Chapter 100: What Blackstone Needs

Master Han arrived four days later.

Lin Yuan recognized him before the contractor reached the tavern. A wagon was coming along the eastern road with lengths of timber strapped to one side, bundles of tools secured beneath a canvas cover, and three workers sitting in the back.

Master Han walked beside it rather than ride. He stopped twice before reaching the market, first to examine one of the newer stalls, then to crouch near the road and press a hand against a section of packed earth that had begun sinking under repeated wagon traffic.

By the time he reached the tavern, Lin Yuan was already standing outside.

Master Han looked up at the patched entrance.

"You said temporary repair."

"It is temporary."

"I can see that."

Lin Yuan followed his gaze. The boards had held, which was the most generous thing he could say about them.

Master Han stepped closer and pushed lightly against one of the supports. The wood creaked.

"Who did this?"

"Me. Two market workers helped."

Master Han pushed again.

"It hasn’t fallen."

"I considered that a success."

"It was," Master Han agreed. "For a temporary repair."

There it was.

The three workers began unloading their measuring tools while Master Han walked slowly around the front of the tavern, studying the frame and patched supports.

"You still have the list?"

Lin Yuan took the folded paper from inside his robe and handed it over.

Master Han opened it. His eyebrows rose.

"This got longer."

"You told me to include everything."

"I did."

"That was your mistake."

Master Han laughed and folded the paper again.

"Show me the damage first."

The front entrance took less time to inspect than Lin Yuan expected.

Master Han removed part of the temporary bracing, checked the frame, examined the cracked support, and then stepped back.

"The main structure is fine."

Lin Yuan looked at the damaged section.

"It doesn’t look fine."

"The door frame doesn’t look fine. The building is fine."

That was an important distinction.

Master Han pointed toward the cracked support.

"The attackers damaged this side badly enough that I wouldn’t leave it as it is. But the load above it is still being carried properly. We replace the damaged support, rebuild the frame around the entrance, and reinforce this section."

"No need to rebuild the wall?"

"No."

Lin Yuan relaxed slightly.

Master Han noticed.

"You thought I was going to tell you to rebuild half the tavern?"

"I’ve learned not to guess what repairs cost before someone who knows what they’re doing looks at them."

"Good lesson."

"I paid for it several times."

Master Han smiled and moved to the side of the building, where one of his workers was already recording measurements.

"The entrance itself should take a day, perhaps a little longer if we find anything behind the damaged timber."

"That’s manageable."

"We can handle it during this visit, once you approve the estimate."

Lin Yuan nodded. The damaged entrance needed proper work, and he had already delayed it long enough. Still, he wanted to know the price before committing his spirit stones.

Master Han looked down at the list again.

"Market stalls."

"They took damage during the raid. Some were already temporary before that."

"I noticed."

"I assumed you would."

They crossed the road together.

The market was busier than it had been during Master Han’s previous visit.

Qiao Ren stood outside his shop speaking with a traveling merchant, while two nearby stalls displayed dried herbs, leather goods, tools, and small cultivation items. Farther down, a trader had spread cloth across a table and was arguing with a customer over the price of several metal clasps.

Master Han stopped in the middle of the market and looked around.

"When did all this happen?"

"Gradually."

"That means you didn’t notice."

"I noticed."

"You just didn’t do anything about it."

"I was busy being attacked."

Master Han considered that.

"Fair."

Qiao Ren finished with his customer and came over.

"You’re finally here."

"Good to see you too," Master Han replied.

Qiao Ren gestured toward the stalls.

"Those need work. And we need more."

Lin Yuan turned toward him.

"We?"

Qiao Ren ignored him.

Master Han looked between them.

"How many more?"

"Four would help."

Lin Yuan stared at Qiao Ren.

"You’ve decided this already?"

"We run out of space whenever two caravans arrive close together. Two merchants yesterday had to use their own tables because every proper stall was occupied."

Lin Yuan knew that.

He had chosen not to mention it.

Master Han turned toward him.

"How often does that happen?"

