MLMD -Chapter 37 Stealing Business

The next day, Yue Yang struggled to get up, holding his still slightly aching head. Seeing no one around, he called out loudly, “Yuling! Yulong!”

“Eh… I’m here!”

At Yue Yang’s call, a clear, crisp voice responded from outside, and soon a slender figure appeared before him.

The figure, dressed in a light green, gauzy, front-crossed dress, carried a basin and a towel. She set them behind a wooden rack and turned to scold, “Young master, really! If you can’t handle alcohol, then don’t drink so much. Do you know how many servants toasted you last night? At least twenty or thirty! And you… you drank them all without leaving a single one. Do you really think you’re a wine immortal?”

Hearing this familiar, crisp scolding, Yue Yang didn’t even need to guess who it was. “Long’er,” he said, “since you saw it all last night, why didn’t you stop me? Why let them pour so much wine into me?”

Before he finished speaking, Yuling’s voice came from the side. “Young master, you’re blaming Long’er unfairly. She was so worried about you after you got drunk last night.”

As her words fell, Yue Yang saw Yuling’s figure as well. Today, she wore the same style of dress as Yulong, but in a pale white that made her look both gentle and elegant.

Holding a steaming bowl in her hands, Yuling came over and naturally sat by the bedside, handing the bowl to Yue Yang. “Young master, drink this hangover soup first.”

As soon as Yue Yang took the bowl, a strong aroma wafted to his nose. Pinching his nose, he drank the strangely flavored soup, then frowned. “What kind of hangover soup is this? It’s awful!”

“Then don’t drink so much next time if it tastes bad,” Yulong scolded as she took the empty bowl. “Last night, your sister didn’t sleep at all taking care of you!”

Yue Yang turned to look and indeed saw faint dark circles under Yuling’s eyes—clear signs she hadn’t rested well. A warm feeling surged in his heart. He grabbed Yuling’s small hand and said, “Ling’er, you really worked hard last night! And our adorable Long’er, thank you too!”

The Linglong sisters, whose hands Yue Yang held, didn’t struggle. Instead, they leaned gently against him. Yue Yang wrapped his arms around their soft, delicate bodies. A faint scent of jasmine floated into his nose. As he inhaled, he realized there were two slightly different jasmine scents—distinct but equally refreshing.

Curious, Yue Yang asked, “Ling’er, Long’er, what kind of perfume or powder do you usually use? Why do you smell so good?”

“It’s not that!” Yulong, snuggled in his arms, said shyly, fidgeting. “We rarely use any powder or perfume.”

“I don’t believe it!” Yue Yang teased. “If you don’t use anything, why do you smell like jasmine?”

“It’s true!” Yulong hurriedly insisted. “This scent… we naturally have it. If you don’t believe me, you can ask Grandmother!”

Seeing Yulong’s flustered, rosy little face—cute as an apple—Yue Yang’s heart stirred. He teased, “I still don’t believe it! Let me sniff a little more.” He leaned down and sniffed them randomly.

“Ah… Young master, you’re so bad! Stop… hehe…” Soon, the room was filled with their shy laughter and playful scolding.

After a while, Yue Yang walked out, satisfied. Behind him, the Linglong sisters blushed deeply, a mix of shyness and slight annoyance. Though Yue Yang hadn’t “taken” them just yet due to other matters, he hadn’t missed any of the other steps either.

Stopping at the door, Yue Yang turned and spoke gently to them. “Alright, I’m leaving. There’s a lot to do today. I won’t come back for lunch, but I’ll eat with you at night. Be good and wait for me, okay?”

“Yes, we understand,” Yuling said obediently, stepping forward like a gentle little wife, straightening his collar and speaking softly, “Young master, don’t worry about me or Long’er. We’ll wait for you at home.”

“Master, we’ll wait quietly for you, so don’t worry,” the usually lively Yulong added softly from behind her sister.

“In that case, let me give you a little kiss first!” Yue Yang said and quickly pressed a kiss to both their lips before dashing off, completely ignoring the sound of their scolding and stomping feet behind him.

In high spirits, Yue Yang went to Grandmother’s courtyard. He saw her sitting with her eyes closed, resting. His younger sister, Yueying, was playing with a net catching butterflies. Seeing Yue Yang arrive, she dropped the net and ran over, tugging at his sleeve to make him play with her. Yue Yang pulled a large box from behind him and handed it to Yueying. She opened it and was thrilled—inside was a set of cute Barbie dolls. For a little girl, this was irresistible. She immediately forgot all about her elder brother.

After shaking off Yueying’s clinginess, Yue Yang approached Grandmother to pay his respects. Her gaze now held less worry and more satisfaction.

Smiling kindly at him, Grandmother said, “My grandson, at this stop outside Yingzhou City, you really made the Yue family estate known. No one dares to underestimate us anymore. This is all thanks to you!”

Yue Yang took a few steps and sat beside her, smiling. “Grandmother, that’s all thanks to the soldiers’ efforts. I dare not take credit. After this battle, surely no one dares bully our estate, but I think the training must continue and expand. There’s still much work ahead.”

Grandmother nodded solemnly. “I see that. These past few years, the world has grown more chaotic. To survive, we must have a strong army. The five hundred militia alone won’t be enough if bandits come again. I’ll support you in this. But, grandson… raising troops isn’t like other matters. Money flows like water. Are you prepared for that?”

Yue Yang replied confidently, “Grandmother, don’t worry. Yes, raising troops needs money and supplies, but I’m prepared. The high-yield crops we planted could feed not just a few hundred soldiers, but even seven or eight thousand if needed. Besides, I’ve also prepared something nice for the Wang family—I’m sure they’ll like it!” His voice carried a hint of coldness.

Grandmother was startled and quickly said, “Grandson, don’t act recklessly! Though we have a few hundred militia now, the Wang family has been rooted in Yingzhou for over a hundred years—they aren’t to be trifled with. If you take military action recklessly and the authorities find out, it’ll be troublesome!”

“Grandmother, you can rest assured. I won’t do anything foolish!” Yue Yang pulled a bag of pure white substance from his pocket and handed it to her with a smile. “Look, Grandmother. If our family became private salt traders like the Wang family, how do you think they would react…”