Chapter 5 has been understood

In fact, that remark just now was merely a test by Qin Shaoyou, and Liu Yang's extreme reaction immediately made Qin Shaoyou realize that his suspicion was correct. All the means were aimed at that plaque, the Crown Prince... suddenly died... the inscription... the Zhou family... This series of elements made Qin Shaoyou feel that he had grasped a clue, but he had not yet clarified what it specifically was.

Qin Shaoyou was at a loss for tears, lamenting the misfortunes of the years. He could only return and say to Deng Jian: "Brother Deng ... ... "

Continuing in this manner is not a solution

... ...

Qin Shaoyou said: "It is only right and proper to repay debts. When the time comes and I earn money, I will naturally repay it."

Wow... the food here is truly delicious! I have never tasted such exquisite dishes in my life, wow...

Upon considering this, Qin Shaoyou resolved to investigate further

As Liu Yang departed, a question arose in Qin Shaoyou's mind: since the Zhou family's objective is indeed that plaque, what purpose does the plaque serve?

Qin Shaoyou has become popular, and he extends his hand: "Settle the bill, having eaten so much food, pay up."

The more I hit him, the closer I become to him

"What ... ... are you talking nonsense about?" Liu Yang could not help but scold.

I originally thought this fool was easy to deceive, but who would have known that this person is quite calculating. A single misstep in the game allowed the opponent to see my cards, putting me in a somewhat passive position

This person is named Deng Jian, and he is a companion whom Qin Shaoyou had Qin Shou invite. Although he was not hired for a fee, he promised to provide three meals a day for free. Indeed, this is a ruse

My dear, why does my heart keep fluttering and feeling a bit painful

For an entire day, Qin Shaoyou stood lazily behind the counter, while Qin Shou was half-heartedly wiping the already spotless tables and chairs

Liu Yang had no desire to stay here any longer and left with a wave of his sleeve

Sitting here eating is a man, around twenty years old, with a broad back and a sturdy build, who is indulging in his meal while occasionally letting out a few roars.

Liu Yang's expression was one of uncertainty and suspicion, merely masking his inner turmoil with a cold smile

The one with the surname Deng is a threat both inside and out. At first, Qin Shaoyou's face was somewhat pale, but later, a glimmer of light flashed in his eyes: "What did you just say?"

The Zhou family indeed had the idea of acquiring the restaurant, but the restaurant was merely an accessory; the true objective was still that plaque.

Regarding this fellow, Qin Shaoyou appeared extremely dissatisfied. His eardrums had already suffered greatly. He quickly stepped forward and said with deep concern: "Brother Deng, you are being too ostentatious. Are you trying to attract customers or drive them away? I invited you here not to teach you to be so superficial. An actor's self-cultivation comes from within..."

Deng Jian was eating his meal with a slurping sound, lifting his gaze and glancing sideways, he said in a casual tone: "What are you talking about? It's already quite delicious. Qin Shou invited me here just to have me shout like this. My voice is almost smoking, what more do you want?"

Qin Shaoyou shook his head inwardly; that person lived in his own world, seeking things that were truly too grand. Yet he... ultimately had to face reality. He closed the book, seemingly influenced by such sentiments, and began to harbor resentment again. If only the inscription were not by the Prince of Dai, if only this crown prince became the emperor, perhaps he would truly have a chance to secure an official position through this, at least it would provide a shortcut compared to that previous bookworm. Ah, the more he thought about it, the harder it was to sleep. Qin Shaoyou felt as if a hundred claws were scratching at his heart. He wanted to be an official, he wanted to rise to prominence; all talk of indifference to fame and fortune was nonsense. He closed the book again, seemingly influenced by such sentiments, and began to harbor resentment once more. If only the inscription were not by the Prince of Dai, if only this crown prince became the emperor, perhaps he would truly have a chance to secure an official position through this, at least it would provide a shortcut compared to that previous bookworm. Ah, the more he thought about it, the harder it was to sleep. Qin Shaoyou felt as if a hundred claws were scratching at his heart. He wanted to be an official, he wanted to rise to prominence; all talk of indifference to fame and fortune was nonsense. He was just one step away from rising to prominence, yet it was forcefully taken away.

