Chapter 399 Settling Down in Mi Province
Everyone was safely on board, standing on the deck and watching the six small boats being tossed away by the waves. Without the weight of people, they were quickly capsized and swallowed by the sea.
"Get into the cabins quickly, we're setting sail immediately."
This part went smoothly, but Bai Rong's large group was in chaos. Although the waves on the water were not as strong as by the sea, their small boats were not tied together, causing them to constantly sway as they moved.
The swaying frightened many people, leading to shouts and screams, quickly descending into a mess.
Gong Aidang, leading the way at the front, couldn't hear the shouts and scolding when he heard the commotion. He was anxious at the front, but it was useless. It wasn't until the first person fell into the water that everyone quieted down.
"Help! Hurry and pass over a board!"
One boat managed to pull and drag the person, finally getting them onto the boat.
Gong Aidang had them turn the boat around and glared at everyone on board.
"Don't you know what the situation is right now? We are fleeing for our lives. If any of you want to die, just jump off, I won't save you."
There was still some arguing on the way, but at least no one else fell in.
Their journey was long. They had to go to Chuncheng first to assess the situation before knowing where to go and finding a city willing to accept them.
They paddled for an entire day before reaching Chuncheng, and the situation there was not much better. A sign hung from the roof of the government building, directing survivors to seek refuge in a neighboring city.
"As you can see, we just need to go to the next city to be saved. Speed up, don't stop."
Meanwhile, Wang Qing, who had been forgotten by everyone, was quite lucky that night. After running away, he got lost in the mountains and wandered around for a whole day before stumbling into another team's refuge.
The captain of that team accepted him after hearing he was Zhi Zhi from Bai Rong's team.
However, Chunyang Brigade was not as well-off as Bai Rong Brigade. They had run out of food long ago and had even started boiling some unpalatable plants.
Therefore, no one paid attention to Wang Qing. He could find shelter in a cave, but getting food was impossible.
Wang Qing regretted it. The food he had carried out was still in the previous cave. Now, even if he wanted to retrieve it, he wouldn't dare, fearing the sight of the mangled bodies of Wen Mei and Zhang Chunli.
It was only now that Wang Qing realized how good his previous life had been. At least he wasn't drinking bitter vegetable soup.
On the cargo ship at sea, the rain stopped halfway through the journey. The sea looked as if they had traveled to another dimension.
"The rain has finally stopped."
"It's probably not raining here anymore."
"That's good, it's like two different worlds separated by the sea."
The village chief looked out at the other end of the sea, but his heart was still filled with concern for the people in the village.
Gong Wentao patted his father's shoulder. A person's ability was limited, and his father was getting old; he didn't need to worry anymore.
The cargo ship was stopped at the Mi Province customs. Ah Hong handed over the pass, and they were quickly allowed to proceed.
Friends from Mi Province quickly came to pick them up. When Ye Shengge stepped onto the ground, it felt like stepping on cotton. Perhaps it was due to the long time spent swaying on the sea, her head felt dizzy.
Zi Yisheng quickly supported her. Even he felt a moment of relief at this moment.
"You must be tired, let's go back and rest quickly."
Because too many people arrived in Mi Province at once, even with pre-arranged housing, it wasn't enough.
Asen arranged for people to find housing quickly. They had come in a hurry, and the brothers here were caught off guard. Without identification, they couldn't stay in hotels.
With many hands, finding the ideal housing was difficult, but finding housing that was livable was quite easy.
As Ye Shengge got out of the car, she saw an independent small Western-style house. It was two stories and not large, but it was decorated quite elegantly. The yard was also full of rose bushes.
"Did you have people plant these?"
Zi Yisheng smiled and nodded, showing his satisfaction with his subordinates.
"We arrived more than three months later than expected, so the roses have grown even better."
Ye Shengge bent down to smell them. They were fragrant and beautiful.
"Thank you, I like it very much."
"I'm glad you like it. It's just that the yard is too small. When we have the chance, I'll plant a yard full of roses at our real home."
Ye Shengge sighed. All she wanted now was for the disaster to end. Life in Bai Rong's team had been good enough before.
The small Western-style house had a total of five bedrooms upstairs and downstairs, which was perfect for Zi Yisheng, Aunt Zhen, and the Ye family of four.
The Bai family and Ouyang were temporarily housed elsewhere, quite a distance away. They could only move when suitable housing was found nearby.
Ye Shengge could finally take a hot bath. Lying in the bathtub in her spatial dimension, she lamented the difficulties of the past month.
