Chapter 150: Buying Horses

"Mr. Xu! This place is unsafe. I must ask you to temporarily relocate to the Mo Residence," said Modun, frowning as he looked at the dilapidated thatched cottage and the noisy surroundings.

"In that case, many thanks to the master of the house!" Since Xu Jie had already agreed to work for the Mo Family Village, he was no longer going to stand on ceremony. Moreover, even if he could endure such an environment, he had to consider his wife. Over the past few days, Ma San and his thugs had continuously come to harass them, leaving Lady Xu perpetually anxious and terrified.

The Xu family did not own many possessions, and the broken thatched cottage held nothing of value. After a brief tidy-up, they departed with the three members of the Mo clan.

Watching the Mo Family Village carriage rumble away, Ma San wore a gloomy expression.

"Third Brother! The fellow named Xu has fled! What should we do?" asked a flunky.

"Follow them. I want to see who dares to meddle in Young Master Wang's affairs," Ma San said with a vicious glint in his eyes.

***

"The Mo Residence!"

Ma San tailed them all the way, watching as Xu Jie stepped down from the carriage and entered the Mo Residence.

"The Mo fellow!" Ma San muttered in shock. He never expected that the person Xu Jie had turned to was the newly rising Mo scion of Chang'an City.

"Young Master!"

Seeing Modun dismount, Steward Fu hurried forward to greet him.

"Steward Fu! This is Mr. Xu. Please arrange a room for him in the Mo Residence first! After some time, we will find a proper estate in Chang'an City to settle him and his family permanently," Modun instructed Steward Fu.

"Understood, Young Master! Then I must ask Mr. Xu to make do here for a while!" Steward Fu had already been informed of the purpose of Modun's trip. Seeing Xu Jie and his family of three, he knew at once that the young master had succeeded.

"Not at all, not at all! It is I who am intruding!"

Although living in the Mo Residence carried the awkward feeling of depending on others, Xu Jie knew he was currently being targeted by the Taiyuan Wang clan, making the Mo Residence arguably his best option. Without further hesitation, he cupped his fists and accepted.

"Mo Er, why aren't you helping Mr. Xu move his belongings? From now on, you shall stay by Mr. Xu's side to assist him!" Modun commanded.

He assigned Mo Er to Xu Jie for two reasons: on one hand, since Xu Jie was a newcomer unfamiliar with the situation, he genuinely needed someone from Mo Family Village to facilitate communication; on the other hand, it was an opportunity to groom Mo Er. After all, apart from Mo Four, who was as stubborn as a wooden mallet, the other young men in the Mo Residence had all found their own paths. Furthermore, Mo Er was quick-witted and showed potential for cultivation.

"Yes, Young Master!"

Mo Er replied with delight, well aware of the young master's intent to groom him.

In the parlor,

Xu Jie was quietly listening as Steward Fu introduced the circumstances of Mo Family Village. Xu Jie listened with extreme care, inquiring in detail whenever something was unclear.

"The primary products of Mo Family Village include live fish, duck and goose chicks, the curved-share plow, the sowing drill, waterwheels, and water pumps. Every single one of these items sells like wildfire throughout the Guanzhong region. Furthermore, the Mo Clinic, the Mo Gazette, the Fish Champion Restaurant, and the Go-Bite Baozi in Chang'an City are all properties of Mo Family Village. In addition, there are five hundred mu of experimental fields outside the city belonging to the village," Steward Fu stated with pride.

Modun felt a momentary sense of disbelief; he had not realized that, imperceptibly, Mo Family Village had accumulated such a vast array of enterprises.

Xu Jie was equally moved. Mo Family Village had risen from nothing; in a mere half-year, it had transformed from an impoverished hamlet into its current scale, which was nothing short of miraculous. And this very miracle had been forged by a fifteen-year-old youth. While Xu Jie had initially joined Mo Family Village out of harsh reality and Modun's courteous reception, he now found himself feeling rather fortunate.

"I wonder what insights Mr. Xu might have regarding Mo Family Village?" Modun asked, lowering his posture.

