Chương 30: Dinner

"Here, have a sip of this. Tell me what you think," Shu Yang said, handing his son Tianren a glass of whiskey. Tianren tasted and, thinking about it for a second, answered, "It's both strong and sweet, which is nice. But it's not very smooth…And the aftertaste isn't quite to my liking. Ours is definitely better."

"In taste, ours is better. But this has Golden Honey in it, able to help martial artists in their recovery, and it doesn't make you hungover. That makes them able to charge 50 times more than we do. It's unbelievable, Golden Honey isn't that expensive."

"Can't we just make ours with Golden Honey too, then?" Tianren asked.

"We could. But why settle for that? If we're going to make something suitable for martial artists to drink, it should be the best. I'll take a trip to the shop in Fugu Prefecture in a month or two. I'll see if I can find something suitable."

"I'll come with you, then," Tianren said. Shu Yang gave him a scolding look, "Xia is pregnant, you need to stay home with her. You can be in charge of testing the different ingredients I bring home later."

"Oh, right. That's true," Tianren said, looking over to his wife with a guilty look. Thankfully, she didn't seem to have heard anything. The family had all gathered in a private room in a local restaurant. Shu Yang took the opportunity to have his son try a few different wines and spirits that were harder to get hold of back home. Shu Yang had involved his sons in his business more and more over the years, mainly focusing on nurturing Tianren.

It wasn't that he was partial; it was just that Tianren was the oldest and most mature of the bunch. With him taking the lead, the business would prosper even if Shu Yang had to be absent in the future. Of course, that wouldn't happen for quite some time. Shu Yang still had a lot of plans for his family's business. In the past few years, he had expanded and opened a lot more shops. Besides the one in Chunsi Town, there was now one in Kuo City, Ansang City, and Hurong Town.

Ansang City was the biggest city in the neighbouring Ansang County, lying between Kuo County and Fugu Prefecture. Hurong Town was a small town about the size of Chunsi located in Fugu Prefecture. Even if war had yet to break out, that didn't mean it wouldn't in the future. Shu Yang is still focused on expanding his business further east. When he reaches the Innate stage, he plans on experimenting with wine and whiskey made from precious resources that could sell for a higher price to martial artists.

Then, he would open up a store in Fugu City, the Prefectural Capital of the neighbouring Fugu Prefecture. It was a city with Masters, and far from the borders, so Shu Yang felt it would be the safest option if his family needed to retreat.

"Just take a sip," Shu Yang cautioned his son, seeing him enjoying the whiskey, "We have plenty of drinks to try, don't worry your wife by getting too drunk."

"Dad, can I taste it too?" Tianan asked from the other side of the table.

"You're too young," Shu Yang said.

"My friends in the village all drink," Tianan argued.

"Are they surnamed Shu?" Shu Yang asked.

"... No?" Tianan said.

"Then they don't have a say in my family," Shu Yang answered, giving his son a teasing smile.

"So I don't have a say in the family, huh?" Qianyue asked.

"Let him have it, Mom!" Tianan spurred her on.

"Alright, don't be silly," Shu Yang said, comforting his wife with a pat on the head. Qianyue was just joking, so she smiled and leaned into his hand. Tianan looked impressed and gave Shu Yang a thumbs up.

"What did you boys do all day?" Qianyue turned to her sons and asked, "I'll let you know that you really missed out; everyone in the County Office was very polite, all because we were Tianyue's family."

"That's just because of teacher Jiangxi," Tianyue said with an embarrassed smile.

"Nonsense," Qinayue said, "It's because they can tell that you're very clever, they understand that you'll become their superior in the future." Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.

"Maybe a little of that too," Tianyue said, raising her chin. Shu Yang smiled as he listened. His daughter indeed seemed to be popular in the County Office from what he had seen during the day. He knew that Lady Jiangxi's influence played a large part, but Tianyue was young and bright, and very endearing. And it wasn't like she had gotten in through the back door; she had passed the Royal Exam just like anyone else. It wasn't strange that she was popular.

'Just in case, I should still make a visit once I reach the Innate stage, so no one thinks Tianyue is without a powerful family.' The Shu family continued eating and talking late into the night. When it was time to go home, Tianyue joined them to spend the night in their new house in the city. Heading home, Shu Yang was walking in the back of the group, looking over his family and feeling content with how things were developing. He called for his son Tianren, who stepped back to walk with him.

