Chapter 40: Good Stuff
“I ran outside the mine, and then… someone in black used their ability to kill the bugs?” Little Can stood on Chu Jiu’s pillow, his ice-blue eyes wide open as he looked at Chu Jiu suspiciously.
Chu Jiu patted his little head. “Yes. That was already three days ago.”
“We’ve long since left the mine and returned to Bean Village.”
“We even dealt with the wasps in the back mountain together. After that, you were really, really tired and fell asleep—and slept all the way until now.”
As Chu Jiu spoke, a trace of tenderness crept into his voice without him realizing it. He simply scooped the little cat into his arms.
To be honest, even though Little Can had said in advance, “I might sleep for a long time,” Chu Jiu was still worried when he saw he wouldn’t wake no matter what.
And it wasn’t just Chu Jiu who was worried—the other three little ones were too.
Rawr Rawr Rabbit imitated Chu Jiu’s motions, repeatedly stretching out a paw to touch Little Can’s forehead, then confidently announcing, “Rawr rawr rawr, not hot.”
Gulp Gulp carefully carried Little Can’s special water cup with his tiny tendrils and gently placed it by the bed. “Gulp glup, Little Can, you need to drink more water.”
And Kakaba awkwardly covered him with a small blanket. “Dun dun dun, cover up so you don’t catch a chill, then you’ll sleep better.”
Finally, this morning, Little Can woke up.
Just as he said before he fell asleep, his memory was a mess.
Everything from getting separated in the underground mine to defeating the wasps—he couldn’t remember any of it.
And as Chu Jiu recounted those events to him, he alternated between flicking his tail and scratching his little face, before falling into a long silence.
Chu Jiu sighed softly, stroking his small head again and again. “Anyway, it’s already great that you woke up.”
“What kind of fish do you want today? Grilled? Boiled? Braised in soy sauce?”
Little Can stretched out a tiny paw and pressed it against Chu Jiu’s cheek. “Meow, meow meow.” —“Grilled, with sauce brushed on.”
Chu Jiu’s lips curved into a small smile. “Okay, I’ll go make it for you right now.”
After Chu Jiu slipped into the kitchen, Little Can lay sprawled on Chu Jiu’s bed, limbs stretched out, his chin resting on the sheet.
His posture was relaxed, but his expression was serious.
He knew Chu Jiu wouldn’t lie to him.
But still, something felt… off.
First of all, there was no way he would have run out of the mine alone and left Chu Jiu behind in that situation.
And second, how did a mysterious person with powers suddenly appear?
According to Chu Jiu, it was a “young man with a lovely name and powerful abilities.”
…A “lovely name” and “powerful abilities”? That just screamed suspicious. Only a gullible human like Chu Jiu would buy it.
What’s more, this powered person claimed to have seen him at the entrance and said he passed along a message for Chu Jiu through him?
Thinking about it now, that guy with powers was definitely the most suspicious one of all!
The little cat’s eyes turned into narrowed, alert half-circles.
*
The artificial beekeeping farm was progressing smoothly.
Ever since they burned down the nearby wasp nests and placed the wasp corpses around the area as a warning, no more wasps had shown up.
Grandpa Du and the others used beeswax and honey to make new bait, and soon enough, swarms of bees were drawn into the beehives.
Some time later, Chu Jiu received a notification:
[From the “Honor Zone – Bean Village”: “Artificial Beekeeping Farm” is now officially operational. Bees have begun honey production!]
[Estimated honey harvest time: 15–20 days]
[Host has successfully guided villagers through construction]
[This is the first major construction breakthrough within the village bounds—significant achievement]
[Host’s Exploration Level has increased to 8.5%]
Although Chu Jiu already knew developing “Honor Zones” would increase his exploration percentage, a full 1% jump was still surprising.
After all, even unlocking parts of the map didn’t always boost it that much!
Awesome—his 5000 exploration points hadn’t been wasted at all!
Chu Jiu clenched his fist in excitement.
But he didn’t have much time to bask in the joy of “profit!”
Lately, he had been thinking hard about where in a “major human city” he could find the “colorful gemstones” the dwarf beastman mentioned.
On this continent, officially known as the Continent of Kalot, there were several major cities besides the royal capital.
After poring over a map with Douglas all night, Chu Jiu decided on heading to the coastal city—Sea Moon City.
According to Douglas, Sea Moon City was not only the closest city to Bean Village but also the most commercially developed, with the widest range of goods available. If you wanted to look for odd and rare items, Sea Moon City was the place to go.
