On the third day, the people from Exile Town returned, their faces pale.
"Old Man Rivers, your son has left. He bought a horse, played in Exile Town for a little over a day, and then left, saying he’ll never come back and wants to go to the city."
Old Man Rivers burst into laughter, shaking his head repeatedly.
"Where can he go without money? In the end, he’ll have to come back here. I know that boy’s character well—hmph, let him go. The money he’s carrying, with the way he spends, will last ten days at most, maybe half a month."
Many people in Fallen Hollow heard about it too. Some had even been drinking and playing dice with Evan Zhao that very day, but everyone believed Evan Zhao would be back soon.
What surprised me greatly was that Evan Zhao stopped at a roadside tea shop—not for lavish food, but simply asked for coarse tea and steamed buns, filled his wine flask, ate, and then set off again. He was no longer spending recklessly.
"I just didn’t want to embarrass you. You think I want to spend money recklessly? If I hadn’t, those people in Exile Town wouldn’t buy our family’s goods, and they rarely haggle. You get to monopolize much of the market around here. Otherwise, do you really think the Rivers Family is that capable?"
Evan Zhao seemed like a completely different person. I stared in astonishment. It turned out that for years, Evan Zhao’s reckless spending started when the Rivers Family’s business began to decline. Old Man Rivers was already desperate, but Evan Zhao’s extravagance in Exile Town helped him get close to local shop owners and many townsfolk. They saw the Rivers Family as fallen aristocrats; some pitied Old Man Rivers, and didn’t want to see his business ruined, so they often bought from the Rivers Family.
Gradually, most people were willing to buy from the Rivers Family. Old Man Rivers, relying on his reputation, built good relationships with many farmers. After harvest, they would bring their goods directly to the Rivers Family, and Old Man Rivers would offer them a fair price. They no longer worried about selling their crops, and in just ten years, the Rivers Family became the richest household around.
Evan Zhao once wanted to explain all this to Old Man Rivers, but Old Man Rivers just asked if Evan Zhao was crazy or stupid. He insisted people did business with him because of his own ability, and thought Evan Zhao only knew how to eat, drink, and play.
But Evan Zhao said that if he hadn’t been so extravagant, people wouldn’t have bought his goods. This created a deep rift between father and son.
I quietly observed all this. Those in Exile Town who knew Evan Zhao, though flattering on the surface, often gossiped behind his back. Still, Evan Zhao was generous and never stingy—many had benefited from his hospitality. As a result, most people only bought from the Rivers Family, and other businesses struggled while the Rivers Family dominated.
Although Evan Zhao contributed to this success, Old Man Rivers also played a part. If he hadn’t worked diligently and managed the fields and orchards well, there wouldn’t have been quality goods to sell. Evan Zhao’s methods were debatable, but the father and son complemented each other by accident. Sadly, now their relationship was completely broken.
I sighed helplessly. The father and son of the Rivers Family—one strong-willed, one easygoing—seemed to balance each other. But Old Man Rivers was too stubborn, never listening to his son, always insisting Evan Zhao follow his way to achieve greatness.
Evan Zhao, on the other hand, couldn’t stand Old Man Rivers’ ways at all.
For seven days straight, Evan Zhao mostly ate and slept outdoors. He finally arrived at The Wayfarer's Inn, rented a room to rest for a few days, and decided to treat himself to a decent meal. He changed into plain coarse clothes, ate quietly without speaking to other guests, bathed, and went straight to bed.
This was a dramatic change from the Evan Zhao of before. I couldn’t understand why he’d changed so much—maybe years of indulgence had worn him out. He seemed tired of it all, only cared for a drink, had few ambitions, and wanted to see the world beyond.
On the tenth day, Evan Zhao finally reached a city. He was stunned by the bustling scene, so different from Exile Town, and wandered around aimlessly.
Near the center of the city, Evan Zhao rented a small house with a courtyard for three months, planning to stay for a while.
Meanwhile, Old Man Rivers was growing frantic. Everyone returning from Exile Town said they hadn’t seen Evan Zhao. Ten days had passed and Evan Zhao was still missing. Hearing he’d ridden off on horseback, Old Man Rivers became more and more worried, and sent people out to search for him.
But after half a month, those sent out returned empty-handed. Old Man Rivers was utterly stunned, seeming to age overnight. He became gloomy and withdrawn, constantly worrying about Evan Zhao’s safety. Regret gnawed at him—he shouldn’t have treated Evan Zhao so harshly all these years, and when Evan Zhao had tried to talk, all he’d done was criticize.
Meanwhile, Evan Zhao started doing small business, making some money with his cleverness. He spent his days running around the streets, and when bored, he’d drink at the Blue Lotus Brothel, play for a night, then leave the next day. He bought groceries and cooked for himself, occasionally visiting restaurants.
Evan Zhao lived a comfortable life and soon knew everything about the city. He was already planning to visit other places. I was amazed that he could adapt so well—he was truly remarkable.
Evan Zhao had always been smart and sensible since childhood, only turning to indulgence after coming of age. It wasn’t really his fault. I couldn’t figure out his true motives. He made money by sourcing things needed by wealthy families, buying low and selling high. He was persuasive, and the rich were happy to buy from him at reasonable prices.
He’d honed these skills at the dinner table over the years, able to chat with both the rich and the poor, mixing with all sorts of people.
With this talent, Evan Zhao made a lot of money in just two months. The poor rarely spoke to the rich, and the rich didn’t want to engage with the poor, so business between them never happened. Evan Zhao bridged that gap and made a fortune, tripling the money he’d brought with him.
He enjoyed this carefree life, but wanted to stay for three months, make a fortune, and then return home to prove to his stubborn father that he was capable. He kept detailed records of every transaction.
But by then, Old Man Rivers had fallen ill. Two months had passed without any word from Evan Zhao. The family sent people to search, but the world was vast, and there were many places to go in Exile Town. No one knew where Evan Zhao was. They kept asking about a spendthrift young master, but Evan Zhao had been low-key and frugal, so no one noticed him. The Rivers Family’s search was fruitless.
One night, Old Man Rivers coughed up blood and couldn’t get out of bed the next day. The family panicked and called doctors, but most said it was a heart ailment—if he couldn’t resolve his worries, he wouldn’t have long to live.
Many tried to comfort Old Man Rivers, but it only made things worse, deepening his illness.
Old Man Rivers grew weaker and thinner, bedridden for days. By mid-third month, he never woke again. The Rivers Family was thrown into chaos, arranging his funeral. Relatives rushed in, calculating the family’s assets, believing Evan Zhao had died somewhere far away.
Many speculated that Evan Zhao’s personality meant he might have met a strongman and been harmed. The funeral ended quickly amid gossip and rumors.
Ten days after the third month ended, Evan Zhao returned to Exile Town, looking impressive and accompanied by a beautiful woman. People were stunned. He soon learned his father had died just a month earlier. Evan Zhao rushed home, making the journey in just a few hours.
Just as people in Exile Town said, the whole Rivers Family cursed Evan Zhao, calling him a beast who’d driven his father to death, an unfilial son. He came back dressed in bright colors, even though his father had just died.
Evan Zhao didn’t shed a single tear. He simply sat quietly at his father’s grave.
"Dad, I’m back."
After saying this, Evan Zhao stood up and left. He didn’t return to the Rivers Family, but walked away quietly, seemingly never intending to come back.