Chapter 119: The Grand Deliberation at Golden Tripod Pavilion!

As the saying goes, "Two orioles sing amid the green willows, while a flock of egrets comes to cause a ruckus!" There is never a shortage of third wheels in this world!

Today, Li Yi finally seized the rare moment when his entire family’s attention was focused on the two little ones to have a chat with Li Xueyan and Princess Changle after school. No, not just a chat—he wanted to discuss work! Unexpectedly, before he could even begin, a group of uninvited guests disrupted the atmosphere.

“Two fat pigs! If you don’t give me a reasonable explanation, I’ll draft a weight-loss plan for you!”

The speakers were none other than Luo Kaiyuan and Lan Wei—two notorious chubby fellows—alongside Tie Yan and Lin Jiang.

Seeing Li Yi’s displeased expression, the two chubby men broke out in a cold sweat. “Uh, Young Master Yi, wasn’t it you who called us here?”

Li Yi curled his lips. “Oh? Was I? Hah! I forgot!” He took a sip of tea, then suddenly looked up. “Hey! Uncle Tie, Uncle Lin, Accountant Luo, and Chubby, when did you all arrive? Come, sit down! I was just thinking you’d be here soon! Bingyu, bring the tea!”

Li Yi’s sudden change of tone left the four utterly bewildered, and even Li Xueyan and Changle couldn’t help but smile helplessly. Shameless to the extreme!

Only Bingyu remained unfazed, showing the four to their seats and serving tea as usual. She was well accustomed to such antics.

“Luo...”

“Oh! Just call me Fat Luo, Young Master!”

“That’s a bit embarrassing! Fat Luo, how’s the task I assigned you going?”

Fat Luo quickly stood and reported, “Young Master, since last time, I’ve purchased a large mansion and gathered all the people you instructed! So far, we have ten housekeepers, all skilled in the fundamentals of bookkeeping. Seventy-one carpenters have been trained in crafting new-style furniture, with over a thousand sets already produced! We’ve also trained five chefs proficient in modern cuisine, enough to support several restaurants! Lastly, nearly three hundred male servants have been trained, all versed in basic bookkeeping and fundamental business strategies, just as you ordered!”

Li Yi listened to each precise figure with growing satisfaction; this was exactly the kind of detailed accounting an accountant should provide—only accurate numbers could tell the full story.

“Haha! Sir, you truly have great talent! Leaving the trade alliance in your hands gives me peace of mind! May I ask if you would be willing to serve as the general manager—essentially, the chief steward—of the trade alliance?”

Hearing this, Fat Luo’s muscles trembled with excitement. “I’m willing, Young Master! Rest assured, I won’t disappoint your expectations!”

“Good! No need for ‘I’ or ‘me’—just refer to yourself as ‘I.’ But Fat Luo, let’s get one thing straight: entrusting the trade alliance to you is because I trust your ability. That doesn’t mean you can act recklessly—no embezzlement, no collusion between officials and merchants, no forming cliques or blurring public and private interests. If any of these happen under your watch, I won’t spare you!”

Fat Luo’s gaze sharpened and his posture straightened. “Please rest assured, Young Master. If I disappoint you, I won’t wait for you to act—I’ll end it myself right before your eyes!”

Li Yi waved his hand dismissively. “Heh heh, who knows what the future holds! For the sake of the trade alliance and for your own good, I’ll assign you one more person. Lan Wei, come here!” Standing up, Li Yi pulled Lan Wei over and said to Fat Luo, “Fat Luo, I like to lay all cards on the table. Honestly, such a large trade alliance can’t be entrusted to just one person—that’s unrealistic. So, I’ll send someone to supervise you. This person is Lan Wei—you know him. He’s a lot like you: clever, smart, and particularly interested in business. I’m making him your secretary, your aide, but he will only follow you, not participate in your decisions. So don’t feel pressured. If you think he’s good, teach him well. If he misbehaves, you can tell me, and I’ll deal with him!”

Li Yi’s words genuinely moved Fat Luo. Deep down, he knew no one could entrust such a large alliance to a stranger entirely. He had expected Li Yi to secretly plant spies to keep him in check, but he never imagined Li Yi would be so upfront—and merely assign a symbolic overseer without real authority! Fat Luo now felt a profound loyalty, as if ready to die for a confidant.

His eyes glistening with tears, Fat Luo said, “Young Master, rest assured, I...”

Li Yi scrunched up his face and stepped back. “You fat pig, a grown man crying—how nauseating! I can’t stand it! Enough. Let me introduce you!” He pointed to Changle and Li Xueyan. “These two are Princess Changle and County Lord Li Xueyan—they are the president and vice president of the Charity Foundation. Also... they are my... *ahem*... well, you’ll be dealing with them frequently in the future!”

Fat Luo immediately understood—they must be the young masters’ ladies. Filled with reverence, he quickly bowed.

Changle and Xueyan returned the gesture with smiles. Though somewhat shy at Li Yi’s earlier bluntness, their eyes betrayed how charmed they were by his earnestness. Such is love—the so-called shamelessness is but a fleeting cloud.

“All right! Next item: Uncle Tie, now that we have cement, do you think the bar I planned can be built successfully?”

Tie Yan thumped his chest confidently. “Young Master, don’t worry! With reinforced steel, cement, and boards, I’m ready to try building any kind of structure!”

“Haha! That’s good. But cement isn’t a cure-all—don’t get careless. We must ensure everything is foolproof!”

“You can rest assured, Young Master!”

“Good! Now listen carefully.” Li Yi’s expression grew serious. “Uncle Tie, start construction tomorrow. I’ve calculated—you need to build four small buildings, roughly the same scale as the bar. You can start all at once. I’ll have Fat Luo coordinate materials and manpower fully. Tell me, how long will it take to complete?”

Tie Yan considered. “If manpower is sufficient, a month is enough!”

“Good! One month it is! Stay behind later; I’ll tell you more about these four buildings.”

Then Li Yi turned to Fat Luo. “Fat Luo, make sure manpower and materials for Uncle Tie’s needs are arranged promptly. Also, handle the workers’ wages, meals, and living conditions. All personnel in the capital are under your command, and funds are at your disposal—just keep accurate accounts. As for the locations of these four buildings, you’ll select them. Let’s start in the East Market. Coordinate with Uncle Tie; I’ll give him the requirements. Can you handle that?”

Fat Luo straightened his protruding belly proudly. “Young Master, rest assured, this is no challenge for me!”

“Good! You and Lan Wei get to work.”

The two chubby men bowed and left.

Li Yi then had Bingyu bring out concept drawings of the four buildings and began studying them with Tie Yan, Lin Jiang, Changle, and Xueyan. Judging by the occasional agonized cries from Li Yi, it seemed the men and women were at great odds.

Finally, as night fell and Changle and Xueyan had to leave early, the matter was settled. Thus, the Golden Cauldron Mansion—revered for centuries and beyond—began to take shape.