Chapter 599: Teahouse
“What’s there to prepare? Didn’t we already prep so much cargo before? Just load it up. If you guys want to trade, I asked for a few spots from Dad. I guarantee you’ll make a fortune.”
“You’re undercutting our own family to cover my shortfall…” Bai Suihe said.
“Sister, how can you say that? We’re all one family; whoever profits, it’s all the same. Besides, the Bai Family only holds a tiny share of the maritime trade over there.” Bai Jianbei pinched his fingers together, leaving only a tiny gap. “Those major families are too greedy and ruthless. We might as well play the game ourselves.”
“I’m afraid we can’t just play by ourselves either. Such a lucrative pie will be targeted sooner or later,” Bai Suihe replied. She didn’t want to get involved with those in the imperial court, but it was inevitable, unless they immediately left the continent of the Rong Dynasty.
How could that be possible? Giving up the prime lands chosen by their ancestors for some barren, inferior territories was out of the question. Her search for the New Continent was merely to secure a fallback option just in case; this place was their true root.
“Then what should we do? How about we move the shipyard to those islands? We can use small boats to go in and out.” Bai Jianbei was truly reluctant to let it go, even though he only held a small share in it. He thought it was better to keep the wealth within the family; why let outsiders profit?
“Relax, at least we are still safe for now. Let’s make a fortune first,” Bai Suihe comforted him. “Having stayed on the ship for so long, I want to take a walk in the county town. Do you want to go?”
“Of course! Staying in this little fishing village with Mother every day is so boring.
“I went to the county town with Mother a few days ago and saw the Gu Family from a distance. That’s why Mother sent someone to ask around. Oh right, remember to tell Kai Yuan about this in advance, lest they bump into each other without any preparation.”
Bai Suihe agreed to go back and pack a few things before setting off shortly. She turned and went to the shipyard. Gu Kaiyuan was now very dedicated to shipbuilding. The ships were being repeatedly improved to better serve future voyages.
Hearing that they had bumped into the Gu Family and that they had moved here to live, Gu Kaiyuan only froze for a moment before saying nonchalantly, “Even if you run into them, just ignore them. We have nothing to do with them anymore.”
“After all, Gu Baijiang raised you, and you previously promised to provide for him in his old age. I’m afraid this matter won’t blow over so easily,” Bai Suihe pointed out.
Gu Kaiyuan didn’t care in the slightest, his voice cold. “I did agree to provide for him. Later, I’ll ask around to see how other families with three brothers support their elderly parents. I’ll just follow those standard rules and be done with it.”
Seeing that he had a plan, Bai Suihe didn’t say much more. She went back to pack up, took Gu Xingyang, and met up with Bai Jianbei. Their carriage bumped and swayed all the way to the county town. They sent their subordinates to purchase the items needed for the day, and the two of them casually strolled down the main street.
Bai Jianbei, carrying Gu Xingyang, was now somewhat regretting it. Why had he agreed to come shopping with his sister? They had already walked down this street twice and entered every shop. Why were they doing it all over again?
Gu Xingyang didn’t have to exert any effort anyway. She leaned comfortably in her uncle’s embrace and communicated telepathically with Bai Suihe, “Mother, you’ve already compared prices at three or four places. Why haven’t you made a decision yet?”
“This is the joy of shopping.” In reality, Bai Suihe wasn’t comparing goods at all. She was just going stir-crazy from staying on the ship and smelling that fishy ocean scent every day. Now, she could only use this method to shake off that lingering sway of the sea. Therefore, with every step she took, she felt grounded and secure. She hoped they would load more cargo on the ship for their next voyage, so the vessel would be much steadier.
“But if you keep shopping, Uncle Jianbei won’t be able to hold out much longer.” Gu Xingyang still felt bad for him. She was quite chubby now, and even though her uncle practiced martial arts, he had started switching arms frequently. She couldn’t let him accidentally drop her.
“Alright then, let’s go sit at the teahouse ahead.” Bai Suihe turned a corner and walked into an adjacent alley. The signboard hanging outside had only one word on it: Tea.
Going inside, they saw that business was dismal. The Shopkeeper was slouched over a table, dozing off.
“Shopkeeper, serve a pot of good tea!” Bai Jianbei, who was about to be liberated from his burden, called out loudly. “I’m dying of thirst.”
Startled, the Shopkeeper jumped to his feet. The stool behind him crashed to the floor with a loud BANG, waking the other workers as well. Seeing customers arrive, the Shopkeeper hurriedly came over to greet them personally. “Would you like a private room, or will you sit down here?”
“Down here is fine.” Bai Jianbei took a look around. Since the place was empty, a private room would be no different from sitting in the main hall—it was as if they had booked the entire place anyway.
“Right this way, please.” The Shopkeeper led them to a table near the counter. “How is this spot?”
Bai Jianbei had already sat down with the child in his arms. “It’s fine. Serve us a pot of good tea.”
The Shopkeeper glanced at the servants waiting nearby and the guards standing at the door. Without another word, he went to prepare the order.
Bai Suihe took a look and said to Zisu, “You all find a place to sit and rest as well. Shopkeeper, serve them the same tea.”
The Shopkeeper’s face practically bloomed into a beaming smile as he readily agreed. This was a big order! He knew it—how could such noble folks mistreat their subordinates when they went out?
“Would you like some pastries as well?” the Shopkeeper asked, seizing the opportunity.
“Bring some out. Let’s see how they taste,” Bai Suihe replied.
“Right away, please wait a moment.” The Shopkeeper quickly ordered the only two waiters in the shop to get to work, while he personally helped pour the tea.
“Why is your business so slow?” Bai Jianbei asked casually. With such a large storefront, if it weren’t for their arrival, there wouldn’t even be a single mosquito in here. The teahouse had to be losing money hand over fist.
“Alas, there’s nothing I can do. I don’t know what’s going on these past two days, but a lot of unfamiliar faces have shown up in town. One look and you can tell they’re not to be trifled with. How could ordinary commoners dare to provoke them? Everyone is trying to hide at home.” The Shopkeeper was also worried. He relied on this shop to feed his family, so of course, he wished for a continuous stream of customers.
“How come we didn’t hear about this when we came before?” Bai Jianbei had visited the county town just a few days ago, and even today, he hadn’t noticed anything too unusual. There were fewer people, sure, but there were still pedestrians.
“They arrived just the night before last. I heard…” The Shopkeeper looked around and lowered his voice to continue. “The city gates were already closed that night. I don’t know what those people held in their hands, but the Government Officials guarding the gates actually opened up for them. As soon as they entered the city, they checked into the Changping Inn and drove all the existing guests out overnight. A few people tried to reason with them, only to be brutally beaten.”
“The County Magistrate didn’t intervene?” Bai Suihe felt this didn’t make sense. Chen Dafu was still in Lingnan at this time; the County Magistrate should at least put on a good show of maintaining order.
“Intervene? Someone did report it to the authorities at the time. Instead, they were accused of making a false report, beaten with wooden planks a few times, and thrown out.” Ordinary folks were already accustomed to such things, and he was afraid that saying too much would invite trouble. “If you don’t have any pressing matters, you should head back early after finishing your tea. It’s definitely not going to be peaceful these next few days.”