Chapter Twenty-five: Jia Ping'an Has Arrived

He had no idea why the situation had unfolded this way today, and he was even more perplexed as to why the people he had arranged for had yet to appear.

He desperately wanted to step outside to see what was going on, but as the manager of the Zhou Ginseng Shop, he could not leave his post. Every move he made was under the watchful eyes of others; even if he wanted to step out to orchestrate things, he couldn't find a suitable opportunity.

How could he possibly resort to staging a farce in front of everyone? Wouldn't he be the laughingstock of the town?

Unable to do anything, he had to wait. "Perhaps the people I arranged have encountered some emergency," he consoled himself.

After the music stopped, he signaled to Chanshi, who sat there playing the zither, for her to begin the fourth piece.

Chanshi, sitting at her instrument, was completely bewildered. This was not her first time performing at such an opening ceremony. Usually, once a piece ended, the ginseng seller would appear, the ginseng would be purchased at a price well above market rate, and everyone would leave satisfied.

But now, she was about to start the fourth piece. What on earth was going on?

When Zhou Cai had approached her, he had been very generous with his payment. By all accounts, the Zhou family shouldn't be short on funds. So where was the disconnect?

Chanshi could not figure it out, but upon receiving Zhou Cai’s signal, she moved her hands and began the fourth piece.

"Four songs now. Four songs."

The other guests invited to the main hall had observed everything, and finally, some began to whisper among themselves. The Zhou family were newcomers with deep backing, and precisely because of this, their every move attracted extra attention.

Some had speculated in private that the Zhou family’s arrival would threaten the interests of the Zheng family, and that the latter would not stand idly by. Others argued that the Zhou family’s connections were too formidable, and that the Zheng family would likely have to swallow their pride this time.

But now, the result seemed clear. The Zheng family was as audacious as ever; there was no doubt about it—the Zhou family was about to suffer a major loss and lose face in front of everyone.

At this moment, the crowd was watching with a "the bigger the spectacle, the better" attitude, eager to see how the Zhou family would climb down from this, or more accurately, how they would be humiliated.

Within the crowd, one person held a different view: Tong Weixing.

Master Tong also realized that someone was intentionally trying to embarrass the Zhou family. Compassionate by nature, he shifted uncomfortably, looking restless. After much deliberation, he seemed to reach a decision and turned to Guo Tongfang beside him. "Brother Guo, what if we..."

"Absolutely not." As if he had long anticipated what Tong Weixing intended, Guo Tongfang cut him off. "Never mind that you didn't bring that ginseng with you today; even if you had, once you brought it out, the Zhou family might save face, but how would the Zheng family view you? Do you think they would spare you?"

"This..." Tong Weixing hadn't considered that. His heart had simply softened, and he didn't want to see someone being bullied. Now, hearing Guo Tongfang put it this way, he immediately extinguished the thought.

It was true. This was Ningguta, where the Zheng family ruled like local emperors. If one offended them, would there be any good outcome?

Besides, that twenty-year-old ginseng root had been given to him by An-ge for the specific purpose of completing his task, not for him to play the hero.

The more he thought about it, the more impulsive his earlier idea seemed. Among the many people present, surely he wasn't the only one with ginseng? Why hadn't they brought it out?

Ultimately, it was because they didn't want to invite trouble. Helping the Zhou family while offending the Zheng family was simply not worth the cost. Never mind; the matter had nothing to do with him anyway. He would continue to remain a spectator.

Tong Weixing settled down. Everyone waited, waiting for the fourth piece to end, wondering if there would be a fifth. Given the circumstances, even if the music continued, it was unlikely anyone would come to sell ginseng. To go on would only deepen the humiliation.

At the head table, Zhou Wenbing, no matter how slow his reaction, could now see that someone was deliberately trying to make him look bad. He had his suspicions about who was behind it—either the Hu family or the Zheng family.

Perhaps after this, he would harbor deep resentment toward the culprit, but for now, his primary concern was how to survive this ordeal.

Being outmaneuvered was partly due to his own arrogance. He had believed that with his connection to Consort Xian, no one in Ningguta would dare refuse to give him face. Now, it was clear that was utter nonsense.

Since he had been outplayed, he had to think about how to end the matter. Making a scene in public was out of the question; blaming others for one's own incompetence was the mark of the weak.

