Chapter 14: You Eat the Food, I'll Take the Silver
Chapter 14: You Eat the Meal, I Take the Silver
Faced with Li Qi’s relentless pressure, Cai Lao San found himself in an impossible situation, caught between a rock and a hard place. If he invited these two beggars inside, wouldn’t everyone laugh him to death? But if he refused, he’d be scolded to death. Either way, it was a dead end.
If he could, he would have loved nothing more than to order someone to give Li Qi a good thrashing and toss him into the Bian River to feed the fish. But he dared not act rashly—not here, not now—with so many eyes watching.
At that moment, someone suddenly rushed out from inside the building and whispered a few words into Cai Lao San’s ear. As he listened, Cai Lao San nodded vigorously, though cold sweat was already pouring down his forehead.
The messenger spoke briefly, then without lingering, dashed back inside.
Once the man had left, Cai Lao San turned to the silver-carrying thug and ordered, “Hurry up and deliver the reward silver to this young gentleman.”
The thug hesitated for a moment before quickly recovering, respectfully bringing the silver to Chen Anan.
Chen Anan snorted softly, took the silver, and handed it to Li Qi, saying, “Big brother, this silver is too much and too heavy. I trouble you to keep it safe for me.”
This little guy really knew how to speak. Li Qi chuckled, rubbing his hands together as he accepted the silver, patting his chest with a promise: “Of course, rest assured, big brother will keep it safe for you.”
Despise!
Strong disdain!
The so-called scholars and talents listening to this exchange instantly felt their intelligence insulted, casting Li Qi contemptuous glances.
In truth, Li Qi had already planned this with Chen Anan: “You eat the meal, I take the silver.” He was short on capital and certainly wouldn’t be kind enough to gift this hard-earned silver away. But he did like Chen Anan, initially intending to share a small portion with him. Yet fearing that some scoundrels might take advantage of them, he whispered in Chen Anan’s ear, “You two stay here for a few days. Once you’ve enjoyed what you should, come to the Drunken Immortal Inn across the street and look for me. My name is Li Qi. Remember, don’t tell anyone this.”
Though Chen Anan didn’t fully understand Li Qi’s meaning, he trusted him completely and nodded, “I understand, Brother Li.”
“Honored guests, please come inside,” Cai Lao San gestured toward the door with a strained smile.
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“Sir, thank you so much. I truly have no way to repay you.” The matron suddenly felt as if she had risen from hell to heaven, tears welling in her eyes as she looked at Li Qi, nearly sobbing.
Li Qi smiled gently. “Madam, don’t thank me. Thank Steward Cai.” He cast a sidelong glance at Cai Lao San.
Cai Lao San’s face flushed dark red, like a pig’s liver, but he dared not speak, utterly frustrated.
Li Qi smiled faintly and ignored him, entrusting the matron to Chen Anan, then patted the boy’s back. “Go on, take good care of your mother.”
“Yes, Brother Li, rest assured. I’ll look after her well.”
Chen Anan’s eyes reddened with reluctance as he glanced at Li Qi before following two attendants inside.
Once they were in, Li Qi finally breathed a sigh of relief. With so many eyes watching, even Cai Lao San wouldn’t dare cheat inside. Glancing down at the bright silver in his hand, Li Qi’s face brightened. Tucking the silver into his bosom, he cupped his hands toward Cai Lao San and said, “Steward Cai, thank you. I must take my leave.”
“Please wait, young master,” Cai Lao San hurriedly blocked his path.
Li Qi frowned. “What now? Are you having second thoughts?”
“No, no, it’s just that my master wishes to invite you upstairs for a chat,” Cai Lao San hastened to explain.
Hearing this, Li Qi’s gaze flicked toward the upper floor. For a moment, he thought he saw a shadow flicker and a sly smile curved his lips. He bowed slightly and said, “I appreciate Steward Cai’s kindness, but I have urgent matters to attend to.” Then, suddenly, he pointed behind Cai Lao San and shouted, “Oh? Steward Cai, you’ve come down already?”
Everyone turned around immediately, but there was no sign of Steward Cai behind them.
“Damn, I’ve been tricked!” Cai Lao San was momentarily stunned, then quickly realized what had happened. He looked back, but Li Qi’s figure had already vanished into the crowd.
Li Qi came and went as he pleased, waving his sleeve and scooping up a hundred taels of silver. This piqued everyone’s curiosity, and they began asking around, but no one knew him.
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Holding the hundred taels, Li Qi did not return directly to the Drunken Immortal Inn but wandered about like a headless fly. Only after confirming no one was following did he stop to catch his breath, leaning against a wall and wiping sweat from his brow. “Damn! That was close!” he muttered. He hadn’t fled to appear mysterious—he was genuinely afraid.
He had been in Northern Song for less than a month, unfamiliar with local customs. His boldness in confronting Cai Lao San was partly due to the spectators—the scholars and talents standing nearby. He knew well that no matter how arrogant Cai Lao San was, he wouldn’t dare harm him in front of so many witnesses, especially with Steward Cai upstairs to keep things in check.
While he could handle Cai Lao San, he was truly uncertain about Steward Cai. Although he had never met him, he had heard from Wu Xiaoliu that Steward Cai was infamous for his cruelty and villainy. Moreover, Li Qi had just ruined Steward Cai’s plans for a star attraction, causing his scheme to collapse prematurely. If he blurted out something inappropriate upstairs, who knew if Steward Cai would have him killed?
After all, whether now or in the future, men like these wealthy, powerful bosses viewed officials who claimed to serve the people as mere air—no need to worry about them. Killing someone was nothing extraordinary. Li Qi understood this perfectly. Without power or influence here, he dared not gamble with his life.
“Wow! This silver is so heavy. If I could go back now, I’d make a necklace out of it for Qing Ting. That way she couldn’t say I only work and don’t value her. This should be ‘weighty’ enough, right?”
Li Qi gathered himself, glanced at the gleaming silver in his bosom, and smiled to himself. “Who would’ve thought earning silver could be so easy? I was even ready to set up a stall on the street. Damn, I’m getting more and more backward.”
After a brief rest, Li Qi pocketed the silver and headed toward the Drunken Immortal Inn, pondering how best to use the hundred taels. It was neither a fortune nor a pittance, and he wasn’t yet sure what he could do with it, especially since he was unfamiliar with the place.
Before he knew it, Li Qi arrived at the inn’s closed gates. Looking up, his heart stirred as complex emotions flickered in his eyes.
After a long moment, he shook his head and sighed, thinking, “If I had a tavern this size, what would Steward Cai do? With his little tricks, I’d have his Jade Pavilion shut down in no time.”
At that thought, Li Qi’s mind suddenly sparked. Of course! Why hadn’t he thought of it? The Drunken Immortal Inn was for sale. Why not find a way to buy it? It was only eight thousand guan. Me—I—don’t really have that much—well, I don’t know about that lady’s intelligence. If I could persuade her to sell it to me for a hundred taels, then—hehe—everyone would be happy.
Fantasy aside, Li Qi knew very well that without four thousand guan, buying the Drunken Immortal Inn was pure folly. He wondered if Steward Cai would hang up new couplets again tomorrow. Hmm, he’d go see then.
(End of Chapter)