CH 673

Chapter 673: I'll give you the money!

Shang Yang and his daughter, Shang Hui, met each other with great joy. Both had been worrying about each other, one concerned about whether her father could safely travel along the Tea Horse Ancient Road, and the other about the safety of his daughter who remained in the West. Now that they had seen each other safe and sound, they were naturally overjoyed.

After their short celebration, they got down to business. Shang Yang sat down at Robb’s stone table, took the water kettle passed to him by Lillian, and brewed a pot of tea for Robb with an elegant and calm gesture. Since Robb was someone who understood Eastern culture, Shang Yang assumed that Robb would also have a calm demeanor like him. However, to his surprise, when Robb took the tea cup, he drank the tea like he was drinking plain water, without any elegance or poise.

Shang Yang thought to himself, [Well, no matter how much he understands Eastern culture, he is still a Westerner. I can't expect him to know anything about the tea ceremony.]

As Robb drank the tea, he smiled and said, "This pre-rain Dragon Well tea is really good. Give me another cup."

Shang Yang shook his head and apologized, "I'm sorry, Godfather. We really couldn’t bring those snacks you wanted, such as the osmanthus cake, along the Tea Horse Ancient Road. It's too dangerous and difficult, and it takes several months to travel. Those will all spoil along the way."

Robb was disappointed.

Shang Yang said, "I could only bring you a few things that won't spoil."

Robb was in a good mood and started talking nonsense, "I've traveled to the East, you know. Although I'm happy to have these two types of eggs to eat, it's still a pity that I don't have those cakes."

Shang Yang said, "Don't worry, Godfather. Although we can't bring those cakes, we brought a pastry chef who can make them. As long as we give him the ingredients and tools, he can make all the cakes you want to eat."

He pulled out a rabbit folk from behind and smiled as he pointed to Robb, "This is the pastry chef I hired from Yangzhou with a high salary. When he heard that we were going to the Western Regions, he initially refused to come. However, I thought of Godfather's life-saving grace and said that we only needed a few cakes. Since I said that I would do whatever it takes to get those cakes for you, I spent a lot of money on him."

The pastry chef looked down and saw a handful of golden coins in his hand. If they were Eastern money, they must be worth several taels of gold. He immediately knelt down to Robb and said, "From now on, you are my ancestor. You can ask for any pastries you want, and I will do my best to make them for you."

The pastry chef with rabbit ears went to the market with Lilian to buy ingredients, while on this side, Shang Yang couldn't help but ask, "Godfather, on my way here, I saw many noble caravans heading out of the city. What are they doing?"

Robb explained about the Black Dragon’s Flight and smiled, "Is Big Tang also moving their wealth to avoid the Black Dragon?"

Shang Yang laughed, "Some are, but it's not the mainstream. Our Big Tang people believe that life and death are determined by fate, and wealth and honor are in heaven. If the Black Dragon comes, it's because their luck is bad, and it's their fate to perish. What's the use of moving wealth? Four years ago, a group of rich people didn't believe this, and they insisted on defying fate. They moved their wealth from the prosperous Yangzhou to the Leifeng Pagoda, saying that it's not a big city and can avoid disasters. As a result... the Black Dragon went straight to the Pagoda, and all of them died. Those who stayed in the city had no issues whatsoever."

Summing it up, Shang Yang said, "If the King of Hell wants someone dead at three in the morning, who dares to keep them until five? What are they hiding from? Just be tough! If you're killed, sleep it off, and if your head falls off, just get a big scar on your wrist. Twenty years later, you'll be a hero again."