That evening, Chu Jiu packed enough food for the guardian beasts, organized his backpack, and planned to meet Marco the next morning to ride his carriage out of Bean Village.
Even though Chu Jiu had a super-convenient mount—the Bodo—after all, it was a magical creature. Riding it straight into the city might cause unnecessary trouble.
After getting everything ready, Chu Jiu saw there was still time before nightfall and decided to tell the village chief about his plans, so the old man wouldn’t worry if he couldn’t find him later.
Chu Jiu had just sat down in the village chief’s house when someone knocked on the door.
The village chief frowned in confusion. “Who could that be? Everyone in the village knows each other so well—except for you, Xiao Jiu, people usually call out their names while knocking.”
Chu Jiu said, “I’ll go check. Your legs aren’t great—you should avoid walking too much.”
He got up and opened the door.
Standing outside wasn’t a villager from Bean Village.
Chu Jiu thought the man looked familiar but couldn’t immediately place him.
Wrapped in a headscarf, sporting a scraggly little mustache, his skin dark and shiny, hunched over with a greasy grin—it took a second before it clicked.
The village chief hobbled over with his cane and blurted out in surprise, “Aris? What are you doing in our village?”
That’s when Chu Jiu remembered—
Wasn’t this the shady traveling merchant?
The one who used Bean Village’s goods to save his own skin, then turned around and tried to fleece the villagers with sky-high prices? The one who ripped up their contract and cursed the villagers as sickly burdens and the village’s goods as worthless junk?
What was he doing here? And at night, no less?
This same Aris, who had once proudly insulted the village chief to his face, now bowed low and spoke humbly, “Good evening, sir. I hope I’m not disturbing your rest?”
Clack! The old chief slammed his cane against the ground. “You already are. I don’t care why you’re here—our village does not welcome you.”
Aris chuckled awkwardly and clung to the doorframe. “Sir, about what happened before… that was my bad. I was young and reckless, spoke without thinking.”
“You always said, didn’t you, that young people are bound to make mistakes? Well, I’m here to make up for mine.”
Aris spoke so smoothly that Chu Jiu got goosebumps just listening.
Young? Since when does youth start at forty?! Chu Jiu shot a sideways glance at Aris’s oily, weathered face and muttered inwardly.
Even though the village chief didn’t respond, Aris kept chattering away shamelessly.
After flattering them some more, Aris glanced at Chu Jiu and lowered his voice to the chief:
“Sir, actually I have something urgent I’d like to discuss… with the village’s manager… in private…”
Clearly hinting that Chu Jiu should leave.
But the village chief replied, “Chu Jiu is one of our village managers. If you have something to say, just say it.”
Aris was somewhat surprised, but didn’t show it. Instead, he gave Chu Jiu a friendly smile and said, “My apologies, my apologies.”
Then, displaying a surprising agility for his large frame, he squeezed himself into the room, tears suddenly welling up on his face as he turned to the village chief and pleaded, “Sir, you have to save me!”
Aris explained that the reason he hadn’t done business with Bean Village before was because he had been deceived. He had set his sights on making it big in Ancient Linburg and paid a hefty bribe to a middleman, who ended up running off with the money, leaving Aris completely broke.
Wiping his tears, he said he had been transporting goods to Bean Village over the years without making any real profit, and now, after being scammed, he was so worried about debt collectors showing up that he couldn’t eat or sleep.
Chu Jiu glanced at Aris again and thought, You’re not about to say you’ve “worried yourself skinny,” are you?
Aris went on to say that when he returned to Emerald Town full of regret, he discovered that a new dessert was all the rage. The wealthy families there were all fond of this tender, white treat, and having it at a banquet had become a mark of prestige.
And that dessert? It was made from Bean Village’s tofu!
Bean Village truly was a land of talented people and great resources, to be able to produce something so exquisite!
So Aris thought—since the village needed a traveling merchant to sell tofu, and he was familiar with the business, why not increase production and let him help with sales?
He even added that he knew another merchant came every Friday to buy tofu, and he wouldn’t compete—he’d come on Wednesdays instead. That way, villagers could make more money, and he wouldn’t have to worry about having his hands broken by debt collectors. It was a win-win—a great act of kindness and virtue!
Chu Jiu rolled his eyes inwardly. That little scheme of yours is so loud it probably echoes all the way back to China.
The village chief let out a cold chuckle but said nothing.
