When you're busy, time flies by, and before you know it, Qixi Festival is just around the corner.
Neither the Zhang family nor the Green Dragon Gang ever appeared again. They kept to themselves, as there was no real conflict of interest between them, and there was no need to waste time and energy.
However, after this incident, Cheng Ruyi still made a point of inquiring about detailed information regarding the Green Dragon Gang and the Zhang family. After all, knowing your enemy is the key to victory.
The Green Dragon Gang has a long history. They used to hang around the West Market Wharf area. Although they would occasionally fight and cause trouble, they were generally under the control of the county government.
It wasn't until the appearance of the Zhang brothers twenty years ago that the Green Dragon Gang was completely changed.
No one knew the origins of the two brothers. All that was known was that they were refugees who had fled to the county town and had been working at the docks ever since. Soon after, because the elder brother, Zhang Sheng, was ruthless and vicious, and the younger brother, Zhang Li, was cunning, they were appreciated by the former gang leader and were able to join the Green Dragon Gang.
As the two brothers rose to prominence and gained more followers, their relationship with the old gang leader deteriorated, and he soon died suddenly. The two brothers then naturally took over the gang.
Afterwards, the Green Dragon Gang changed its old ways and became domineering and ruthless. Over the years, it completely controlled the West Market and the docks, and even took over the nearby brothels and casinos.
By chance, Zhang Sheng met Liu Wei and then married his sister Liu Wu. From then on, the two families officially cooperated, and the power of the Qinglong Gang became even more prosperous, completely breaking away from the control of the county government. After that, Liu Wei was in charge of some of the gang's shady businesses.
It wasn't until the previous magistrate and the Zhou family joined forces that it took a long time to finally suppress the Green Dragon Gang. Then, the three parties made a three-point agreement, and all these years have finally been peaceful.
The Cheng family had always lived in the south of Huaishan County. Their only memory was that the area around the West Market Wharf used to be very chaotic and dangerous, and it had only become safer about seven or eight years ago. As for the details, ordinary people like them naturally did not know.
"When the city was locked down last year, it was those guys from the Green Dragon Gang who colluded with some desperados, hoping to take advantage of the chaos and pull off a big heist. Hmph, those guys are simply lawless!"
Zhou Yin recalled the scene he witnessed and found it hard to imagine what terrible things would have happened to those families if he and his men hadn't arrived in time. He was filled with anger and resentment.
Cheng Ruyi frowned upon hearing this, "In just over a decade, the Azure Dragon Gang's power has grown to the point where it can rival yours. I don't believe there's no interference from other forces behind this..."
"Oh? What do you mean?" Zhou Yin was somewhat surprised. He hadn't expected Cheng Ruyi to be so perceptive, able to make such a deduction based solely on what he had said.
“You said that the Zhang brothers were refugees who fled from war, and that as soon as they arrived in Huaishan County they went straight to work at the docks. All of this proves that the two brothers are just ordinary people from the bottom of society who can only exchange their labor for survival. They have never been to school and have no one to teach them. The possibility of them getting ahead is simply impossible.”
Cheng Ruyi had some understanding of this era. If ordinary people wanted to change their fate and achieve upward social mobility, the only two paths were studying or joining the army.
Although it is said that heroes emerge in times of chaos, and many emperors did not have honorable origins, the Great Yue Kingdom is not yet in such a state of chaos. Order is still in the hands of the imperial court, and resources are still firmly in the hands of those powerful families.
Seeing Cheng Ruyi's serious analysis, Zhou Yin became very curious and couldn't help but tease her: "How do you know that the Zhang brothers haven't been to school? Maybe they're from a declining family?"
"Put yourself in their shoes. If your family suffered a major upheaval and you were left destitute on the streets, would you immediately choose to work as a laborer at the docks? That doesn't fit the mindset of someone from a prominent family."
“Then it’s also possible that they chose to live in anonymity to avoid their enemies,” Zhou Yin retorted.
Ruyi took a sip of water and slowly said, "It's not impossible, but if they wanted to hide from their enemies, then these brothers have been unusually high-profile for the past ten years or so. Are they afraid their enemies won't be able to find them? How thoughtful of them!"
puff!
Zhou Yin couldn't help but laugh. He found chatting with Cheng Ruyi to be a pleasant experience. Although she was a woman, she was always open and frank with him, never suddenly becoming shy or pretending to be reserved. She was so different from any other woman he had ever met before.
What's even more remarkable is that she speaks with substance and quick wit. Chatting with her often makes one forget that she is a woman. Over time, even he himself gradually began to feel less resistant to this strange sense of incongruity.
Ultimately, finding someone to have a meaningful conversation with isn't easy.
“Madam Cheng is indeed exceptionally intelligent. We have been investigating this matter for a long time, but we have been unable to find any useful clues. The person behind this is not only extremely cautious, but may also be much more powerful than we imagined!”
The Zhou family has been operating in Huaishan County for a century. How could they not be concerned about this sudden opponent? Especially since they looked aggressive and were not exactly friendly.
Since Zhou Yin officially took over the family business, he has been working with the county government to gradually dismantle the Green Dragon Gang's power. In fact, he almost succeeded several times, but something always happened at the crucial moment, helping them escape disaster.
