Chapter Eleven: Bored Out of My Mind

An inn?

Opening an inn in such a desolate mountain pass where not even birds would bother to stop?

This kid is really something for even thinking of such an idea.

Wu Changlu thought to himself, “He’s still too young, a bit too fanciful.”

“Jiulang,” he said, “why don’t… let your fourth uncle help you ask around and use this string of coins to buy a small plot of land instead?”

The fifth uncle chimed in as well, “Our little valley isn’t anywhere near the main road. I doubt there’d be any business for your inn. Wouldn’t it be more practical to buy a third of an acre?”

Wu Ning immediately understood what his two uncles were worried about and quickly said, “Don’t worry, fourth and fifth uncles. As for guests, there’s nothing to worry about. I’ll certainly find people willing to stay.”

“……”

“……”

Everyone fell silent. “And who are you going to find to stay?”

“The pilgrims climbing the mountain to worship the Heavenly Lord, of course!”

“They all make their offerings and have their fortunes read during the day; before nightfall, they’ve already gone back to the city. Who would spend the night in this godforsaken wilderness?”

Wu Ning spread his hands. “Then I’ll just make sure they can’t return to the city!”

Well, that almost made his fourth and fifth uncles burst out laughing. “Are you going to block the road and stop people from coming down the mountain?”

They didn’t argue further with the child, just pointed at the string of coins and said, “Even if the guests do stay at your inn, you should see if this much money is enough for your plans.”

Fifth uncle added kindly, “Jiulang, think it over. Who are the people making offerings on the mountain? And those seeking fortunes from Daoist Xiao—what kind of people are they?”

“They’re all high officials and wealthy gentry,” he said, nodding toward Wu Ning’s two drafty, crumbling huts with crooked walls and rotten beams. “Why would those people ever stay in such a shabby earthen house?”

Wu Ning chuckled awkwardly. “Just fix it up, decorate it a bit, and it’ll be fine.”

“……”

Wu Changlu was beginning to lose his temper. This kid always had a reply for everything.

He was about to persuade him again, when the old patriarch spoke up, “Since he wants to do it, let him.”

Huh?

Now Wu Ning was stunned. “What’s going on? The old man’s acting strangely.”

Normally, the hardest to convince was the patriarch; how come he was the first to agree this time?

“That’s enough. It’s settled,” the old patriarch declared, standing up and instructing Wu Changlu, “Have your boy come over and lend a hand. Tomorrow I’ll round up some idle kids from the valley. Let Jiulang have his way.”

“……”

“……”

Now even Wu Ning had to believe it: had the old patriarch really changed?

“Thank you, Grandfather, for making this possible.”

“Stop trying to flatter me!” The old patriarch, just because he’d gone along with Wu Ning this time, wasn’t about to give him a kind word.

Looking at the two dilapidated rooms, he said, “If you’re going to do this, do it thoroughly.”

“The main beam and the secondary beam in this old house have probably long since rotted from the rain. We happen to have two large timbers at home. I’ll have your fifth uncle get some people to help replace them.”

With that, he put his hands behind his back and walked out.

——

“Father, why let that rascal have his way?” As soon as they left Wu Ning’s house, fourth uncle couldn’t hold back any longer. He truly couldn’t understand why his father had agreed with Wu Ning’s idea this time.

“This valley of ours is no place for an inn.”

“Do you think I don’t know that?” the old patriarch shot him a glare as they walked. “Of course I know the inn will never succeed.”

“Then why—?”

“Jiulang isn’t a child anymore!” the old patriarch sighed. “He’s old enough to start a family.”

“He has some spare money, so it’s the perfect time to fix up those two ruined rooms. Otherwise, if his betrothal is settled, where would he put his bride?”

“I see,” Wu Changlu conceded.

So letting Wu Ning open an inn was just an excuse; the real reason was to have him fix up his new house.

If the inn didn’t get business, so much the better, but the house would be ready—just in time for the wedding celebration.

Wu Ning, however, thought differently. As long as the elders agreed to let him try, whether there were guests or profit would depend on his own ability.

After seeing off the patriarch, as well as his fourth and fifth uncles, he tidied up the table. Seeing that his ugly uncle was still sitting by the low table, he said, “It’s getting late, uncle. You should get some rest.”

“No hurry. You sit down first.”

“Oh.” Wu Ning was puzzled. “Uncle, is there something you want to say?”

His ugly uncle smiled faintly, his unattractive face half-shaded beneath his bamboo hat as he looked at Wu Ning.

“Why didn’t you say anything just now?”

“Huh?” Wu Ning was confused. “Didn’t I keep talking?”

His uncle shook his head. “Not about that.”

“About what, then?”

“Hmph.”

After so many years together, Wu Ning understood his ugly uncle, and the uncle understood him even better.

Just now, when they were discussing the Wu brothers and Princess Taiping coming to Fang Prefecture, Wu Ning’s expression had changed, but he hadn’t said a word.

His uncle sneered, “You want to open an inn at home, but I haven’t agreed yet.”

Damn! That was a blatant threat!

Wu Ning put on a pitiful face. “Uncle, what are you really trying to say?”

“Nothing,” his uncle replied in a deep voice. “But these three coming to Fang Prefecture—are you not surprised?”

“Don’t forget, you knew what happened five years ago. With your intellect, you can’t tell what these three are here to do—the thing they failed to accomplish back then?”

Wu Ning was speechless.

Five years ago? Five years back, Qiu Shenji and Zhou Xing had tried to take Li Xian’s life but failed—that was the “thing left undone.”

So now, are these three coming with the same purpose as before?

He looked up at his uncle. “Is this a test?”

“You could call it that.”

“If I speak my mind, will you let me pursue my inn-keeping idea?”

His uncle smiled. “If you can bring in some extra income, why not?”

“Fine then.”

Wu Ning took a deep breath. “When you mentioned the Wu brothers and Princess Taiping heading south, it wasn’t that I didn’t want to speak, but I saw no need—and certainly none of the worry I had five years ago.”

“Oh?” His uncle immediately sat up straighter. “Why is that?”

“Because Her Majesty has no intention of killing Li Xian.”

“Go on.”

“If she truly wanted him dead, she could simply send someone like Zhou Xing or Lai Junchen south. It would be done cleanly, without arousing suspicion.”

“And even if Li Xian’s death caused more trouble, it would be easy to blame Zhou or Lai and wash her hands of it.”

His uncle nodded to himself. Five years ago, Wu Ning and Meng Cangsheng had saved Li Xian. Although Wu Ning had never spoken of it, Meng Cangsheng had recounted the whole story to him. Since then, he’d known the boy had a knack for reading the court and human nature.

Having such a response now, his uncle felt all his years of open and secret guidance had not been in vain.

He thought as much, but didn’t say so. Perhaps he still hoped Wu Ning would surprise him even more.

“What you say isn’t unreasonable, but don’t forget—Wu Chengsi and Wu Sansi are no innocents. Over the years, many in the imperial clan have died by their hands.”

Wu Ning cursed silently, “Who are you trying to fool?”

He blurted out, “Isn’t Princess Taiping coming to Fang Prefecture too?”

He couldn’t help but feel exasperated: two fugitives worrying over the emperor’s affairs—what a pointless waste of energy!