Chapter 11

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"Xu Butler, over here!" As soon as the two entered the teahouse, they heard someone calling from a table on the right side of the hall, right next to the stairs. Zhou Chong turned his head at the sound and found that the butcher Wu indeed matched Xu Butler's description: a towering man over six feet tall. Moreover, from his appearance, no one would believe he was just in his early twenties; even Zhou Chong thought he could pass for thirty.

"This must be Master Zhou, Wu Shan greets you!" Seeing Zhou Chong and Xu Butler approach, the butcher Wu clasped his hands and bowed. This was the first time Xu Butler learned that the butcher's name was Wu Shan.

"Brother Wu, no need to be so formal, let's sit down and talk!" Zhou Chong, lacking the demeanor of a scholar, immediately addressed the butcher as a brother, which left Wu Shan flustered and hurriedly seating them. He then called a waiter to bring a pot of good tea and some snacks.

"Master Zhou, I believe Butler Xu has already told you about my intention to rent a house. Rest assured, I will not slaughter animals at your place. I will only use the yard for living and storing meat, and I will not dirty your yard!" Wu Shan, aware of the stigma attached to his profession, reassured Zhou Chong from the start.

Hearing this, Zhou Chong replied straightforwardly, "Since Brother Wu has said so, I have no objections. Here's the deal: the minimum rental period for a yard is six months, and the rent is to be paid with three months' deposit and one month's advance. The monthly rent is two taels of silver. If you agree, we can go see the yard now and draft a contract to finalize the deal!"

"No problem, there's no need to see the yard. I often pass by the Zhou residence, and I know the yards are good. Let's draft the contract now. I have the silver with me, and I'll move in tonight so I don't have to walk so far in the cold tomorrow!" The young Wu Shan was also a straightforward person. Seeing Zhou Chong agree, he planned to move in that very night.

Zhou Chong also preferred dealing with straightforward people like Wu Shan. He borrowed pen and ink from the teahouse and wrote a contract. Interestingly, although the current Zhou Chong did not inherit the literary talent of the original Zhou Chong, perhaps due to the body's natural response, he now wrote excellent calligraphy, easily switching between simplified and traditional characters, and could read and write simple classical Chinese. However, he still couldn't understand some obscure phrases from books.

After writing the contract, Zhou Chong intended to read it to Wu Shan, but to his surprise, Wu Shan was also somewhat literate. He read the contract himself, which was written in plain language, and understood it. Wu Shan had no objections to the contract and signed his name, finalizing the deal.

After signing, Wu Shan took out 1.2 taels of silver and gave it to Zhou Chong, then hurriedly left, as he needed to go to the outskirts to slaughter two pigs and transport the meat back to the city before the city gates closed. Zhou Chong did not try to retain him and personally saw Wu Shan off. Of course, before leaving, Wu Shan did not forget to settle the bill.

Just as Zhou Chong returned to his seat, preparing to finish the remaining tea and pastries before leaving, he suddenly heard a mocking voice behind him: "Oh, I didn't expect Young Master Zhou to have the leisure to come to Fengyou Teahouse for tea. It seems that although your family has fallen on hard times, Young Master Zhou is still living quite comfortably!"

Recognizing the familiar voice, Zhou Chong turned around and saw Young Master Song standing on the stairs behind him, looking at him with a mocking smile. On the stairs in front of him stood two young girls, one dressed as a maid in a blue silk jacket, with a playful and cute appearance.

The other girl wore a bright red fur coat, her hair styled in a young girl's bun, with an oval face, a delicate nose, small mouth, almond-shaped eyes, and long, slender eyebrows. She was a rare beauty, with bright eyes and a beautiful smile. However, her expression was a mix of amusement and pity, and she seemed to know Zhou Chong's identity.

Seeing that the one mocking him was the Young Master Song who had broken off the engagement with Zuo'er, Zhou Chong was furious. He glared at him, crossed his arms, and replied with a sly look, "I wondered who it was, it's the Young Master Song who lost to me at Yichun Teahouse. You're not still thinking about that Chunhong girl, are you? Unfortunately, the flower may have intentions, but the water has no heart. That Chunhong girl will never look at a good-for-nothing second-generation like you!"

