Chapter 194: Collecting Debts
In the end, they didn’t make it to the night market that evening.
Zhou Wangshu was throwing a tantrum and unwilling to go out.
Su Yaoguang thought of the matter that still needed to be arranged as discussed with Cui Rong, so she gathered the skincare experts and mentioned having them teach students.
Cui Rong had arranged a hundred people there, and she already had ten skincare experts on hand, just right for each to teach ten people. If they taught well, she would give them a bonus.
Su Yaoguang had always been generous. Since following her, the young ladies had much more money in hand, and working at Peach Blossom Workshop was very prestigious. Everyone respected them greatly. Now giving them this new task showed that she valued them, so of course they were happy to accept the order.
Since they were to teach students, they naturally needed to organize a complete set of procedures, to avoid everyone teaching differently later and damaging their reputation.
That evening, the young ladies gathered together to discuss Peach Blossom Workshop’s signature techniques thoughtfully. They had them before, but hadn’t unified the entire process.
Noisy sounds came from outside, followed by banging sounds.
Everyone heard the commotion and went out to look, only to see Zhou Wangshu already standing under the eaves, looking toward the opposite side.
“What’s the opposite side making a fuss about again?” Zhang Zhaodi followed out. “It’s noisy enough during the day, and it’s lively anyway, but so noisy at night—won’t they let people rest?”
“Isn’t that someone from the gambling house?” Su Yaoguang said. “I remember seeing him with Zhong Chushan.”
Zhou Wangshu hummed: “His name is Shou San.”
Su Yaoguang called out toward the opposite side upon hearing this: “Shou San.”
Shou San heard someone calling him, turned back and saw Su Yaoguang and Zhou Wangshu, and immediately trotted over, acting as diligent as if he were their young servant.
“Young lady Su, Young Master Zhou, we didn’t scare you, did we?” Shou San said with a cheerful smile. “No need to be afraid. We’re just here to collect a debt, and it has nothing to do with anyone else.”
“You’re collecting a debt from Fenghua Pavilion—what debt?” Su Yaoguang asked curiously.
“Gambling debt, of course!” Shou San said. “Jiang Yihui owes our gambling house one thousand taels of silver. We have to collect it from them, right?”
“One thousand taels?” Su Yaoguang clicked her tongue. “I wouldn’t dare spend like that.”
Although Peach Blossom Workshop had made quite a bit of money—let alone one thousand taels of silver, even five thousand taels could be taken out—how could they, who had lived hard days, bear to spend money like that?
“They’re generous and don’t care about this small amount of money. They gamble and lose every day, still gambling on credit. Now the agreed time has come, and we haven’t seen the repayment, so we can only come to the door to collect the debt. Anyway, Young lady Su, Young Master Zhou, I’m going back to smash the door. If they don’t open, we’ll rush in and move things out, emptying the place.”
As soon as Shou San ran back, another group of people rushed over.
“It’s right here. Smash it for me, smash the door open, and drag the people inside out.” The brothel madam arrived with thugs.
“Madam, what’s going on here again?” Zhang Zhaodi asked.
The brothel madam waved her handkerchief and said: “Don’t ask. That shameless Jiang Yihui slept with my girl and didn’t pay. He said he’d pay today, but we still haven’t seen him.”
Both the gambling house and the brothel came to the door at the same time, but Fenghua Pavilion didn’t make a sound. However, there were definitely people inside; it was just unknown if Zhong Lanhua had taken the chance to escape.
“Alright, stop watching.” Su Yaoguang said. “We still have proper business to do. Don’t join the excitement.”
The young ladies looked back every few steps, curiously watching the opposite direction.
“They chased Jiang Yihuan away before, and now it seems she really escaped a disaster. If she hadn’t left, these debts would have been stuck on her.”
Su Yaoguang tugged at Zhou Wangshu’s sleeve: “Stingy one, stop looking and come inside.”
“Who’s stingy?” Zhou Wangshu was dissatisfied with the name.
“Whoever promised is the stingy one.” Su Yaoguang made a face at him.
Zhou Wangshu followed Su Yaoguang and said unhappily: “You and that Cui fellow ate pretty well, huh!”
“So you saw us.” Su Yaoguang realized. “No wonder you’ve been acting sullen since earlier, nose not nose, eyes not eyes. Turns out you think I didn’t take you to eat.”
Zhou Wangshu: “…”
Did he lack that bit of food?
“We were discussing business.” Su Yaoguang explained. “You know how boring discussing business is. If I brought you along, wouldn’t it bore you to death? Most importantly, I didn’t know you were at the dance hall then. If I had known, I definitely would have called you to eat together. The meals at that dance hall are indeed good, but since your relationship with Young Master Chen is so good, you must have eaten there plenty of times. I just didn’t call you for one meal—are you really being this petty? You say you’re not stingy, but I’ve never seen such a stingy man.”
“Who cares about that bit of food?” Zhou Wangshu was even more displeased.
Since the words had come to this point, some things needed to be clarified.
He touched the jade pendant hanging at her waist and said: “Then what’s this about? Even if our marriage contract is fake, the paper document is real, right? At the yamen, I’m your legitimate husband, aren’t I? We haven’t divorced here yet, and you’re already accepting another man’s token of affection jade pendant. Aren’t you taking me too lightly?”
“Who said this is a token of affection jade pendant?” Su Yaoguang touched his forehead. “No fever—why are you saying things that make less and less sense?”
“You said it yourself—this represents identity.” If not a token of affection jade pendant, what else could it be?
“I’m cooperating with Young Master Cui to do business, and I’ll inevitably need to inspect the shops’ business later. How to prove my identity? This jade pendant is the proof. Young Master Cui and I each have one, so the shop assistants below can recognize us by this jade pendant.” Su Yaoguang flipped the jade pendant over to show Zhou Wangshu. “See, it has ‘Peach Blossom Workshop’ on it.”
Zhou Wangshu: “…”
So it was this kind of identity token.
“You look like a child fighting over candy right now.” Su Yaoguang laughed. “Now that it’s clear, you’re not so angry anymore, right?”
Zhou Wangshu touched the tip of his nose: “I’m not angry.”
“Fine.” Su Yaoguang didn’t want to argue with him.
She leaned by the window, watching the people from the brothel and gambling house smash the door open and drag Zhong Lanhua out from inside.
Zhong Lanhua shouted loudly, her cries heart-wrenching; those who didn’t know would think a pig was being slaughtered.
“How could our Hui’er possibly owe so much silver? You’re deliberately extorting us. I’m reporting to the yamen!” Zhong Lanhua yelled.
“Even if you report to the yamen, this silver must be repaid.” The madam shrieked, hands on hips. “Go ask around— who visits a brothel and doesn’t pay? My girls are all like flowers; how can you stinky men sleep with them for free?”