"How is your training now? Is it still difficult?" Shu Yang asked. Tianren smiled wryly and answered, "It's really…different. I can't help but think I'm doing something wrong."

"That's normal. Going from the 1st-grade stage to the Innate stage is a different beast entirely, and it requires a lot more comprehension. Your talent can only get you so far. But give it a few years; no need to rush. If it were easy to reach the Innate stage, there wouldn't only be a handful in the whole county.

"If you have questions, remember to ask me. I have gotten quite a good grasp on this top-grade martial art now." Shu Yang had taught Tianren the same martial art he himself was practicing as soon as his son reached the 1st-grade stage. But Shu Yang knew that it would be difficult with Tianren's talent. It was certainly possible, though.

Even if Shu Yang's talent was higher than his son's now, he had experience having the same talent, so he knew exactly how much it would help, and how much effort Tianren would have to put in.

"I will," Tianren said, "Don't worry, Dad, I will definitely reach the Innate stage."

"Good. I believe so, too. You've worked hard and reached the 1st-grade stage so young; this will make it a lot easier for you to advance than if you'd been lazy and reached this stage at an older age.

"But it will still take time. If everything goes well, and you continue practicing like you have, I estimate it will take you about ten years to reach the Innate stage. So don't feel you need to rush anything; no matter what, it will take time."

"You can estimate how long it will take me?" Tianren asked, surprised.

"I have trained in this martial art for six years, and you're my son, how could it be hard for me to estimate something like this?" Shu Yang said. Shu Yang noticed a small smile appearing on his son's face.

'I thought he'd be a little scared by having to struggle for ten years, but it seems my estimate was a pleasant surprise for him.'

'I guess the Innate stage is something my family still sees as out of reach, which isn't surprising. But that will change when I advance. I need my sons to have a wider view of the world, and a greater ambition for the family.'

"Anyway, I just didn't want you to become too comfortable. You will have a lot on your plate as the family business grows and your children are born, but you can't neglect your martial arts."

"I understand, Dad," Tianren said, nodding seriously.

"That's good," Shu Yang said. He looked over his other sons in front of him and continued, "Make good use of your brothers in the future. This is a family business after all. Even as you all have children of your own, I don't want to see you divided. I know your siblings aren't as mature as you, but they all have their own strengths and weaknesses.

"Tianhu…Well, he is stubborn, and it will be hard to make him do something he doesn't have a passion for, so try not to force him into anything; it won't do anyone any good. You should look at his strengths. If you manage to find something that interests him as much as the sword, you can rest assured that he will become one of the best in the world at it.

"Tianan is a little reckless, but he has a good heart and can be trusted to do the big things well. Most importantly, he is more sociable than you are. There is no need to change yourself too much; use your brother Tianan when you can. He also has a lot of friends, and is probably even more familiar with the various families in Baishu Village than even I am. It really can't be overestimated how crucial that connection is. We have our home there, and we grow our grapes and rye there. We can't afford any mistakes.

"I don't need to tell you how important Tianyue is, and where her strength lies. Having someone from the family in the Office is absolutely crucial.

"Tianxu is very talented, even more so than you. Since he is interested in swords and martial arts, there is no need to force him into anything else. You can never forget that everything we have relies on martial prowess in the end. Without strength, there can be no wealth. Even without Tianxu having to do anything, in the future, just the reputation of another Innate warrior in the family will work wonders.

"Tianzheng is still young, and he is still coming into his own. You should look after him more and give him some guidance as an older brother. He is a lot younger than the rest of you, so he probably doesn't feel as close to you older brothers as you do to each other. That needs to change as he grows up."

"Well…I got it, Dad. Leave it to me," Tianren said with a serious expression, "But…Why are you telling me all this? Are you going somewhere?" Shu Yang stopped and thought for a moment.

'Why am I telling him all this?'

"Where could I be leaving?" Shu Yang said, shaking his head, "I'm just preparing for the future. You're the oldest, and about to become a father, so you need to shoulder more responsibilities than the others. It's both a privilege and a duty.

"Besides, I've worked hard for so many years; isn't it time you start taking over some of my work? Will I ever get to retire if I keep doing everything myself? Not to mention that if my grandchildren are born and see you just running around at my orders all day long, they'll look down on their father. We can't have that." Tianren laughed, "Okay, Dad. Don't worry, I'll take care of everything in the future. And I definitely won't be looked down upon by my kids."