It was precisely because of this that Zhou Yin was able to confirm that there must be an unknown force behind the Azure Dragon Gang.
“The world is in chaos now, and many evil people are trying to take advantage of the situation to get a share of the pie…” Zhou Yin paused here before continuing, “We are just ordinary people with families to support. We are no match for these desperate criminals, so it is not advisable to have a direct confrontation with them.”
Cheng Ruyi understood what he meant and nodded sincerely, replying, "Don't worry, I'm very timid and value my life the most. I'll definitely avoid the West Market from now on!"
"If I didn't know what happened at the Lantern Festival, I would have believed you..."
"Hehe, it's been so long, let's not bring it up again. Instead, let's think about recent things, like... Qixi Festival is coming soon!"
Upon hearing this, Zhou Yin's heart suddenly skipped a beat, and he looked at Cheng Ruyi with a complicated expression.
What does she mean by this? Qixi Festival? Isn't Qixi Festival the day when women confess their love to the men they admire? Could it be... that she might also...?
Seeing that the other person's expression was off, Cheng Ruyi couldn't help but explain, "Qixi Festival, it's a great day to make money!"
You see, in her previous life, all those festivals that could be named in the East and West were packaged by merchants as extraordinary and important days, as if not doing something on these days would mean that life had been wasted!
Especially on Valentine's Day, they go all out with candlelight dinners, jewelry, and flowers—the more romantic the better, with endless variations—ensuring you'll have to spend at least a little money!
Ruyi's idea is actually very simple: to create a "Qixi Festival Couple Package" at Lingyun Pavilion. On Qixi Festival, only couples will be invited. The package includes limited-edition special food and a limited-edition romantic hot spring. The two of them can enjoy the beautiful scenery and delicious food while soaking in the hot spring, and their relationship will surely become even more intimate.
"I've even thought of a name. Do you think 'Unbreakable Bond' or 'Harmonious Union' sounds better? Or how about 'Eternal Love' or 'Perfect Match'?"
Zhou Yin: "......"
It turns out he had misunderstood... He couldn't help but touch his chest. Thank goodness, this time it didn't turn into a bad romantic encounter.
"Where do you get so many strange ideas? To be honest, I don't think they're very feasible. Anyone who can enter and leave our Lingyun Pavilion is, to put it nicely, a respectable person. They are very particular about etiquette and such things. And the contents of your so-called 'set meal' sound rather unrefined."
Seeing that Cheng Ruyi was about to object, Zhou Yin immediately continued, "Besides, they're already husband and wife, why go to such lengths? Don't they need to express their feelings for each other again?"
Cheng Ruyi wanted to say something after hearing this, but then she thought about the current era and realized that saying anything would be meaningless. She had misunderstood; this was an ancient society where men were superior to women, tsk tsk tsk~~
Seeing Ruyi's somewhat dejected and downcast appearance, Zhou Yin felt a little uncomfortable for some reason. This woman had always been spirited and quick-witted in front of him. When had she ever shown such an expression?
"Ahem, while it's not feasible at Lingyun Pavilion, I think we could try Zhiwei Restaurant, or perhaps we could try another method. As long as it's not a couple soaking in the hot springs together, everything else is negotiable..."
"Yes, you're right, let's leave it at that." Cheng Ruyi didn't dwell on the matter too much; as long as she could make money, that was fine.
After the two finished discussing the matter, Zhou Yin suddenly asked a question: "By the way, Lingyun Pavilion's reputation has begun to spread, and many people in nearby counties and even the prefectural city have expressed great interest in it. Have you ever thought about opening a branch?"
"Of course I've thought about it, but to be honest, I have limited energy, and making those recipes is indeed not easy; it takes a lot of time!"
Cheng Ruyi also dreams of opening branches all over the world; who would complain about having too much money? However, her cheat-like abilities aren't omnipotent. Whether it's the growth of spiritual plants or the acquisition of spiritual pills, both require time. Time truly is money!
"So, at most I can only support one more branch the size of Lingyun Pavilion, no more!" Thinking of losing so many branches, Ruyi felt as if her heart was being torn apart, as if she had lost hundreds of millions!
After much discussion, the two decided that it would be more suitable to open a branch in the prefectural city, as it was not too far from Huai Shan County and the Zhou family's influence was also involved there.
Actually, Zhou Yin had originally considered opening his restaurant in the capital, since even the most prosperous prefecture could not compare to the capital.
However, Cheng Ruyi said that the capital was too far away from them, and if anything happened, they would not be able to deal with it in time, and would inevitably be unable to help. Most importantly, the capital was a place where powerful forces were mixed and the situation was constantly changing, and she did not want to get involved in unnecessary conflicts.
After listening, Zhou Yin expressed his understanding. He naturally knew better than Cheng Ruyi how deep the waters were in the capital.
During his time running Lingyun Pavilion, he discovered that the guests were more relaxed when soaking in the hot springs than when eating and drinking. Although they mostly chatted about everyday things, they unexpectedly brought a lot of useful information to the Zhou family, which was his main reason for wanting to open a branch.
The Zhou family is not short of money, and the purpose of opening branches is not to make money, but to expand the Zhou family's base and obtain more resources and information. There is no need to get involved in trouble, so the prefectural city is indeed more suitable than the capital.
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