Aris clearly knew words alone wouldn’t be enough to sway the old man. He reached into his pack and pulled out two small clay jars. He placed one on the table beside the village chief and tried to hand the other to Chu Jiu—
Lowering his voice, he said, “This is honey from Sea Moon City. Very rare, very high-quality. Sir, didn’t you say your grandson loves this stuff? It’s sweet—just a spoonful can flavor a whole pot of water!”
Then even more quietly: “This honey is just a little gift. For the real business later, I’ll give both of you a ten percent cut of the net profit, how about that?”
Wait, what?
Chu Jiu, who was now experiencing his first live bribery attempt over two lifetimes, widened his eyes.
The village chief didn’t respond immediately. He picked up the clay jar Aris had set down and held it under the candlelight, examining it carefully.
After a moment, he turned to Chu Jiu and said, “Xiao Jiu, what do you think?”
Chu Jiu shook the jar in his hand and smiled. “Eh, he was being so sneaky about giving this to us, I thought it was some treasure. But isn’t this just the honey we have an endless supply of here in Bean Village?”
He tossed the jar back to Aris and kept smiling. “Bean Village produces tofu, flowers, small fish, and honey. What we don’t produce is ungrateful trash.”
Then he added deliberately, “Not saying the honey is trash—the quality’s actually quite decent.”
The old village chief, usually somber and frowning, burst out laughing. His laughter was so loud, even Aman, sleeping in the back room, turned over in his bed.
The old man took two steps forward, opened the door Aris had closed behind him, and tapped it with his cane.
“Take your honey and leave our village.”
“I’m an old cripple with bad legs, so I won’t bother seeing you out.”
Aris walked out, face dark as thunder, and even tripped over his own feet on the way, landing in the dirt with a face full of dust.
Chu Jiu thought for a moment, then turned to the chief. “I should go too. I’ll follow him, just in case.”
Tomorrow was the day Marco came to collect tofu, and right now, nearly every household had beans soaking at the door, ready to grind them early in the morning.
If Aris was truly malicious, what if he kicked over the bean buckets or threw ash into them?
As Chu Jiu stepped outside, ready to sneak after him, he heard a “meow” from Little Can.
“I’ll go. I’ll follow him,” the little cat said.
Then the small black figure leapt ahead, melting into the night.
Chu Jiu stayed put and waited.
After a short while, the little one returned and reported solemnly, “That big piece of trash got into a carriage and left.”
Chu Jiu picked it up and stroked its head. “Nice job. You’ve earned a dried fish treat.”
Little Can flicked its tail proudly.
As Chu Jiu carried it back, he said, “Actually, in the past, I wouldn’t have thought to follow someone like that.”
Little Can: “Meow?”
Chu Jiu: “It was that message you passed on from that ability-user named Lu Qingyan. He said he’d heard that Bean Village folks are all kind and good, but there are many in the world who aren’t. Right now, the peace in Bean Village comes largely from its poverty. As the village becomes more prosperous, many evildoers will start eyeing it, and we must be prepared.”
“And sure enough, today, a scoundrel came knocking!”
Chu Jiu shook his head as he spoke.
Little Can squinted and licked its paw.
Why was this human mentioning that ability-user again? That was the third time in just a few days!
That ability-user—no one even knows where he is. What good is a few warning words?
I’m the useful one, the one who actually stays by Chu Jiu’s side.
Hmph.
*
The next morning, Chu Jiu found Marco to arrange the trip to Emerald Town.
According to his plan, after reaching Emerald Town, he’d rent a horse and travel east to Sea Moon City.
After hearing Chu Jiu’s plan, Marco said, “You don’t need to rent another horse. If you can wait a bit, I’ll be going to Sea Moon City myself in about two weeks. You can ride with me.”
Chu Jiu had no objections and was curious about what Marco planned to do in Sea Moon City.
The normally straightforward merchant explained, “Sea Moon City’s a big business hub.”
“Every autumn, major businesses in Sea Moon and buyers from other cities invite traveling merchants to present new products.”
“If those big buyers like something—or think a merchant’s goods have potential—they’ll buy in bulk or place orders.”
“Basically, if you get noticed during that time, you won’t have to worry about business for the whole next year.”
“But on the flip side, if you take their deposit and can’t deliver the goods, you’ll not only lose money but ruin your reputation forever.”
At that moment, Granny Zhu, who had come to trade flour, chimed in, “Speaking of which, that Aris fellow—remember that greedy merchant from our village? He came crying to the chief for beans back then for exactly this kind of deal, didn’t he?”
