Chapter 45 — The Burning of the Granary
As soon as Bai Mingzhe stepped in, even before approaching, he caught a pungent smell from the man and sneezed. Holding a handkerchief over his mouth and nose, he asked, “Where have you come from? Why do you smell so strongly?”
Fang Ji’an half-reclined in his seat, glanced at him but did not stand up. “I am older than you. Do you talk to your elders like that? Are you looking down on me, your poor relative?” He sniffed the air himself and snorted, “You haven’t experienced good things. This is Fu Shou Paste (a.k.a. opium), and you don’t even know what it is.”
Bai Mingzhe frowned, remaining at a distance. “That’s a harmful thing. Uncle, it’s better if you don’t use it.”
Fang Ji’an ignored him, sitting there wasting time and making no mention of asking for money, just lingering, relying on the Bai family’s generosity to stay put.
Bai Mingzhe waited through a cup of tea before growing impatient. He stood and said, “Uncle, if you have nothing else to do, you should head back. I’m quite busy; there’s a lot to handle at the factory. I haven’t properly entertained you, but later I’ll have someone bring some money to Aunt.” He paused, then looked at Fang Ji’an and said, “Let me make it clear: this money is only for Aunt to buy rice and vegetables, not for that stuff you’re smoking.”
Fang Ji’an got up and kowtowed, but he was more shameless than before. Previously, he still had a bit of a hard, sharp edge; now he seemed completely softened. He shamelessly added, “I have many children at home. Dear nephew, give a bit more, won’t you?”
Bai Mingzhe refused.
Fang Ji’an thought for a moment, then said, “I’m not a shameless man either. How about this: you hire me to work at the factory. No matter the task, I can do it. I had some reputation in brewing before—if the brewery hadn’t been mortgaged, I wouldn’t have fallen to this state…”
Bai Mingzhe sneered. “Oh? And why was the brewery mortgaged?”
Fang Ji’an hesitated, avoiding eye contact.
Bai Mingzhe held back, out of consideration for his wife’s family, and didn’t lose his temper. “You know we have many children. That little brewery still had some surplus. I thought Jiwu was capable, so I was willing to help a bit. But now—the Heihe region is small; there are no walls that don’t leak. I advise you: act wisely.”
Fang Ji’an didn’t know how much Bai Mingzhe knew and was startled, leaving reluctantly.
Because of his senior Fang family status, he lingered in the brewery for a while, circling around, and no one dared stop him.
Meanwhile, Xie Jing was in the stable, bending to pick up soybeans.
He had ridden in the mountains that morning for training, riding Bai Shisi, his favorite white horse. Now, he was quietly giving it an extra meal.
The white horse stood obediently nearby, occasionally swishing its tail, shielding Xie Jing with its body.
The Heihe Brewery stables were newly built, very spacious. One side had stacks of feed, including several bags of fine soybeans. Xie Jing dragged a bag over, picking out the largest, plumpest beans to feed Bai Shisi. The two of them were silent, only the soft sounds of chewing breaking the quiet.
Suddenly, a sound came from the hay pile. Xie Jing didn’t move but looked up. From a distance, he saw someone hurrying, pulling something out from their chest and placing it down, glancing around nervously before leaving.
Xie Jing moved lightly, crouched, and inspected the pile. It was a firecracker tube about the thickness of a child’s arm, with a long fuse.
His eyes darkened. He picked it up and quietly followed the person, keeping to the shadows.
Since noon, Bai Mingzhe’s eyelids had been twitching nonstop, alternating sides, leaving him uneasy.
After lunch, he made sure someone checked around the factory. The machines were fine, and the workers behaved normally, giving him some relief.
Bai Mingzhe returned to his office, and not long after, Xie Jing arrived.
Bai Mingzhe greeted him kindly. “Little Xie, what’s the matter?”
Xie Jing closed the door, approached, and placed a firecracker tube from his chest onto the table. “Master, look.”
Bai Mingzhe picked it up. It was a large firework cannon used for New Year celebrations, much bigger than usual, easily twice the size. “Where did this come from?”
Xie Jing explained, “Someone left it in the hay pile near the stables, covering it with straw. Aside from the stables, there were a few near the wine warehouse. I checked carefully—five in total.”
Bai Mingzhe suddenly stood. “Where are the others?”
“I found them all and returned them.”
Xie Jing didn’t recognize the person who placed them, so he described the clothing and appearance to Bai Mingzhe, whose expression darkened, prompting him to continue.
Xie Jing said, “I followed the person to the location and retrieved all of them. Then I followed him to Changshan Brewery. The remaining ones were buried under a tree outside the brewery. I thought for a moment… the factory has guards during the day, with strict inspections. I couldn’t get in immediately.”
Bai Mingzhe was surprised. “You can still go there?”
Xie Jing nodded. “The walls are low, not hard to climb, and since you brought me once before, I remember the way.”
Bai Mingzhe was silent for a moment, then had an idea. He sneered, “So it’s Sun Dajiang. That explains why someone came visiting so early today—not just to curry favor, but with Heihe Brewery in mind!” He spun his finger ring twice, gesturing for Xie Jing to step closer, lowering his voice to whisper.
If Changshan Brewery dared act on the first of the month, then he could handle the fifteenth.
At Changshan Brewery, Sun Dajiang was in his office writing. He had a habit of practicing calligraphy but was dissatisfied with today’s attempts.
