Chapter Forty: When My Flowers Bloom, All Others Shall Perish

It was as if Jia Ping’an had composed a poem the moment he brought out the Dukang wine.

"Facing the wine, let us sing; how long is the life of man? Like the morning dew, the days gone by are many.
With generous heart and sorrow that is hard to forget, how can one dispel such melancholy? Only with Dukang!"

These thirty-two simple words were so incisive that Master Tong was left utterly astonished upon hearing them.

Master Tong was once the top scholar of the Xuan Kingdom, a rare talent produced by the entire nation only once every three years. It is often said that scholars tend to look down upon one another; for a master like him to truly acknowledge someone’s erudition was an incredibly difficult feat. Yet, Jia Ping’an had managed to do just that.

A single poem about wine was enough to win over Master Tong, leading him to regard Jia Ping’an as a kindred spirit.

If the poem was merely an appetizer, the story Jia Ping’an shared next—"Journey to the West"—thoroughly captivated Master Tong. The tales involving the Celestial Palace, Bodhisattvas, and the Buddha left the master unable to stop listening. Now, what he longed for most was to see Jia Ping’an appear before him to continue the saga.

"Brother An, come, sit. Tong Gui, serve the Hua tea."

Waving his hands, Master Tong looked visibly eager as he rose. Jia Ping’an smiled and strode forward, seating himself without ceremony. Thanks to his help, life in the Tong household had become much easier, and they could even afford to serve new tea to guests. Of course, this tea was also provided by Jia Ping’an, harvested from the tea trees within his secret space. He named it "Hua tea," signifying "Tea of China," both as a tribute and a remembrance of his past life.

Hardly had Jia Ping’an sat down when Master Tong eagerly asked for the continuation of the story. The previous chapter had left off with the Monkey King being pinned beneath the Five Elements Mountain, a cliffhanger that had driven the master to distraction.

"The story can wait for a moment. I have just returned from the Zhou Clan’s ginseng firm. The people I requested have arrived, and training begins tomorrow. I will need your assistance with them, Brother Tong," Jia Ping’an said, choosing to address his purpose for visiting rather than diving into the story.

"Understood, understood. Did I not promise you long ago? Once they arrive, I shall test their literacy. If any lack a foundation, I will teach them one by one," Master Tong replied, appearing somewhat impatient.

He could not fathom why a tavern required its employees to be literate; it was not as if they were being hired as accountants. Furthermore, he believed opening a tavern was a mistake—could such a business really be profitable? It would be better to spend that money on books and scholarship. How much better it would be to study! If there were a chance to earn a degree in the future, perhaps one could finally leave Ningguta. Even at the very least, one could teach students; if a student achieved success, the teacher would share in the honor.

He had voiced these concerns more than once, but Jia Ping’an was set on opening the tavern, so he eventually stopped trying to persuade him. After all, Brother An was still young; if he failed, it would merely be a waste of time—nothing more.

Master Tong agreed readily, but Jia Ping’an felt deeply moved. Although Tong Weixing was a disgraced official in exile, his status as a top scholar was genuine, and the proud integrity he possessed had never been broken. In Ningguta, countless families had offered vast sums to invite him to teach their children, only to be rejected the moment Tong saw the children and deemed them unworthy of his instruction. Yet now, because of a single word from Jia Ping’an, he was willing to teach people who held no official status—slaves. This gesture was a debt of gratitude of monumental proportions.

Moved by Master Tong’s support, Jia Ping’an wanted to treat him even better. Seeing how obsessed the master was with the story, he smiled and said, "Very well, I will tell you. But do not forget, you must also share these tales with the storytellers, and the story must make its debut in my tavern."

"Enough, you are young, why are you so long-winded? Just tell me, so I can pass it on to others," Tong Weixing urged, his impatience growing.

"Fine, fine. I will continue. Picking up where we left off, the Buddha transformed his five fingers into a great mountain to pin down Sun Wukong, and the Jade Emperor held a victory banquet in the Celestial Palace to honor the Buddha's achievement..."

***

At the Zheng family compound, the people Jia Ping’an had requested had arrived in Ningguta from Changdu. The Zheng clan received word the moment they entered the city, and the patriarch, Zheng Tianhai, immediately summoned his advisor, Zheng Yugong.

"Word has come from Tongheng. Jia Ping’an spent a total of 34,000 taels of silver to purchase these people and some fabric. I hear he paid for it with twelve stalks of top-grade ginseng. On top of that, he sold three more stalks to the Zhou firm, gaining 6,000 taels."

