Glory

Seeing the uncle and niece, Manager Zheng quickly stepped forward to introduce them: "This is Master Wu, the proprietor of our Pin Ya Xuan."

After exchanging greetings, they took their seats as host and guests.

"I had gone to the countryside and rushed back upon receiving Manager Zheng's report," Master Wu explained with a chuckle.

"Haha, no trouble at all."

As a wealthy scion, Ye Hongrong was perfectly adept at social interactions. Moreover, when it came to smooth talking, he was far more glib than Ye Hongsheng. Having spent his time mingling with a crowd of wealthy, idle friends, he might not have excelled in much else, but he knew a great deal about all sorts of trivial matters.

If it came to casual chatter, he could keep someone engaged for half a day or even a full day without pause.

Master Wu exchanged a few words with him, partly to encourage them to promote the tea and partly to gauge Ye Hongrong's background.

Ye Hongrong did not disappoint—he was thoroughly familiar with all the major and minor affairs of Lin'an City. Although Master Wu had only visited Lin'an once and was unfamiliar with the place, Ye Hongrong's ease and confidence made it clear he wasn't making things up.

Ye Yaming remained composed. In her previous life, she had dealt with all kinds of people during business negotiations. She understood that Master Wu was wary of them being frauds and was using this method to assess their credibility.

However, Ye Hongrong grew impatient, especially since he knew Ye Yaming wasn't absolutely determined to secure this deal with Pin Ya Xuan.

"Master Wu, have you come for the Osmanthus Tea?" he asked.

Master Wu perked up. "Yes. I wonder if I might have a taste first."

Ye Hongrong raised his hand slightly, and Zan'er, understanding the gesture, began brewing tea for everyone.

This time, he used the tea set designed by Ye Yaming.

Master Wu and Manager Zheng, seeing this, also showed interest in the tea set. At Ye Yaming's signal, Zan'er explained the usage of the tea set to them.

"These tea sets were designed by my niece and are quite popular in the capital. We have a dedicated kiln producing high, medium, and low-end tea sets. If you're interested in selling them, you can place orders with us as well," Ye Hongrong said.

Master Wu inquired about the prices but then fell silent, focusing on tasting the Osmanthus Tea that Zan'er handed him. The flavor naturally left him deeply impressed.

"Has Wangjiang Tower purchased this tea from you?" he asked.

Ye Hongrong nodded. "They've placed a pre-order."

Without waiting for Master Wu to ask further, he continued, "Last year, this tea sold out in less than a month after its release. There's no stock available now—only pre-orders for next year. The capital has already placed substantial orders. This year, we plan to produce more, and since we happened to be passing through your area on business, we decided to offer it to you. However, the final supply will depend on the yield. It's not guaranteed that you'll be able to buy as much as you want."

He glanced at Manager Zheng. "So, the price is fixed. I assume Manager Zheng has already informed you? We don't accept bargaining."

Upon hearing this, Master Wu's smiling expression gradually darkened, and his brow furrowed.

"Before the two of you proceed with this business, it might be wise to inquire about the situation in Xin'an City," he said slowly. "I've heard that you intend to buy tea plantations in Huizhou? That makes sense—tea plantations in Lin'an are expensive, while they're much cheaper here. However, a powerful dragon is no match for a local serpent. Regardless of whether you can even purchase the plantations, obtaining tea from the Tea Monopoly Office after the purchase will depend entirely on whether the people of Xin'an agree to it."

Ye Hongrong's pupils contracted sharply, and he turned to look at Ye Yaming.They hadn't uttered a single word about purchasing tea mountains while at Pinya Pavilion. Later, when they went to Wangjiang Tower, because the owner and manager were relatively honest people and they needed to inquire about tea mountains, they mentioned it to them.

Yet, before the time it takes to drink a cup of tea had passed after leaving Wangjiang Tower, Master Wu arrived, already aware of the news about buying tea mountains.

It seemed this man had an informant inside Wangjiang Tower.

Moreover, from the tone of his words, was he a local bully? Did he have connections in the government?

"So, if I want to buy tea mountains in Huizhou, I need Master Wu's permission?" Ye Yaming asked with a faint, mocking smile.

Ye Yaming's sudden interjection didn't surprise Master Wu, but his expression grew even more arrogant. "Whether you can buy any or not, Miss Ye, you might as well try."

Seeing Ye Yaming fall silent, and Fourth Master Ye—who had become an outsider the moment his niece spoke—sitting there leisurely drinking tea as if he no longer had to worry about anything now that his niece was handling it, Master Wu decided to state his terms outright: "After you two have tried and still wish to buy tea mountains, I can help you acquire them at a very low price. The Tea Monopoly Office won't trouble you in the future, either."

"And the condition?" Ye Yaming asked.

Master Wu tapped his finger beside the tea cup. "The tea-making recipe for this Osmanthus Tea."

Seeing that Ye Yaming's expression didn't change in the slightest upon hearing this, and Ye Hongrong acted as if he hadn't understood, Master Wu frowned slightly.

He had set an exorbitant price, naturally leaving room for the other party to bargain.

He was determined to get the tea-making recipe, but besides the conditions he offered, he was also willing to pay some silver.

Yet the other side said nothing—not even the expected burst of anger—which left him baffled.

Just as he was puzzling over it, he heard Manager Zheng cough.

He turned to see the manager tilt his chin forward, as if signaling him to look at Ye Yaming. When he turned back, he saw Ye Yaming pick up her tea cup, holding it without drinking.

Was this... a gesture of seeing off a guest?

Were they actually dismissing him so directly?

A surge of anger rose in Master Wu's heart.

But after years in business, he had learned not to lose his temper easily.

If you got angry, you were the first to lose composure, putting yourself at a disadvantage. Remaining unruffled was the best way to gain the upper hand.

He said, "I've said all I need to say. It's getting late; I'll take my leave now."

With that, he stood and left.

Ye Hongrong saw him off with perfect courtesy all the way to the courtyard gate, waving cheerfully. "Take care, I won't see you further."

Master Wu had arrived by sedan chair. After he got in and traveled some distance, he instructed Manager Zheng, "Send someone to find out their background."

Back inside, the moment they left, Ye Yaming ordered Fang Xing, "Go to Wangjiang Tower and ask Master Li why Master Wu is so arrogant."

Since she was out on business, she naturally brought capable people along, so she had brought Fang Xing and another competent page.

As Fang Xing went out, he happened to see one of Master Wu's servants talking to an inn attendant. He narrowed his eyes, quietly moved behind a pillar, and tried to eavesdrop on their conversation.

The attendant said, "There are also two young masters; they've gone out."

"Do you know who they are? Where did they go?"

The attendant shook his head. "I don't know, sir."

Fang Xing retreated and reported the situation to Ye Yaming.

Ye Yaming said, "I understand."After seeing off Old Master Wu, Ye Hongrong returned and, upon hearing Fang Xing's words, asked Ye Yaming, "Ming'er, do you think he has some connection with the officials?"