“Fan Jianglin and Xu Maoxiu, it’s these few people.”
“…The house at Yudai Bridge was once inhabited by these people…”
“Now it’s occupied by Cheng Jiao-niang, the young lady from the Zhou family who has the ability to bring people back to life. She was the one who, when she first came to our shop and ate the ‘Passing Immortal’, was with the Chen family and came from Jiang-zhou…”
The manager flipped through the papers in his hands, connecting the pieces of information as he listened to Dou Qi speak.
“Boss, are you saying that Tai Ping Residence belongs to this Cheng Jiao-niang?” he asked.
Dou Qi spat.
“Impossible!” he said with a sneer, “It’s just a facade set up by the Zhou family. Cheng Jiao-niang has a secret technique of resurrection, and many people don’t dare to offend her because of her connections.”
He walked back and forth a few steps as he spoke.
“That’s why the old master of the Chen family spoke up for Tai Ping Residence at Puxiu Temple back then!” he said bitterly, clenching his fists and waving them. “How could I not have realized this? How could I not have thought of it? I knew the Zhou family wouldn’t miss this opportunity to get rich! They wouldn’t just let us off the hook like that! It turns out they’ve been plotting behind the scenes for so long!”
The manager nodded as well.
“Boss, look here. It says that the ‘eat-as-you-please’ originally came from Tai Ping Residence!” he exclaimed, pointing at the paper.
Dou Qi had naturally already seen it, but hearing it again made his face turn a shade of iron-grey.
“Deceptive! Shameless! Despicable scoundrels!” he ground his teeth and cursed, one word at a time.
The manager finished reading and put down the paper, still a bit dazed.
It’s actually the Zhou family!
So, they started plotting against Immortal’s Abode after that meeting?
It turns out that Secretariat Editor Liu’s reputation didn’t intimidate them…
“People will take risks for money,” Dou Qi gritted his teeth and said, “Especially since they think with Cheng Jiao-niang on their side, they have a powerful backing. That’s why they don’t take Grandfather seriously.”
The manager nodded.
“Indeed, they have that support,” he said.
With that resurrection technique in hand, many families would indeed hesitate to offend them—after all, no one wants to die.
Dou Qi sneered.
“They can play dirty. Why can’t I?” he said. “The Zhou family could kill someone under the pretense of stealing the secret recipe for Tai Ping Tofu and still claim justice. Can’t I stand on the side of righteousness to deal with them too? If righteousness is the ultimate principle, well, he shouldn’t forget—he’s an official!”
He reached out.
“Give me these things,” he said, “I’m going to find Grandfather.”
The manager quickly complied, handing over the papers, and watched as Dou Qi turned to leave. He quickly called after him.
“Boss, aren’t you taking some money with you?” he asked.
Secretariat Editor Liu was not easy to see, and every time he did, it felt like skin was being peeled off.
Dou Qi sneered, shaking the paper in his hand.
“Sometimes, reputation is more important than money,” he said. “Without reputation, how can you make money?”
The fact that the Zhou family had dared to scheme against the Immortal’s Abode, fully aware of Secretariat Editor Liu’s influence, showed they hadn’t held him in the slightest regard.
If they had let the Zhou family succeed this time, it would have been tantamount to allowing them to slap Secretariat Editor Liu’s backside. If they could slap his backside today, who was to say they wouldn’t have dared to slap his face tomorrow? If the Zhou family had gotten away with this, others would have naturally been tempted to try the same.
If the Zhou family had prevailed this time, Secretariat Editor Liu’s authority would surely have suffered a heavy blow. After that, collecting bribes and commanding respect wouldn’t have been so easy anymore.
This time, it wasn’t just Dou Qi who had suffered a hidden loss—Secretariat Editor Liu had too.
To suffer a wrong and not seek vengeance is to be less than a man. Why even bother sending bribes now?
“Just you wait, Guide General!” Dou Qi growled through clenched teeth.
The summer heat was scorching, yet Master Zhou, far away in Jiang-zhou, couldn’t suppress a sudden sneeze.
He rubbed his nose.
What’s going on these days? he wondered. Always sneezing and shivering—is someone talking behind my back?
Who else but the Zhou family? For nearly a month now, they’d been tearing him apart behind closed doors.
As if I should fear them!
