the old man could be saved. If he can't be saved, the entire Huajiabao will be finished this winter!
The direct descendants of the Hua family were all busy, and the village representatives were assigned their own tasks. Now the gate and walls of Huajiabao need to be reinforced, and daily patrols in the village are essential.
Hua Kai took Er Zhuang and Wei Baotou on the oxcart to Guangxian. The horses in the family were taken away by several uncles and housekeepers, so Hua Kai could only take the oxcart to the county town.
"Wei Baotou, how many years have you been in Huajiabao?"
Hua Kai sat on the carriage and hurried on his way, while checking Wei Baotou's attributes.
Wei Hong: Kaiyuan Realm Level 3
Qualification: C+
Constitution: 28
Strength: 22
Will: 24
Heart Method: Tranquility Technique (Yellow Rank Primary) Minor Success
Sword Method: Devil Breaking Thirteen Swords (Yellow Rank Intermediate) Minor Success
Loyalty: 81
"Return to the master! I, Old Wei, have been in Huajiabao for 20 years. At that time, the old master took me in and passed on the [Tranquility Technique] to me. I, Old Wei, will never be able to repay the kindness of Huajiabao in my lifetime." Wei Hong replied.
Wei Hong was originally from Ju (Ju) State. Ju State is located in the southeast of Qi State. It is a small country with developed commerce on the east side of the sea. When he was young, he followed the caravan to do business and was familiar with the roads near Qi State. Therefore, he has always been one of the leaders of the Huajia caravan. He is loyal to the family and his qualification of C+ is relatively outstanding.
"Uncle Wei, you have to worry about the Huajiabao after the disaster. In the past few years, the Huajiabao caravan has been led by Uncle Wei. His contribution is rare in the family. The Hua family has suffered this disaster, and the family will have to rely on Uncle Wei to take care of it in the future... I don't know if Uncle Wei has encountered any bottlenecks in his cultivation in the past few years. I remember that Uncle Wei has not made a breakthrough in the Kaiyuan realm for more than ten years!" Wei Hong is the core of the Huajiabao caravan. Without him, the family can only do business in the dark. Hua Kai talked to Wei Hong and talked about his cultivation. "I dare not call you that, the head of the family can just call me Wei Baotou. This time, I, Old Wei, am also partly responsible for the misfortune of the master. I wish I could die for him. After the year is over, the head of the family only needs to give me three or five people, and I will definitely be able to revive the prosperity of the family caravan." Wei Baotou thought that Hua Kai asked him about his cultivation because he wanted to continue to do business, so he hurriedly replied. "No, Uncle Wei! No one wants to see my father in trouble. If the family wants to be strong, it is still the key. You haven't improved your cultivation for so many years. What's the reason for not being able to break through?"
Wei Baotou blushed. A person's cultivation speed and combat power are not fast if the level of mental method and martial arts is high. He must adapt to his own style.
Fourth uncle Hua Zihuan's talent is not as high as Wei Baotou. He is ten years younger than him and his realm level is higher than him. His combat power is several levels higher than him. Wei Baotou's mental method and swordsmanship are only at the small success level.
For Wei Hong, who has no family to back him up, it is good to have mental method and martial arts to practice. It is normal to practice slowly, because most of them practice by themselves. The most important thing is that it is too difficult to meet the mental method and martial arts that are suitable for them.
"This... Old Wei, I have been practicing diligently in the past few years, but this mental method has not been able to break through to the great success. Maybe it will be like this in this life." Wei Hong said with his head down.
"Uncle Wei, you don't have to belittle yourself. As long as the opportunity comes, I believe that Uncle Wei will soar to the sky."
"The head of the family is too kind!"
As the two chatted, Hua Kai found that Wei Hong's loyalty had risen to 83 points. When they arrived at the gate of Guang County, the three paid an entrance fee of 30 bone coins and drove the ox cart into the city.
When entering Guang County, what caught the eye was the wide street, with various shops on both sides of the street and various pedestrians walking outside the shops. The prosperity here is not comparable to Huajiabao.
Hua Kai came all the way to his own weapon shop. The clerk drove the ox cart to the backyard and said that his second uncle had already visited Li Xianwei with gifts.
Huajiabao mainly sells various wooden spears, broadswords and long swords in Guang County Weapon Shop, because all metals in this world can only be obtained by refining animal bones. Metal is so rare that it is difficult for ordinary people to buy metal weapons, so wooden weapons are the main combat weapons, and the hardness of some special woods is not weaker than metal.
