Nanhe Street, Ming Yue Tea House.
It was still early at this time and there were not many guests coming and going.
A middle-aged man in his forties was leisurely drinking tea on the second floor when he heard the boy running up the stairs.
"It's from the shopkeeper!"
Fang Xuran looked displeased: "Why are you in such a hurry? You're so frizzy, what do you look like?"
The waiter was panting, pointed downstairs, and said nervously: "Shopkeeper, please go down there! Someone is looking for you!"
Fang Xuran opened his eyes: "What, are there distinguished guests coming?"
"No! Yes, yes -" the boy looked embarrassed, as if he didn't know what to say, "Anyway, you'll know after you go down and take a look!"
Fang Xuran had no choice but to get up, dust his clothes, and then slowly go downstairs.
"This tea house is the business of noble people. If you are seen like this, you will be laughed at."
Fang Xuran muttered as he walked down.
Suddenly, his voice stopped, and he looked at the people standing in the store, startled.
Hearing the sound, the girl standing at the front looked up.
She was wearing a moon-white embroidered begonia dress, and her black silk stockings were only held up by a white jade hairpin. As she stood there, her figure was graceful, graceful and beautiful.
She was holding a small breast on her right hand. She looked to be about four years old, and she was looking at the store curiously with her big black grape-like eyes.
There are two young men behind, one is gentle and elegant, the other is unrestrained.
Fang Xuran vaguely guessed the identity of the other party, slowed down his pace, and raised his hands:
"I'm the shopkeeper of Ming Yue Tea House. May I ask if this young lady is——"
Ye Chutang smiled.
"Shopkeeper Fang, I have long admired my name, I am Ye Chutang."
Fang Xuran’s heart is indeed true!
Although he had never seen this face before, it was too easy for people to guess their identities when the four siblings stood together.
"Miss Ye Er! I'm sorry for the disappointment!" Fang Xuran immediately showed a warm smile, "You see you came too suddenly, we didn't prepare anything..."
"We are all family members, so there is no need to be so polite." Ye Chutang interrupted him warmly.
Fang Xuran smiled sarcastically.
"Yes, you are right! You can come anytime you want, of course."
He looked at Ye Chutang a few times and asked tentatively: "I heard that you were injured a few days ago. Why didn't you take good care of yourself at home and why did you come here instead?"
The news spread really fast.
"It doesn't matter." Ye Chutang shook his head gently, "I have nothing to do at home, so I thought I would come and take a look."
Fang Xuran thought about it for a few times in his mind, but he didn't limit himself and laughed: "Of course there is no problem! Just take a look! These two are the third and fourth young masters, right? What a talented person! And the fifth lady -"
Ye Chutang was not interested in listening to his flattery. He looked around and said, "This store seems a little deserted, doesn't it?"
Fang Xuran explained: "The tea house business is different from other businesses, and it has always been like this."
Ye Chutang walked forward, sat down on the chair, and said:
"Shopkeeper Fang, please take a seat too."
Fang Xuran responded subconsciously, and then realized that something was wrong.
——He is obviously the shopkeeper of this tea house, but why does it seem that Ye Chutang is the one taking the initiative? From the moment she came in, everything she said and did seemed like this was her territory.
Fang Xuran felt a little uncomfortable, but he still sat down. At the same time, he scolded the boy in a deep voice: "What are you doing standing still? I didn't see Miss Ye Er and the others are here, why don't you make tea!"
The boy agreed and went quickly.
Fang Xuran cupped his hands and said with an apologetic smile: "These people below are so negligent in discipline that they make you laugh."
The corners of Ye Chutang's lips curved, not caring about his pretentious manner.
She got straight to the point: "Shopkeeper Fang should already know that my second uncle returned this tea house to me, right?"
Fang Xuran's expression froze.
But just for a moment, his expression quickly returned to normal, and he nodded repeatedly: "Yes."
Ye Chutang said politely: "Actually, I have no other reason to come here today. I just want to understand the situation of this tea house in the past three years. After all, our siblings have been away from home before and know nothing about the situation in the capital. Although we got back I have obtained the property deed, but there are still many things I don’t understand, so I have to trouble the shopkeeper.”
Fang Xuran smiled and agreed.
"No problem! If you have anything to ask, just ask! I will tell you everything you know!"
Apart from anything else, dealing with these siblings is a piece of cake.
"Then thank shopkeeper Fang first." Ye Chutang tilted his head and said, "Ayan."
Ye Jingyan handed over a book, and Fang Xuran glimpsed from the corner of his eye that it seemed to be an account book.
"This is the tea house's accounts for the past three years. I have read them before. There are a few places that I am not sure about. I would like to ask shopkeeper Fang to answer them. Can you?"
Ye Chutang asked warmly.
For some reason, Fang Xuran felt a subtle unease in his heart.
But looking at the gentle and beautiful face in front of him, as well as the clear and bright black eyes, Fang Xuran felt that he was overthinking.
What can a seventeen-year-old girl know?
He nodded: "Miss Ye Er, just ask!"
Ye Chutang opened the account book, pointed to a certain page, and asked: "The price of this batch of Mingqian Longjing imported from Yuzhou in April last year seems to be wrong."
"What?"
Fang Xuran was stunned.
He thought about it over and over, but he never expected that Ye Chutang would ask such a question!
"What, what's wrong?" Fang Xuran asked.
Ye Chutang said: "It seems to be a lot more expensive."
Fang Xuran took a look.
"Oh, you're talking about this? You don't know something about this. The tea in Yuzhou is of good quality, but the output is small, so it is always expensive. This is the normal purchase price."
He smiled and said: "You were in Jiangling a few years ago and didn't know much about these things. It's normal to think it's expensive. But in fact, the really good Mingqian Longjing costs this much."
Both the words and the words imply that Ye Chutang has no understanding of these things and is simply a layman.
Ye Chutang tilted his head.
"Really? By coincidence, I saw a doctor for a tea merchant who passed by Jiangling last year. He said that Yuzhou's output was very high last year and the price of tea was lower than in previous years. Shopkeeper Fang, what's the progress in your account? The price is three times what he quoted.”
The smile at the corner of Fang Xuran's mouth gradually solidified.
"This, this... I'm just a tea merchant. Maybe I haven't told you the truth at all? People like them don't speak the truth when they go out—"
"Really?" Ye Chutang blinked, "But that person is doing business in the capital. He also said that Mr. Tang Zhongli likes his tea very much and buys it every year."
She looked at Ye Jingyan.
"How about asking Master Jijiu?"
Fang Xuran suddenly broke out in a cold sweat.
Why does Ye Chutang still have such connections?
Moreover, no one in the entire capital knew that Tang Zhongli personally wrote a letter of recommendation for Ye Jingyan to enroll in the Imperial College. If he really went to ask——
(End of chapter)
