Chapter 5

With the Zhou family's affairs weighing heavily on his mind, Qin Shaoyou always felt as if his tavern was being watched by something unseen. He feared not the thief who steals but the thief who covets. Under this sense of crisis, Qin Shaoyou decided to quickly get his business up and running, earn money, and pay off all his debts to avoid any future troubles.

Now, he had only the tavern to rely on. As for Qin Shou... this elder cousin was unreliable. He could add flowers to brocade, but one couldn't count on him to bring coal in the snow.

In his bedroom, there were many boxes of books. Flipping through them, Qin Shaoyou saw rows of tiny characters. Surrounded by the scent of books, he thought of the former fool who had written his reading reflections here, the dim oil lamp, and the pale, frail youth who always locked himself in this room, reading tirelessly every day, all for the sake of bringing glory to the family.

Qin Shaoyou shook his head. That person lived in his own world, pursuing something far too grand. As for himself... he ultimately had to face reality. He closed the book, feeling somewhat influenced by the sentiments within, and began to secretly resent. If the one who inscribed the plaque was not the Prince of Dai, and if the crown prince had become the emperor, perhaps he would have had a real chance to secure a position. At least, compared to the former bookworm, he would have had a shortcut. The more he thought about it, the more restless he became. He wanted to be an official, to rise to prominence. All talk of indifference to fame and fortune was nonsense. He was just one step away from success, but it was snatched away.

My heart, why does it ache so much?

Alright, back to reality. Running the tavern was the way forward.

The Ruchun Tavern opened as usual, but... the situation was a bit dire.

For the whole day, Qin Shaoyou stood lazily behind the counter, while Qin Shou half-heartedly wiped the already spotless tables and chairs.

Because... there were no customers.

Indeed, the people of Luoyang passed by the tavern as if they had seen a fly, quickening their steps. Occasionally, a group of merchants from other places would come, but they would run away after taking a look inside.

At noon, with not a single customer, how could the outsiders dare to come in? Even if Qin Shaoyou put on an innocent face, almost making a V sign on his face to act cute and silly, people still avoided him.

"This won't do."

Qin Shaoyou squinted his eyes. Having lived two lives, he didn't believe he couldn't solve this problem.

It was only in the evening that someone came.

The man's face was ashen. Based on his memory, Qin Shaoyou vaguely recognized him as the Zhou family's manager. When his father was alive, the Zhou family and his father had a good relationship as fellow tavern owners. However, once his father died, the other side turned their back. The manager glanced at Qin Shaoyou and said in a cold, official tone, "Young Master Qin..."

Qin Shaoyou, seeing his ill intentions, still put on a good show, bowing and saying, "Uncle Liu."

Uncle Liu's real name was Liu Yang, a failed scholar who later managed the Zhou family's accounts. As the Zhou family's business grew, he became a trusted confidant of the Zhou family patriarch. His attitude remained cold, but he said, "I am here to deliver a message. You owe a lot of silver, nearly ninety taels. Now, this debt has been transferred to our lord. Since you are not good at business, you should sell the tavern to our lord. Our lord was an old acquaintance of your father and will find a place for you to stay."

Sure enough, they had come to the point.

Qin Shaoyou said, "Debts must be repaid, that is only right. When I earn the silver, I will repay it."

Liu Yang stroked his goatee and sneered, "Your Ruchun Tavern's business has already plummeted. Look around, are there any customers? You are not cut out for business and cannot support this family. Why insist on a dead end? Lord Zhou wants you to repay the debt by tomorrow. If you can't, the tavern will be seized."

Qin Shaoyou thought, they were indeed well-calculated. Now, with the written debt, they were demanding repayment, clearly eager.

Seeing Liu Yang's aggressive stance, Qin Shaoyou pretended to be naive and said, "You want to take over my family's business, don't you, for that plaque?"

"What... you are lying," Liu Yang couldn't help but shout.

In fact, that was just a test from Qin Shaoyou. Liu Yang's overreaction immediately confirmed his suspicions. All their schemes were for that plaque. The crown prince... sudden death... the inscription... the Zhou family... these things gave Qin Shaoyou a clue, but he hadn't yet figured out the specifics.

Qin Shaoyou said seriously, "Whether I am lying or not, you know in your hearts. You want to collect the debt? I can sell the tavern to repay it, but the plaque belongs to the Qin family. If you take me to court tomorrow, I will take the plaque and leave. In the end, you will get nothing. If you don't believe me, try it. We'll see each other in court tomorrow."

This guy's confidence made Liu Yang feel unprepared.

He thought this fool would be easy to bully, but this person had some cunning. One wrong move, and the other side saw through his plans, putting him on the defensive.

The Zhou family's real goal was indeed the plaque. The tavern was just an added bonus. The real target was the plaque.