After soaking for a while, she got up and vigorously scrubbed her body with exfoliating body wash. She washed her hair several times before finally feeling relaxed.
Ye Shengge quickly put away what she needed to in her spatial dimension and planted another batch of grains. Now, she needed to accumulate food. Food in the country would only become more scarce, so she would help where she could.
After Zi Yisheng finished washing up, he waited by Ye Shengge's door, not rushing her, just waiting patiently.
When Ye Shengge opened the door, she saw Zi Yisheng waiting and smiled, hugging his waist.
"Why didn't you knock?"
"I didn't want to disturb you. Let's go down to eat. I asked Asen to buy some Mi Province specialties for you to try."
"Mmm. Haven't you been to Mi Province before?"
"I've been here once for a conference. I stayed for three days."
"Then was the food in Mi Province good..."
Ye Mu'en saw that his sister's spirits had clearly improved. It seemed that changing environments really changed people. Being confined in a cave had made even him feel somewhat overwhelmed.
Ye Shengge looked at the table full of exquisite dishes, her mouth watering. She started with a bowl of seafood soup, which was incredibly delicious.
A bite of tenderly stir-fried green vegetables was crisp and refreshing. She hadn't eaten fresh vegetables in a long time.
Zi Yisheng watched the little girl eat with satisfaction and sped up his actions of serving her food.
Chen Tangtang and Qi Xuan were staying in the same house. After dinner, they changed their clothes and, unwilling to rest, immediately had Monkey take them out to explore the city.
"Young Master Zi is truly generous, giving everyone so much money."
Qi Xuan was also very happy. She had finally returned to Mi Province and had the chance for revenge.
"My uncle-in-law has always been very generous. Do you know how much you can buy with the money you have?"
Chen Tangtang acted greedily, as if asking for forgiveness for her petty-bourgeois mentality. She had never received so much money at once.
Qi Xuan pulled out a one-thousand-denomination bill and waved it.
"A meal at the best restaurant in Mi Province only costs five hundred yuan."
"Five hundred? What kind of meal is that expensive?"
"Listen carefully, it's the best restaurant. You can have a full meal at an ordinary restaurant for just over ten yuan."
Chen Tangtang, who used to think ten yuan could last her a month, suddenly felt that the five thousand yuan in her hand was not meant for frivolous spending in Mi Province.
Ouyang smiled helplessly from the side. Young Master Zi had always been a big spender. Giving them so much money was also to let them have fun on their own and not bother his Ye Shengge.
"Let's go. First, let's buy some change of clothes. In Mi Province, you can wear whatever you like."
Mother Ye also did not rest and went shopping with a few of her sisters-in-law. She wanted to buy many beautiful clothes for her daughter.
Zi Yisheng went out only after Ye Shengge had fallen asleep. In Mi Province, they had only one antique shop. It had been open for half a year and business was very good. It was also the source of funds for importing goods from Mi Province.
This was Zi Yisheng's first time at the antique shop. At the time, he had bought five adjacent shop spaces, each two stories high. After knocking down the walls, they covered over a thousand square meters.
The renovation was quite luxurious. Inside, there were several national treasures that were not for sale, serving as the shop's main attractions. These non-sale items alone attracted a large number of customers.
The shop was divided into three areas: high, medium, and low-end, clearly demarcated. It had everything from gold, silver, and jewelry to antiques and calligraphy. Moreover, prices were clearly marked, and no discounts were given.
Li Cheng, the general manager of Mi Province, had come directly from the Ming City black market.
Seeing Zi Yisheng, Li Cheng happily stepped forward. He hadn't seen Young Master Zi in almost two years.
"Young Master Zi, you're here. Are you well?"
Zi Yisheng patted his brother on the shoulder. These were people who had fought alongside him and sacrificed a lot for him.
"I'm fine. How about you? Are you used to Mi Province?"
"You know me, Young Master Zi. My adaptability is very strong. I can hold my ground anywhere."
Zi Yisheng had sent his capable people away. Those who remained by his side, like Asen, were skilled and had strong execution abilities. If they were asked to do business, it would be difficult for them.
"How was business this month?"
"Very good. It's increasing every month. Look."
Zi Yisheng received a general overview of Mi Province's income each month. Looking at the ledger in his hand, he truly saw how profitable it was.
"We can start venturing into other industries, but they don't need to be too large. Mi Province is still too small, and larger ventures would be difficult to absorb."
Li Cheng nodded. He had been making plans since he arrived, knowing that Young Master Zi would not only do one business.
