With Master Shen around, Lin Fang and Chairman Chen’s pressure was significantly reduced. However, they couldn’t rely entirely on Master Shen, as he was primarily focused on developing the antidote. Teaching at the school was merely his way of relieving stress—a side activity, not a full-time commitment. Sometimes, when he became deeply engrossed in his research, he might disappear for days without a trace.
When Master Shen was fully immersed in his work, he forbade any interruptions. As a result, starving himself to the point of collapse was nothing new to him. Almost every time someone else recovered from illness, he would fall sick himself. Sister Tong, understanding her junior brother well, would bring meals up the mountain whenever Master Shen missed class or failed to come down during rest days. Normally, Master Shen would join the Lin family for meals, sharing the same habit as the old monk—boisterously competing with the children for food.
Sister Tong’s attentiveness toward Master Shen made Lin Zhongsi uncomfortable, but he couldn’t bring himself to stop her. Others, including Lin Zhongsi himself, had tried delivering meals, but when Master Shen was deep in his antidote research, he often wouldn’t even eat. Only Sister Tong, as his fellow disciple, could coax him into eating at least a little.
One day, breakfast had passed by an hour, and Master Shen still hadn’t returned. Sister Tong, as usual, went up the mountain with food, while Lin Zhongsi followed closely behind, muttering under his breath, “That old man—why hasn’t he married at his age? Without a wife of his own, he has to trouble my precious one. Once he finishes Fang’s antidote, I’ll give him a good beating to vent my frustration.”
Hearing this blatantly ungrateful remark, Sister Tong found it amusing and scolded loudly, “Don’t just stand there laughing. If your uncle causes trouble on the mountain today, neither of you will have peace either.”
“Hahaha!” Caught by their aunt, Dalang and Liulang had no choice but to emerge from the dried fish storage. They had originally intended to inspect the wasteland but had just reached the fishery when they heard their uncle grumbling in the distance. Quickly hiding in the fish storage, they endured the overpowering fishy smell, hoping to eavesdrop on their aunt scolding their uncle—both for amusement and future ammunition against him.
Dalang and Liulang each grabbed one of Lin Zhongsi’s arms and steered him onto a side path. Their aunt’s words had to be obeyed. Her methods of discipline far surpassed their uncle’s, and her authority in the household was unmatched. If she gave an order, even their own wives and children would side with her—even if just for show—leaving them helpless. The entire family would rather offend their uncle than disobey their aunt. Lin Zhongsi cursed at them, but the two only laughed as they dragged him away.
Only when they reached the wasteland intended for the inn did they release him. Ignoring the cold ground, they collapsed onto the withered grass, panting from exhaustion, while Lin Zhongsi remained energetic. Like kicking a drowning dog, he gleefully kicked Dalang, then Liulang, thoroughly enjoying himself—until the brothers suddenly sprang up and tackled him, sending him face-first into the dirt.
Still mindful of Lin Zhongsi’s advancing age, they didn’t roughhouse as hard as they had in childhood. After a brief scuffle, they left him alone and turned their attention to planning the wasteland.
Since the completion of the official road, the adjacent wasteland had been nearly bought up, with many already making plans for development. However, the frozen winter ground made construction impossible. Come spring, as soon as the earth thawed, the roadside would undoubtedly bustle with activity.
The official road was much closer to Bai Shui Town than the path the Lin family had originally built—wider and smoother. A round trip by carriage from Lin Manor to Bai Shui Town now took only half a day. After discussion, the Lin family adjusted their shuttle service to depart every half-hour, with additional trips during peak hours. The last trip left after noon, and fares were raised accordingly.
Lin Fang had initially launched the shuttle to prevent villagers from taking advantage of the Lin family, but considering their financial constraints, the fares had been set very low—merely symbolic, as the family didn’t rely on this for income. Now, treating it as a formal business, they adjusted prices to market rates, charging passengers based on distance traveled.
Thanks to Lin Manor’s reputation as a “blessed land,” surrounding wasteland prices skyrocketed. Upon arrival, Sister Tong, recognizing the area’s potential, bought a large plot without hesitation—though on the opposite side of the mountain, farther from Lin Manor, as nearby land had already been purchased. She marveled at how cheap it was compared to Liangping Town.
Liulang had saved some money over the years, and Sister Tong urged him to buy land as well—even if he didn’t farm it himself, he could rent it out. But Liulang hesitated, worried about managing distant property.
Lin Zhongsi, sulking on the grass, found no one willing to humor him. Bored, he slowly got up and shuffled over to Dalang and Liulang, who were frowning at a map on the ground, occasionally exchanging words and shaking their heads as if stumped.
Suddenly, Lin Zhongsi found entertainment. Forgetting his earlier annoyance, he leaned in and excitedly jabbed at the map, exclaiming, “You two fools! Build an inn here, a blacksmith here, a carpenter’s shop here, a restaurant here, a theater stage here, a tailor’s shop here, a pickled goods store here—”
He rambled on endlessly. Dalang and Liulang exchanged glances before Dalang remarked, “Uncle, you’re practically recreating Liangping Town’s rental district—same layout, same functions.”
“So what if it’s similar? It’s not the same. Liangping’s rental district circles the town’s outskirts, but your land will be the center. See all that surrounding wasteland? No matter how it develops, it’ll revolve around Lin Manor—the true heart of this blessed land. Dalang, don’t think small. Go big from the start—build everything necessary before others beat you to it. If you’re short on money, ask your aunt.”
Dalang had originally planned to proceed step by step, adding facilities as needed. But Lin Zhongsi’s words struck a chord—if others seized the initiative first, even with geographical advantage, they’d face unnecessary hurdles. Convinced, Dalang knelt to reconsider his plans.
Lin Zhongsi wasn’t done yet. He turned to Liulang, scolding, “And you, you indecisive brat! A grown man waffling over buying land? As the saying goes, ‘Fortune is fickle.’ Land won’t fly away. Look at these soaring prices—even if you don’t need it now, let it earn money for you!”
“Besides, do you plan to rot in Liangping Town forever? What about your children? Have some ambition! Accumulate land and assets for their future. If you’re short on money, ask your aunt!”
Liulang was speechless under the barrage, but Dalang chuckled. “Uncle, if we keep asking Aunt for money, aren’t you afraid she’ll run out of retirement funds?”
Lin Zhongsi huffed, “Good! If she’s broke, she’ll finally listen to me instead of bossing me around. I’ve got my pension—enough to support us both.”
Awakened by the scolding, Liulang resolved to buy land. Nodding solemnly, he said, “Uncle’s right. A real man must assert his authority. I’ll go tell Aunt now.”
Lin Zhongsi waved him off impatiently. “Enough nonsense. That plot you liked—I had it reserved, but only for half a month. After that, it’s up for sale, and the price won’t stay fixed. If you’ve decided, hurry up. Prices rise daily. If you keep hesitating, I wash my hands of it.”
“Buy it.”
With that single word, the three rushed back. Worried about funds, Liulang borrowed more from Sister Tong before galloping to town with Lin Zhongsi. Fortunately, though several had inquired, the land remained unsold—though the price had risen by five percent.
Leaving aside Lin Zhongsi’s triumphant scolding of Liulang, his long-standing curiosity about why Master Shen remained unmarried was unexpectedly resolved.
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