With a bitter smile, Xu Jie shook his head. "Ever since I was a child, I followed my father in commerce. In my lifetime, I have witnessed all manner of business tactics. Without exaggeration, Mo Family Village employs virtually no commercial strategies whatsoever, yet it is the most foolproof enterprise I have ever laid eyes upon."

Xu Jie could not help but sigh with deep emotion. His own former commercial empire, though seemingly prosperous, could not withstand the slightest tempest. The moment powerful aristocrats made a move, it instantly collapsed. Mo Family Village, however, was the exact opposite: every single product was manufactured within the village itself, utilizing the labor of villagers and their own workshops, rendering its foundation utterly unshakeable.

"Mr. Xu flatters us. There are still many shortcomings in Mo Family Village, and in the days to come, I must ask you to devote much of your energy to them, Mr. Xu," Modun said.

Though the people of Mo Family Village possessed craftsmanship second to none when it came to hard work, those capable of conducting business were pitifully few.

"Thank you for your trust, Master. I shall certainly pour my utmost effort into this!" A spark of agitation flashed through Xu Jie's heart, reigniting his once-despairing soul.

Mo Family Village was like an unpolished piece of jade. Every single product was a rare masterpiece that others lacked or excelled beyond what was available. With just a little operational refinement, it was bound to take the Tang Empire by storm. Merely listening to Steward Fu's introduction had already sparked several preliminary plans in Xu Jie's mind.

"Splendid! With Mr. Xu's confidence, Mo Family Village will be like a tiger given wings! As for your remuneration, let us tentatively set it at one hundred strings of cash per month, with additional year-end dividends!" Modun announced joyfully.

"Thank you, Master!"

Though a hundred strings of cash was not a significant sum to the former God of Wealth Xu, to any shopkeeper, it already constituted a top-tier, premier salary.

As for dividends, although Xu Jie did not yet know what the term implied, he understood it must be a form of reward. He smiled and nodded in agreement, though he was still unaware of the broader ambitions of Mo Family Village.

"Since Mr. Xu has no objections, why not take a rest for now? Tomorrow, Mo Er shall personally guide you around Mo Family Village to familiarize yourself before formally assuming your duties," Modun suggested.

"Thank you for your consideration, Master!" Xu Jie nodded in assent.

***

"Buying horses?" Modun asked, looking in astonishment at the dust-covered Xu Jie.

Xu Jie had stayed in Mo Family Village for two days. Aside from intentionally avoiding a few core and confidential areas, he had explored the village inside and out, from top to bottom. The very moment he returned to Chang'an City, he brought this proposal directly to Modun.

"Master! During my time in Mo Family Village, I noticed that the number of oxen and horses is extremely scarce. Even the transport fleets hauling goods into Chang'an City rely mostly on human labor," Xu Jie explained.

Modun nodded. Mo Family Village had only risen to prominence half a year ago and possessed very few draft animals to begin with. Initially, out of a desire to accommodate all the villagers, they had resorted to human labor everywhere, never once considering the use of animal power.

"Master, Mo Family Village has now reached a bottleneck. If the village's ambitions are confined merely to Chang'an City, our current methods are sufficient. But if our intent is to encompass the entire Guanzhong region, we will undoubtedly require a large number of horses to reduce transit wear and tear," Xu Jie analyzed.

"What if my goal is to spread the products of Mo Family Village throughout the entire Tang Empire?" Modun asked.

Xu Jie abruptly raised his head. Meeting Modun's calm and composed expression, he felt his heart churn like surging waves. To conduct commerce across the entire Tang Empire—he had never imagined that the ambitions of Mo Family Village could be so vast.

Word by word, Xu Jie declared, "Then Mo Family Village's demand for horses will be boundless."

"Oh! I hear that the largest horse merchant in Chang'an City is the Taiyuan Wang clan. I wonder if Manager Xu would be willing to accompany me to select a fine steed, which can also serve as a mount prepared especially for you?" Modun said, rising abruptly to his feet.

"It is precisely what I desire!" Xu Jie proclaimed ringing out loud.