"This is the county government office. What are you doing?"
Hua Kai came to the gate of the county government office, and a Han family soldier asked at the gate.
"Hello! I am the head of the Hua family outside the city. I want to see County Magistrate Han for something." Hua Kai said with a gentle face and raised his hand to salute.
Seeing Hua Kai's look, the other party did not dare to despise him and hurried back to the mansion to report.
After a while, the family soldier came back and told him that County Magistrate Han could see him. The three followed the family soldier into the Han Mansion.
After entering the Han Mansion, Hua Kai realized what a noble family was. The Han family was the only 7th-grade family in Guang County, and County Magistrate Han was a top master in the Qi training realm. It was said that he was not far from the innate realm.
There were pavilions everywhere in the Han Mansion, and the area was much larger than the entire Huajiabao. After passing the outer courtyard and the middle courtyard, Hua Kai and the other two passed through three gates and walked through two gardens before they came to the study of County Magistrate Han.
"The county magistrate only allows the head of Huajiabao to enter." A pretty maid saw the arrival of several people and said.
Hua Kai asked Er Zhuang and Wei Baotou to wait outside the door, and he went into County Magistrate Han's study alone.
The furniture in County Magistrate Han's study was all made of golden sandalwood, and there were all kinds of ornaments in it. Golden sandalwood, as a high-grade wood, is often used to make high-quality weapons. However, this room is full of golden sandalwood furniture, which cannot be obtained without hundreds of gold.
"Meet County Magistrate Han!" Hua Kai bowed his head and saluted.
"You're welcome. I've heard about your Hua family. I wonder how your grandfather is doing now?"
As the master of Guang County, how could County Magistrate Han not be familiar with the eight major villages outside the city? When he heard the other party talking about his grandfather, Hua Kai showed a grateful expression.
"Grandpa was injured by the true qi and is still in a coma. Today I came to the Han Mansion and hope to do business with County Magistrate Han." Hua Kai knew that it was best to get straight to the point when negotiating with such a big man. After all, he came to negotiate with County Magistrate Han on behalf of his family today.
"Oh! What business? Tell me." County Magistrate Han smiled and motioned Hua Kai to continue.
A small family outside the city dared to say that it was doing business with a 7th-grade family. County Magistrate Han suddenly became interested. Looking at the steady young man in front of him, he actually admired him.
"The Hua family wants to use the wine-making formula to exchange for the Qi-transforming fruit to treat my grandfather's illness." Hua Kai said as he took out a sheepskin from his pocket, on which were densely written the process of brewing Huajiabao's fine wine, as well as some special equipment production drawings.
"Well, it's good! But I heard that Huajiabao's Zui Linglong only produces less than 100 bottles a year. Why is that?" County Magistrate Han took the sheepskin handed over by Hua Kai. He was very satisfied with Hua Kai's performance. As the master of Guang County, even if he was doing a deal, he had to take the initiative. Hua Kai did not negotiate with him first but handed over the wine-making method to him first.
"Huajiabao is weak and the grain grown every year is only enough for more than 300 people in the village to eat. There is no extra grain to make wine. This wine-making method can only play a greater role if it is handed over to the county magistrate." Hua Kai answered casually.
County Magistrate Han also smiled and nodded, saying that the food was only enough for himself. The Zui Linglong sold by Huajiabao earned at least more than ten gold coins a year. How much food could it buy? However, it was right to say that this brewing method could be used to the greatest extent by himself. County Magistrate Han couldn't help but take a second look at the young master of Huajiabao.
"The Han Mansion does have a Qi-transforming fruit, which was originally intended for my precious daughter to take. HoweverDon't you think it's a loss to exchange this wine recipe for an ordinary spiritual fruit?" County Magistrate Han asked deliberately.
"Huajiabao has been here for the past few years thanks to the care of the county magistrate. Now that the family is in trouble, saving grandpa is the greatest hope. Besides, it is only natural to hand over the wine recipe to the county magistrate. Huajiabao dare not have any other extravagant hopes."
Hua Kai spoke with reason and evidence, like a little adult. County Magistrate Han appreciated it when he saw it.
"I understand what you mean! I'll accept this wine recipe, and I'll have someone give you the Qi-transforming fruit later. If you encounter any difficulties in Guang County in the future, you can seek refuge in the Han family."
This is already trying to win over Hua Kai.