“Feeling unwell? You ought to rest more—don’t wear yourself out,” First Master Cheng chimed in at once, his tone laced with mock concern.
Master Zhou snorted and straightened his posture.
“We both know exactly what kind of scoundrel that girl’s father is, First Master Cheng. Must we keep up this tiresome charade?” he retorted. “If we can’t settle this, then let’s cut the knot clean—take it to the magistrate.”
First Madam Cheng gave a light laugh.
“Master Zhou, why resort to such extremes? Everyone makes oversights. If we’ve slipped up this time, who’s to say your family won’t as well?” she said smoothly. “Rather than face complications later, why not take care to choose more… meticulously?”
“Meticulously? What could you possibly select?” Master Zhou scoffed, his brows sharp with disdain. “Even if I were blind, I’d never pick some lovesick scholar mooning over a brothel dancer for my Jiao-niang!”
The Cheng couple remained unflinching.
“How can one know without seeing for oneself?” they replied in unison.
As they were speaking, a maid entered from outside.
“Madam, Madam Wang from Ting-zhou has arrived,” she announced.
The Wang family of Ting-zhou was First Madam Cheng’s maternal family, and this Madam Wang was her younger brother’s wife.
Why has she come so suddenly without any prior notice?
First Madam Cheng was surprised—but when she met Madam Wang, she realized it wasn’t just surprise she felt, but outright shock.
“What did you say?” She nearly leapt to her feet, staring in disbelief at the composed woman before her.
The woman had a round face, delicate arched brows, and phoenix-like eyes, adorned lavishly in gold and silver.
“Sister,” she said with a smile, as if discussing some trivial matter, “I’m here to propose a marriage between my son and your Jiao-niang.” She seemed entirely unfazed by First Madam Cheng’s horrified reaction.
“Have you lost your mind?!” First Madam Cheng snapped, finally snapping out of her shock and immediately grasping the situation. “Indulging him in food, drink, and idle pleasures is one thing—but how can you treat marriage as a joke?!”
“He likes her,” Madam Wang replied breezily, as if it were the simplest thing in the world.
“He likes her?! If he liked killing, would you let him kill too?!” First Madam Cheng spat, her voice trembling with fury.
“Well, fortunately, what he likes isn’t killing,” Madam Wang said with a laugh. “But if we deny him this, who knows? He might just be driven to it.”
First Madam Cheng was speechless.
She had always known her younger brother and his wife spoiled their youngest son—she had spoiled him too—but never had she imagined it would go this far.
“She’s a fool! A half-wit!” she hissed. “The Wang family, marrying a fool—have you no regard for our dignity?!”
“Sister,” Madam Wang said, still smiling with infuriating nonchalance, “since when has the Wang family’s dignity ever been at the mercy of gossip? I’ve seen the portrait, and my son has told me all about her. She doesn’t seem the least bit foolish—just quiet and well-mannered. Think of it as buying a decorative trinket to put on display. It’s not as if we’re counting on her to carry on the family line.”
“Quiet and well-mannered—just to put on display?” First Madam Cheng let out a cold laugh. “That fool is a walking curse! Wherever she goes, misfortune follows—chaos, bad luck, nothing but trouble!”
“Let’s be frank—if my son throws a tantrum, that’s when real chaos breaks out at home!” Madam Wang rapped her fan against the tea table for emphasis. “All I want is peace and quiet. He just wants a novelty—it’s not like this is forever. When the time comes, we can stash her away somewhere. What’s the harm?”
First Madam Cheng stared at her sister-in-law, suddenly at a loss for words.
“I laughed at Second Master’s family for their folly, and now here I am, no better,” she said, her anger twisting into bitter amusement.
Madam Wang chuckled too.
“How can the Peng family even compare to ours?” she said, lazily fanning herself. “Forget status—there’s one thing alone that puts them to shame, and I’ll say it outright.”
First Madam Cheng fixed her with a stare, waiting to hear what outrageous words would come next.
“Aren’t the Pengs just coveting that girl’s dowry?” Madam Wang smiled faintly, gently waving her round fan. “And isn’t the Zhou family equally eyeing that dowry? Well, it’s simple then—for this marriage, our family wants only the bride, not the dowry.”
Only the bride, not the dowry!
First Madam Cheng’s eyes widened in shock once again.
