Chapter 233: The Evil Schemes In His Belly Churn Again
（Thanks to all book friends for the rewards, thanks to fellow daoists for the support, this humble author thanks you all here!）
The waiter looked aggrieved: “Fifth Master, you said it was ten days ago. Nowadays in Beiping, prices change every day, plus these union bonds keep depreciating, our teahouse prices are already conscientious.”
Fan Wu Ye: “.”
Well, he really didn’t know how to respond to that.
If he kept talking, it would seem like he was being unreasonable and bullying people.
“Alright, alright, my bad.” Fan Wu Ye wasn’t unreasonable either, he took out another twenty and slapped them on the table: “The rest is my apology.”
“Fifth Master, you’re generous! Take care, sirs!”
Just as the two reached the door, Fan Wu Ye’s peripheral vision glanced to the side, and he suddenly let out a soft “Eh?”
“What’s up?” Cao Weida followed his gaze and saw at the back of the teahouse, a little old man with gray-white hair wearing a gray vest being stopped by the waiter from leaving.
Listening a bit, he roughly understood: the little old man had drunk tea but couldn’t pay, so the waiter wouldn’t let him go.
From the implications in his words, this little old man had been wealthy before, often came here for tea, and had tipped the waiter quite a bit.
But now in downfall, the waiter wouldn’t acknowledge that favor.
“Fifth Brother, you know him?”
Fan Wu Ye nodded, “Sort of. He’s called E Ye, everyone calls him E Ye, he’s a descendant of the imperial clan, from the Bordered Yellow Banner nobility. Back in the day, if I saw him, I’d have to kowtow in greeting.”
“Whoa, actually an imperial clan descendant.” Through Fan Wu Ye’s introduction, Cao Weida couldn’t help but picture a character from a certain TV series.
《The E Ye from Hundred-Year Rongbao Studio》!
“But after all, he’s an imperial clan descendant. How has he fallen to this extent now?”
He only remembered this character, but not specifically how he ended up in downfall.
“Sigh, that brings us to this E Ye’s temperament.”
Fan Wu Ye explained: “This master was a total playboy in his youth, liked studying antiques and calligraphy paintings, but he himself had no eye for it, so he was often fooled by master counterfeiters in the antiques circle, leading to his family’s downfall.”
“Oh, so that’s how it is.” Cao Weida nodded as if understanding. If he remembered right, in the TV series, this E Ye later, for a living, partnered with a counterfeiter in the antiques circle to scam money with fake artifacts.
However, this master had guts, specializing in targeting traitors and Japanese people.
In the end, he took a high-quality fake Eastern Zhou ancient jade hook to scam a Japanese person, but a flaw in the carving patterns gave it away, identified by the traitor Song Huairen, and ultimately beaten to death by the Japanese.
In many Republic of China TV series, plenty of Bannerman descendants had national backbone, like Fan Wu Ye, like E Ye.
He didn’t know if it was intentional by the TV series producers or investors or what, but now it was the real world after all, and these characters had become real people.
As long as they had that backbone, Cao Weida didn’t mind helping out.
Just as he was about to step in to help, a nearby guest suddenly shouted: “This master’s tea money, I’ll cover it for him!”
Cao Weida raised an eyebrow, showed an interested expression, and withdrew his stepped-out foot.
“Cao’er, shall we go?”
“No rush, wait.”
“Wait for what?” Fan Wu Ye looked over doubtfully, and saw that the guest not only paid E Ye’s tea money, but also warmly invited him to sit and refilled his cup.
Then, he lavished E Ye with praise, speaking in flowery terms.
“Yo, there are still such kind-hearted people these days?” Fan Wu Ye watched suspiciously.
He had been a down-and-out Bannerman descendant like E Ye before, long accustomed to the coldness of human relations, and really couldn’t believe that a stranger would be so kind-hearted these days.
Especially coming straight with flattery, which was truly suspicious.
“No courtesy without a reason, either adulterer or thief.” Cao Weida chuckled. In the TV series, there really was such a person, that counterfeiter from the antiques circle!
The moment he saw this person, bad ideas bubbled up in his mind again, and suddenly he had a bold plan.
On the other side, E Ye, who sat down and got lavished with praise, wasn’t stupid either. Having lived to such an age and experienced the coldness of human relations, how could he lose his bearings from a few sweet words of flattery?
He knew that accepting favors makes one beholden, so he directly asked the man what he wanted.
But to E Ye’s surprise, despite his current downfall, the other was willing to partner with him in business!
E Ye chuckled: “Oh my, that’s fresh. You want to do business with me?!”
“I’ve never done it before, and I have no capital. You’d better find someone else.”
But the man’s next words shocked E Ye: “How do you not have it? Your identity is the capital!”
“Not to mention anything else, just sitting there like that, without a word, that bearing, that expression—it’s the air of a master who’s eaten, played, and seen it all!”
