Chapter 45

Chapter 45

"Love Between Human and Ghost" was nearing its conclusion.

After each performance, Ji Xingwang would take his staff around to stamp the audience's stamp collection cloths.

The cloth had small squares embroidered with thread on one side, and the words "Love Between Human and Ghost Collection Cloth" embroidered on the other. Ji Xingwang had initially stamped all the previous squares in advance before the audience began collecting stamps.

After that, attendees got one stamp per session.

In recent days, patrons with less means hadn't paid for tea; they all used their collected stamps to attend.

Having both tea to drink and a story to listen to was really pleasant.

However, people weren't actually freeloading; they all gave tips, big and small, after the performance.

Apart from his storytelling lately, Shen Yuan had been writing the continuation of "Love Between Human and Ghost" and discussing with Ji Xingwang how to redesign the teahouse layout.

To avoid disrupting the regular storytelling, the work had to be done at night.

They planned to remove the private booths upstairs, using only screens for separation. Guests sitting by the railings could still hear the storyteller below.

It wouldn't be too cramped and would offer a bit of private space.

This renovation was simple and quick, and would be ready for use soon.

Ji Xingwang took care of hiring the workers, so Shen Yuan didn't need to worry about those matters.

Currently, the audience for "Love Between Human and Ghost" remained limited to a smaller range due to the teahouse's size constraints.

However, because those who came to listen were influential figures, at various social gatherings, anyone who had heard "Love Between Human and Ghost" couldn't help but gather to discuss the plot.

Those who hadn't heard it were also drawn in by these discussions. Through word of mouth, "Love Between Human and Ghost" had already spread among the elite of Qingyun County.

It wasn't just the storytelling; there was also the sugar-steamed milk curd.

Some were even willing to pay a hundred taels for a bowl of it. However, those who ordered the curd at the Ji Family Teahouse were all wealthy enough to afford it and typically wanted it for themselves. Unless they were seeking to gain favor, they wouldn't give their portion away.

The teahouse hadn't kept the recipe a secret, but so far, no one had successfully replicated it. With incorrect proportions and methods, the best result was a sweet milk porridge.

Compared to the Ji Family Teahouse's sugar-steamed milk curd, it paled in comparison.

Ji Mingfeng and Zhao Yueyun had been so flattered at various banquets these past few days that they were on cloud nine.

They hadn't expected the storytelling and milk curd to be so popular.

Thinking about it carefully, it really was enjoyable to listen to and delicious to eat.

They wanted to go listen to the storytelling and eat the milk curd again later, but Ji Ping'an blocked them from meeting Shen Yuan.

Their unfilial son desperately obstructed them, acting as if they were a menace, leaving them helpless.

After all, they had previously harbored ill intentions toward Shen Yuan.

Oh well. As long as he was making money for the Ji family and stayed at the teahouse, that was enough.

The teahouse could set aside two portions of milk curd every few days to send to the Ji family, so they could still eat it.

As for the story, once that storyteller named Fang Zaoshang finished telling the entire tale, they could just call him to the house to tell it again.

There was no rush.

The proven influence of the storytelling was enough to prompt action from the managers of other teahouses.

That day, Ji Xingwang pulled aside Shen Yuan after his performance and said, "There's something I need Xiao Yuan's input on. The manager of the Xu Family Teahouse found me for a drink yesterday, asking if our teahouse's storyteller could go to his place for a couple of days."

Shen Yuan had anticipated this; it was part of his earlier plan. "Sure. Twenty taels of silver per performance, with tips split fifty-fifty with the storyteller."

Ji Xingwang thought twenty taels per performance was very cheap. Not to mention tea sales, just the tips alone could recoup the cost.

That afternoon, while out discussing milk curd ingredients as recommended by a patron, Ji Xingwang stopped by the Xu Family Teahouse and told Manager Xu about it.

Manager Xu's eyes widened. "What?! Twenty taels for one performance? That's so expensive. Can we even make the money back?"

Since storytelling began at the teahouse, business had increased significantly. Ji Xingwang had grown more capable from handling one matter after another.

He remained composed, breaking it down clearly for Manager Xu. "That's not the way to look at it. Think about it, how big is our Ji Family Teahouse? There are still many wealthy people in Qingyun County who can't get a seat to listen. Right now, whichever teahouse has 'Love Between Human and Ghost' is the one making money."

