Glory

Now he could commit the most heinous crimes, and the Gu family would face execution and confiscation of their property. Just thinking about the expressions on Madam Gu and her children's faces at that time made Gu Jie want to laugh out loud.

Yang Hong was naturally dissatisfied that Meng Chengwei did not sign the contract himself but instead pushed forward an unknown person to sign and fingerprint it. However, he did not dare to say anything. If he refused, Meng Chengwei could turn around and leave immediately.

By the time Ye Chongming received the message relayed by Song Dequan, Meng Chengwei was already drinking tea at the Yang family's teahouse.

"...I will return to the capital tomorrow. Make sure to act quickly on the matter I mentioned, Master Yang. Don’t worry—Gu Jie will remain in Lin’an. If anything comes up, just speak to him directly, and he will contact me," Meng Chengwei said.

"Understood, Master Meng," Yang Hong replied, feeling a surge of excitement.

Meng Chengwei had invested tens of thousands of taels of silver, allowing Yang Hong to contribute Jiangnan’s tea as his share. Although sharing these tea profits pained him greatly, with the Meng family’s support, he could acquire Crude Tea from the surrounding areas, and the Yang family’s business would grow larger and larger.

By next year, the position of Jiangnan Tea Guild leader should rightfully be his.

Just as he was about to pledge his loyalty to Meng Chengwei, his Page entered and signaled to him that something had happened in the teahouse.

Yang Hong’s heart sank.

Although he had already signed the contract with Gu Jie, Meng Chengwei’s representative, and the partnership was set in stone, Meng Chengwei’s impression of him would directly affect the level of support he received.

Meng Chengwei was returning to the capital tomorrow. During this critical time, nothing should go wrong that might sour Meng Chengwei’s opinion of the Yang family.

His mind raced as he tried to think of an excuse to step out and assess the situation when suddenly, commotion erupted from downstairs.

Meng Chengwei heard it too.

Frowning, he turned to Yang Hong. "What’s going on?"

Yang Tai, who was nearby, quickly explained to Meng Chengwei, "It’s probably a troublemaker causing a scene. Lately, a local ruffian has been frequenting teahouses and restaurants, ordering food, and then collapsing on the floor, claiming the food was poisoned and demanding compensation. Since he asks for small amounts, many managers prefer to settle with money to avoid trouble. This has only emboldened him."

With that, he stood up and cupped his hands respectfully toward Meng Chengwei. "Please continue enjoying your tea, Master Meng. I will go down and check."

But before he could take a step, Yang Hong’s expression changed, and Meng Chengwei’s face darkened as well.

The person downstairs was shouting loudly, his words clear and sharp. The name "Meng Chengwei" was repeated over and over, making it impossible for Yang Hong to pretend he hadn’t heard. The tone was filled with anger, clearly indicating that the person held a grudge against Meng Chengwei.

Yang Hong glanced at Meng Chengwei, wondering how this nobleman had provoked someone to the point of causing a public disturbance here.

Being called out by name and confronted so openly, Meng Chengwei could not simply hide upstairs like a coward.

He stood up and said, "Let’s go down and see." With that, he led the way out of the room.

The Yang family’s teahouse had been modeled after the Ye family’s teahouse. The third floor was reserved for the owners and managers to conduct business and rest. There was a private staircase at the back for their use, as well as a front staircase, allowing them to descend directly to handle matters without having to go around from the back.

While entertaining Meng Chengwei upstairs, Yang Hong had stationed attendants at both staircases to prevent guests from accidentally wandering up.

Now, as the door opened and Meng Chengwei strode out first, his attendants quickly gathered around him, forming a protective circle.A waiter standing at the stairway made a gesture behind his back toward Meng Chengwei and his party.

The man downstairs was speaking with great enthusiasm. Without the gatekeeper blocking him now, his voice became even clearer: "...Young Master Wang naturally refused to sell."

At this point, his voice suddenly paused, carrying a tone of anger: "Guess what happened afterward?"

The man was recounting something Meng Chengwei had done when he was fifteen. Thanks to the skillful buildup, the story was highly immersive and captivated everyone.

Seeing the man pause at the critical moment to create suspense, the crowd grew impatient and clamored: "How could I possibly guess what that deranged Meng Chengwei did? Stop holding back and tell us quickly!"

"Yeah, hurry up!"

"Oh, this Meng Chengwei is simply too wicked," someone else added.

Upstairs, Yang Hong listened with a face as dark as thunder.

Ever since Meng Chengwei arrived in Lin'an and Yang Hong learned of his identity, his son Yang Tai had attached himself to Meng Chengwei and kept tabs on his movements. Yang Hong knew full well that this Young Master Meng was an extremely disciplined man. During his stay at the inn, he either read books or practiced calligraphy, only visiting the teahouse during the day.

It was only after observing him for several days that Yang Hong had considered collaborating with Young Master Meng. Otherwise, if he were a fool or someone who loved stirring up trouble, Yang Hong would have to be tired of peaceful days to work with him.

Yet, for some reason, these tea guests were spouting nonsense, portraying Young Master Meng in such a despicable light, and they had chosen to do it in his teahouse, precisely when Meng Chengwei was present.

He said to Meng Chengwei, "Master Meng, wait here. I'll go seek justice for you." With that, he rolled up his sleeves and stormed downstairs in a rage.

Meng Chengwei had achieved success at a young age not only due to his cunning but also because of his strong-willed nature. He never shied away from trouble, preferring to resolve matters directly.

If Yang Hong intervened, he would likely say a few mild words and drive the man away, but Meng Chengwei's reputation would remain tarnished. Moreover, when the Yang family later reflected on the incident, they might suspect that Meng Chengwei truly was the ruthless man described by the storyteller.

Therefore, this matter could not be resolved by hiding behind Yang Hong's intervention.

With this in mind, Meng Chengwei followed Yang Hong downstairs.

The second floor was originally reserved for private rooms and usually had few patrons, as most preferred the lively atmosphere of the first-floor hall, where they could chat, drink tea, and listen to storytelling.

However, in the past two days, to demonstrate to Meng Chengwei that his business was more prosperous than Ye Jia's and to compete with the Gathering Fragrance Pavilion, which was thriving due to its Osmanthus Tea sales, Yang Hong had slashed all tea house expenses by half. This attracted more customers, and the second-floor private rooms were now quite occupied.

To make matters worse, the storyteller had an exceptionally loud voice, and his tales of Meng Chengwei's exploits in the capital were so dramatic and engaging that they surpassed the stories told by the first-floor storyteller. Patrons downstairs couldn't resist peeking up the staircase.

Eventually, they simply went up to the second floor to listen to the gossip, and the waiters couldn't stop them. Thus, the second floor was now just as bustling as the first.

Smack! At some point, the man had moved a table out and, mimicking the first-floor storyteller, slapped a fan onto the table, startling the audience and effectively capturing their attention.

"That scoundrel Meng Chengwei actually had Young Master Wang held down and dunked into a water vat..." he proclaimed in a resonant voice, his tone rising and falling in the manner of a professional storyteller.