The banquet ended with hosts and guests alike thoroughly pleased!
With a ten-percent stake that required no investment, Liu Cheng was in high spirits and drank a few extra cups. Once outside, he draped an arm over Wang Gang's shoulders and thumped his chest, promising that from now on, the Drunken Immortal Tower's affairs would be his affairs.
Smiling, Wang Gang handed him over to Lei Kun. "The county vice magistrate is delighted to see the businesses under his jurisdiction flourishing. He has pledged to safeguard the people's livelihoods!"
"Yes, yes, I understand!" Lei Kun took the drunken Liu Cheng, then suddenly paused. Something pressed against his palm. With his practiced touch, he felt it and knew it was a money pouch, and his smile immediately grew even warmer.
"With such insight, Provincial Graduate Wang is sure to place highly when he goes to the capital next year. The people under your rule will surely be blessed one day!"
Wang Gang froze briefly. Provincial graduate? They hardly use that term in Great Song. After all, that status is only good for one attempt. Still, he accepted the compliment with a smile.
After watching the two leave, Wang Yi came over and said, "He's only a county vice magistrate. Isn't a ten-percent stake a bit much?"
Wang Gang smiled. "Money sitting in your hands is nothing but scrap copper and iron. It only has value when you spend it!
"If anyone grows envious of the Drunken Immortal Tower later and tries to use official channels, they'll have to go through him. At the very least, he can tip us off, so we won't be schemed against without even knowing who did it!"
Wang Yi asked again, "Then if we're buying him off, why send someone to scare him? Why not just pay him directly?"
"Seek peace through struggle, and peace will come. Seek peace through compromise, and peace will perish!" Wang Gang finished with a smile, then turned and went inside.
"What does that mean?" Wang Yi looked at Wang Zhong in bewilderment.
Wang Zhong said, "Think about it. If we'd approached him about cooperating yesterday, would he have agreed?"
"No!" Wang Yi shook his head decisively, then thought for a moment and added, "Even if he had, he would've opened his lion's maw and demanded a fortune!"
"Then why did he agree so readily today?"
The moment Wang Zhong finished, Wang Yi let out an "Oh!" in sudden understanding and said excitedly, "So first you scare him, tell him you can kill him whenever you want. Then, once he's frightened and wants to beg for mercy, you talk cooperation, and he'll agree!"
"That's more or less it!"
Wang Zhong patted his shoulder and was about to enter when he looked up and saw the courtesan queen sitting across from Wang Gang. He turned around, grabbed Wang Yi, and left.
Watching the courtesan queen whisk tea before him, Wang Gang could not help thinking of the little maid at home with hills and valleys upon her chest. Their tea-whisking techniques differed, but both were equally beautiful.
That girl's name seems to be... Ping'er. "Flat" really doesn't suit her! At the thought, the corners of his mouth unconsciously curved into a faint smile.
"Did someone come to mind, young master?" Qinghe set a cup of tea before Wang Gang.
"No one in particular. A maid at home. She's quite skilled with tea!"
Wang Gang lifted the cup and took a sip, feeling rather wistful. In later times, he had dearly missed the whisked tea and ground tea of this era, yet now that he had returned, he found the green and black teas of that age quite appealing.
People never seemed to know contentment!
"May I have a share in the business you discussed today, young master? I can invest!"
Qinghe's words drew Wang Gang out of his thoughts. He looked in surprise at this courtesan queen renowned far and wide for her beauty. "What made you think of going into business?"
Qinghe shook her head. "I don't want to go into business. I just think your business will make money."
"Are you short of money?" Wang Gang was puzzled. If she lacked money, plenty of people would rush to give it to her.
"Who isn't short of money?" Qinghe smiled. "Even if I'm not now, there's no telling what the future holds."
Understanding dawned on Wang Gang. "You're making plans for leaving the Spring Breeze Pavilion!"
"Yes. People like us mostly seem to meet unhappy ends!" A trace of sorrow surfaced on Qinghe's face, as though she were recalling something.
Wang Gang fell silent. The background of brothel women doomed them to their fate!
A woman with no one to rely on could not survive in this world. If they moved elsewhere, concealed their identities, and married ordinary men, they themselves would be unable to bear such poverty and hardship.