"I won't even mention how much in tips our teahouse's Xiao Yuan gets per performance. Just look at Sanhu and Zaoshang; they each get over sixty taels in tips per performance now. And that's because the biggest tippers favor Xiao Yuan. Even so, with a fifty-fifty split, you'd make back the money just from the tips. Not to mention your tea sales here."

Ji Xingwang glanced around the teahouse hall. "Look, there aren't many people here either. The teahouse business is slow nowadays. Who goes to a teahouse just to drink tea? How boring."

These words stirred a surge of irritation in Manager Xu, as if the Ji Family Teahouse hadn't been in such a state before.

But since he needed a favor, he couldn't say much and had to agree with whatever Ji Xingwang said.

Thinking about it, the Ji Family Teahouse used to be at the bottom among all teahouses in Qingyun County. Times really had changed.

One point Ji Xingwang made was correct. Although he didn't say exactly how much in tips Shen Yuan, the writer of "Love Between Human and Ghost," received per performance, the Ji Family Teahouse's tip board was hung in the main hall. With a little inquiry, it was clear it wasn't just a tip board; it was a pile of money.

Manager Xu had never imagined money could be earned this way, as easily as drinking water.

Especially since Young Master Lin from the Xie family had tipped twenty gold pieces, prominently displayed in the top spot on the board.

As far as he knew, many who had ill intentions had backed down because of this, not daring to actually do anything.

Manager Xu weighed the pros and cons. With Ji Xingwang urging him, saying things like "miss this chance and it's gone" and "if you don't want it, plenty of others do," in his haste, he quickly nodded. "Alright, let's do as you say."

Having sealed the deal, Ji Xingwang said happily, "Good. Come to the Ji Family Teahouse tomorrow to sign the contract. You can also pick whether you want Sanhu or Zaoshang to come."

They agreed on the time to sign the contract the next day. Ji Xingwang hurried back to the teahouse and told Shen Yuan about it.

"You're becoming more and more capable, Manager. Whenever you handle something personally, it always succeeds."

This made Ji Xingwang hum a cheerful tune, though it was unrecognizable.

"By the way, Manager, we need to recruit more storytellers—the more the better," Shen Yuan said.

The situation with the Xu Family Teahouse wouldn't be the last. If more requests came in later, Wang Sanhu and Fang Zaoshang alone definitely wouldn't be enough.

Shen Yuan discussed this not only with Ji Xingwang but also with Song Zijuan.

The storytellers that Song Zijuan was tasked to find were purely to expand the influence of "Love Between Human and Ghost."

They would go to other counties to tell stories in various places with high foot traffic.

This was aimed at enhancing the general public's awareness of ghosts, spirits, and sacrificial rituals in Wu Country.

Of course, the stories told by this batch of "storytellers" couldn't be as complete. Common folks were busy making a living; stopping to listen was already hard enough—they didn't have time for long sessions.

Shen Yuan pondered the balance between the complete and simplified versions, planning to rewrite a version that was easier to spread.

Compared to the "Love Between Human and Ghost" performed in the teahouse, it would be roughly the difference between the full text and a chapter outline.

However, the parts about ghosts, spirits, and sacrificial rituals wouldn't be cut at all; in fact, some aspects might even be emphasized.

It would take time to rewrite a new version. Shen Yuan told Song Zijuan to gather the people in three days. The number depended on their own needs—they could teach a large group or a small one.

This was a task assigned by His Majesty, so naturally, the more people, the faster the dissemination.

Song Zijuan spent a whole night selecting the people and would continue to do so.

The next day, after finishing his storytelling session, Shen Yuan didn't write new plotlines but instead worked on the simplified version of "Love Between Human and Ghost."

He wrote very quickly, completing one-third in just two hours.

The only issue was that his handwriting was legible only to himself.

Wang Sanhu's voice called everyone to eat from downstairs. Shen Yuan put down his brush and spread out the bamboo slips to let the ink dry.

Going downstairs, he saw Ji Xingwang pacing back and forth at the entrance with a worried look.

"Manager, why aren't you eating? What's with all the pacing?" Shen Yuan asked.

Frowning in confusion, Ji Xingwang said, "I agreed with Manager Xu on a time yesterday to sign the contract, but it's already two hours late, and he still hasn't shown up. I sent Uncle Sigeng to find out what's going on, but Uncle Sigeng hasn't returned either."

