Chapter One, Sun Laoshi's youngest son

This concept, presented by Du Huangpi, was one he had never considered before: in chaotic times, money is easier to earn than in peaceful times. Subsequently, they engaged in activities ranging from purchasing large cannons from overseas to transporting military horses from Yunnan, and even dealing in everyday commodities like oil, salt, silk, and tea, both openly and covertly. Sun Lu had never been so unrestrained; his talents could finally be fully displayed. In just two or three years, he earned the title of the Dragon King of the Land, becoming the wealthiest individual in the southern region of the new dynasty, and also the elder brother among the ten sworn brothers of Du Fengji.

Many years later, he asked Du Fengji, who ranked fourth, "Why did you have such high hopes for me back then?" Du Si replied, "It is not because of your vision, but because you have endured so many setbacks without being defeated. Brother, you are naturally destined for great undertakings!" Such insight has shaped a generation of great magnates

Later, Liu Shun learned that this child had a strange name, Du Fengji. He had just killed the local gang leader and made off with his money.

In fact, Liu Shun's fate is not at all smooth. Later, he changed his name to Sun Lu, taking the homophone of the number six. In the trading business, Sun Lu is renowned for his keen insight; whatever he bets on tends to be profitable, and those who follow him in business have made considerable fortunes. However, he himself struggles to succeed. Every time he starts to make a name for himself, something unfortunate happens: the money from selling spices is stolen, the truck carrying stone carvings overturns in a ravine, and the fur shop is completely consumed by fire. Time and again, he manages to scrape together some wealth, only to be brought back to square one.

He successfully received the medicine and exchanged it for money, but when the old man with a plaster on his forehead saw a half-grown kid daring to come and snatch his business, there was no room for politeness.

Sun Laoshi endured like he had shriveled up significantly, clenching his fists, yet he ultimately did not strike at Liu Shun. He merely said: "We are not destined for wealth and nobility; we only wish to live our lives smoothly. Listen to your father, and do not think about those strange matters anymore!" Liu Shun held back a surge of resentment, and it took him a full month of both injury and anger to finally get out of bed. From then on, the villagers referred to him behind his back as Sun Laoshi's wasteful younger son.

Father tapped Liu Shun's head with a copper pipe, saying: "Shun, one must be honest in life. Such reckless behavior is not what respectable people do. Everyone has their own fate, and right now we need to save money to marry off your third brother. We cannot afford to waste it foolishly. In the future, when you all are married off, I can finally rest in peace."

Old Sun, feeling distressed, called out to him: "Come here, let me help you push for a while... Look at you, you're sweating profusely." Liu Shun turned around: "No need, I can push quickly! It's cold, and people in the city don't like to get up early. The steamed buns need to be sold before the city folks wake up for breakfast!" Old Sun chuckled foolishly: "My Shun is indeed clever. Ever since I listened to your advice and started delivering to people's kitchens, these steamed buns have been selling much better."

If it had always been peaceful, Sun Lu would have had the opportunity to become a great merchant. However, later on, the world began to be unsettled; in the south, there was a rebellion led by Li Chuang, and in the north, the Bearded Army was advancing. Taxes became increasingly burdensome, and business grew more difficult. At this critical juncture, Sun Lu faced another cyclical disaster. A batch of his goods was completely plundered by the Red-Haired Pirates at sea, and not a single person involved in the shipment returned. He not only lost his goods but also had to pay compensation, leaving Sun Lu once again destitute.

Old Master Tu intercepted Liu Shun on his way home and beat him half to death without saying a word. When Liu Shun finally caught his breath and slowly made his way home, he found the situation at home even more tragic. There was nothing left in the house that could be smashed or dug up; amidst the debris sat his father, while his two sisters-in-law stood by, terrified and simply crying.

Sun Lu weighed his options for a long time and finally decided to give it a try. Thus, he relied on the prestige he had accumulated over the years at home to persuade his entire family to move to the territory of Du Fengji, which is Yangzhou. Although he was already aware that Du Fengji was involved in the underworld in Yangzhou, it was common knowledge in the city that Huangpi Xiaodu was well-known to all.