If they married into powerful households as concubines, they would still only be lowly concubines, perhaps beneath even a maid with some standing. If they encountered a formidable mistress, even their survival would be uncertain.
It was a gamble, staking their fortunes and lives on one person's character. Yet those of genuinely good character were almost impossible for them to meet. To marry a merchant when their youth had faded already counted as a good outcome.
"We can work together, but not on this business!" The Drunken Immortal Tower's business had already taken shape. He had no reason to bring in a partner who could offer little help.
Disappointment flashed across Qinghe's face, but hearing the implication in Wang Gang's words, she asked, "Then what other business could we do?"
"That depends on what advantages you have." Wang Gang looked at her playfully.
Qinghe grew somewhat awkward. Since she wanted a partnership, she did not want to remain too entangled with the brothel, but aside from those things, what advantages did she have? Only after a long while did she squeeze out, "I'm pretty... does that count...?"
"It does!"
"Ah! That counts as an advantage too?"
"Of course it does!" Wang Gang smiled. "Looks are a resource too. You're beautiful, and I'm hand-"
"Pfft..." Qinghe burst out laughing.
"What are you laughing at? Am I not handsome enough?" Wang Gang frowned in displeasure. "Forget it. Let's not do business. I don't partner with dishonest people!"
"Heeheehee..." Qinghe laughed even harder, waving her hands repeatedly as she laughed. "I've just... never seen a man... praise his own looks."
"If you have good looks and don't show them off, wouldn't that let your parents' efforts go to waste?"
"I've only heard that the more people lack something, the more they like to show it off!"
Wang Gang nodded, finding that reasonable. Wang Zhong, for instance, loved talking about how he swept all before him at the Spring Breeze Pavilion, when in reality... hehe...
Murong Bo, for instance, put on the air of the master of his household in public, when in reality... hehe...
And then there was himself...
Wang Gang flew into a rage. "What sort of twisted nonsense is that!"
Wang Gang did have ideas about Qinghe's request to work together. The easiest money in the world came from women's business.
Peddle some anxiety over appearances, produce a few cosmetics, and have Qinghe advertise them. Wouldn't money flow into his home like water?
With money, he could help more people, and then his Reputation Points would shoot up, making him stronger! A mere Ding Chunqiu... hehe... right in the palm of his hand!
A partner was necessary, though. He could run a business now, but if he really passed the examinations next year and received an official appointment, he would inevitably be accused of competing with the people for profit if he continued handling such matters himself.
As Wang Gang pondered the future, he realized he still had much to do. He could not delay dealing with the shops any longer!
The next day, Wang Gang struck again, investigating and taking action against another shop amid the shopkeepers' fear and uncertainty.
Then Wang Gang told everyone with a beaming smile that there would be no third chance! Now all the shopkeepers panicked. They knew their young master was no bookworm ignorant of worldly matters. On the contrary, his methods were devious, utterly defying convention.
Wang Gui hurried to the county offices as well, only to emerge shortly afterward with a gloomy face.
"What did County Vice Magistrate Liu say?"
"He wouldn't see me!"
"How could this happen?"
"The Wang family must have asked someone to mediate, and he's sold us out!"
"Then... what do we do?"
"What do we do? What else can we do? We fight him! If he won't let us live well, he needn't dream of staying alive either!" Wang Gui gritted his teeth.
The other two exchanged a glance. One gave an awkward smile. "Surely it needn't come to that. Didn't he say he'd let bygones be bygones if we paid back the silver? Why don't we..."
"Shut up! You want me to wag my tail and beg that brat for mercy?" Wang Gui looked at them. "We can be dogs for the Wang family, but must our children be like us too? After they study, pass the imperial examinations, and become officials, must people still mock them as the Wang family's slaves?"
The two looked at each other and gritted their teeth. "Then what do you want to do?"
Wang Cai looked toward the county offices and said in a low, eerie voice, "Since official channels won't work, we'll take the outlaw route!"
"You mean..."
"I know people in the Fish-Dragon Gang!"
"This... surely it hasn't come to that..."
"Listen! This is our only chance now! Once Wang Gang dies, we win the whole game!"
His face twisted as though possessed, Wang Gui gritted his teeth. "When paths narrow, the brave prevail!"