Chapter 12

PS: New book period, please click, recommend, and collect!

"Sir, please come over!" Suddenly, Zhou Chong shouted loudly towards the counter of the teahouse, drawing everyone's attention back to him.

Zhou Chong used to be a regular at this Fengyou Teahouse, and every time he came, the manager would personally serve him. However, now that the Zhou family had fallen, the manager had become somewhat negligent. Even when he saw Zhou Chong and Xu the steward enter together, he still stood behind the counter without moving. But now that Zhou Chong directly called out to him, the manager could no longer pretend not to see.

"What can I do for you, Master Zhou?" The manager ran over from behind the counter with a fake smile. No matter what, Zhou Chong and Xu the steward used to be regulars at the teahouse. Even though the Zhou family had fallen, they still had to maintain a certain level of respect. The other tea guests in the hall also turned to look at Zhou Chong, speculating what this young master Zhou was going to do next.

"Manager, what is the most expensive tea you have here?" Zhou Chong asked with a bold expression.

"Well..." The manager looked at Zhou Chong with some difficulty. Although their Fengyou Teahouse was not as large as those in Hangzhou or Yangzhou, it was still one of the best in Songjiang Prefecture. They naturally had a variety of expensive and high-quality teas, such as several types of tea that cost at least one tael of silver per pot, which ordinary people could not afford. Zhou Chong used to drink them frequently, but now...

Zhou Chong could see the manager's thoughts and immediately put on a stern face. "What's the matter? Are you afraid no one will pay the bill? Didn't you see that the young lady and Young Master Song were both vying to treat me to tea just now?"

Hearing Zhou Chong's words, the manager finally understood. This young master Zhou was planning to take a big bite out of Young Master Song. He no longer hesitated and said with a full smile, "Master Zhou, you are our teahouse's most important customer. Even if no one else treats you, I will treat you!"

Hearing the manager's insincere words, Zhou Chong gave him a sidelong glance and said with a half-smile, "I didn't expect you to be such a sentimental person, Manager. How about you treat us today?"

"Cough, cough..." The manager didn't expect Zhou Chong to take advantage of the situation. He coughed to ease his embarrassment and then quickly introduced, "Well... our teahouse has just received a new batch of this year's tea, including West Lake Longjing, Xinyang Maojian, Wuyi Rock Tea, and Junshan Silver Needle. They are all the finest quality. Which one would you like to try?"

"Which one is the most expensive?" The manager tried to divert Zhou Chong's attention by introducing the teas, but Zhou Chong didn't pursue it further. He asked again, determined to make Young Master Song pay.

"The most expensive is Wuyi Rock Tea, but not the Da Hongpao from the Nine Dragon Nest cliffs. Da Hongpao has a very limited annual production and is sent to the palace as tribute tea, so we can't get it. However, the Wuyi Rock Tea we have is of the highest quality, and most people can't even afford it. It costs two taels of silver per pot!" The manager smiled, knowing that a pot of Wuyi Rock Tea cost only 1.2 taels of silver, and he could make 0.8 taels of profit per pot. Selling ten pounds of cheaper tea might not even yield 0.8 taels of profit.

"Two taels?" Zhou Chong was satisfied with the price and then loudly said, "Since Young Master Song is treating me to tea today, I'll pass on the favor and treat everyone here to a pot of Wuyi Rock Tea!"

The people around him, who had been paying attention to Zhou Chong, immediately started to cheer and applaud. Some thanked him, while others showed disdain, probably thinking his actions were despicable.

Zhou Chong saw everyone's reactions and knew that this incident might affect his reputation. However, he didn't care and had deeper intentions.

The manager was initially hesitant when he heard Zhou Chong's words. There were at least twenty to thirty tables in the hall, and if each table got a pot, it would cost fifty to sixty taels of silver, which was a significant amount. He was worried that Young Master Song might not pay the bill. However, he couldn't resist Zhou Chong's and some guests' urging and had to have the waiters serve a pot of Wuyi Rock Tea to each table.

Zhou Chong never just took one bite. When the waiters brought the tea, he stopped the manager, who was about to leave, and said with a smile, "Manager, do you sell tea leaves here?"

The manager almost spat blood. He thought, "How did I not realize that Young Master Zhou was such a shameless person before?" The guests who were tasting the Wuyi Rock Tea also turned to look at Zhou Chong with strange expressions.

"Our teahouse has its rules. We only sell tea, not tea leaves. I'm truly sorry!" The manager wanted to make more money from the tea leaves, but he couldn't break the rules of the teahouse.

