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If there are guests who do not intend to rest, the tea tray will immediately replace the food on the table. With a pot of fragrant tea wafting through the air, one cannot help but feel invigorated! Luzi picked up the tea bowl, took a sniff, and glanced at the door before lowering his head to savor the tea.
At that moment, the previously closed door opened silently. Following a wave of delicate fragrance that filled the room, a graceful figure swiftly entered.
"Ah! It's rare to experience Jiao Niang's thoughtful gesture! This fine tea still has its original flavor; savoring it now is truly delightful!"
The newcomer was none other than Jiao Niang from the Ten Li Fragrant Restaurant, who had planned to scare someone in the middle of the night. Hearing the remark from the person with their head down across from her, she couldn't help but chuckle. "It's quite strange; why is it that I can never scare you!?"
Luzi set down his tea bowl, looked at the already closed door, and pointed out, "Jiao Keeper, maybe you should try coming in through the window next time; perhaps then you'll actually scare me!"
Next time!? If memory serves correctly, their last meeting was several years ago! After this separation, seeing each other again might take several more years! Jiao Niang thought for a moment and stubbornly said, "You damn Lu..."
"Cough cough...!"
Hearing Jiao Niang say that, Luzi quickly coughed twice without having time to wipe his sweat. He peeked outside and then whispered like a thief, "I say, sister! Can we speak properly? You know it's not good for a man and woman to be alone together at this hour; it could easily lead to gossip! Hmm! That title you just used is best changed!"
It seemed Jiao Niang didn't hear what Luzi was saying at all; she walked over to his table and raised the teapot to refill her cup. Then she poured herself a cup, covered it with her sleeve, gently brought it to her nose to sniff, nodded in approval of her skills, set down her cup, and said:
"I truly don't understand what the esteemed Big Shopkeeper of Prosperity Pavilion is afraid of! Besides, I'm also the most famous Big Shopkeeper of Ten Li Fragrant Restaurant in Linzi City! Let them talk! I want to see if they can turn this into something real!"
Luzi wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and said, "Look at what we've talked about before! People shouldn't be allowed to have money! Especially certain individuals! Once they have money, they become arrogant and forget their own surname!"
Luzi had just had a bit of alcohol earlier and abruptly stopped himself from mentioning surnames. Nevertheless, sitting across from him was the beautiful Jiao Niang, her eyes already glistening with tears...
Jiao Niang, whose surname is unknown, is a person from the state of Lu and Xintai. Her father had a falling out with the then sovereign, Duke Lu Qing, due to his resistance against Confucianism. In anger, he resigned and moved his family to the state of Qi. Unexpectedly, they encountered trouble on the road and were attacked by bandits.
Under the desperate protection of her parents and family, Jiao Niang ultimately failed to escape alone. As she watched the bandits closing in behind her, fearing she would be dishonored, she contemplated drowning herself in the river. Just then, she encountered a caravan from Prosperity Record passing through.
At that time, Lu the Shopkeeper was sitting inside the carriage. Noticing something was wrong outside, he immediately ordered his shop assistant to rush out and fight to save her.
The skills of Prosperity Record's assistants were indeed impressive. Those so-called bandits were merely a disorganized mob. They could intimidate with their numbers but were no match when it came to actual fighting.
Is the truth really as it seems? A fight would reveal everything!
Several shop assistants quickly subdued all the bandits with ease. Upon learning that there was another group of bandits nearby, they decided to continue their good deed. They went to capture all the waiting bandit accomplices but discovered that it was too late; Jiao Niang's relatives had already been killed.
During the scuffle, one of the bandits realized something was amiss and attempted to flee on horseback. Li Xin spotted him just in time and shot him through with an arrow. The body fell from the horse but got caught in the stirrup, and now it was anyone's guess where it had been dragged off to.
There are generally two types of bandits. One type consists of impoverished commoners who turn to banditry for survival; the other comprises wanted criminals or those who do not wish to work yet desire wealth.
However, both types share a common trait: they seek wealth while trying not to harm innocents. There is a code among thieves; after all, robbery is primarily about wealth rather than murder.
Even those wanted by the government mostly adhere to this code unless they encounter clients who prioritize money over life. Yet when it comes to murder, this typically refers only to young men; women, children, the elderly, and young ones are still off-limits. Those who harm what should not be harmed will face retribution!
When Luzi got out of the carriage and saw the scene of slaughter, he immediately recognized a perplexing issue: while it was true that this wealthy family had been attacked on their journey, exterminating them all without exception violated natural justice!
In such circumstances, there was no need for pity towards these bandits. Since they broke the rules first, they naturally forfeited their right to object! So they shouldn't blame anyone for being more ruthless!
Having already discerned that the bandits did not speak with a local accent, Luzi decided to have the Shop Assistant execute two of the dissenting ruffians before asking any questions. Seeing the remaining bandits trembling in fear, he began to inquire about the intentions of these impostors.
The answers he received were unsurprising; these idle individuals had secretly followed Jiao Niang when she left the capital. Spotting an opportunity along the way, they sent someone back to gather more men to come and wait for a chance to strike. It was only after entering this uninhabited hilly area, which they had scouted in advance, that they launched their robbery.
The mastermind behind the entire operation was the man who had just been shot dead by a heroic figure. Now, any further inquiries would lead to no evidence against him.
Prosperity Record was not a gang of villains; upon learning that the bandit leader had met his end, Lu the Shopkeeper felt compelled to teach the remaining ruffians a lesson before releasing them all. What else could he do? He couldn't resort to violence and kill them all!
After gaining Jiao Niang's consent, Luzi instructed his brothers to bury the bodies of Jiao Niang's parents and relatives. During this journey with the caravan to Qi State's capital, Linzi, he learned that Jiao Niang had no remaining family members and sought her opinion on what to do next.
The outcome was that with Luzi's help, Jiao Niang used the Silver Coins left by her parents to open a Great Tavern in Linzi City. The initially established Ten Li Fragrant Restaurant was not as luxurious as it is now; Jiao Niang managed the business successfully through her own abilities.
As Luzi put it, if Jiao Niang were a man, her future would be limitless!
His earlier reference to her as "big sister" was merely a joke. The young and capable Jiao Niang was actually six years younger than Luzi!
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