"Not every day," Lin Yuan answered before Qiao Ren could exaggerate. "More often than before."

"Then you probably need additional space, but not necessarily four permanent stalls yet."

Qiao Ren looked disappointed.

Lin Yuan immediately liked Master Han a little more.

The contractor crouched beside one of the damaged stalls and examined a joint where the support had split.

"This one can be repaired."

He moved to the next and reached the same conclusion. The third had taken more damage during the raid, leaving its frame leaning slightly to one side.

Master Han pushed against it once.

"This one should come apart."

He asked a worker to mark the timber that appeared reusable, leaving dismantling for the repair work itself.

Lin Yuan examined the frame.

"How much can we save?"

"Most of the timber."

"That sounds cheaper."

"It is."

Master Han glanced at him.

"You’re getting better at this."

"I’ve had practice."

The contractor stood and surveyed the available space along the market’s edge.

"For expansion, I’d prepare enough ground for four additional stalls but build only two now."

Qiao Ren opened his mouth.

Master Han raised a hand.

"If the market keeps growing, adding the other two later will be easy. If it doesn’t, Owner Lin won’t have paid for empty stalls."

Qiao Ren looked toward Lin Yuan.

Lin Yuan smiled.

"I like this plan."

"I expected you would," Master Han replied.

The suggestion was practical. They could repair the damaged stalls, add capacity where it was needed, and leave room for further growth without committing to more construction than the market could currently support.

Lin Yuan asked Master Han to include the repairs and two additional stalls in his estimate.

The remaining two could wait.

Qiao Ren looked as though he wanted to argue, but apparently decided that two new stalls were better than none.

For once, Lin Yuan appreciated his restraint.

Storage was next.

That problem took Master Han less than a minute to understand.

The tavern’s existing storage space wasn’t empty, but it was organized so carefully that almost every section was already being used. Food supplies occupied one side, while water containers, cooking materials, spare bedding, cleaning supplies, and repair materials filled the rest.

Su Mei had managed to keep everything orderly.

Unfortunately, order did not create more space.

Master Han stood in the doorway and surveyed the room.

"How long has it been like this?"

"It’s been getting worse for several weeks," Su Mei answered from behind them.

Lin Yuan looked at her.

"You never said it was that bad."

"You could still walk inside."

"That is a very low standard."

"You were dealing with other things."

Lin Yuan couldn’t argue with that.

Master Han stepped into the room and examined the rear wall.

"Do you need storage inside the tavern?"

"For food and things used every day, yes."

"For everything?"

Lin Yuan considered the question.

"No."

"Then don’t expand this room."

That surprised him. He had expected Master Han to recommend extending the storage space behind the kitchen.

Instead, the contractor walked outside and pointed toward an open section behind the tavern.

"Build a separate storehouse there."

Qiao Ren, who had followed them without being invited, nodded.

"That’s better."

Lin Yuan looked at him.

"You’re still here."

"I have an interest in Blackstone’s development."

"You have an interest in avoiding your shop."

"Also true."

Master Han continued without paying attention to them.

"A separate building gives you more room for bulk supplies and keeps them away from the kitchen and guest rooms. If something leaks, breaks, or catches fire, there’s less risk of damaging the tavern itself."

Lin Yuan studied the proposed location.

"How large?"

Master Han used the tavern wall as a reference to describe the dimensions he recommended.

It was larger than Lin Yuan expected.

He immediately imagined the cost.

Master Han noticed his expression.

"That size makes sense if you expect Blackstone to keep growing."

"And if I want the cheaper answer?"

"Build smaller now and complain to me in six months when you’re out of space again."

Lin Yuan sighed.

"Put the recommended size on the estimate."

The contractor nodded and asked one of his workers to take preliminary measurements.

A storehouse would not be as exciting as another guest building or a bathhouse, but Lin Yuan could see the value. They were already using almost every available corner, and continuing to pile supplies inside the tavern would only make daily work more difficult.

For now, he wanted to see what a proper storehouse would cost before deciding whether it should be built immediately.