Chapter 202: Greedy
Li Hu came in from the back door of the second hall and saw Lin Ruhai standing outside the door of the backyard with a smile, obviously waiting for Li Hu.

Li Hu quickened his pace upon seeing him, walked up to him, lifted the corner of his robe, and knelt down: “I, your son-in-law, kowtow to you, father-in-law. I wish you the best of luck!”

“Okay, okay. The ground is cold, get up and talk.” Lin Ruhai showed a rare kind smile.

Li Hu: “Yes.” He bowed his head again and then stood up.

Lin Ruhai’s smile widened: “Haven’t you eaten yet?” He turned to Butler Lin and said, “Tell the kitchen to prepare wine and food.”

Steward Lin smiled and replied, “Yes!”

Lin Ruhai: “Let’s go to the living room and talk.”

“Yes.” Li Hu helped Lin Ruhai into the backyard.

Leaving two personal soldiers standing outside the door, one on each side, Wang Daniu followed in with several personal soldiers carrying bags.

After entering the living room, Lin Ruhai sat down with the help of Li Hu.

A servant came in carrying tea.

Li Hu personally handed the tea to Lin Ruhai.

Lin Ruhai took the tea with both hands and stared at Li Hu in a daze.

Li Hu smiled.

Lin Ruhai came back to his senses, quickly brought the tea to his lips, and took a few sips before putting it down.

Lin Ruhai: “Sit down, sit down and talk.”

Li Hu: “Yes.” He answered and sat down on the guest chair.

Lin Ruhai: “Coming on horseback?”

Li Hu: “I came on horseback.”

Lin Ruhai: “Are you done?”

Li Hu: “I’m done.”

Lin Ruhai: “Returning to Beijing in two days?”

Li Hu: “I will return to Beijing in two days.”

Lin Ruhai and Li Hu were both stunned, and then laughed at each other.

Li Hu understood that Lin Ruhai was also a grown-up girl getting married in a sedan chair – this was her first time, and he didn’t know what to talk about, so he took the initiative to talk about things in the capital and Lin Daiyu’s life in the Li Mansion.

Lin Ruhai listened while drinking tea slowly from the tea bowl. When he heard Lin Daiyu, the smile on his face never stopped.

Li Hu’s lips and mouth felt dry, so he picked up the tea bowl as usual and opened the lid, only to find that it was dry.

Lin Ruhai also reacted and hurriedly ordered the servant to refill their tea.

Lin Ruhai said to the servant again, “Go and ask Sun Yang and the others to come over.”

Sun Yang was the personal guard officer sent by Li Hu to be beside Lin Ruhai.

Li Hu put the tea to his lips and gulped it down. Suddenly he caught a glimpse of Wang Daniu and others standing on the stone steps outside the door. Then he remembered, “We were just busy talking. Bring it in.”

Wang Daniu called his personal soldiers to come in with a few bags, put them in the hall, and then left.

Li Hu stood up, walked forward and untied the bag.

Lin Ruhai also came over, carrying a tiger skin.

Li Hu: “I have been searching in the mountains for several days. I finally found this tiger skin. I have processed it simply and asked a master to tan it. I will make a tiger skin mattress for you.”

Lin Ruhai smiled and nodded.

Li Hu unpacked the second bundle, which contained some marten furs.

The third bundle exuded a chill. When the bundle was untied, there was another layer of oil clothing inside. Li Hu slowly uncovered the oil clothing, and a chill hit his face, mixed with a pungent smell of blood.

Lin Ruhai saw clearly that it was broken ice and tiger bones.

As a traverser, some skills are essential.

Li Hu smiled and said, “These dozen bundles are full of tiger bones. Keep them for you to make wine with.” As he said that, he tied the bundle up again.

Lin Ruhai smiled and nodded.

Li Hu: “It’s a pity there is no bear. The bear’s paw is thick at this time.”

Lin Ruhai smiled and said, “It’s enough if you have this intention.”

