Chapter 26: The Great Rat in the Household

The collaboration between Zhen Qian and Song Yi to run a tavern was not concealed from Wang Qun and the other elders. In fact, when they heard that Zhen Qian was opening his own tavern, they even lent him their personal savings. Zhen Qian used this money to renovate Song Yi's restaurant and added an extra floor, which could be considered a kind of illegal construction!

In the long run, Song Yi's current restaurant was not suitable for the tavern's development, but without money, they had to make do for now.

"There are indeed a few diligent people in this courtyard, making it quite reassuring to utilize them, but..." Wang Qun expressed his concerns, "brewing alcohol here will eventually be discovered by others. When it reaches the ears of the Xing family and the steward, it will be troublesome!"

Zhen Qian had already considered this issue, "There's nothing we can do at present. I initially planned to purchase a piece of land outside the city, but unfortunately, Wang You went out to look for a few days and couldn't find a suitable place. It seems we'll have to wait a bit longer."

Recently, money was flowing out rapidly; renovating the tavern required funds, creating new kitchen tools required funds, buying raw materials for brewing also required funds, and they needed to live off the remaining money, making their situation quite tight.

Wang You did find a few decent properties, but the prices were shockingly high, putting Zhen Qian in a difficult position. Brewing at home was not feasible; a day or two might be fine, but over time, the entire house would be filled with the smell of alcohol, and those who didn’t know would think there was a drunkard in the family.

However, good locations were truly hard to find. Aside from the price factor, brewing required a beautiful environment with clear mountains and waters, and this business wasn't just a temporary endeavor. Safety and secrecy also needed to be considered, adding to Zhen Qian's troubles.

"Brother, I know of a good place. Twenty miles northwest of Zhengding City, there’s a place called White Horse Pass. Not far from it, there’s a river named Tuo River, surrounded by steep mountains, with sparse human activity. The villages nearby are mostly hilly areas where people struggle to survive; they can only rely on hunting and gathering in the mountains. The local customs are simple. I learned about it by chance. Over the years, many of the mountain goods purchased by the Zhen family came from there. There’s no need to buy property; we can simply send people to build a few thatched cottages. How about setting up the brewery there?"

"Is it safe?"

"Absolutely safe. There's only one path leading out of the mountains, though the transportation is a bit inconvenient."

In these times, safety was paramount. Zhen Qian realized that what he lacked most was a sense of security. As for transportation... he wasn't planning to permanently establish the brewery there; it was just a temporary solution.

"Then it's settled. We'll keep the brewery in the courtyard for now, craft another set of brewing equipment, and set up the brewery at White Horse Pass. This matter will trouble you, Uncle Wang!" Zhen Qian said, acting like a decisive manager.

Wang Qun pursed his lips, noticing that Zhen Qian had become much sharper after his recovery, especially in directing people, even more skilled than himself. This was the difference after amnesia.

Zhen Qian was unaware of Wang Qun's thoughts. After a busy day, he returned to the small building. The two young girls had spent the day in the brewery. Initially, they hadn’t felt anything unusual, but once they rested, they felt light-headed and thought it was just physical discomfort. As soon as they lay down on the bed, their eyelids grew heavy, and they fell asleep. When Zhen Qian returned and saw the two rosy-cheeked girls on the bed, he couldn’t help but kiss one.

"Brother!" Outside, Wang You peeked in stealthily, glancing around before noticing Zhen Qian being affectionate with the two girls. Startled, he thought he had interrupted something and attempted to turn and run. "Come back!"

Zhen Qian spread a blanket over the two girls, afraid they might catch a chill, and turned to Wang You outside, "What are you thinking all day? Nothing like what you imagined! Come in!"

Wang You gave a noncommittal chuckle, glanced at the bed, pretended not to see anything, and awkwardly said, "I just came back from outside and really didn’t see anything!"

Zhen Qian reached out, causing Wang You to quickly duck behind the table, shouting, "I found evidence of the steward's embezzlement!"

"Speak! What did you find?"

Zhen Qian adjusted his robe, smelling of alcohol, and intended to change clothes but realized the two girls were already passed out.

Wang You brought his mischievous face closer to Zhen Qian, giving a thumbs up, "Brother, you’re truly astute! You even figured out that the steward was embezzling money when purchasing goods from the inner courtyard. This time, the steward has nowhere to run!"

"Stop flattering me and get to the point!"

Wang You, unaware, thought Zhen Qian had merely deduced that the steward might exploit purchasing opportunities through overpricing or concealing information for personal gain. Such actions were not uncommon; many had fallen into this trap throughout history. Even a thousand years later, some procurement departments still employed similar methods. If the steward hadn’t acted this way, that would be the real anomaly!