"Xiao Yuan, do you think Manager Xu has had second thoughts and won't sign with us?" Ji Xingwang asked Shen Yuan anxiously.

Before the contract is finalized, anything can happen. Shen Yuan couldn't guarantee that the other party wouldn't back out; in fact, the likelihood of them doing so was greater.

Given the current situation, Manager Xu was probably having second thoughts.

Sure enough, after lunch, Uncle Sigeng returned.

Even Uncle Sigeng, who was usually honest and good-tempered, couldn't suppress his anger. "That Xu guy is no good! It's one thing if he doesn't want to sign the contract, but he actually hired someone to tell our 'Love Between Human and Ghost'!"

"What!" Ji Xingwang sprang up from his seat, pulling Uncle Sigeng to ask, "What do you mean? Where did they get a storyteller? I didn't leak the story either."

Uncle Sigeng said, "I deliberately eavesdropped from around the corner for a while. The story was about seventy to eighty percent similar—clearly someone had listened to it here but didn't remember it fully. Not only were the names of Liu Yinv and Young Master Chu mixed up, but many details didn't match either. Yet, listening to the whole session, it was definitely our story."

Uncle Sigeng recounted everything he heard for everyone in the teahouse to listen.

After hearing it, everyone was furious. It was practically the same story, just with different names and a few minor details!

People in Wu Country didn't yet know what plagiarism was, but Shen Yuan did.

Based on what Uncle Sigeng said, perhaps it wasn't that the storyteller at the other teahouse misremembered the story details or the main characters' names, but that it was done intentionally.

This way, they could argue cleverly that since even the names were different, how could it be the same story?

Calling it plagiarism wasn't quite right either; in later times, plagiarism was judged by the number of identical words.

The story at Xu Family Teahouse and their story probably didn't share many identical words. If they were to count similarities, it would be endless.

It was normal for different stories to emerge within the same genre. Shen Yuan had thought that ghost and supernatural stories would appear after "Love Between Human and Ghost," but he didn't expect that directly copying "Love Between Human and Ghost" with a name change would be the first to appear.

"I'm going to find that Xu fellow!" Ji Xingwang angrily headed straight out but was stopped by Shen Yuan. "Manager, don't be hasty."

Ji Xingwang was emotionally agitated, his chest heaving rapidly. "How can I not be? This is stealing someone else's work! If they don't want to cooperate, fine, but stealing someone else's stuff—what kind of skill is that!"

"Since the other party dared to do this, they must have considered the consequences and have a way to deal with them. Confronting them won't help; it'll only give them another chance to anger you in person." Shen Yuan reached out to pat Ji Xingwang's back soothingly. "Let's not rush to deal with Xu Family Teahouse. Wait until after I finish the afternoon storytelling session, then you and I can go check the situation at the other teahouses."

Ji Xingwang listened to Shen Yuan the most. Seeing Shen Yuan say this, he didn't ask further. He might not have great abilities, but he knew that following Xiao Yuan was always the right move.

"You're right. Getting angry hurts the body, and it's really not worth it for such people." Ji Xingwang took a few deep breaths, suppressing his emotions, and told Shen Yuan not to worry about him.

Seeing that everyone in the teahouse was unhappy because of this incident, Shen Yuan couldn't help but say, "We will definitely find a way to resolve this matter, but remember, absolutely do not bring these negative emotions to the guests."

Everyone understood the priorities and nodded, assuring Shen Yuan not to worry.

During the afternoon storytelling session, everyone acted as usual.

By noon, news had spread quickly among influential people. Moreover, Xu Family Teahouse spared no effort in promoting externally, trying to attract more tea guests to listen to their storytelling.

By now, many tea guests at Ji Family Teahouse knew that Xu Family Teahouse was also telling the story of "Love Between Human and Ghost," though they called it "Obsessive Love Between Human and Ghost"—a different name.

The first afternoon session was Shen Yuan's storytelling. Due to the progress, no tea guests left Ji Family Teahouse during this session; it was just like usual.

But when it was the storyteller Fang Zaoshang's turn for the second session, before Shen Yuan and Ji Xingwang could even leave the teahouse, many tea guests had already departed.

They were guests who had heard this chapter before and wanted to go to Xu Family Teahouse to see how it differed.

