Saint Lord Taichu said to the owner of Spring Fragrance Teahouse, "There may be a competition next week. When the time comes, I'll provide free food for nearly everyone who comes to compete—free pastries, tea, roast duck, roast goose, and the beef flatbreads your teahouse makes best."
"When the time comes, I'll just come to you for them. I'm bringing you business, so what are you afraid of? Keep the shop open. Don't retreat the moment you run into a little difficulty."
The owner was naturally deeply comforted by Saint Lord Taichu's help. After all, so many customers came through the doors, but most of them simply ate their fill, patted their backsides, and left. They rarely spoke or interacted much with the owner.
Sometimes, they even mocked him behind his back, saying he had no talent for life.
If someone else said such things, it might not seem so bad. But when customers said them to the owner, wasn't that going too far? You were only here to eat. What right did you have to judge someone else?
If you were the one running this shop, you might not be able to do it as well as he did. It was better to show mercy where possible.
Saint Lord Taichu said to them, "What's there to be afraid of? As long as I'm around, this place will never go bankrupt."
"You need to understand that I hold competitions all the time. The people following me are basically always sticking close to me."
"As soon as I hold a competition, my demand for food is enormous. It's not something that can be bought with just a few hundred taels of silver, understand?"
"Besides, in the days ahead, you need to understand that the teahouses around here won't be able to