After the master and servant changed their clothes, Zhu Xi hid the books in the desk drawer under the bed, and only after feeling that everything was safe did she lock the guest room and leave.
After leaving the inn, Lin Xiangzhi turned and headed towards a teahouse not far from the dock.
Zhu Xi quickly caught up, "Young Master, aren't you going to the dock?"
"Why go to the dock? It smells terrible. Go to the Sifang Teahouse instead. Merchants gather there, and people from all over the country come and go. It's also a good place to listen to music."
The teahouses in Jiangzhou are different from those in the capital.
Most teahouses in the capital city had storytellers.
In Jiangzhou, teahouses are typically two-story buildings. On the first floor, young women play the zither, and those who enjoy music can sit down and enjoy the pleasant music while drinking tea.
The second floor is all private rooms. Those who need to discuss business don't like crowds and noise, so they choose a private room on the second floor, brew a pot of tea, and slowly discuss business.
The wooden building wasn't very soundproof, but you could faintly hear the sound of a zither in the private room without being disturbed.
Since Lin Xiangzhi didn't discuss business, he naturally chose to sit on the first floor.
He ordered a pot of tea and invited Zhuxi to sit opposite him so they could enjoy the tea and listen to music.
Zhu Xi hesitated, "Young Master, this servant will just stand behind you."
"Sit down, stop dawdling. Look around, who's standing? When you're out and about, there aren't so many rules."
Lin Xiangzhi lightly kicked Zhu Xi's calf. Zhu Xi looked around and, seeing that no one was looking at them, sat down cautiously.
The place is a melting pot of people, and the people sitting and drinking tea are dressed in all sorts of different ways, including some foreigners with high noses, deep-set eyes, and tall stature.
On a distant high platform, a woman in red, wearing a veil, moved her slender fingers nimbly across the strings of a zither.
The clear, melodious notes of the piano flowed from her fingertips like spring water.
The woman's beautiful eyes were focused intently on the strings of the zither in front of her, completely oblivious to the various gazes directed at her from all around.
In the lobby, several young men carrying trays moved back and forth.
"You know, there's trouble in the south again. Smuggling grain there should be a way to make a fortune."
"Not only food, but also medicine, salt and horse feed are in short supply. If there are extra carriages, I would also like to bring some cloth."
"Forget about salt. With our connections, we can't even get a glimpse of the manager under those guys. Even if we managed to buy salt on the black market, it's not worth getting caught and charged with selling smuggled salt."
Just as Lin Xiangzhi picked up his teacup, he heard a conversation between two men behind him.
The man spoke in a rather mysterious tone when mentioning someone.
Lin Xiangzhi tilted his head slightly, trying to hear more clearly, but the two men behind him immediately changed the subject and started talking about something else.
Trouble is brewing in the south; could it be that conflict has broken out again in Yannan?
Thinking of this, Lin Xiangzhi felt as if thorns had grown on his buttocks, and he felt extremely uncomfortable.
The man from Zhuxi sat down, his heart entirely focused on his young master.
Seeing his young master's brows furrow slightly, he quickly leaned closer and asked, "Young Master, is your stomach upset again?"
Lin Xiangzhi shook his head.
Zhu Xi breathed a huge sigh of relief. It was good that the young master didn't have diarrhea. There were a lot of people in the teahouse, and there would be a long queue in the outhouse. It would be terrible if his young master couldn't hold it in.
Lin Xiangzhi looked up and saw Zhu Xi's expression, and he knew what he was thinking. He glared at Zhu Xi.
Zhu Xi grinned and chuckled, "It's good that the young master is alright. I was just overthinking things."
The master and servant tacitly focused on drinking tea and listening to music.
Guests came and went, and the musicians who played the zither changed one after another.
On the stairs leading to the second floor, guests come and go from time to time. Some of them come down with smiles on their faces, clearly having closed a deal.
Some people left disappointed, their faces full of displeasure. Judging from everyone's expressions, Lin Xiangzhi felt that the teahouse was filled with the stench of money.
Just as he was intently watching the newly arrived musician adjust the strings, someone tapped him on the shoulder from behind.
"Young master, are you here to look for goods?"
Lin Xiangzhi turned his head and saw a middle-aged man nodding at him.
Before Lin Xiangzhi could answer, the man cupped his hands in a respectful gesture and said, "If you are interested in something of substance, sir, you may speak with me in private."
What constitutes "hard-core" goods?
The man left Lin Xiangzhi completely bewildered.
He followed his uncle on his trading business and had never heard of goods being categorized as either soft or hard.
The man had an expression that said, "I knew it."
"Young master, you must be from out of town, for you don't even know what 'hard goods' are."
Lin Xiangzhi quickly stood up, cupped his hands in return, and said with a warm smile, "Boss has a good eye. My name is Jia Lin, and I come from out of town. May I ask what kind of 'hard goods' you are referring to?"
The man pointed to the second floor, "Let's go to the second floor. It's too crowded and inconvenient to talk here."
Lin Xiangzhi was slightly taken aback. What kind of goods were so mysterious?
This is probably a business deal that puts your life on the line.
With the thought that listening wouldn't hurt, I looked at Zhuxi.
Seeing that Lin Xiangzhi hesitated for a moment, the middle-aged man added, "I'll pay for the tea today."
The man waved, and a waiter quickly came running over. The man asked, "Are there any private rooms upstairs?"
"Third Master is here. Even if we weren't here, we should have been. Why did you come alone today? Please come upstairs."
The waiter smiled obsequiously, and the man called Third Master took out a piece of silver and tossed it to the waiter, saying, "Arrange a private room and brew a pot of good tea. I need to entertain two friends. The rest is yours."
Seeing the waiter's attitude, Lin Xiangzhi couldn't help but become more cautious about the man in front of him, who was called Third Master.
Third Master wore a blue robe of superior quality, with wide and flowing sleeves.
He was of medium height, with a straight posture, and a soft brocade belt tied around his waist.
His thick eyebrows were slightly raised, and his eyes were deep and sharp, revealing a sense of composure and shrewdness.
He had a full forehead and a ruddy complexion. Lin Xiangzhi, who had seen countless people, immediately determined that this man was either the steward of an official or a wealthy merchant in the area.
He was secretly delighted; he had gained an unexpected bonus today.
The waiter led the three upstairs to the second floor and into a private room at the end of the corridor.
Seeing that Third Master and Lin Xiangzhi had taken their seats, the waiter bowed and said, "Third Master, please wait a moment, I will bring you tea right away."
The waiter thoughtfully closed the door behind him as he left.
There were other people in the room, so Zhu Xi didn't sit down; he stood quietly behind Lin Xiangzhi.
A moment later, a waiter brought over a plate of pastries and a plate of melon seeds.
Then the tea was served.
"Brother Jia, is this your first time here?" Third Master's voice broke the silence in the room.
Lin Xiangzhi nodded with a smile, "That's right, this is my first time in Jiangzhou."
"May I ask if you, Third Master, are you working independently or for the government? Will that valuable item break the law? I'm timid and afraid of trouble."
Third Master laughed heartily at Lin Xiangzhi's timid and cowardly appearance.
"What are you afraid of? Go outside and ask around. Mention Third Master's name and see who dares to make things difficult for you."
Third Master's arrogant tone was completely different from his calm expression downstairs just now.
"Third Master, you..."
The Third Master put away his smile and said with a serious expression, "My name is Qin Hui, and I am the third manager under Lord Guo. I am known as the Third Master."
"Third, Third Manager?"
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