The remaining tea guests saw that the staff at Ji Family Teahouse were still working in an orderly manner, greeting them with smiles as usual and pouring tea carefully and attentively.

They couldn't help but ask curiously, "Xu Family Teahouse has done something like this, yet you're not angry at all? Aren't you afraid of losing business?"

Upon hearing this, a staff member smiled and said, "However angry we get, we can't let it affect our work or the good mood of our guests. Xiao Yuan and the manager have made it clear: tea guests come to our teahouse to listen to stories, drink tea, and enjoy snacks for fun and happiness. We earn money from our guests, so we must do our jobs properly. Business matters are for Xiao Yuan and the manager to handle. Instead of spending time being angry or worried, we'd better focus on doing our own work well."

Hearing this, the group of tea guests couldn't help but smile. The guest who asked the question laughed a couple of times and took out some silver. "Well said! Here's a tip for you."

The staff member was delighted, quickly extending both hands and saying sincerely, "Oh, thank you, sir!"

Although some tea guests were lost, it was only a minority. As long as the teahouse remained stable internally, there wouldn't be major issues.

Shen Yuan and Ji Xingwang left with peace of mind to visit the other teahouses.

There were many tea shops and tea stalls in Qingyun County, but only six proper teahouses, each backed by prominent figures.

Besides Xu Family Teahouse and Ji Family Teahouse, the remaining four were the Chen, Wang, Xǔ, and Liu families.

Among them, Chen Family Teahouse was the leading teahouse in Qingyun County. The Chen family had built their fortune on tea and were famous major tea merchants in the county.

Apart from the Chen family, the other five families had tea supply channels and ran teahouses on the side to earn some extra money. It wasn't their main business, just one shop among others.

Shen Yuan and Ji Xingwang went to the Chen family first. No matter what, they were considered the industry leader, and it wouldn't look good not to visit them first.

However, the Xu family arrived earlier than Shen Yuan and Ji Xingwang. When they got there, they saw Manager Xu walking out of Chen Family Teahouse together with Manager Chen.

Seeing Manager Xu, Ji Xingwang felt a surge of anger. "Has he teamed up with the Chen family?"

Shen Yuan didn’t care who Manager Xu had teamed up with. He said, "Let’s go greet them first, so they won’t use our not showing up as an excuse to spread rumors about us later."

"Alright, let’s go."

Shen Yuan rarely left the teahouse; all dealings outside were handled by Ji Xingwang.

Neither Manager Xu nor Manager Chen had ever personally visited the Ji Family Teahouse to listen to storytelling, only sending their subordinates instead, so they didn’t recognize Shen Yuan.

But they knew Ji Xingwang.

Being old hands in business, they had a good eye for people. As the two approached, they sized up Shen Yuan and, judging from Ji Xingwang’s attitude toward him, easily guessed his identity.

Manager Xu wore a smile on his face, greeting Ji Xingwang as if nothing had happened. "Oh, isn’t this Manager Ji? What wind blew you here? I suppose this gentleman beside you is the storyteller Shen Yuan? I’ve long heard of your name, truly renowned!"

Ji Xingwang snorted coldly. "You're truly a smiling tiger, still able to laugh at a time like this."

Manager Xu’s eyes shifted, putting on an amiable expression. "Huh? Why is Manager Ji in such a foul mood today? Who riled you up? Anger's bad for your health; harmony brings wealth. We’re all just employees; whatever we do is for our masters’ sake and follows their intentions."

That was all well and good, *but that didn’t justify stealing behind someone’s back!*

Manager Xu stroked his beard, his gaze drifting momentarily. "What broken promise? When did we ever agree on anything? Manager Ji, have you lost your marbles? Besides, is it only allowed for *Love Between Human and Ghost* to exist in this world, and not *Obsessive Love Between Human and Ghost*? Your Ji family is being completely unreasonable and throwing your weight around."

These words made Ji Xingwang’s face flush red with anger. "If you wrote your own story based on your own abilities, we naturally wouldn’t say a thing. But your trashy *Obsessive Love Between Human and Ghost* is clearly copied from our *Love Between Human and Ghost*!"

"Hah, that's the funniest thing I've ever heard." Manager Xu straightened his back, rolling his eyes. "What do you mean 'copied'? I ask you, aren’t the names different? Isn’t the content different? And you call this copying? What a joke!"