If Zhou Wenbing did that, it would only make people look down on him even more. It was clearly inappropriate.

With no outlet for his anger, he had to endure it. After the fourth piece ended, he would simply declare the ceremony concluded. He would lose face today, that was certain. Since that was the case, it would be better to act with magnanimity. At least when people spoke of him, they would say that Zhou Wenbing was someone who knew how to lose with grace—the best outcome in a worst-case scenario.

Zhou Wenbing had made up his mind: act magnanimously and end this farce. But just then...

"Excuse me, let me through, please. A bit late, I'm afraid."

Among the crowd watching the spectacle outside the Zhou Ginseng Shop, two youths were pushing their way forward.

The Zheng family clansmen in the innermost circle noticed the commotion, and four or five young, burly men approached. But before they could intervene, the youth in the front took a bright red invitation from his chest and said, "I am here on behalf of my father. I apologize for the delay. May I pass? Thank you."

The youth finished speaking, and whether intentionally or not, he flashed a cheerful smile at the men pressing in on him.

He was actually a guest coming to attend the opening!

Looking at the youth, dressed in a fur coat and carrying an air of refined composure, the burly men exchanged glances, unsure of how to proceed.

"Young Master." Behind him, Chang Chao also tried to push forward, but was stopped by Jia Pingan, who was leading the way. "Wait for me outside. I’ll go in, show my face, and once I’ve fulfilled the courtesies, I’ll come right back out."

With those words, those who had considered stopping Jia Pingan—noticing he carried a parcel that looked quite substantial—felt relieved.

He was just a young master coming to offer his congratulations. Presumably, the contents of the parcel were a gift. If so, why block him?

If they accidentally acted too roughly and hurt the young master, the resulting trouble would be entirely unnecessary.

"Go on in," one of the men said first. As he spoke, the others stepped aside to open a path.

"Thank you, thank you," Jia Pingan said, bowing with his hands clasped, offering constant thanks as he smiled and walked straight into the Zhou Ginseng Shop.

"A guest arrives!"

Inside the shop, where everyone was waiting to see what decision Zhou Wenbing would make after the fourth piece, the voice of the doorman rang out.

A guest arriving at this juncture immediately drew everyone's attention.

According to etiquette, if one were invited, one should either decline or arrive early. But appearing at such a moment? What was that about?

Wondering who could be so ignorant of propriety, everyone turned their eyes toward the entrance. A youth appeared before them: lips red and teeth white, eyebrows as sharp as swords, a few strands of black hair falling over his temples, his face chiseled and angular, possessing a stunning, handsome appearance.

Jia Pingan had inherited the excellent looks of his parents; he was a truly handsome young man.

This hadn't been obvious before only because his frail health had masked it. Since the nourishment of the spirit spring, however, he had undergone a profound transformation from within, and coupled with his inner confidence, a bit of dressing up made him strikingly handsome.

It should be noted that Jia Pingan hadn't just returned from the mountain; he had arrived early and had already met with Chang Chao.

It was because he had met Chang Chao that he knew of the Zheng family’s petty schemes against the Zhou family.

Jia Pingan had left Chang Chao behind when he went to the mountain, and the man had lived up to expectations, spending his days in the marketplace and gathering quite a bit of useful information. When he finally saw his young master, he spilled everything.

Knowing the Zheng family's actions, Jia Pingan had deliberately avoided appearing at the Zhou Ginseng Shop at the very beginning.

If one were to appear as a savior, the timing had to be perfect.

One had to understand that helping people was a matter of nuance; how to gain benefits for oneself while also making the other party grateful was the most brilliant way to handle things.

Thus, Jia Pingan had arrived outside the shop long ago with Chang Chao, simply choosing not to join the crowd until he felt the timing was right. Now, he had appeared.

Jia Pingan’s appearance was indeed remarkable. His sudden arrival made many people’s eyes light up.

Even Chanshi, the girl playing the zither, missed a note due to his sudden appearance. "What a handsome youth—standing like a jade tree in a garden, smiling like a bright gem held in the palm of one's hand."

Chanshi had seen all kinds of men over the years, and had even interacted with many talented youths who came to Ningguta on official business, but for some reason, none of them could compare to the youth before her.

His handsome looks were one thing, but more importantly, there was an air of powerful, hidden self-confidence in his smile.