Chapter 10

Several bowls of soup were carefully placed in the food box. Qin Shao You had a change of heart and this time did not plan to charge for the food box.

Business is about give and take. He had already taken his share, and taking more would make him feel guilty.

One must have a bottom line and principles. Money is valuable, but integrity is even more precious!

Shangguan Wan'er gave a nod, and the guard beside her picked up the food box.

At this moment, Shangguan Wan'er had already regained her cold demeanor, hands behind her back, looking down at Qin Shao You with the air of a superior. Her eyes had a condescending look, as if she were looking down on an ant.

Qin Shao You didn't mind and said with a smile, "Customer, have a good walk."

Shangguan Wan'er was somewhat angry. She had intended to look down on this fool to regain some dignity, but this guy remained unperturbed, which was truly frustrating. She nodded and said with a threatening tone, "You are Qin Shao You, I remember you."

"Customer, remember to come back often."

"You..." Shangguan Wan'er was momentarily speechless. Finally, she laughed and said, "Fine, we'll see. We will meet again, and I'm afraid you'll be scared to death then."

Qin Shao You frowned and thought to himself, "I already deeply regret not taking more from her."

Shangguan Wan'er had already left. Before leaving, she glanced at the sign hanging on the door of the inn. The four golden characters, written in a flowing style, were particularly eye-catching in the sunset.

Shangguan Wan'er shook her head and suddenly paused. "Heaven has its righteous qi, which is assigned to all things. Below, it forms rivers and mountains; above, it forms the sun and stars... Strange, why have I never heard this poem before? I should check it out when I get back."

She was a bookworm, having read books under the guidance of her father, who was a prime minister, since childhood. Later, she entered the palace and was responsible for imperial edicts. Most of her time was spent in the imperial library. She had a photographic memory and believed that all the poems and articles in the world were in her mind. The poem Qin Shao You recited was not outstanding in its wording, but upon careful thought, it had a straightforward and unadorned grandeur.

She suddenly became interested and thought about the pearl and jade soup in the food box, which made her feel that this trip, apart from the annoying bookworm, had some gains.

...

Not long after Shangguan Wan'er left, Master Zhou arrived. Master Zhou, whose name was Zhou Wen, was a plump man with a demeanor that did not resemble a merchant but rather had a certain authority.

A small sedan chair stopped at the entrance of Ruchun Inn, and the manager Liu Yang eagerly helped Zhou Wen out.

Zhou Wen, with his hair neatly washed and wearing a long headband and a straight-collared robe, looked very dignified. After getting out of the sedan chair, he did not enter the inn directly but instead stood with his hands behind his back, looking up at the sign hanging at the entrance. His eyes were fixed on the four characters "Unmatched Culinary Skills."

After a long while, his greedy gaze finally retracted, and he stepped into the inn.

Based on the memory of the former bookworm, Qin Shao You recognized him and said irritably, "Customer, are you here to eat?"

Zhou Wen stood with his hands behind his back and remained silent.

Liu Yang quickly brought a chair, and Zhou Wen slowly sat down. He glanced at Qin Shao You and suddenly smiled, as if chatting casually, "You finally hung up that sign. I was most worried about this. You are just a bookworm, good for nothing but reciting. This sign is useless to you but very useful to the Zhou family. I am here to give you a final choice..."

Qin Shao You, seeing him act superior, could not help but sneer, "Hold on, you went to great lengths to get this sign, just to attract the emperor, right?"

Zhou Wen's brows slightly furrowed, but he was not evasive and said straightforwardly, "Yes."

Qin Shao You continued, "The emperor will visit the inn to mourn the prince. So you want to buy this place first, show off your culinary skills, and if you receive the emperor's praise, your Zhou family will rise to prominence. I guess you are aiming for the position of imperial chef, right?"

Zhou Wen had come to threaten him. In his mind, Qin Shao You was just a young and naive bookworm, and making him submit would be easy. However, Qin Shao You's response surprised him.

Qin Shao You laughed even colder, "But I see you are past your prime and are not planning for yourself. The one who will shine in front of the emperor is probably your son, right? In fact, your Zhou family has been planning this for a long time. If I continue to deduce, the decline of Ruchun Inn over the past two years, while partly due to my poor management, must also be due to your efforts. For example, your Zhou family opened a new inn on the street with much cheaper prices. My father once had several apprentices, but they all quit after his death. You secretly allowed Ruchun Inn to accumulate debts, which were then transferred to your name. Is that right?"