"Our character is named Liu Mingqing, yours is named Liu Minqing. Our character is Chu Qi, yours is Chu Qi. Our Physician Liu rescues someone from a cliff, so does yours. Our Young Master Chu gets amnesia, so does yours. Our Physician Liu takes Young Master Chu to treat villagers, so does yours. And you still say it’s different!"

Ji Xingwang was so furious he saw stars; after this outburst, his head was swimming even more.

But Manager Xu retorted, "So, you do know the names are different, don’t you? If the names are different, how can they be the same person? Also, regarding the villagers—you saved them, but in our story, weren’t they not saved? The outcomes are different, so how can the stories be the same? As for amnesia, what, only your 'Qi' can have amnesia? My 'Qi' can't?"

Manager Xu sneered contemptuously. "You're just being difficult."

Ji Xingwang’s head was spinning with rage; he stepped forward, ready to take a swing at him.

Shen Yuan tsked in annoyance. The man had been spouting nothing but obnoxious words, making him unwilling to listen to another syllable.

He pulled Ji Xingwang back, dragging him behind, and then—a crisp *smack!* rang out.

The slap made everyone present freeze.

Shen Yuan shook out his hand, tilting his chin up as he looked at Manager Xu, who was covering his face in disbelief.

Pointing at Shen Yuan, Manager Xu widened his eyes, the fat on his cheeks quivering. "You... you little punk, how dare you hit me!"

A cold glint came into Shen Yuan’s eyes. "You think *that's* being difficult? Let me show you what being difficult really looks like!"

Manager Xu couldn’t hear a word Shen Yuan said. All he could think about was saving face—how could he let some kid strike him?!

At first, Ji Xingwang was startled by Shen Yuan. So this was how the kid blew his top—he really didn't hold back at all.

He had originally thought Shen Yuan never got angry.

Because of that slap, Ji Xingwang felt a huge wave of relief and reacted quickly, immediately blocking Manager Xu to prevent him from getting close to Shen Yuan.

Manager Xu turned to Manager Chen, who had remained silent all along, and shouted, "Hurry up and get some men to throw these two out!"

Manager Chen frowned deeply. Though reluctant, he called for help.

In an instant, many people emerged from the Chen Family Teahouse, each holding wooden batons. They looked like they had some training; at the very least, they had some foundation.

Ji Xingwang shielded Shen Yuan behind him. "Yuan, you run first. I’ll hold the line here."

"And that slap was well-deserved! If you hadn’t done it, I would’ve landed one myself. It really let off some steam; otherwise, I wouldn’t have slept a wink tonight!"

Shen Yuan understood that Ji Xingwang was trying to comfort him so he wouldn't blame himself for the escalation. He tugged at Ji Xingwang, a smile appearing on his face as he reassured him, "Don’t worry, Manager. We’ll be fine. I’ve got it under control."

Seeing that Shen Yuan was no longer angry, Ji Xingwang couldn’t help but smile. "Your temper is quite good—once you vent, you let it go."

But what exactly was Shen Yuan’s solution? Ji Xingwang was puzzled, pondering it when he heard Shen Yuan shout, "Come out and help me fight!"

Ji Xingwang was stunned. What kind of method was this?! And who was the kid calling?

As soon as Shen Yuan finished speaking, before Manager Xu and Manager Chen could react, a black-clad, masked figure dropped down from above.

"Go," the man in black said tersely to Shen Yuan.

Shen Yuan immediately ran off with Ji Xingwang.

Over there, the staff from the Chen Family Teahouse barely caught a glimpse of the figure before they were all knocked to the ground, writhing and groaning in pain.

After running for a bit, Ji Xingwang gasped for breath and asked Shen Yuan, "When did you hire a bodyguard?"

Shen Yuan chuckled softly, whispering to Ji Xingwang, "I didn’t hire him. Fifth Granduncle sent him."

Ji Xingwang was so startled he nearly choked. "You’ve got quite the nerve, kid, calling on someone from Young Master Lin’s side to fight for you?"

"Even if I didn’t call, they would’ve come out," Shen Yuan explained. Because his personal safety had been threatened.

Ji Xingwang didn’t know what else to say. In the end, he could only advise him, "In a powerful family like the Xie family, is there anyone easy to deal with? The more you get, the more they expect from you. I just hope you can remain as you always have been—happy and safe every day."

Shen Yuan nodded. "I will, Manager. Don’t worry."