Li Hu: “There are bears in the mountains over in the capital. I’ll go back and hunt a few and send them to you.” Lin Ruhai looked at him and smiled, then said, “I don’t have any money.”

Li Hu was stunned at first, then his face turned red.

Lin Ruhai burst into laughter and said, “It’s just a joke. Those were originally prepared for you.” Then he asked the servant to take the things away.

At this time, Wang Daniu came in and reported to Li Hu: “Second Master, Sun Yang and the others are here.”

Li Hu: “Let them in.”

Wang Daniu: “Yes.” He answered and walked out.

After a while, Sun Yang came in with a team of twelve personal soldiers.

Walking up to him, Sun Yang saluted Li Hu and then knelt down: “Greetings, General!”

Twelve personal soldiers knelt down and said, “Greetings, General!”

Li Hu nodded and said, “Thank you for your hard work. From now on, your military ranks will be promoted by one level, and each of you will be rewarded with 500 taels of silver.”

Sun Yang and his personal soldiers looked happy but remained silent.

Li Hu: “You guys work hard for another year, and then you can escort the master to Beijing, and you will be rewarded handsomely. Do you understand?”

Sun Yang and his personal soldiers responded in a low voice: “Yes!”

Li Hu: “I’ll leave Daniu and the others to you, go ahead.”

Sun Yang and his personal soldiers replied, “Yes.” They all bowed their heads, then stood up and walked out.

Lin Ruhai looked at the backs of Wang Daniu, Sun Yang and his personal soldiers gradually disappearing outside the moon gate of the courtyard, and turned to Li Hu and said, “It’s true that there are so many extra officers.”

Li Hu took out a jade seal from his waist and handed it over.

Lin Ruhai was stunned.

Li Hu: “You will understand if you watch it more often.”

Lin Ruhai took the seal bag, took out the jade seal inside and took a look at it. His eyes suddenly widened!

A hint of pride flashed across Li Hu’s face.

After a long while, Lin Ruhai came back to his senses and slowly looked at him: “You, what’s wrong with you?”

Li Hu did not hide anything and told Lin Ruhai about the Kong family.

Lin Ruhai was stunned for a moment, then he sighed deeply.

Li Hu took the jade seal and said with a smile: “I can now raise more soldiers. Should I send more people to you?”

Lin Ruhai: “Too many people would be too conspicuous. Just Sun Yang and the others are enough.”

Li Hu nodded and asked, “What’s going on with Wang Ren?”

Lin Ruhai sighed slightly: “Wang Ren got some salt permits from the salt transport envoy under the name of Wang Ziteng, and wanted me to take care of it so that he could get the salt earlier than other salt merchants.”

Now the salt permits are in the hands of the Salt Transport Commissioner, and the official salt of Lianghuai is in the hands of Lin Ruhai. He can get the salt earlier than other salt merchants and thus make more profits.

Li Hu: “How many salt permits?”

Lin Ruhai: “Not much, 30,000 salt permits.”

Li Hu nodded. It was indeed not much. The Lianghuai Salt Tax issued 1.4 to 500,000 salt permits every year.

Lin Ruhai: “Wang Ziteng has just been promoted to the Governor-General of Liangjiang, so I have to give him some face. In addition, the Wang family has a good relationship with the Jia family, so I will allow him to be released ten days earlier. In ten days, he can earn at least 30% more. If he goes to a place farther away, he can earn more than 50%.”

Li Hu understood that Wang Ren wanted to get the salt earlier.

Li Hu: “What does Wang Ren want?”

Lin Ruhai: “One month.”

One month in advance!

Li Hu was shocked. This little bastard was so evil and greedy!
At this moment, Butler Lin walked in from outside.

Steward Lin: “Master, the wine and food are ready.”

Lin Ruhai stood up and said to Li Hu, “Let’s go, let’s talk slowly while we eat.”

Li Hu hurriedly stepped forward and helped Lin Ruhai walk out.

Butler Lin smiled and followed him out.

(End of this chapter)