Chapter 49 Clear Waves Gathering Smoke (Minor Revision) General Manager Chen was used and then discarded...

Ziyan let out a sharp rebuke, instantly sobering everyone up from their drunken stupor. The guests exchanged bewildered glances, none daring to utter a sound.

Zheng Qingbo was half teacher and half friend to Chen Junbo. Because of this relationship, he cherished Ziyan dearly, which made this courtesan almost like a teacher's wife to Chen Junbo. In the entire Songshan Town, this was a unique and respectable situation.

Although Songshan Town has an open atmosphere, the courtesan is ultimately just a entertainer, and besides, the Ruyi Pavilion was originally owned by the Chen family.

Mr. Zheng values ​​her so much that Chen Junbo always has to be polite to Ziyan when they meet, which is infuriating.

At that moment, a sweet voice suddenly rang out. Chen Junbo leaned back in his chair, his palm still around Li Yang's back, pulling her closer. His fingertips lightly touched her waist, and an interest in watching the show appeared in his eyes.

Li Yang, however, paid no heed to his behavior. She had never seen Zi Yan so out of sorts, and was even more astonished that Mr. Zheng was bowing his head and listening to her reprimand like a child. She couldn't help but crane her neck to look, but the arm around her waist was tightly wrapped around her waist, so she could only frown and struggle inwardly.

Ziyan's tone suddenly changed, each word sharp and barbed: "You, Mr. Zheng, are the moon in the sky and the spring among the pines, while I am nothing but rotten leaves in the soil and a dead shrimp in the water. How can I be worthy to make demands of you?"

hiss……

Li Yang gasped in shock, shrinking into Chen Junbo's arms, burying her neck in his shoulder, and peeking through her fingers.

She grabbed the man's sleeve and whispered urgently in his ear as he leaned down, "What's wrong with them?"

A warm breath brushed against her earlobe, and Chen Junbo's eyes curved into a smile. He tilted his head and leaned closer to her ear, chuckling softly, "It's alright, it's just the two of them... having fun."

Romance?!

Li Yang felt as if his ears had been filled with muddy water, so he glared at him and turned his head away.

Meanwhile, Zheng Qingbo called out in a hoarse voice, "Ziyan..."

His name was cut off as soon as he uttered it: "We are destined to be on different paths! There's no need to talk about compensation... If you really care, why not help my sister properly reorganize the flower shop, as a way of repaying Mr. Chen for his kindness over the years?"

“Of course, of course,” Zheng Qingbo replied repeatedly.

Suddenly, the spectators became participants in the drama. Before anyone could react, Chen Junbo and Li Yang were already seated. One had dropped his playful expression, while the other looked at him with concern and softly called out, "Sister Ziyan."

Ziyan glanced back, her eyes subtly conveying: "Silence, and watch what I've got."

Not knowing if that was what she meant, Li Yang pursed his lips in suspicion.

"Should you answer or not?" Ziyan raised her eyebrows and pressed.

"Yes, yes, all yes." Zheng Qingbo simply nodded.

Li Yang suddenly woke up: this whole commotion was actually staged for her.

A few days ago, Ziyan casually suggested turning the flower shop into a teahouse, and these words seemed to have taken root in her heart.

When she checked the accounts with Zhong Qian, she was surprised to find that, because of Mr. Zheng's calligraphy hanging in the shop, they had sold quite a lot of tea.

The two were pleasantly surprised to find that the profit from the small teapot was several times that of the flowers.

Although the scholars paid money to have a pot of tea brewed repeatedly until it spoiled before they would replace it, the well water in the backyard was inexhaustible, and adding water only cost a little money for charcoal.

What's even more ingenious is that drinking too much tea can easily cause stomach upset, so it's necessary to have some tea snacks... This interconnectedness makes it even more profitable than selling flowers.

Having met Li De, the phrase "turn it into a teahouse" seemed to have taken root in Li Yang's mind, lingering there.

She had discussed it in detail with Ziyan, but unfortunately, the second floor of the flower shop could only accommodate four or five square tables, and there was no privacy, making it difficult to accommodate distinguished guests.

The banquet held in the pavilion in the backyard today was exactly what the two of them had planned.

Speaking of which, we have to thank Chen's mother-in-law. Putting aside everything else, she is truly adept at enjoying life and has managed this place so well that "stones are stacked to create scenery in all four seasons, and the windows frame a thousand autumn bamboos."

