Rebirth: Not Being a Waste - Chapter 80

After sampling each of his hometown dishes, Young Master Chu turns his attention to the vermicelli.

It is smooth and delicious, fully absorbing the flavors of the soup. By itself, it has no real taste, but in every dish on the table, the dry vermicelli takes on a different flavor. When paired with his hometown dishes, it feels as if it belongs there, as if it was made for this purpose.

By the end of the meal, Young Master Chu makes up his mind—he is determined to get into this business, but in his own way.

The northern region has an abundance of potatoes, much larger than those found here. If he can master the process of making vermicelli, he can source potatoes directly from local farmers, produce it himself, and sell it across the north.

The people there don’t yet have the habit of eating vermicelli, but Young Master Chu is certain that once it’s introduced, it will become a staple food—one they can even barter for potatoes.

“Boss Zhang, could we discuss this in more detail?” He wipes his mouth with a handkerchief and smiles at Zhang Shu.

Zhang Shu glances at him, puts down his bowl, and nods. “Of course.” He follows Young Master Chu outside.

“How much stock do you have on your ship, Boss Zhang?”

“Only about two thousand jin left. How much does Young Master Chu need?”

“How much are you selling it for?”

“Thirty wen per jin.”

“That’s reasonable. I’ll take it all.”

Young Master Chu makes the decision in a matter of seconds, leaving Zhang Shu slightly taken aback.

“Young Master Chu, are you sure you don’t want to reconsider?”

“Business always involves risks. Besides, it’s only two thousand jin. Even if I just take it home and share it with my household, it’ll be gone in a little over a month. What’s there to worry about?”

Zhang Shu is stunned. If an entire village were given two thousand jin of vermicelli, it would last well over a month—yet Young Master Chu’s household alone can consume it that quickly?

“Alright. Will you be handling transportation yourself, or should we arrange delivery by cart?”

“My boat is at the dock. I’ll send someone to pick it up tomorrow.”

For now, Young Master Chu chooses not to bring up the idea of setting up production in the north. He believes the northerners will take to vermicelli easily, but he wants to test the market first.

After the meal and sealing the deal, Zhang Shu walks Young Master Chu to the door. Just then, something occurs to him—potatoes.

He still hasn’t found a variety with higher starch content. Many dishes now use spring potato vermicelli, but for authenticity, sweet potato vermicelli would be better.

“Young Master Chu, are the potatoes in your region dry and powdery, or more on the sticky side?”

Young Master Chu is momentarily taken aback. Why is he suddenly asking about potatoes? He doesn’t eat them often himself—only when the chef prepares them.

He glances at the servant beside him, who promptly answers, “Boss, the potatoes from our region are dry, powdery, and very filling.”

Zhang Shu’s eyes light up. “Do you have any available for sale now?”

The servant shakes his head. “They’ve just been pruned, so they’re not fully grown yet. They’ll be ready around the eighth or ninth month.”

Zhang Shu feels foolish for even asking. He’ll have to make a trip north when the time comes.

Seeing how seriously Zhang Shu is taking this, Young Master Chu says, “If you need some, I can send word to my family. Once they’re harvested, I’ll have them bring some to you.”

This way, Zhang Shu will owe him a small favor.

Zhang Shu looks at him gratefully—this will save him a lot of trouble. “Thank you, Young Master Chu. Have a safe trip. And when you do get them, make sure to pick the big ones!”

Zhang Shu is thinking that the larger ones will be better for planting, but Young Master Chu, smiling, thinks to himself—this Zhang Shu is truly simple and straightforward, just like the folks back home.

Early the next morning, the men Young Master Chu has sent arrive to transport the goods. Leading them is the same servant from the previous day. He hands Zhang Shu seventy-eight taels of silver and a few coins. “This is the payment for the goods.”

Zhang Shu checks the money before helping them inspect and move the shipment.

Once everything is settled, he counts his earnings. He has sold 4,500 jin at 30 wen per jin and 500 jin at 25 wen per jin. After deducting the 10 taels of deposit he has already received, he makes a total profit of 182 taels and 7 qian of silver.

When he gets home, Jin’er will be thrilled!

Zhang Shu wishes he could grow wings and fly home immediately. Fortunately, Shopkeeper Yan and his crew are only here for a quick delivery and won’t be staying long. Otherwise, he would have had to wait a few more days before leaving.

On the journey back, the boat feels unbearably slow. He hadn’t noticed it on the way here, but now, as the scenery grows more familiar, homesickness weighs heavily on him.

When they reach the waters where they encountered river bandits last time, Shopkeeper Yan, Wang Hu, and the others are still uneasy. Thankfully, the boat is moving faster this time—they’ll likely reach Zhangzhou Port before nightfall.

As soon as the boat docks, Yu Xiaoliu bounces excitedly, eager to get off and stretch his legs. After drifting at sea for six days, even when he steps onto solid ground, it still feels unsteady, as if he is still drifting on the waves.

Zhang Shu asks the others if they want to get off the boat, but seeing that they prefer to stay, he takes Yu Xiaoliu with him for a short walk. After half an hour, they return with a large bag of roasted food, enough for everyone on the boat to share.