"My plan is to first open a mid-to-high-end restaurant. I've brought over several good chefs from the country. And a slightly smaller trading company, so we can import goods legitimately."
"Yes, that's very good. Let's start with that. When the situation in the country improves, you'll need to return. Cultivate a good successor in Mi Province."
Li Cheng was very happy. He had always been reluctant to be too far from Young Master Zi.
"Young Master Zi, I heard you brought your little sister-in-law this time. Will I have a chance to meet her?"
Zi Yisheng smiled helplessly. His subordinates would seize any opportunity to meet the little girl. This time, there was no escaping it.
"Alright, come to the house for dinner tonight."
"Great! What does little sister-in-law like? I'll bring a gift when I come."
Zi Yisheng pondered. He realized that his little girl didn't seem to have anything she particularly liked. It could be said that his little girl gave him the impression of a pampered young lady who had been doted on since childhood.
Yet, despite her seemingly difficult childhood, her knowledge clearly surpassed what her previous family could have nurtured.
Even the money, jewelry, and ornaments he had given her, she liked them, but she was never surprised.
Zi Yisheng quickly pushed away the distracting thoughts. The little girl had already told him her biggest secret, so he didn't want to delve any deeper.
"She lacks nothing. You just need to show up."
"Young Master Zi, you don't know what little sister-in-law likes, do you?"
Li Cheng suddenly felt a bit contemptuous of Zi Yisheng. They had been engaged for almost a year, and he still didn't know what the girl liked. How was he going to win her heart?
Zi Yisheng didn't care what his subordinates thought of him. He left the antique shop and went to buy some Mi Province specialty pastries to take back.
Ye Shengge had already woken up and was sitting in the yard, enjoying flowers and tea. It was a rare opportunity to chat quietly with her father and elder brother.
In fact, since arriving at Bai Rong's team, her father and elder brother had been busy every day with farming, going to Xishan, and going to the black market. It seemed they could only talk during meals.
"I really didn't expect we'd go through so much. Heaven wants to give us a different life!"
Listening to her father's exclamation, Ye Shengge suddenly felt that her father looked older than in her previous life.
"Dad, do you like this life?"
Ye Dad put down his cup and sighed heavily.
"I don't like it, I dislike it very much. But it has allowed me to witness a nation's growth, which is different from reading about it in books."
"Then aren't you uncomfortable hiding now?"
Ye Dad rubbed his face. He had to admit that his career in two lives would make him want to take a gamble, but he still had his reason. Trying to gamble now would only drag himself and his family down.
It was better to wait for the storm to pass before taking a gamble. After all, one person's strength was too limited, and he couldn't harm the brothers who followed him.
"I'm not uncomfortable. I'm enduring hardship now, and there will be a day for a comeback."
Ye Mu'en rolled his eyes at his father. It was clearly sitting on the mountain, watching the tigers fight, waiting to reap the benefits.
"What about big brother? What are your thoughts?"
Ye Mu'en smiled nonchalantly.
"I'm tired. In this life, I just want to stay with my family. At most, I'll give a push from behind when Dad can't cope anymore."
Ye Dad glared at his son with disdain. His son had once been his pride, but now he was happily engaged in business, which was a waste of his efforts.
"What about Xiao Ge'er? Your health has improved a lot now, and you can do many things you couldn't before. Do you want to experience university in Mi Province?"
Ye Shengge already had a plan. She was only interested in the production of medicine and poison. She wanted to systematically study, and it would be good to open a pharmaceutical factory in the future.
"I don't know how long we'll stay in Mi Province. I do want to attend university classes on pharmaceutical sciences."
"Is there pharmaceutical science now?"
"Tomorrow, you go and inquire for Shengge. As long as it exists, just study it. We won't go back for now if we have to."
Zi Yisheng walked into the yard and heard his future father-in-law's words. He smiled and put down the pastries in his hand.
"What does Shengge want to study? Mi Province has a very famous university."
"You're back. Is the antique shop doing well?"
Zi Yisheng unpacked the pastries one by one and handed a piece to the little girl.
"It's doing well. Li Cheng wants to see you tonight."
"Alright, I also want to meet the god of wealth you have under you."
"We were just talking about school. I'll send someone to inquire tomorrow, okay?"
Ye Shengge, with her mouth full of pastries, shook her head. After swallowing, she said,
"I just want to study pharmaceutical sciences. If Mi Province University has this course, auditing is fine, and finding some textbooks would be best."