If Zhou Chong's guess was correct, the beautiful girl in front of Young Master Song was likely the daughter of a wealthy merchant in Huating County, with whom the Song family was actively seeking a marriage alliance. Knowing this, it was clear why Zhou Chong had said those seemingly nonsensical words. Talking about jealousy and rivalry in a brothel in front of a man's beloved was the most disgusting thing one could do.

Young Master Song first looked puzzled, then shocked, and finally angry. His pale face turned red as he pointed at Zhou Chong and shouted, "Zhou Chong, don't spout lies! When did I ever compete with you for Chunhong at Yichun Teahouse?"

At this point, the people in the teahouse also noticed the argument between Zhou Chong and Young Master Song. Many in the hall stopped chatting and began to watch with amusement, especially when they saw the beautiful girl on the stairs, which piqued their interest. Some recognized Zhou Chong and Young Master Song but were unaware that the Song family had broken off the engagement. This only increased their curiosity, and they began to speculate about the cause of the argument.

"It wasn't Chunhong? Then I must have remembered wrong!" Zhou Chong feigned surprise, as if he had genuinely made a mistake. However, before Young Master Song could breathe a sigh of relief, Zhou Chong continued, "If it wasn't Chunhong, it must have been Qing'er, or maybe Yueyue. I remember you once said you liked Yueyue's three-inch golden lotus feet!"

As Zhou Chong said the last four words, "three-inch golden lotus," he deliberately glanced at the girl in the fur coat in front of Young Master Song. Although she was wearing a long skirt, he had noticed from her movements that she had not bound her feet, which did not conform to the aesthetic standards of men in the Ming Dynasty. Therefore, he deliberately added the detail of "three-inch golden lotus" to the fabricated Yueyue, further stirring up the tension between Young Master Song and the girl.

As expected, Young Master Song's face turned green with anger. He no longer cared about arguing with Zhou Chong and was desperately trying to explain to the girl, but he didn't know how. He was so flustered that he scratched his head and ears, making him look even more ridiculous, which caused the onlookers in the teahouse to chuckle.

In contrast, the girl who was implicated remained calm. Seeing how Zhou Chong had reduced Young Master Song to such a predicament with just a few words, her attitude toward him changed. The pity in her eyes disappeared, replaced by a more intense curiosity. She even openly examined Zhou Chong up and down, as if she had discovered something very interesting.

At first, Zhou Chong didn't pay much attention, but soon he felt uncomfortable under her gaze. Just then, the beautiful girl suddenly smiled, like a ray of sunshine in winter, illuminating the entire teahouse and drawing the attention of most of the people there. Many began to speculate about her identity.

"Master Zhou, you have a sharp tongue and a deep mind. I have truly seen it today!" The girl in the fur coat said with a smile, seemingly not at all angry at Zhou Chong's words. This made Zhou Chong inwardly wary, thinking that she had deep reserves of composure, and Young Master Song was not even fit to carry her shoes.

After saying this, the girl in the fur coat did not immediately go upstairs but looked at Zhou Chong deeply a few more times before continuing, "Meeting is a form of destiny. Since Master Zhou and Young Master Song are old acquaintances, and there were some misunderstandings in the past, why don't you let me treat you to this tea? I hope Master Zhou will be magnanimous and not spread more rumors, which would not only tarnish others' reputations but also sully your own!"

The girl in the fur coat smiled faintly at Zhou Chong and then turned and went upstairs. Zhou Chong was stunned, not expecting his carefully laid trap to be so easily dismantled by a young girl, who even mocked him for spreading rumors. He was so surprised that he couldn't react for a long time.

Although Young Master Song was flustered by Zhou Chong's taunts, he was not stupid and could tell that the girl had stood up for him. He was overjoyed and smiled smugly at Zhou Chong, saying, "Lingyun is right. A wastrel is a wastrel. I won't get angry with someone like you. Besides, I'll treat you to this tea so you don't get thrown out for not paying!"

After saying this, Young Master Song, fearing that Zhou Chong might retort, burst into a fit of laughter and ran upstairs without looking back, not giving Zhou Chong a chance to speak. The onlookers, seeing one party go upstairs, lost interest in the argument and returned to their seats to continue their tea.

"So, you're called Lingyun. I'll remember that!" Zhou Chong said with a hint of resentment. Then he suddenly smiled slyly and muttered to himself, "Don't think this will stop me. Today, I'll show you what real shamelessness is."

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