After this, Sun Laoshi kept a close watch on him, no longer allowing him to go out. Every morning before dawn, he would help his father push the steamed bun cart to the city, and return with an empty cart after dark. Day after day, this routine made him almost believe that there would be no turning point in his fate, until that day when he met Du Fengji.

However, such families are destined to live in poverty. San Ge, Sun Sanxi, is already in his thirties, yet his father is still unable to find him a wife. When he was young, Liu Shun did not understand why San Ge would howl in the cold water of the small river in the middle of the night, but later he came to understand. Although he did not immerse himself in the icy water, he felt an overwhelming chill. Looking at the six numb faces in his family and thinking about how he too was destined to live and die like this, he felt an unbearable frustration. Thus, at the age of fifteen, Liu Shun ran away from home, which was considered a great act of rebellion in the village. Looking at the six numb faces in his family and thinking about how he too was destined to live and die like this, he felt an unbearable frustration. Thus, at the age of fifteen, Liu Shun ran away from home, which was considered a great act of rebellion in the village.

It was an early spring, and the spring in the north has always been like this. As the snow melts and turns into water, it mixes with the black soil on the ground, causing the small road in the countryside to transform entirely into a paste-like mud.

After nearly ten years of struggle, Sun Lu began to doubt whether heaven was preventing him from becoming wealthy. However, Mr. Zhou, the most knowledgeable person in the village, had told him about a man named Jiang Ziya, who was quite old yet still engaged in business, and who also suffered losses in every venture, dragging his friends down with him. Yet, this man with the surname Jiang eventually became a high-ranking official. Meanwhile, Sun Lu had managed to help his three brothers marry, with the third brother marrying a beautiful bride that was hard to find even in ten miles and eight villages. Therefore, he gritted his teeth and persevered.

Looking at everyone fleeing, Liu Shun got up and scrutinized the culprit—a child even smaller than the one before, appearing to be only eight or nine years old, clutching two steamed buns in his hands, and glaring at him with a defiant look. Liu Shun grabbed him and asked, "Did you dig this pit? Was it you!" The little rascal replied with a lazy expression, "So what if it was your old man who dug it? When you encounter your old man, you should show some filial piety with a couple of stinky buns!"

Suddenly, one of the children who had run the farthest turned back and kicked Liu Shun hard in the neck. Liu Shun, in pain, loosened his grip, and the child seized the opportunity to run away. Liu Shun was furious! He immediately abandoned the original child and swiftly grabbed the newcomer. Seeing that he had been caught, the newcomer wasted no time and immediately sent the original child far away.

Liu Shun let out a bitter smile, not daring to think about what lay ahead. In front of him was a familiar steep slope, the most arduous part of the entire road. Once he got over this hurdle, the path to the city would be flat. He first paused to adjust his footing, then mustered his strength and charged upward, finding it increasingly difficult the higher he climbed. Liu Shun's legs wobbled slightly, his head gradually bowed toward his chest, and he breathed heavily like an ox.

Old Sun was already stunned, while Liu Shun was quite agile. He pounced down, grabbing a child of about ten years old, disregarding his own pain from the fall, and shouted: "Even you bunch of little rascals are bullying me! Even you are bullying me!" The child was frightened by him and fell to the ground, crying loudly.

Liushun knew that the family had saved up five taels of silver, and in about seven or eight years, he would probably be able to marry off his third brother. However, there were still the fourth and fifth brothers to consider. His father's eyes were filled with warm satisfaction, but his heart was cold with despair. How could he resign himself to living such a life for a lifetime

Liushun did not expect that his father's kindness would come back to him. Less than half a year later, the little beggar who had snatched the steamed bun suddenly returned, and a child spoke like an adult: "I have inquired among the villagers, you are Sun Laoshi's wasteful younger son, quite famous!" Liushun was so angry that he wanted to bite him, but unexpectedly, he immediately took out a bag of silver: "I have high hopes for you, this money is for you to start a business, I want to give it to your father, but I fear he lacks the courage to spend it!"