"In the past few days, I’ve been following the steward’s movements and found he always procures goods from a few fixed merchants. I intended to inquire about the prices, but those people were tight-lipped. I was afraid they would become suspicious, so I didn’t ask too much. However, it seemed like they were engaging in some secret dealings, and the steward personally handled every transaction, which suggests something unsavory!"

Zhen Qian had anticipated that the steward would be very discreet and didn’t hold high hopes for this. He thought about the two or three thousand coins he dealt with every year through the steward; it was likely he had already made a fortune.

"Is that all you found?" Zhen Qian said, somewhat dissatisfied.

Wang You stared at Zhen Qian with wide eyes, unsure of himself, "That’s all!"

"When you lie, don’t let your eyes wander; it exposes your inner thoughts. Speak! What did you discover?"

"You’re too clever, Brother, you even know what I’m thinking!"

After dealing with various clients for over a decade, Zhen Qian had seen all kinds of people. The most important skill was reading others' expressions; otherwise, one couldn't survive in business. Wang You's little tricks were still too inexperienced.

Wang You awkwardly said, "The steward is truly despicable; he’s hiding a woman outside! He pretends to be dignified, but behind his back, it’s a scandal. If the second young master finds out, he would definitely break his legs!"

The Zhen family had strict rules. While they didn’t prohibit their children from frequenting brothels, they absolutely forbade them from staying overnight in such places or allowing women from brothels to enter the Zhen household. Servants like the steward, who already had a wife, certainly couldn’t keep another woman outside. This was not just a restriction of the law but also a family rule of the Zhen family. It was surprising that the steward dared to violate this rule.

"Does the Xing family know about this?"

"Not sure, they probably don’t!" Wang You replied ambiguously.

Zhen Qian thought for a moment, "While having a woman outside could ruin the steward, that’s not the outcome I want. For now, keep an eye on the steward; we must catch him accepting bribes and check if the Xing family is aware of this. We can start with the maidservants around the Xing family, but don’t alert the steward or the Xing family!"

"Understood!" Wang You was about to turn to leave but, feeling unfulfilled, asked, "Brother, why are you investigating this? Do you have a motive?"

"Get out!" Zhen Qian pretended to kick at him, startling Wang You, who teased, "If you don’t ask, I’ll just assume you think I know nothing!"

"How would I know anything?"

Wang You raised his chin, "You want to leave the Zhen family, don’t you? I know!"

Zhen Qian laughed, not angry, "Tell me, why would I want to leave the Zhen family?"

Wang You replied seriously, "Isn’t it obvious? Everything you’re doing now hasn’t been reported to the Zhen family, and you’ve set things up outside. Isn’t that a sign you want to leave? Besides, everyone knows you don’t get along with the Xing family. The entire Zhen household is aware of it, and the Xing family won’t tolerate you either. You’re the legitimate eldest son of the Zhen family, and as long as you’re here, the children of the Xing family can never become the masters of the Zhen family. Sooner or later, they will drive you out. If that’s the case, wouldn’t it be better for you to leave on your own? Am I right?"

Zhen Qian didn’t expect Wang You to analyze the situation so thoroughly. The facts aligned with Wang You’s words; the Xing family wanted to control the Zhen family, and he was the biggest obstacle. However, as the rightful eldest son, Zhen Qian was a thorn in the side of the Xing family. Moreover, since the Xing family couldn’t grasp any dirt on him, they found themselves in a dilemma.

To force Zhen Qian out of the Zhen family, there were two ways: one was for the Zhen family to make a mistake, and if they broke the family rules, the Xing family could act decisively to expel him. The second was for Zhen Qian to leave on his own, but that posed another problem: separating the family would allow Zhen Qian to take a substantial amount of money, which the money-focused Xing family would naturally oppose.

Originally, the Xing family thought Zhen Qian’s fall and amnesia presented a glimmer of hope; as long as Zhen Qian remained an amnesiac fool, they wouldn’t mind having an extra burden in the Zhen household. However, their hopes were dashed when Zhen Qian not only regained his senses but also became more assertive than before, filling the Xing family with deep resentment toward him.

Zhen Qian intended to resolve the matter peacefully with the Xing family, but they showed no inclination for that, primarily because they were reluctant to part with the inheritance left by Zhen Qian's mother. Zhen Qian would not agree either; without initial capital, he could only accumulate wealth slowly, which would take a considerable amount of time. However, he didn’t have the luxury to wait and had no choice but to stand in opposition to the Xing family.

"You little clever one, what do you understand? Just focus on your own business, and don’t ask what you shouldn’t!" Zhen Qian reprimanded.

Wang You stuck out his tongue, pretending to be scared, "These days, the Xing family and the steward are also watching you, Brother. You should be careful; if they catch you with something, it will be troublesome!"