Chapter 166: Connections
「Nanhe Street, Mingyue Tea House.」
It was still early, and there were few customers coming and going.
A middle-aged man of about forty was leisurely sipping tea on the second floor when he heard a servant pound up the stairs.
"Manager!"
Fang Xuran looked displeased. "What’s the rush? So reckless. What kind of behavior is that?"
The servant was panting as he pointed downstairs, saying nervously, "Manager, you—you should go downstairs! Someone’s here to see you!"
Fang Xuran opened his eyes. "What is it? Do we have an important guest?"
"No! It’s—it’s—" The servant looked troubled, seemingly at a loss for words. "Anyway, you’ll know once you go down and see for yourself!"
Fang Xuran had no choice but to get up. He dusted off his clothes before slowly making his way downstairs.
"This tea house caters to esteemed clientele. If someone saw you acting like that, we’d be a laughingstock."
Fang Xuran muttered to himself as he walked down.
Suddenly, his voice trailed off. He stared at the group of people standing in the shop, momentarily stunned.
Hearing his footsteps, the young woman at the front of the group looked up.
She was dressed in a moon-white dress embroidered with haitang blossoms. Her black hair was simply held up by a white jade hairpin. Just standing there, her figure was graceful, her beauty delicate and refined.
She held the hand of a Little Milk Group, who looked to be only about four years old and was curiously sizing up the shop with large, dark grape-like eyes.
Behind them were two young men—one refined and elegant, the other roguish and brazen.
Fang Xuran had a faint guess as to their identities. He slowed his steps and cupped his hands in a fist-and-palm salute.
"I am the manager of Mingyue Tea House. Might I ask if this young lady is—"
Ye Chutang smiled.
"Manager Fang, I’ve heard much about you. I am Ye Chutang."
’Just as I thought!’ Fang Xuran said to himself.
He had never seen her face before, but with the four siblings standing together, their identity was all too easy to guess.
"Second Miss Ye! Forgive my failure to greet you properly, please forgive me!" Fang Xuran immediately put on an enthusiastic smile. "You see, your arrival was so sudden, we haven’t prepared anything..."
"We’re all family here. There’s no need for such formalities," Ye Chutang interrupted him in a gentle voice.
Fang Xuran gave an embarrassed smile.
"Yes, yes, you’re right! You and your siblings are welcome to come whenever you please, of course."
He sized up Ye Chutang for a moment before asking tentatively, "I heard you were injured a few days ago. Why aren’t you resting at home instead of coming here?"
News certainly traveled fast.
"It’s nothing serious." Ye Chutang shook her head lightly. "I was bored at home, so I thought I’d come and have a look."
Fang Xuran’s mind raced, but his expression remained pleasant. He laughed heartily. "Of course, that’s no problem at all! Please, look around as you wish! These two must be the Third and Fourth Young Masters, correct? So handsome and distinguished! And the Fifth Miss—"
Ye Chutang had no interest in his flattery. She looked around and said, "Business seems a little slow in here, doesn’t it?"
Fang Xuran explained, "The tea house business is different from others. It’s always like this."
Ye Chutang walked forward, sat down in a chair, and added:
"Manager Fang, please sit."
Fang Xuran instinctively agreed before realizing something wasn’t quite right.
’I’m the manager of this tea house, so why does it feel like Ye Chutang is the one in charge? From the moment she walked in, every word and action has made it seem as if this is her territory.’
Fang Xuran felt a prickle of discomfort but sat down anyway. He then barked at the servant in a deep voice, "What are you standing there for? Can’t you see Second Miss Ye and the others are here? Go brew some tea!"
The servant acknowledged the order and hurried off.
Fang Xuran cupped his hands again, smiling apologetically. "My subordinates are poorly disciplined. I’ve made a fool of myself in front of you."
The corners of Ye Chutang’s lips curved slightly. She paid no mind to his posturing and attempt to throw his weight around.
She got straight to the point. "Manager Fang, you must already know that my second uncle has returned this tea house to me, correct?"
Fang Xuran’s expression stiffened.
But it was only for a moment. His expression quickly returned to normal as he nodded repeatedly. "Yes."
Ye Chutang said politely, "Actually, I came today for no other reason than to understand the tea house’s business operations over the last three years. My siblings and I have been away for a long time and know nothing about the situation here in the Capital City. Although we’ve gotten the property deeds back, there’s still much we don’t understand. We’ll have to trouble you for that, Manager Fang."
Fang Xuran broke into a smile and readily agreed.
"No problem! If there’s anything you want to ask, please don’t hesitate! I will be sure to tell you everything I know!"
’If nothing else, dealing with these kids should be a piece of cake.’
"Then I thank you in advance, Manager Fang." Ye Chutang turned her head. "Yan."
Ye Jingyan handed over a book. Out of the corner of his eye, Fang Xuran saw that it appeared to be an account ledger.
"When Second Uncle returned these shops and lands to Yan and A Feng, he included two chests of ledgers. This one contains the tea house’s accounts from last year. I’ve already looked through it, but there are a few things I don’t quite understand. I was hoping Manager Fang could clarify them for me, if that’s alright?"
Chutang asked in a gentle voice.
For some reason, a subtle sense of unease rose in Fang Xuran’s heart.
But as he looked at the gentle and beautiful face before him, at those clear and bright dark eyes, Fang Xuran felt he was overthinking things.
’What could a seventeen-year-old girl possibly understand?’
He nodded. "Second Miss Ye, please, ask away!"
Ye Chutang opened the ledger, pointed to a page, and asked, "This batch of pre-Qingming Longjing tea, purchased from Yu State last April... the price seems off."
"What?"
Fang Xuran was completely dumbfounded.
He never would have imagined that Ye Chutang would ask such a question!
"How—how is it off?" Fang Xuran retorted.
Ye Chutang said, "It seems to be quite a bit more expensive."
Fang Xuran leaned in to take a look.
"Oh, you mean this? You may not be aware, but tea from Yu State is of high quality and produced in small quantities, so it has always been expensive. This is a normal purchase price."
He chuckled. "You’ve been in Jiangling for the past few years, so you’re not very familiar with these things. It’s normal for you to think it’s expensive. But the truth is, truly good pre-Qingming Longjing costs this much."
His words were laced with the implication that Ye Chutang was a complete amateur who knew nothing about the business.
Ye Chutang tilted her head.
"Is that so? What a coincidence. Last year, I treated a tea merchant who was passing through Jiangling. He mentioned that Yu State had a very high yield last year, and tea prices were lower than in previous years. Manager Fang, the purchase price in your ledger is three times what he quoted."
The smile on Fang Xuran’s lips slowly froze.
"This—this... He’s just a tea merchant. Perhaps he was just pulling the wool over your eyes? People like him are always on the road; you can’t believe a word they say—"
"Really?" Ye Chutang blinked. "But he does business here in the Capital City. He also mentioned that Lord Sacrificial Officer Tang Zhongli is very fond of his tea and buys some every year."
She looked at Ye Jingyan.
"Perhaps we should go ask the Lord Sacrificial Officer about it?"
Fang Xuran immediately broke out in a cold sweat.
’How does Ye Chutang have connections like that?’
’Besides, everyone in the Capital City knows that Ye Jingyan was admitted to the Imperial College with a personal letter of recommendation from Tang Zhongli himself. If he really were to ask—’