Sun Liushun is the sixth son of the Sun family in Shanquan Village. His brothers are named Yifu, Ershou, Sanxi, Sikan, and Wucai—truly auspicious names! With many children, there are always varying degrees of closeness; as the saying goes in the mountains, "the closer ones are born first, and the more indulgent ones are born later." Since childhood, Sun Laoshi has shown particular favoritism towards this youngest son.

Old Sun is indeed a man of his word, having lived his life as an honest person. His first five sons are also honest individuals. He supported his six sons by selling steamed buns and mung bean juice, and even arranged marriages for his eldest and second sons, both of whom also possess a straightforward character. Liu Shun often feels fortunate that his father has had a relatively good fate; if his sisters-in-law were fierce women, his father and elder brothers would surely have been bullied to death by them.

Liuxun was so furious that smoke seemed to emanate from his seven orifices, and he raised his hand, intending to give the little rascal a slap. Sun Laoshi came over and stopped him, then took two clean steamed buns from the bun cart and handed them to the child: "We are all born of our parents, and this child is still young!" The child stared at the steaming white buns in Sun Laoshi's hand for a moment, then suddenly laughed and walked away.

In the following days, Liushun encountered him on the street a few more times, probably because this kid deliberately slipped to the entrance of his stall. Sun Laoshi gave him two steamed buns each time, and he did not refuse, but after a few times, he stopped coming.

In the middle of the night, Liu Shun called his father outside to talk: "Father, we are no longer selling steamed buns. I saw that the mountain licorice at the pharmacy in the market sells for over ten coins per tael! The mountain behind the neighboring village is full of mountain licorice, and Daniu and Xiaochun dug it up and sold it to the medicine collector, Old Tu, for only three coins per pound. We should also collect herbs; I have already spoken to the people at the pharmacy, and they are willing to pay fifty coins per pound, and they will take as much as we can provide!"

That time, Liu Shun had only been away from home for three days, and hunger brought him back. His father’s eyes were bloodshot, and his lips trembled incessantly. He embraced the little boy in front of him, who looked like a muddy monkey, and cried out, "Shun... my child—never run away again! Never scare your father like that again!"

This is the eldest brother among the ten siblings—Sun Lu, the "Dragon King of the Land" whose wealth rivals that of a nation

This was precisely one year before the braided army entered their small town, and Sun Lu encountered that little child named Du Fengji once again at the most unfortunate time. Of course, the child had grown up now, and his face had turned a jaundiced yellow. This time, he had come specifically to take Grandpa Sun and his family south to make a living. He said to Grandpa Sun: "It’s time for a change of dynasty; common folks should avoid it if possible." But secretly, he said to Sun Lu: "I’ll provide the capital, you come up with the ideas, and let’s go into big business. Are you in?"

Thus, Liu Shun committed the first major wrongdoing of his life—stealing a sum of money from his home to buy medicine. Consequently, Liu Shun learned the first great truth of his life—that the world is unfair

Finally, only a few steps remain. He gritted his teeth and pushed the cart upward with all his might, but right behind the dirt mound, someone had dug a large pit. The wheel tilted, causing the cart to topple over, and the cotton quilt covering the steamed buns was thrown far away. The steaming white buns rolled chaotically down the muddy slope. Before he could even feel sorry, a group of little beggars rushed out from below, each grabbing a few buns from the ground and running away, clearly having been prepared in advance

In the past, he was always able to borrow money due to his courage, vision, and business reputation. However, now that business is difficult for everyone, Sun Lu can no longer borrow the capital needed to make a comeback.

Liushun's old shoes were inherited from his elder brother, second brother, and third brother, and they were three to four sizes too big for him. The icy mud had already filled one of his shoes, and with every step he took, they made a squelching sound. His feet felt as uncomfortable as if they were being bitten by a cat.

Liu Shun received this money and, seeing that nothing had happened for several months, began to stir things up. He sold spices, collected furs, and even dealt in foreign liquor. The Sun family became wealthy, and the entire family began to heed this young man's words. Liu Shun was no longer the naive country boy he once was; he had started studying three years ago, and his rural accent had transformed into authentic Mandarin, giving him a newfound confidence.