Chu Jiu thought, Ah, that explains it.
No wonder that guy cries so naturally—he’s just repeating an old trick.
But Chu Jiu didn’t mention last night’s events. Instead, he asked Marco, “Are you going to try your luck with the big buyers too? What are you planning to sell?”
To his surprise, Marco coughed awkwardly and lowered his voice—a rare moment of shyness.
“Me? Heh… I’m just going to look around.”
“Honestly, I’ve been doing this for years, but I don’t really have anything impressive to bring.”
Chu Jiu asked curiously, “So what do the big buyers consider ‘impressive goods’?”
Marco replied, “There’s no fixed standard. Each of those buyers has their own preferences.”
Then, with a little regret, he added, “Actually, your village’s tofu is amazing. I’d love to try selling it.”
“But like you said, it’s gotta be sold the same day it’s made—doesn’t keep at all…”
“So I just can’t take it to Sea Moon City.”
He held up his plump hands and sighed. “It’s not that your tofu isn’t good—it’s me. I haven’t found something suitable to sell in the city.”
The young assistant delivering goods with Marco couldn’t hold it in anymore: “Boss, haven’t you ever seriously thought about doing big business? You keep running deliveries to all these little villages every day, barely earning travel and labor expenses, selling rice, flour, and oil—how could you possibly get your hands on those ‘valuable goods’ the big merchants care about?”
Marco had a good temper. Even hearing this, he didn’t get angry—just gave a bitter smile and shook his head.
Actually, Chu Jiu had heard Reg mention before that it was thanks to traveling merchants like Marco that small villages like Bean Village could regularly trade for oil and salt and didn’t need to risk traveling to town themselves.
Now, hearing the assistant’s words and seeing the faintly disappointed look on Marco’s face—even though he claimed he was just going to Sea Moon City to “join the fun”—Chu Jiu felt a flicker in his heart.
He rested his chin on one hand and thought for a while, then slowly said:
“Actually… I do have an idea.”
“Besides tofu, we have another ‘good thing’ that we might be able to try selling in Sea Moon City.”
Marco immediately perked up: “There’s more?”
Chu Jiu said frankly, “Honey. We have honey.”
Marco was momentarily stunned, then smiled: “Ah, that is a great product.”
“If you’ve harvested honey and want to trade for goods or money, just come find me.”
“But you know, even though honey is valuable, it’s not really suitable for sending to Sea Moon City.”
At that moment, the assistant blurted out: “Huh? Why not? That stuff is rare!”
Tofu is hard to transport because it spoils quickly, but honey is different—one jar can last for years.
Marco spread his hands: “Well, honey has to be harvested from the mountains. No one can guarantee they’ll find it every time.”
“Plus, harvesting it means destroying the hive—it’s not a repeatable process.”
“Bees are animals, after all. They’re not like wheat or flax—you can’t just plant them in the ground and know they’ll stay. One year they might be in this mountain, the next year in that forest. Who can predict that?”
“So, which traveling merchant would dare to promise a reliable supply?”
After hearing Marco’s explanation, Chu Jiu smiled: “Our honey isn’t harvested from the wild—we raise our bees, and we collect honey from our own beekeeping operation.”
Marco’s beard practically jumped in surprise: “You raise bees? You raise bees?”
How could that be possible? How would they even do that?
He stared wide-eyed for a while, then said, “Wait, I think I’ve heard something like that before—some mountain villages put wooden barrels outside and wait for wild bees to move in. Is that what you do too?”
“If it’s that kind of ‘beekeeping,’ then first of all, the bees might not even move in. Second, you’d still destroy the hive when harvesting the honey. That’s not really different from foraging in the wild—you still can’t guarantee supply.”
Chu Jiu’s eyes sparkled with a youthful sense of pride: “Nope, we don’t just leave a barrel out. And we won’t need to destroy the hive—we can continuously harvest honey.”
Not only do we not destroy hives or kill bees—we even help them survive through flowerless winters and assist in swarming when the colony grows strong.
All of this completely overturned Marco’s understanding of what it meant to “harvest honey.” He found it more and more unbelievable.
But since it was Chu Jiu saying it…
He had no choice but to believe.
In the end, Marco’s excitement overtook his doubt.
He clasped his hands together, eyes gleaming on his round face: “If that’s really the case, then let’s give it a shot—let’s try selling honey!”