Zhou Chong felt a bit disappointed but then saw the pastries on the table and his eyes lit up. "It's fine if you don't sell tea leaves. Can you sell pastries? How about this: pack up all the pastries left in your teahouse and deliver them to my house!"

When Zhou Chong said this, the guests nearby who were closer to him directly spat out the tea in their mouths. They had seen people with thick skin before, but this was the first time they saw someone like Young Master Zhou, who not only took the tea money from Young Master Song but also wanted to take the pastries.

The manager was at a loss. The teahouse's pastries could be sold, and they were one of the main sources of income. However, if he packed all the pastries for Zhou Chong, the teahouse would have to close for the day.

At this point, Xu the steward, who was standing next to Zhou Chong, couldn't bear it anymore. Although their family was short of food and Young Master Song was not a good person, the young master's actions were a bit excessive. He said, "Young Master, the teahouse needs the pastries to operate. If we take them all, they will have to close today. Perhaps..."

Hearing Xu the steward's advice, Zhou Chong felt it was enough. Everything has its limits. The Lus' breaking off the engagement almost ruined Zuo'er's life. He could have killed the Lus, but today's revenge was enough. Otherwise, it would only cause others to dislike the Zhou family.

Thinking about this, Zhou Chong turned to the manager and said with a smile, "I didn't think it through. Let's do this: please bring ten pounds each of Hundred-Fruit Pine Cake, Cloud Slice Cake, and Green Bean Cake!"

Hearing that Zhou Chong only wanted three types of pastries, the manager breathed a sigh of relief. He didn't instruct the waiters but ran to the kitchen himself to prepare them, probably afraid that Zhou Chong would change his mind again.

While waiting for the pastries, Zhou Chong and Xu the steward chatted idly. They were gradually drawn to the storytelling platform in the hall. A middle-aged storyteller was telling the "Journey to the West" story, which originated during the Song and Yuan dynasties. Note that this is the "Journey to the West" story, not the "Journey to the West" that people in the future are familiar with. Wu Cheng'en had not been born yet, so the "Journey to the West" people know today had not appeared.

Zhou Chong, a typical 80s generation person, grew up watching the TV series "Journey to the West" and had read the original several times. He was very familiar with the story. The storyteller's "Journey to the West" story, which originated during the Song and Yuan dynasties, had been processed and modified over time. It was similar to the "Journey to the West" but lacked a unified outline and coherent plot, making it less engaging. Zhou Chong listened while shaking his head.

In contrast, Xu the steward was thoroughly enjoying the story. He used to be a regular at the Fengyou Teahouse and loved to spend afternoons there, drinking tea and listening to stories. If the Zhou family's servants had something to report, they would usually come to the teahouse to find him. Unfortunately, since the Zhou family's decline, even eating was a problem, so Xu the steward hadn't been back. Now, he cherished this opportunity.

Finally, the waiters brought the pastries. Zhou Chong finished the tea in front of him. Honestly, he couldn't taste the difference in the tea that cost two taels of silver per pot. To him, tea was just for quenching thirst and invigorating the spirit. The subtle differences in taste were only important to idle scholars.

Zhou Chong left the Fengyou Teahouse with Xu the steward, carrying thirty pounds of pastries. These were the pastries that Zuo'er and Duo'er loved the most. Since it was winter, they wouldn't spoil, and this amount would last them until the New Year.

Xu the steward followed Zhou Chong, reminiscing about the "Journey to the West" story told by the storyteller. He couldn't help but discuss it with Zhou Chong, "Young Master, the storyteller today was really good. I've heard the 'Journey to the West' story many times, but today's storyteller added new elements to the original story, making it more interesting. Today, he just reached the part where the monk Sanzang meets the Monkey Pilgrim. I wonder what exciting stories the storyteller will add next?"

Zhou Chong smirked but didn't answer, thinking, "People in the Ming dynasty are so unsophisticated. A good Monkey King becomes a Monkey Pilgrim, and they get so excited just listening to the 'Journey to the West' story. If I brought the 'Journey to the West' from the future and gave it to the storyteller, wouldn't everyone break their heads to listen?"

"Hey? 'Journey to the West'!" Zhou Chong's mind suddenly lit up, and he stopped in his tracks. Xu the steward, who was following behind, didn't notice and bumped his plump face into Zhou Chong's back, hitting his nose. This made Xu the steward cry in pain.