As soon as Zheng Yugong arrived, Zheng Tianhai relayed the news, his voice tinged with envy and jealousy. Zheng Yugong’s brows furrowed tightly. The fact that Jia Ping’an had produced fifteen more stalks of premium ginseng provoked his own jealousy. "Patriarch, has it been discovered where he finds such ginseng?"

"I asked Zheng Tongheng, but there is no definitive information," Zheng Tianhai said, shaking his head. He was clearly unaware of the white fox that helped find the ginseng.

"Could it just be blind luck? Even with good luck, one cannot squander resources like this. He has spent quite a fortune on this tavern, hasn't he?" Zheng Yugong muttered, unable to comprehend the situation.

"Quite a bit. If you add today's expenses, he has spent nearly 100,000 taels of silver," Zheng Tianhai replied, his brow still furrowed.

The most terrifying enemy is the one whose background you do not know and whose intentions you cannot discern. The ancients said, "When soldiers come, use a general to block; when water comes, use earth to cover." But if you cannot even figure out what someone is planning, how can you defend against them?

"Keep investigating. That person who follows Jia Ping’an, his name is Chang Chao, right? Start there and see if you can find any clues," Zheng Tianhai said, clearly unwilling to give up. He viewed Ningguta as his private preserve and would never allow anyone outside the Zheng clan to covet it or compete for his interests.

"I will handle this personally," Zheng Yugong said. Given the gravity of the situation, he did not trust anyone else; he believed his personal involvement would ensure a higher chance of success.

"Good, I trust your work." Seeing Zheng Yugong volunteer, Zheng Tianhai felt his anxiety ease. The Zheng clan’s current standing was in no small part due to Zheng Yugong. The man was sharp-witted, and Zheng Tianhai had already decided that when Zheng Yugong stepped down from his position as advisor, he would pass the mantle of patriarch to him.

***

At the General’s Mansion, the steward, Hu Shoufu, was reporting to Hu Buyun on the progress of Jia Ping’an’s tavern.

"Oh, so the people have arrived?" Hu Buyun asked with a smile.

Previously, Jia Ping’an had painted a grand picture for him: once the tavern was built, the monthly tax revenue would be substantial, significantly easing the financial burdens of the General’s Mansion. Hu Buyun had been skeptical. In his eyes, Jia Ping’an was merely lucky; with the help of a white fox, he had found enough ginseng to line his pockets. Even with such a spiritual creature, choosing to build a tavern instead of searching for more ginseng was putting the cart before the horse.

However, young people were often ambitious but impractical—it was understandable. Once the tavern failed and he lost his money, he would likely become sensible and return to the mountains to forage for ginseng. Ginseng was, after all, the most characteristic and profitable asset of Ningguta. Compared to that, opening a tavern was a reckless gamble. Still, since Jia Ping’an was determined, Hu Buyun saw no reason to stop him; if he lost money, it was not coming out of the General’s pocket.

"Keep an eye on things. By the way, if the tavern opens, notify me in advance. I should go and show my support," Hu Buyun said, not giving the matter much thought before turning to his other duties. With the New Year approaching, he had already obtained twenty stalks of eighty-year-old ginseng from Jia Ping’an, which were currently being sent to Changdu. He expected the Emperor would be pleased, and his position would be temporarily secured.

Jia Ping’an, indifferent to the skepticism of others, spent the night training in his secret space, feeling his strength grow even further. At dawn, he exited the space, ate breakfast, and took Chang Chao straight to the tavern.

He had long ago decided on the name: "The Third Tavern in the World."

As for why he chose that name, Jia Ping’an had his own reasons. For now, it was not the time to explain. He had asked Master Tong to write the calligraphy for the sign, as the former top scholar possessed an elegant hand. When Guo Tongfang saw the name, he remarked that it sounded a bit small-minded. Perhaps in his eyes, since the only existing establishments in Ningguta were the Zheng family’s Yuelai Tavern and the Hu family’s Huaicai Tavern, Jia Ping’an had chosen the name to avoid conflict.

But was that truly the case?

While he could delegate the writing of the sign and the tutoring of the slaves to Master Tong, some things required his personal touch: training the staff on their appearance and etiquette, and ensuring guests felt perfectly at ease. The intense competition in the food and beverage industry of his past life had spawned countless tricks and methods. As someone who had frequently been a guest of honor at such establishments, he had seen them all. He only needed to replicate them.

In short, "The Third Tavern in the World" might remain closed for now, but once it opened, the other taverns would do well to prepare for their own closure.