Now that Qin Shaoyou had said it to his face, threatening to take the plaque and leave, wouldn't all the Zhou family's schemes be in vain?

Liu Yang's face was full of doubt, but he used a cold laugh to hide his panic.

Unexpectedly, Qin Shaoyou smiled and said, "However, since you like the plaque, and I want to try again, if you give me a month, and I earn the silver and repay the debt, then it's just bad luck for Lord Zhou. But if I am unlucky and still can't repay, I will sell the tavern to you, and the plaque will be the interest. How about that?"

Liu Yang's face darkened. He hadn't expected this bookworm to be so shrewd, putting him on the defensive. The conditions Qin Shaoyou proposed were reasonable, and he couldn't help but nod, "Alright, I will talk to my lord. Don't go back on your word."

Liu Yang had no intention of staying and left with a flick of his sleeve.

Watching Liu Yang leave, a question formed in Qin Shaoyou's mind. If the Zhou family's goal was indeed the plaque, what was its use?

Thinking about this, Qin Shaoyou decided to investigate.

However, the biggest problem at the moment was still earning money to repay the debt. If the business didn't pick up, the plaque would be lost, and what use would it have?

The biggest issue with the tavern now was that it was in a vicious cycle. The fewer customers there were, the more people were afraid to eat there, and the fewer people who ate there, the more others were afraid to come.

Thus, Qin Shaoyou decided to use some special tactics.

...

"Wow... the food here is so delicious! I've never tasted such a delicious meal in my life, wow..."

Early in the morning, a loud voice almost shook the roof of the tavern. The deafening noise pierced the sky.

Sitting there eating was a man in his early twenties, broad-shouldered and muscular, eating heartily and occasionally roaring.

This man was named Deng Jian, a helper Qin Shaoyou had asked Qin Shou to bring in. Although he wasn't paid, he was promised free meals. Yes, he was a plant.

Qin Shaoyou was extremely dissatisfied with this guy. His eardrums were already suffering, and he quickly approached, saying with deep concern, "Brother Deng, you are being too exaggerated. Are you trying to attract customers or drive them away? I asked you to come, not to be so superficial. An actor's self-cultivation comes from within..."

Deng Jian grunted as he ate, looking at Qin Shaoyou with a sly eye and saying, "What are you talking about? It's really that good. Qin Shou asked me to come and shout, and my throat is already sore. What more do you want?"

Qin Shaoyou was furious but still tried to reason with him, saying earnestly, "Be more subtle. And don't shout so much. People might think this is a black market. Show some class, and you will attract customers. Brother Deng, try a few times, don't rush, take it slowly."

Deng Jian, his mouth full of food, mumbled, "I am what I am. What can you do?"

Qin Shaoyou was furious and stretched out his hand, "Pay up, you've eaten so much, give me the money."

Deng Jian sneered and said slowly, "I am a hero of Luoyang, I never pay for my meals."

A hero...

Qin Shaoyou's eyes widened. This was a gangster.

He quickly pulled Qin Shou aside and whispered, "What's the deal with this Deng? Is he a street thug?"

Qin Shou smiled bitterly, "Cousin, you said you needed a plant. In Luoyang, who else would do this but a lowlife?"

You've really done it now.

Qin Shaoyou felt like crying. His luck was bad. He had to go back to Deng Jian and say, "Brother Deng..."

Deng Jian, fearing Qin Shaoyou would ask for money again, glared and shouted, "What do you want? I've eaten your food, and I enjoyed it. I will come back often. You want money? I have no money, but I have a life!"

"..."

Qin Shaoyou wanted to grab his ears and bite his neck, but he was no match for the guy, and he noticed something bulging in his waist. Was it a weapon?

Seeing Qin Shaoyou's stunned look, Deng Jian felt a pang of conscience, crossed his legs, and picked his toenails, comforting Qin Shaoyou, "Young Master Qin, I know you are a scholar, and I respect scholars. Do I bully you? Today, you invited me to eat, and your food is really delicious. I will remember your kindness. If you had turned on me, I would have cut you, but you are different. I will come back to eat. Scholars say, 'draining the pond to catch the fish.' If I hurt you, where would I get my meals? The teahouse owner at the end of the street, Wang, do you know him? I only ate a few cakes and drank a few pots of tea, and he said bad things about me behind my back. I didn't hesitate and beat him up. Now, he greets me with a smile. Later, we became friends. The more I beat him, the closer I got to him. This way, others see that I am not a bad person, but very loyal."

This Deng, inside and out, was a threat. Qin Shaoyou's face was pale at first, but then his eyes sparkled, "What did you say just now?"

"I said I am not a bad person..."

"No, no, the sentence before that."

"The more I beat him, the closer I got to him."

Qin Shaoyou's body trembled, and he was stunned.

He felt like he had gone crazy, suddenly understanding.

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