**Chapter 17: Opening a County Shop**
Facing the three-man siege, Xu Mingwei mainly defended and evaded.
He moved in an S-shaped path, pumping his knees and blocking with his arms.
When he landed, the tips of his feet concentrated their explosive force on a single point, surging forward and shuttling between his opponents.
He was like a dragon crossing a swamp—flexible and explosive at the same time.
This technique was a form from the *Minor Dragon Elephant Skill*: Dragon Swims the Swamp.
Weaving back and forth, after a dozen or so breaths, the three-man siege began to fall apart.
A sharp glint flashed in his eyes.
A sweeping kick sent two of them stumbling. Then, taking advantage of the momentum, he spun his body and floated half into the air.
His right leg came down like a battle axe onto the last man's shoulder.
*Thump!*
The incomparable force—like a thousand-pound boulder—pressed Zhao Dalong down onto one knee. Sweat beaded on his forehead.
"Let's end it here." Xu Chuan suddenly spoke.
Xu Mingwei immediately withdrew his foot.
He exhaled a breath, his expression unchanged. There wasn't even a drop of sweat on his face.
Zhao Dalong and the other two got to their feet and walked over to him, their faces full of admiration. They spoke in unison: "Thank you for your mercy, Eldest Young Master."
"You flatter me. I'm only a little better."
Xu Chuan nodded with satisfaction.
Just then, a little girl with pink ribbons in her hair came over—like a porcelain doll—and said crisply, "Dad! Big Brother! Second Brother! Breakfast is ready!"
Li Er, Zhao Dalong, and the others also said, "Master, we'll head back first."
"Yes." Xu Chuan nodded.
In the past, when they were single, they could eat together without issue.
But now they had families of their own and children to care for.
Eating at the master's house was no longer appropriate.
The Xu family treated them well. Their monthly wage was five taels of silver—absolutely unheard of in the entire village of Dongxi.
"My little Snow."
Xu Chuan walked over and picked her up, touching her with the tip of his nose. She giggled and said, "Dad, that tickles!"
The little girl was Xu Mingyi.
As the only daughter, she was the darling of the whole family.
---
**The eight-seat table.**
In the center was a large pot of meat congee, surrounded by scallion pancakes, egg cakes, and pickled radishes.
Very abundant.
There were seven people in the family, but only six sat down.
The missing one was Tan Tan.
He had been sent to the Tianlong Martial Hall in Qingjiang County three years ago, along with Li Zhi.
They both returned home every seven days.
"Tan Tan will be back tomorrow. I wonder if he's lost weight."
Bai Jing served Xu Chuan a bowl of white congee, her eyes full of longing for her son.
"He is highly valued at the Tianlong Martial Hall. He won't be wronged."
Xu Chuan said lightly, not wanting to say more.
This immediately drew a look of complaint from Bai Jing. She said, slightly dissatisfied, "We have plenty of martial arts practitioners at home. Why did you have to send Tan Tan to a martial hall?"
"Martial halls are full of all kinds of people. How can you guarantee he won't be bullied?"
Xu Chuan didn't explain too much.
Sending both of them to the martial hall had a purpose.
One was to get better training. The other was to expand their network.
Because of their talents, both of them were being trained at the martial hall with the goal of reaching the peak of the acquired realm.
With this connection, the martial hall's relationship with the Xu family remained good.
---
**After breakfast.**
Xu Chuan put down his chopsticks and looked at Xu Mingyuan. "A couple of days ago, your second uncle proposed a joint venture to open a fruit and vegetable shop in the county. What do you think?"
"Open a shop in the county? That must have been my aunt's idea."
Xu Mingyuan was a little dismissive. He said lightly, "I heard from Big Ox that their family seems to have moved to the county."
"With the amount of fruits and vegetables our farmland produces now, supplying two or three shops would be no problem."
"If we really want to open one, I suggest we open it ourselves."
"With the quality of our fruits and vegetables, plus Green Jade Pears as our flagship product—even if we don't have a monopoly, business will definitely be booming."
Xu Mingyuan remembered something, smiled, and continued, "I recall that in about half a month, the Green Jade Pears will be ripe. Using them as the seasonal fruit will let us make a name for ourselves right away."
"But there's the Xu family to consider."
Xu Mingyuan looked at Xu Chuan's face. He knew that the main reason Xu Chuan had sold the Green Jade Pears to the Xu family all these years was for the Xu family's sake.
But every time he saw the Xu family coming to collect the pears, Xu Mingyuan felt angry inside. He wanted to rush over and give them a piece of his mind.
"The Xu family." Xu Chuan said in a low voice, "Since you have a plan, starting this year, we won't sell to them anymore."
"That's great, Dad."
"I want Zhou Ming to help you set up a shop in Qingjiang County. Whatever money you need, go to your mother to get it."
"Li Er, Zhao Dalong—they're all assigned to you."
Xu Mingyuan smiled and nodded, rubbing his fists together. Energy filled his whole body.
This would be the first step in their family's official expansion toward the county.
Just then, Bai Jing suddenly said, "If you cut off the cooperation with Second Brother's family, won't they have something to say?"
Xu Mingyuan said, "Mother, you don't know. At first, Second Uncle was fine. But later, when my aunt took over, she sold privately many times. She also raised the prices. She never stopped with her little schemes."
"A few times, she nearly ruined our reputation."
"If it weren't for Second Uncle's relationship with Dad, I would have asked Dad to end the cooperation with them long ago."
"Is that so?" Bai Jing's face showed suspicion.
Xu Chuan was very calm about the matter. He only uttered an eight-character评价: "Clever, but too greedy."
"Since you're handling the shop, you'll also be the one to tell them. Figure out how to explain it."
"Understood. I won't hurt Dad's relationship with Second Uncle."
Xu Mingyuan thought for a moment and said, "I'll go to his house today. No use letting them dream more at night."
He quickly finished the remaining congee and hurried out.
"Dad, I'm going to the mountains." Xu Mingwei also stood up and walked out.
"Yes." Xu Chuan's voice followed.
Just then, Xu Mingyi suddenly got up, grabbed Xu Mingwei's clothes, and looked up at him. "Big Brother, I want a little animal."
Xu Mingwei hesitated slightly. The beasts in the mountains were wild and hard to tame—he couldn't just bring one back.
"If you find a cub, it's fine to bring a few back," Xu Chuan said.
"Understood." Xu Mingwei crouched down and rubbed Xu Mingyi's head. "Big Brother will bring you one."
"Thank you, Big Brother."
Xu Mingyi had now been blessed with a talent.
This was the last talent from the Blood Genealogy.
She could communicate with beasts and make them naturally亲近 toward her.
As for harm avoidance, that had already been given to Xu Minghu.
"Snow, Yunnu—you're both six years old now. It's time for you to start practicing martial arts," Xu Chuan said.
Bai Jing's body trembled. She said nothing more and continued clearing the dishes from the table.
"Yes, Father."
Xu Mingyi's eyes sparkled with curiosity. Xu Mingxian was a little excited, his small fists clenched.
"Who will teach us, Dad?" Xu Mingyi's eyes glittered.
Xu Chuan smiled. "I will."
---