“If you’re not a real Bannerman descendant, others can’t fake it!”
Hearing this, Cao Weida nodded in agreement. Aura was intangible, but you had to admit it really existed and could be keenly sensed by others.
Different backgrounds, different upbringing, different family environments—it’s impossible to fake an aura that doesn’t belong to you!
Unless spending immense time and effort to slowly cultivate and feel it out, gradually figuring it out.
That E Ye might be down-and-out, but his every gesture had the style of a Bannerman descendant at first glance.
His gaze involuntarily turned to Fan Wu Ye beside him. Feeling the gaze, Fan Wu Ye straightened his back proudly: “That guy does have an eye. Us Bannerman descendants’ flair isn’t something just anyone can fake!”
“Now you’re proud.” Cao Weida rolled his eyes helplessly. All the Bannerman descendants, except those who became traitors and dogs for the little devils, what a sorry state they’d fallen into—just this, what’s to be proud of.
Of course, it wasn’t that the Bannerman descendants who didn’t become traitors didn’t want to be dogs for the little devils, but most of them the little devils wouldn’t even take!
The little devils weren’t stupid either. These Bannerman descendants, except a few still useful, the rest were mostly good-for-nothing wastrels used to eating, drinking, and playing.
If they took them in, not only no help, but they’d have to spend money to keep them!
Losing business like that, they wouldn’t touch it!
Raising pigs would be more cost-effective than keeping them!
Hearing this, E Ye naturally understood: the man wanted to partner with him, using his former Bannerman descendant identity to pull off empty-handed white wolf deals!
E Ye immediately got interested, but what he cared most about now was money.
He wasn’t coy and directly asked: “Then, when we make money, how to split it?”
“Sixty-forty, how about that.” The counterfeiter wasn’t coy either and directly replied.
This was definitely a sincere split. E Ye nodded with a chuckle: “Sounds alright.”
“Then, we have a deal?” The counterfeiter lit up at these words and immediately wanted to seal it.
But E Ye suddenly spoke up: “Wait, lend me ten silver dollars first, count it as advance, deduct from the account later. How about that?”
“Hey, he’s sharp.” These words made Cao Weida at the door chuckle. No work done yet, but secure ten silver dollars first.
The counterfeiter wasn’t coy either; he was sincere about partnering with E Ye and immediately took out ten silver dollars and handed them over.
“E Ye, take it.”
Weighing the silver dollars in his hand, the wrinkles on E Ye’s face smoothed out with a smile: “Alright, you’re so straightforward, why would I hesitate? It’s settled!”
Seeing them agree on the deal, Fan Wu Ye at the door was so angry his beard nearly fell off.
He rolled up his sleeves: “These counterfeiters have stirred up Beiping’s antiques market into a filthy mess. I’m going to reason with them!”
“Don’t, Fifth Master, why the rush? Come on, let’s hide first.” Cao Weida pulled Fan Wu Ye outside. Joking aside, he still wanted to use them for something.
Counterfeiters were hateful, sure, but used right, bad things could turn good.
Though he didn’t get what medicine Cao Weida was selling in his gourd, Fan Wu Ye obediently didn’t resist and let himself be pulled aside to hide.
Until E Ye and the counterfeiter came out of the teahouse chatting and laughing, hailed a rickshaw and got on. Only then did Cao Weida pull him and say: “Come on, let’s follow.”
“Oh~~ I get it,” Fan Wu Ye looked wise and clever, “You want to tail them to their lair and catch them all in one net?”
Cao Weida rolled his eyes: “Do I have time for that? Whatever, no explaining now, hurry and follow.”
While talking, he hailed a rickshaw, pointed ahead: “Follow that rickshaw, but don’t tail too close. Double fare when we get there.”
Hearing double pay, the rickshaw puller lit up and said energetically: “Leave it to me!”
With the temptation of double fare, the rickshaw puller tailed closely, running about ten minutes until the front rickshaw stopped in front of a rather remote courtyard.
“Here.”
Seeing the rickshaw stop, Cao Weida kept his word, paid double, and waved the puller off before thanks.
Seeing the counterfeiter had opened the courtyard door and was about to enter, Cao Weida nodded: “Fifth Master, let’s go say hello.”
The counterfeiter led E Ye into the courtyard and was about to close the door when a hand stopped it.
“No rush, we haven’t come in yet. Why close the door?”
The counterfeiter was shocked: “You… who are you!”
Hearing the noise, E Ye hurriedly turned back. Seeing Fan Wu Ye, he said surprised: “Yo, isn’t this Fan Wu? How are you here?”
The counterfeiter was stunned: “E Ye, you know him?”
“Of course I do. Fan Shirong, fifth in the Fan family line. Their family were descendants of the Eight Great Iron Hats Princes with perpetual hereditary succession, former imperial in-laws! I used to play with his father often.”