Liu Yang's expression was gloomy; he had not expected this bookworm to be so formidable, which left him in a passive position at every turn. However, the conditions proposed by Qin Shaoyou were reasonable, and he could not help but nod and say: "Alright, I will go back and discuss it with Dong Weng, but you must not go back on your word."

The biggest problem facing the restaurant now is that it has fallen into a vicious cycle; the fewer the customers, the less willing people are to dine here, and with no one dining here, others are even less inclined to come.

Seeing Liu Yang's aggressive demeanor, Qin Shaoyou pretended to be foolish, intentionally or unintentionally saying: "You want to plot against my family's business, isn't it just for that plaque?"

Well, back to reality, managing a restaurant is the way to go

Qin Shaoyou thought to himself, they are indeed good at scheming, now holding a written bill in black and white, they have come to demand payment in no time, most likely they have been eager for this moment.

Qin Shaoyou, filled with unexpressed anger, still maintained an attitude of treating and saving people, and earnestly said: "You need to be subtle, and also, you shouldn't shout out loud at every turn; those who don't know might think this is a black shop. One must demonstrate refinement; only with refinement can one attract customers. Brother Deng, try it a few times, don't rush, take it slow."

Qin Shaoyou's body trembled, and he was momentarily stunned

Qin Shaoyou widened his eyes, this is the underworld

Qin Shou smiled wryly and said, "Cousin, you mentioned wanting to find a so-called 'stooge'; in this city of Luoyang, who would be willing to engage in such dealings except for these lowly individuals"

In the middle of the day, there were no diners at all; how could those outsiders dare to come and eat? Even though Qin Shaoyou put on an innocuous demeanor, almost making a peace sign on his own face, acting cute and silly, people still avoided him like the plague

He hurriedly pulled Qin Shou aside and asked in a low voice, "What is the background of this person surnamed Deng? Could he be a street thug?"

Deng Jiansheng, fearing that Qin Shaoyou would ask him for money, immediately glared and shouted: "What do you want? I have eaten your food, and I enjoyed it. I will come often in the future. You want money? There is no money, but I have one life!"

Deng Jian, however, let out a cold laugh and said slowly, "After all, I am a hero who roams Luoyang, and wherever I go to eat, I do not pay for it."

There is no mistake; for the people of Luoyang, passing by a tavern is akin to encountering a fly, causing them to quicken their pace involuntarily. Occasionally, there are groups of merchants from other regions who are unaware of the situation, but upon taking a look inside, they flee.

I said that Uncle Deng does not have a bad temper

Liu Yang stroked his goatee, sneering as he said: "Your business at the Spring Wine House has already plummeted. Just take a look around; are there any customers here? You are not cut out for business, and you cannot sustain this family business. Why insist on going down this path? Old Master Zhou has asked you to repay by tomorrow. If you cannot repay, you will inevitably have to close the shop."

No, no, the previous sentence.

Qin Shaoyou wished he could rush up, grab his ear, and bite his neck. However, he was clearly lacking in combat ability, and seeing the bulging object at this person's waist, could it be a weapon?

With the affairs of the Zhou family weighing on his mind, Qin Shaoyou always felt as if his tavern was being watched by some unseen force. He was not afraid of thieves stealing but rather of them harboring ill intentions. In light of this sense of crisis, Qin Shaoyou decided to expedite his business operations, earn money, and settle all debts to avoid any potential troubles.

Early in the morning, a resounding voice nearly shook the roof of the tavern down, the piercing sound wave soaring beyond the clouds

You have truly caused my demise

A person entered with a grim expression. Qin Shaoyou recalled from memory that this individual was the person in charge of the Zhou family. In fact, when his father was still alive, the Zhou family had a fairly good relationship with his father due to their shared business. However, once his father passed away, the other party immediately turned hostile. This person in charge glanced at Qin Shaoyou and, in a tone that suggested a formal business approach, coldly said: "Qin Shaodong..."

