Chapter Forty-Two: Allies

After Su Liuwu bought all the shops and stalls around the Li residence, Li Pingyang stopped selling stinky tofu and secluded himself at home, rarely stepping outside. Every mealtime, Little Dragonfly would dutifully place his food at the door, tapping to remind him. Only when the young master retrieved his meal could anyone catch a glimpse of him.

Now, as another meal hour arrived, Little Dragonfly grew curious about what the young master was doing cooped up in his room. This time, she refrained from knocking and instead pressed her ear to the door, trying to eavesdrop. Standing outside with the food box, she seemed to hear the sound of sawing wood, a small hammer knocking nails with a rhythmic thud, and the young master’s laughter.

She wondered if, unable to compete with the Su family, he had given up and lost his mind.

“Who’s there?”

Seeing a shadow on the door, Li Pingyang paused his work, wiped the sweat from his brow, and called out loudly. Little Dragonfly responded, saying it was her. Upon hearing her voice, Li Pingyang relaxed, telling her to leave the food at the door; he was busy and would eat later.

She agreed, set down the food box, and was about to leave when Li Pingyang suddenly remembered something and called her back. He asked her to check the potato plants he was growing in a large vat in the woodshed.

Once Little Dragonfly left, Li Pingyang resumed his work. In the open space of his room stood a wooden tricycle cart, assembled so it could be freely dismantled and reconfigured.

Gazing at his creation, Li Pingyang smiled with satisfaction, fitting the last wooden gear in place—finally, it was done.

This seemingly ordinary tricycle cart held hidden wonders. It used three large gears and twelve small ones, all tightly interlocked and moving in unison. At the press of a switch, the cart could instantly transform into a three-tiered stall.

With this cart, Li Pingyang could make money without spending a single coin on renting stalls or buying land deeds.

The idea amused him. He recalled his middle school summers, setting up a stall under the bridge to apply phone screen protectors. Whenever an official came by, he’d swiftly pack up and flee. If they chased vendors at the east end, he’d set up at the west end; this guerrilla tactic helped him earn enough for his school fees during summer.

Now, applying the same strategy here, he thought, “Su Liuwu wants to drive me out of business and force me to beg him? Well, I simply won’t give in!”

Not only would he sell his goods, but he would do so right under Su’s nose—better yet, he’d rally everyone to join him. Wouldn’t that be infuriating?

Having solved the stall problem, Li Pingyang felt much lighter, but he still needed to tackle the issue of tofu supply. He had already used up all his family’s stock making tofu earlier; though he’d earned a little, it was all spent improving the cart.

Su Liuwu had bought out all the tofu on South Street. If Li Pingyang wanted more, the price would be more than triple the original!

The only remaining supplier not acquired was Zhou’s Tofu on South Street. Its owner, Zhou Changkun, a merchant who made his fortune selling scraps, had a large business empire. He ran two trading stores on South Street, dealing in tofu and medicine, and was the only one likely to rival the Su family.

Dressed in more impressive attire, Li Pingyang summoned Little Dragonfly to accompany him to Zhou’s trading shop to meet Zhou Changkun.

To build his business, Li Pingyang knew he couldn’t go it alone; he needed financial and material backing—a partner.

Half an hour later, Li Pingyang and Little Dragonfly arrived at Zhou’s tofu store. The manager told them the owner had just left for the pharmacy on some urgent matter. Upon hearing they wanted to discuss business, the manager served them tea and invited them to wait. Feeling thirsty, Li Pingyang sat down for a cup.

When the owner still hadn’t returned, impatience got the better of Li Pingyang, and they took their leave for Zhou’s pharmacy. The pharmacy was bustling, with a line stretching out the door.

The shop itself was grandly decorated, with a stone sculpture at the entrance—a small figure raised a gourd, watering a patch below. Upon closer inspection, the patch was actually a gathering of tiny figures—some hunched over, some covering their eyes, others limping, all appearing sickly.

The “water” pouring from the gourd resembled magical medicine, hinting at the motif of “healing the world.”

Feigning severe illness, Li Pingyang held a handkerchief to his mouth, coughing repeatedly, while Little Dragonfly supported him, playing along.

Some, fearing contagion, and others feeling pity, stepped aside, allowing Li Pingyang to reach the front of the queue.

A staff member led Li Pingyang inside, seating him and instructing him to place his arm through a wooden board for a pulse check.

Because some illnesses were contagious, the procedure was to first present an arm for diagnosis, then, depending on the findings, either see the doctor or receive a prescription.

Li Pingyang extended his arm and waited quietly. Soon, someone on the other side coughed, placed three fingers on his wrist, and carefully felt his pulse.

What he discovered was extraordinary. The tyrannical true energy surged wildly, and the residual blade within Li Pingyang’s body trembled faintly, causing the man’s brow to furrow. Such chaotic pulses—he’d never encountered them before! Yet upon deciphering the pulse, he realized Li Pingyang was full of vitality, not at all ill. Was he here to mock the doctor?

The man opened a small window overhead and peered at the boy sitting opposite, who was now smiling back at him.

“Young master, what illness brings you here?”

“I’m not sick.”

“….”

Suppressing a curse, the man paused, then replied, “I think you are sick! Go, go, can’t you see how many patients are waiting behind you? Wang Xiao, see him out!”

A burly attendant approached to gently escort Li Pingyang out, but he quickly called, “Wait!”

He pulled out a folded sheet of paper and slid it through the window to the man inside. The man accepted it with a puzzled expression, only to open it and be stunned.

It was a secret recipe.

After reading it, the boss whispered a few words to his attendant, then rose with a smile, inviting Li Pingyang upstairs to discuss matters privately.

Wang Xiao, the attendant, took over dispensing medicines for those outside, temporarily managing the shop.

On the second floor, Li Pingyang got straight to the point: “Brother Zhou, I’d like to form an alliance with you.”

“The recipe I just gave you is my secret formula for making stinky tofu—a token of my sincerity. If you wish to sell it, you only need to join me and pay a small franchise fee.”

He produced another sheet of paper, outlining the partnership contract. Zhou Changkun need only sign and affix his seal to legally sell stinky tofu in Cangzhou, standing with Li Pingyang as allies.

Having long suffered under Su’s oppression and longing to turn the tables, Zhou Changkun seized the opportunity after a brief hesitation. He picked up the pen and signed his name.