If converted into a teahouse, the winding paths and secluded pavilions would create an elegant space, where the scenery itself would be the best setting.

This banquet, ostensibly for enjoyment, is actually a test to see if this spectacle can truly delight the guests.

If the banquet is well-organized today, we only need to invite a talented person to tidy up the backyard, and we can immediately transform it into four or five pavilions and private rooms. Once you enter a private room, the price of tea and snacks will immediately increase several times over.

Who is more suitable than Mr. Zheng?

This Mr. Zheng was someone even Chen Junbo might not be able to persuade. Just as Li Yang was worrying about this, Zi Yan smiled and took on the task.

At the time, Li Yang thought she had some brilliant plan, but little did he know that she would actually "sacrifice herself to get involved".

Little did she know that Ziyan and Qingbo harbored deep-seated resentment, and their mere encounters would ignite a fierce conflict. Therefore, for Ziyan, getting Mr. Zheng to agree to anything was never difficult.

Chen Junbo was right; this was the kind of fun between the two of them—it was simply a matter of one being willing to give and the other being willing to receive.

She sighed inwardly: Truly worthy of being called Sister Ziyan! Even someone as aloof as Mr. Zheng couldn't escape her gentle touch. If she could ever learn even a fraction of her skills, she'd see if Chen Junbo could still anticipate her every move.

Thinking of this, her gaze swept across the face of the person beside her, a hint of cunning in it, which caught the person red-handed.

Chen Junbo chuckled softly, his breath drawing closer, "For this flower arrangement, you've even resorted to using your beauty to your advantage."

Upon hearing this, Li Yang was not intimidated at all. Instead, she met his teasing gaze and said, "As long as this 'honey trap' works, that's fine." As she spoke, she glanced at the timid Mr. Zheng and smiled.

Just as Chen Junbo was about to say something more, Li Yang suddenly stood up and walked closer to the two of them, "Sister Ziyan."

Seeing that the two of them turned to look at him, he said, "Then I thank Mr. Zheng and Sister Ziyan today."

This glass of wine brought the atmosphere back to life.

Li Yang returned to her seat, then suddenly turned and stared intently at Chen Junbo. Seeing his confusion, she gestured towards Zhou Chengli before looking back at Chen Junbo. She repeated this process, tilting her head and frowning, as if urging him on.

In the end, General Manager Chen was defeated. He smiled bitterly to himself. He was, after all, the top merchant in Lianghuai, but in his wife's eyes, what was his worth? She kept taking on all sorts of work for him.

He smiled helplessly, raised his glass to Zhou Chengli, and said, "Chengli, I heard that you recently passed the imperial examination with top honors. I must offer you a toast and wish you continued success in achieving the same result!"

Seeing him making a scene for Zhou Chengli, Li Yuhan also hurriedly offered a toast, "Brother Chengli, why don't you take advantage of today to ask Mr. Zheng to accept you as his apprentice? Mr. Zheng was a high-ranking official who served the Emperor. With his help, your future will be bright."

In the eyes of these imperial merchants, Mr. Zheng was not only Chen Junbai's friend, but also a Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) of the third year of the Daqing era and a high-ranking official appointed by the emperor. If he hadn't resigned from his official post to pursue his lover back then, he would probably already hold a second-rank position.

Today, seeing that Chen Junbo intended to promote Zhou Chengli, Li Yuhan also stepped forward to do him a favor.

Originally, Chen Junbo must have already spoken to Mr. Zheng. Even if he hadn't, judging from today's situation, with Madam Chen and Miss Ziyan's charming temper, they would definitely be able to bring this matter together.

He seized the initiative and became the messenger, simply hoping that Zhou Chengli would help him out if he became successful in the future.

This person is usually cautious and timid, but in reality, he is meticulous and will not stop until he has carved out a space for himself in the cracks.

With these words from him, Mr. Zheng, burdened by Chen Junbo's requests and Ziyan's displeasure, naturally had no choice but to comply. After all, he lived in the Chen family's Ruyi Pavilion every day, waiting for Ziyan to change her mind.

Chen Junbo turned around and leaned close to Li Yang, gritting his teeth as he said, "Mrs. Chen, are you satisfied now?"

