Chapter 131: Guests from the North

Fang Yiming emerged from his father’s room with a sneer curling his lips. In this family, his grandfather was the only one with true capability, strategy, and resolve; as for his father, to be honest, he held little respect for him. He possessed no real foresight, yet insisted on mimicking his grandfather’s methods, only to end up making matters worse every time.

Take the situation with Qiongjiang, for instance. If it were up to him, he would have marched over to that tiny tavern and smashed it to pieces. Would they have dared to fight back? They would have fled in disgrace long ago. How had things reached this current state? Now, Qiongjiang’s reputation had soared, and it was rumored that both the Liu estate and the Earl of Huaiyang were protecting it. What could he do now? Even if he discovered who the owner was, they were already on their guard, making it difficult to strike openly or covertly.

Fortunately, his grandfather had a clear head and had bypassed his son to place Hongxing under his own management. If it had been left to his father, he feared it would have been ruined just like the Zuichun Pavilion. Thinking of his grandfather’s high regard for him, Fang Yiming let out a long breath, a sense of pride swelling within him. If he weren't holding things together for the first branch, they would have long been pushed into obscurity by his second uncle and the others.

Instead of returning to the backyard, he headed straight out of the estate toward Hongxing Tavern.

Manager Liu of the Changsheng Restaurant watched Fang Yiming saunter past his entrance, so filled with hatred that he spat into a nearby flowerpot, yet he remained utterly helpless. For days now, two "gate gods" had been stationed at the entrance of Changsheng Restaurant. Whenever a potential customer approached, one of the men would rush forward and collide with them. Not only would they knock the person down and injure them, but they would also spew insults, claiming the customer was blind and demanding compensation for medical expenses. If anyone tried to reason with them, they would raise their fists and attack. After several customers were injured, word spread quickly. Who would dare enter the shop now, unless they had a death wish?

When Manager Liu and his staff tried to confront the two men, the ruffians were even more arrogant. With a glare, they would bark, "What’s the problem? The inside of the shop is your territory, but did you buy the space outside too? Can’t we two brothers rest our feet here? Damn it, I don't believe in bad luck; we’re staying right here. What can you do about it?" A moment later, their fists would be flying again.

Fearing a fatality, Manager Liu had no choice but to swallow his anger. He knew full well that these two were sent by Fang Yiming to squeeze him out and drive him away. Business had grown increasingly thin, and now, there was practically none at all. He had sent a letter to the owner in the Imperial Capital; perhaps by the time the reply arrived in a couple of months, it would be time for him to leave.

A small restaurant—if it closed, it closed. The owner might not care much, but it was different for Manager Liu. He had poured his heart and soul into this place, consuming half his life. Sometimes, he felt as if it were his own child. He truly did not want to lose it like this.

At the thought of half a lifetime of hard work vanishing, a surge of blood rose to his throat, choking him—neither coming up nor going down. His face turned deep red, and he nearly collapsed, saved only by a waiter who caught him just in time. "Manager, don't worry, there will be a way," the waiter consoled him.

*There will be a way.* A glimmer of hope flickered in Manager Liu's eyes.

Time flew, and in the blink of an eye, it was October. Qiongjiang remained packed with guests. Even before the lunch hour, the main hall was half-full, the din of laughter and conversation audible half a street away. A new group arrived at the entrance—nearly a dozen people, old and young alike.

"Manager, do you have any private rooms?" the middle-aged man in the lead asked.

Datong, the second manager, hurried over to greet them. He apologized, explaining that the private rooms were already booked, and cordially invited them to sit in the hall. The man looked at an elder in the group, and seeing the elder nod, he followed the waiter to a table on the east side. The large round table was just enough to accommodate them all.

They ordered wine and food, chatting in their local dialect as they ate. Although the nearby diners could not understand what they were saying, they knew these were merchants from the north. Just as they were in the middle of their meal, two people stepped out from behind a curtain in the corner. One was a young master in his teens, remarkably handsome, with long, slender, glistening peach-blossom eyes. Even the servant behind him was upright and handsome.

The merchants, seasoned travelers who had seen much of the world, couldn't help but admire the fine appearance of this master and servant. The young master stared at them blankly for a moment before walking straight up to their table and bowing. "Greetings, uncles. Might you be from Jing County?"

The young master’s accent was remarkably similar to their own. A young man in his early twenties in the group exclaimed in surprise, "Uncle Xu, he speaks just like us!"

Uncle Xu, the elder the middle-aged man had looked to earlier, nodded. He set down his chopsticks and smiled at the young master. "Indeed. Could it be that you, young man, are also from Jing County?"

A look of intense joy appeared on the young master’s face. "I came here a year ago, and this is the first time I’ve encountered people from home."

"It is fate that we met. If you don't mind, young man, why not sit and have a cup of wine with us?"

Someone made room, and the young master sat down without hesitation. After pouring a cup of wine, he asked, "Do you happen to know the Xu family of Jing County?"

"The Xu family? The one that made their fortune through dyeing?"

The young master nodded.

Uncle Xu pondered for a moment before speaking. "I had no dealings with the Xu family, but their affairs were widely discussed. I heard that at the end of the year before last, one of their merchant caravans went missing without a trace, resulting in heavy losses. Since then, they have fallen into decline. The old master passed away from illness after the blow, leaving behind a young master who knew nothing of business. Their household has crumbled day by day; now, they aren't even as well off as an ordinary family. Are you a relative of this Xu family?"

The young master’s brows furrowed, a look of sadness crossing his face. "My family is a distant relative of the Xu family. I didn't expect that Master Xu had... ah."

He sighed, poured Uncle Xu another drink, and asked, "Has Uncle heard if anyone from that caravan survived?"

Uncle Xu shook his head. "I haven't heard of any survivors. There shouldn't be any; if there were, word would have spread long ago."

The young master looked thoroughly disappointed. After sitting for a while longer, he rose to take his leave. When Uncle Xu and his party finished their meal and called for the manager to settle the bill, they were told that the young master had already paid for them. He even saw them to the door with great courtesy. The meal was worth at least eight or ten taels of silver; Uncle Xu was moved by the young man's generosity. He realized he had forgotten to ask for his name and silently committed the encounter to memory, hoping to meet again.

As for Fang Nuo, after leaving Qiongjiang, he remained distracted until he returned to the estate. He had not expected the old master to have passed away. In those years, the master had been quite kind to him and his father. Had it not been for the master’s patronage, his father would not have stayed to work for the Xu family, nor would he have been caught up in that tragedy.

Had his father truly returned? At that moment, Fang Nuo felt a longing to return to Jing County. A flock of wild geese flew overhead, heading south, but his heart drifted with the wind toward the north, floating all the way back to Jing County, back to that dilapidated little cottage. He could almost see his father sitting in the courtyard, hearing the gate creak open, and laughing, "Nuo'er, you're back."