Chapter 30: A Wealth of Prodigious Proportions

After Uncle Zhong departed, Lu Lan and Salted Fish rode out of the city, the master and servant galloping straight toward Mount Dadong.

On the way, Salted Fish asked, puzzled, "Master, we went to such great lengths to squeeze sixty thousand taels of silver from Uncle Qi, and with the betrothal ceremony just around the corner, why are you in such a rush to buy back the Pillar of State Mansion?"

That was all the money the household had left. There was a hierarchy of needs, and Salted Fish felt that the Pillar of State Mansion could be reconsidered after the wedding. However, Lu Lan had his own plans for the finest estate in all of Shengjing.

"I said I would grant her the most magnificent wedding in the world."

"Hyah!"

Lu Lan flicked his whip and sped off.

Mount Dadong was located fifty miles east of Shengjing. It was a vast area, covering nearly ten thousand hectares. It had been granted to the Duke of Yu’s mansion by the founding emperor over two hundred years ago. Because the soil was underlaid with black rock, crops and vegetables grew poorly, and the mountain paths were rugged and difficult to farm. Coupled with the frequent risk of wildfires, the Lu family ancestors had gradually come to treat it as a wasteland. They periodically assigned servants to patrol and keep watch to prevent fires from spreading to neighboring forests. Over time, rumors of "ghost fires" began to circulate, shrouding the mountain in a veil of mystery.

When Lu Lan and Salted Fish reached the foot of the mountain, they caught a pungent, foul odor from afar. Salted Fish pinched his nose and urged Lu Lan not to go further. "Master, the stench of Mount Dadong is poisonous. Staying here too long will cause trouble."

Everyone in Shengjing knew Mount Dadong was a "poisonous mountain," and people would take a wide detour to avoid it. Only travelers from out of town would accidentally stray into this area. Lu Lan’s eyes shone with sharp intensity. Why, in his previous life, was Pang Shiyuan unafraid of this stench?

"Where are the mountain guards assigned by the mansion?"

"There are over a dozen guards, but they are scattered around the base. An old servant named Li Laifu is just ahead in that thatched hut."

"Let’s go take a look!"

Lu Lan rode along the foot of the mountain, only spotting the hut when he reached the leeward side of a ridge. The foul odor was carried away by the wind, and the hut’s location was perfectly sheltered from it. In front of the hut was a small, meager plot of land with withered, yellowing vegetables, confirming the claim that Mount Dadong was unfit for farming.

A man in coarse linen clothes stood before the door, accompanied by a small boy in rags, who carried a worn and crude longbow on his back. The grandfather and grandson were tending a fire by a dirt stove, the aroma of meat wafting through the air. The little boy was wailing, "Grandpa... you’re so cruel. The bunny was so cute, how could you eat it? Boo hoo hoo..."

The old man tore off a rabbit leg and laughingly stuffed it into the boy's mouth. "Is it tasty?"

Tears streamed from the boy’s mouth as he chewed. "Tasty! But you’re not allowed to catch any more after this one."

"Heh, you said that last time, too."

Seeing Lu Lan and his companion approaching on horseback, Li Laifu set down his work and pressed the little boy’s head down to kneel. "Li Laifu, a fourth-class servant of the Duke of Yu’s mansion, pays respects to the steward."

Li Laifu did not recognize Lu Lan, but those who came here were usually stewards from the mansion. Seeing Lu Lan’s fair complexion and luxurious attire, he dared not be negligent.

"Get up!" Lu Lan jumped off his horse and walked toward the dirt stove.

Salted Fish whispered to Li Laifu, "Old Li, this is our Young Master. He has taken over the mansion’s accounts and is here to inspect Mount Dadong."

"Oh! The master has come!" Li Laifu was so terrified his soul nearly left his body. He had thought it was a new steward, never imagining it would be the Young Master himself. He had seen the masters only a few times in his life, and his attitude was humble to the point of self-effacement.

Just as he wondered why Lu Lan would come to such a godforsaken place, he witnessed something even more bizarre. Ignoring his noble status, Lu Lan picked up a dirty pair of tongs and began poking at the dirt stove. Li Laifu and his grandson stared in stunned silence.

"Is the Young Master craving rabbit meat?"

To their surprise, Lu Lan pulled a glowing red, black rock from the stove and asked, "Old Li, do you usually use this stuff to cook?"

Li Laifu, fearing he was being reprimanded for using the black stones without permission, scrambled to kneel with his grandson. "Young Master, this servant will never do it again!"

To outsiders, the black stone was useless, but as a mountain guard, he shouldn't be stealing from the estate.

Salted Fish whispered, "Just answer the Young Master’s question; he isn't blaming you."

"Yes!" Li Laifu looked up, trembling, and thought for a moment. "A few days ago, there was a dry thunderstorm that started a fire, burning all the nearby trees. I thought I’d pick up a few black stones to cook with. I don’t use them often; the stone has a foul odor that makes one’s eyes ache."

No one cared for the black stones covering the mountainside. If not for the lack of firewood after the fire, Li Laifu wouldn't have subjected himself to that misery—especially today, when he was stewing delicious wild rabbit.

Lu Lan listened to the description, picked up a piece of the black stone, and sniffed it. It was odorless when unburnt. In his previous life, he had seen the fuel Pang Shiyuan sold, which he called "fragrant coal cakes." They produced little smoke, were odorless, and were pressed into circular cakes with holes in them. When burned, they provided warmth and could be used for cooking or heating during the cold winter. They were cheap and an excellent substitute for expensive charcoal.