Someone reported that Fang Ji’an had arrived.
Sun Dajiang was disgusted with him, but he couldn’t abandon this wretched dog, so he smiled and welcomed him in. Once the door closed, Fang Ji’an quickly stepped in, whispering, “Master Sun, everything you asked me to do is done!”
Sun Dajiang glanced at him. “I don’t remember asking you to do anything. Fang brother, you remember our previous agreement, right?”
Fang Ji’an said, “Understood, understood. A verbal agreement. I won’t say anything more.”
Sun Dajiang asked him once more, then nodded, signaling for someone to bring in a package resembling medicine. Fang Ji’an immediately stood, staring at it, almost entranced.
Sun Dajiang handed it to him, then whispered, “Tomorrow at noon, I will visit Bai Mingzhe as discussed. Once I enter Heihe Brewery, you’ll know what to do, right? Please make sure you play your part fully.”
Fang Ji’an nodded repeatedly, agreeing.
When he stuffed the package of Fu Shou Paste into his chest and staggered away, Sun Dajiang smirked, eyes full of disdain.
The next day, before Sun Dajiang could act, Bai Mingzhe had already sent a notice and arrived to visit.
Sun Dajiang hesitated but soon sent someone to fetch Bai Mingzhe, while quietly instructing someone to find Fang Ji’an.
Bai Mingzhe arrived quickly, smiling, greeting him, and discussing machinery purchases.
Sun Dajiang sensed something was off but couldn’t pinpoint it. He poured tea and asked, “Bai master still wants to buy machines? Your brewery is already the best in Heihe, isn’t it?”
Bai Mingzhe smiled, unchanged. “Oh no, not at all. It’s just thanks to your help, Master Sun. Business has been good recently. Buying a few more machines is just a precaution.”
“How many do you plan to buy?”
“That’s not decided yet. I saw some of your advertisements in the newspaper the other day—very impressive. Oh, that newspaper wanted to interview me too. If possible, I could introduce them to you?”
“No need.”
“Yes, you’ve been busy lately. I heard you’re running errands for the Japanese now?”
Sun Dajiang felt annoyed but forced a smile. “Just earning a living. Not as skilled as you, Manager Bai. At such a young age, your factory is already this large—I admire that. I heard the Bai family once made a huge profit abroad…”
Bai Mingzhe’s smile faded. “Master Sun, please be careful with your words.”
Sun Dajiang said, “Did I say something wrong? Whether it’s you working with Westerners or me with Easterners, business is about making money. There’s no need to complicate things…”
Before he could finish, a loud crash followed by several more erupted. People and horses mixed with the noise; Sun Dajiang grabbed the table, panic-stricken. “What’s happening?!”
Bai Mingzhe was faster, opening the window. “Check the warehouse! You fools don’t even know what’s most important!”
Sun Dajiang remembered and shouted, but Bai Mingzhe was already ahead. A fire had started in the warehouse. Workers, panicked, obeyed Bai Mingzhe, grabbing buckets of water to rush back.
One worker collided with a young boy, who snatched the bucket and barked, “What are you standing there for? Go get more water! Save the fire!”
The worker froze, then almost instinctively obeyed.
Xie Jing held a bucket but didn’t rush forward. Blending into the crowd, he moved to a secluded corner, removed his coarse cloth jacket, and ignited it. A dark patch on his clothes caught fire quickly, igniting the nearby granary. He glanced at the fleeing crowd and escaped after the old wooden door began smoking.
Bai Mingzhe focused on the fire more than Sun Dajiang, leading people to inspect it. Sun Dajiang tried to intervene but couldn’t. His eyes flickered with a hint of malice.
Suddenly, a few reporters arrived at the factory gate, cameras in hand, seeking first-hand news.
Sun Dajiang ignored the warehouse, shouting for people to stop the reporters. Sweat and ash stained his face; he wiped frantically, looking embarrassed. “Why are there reporters?!”
Bai Mingzhe sighed. “My fault! I forgot to tell you—they’re from the Daily. They said they’d come interview me. I wanted them to see us together, brotherly factories, thriving together.”
Sun Dajiang cursed internally but stayed silent, both anxious and angry.
Reporters ran ahead—one photographing the fire, another conducting interviews. Sun Dajiang couldn’t act, and the flashes captured his embarrassed state. He wanted to get angry, but Bai Mingzhe stopped him. “Master Sun, don’t. The reporters just want the truth.”
A reporter asked, “Mr. Bai, as a national entrepreneur, what are your thoughts on this fire? Was it sudden? Are the workers safe? What’s the estimated loss? How far do you think local industrial revitalization has come?”
Bai Mingzhe replied, “I only arrived to visit Master Sun today. Who knew this would happen? Luckily, the fire is small and nearly extinguished.” He looked at the warehouse behind and sighed, “Luckily, Master Sun’s warehouse had no wine. Our brewery fears open flames most. Be careful next time.”
The reporter pressed, “Mr. Sun, reports said Changshan Brewery produced three tons a day. Why is the warehouse empty?”
Sun Dajiang stammered, “It… it’s been sold.”
“Sold where?”
Sun Dajiang gave polite answers but then heard shouting from the granary. The heavy wooden door, old and weakened by fire, fell with a crash, revealing the dark, empty interior.
The granary was empty.