Now, when Qin Shaoyou speaks out directly, stating that at worst he can just take his plaque and leave, wouldn't all of the Zhou family's calculations turn out to be for nothing?

Deng Jian's mouth was full of food, and he mumbled indistinctly, "This is just how I am, what can you do about it?"

The Spring Restaurant is open as usual, but... the situation is a bit dire

In his own bedroom, there were many boxes of books. As Qin Shaoyou opened those books, he saw lines of tiny characters. Surrounded by the fragrance of books, Qin Shaoyou recalled the scene of that foolish boy writing his reading reflections here. The flickering oil lamp illuminated the past, where that pale and frail youth always shut himself in this space, reading tirelessly every day, likely for the purpose of bringing glory to his family name.

Now he has only this restaurant to rely on, as for Qin Shou... this cousin is unreliable; he can add embellishments but cannot be expected to provide timely assistance in times of need

Thus, Qin Shaoyou resolved to employ some special means

because there are no guests

Qin Shaoyou noticed that his visitor had ill intentions, but he still put on a show of courtesy and said, "So it is Uncle Liu."

Seeing Qin Shaoyou dumbfounded, Deng Jianliang, with a pang of conscience, propped up his feet and began to pick at his own toes, comforting Qin Shaoyou by saying: "Young Master Qin, I know you; you are a scholar, and I, Deng, hold scholars in the highest regard. Tell me, have I ever bullied you? Today, since you have invited me to dinner, and this meal is truly delicious, I will remember your kindness. Just now, when you turned your back on me, if it were someone else, I would have already given him a knife. But you are different; I will still come here to eat in the future. Don't you scholars have a saying about exhausting the pond to catch fish? If I hurt you, where would I go to earn my living? At the teahouse at the end of the street, there's a man named Wang; I don't know if you know him. I only had a few cakes and a few pots of tea from him, yet he spoke ill of me behind my back. Without a second thought, I directly beat him until he was dazed. You see, later he learned his lesson; he greeted me with a smile whenever he saw me. Eventually, what happened? I became friends with him. The more I beat him, the closer I wanted to be with him. This way, others would see and understand, oh, it turns out that Deng is not bad-tempered; he is also quite righteous."

This fellow was full of confidence, which left Liu Yang somewhat at a loss for how to respond

However, at present, it seems that the biggest problem still lies in making money to pay off debts. If the business cannot be established, the signboard will also disappear, so what use is there to talk about it?

Hero

... ...

As expected, the truth is revealed at the end of the matter

At that moment, Qin Shaoyou smiled and said, "However, since you have taken a liking to that plaque, and I, on the other hand, would like to give it another try, if you could grant me an extension of one month, then after one month, if I have earned enough silver to settle the debt, it would be unfortunate for you, Old Master Zhou. But if my luck does not improve and I still cannot repay, not only will this tavern be sold to you, but the plaque shall also be considered as interest. How does that sound?"

It was indeed around evening when someone arrived

Qin Shaoyou squinted his eyes; having lived two lives, he did not believe that he could not solve this problem

Qin Shaoyou said solemnly: "Is this nonsense? You all know in your hearts. Do you want to settle the score? I can sell the tavern to pay off the debt, but this plaque is the property of the Qin family. If you go to the authorities tomorrow, I can simply take the plaque with me. In the end, you will get nothing. If you don't believe me, then feel free to try. Tomorrow, we shall meet at the yamen."

Liu Shu's real name is Liu Yang. It is said that he was a failed scholar who later managed accounts for the Zhou family. Gradually, as the Zhou family's business grew, he became a trusted confidant of Old Master Zhou. His demeanor remained indifferent, and he simply stated: "I have come merely to convey a message. You have incurred many debts outside, amounting to over ninety taels of silver. Now, these debts have been transferred to my master's name. Since you are not adept at managing affairs, it would be best to transfer the shop to my master. My master is an old acquaintance of your father and will surely provide you with a place to stay."

He seemed to have gone mad, suddenly realizing with a jolt.