Zhou Wen stroked his beard and smiled faintly, "You are not a bookworm, and I misjudged you. However, even if you have seen through the truth, what can you do? This inn will eventually be mine. Now, I give you a choice: take a sum of money, whether you spend it or save it, but leave the inn and the sign. Or, starting tomorrow, I will make it impossible for you to stand in Luoyang. Not only will you be disgraced, but you will also face legal troubles and be exiled as a slave. What will you choose?"

A naked threat.

Although Qin Shao You had suspected it, it was only when this old man admitted it that he truly understood the truth. The decline of Ruchun Inn was not just due to the foolishness of a bookworm but also because of this old man.

Qin Shao You laughed, as if basking in a spring breeze, and then said, hands behind his back, "Do you know the price of the top courtesan at Fragrant Pavilion?"

Zhou Wen was taken aback.

Qin Shao You answered himself, with a tone of longing, "It's priceless." After a pause, he continued, "Why? Because they have principles, a bottom line, and integrity. Unfortunately, they are my role models. To be honest, I am also a person with integrity. So... Uncle, please leave slowly, I won't see you off!"

A hint of killing intent flashed in Zhou Wen's eyes, and Liu Yang, his lackey, said fiercely, "Rude, you..."

"Shut up!" Qin Shao You suddenly became furious, "This is my inn. Do you have the right to be rude here?"

Qin Shao You deliberately emphasized the words "my inn," with a deep meaning.

Zhou Wen sneered, stood up, and said, "If it's not yours, it's not yours. Don't force things, or you might lose your life." With that, he swept out.

Liu Yang couldn't help but turn back and spat, "We'll see."

Qin Shao You couldn't help but shake his head, feeling a heavy heart.

The real crisis for Ruchun Inn seemed to be about to erupt.

Qin Shao You, having lived two lives, had always hoped to live a happy and simple life in this one, but even this small wish seemed to have become a luxury. A man without sin is envied for his virtue. He wanted to be happy, but someone wanted to make him miserable. He wanted simplicity, but things became more complicated.

"Even if the tree wants to be still, the wind will not stop." Qin Shao You sighed deeply, "Cousin, come here."

Qin Shou, who had been peeking in the inner hall, quickly showed his head. He was a bit afraid of Master Zhou and had heard everything clearly, which made him very indignant. He saw a good life ahead, but the Zhou family had shattered it, causing him great mental pain.

"Cousin, do I look like an honest person?"

Qin Shou actually pondered for a long time, and this hesitation, which seemed to insult his character, made Qin Shao You want to strangle him.

So Qin Shao You had to answer himself, "I was too honest before, so even dogs and cats could bully me. I am naturally kind, with a pure heart and a friendly demeanor, but I ended up in this situation. So... starting tomorrow, I will be a bad person, a very bad person." Qin Shao You looked at Qin Shou with a serious expression and continued, "If anyone bullies me again, I will take tenfold or a hundredfold revenge. If anyone demands wages for no reason, I will be their enemy, even if they are relatives, I will cut ties with them."

Qin Shou couldn't help but look miserable, "Cousin, I haven't done anything to you."

"Really?" Qin Shao You calmed down and picked up the old ledger on the counter, saying calmly, "I forgot that you haven't demanded wages for nine hours. That's good, keep it up."

...

The next morning, after washing up, Qin Shao You went to the counter as usual to sit.

There would always be customers, and Qin Shao You gradually gained confidence. The recent idleness had made him develop a habit of dozing off at the counter. This wasn't because he was lazy, but because business was so slow that it was unbearable. Not dozing off would only add to his melancholy.

However, after half an incense stick, a loud and righteous shout interrupted Qin Shao You's dream.

"Qin Shou, Qin Shou, two bowls of porridge and a steamed bun."

Needless to say, the voice belonged to the old acquaintance Deng Jian. Qin Shao You was instantly furious. Was there no law? This was the capital, the best city, and he was eating my free porridge every day, thinking I was easy to bully?

He angrily raised his eyes and picked up the abacus... Hmm... Can an abacus be a weapon?

Deng Jian sat on a stool, leaned on the table, and greeted Qin Shao You, "Hey, Qin, you're up early. Come, bring two bowls of porridge first, I have something important to tell you."

...