Having received the benefit, she didn't care about those few words. Li Yang turned her head to face him and smiled sweetly: "Thank you."

Chen Junbo was momentarily lost in thought, gazing intently at the small face before him. Her eyes, bright and clear like stars fallen into a lake, sparkled gently, and two dimples graced her lips, as if brimming with honey. He was captivated, mesmerized…

"President Chen..." Ziyan called out sweetly, and he snapped back to his senses, concealing the turmoil in his eyes.

Ziyan: "Mr. Chen, it's getting late. Why don't you head back soon?"

After seeing everyone off, Li Yang followed Chen Junbo into the carriage. As soon as she got in, she was pulled hard and fell into his arms. She twisted her body uncomfortably.

"So, Madam Chen, you've used me and now you won't let me hold you anymore?"

What kind of talk is this! It's utterly outrageous! Has Chen Junbo taken the wrong medicine lately...?

Although she felt awkward hearing these words, she stopped struggling and just nestled obediently in his arms, letting him pat her shoulder casually.

After a long pause, Chen Junbo said in a deep voice, "Zhaozhao, let's void that contract."

Taking advantage of the perfect moonlight and the absence of others, Chen Junbo, slightly tipsy, brought up the matter weighing on his mind. Ever since he made up his mind about his feelings, that absurd marriage contract had made him vaguely uneasy. Now, taking advantage of his young mistress's satisfaction, he proposed to cancel the contract, which must be a calculated move.

Seeing that the other person did not respond, he called out again, "Zhaozhao?"

Looking down, I found that the person was nestled in my arms, fast asleep, with drool dripping onto his clothes...

Mr. Chen wished he could bite this heartless ingrate to death. In the short time it took to have this meal, he had used him to sell off his inventory, had Ziyan set up a stage to solve the business difficulties of the flower shop, and finally forced him to support that Zhou family boy.

Just as he was about to get down to business, the other person fell asleep!

He glared at her fiercely, but ultimately couldn't bear to wake her. She had been exhausted from preparing for this feast these past few days. Sleep, sleep. With a beauty in your arms, what does the contract matter matter? You can talk about it when you wake up.

Before they even returned to the Chen residence, news of the banquet at the Flower Pavilion that night had already reached Baomo Hall.

Liu Rufang leaned back in her chair, fiddling with her fingers. A faint smile played on her lips, but her words were sharp and cutting, sent to Madam Chen's ears one by one. "Madam, I told you, that young mistress is no simpleton. It seems that Young Master Chen is completely under her control. I'm afraid it won't be long before she comes to ask for the housekeeper's keys on behalf of her mistress."

Chen Zhangshi could hardly withstand his provocation. She smashed the porcelain cups on the table one after another, her chest heaving as she gasped for breath. "That little brat! He's forgotten his old mother now that he has a mistress! Giving away that brothel wasn't enough, now he wants to put her on a pedestal at the salt merchant's banquet. Can that wretched girl even handle that?! Ruqing, Ruqing! Ruqing!"

"Oh, Madam." Granny Sun quickly pushed open the door and entered, closing it behind her as she scurried to Madam Chen's side. Glancing sideways, she saw the disheveled man in the chair, revealing a large expanse of white skin. She cursed inwardly: "Does he forget how to dress properly once he enters this room? Every time I see him, he's either missing something here or there. He's truly despicable."

Unexpectedly, Liu Ruqing seemed to sense something, chuckled, twisted her waist and turned her body, covering a large area of ​​her body.

Then, Chen Zhangshi said in a sinister tone, "Go and 'invite' the manager of that flower shop here for me. Go now!"

Now?

It was already late in the night, and people were deep in meditation. In the middle of the night, Madam Chen hurriedly dragged Manager Zhong, a male acquaintance, out of bed and invited him to the Chen residence... "What's wrong with Madam Chen? What time is it? Why are you being called over in the middle of the night?"

Aunt Zhong, wearing an overcoat, lit an oil lamp and, while buttoning up Zhong's coat, muttered to herself, looking him up and down with a hint of suspicion in her eyes.

Zhong Qian hurriedly kissed her face, pleading and distressing, "Oh, my wife, you know his temperament, when has he ever cared for anyone else? Besides, you saw his lover in the shop that day... What time is it already, and you still have time to be jealous?"