PFC Chapter 1180 - 11: Zhou Family Strife (Part 3)_2
Chapter 1180 - 11: Zhou Family Strife (Part 3)_2
"Go ahead, make your choice," the man had already resigned himself to his fate.The servant brought out a chicken, placed it there for everyone to see, and then it was time to place bets.
Seeing the chicken the man chose, everyone burst into laughter.
Is this a chicken fight?
It’s not a contest to see which chicken dies faster.
As expected, no one bet that this chicken would win, not even the man himself took it seriously.
Once the bets were placed, the chicken fight began.
When they got into the ring, everyone was dumbfounded.
The chicken that had looked sickly and weak suddenly sprang to life on the battlefield, valiant and mighty, sweeping all before it.
The man had never won so easily before.
It was exhilarating.
After leaving the fighting pit, the man looked at the Heir of Marquis Beining with newfound respect, saying, "Brother Mu, how did you see that this chicken was so exceptional?"
The Heir of Marquis Beining was holding a purse of silver, a full six hundred taels.
Usually, it wasn’t this much; he had slightly stirred the atmosphere, and with bigger bets, naturally came bigger winnings.
The Heir of Marquis Beining laughed, "Didn’t you notice that chicken was feeling down and out, full of unfulfilled ambition?"
The man, "...."
How could this be discerned?
He only saw that the chicken was sick.
The man asked doubtfully, "Could you really see that?"
The Heir of Marquis Beining laughed, "Really, think about it. All the surrounding chickens had been in competitions, except for this one. Could it be happy just staying with a flock of chickens?"
The man, "...."
"I gave it a chance, and it definitely put all its strength into making a mark," said the Heir of Marquis Beining.
"I also threatened it a little; if it lost, it would be taken home and cooked in soy sauce."
"...."
The man was dumbfounded.
Understanding a chicken’s psychology was one thing.
But could one threaten a chicken?
The Heir of Marquis Beining wasn’t sure either; anyway, the dogs at Dongxiang Marquis Mansion could understand threats.
Chickens probably could too, he thought.
It was just a matter of saying a few words; if it understood, great, if it didn’t, no harm done.
With this money, the Heir of Marquis Beining laughed, "Come on, I’ve been sponging off you for so many days, let me treat you to a meal."
The two of them went to a tavern, filled the table with good food and wine.
After the meal, there was still over five hundred taels left, and the Heir of Marquis Beining felt rejuvenated.
He had given up on the pharmacy.
The shop was doing its utmost to earn money, but because the shopkeeper was too soft-hearted, when he confirmed that the poor folks couldn’t afford medicine but still had a chance to be cured, he would generously provide it.
Could he interrupt saving a life which is said to be better than building a seven-tiered pagoda?
In his view, the shop was impeccable; though it wasn’t making money, it was winning hearts.
He was clueless about medicine, and maybe meddling would lead to more losses, so he decided to let it be.
He was even contemplating returning to the Zhou Family, but doing that would be conceding defeat. Even if he stayed, he had to stay for a full three months.
Wasting time like this was not in his nature; it was either make money or have fun.
The Heir of Marquis Beining chose to do both, earn money and enjoy himself simultaneously.
Two months passed, and the Heir of Marquis Beining, who came with just a thousand taels, now had over ten thousand taels.
The Zhou Family steward had no words against his money-making skills.
They were just waiting for the three-month period to end and to head back to the Zhou Family for this matter to be settled.
However—
A torrential rain came unexpectedly.
It poured down for several days and nights.
The wind howled, making the windows rattle loudly.
Finally, when the rain stopped, many people in Anxi Town fell ill.
The pharmacy was now under the Heir of Marquis Beining’s management; whether to seize the opportunity to earn a sum or distribute medicine was up to him.
With roads cut off by landslides, other pharmacies had already run out of medicine, but they had quite a stockpile in their storeroom.
The Heir of Marquis Beining had a headache.
He had to put in more money to keep the shop earning.
Just when he was about to leave, this happened, truly trapping him.
The Heir of Marquis Beining hesitated for half an hour and finally said, "Distribute the medicine."
Three months passed.
The Heir of Marquis Beining returned to the Zhou Family with just the three copper coins he hadn’t spent.
Midway, he ran into a few other sons-in-law of the Zhou Family.
Each of them wore a broad smile.
They knew very well how the Heir of Marquis Beining managed his pharmacy.
They also had a clear idea of the business situations of their own shops.
Originally, the Heir of Marquis Beining posed the greatest threat to them and had to be removed.
But Old Master Zhou opted for fair competition, and how could the Heir of Marquis Beining be their match?
In their eyes, the Heir of Marquis Beining had already been eliminated and was no longer a threat.
After traveling together for three days, it seemed as though the Heir of Marquis Beining was isolated, watching them flatter each other, probe for information, and guess who had the greatest chance of winning.
The importance of an equal social standing was key in marriage, yet the Heir of Marquis Beining and Miss Zhou Qi were exceptions.
The other sons-in-law who could marry daughters of the Zhou Family were all wealthy and skilled in business.