As they eat, Shopkeeper Yan teases Zhang Shu, “You’re a big businessman now. We’ll be counting on you for support in the future.”

…

The next morning, just as the boat is about to set sail, Zhou Nan suddenly bids farewell to everyone, saying that he plans to stay at Zhangzhou Port for a while to look for his father’s relatives.

Concerned for his safety in an unfamiliar place, Zhang Shu suggests that they all accompany him for a few days. However, Zhou Nan refuses, unwilling to delay their journey for his personal matters, especially since he has no idea how long the search will take.

Despite their repeated attempts to dissuade him, Zhou Nan remains firm.

Li Yan stands silently with a dark expression. But when Zhou Nan picks up his bag, takes Xiaohu’s leash, and prepares to disembark, Li Yan suddenly grabs his hand.

“I’ll stay with you. The others can go back first.”

Zhou Nan pulls his hand away. “No, this is my personal matter. I can’t trouble you with it.”

“What if something happens to you here?” Li Yan presses.

“Xiaohu will protect me!” Zhou Nan says, patting the dog’s head. Xiaohu barks in agreement.

“What good is Xiaohu? No, I’m coming with you.”

“And what do you think people will say about a man and a ger traveling alone for days?”

“You’re my brother. Who cares what others think? Since when did you become so concerned about that?” Li Yan’s frustration grows. The thought of Zhou Nan staying behind alone is unbearable.

Zhou Nan hesitates for a moment but ultimately turns away. Leading Xiaohu to the dock ladder, he says without looking back, “Don’t follow me!” Then he walks away.

Li Yan is stunned, hurt by his attitude. His voice trembles with anger as he barks, “Fine! If he doesn’t want me to follow, then I won’t! Set sail!”

The captain, who has been watching with amusement, quickly scurries back to the control cabin under Li Yan’s glare.

Zhang Shu stands there, dumbfounded. What is going on with his brother-in-law? He is always calling Zhou Nan his “brother,” but isn’t that just an excuse to stay close to him?

All the careful planning—sending him a dog, arranging an easy job for him, checking in on him constantly, lingering at his doorstep every day, insisting on going everywhere together—and now Li Yan dares to say this is just brotherly friendship?

Is this really how one treats a “brother”?

He never acts this way, not even with his own biological brother.

Glancing toward the dock, Zhang Shu sees Zhou Nan still standing there. Worried that his brother-in-law might regret his decision later, he decides to intervene.

“Brother, are you really going back?” he asks Li Yan.

“Of course! Why wouldn’t I? What, do you want me to stick around just to be unwanted?” Li Yan snaps, his voice full of resentment. He has been completely sincere, yet Zhou Nan has pushed him away so easily.

“Are you really okay with this?”

“He has his dog, doesn’t he? Let’s see how well that mutt protects him. If he can get back safely, good for him.”

“Well… maybe he won’t be coming back. He’s looking for his mother’s family, right? What if he finds a cousin or something? A cousin and a younger brother make a good match, so he wouldn’t need to worry about settling down here…”

Zhang Shu trails off under Li Yan’s murderous glare.

After a moment of silence, Li Yan suddenly asks, “Do you think he really sees me as a brother? Or did someone say something about me to him?”

Zhang Shu hesitates, then says cautiously, “Well… maybe he doesn’t want to be your brother. Maybe… he wants to be your husband?”

“What did you say?!” Li Yan shouts, his voice booming across the deck. Zhang Shu flinches but quickly braces himself.

“I said, he must care about you. He doesn’t want to just be your brother—he wants to be your husband.”

Li Yan freezes. His expression shifts rapidly from shock to confusion, then to realization. Finally, a wide grin spreads across his face.

He is such an idiot.

Thinking back, he realizes how foolish he has been. When he first met Zhou Nan, his younger brother Li Mujin had just gotten married, leaving their house cold and empty. Seeking companionship, he started frequenting the mountains, where he met Zhou Nan. Seeing him as a “brother,” he took him under his wing.

But over time, his feelings changed. He admires Zhou Nan’s strength, courage, and resilience. Around him, Zhou Nan is always gentle. They spend hours talking, and he never feels bored.

Li Yan has never had real playmates growing up—everyone else seems dull in comparison. But Zhou Nan is different. Having him around makes life brighter.

And yet, without realizing it, he mistook his feelings. With Li Mujin, he could entrust him to someone else without worry. But with Zhou Nan? The thought of anyone else taking care of him is unbearable. He wants to be the one by his side, always.

Now, thinking back, he recognizes the signs—the attachment in Zhou Nan’s actions, the sadness in his eyes when he leaves the boat.

He has been the biggest fool of all.

A loud laugh bursts from his chest. Without hesitation, Li Yan runs to the stern, climbs onto the railing, and leaps into the water with a resounding splash.

Then, with all his strength, he swims toward the dock.

He is going to bring Zhou Nan back.

As for this so-called “cousin”—huh, that guy can just stay out of the way!