Naturally, it was impossible to be completely at ease, but Ji Xingwang knew fretting would only make Shen Yuan anxious. He nodded back, and the two headed to the next teahouse.

For now, it seemed that the Chen family, for some reason, had teamed up with the Xu family. The two were like grasshoppers tied to the same string. It remained to be seen what would happen with the remaining three families.

The next one, the Liu Family Teahouse, was closer, so they went there.

Ji Xingwang cautiously circled the teahouse from the outside, making sure there were no issues before signaling Shen Yuan to enter.

He whispered to Shen Yuan, "Perhaps because of the storytelling at the Xu Family Teahouse and ours, the Liu Family Teahouse’s business clearly isn’t as good as it used to be."

The main hall had very few people, reminding Shen Yuan of the Ji Family Teahouse in its earliest days.

As soon as they entered, they heard a sarcastic voice. "Oh, isn’t this Manager Ji? Such a busy man—what brings you to our humble little teahouse for a visit?"

Manager Liu was slender in build, with a neatly groomed beard.

The coarse cloth robe he wore still carried a scholarly air.

Ji Xingwang had dealings with Liu Rufeng before; the man tended to lace his words with sarcasm, criticizing others in roundabout ways, but he wasn’t a bad guy at heart.

Back when Ji was actually being pointed at and called useless to his face, it was actually Liu Rufeng who shamed those people into silence.

Ji Xingwang didn’t take Liu Rufeng’s words to heart and instead asked, “Didn’t Xu’s Teahouse start storytelling with ‘Obsession Between Human and Ghost’? Why hasn’t Manager Liu done the same?”

Liu Rufeng frowned. “Ji, who do you think you’re looking down on? I just said one thing to you, and you insult me like this?”

Ji Xingwang let out a couple of laughs. “I’m not insulting you, not insulting you. Besides, who could ever win a war of words with you? I’m not here to mock you either; I’m here to discuss business.”

“We’re in the same trade, and natural rivals. You come to a rival to talk business—have you lost your mind?” Liu Rufeng’s words shot out like knives, each one stabbing Ji Xingwang.

Ji Xingwang ignored the barrage of verbal knives. “I won’t talk to you. Xiao Yuan, you discuss it with him.”

He didn’t believe Liu would have the nerve to swear in front of a child.

“Hello, Manager Liu!” Shen Yuan greeted Liu Rufeng with a smile.

Liu Rufeng cleared his throat lightly. “Hmm, hello to you too.”

“So you’re Shen Yuan? Why are you so thin? Is the food at the Ji family not good? Why not come to our teahouse? I can’t promise much else, but I’ll definitely feed you until you’re nice and chubby.”

Ji Xingwang shielded Shen Yuan like a mother hen. “What, are you raising pigs? Let me tell you, don’t try to poach the kid, or our Seventh Young Master might get angry and wreck your teahouse.”

“Ji Ping’an?” Liu Rufeng asked, puzzled. “I just said a couple of things, and he’s not even here. Does he have such a temper?”

Ji Xingwang said, “Xiao Yuan is the younger brother doted on by the Seventh Young Master. If you try to poach the Young Master’s brother, wouldn’t he get furious with you?”

Liu Rufeng chuckled and looked at Shen Yuan. “Kid, not bad. Ji Qi has been the kind of person since he was a kid to snap at anyone who gets too close, and you actually got him to acknowledge you as a brother. With your small frame, can you handle Ji Qi’s temper? Haven’t you made yourself sick dealing with his anger?”

“My brother is very good.” Shen Yuan defended his "very good" Brother Ping’an, then got straight to the point. “We really are here to discuss business with Manager Liu, about storytelling.”

Liu Rufeng could sense Shen Yuan’s protectiveness toward Ji Ping’an and didn’t want to dwell on the topic. Since that was the case, he wouldn’t play the villain.

“Alright then, what’s your idea? Let me hear it.”

Ji Xingwang repeated the terms he discussed with Manager Xu yesterday to Liu Rufeng.

“Twenty taels per session? Can our teahouse make that back?” Liu Rufeng was somewhat worried.

Ji Xingwang said, “Right now, only two teahouses have storytelling. Qingyun County still has a steady stream of customers; you’ll definitely earn it back.”

Liu Rufeng was still hesitant. He had the authority to make decisions for the Liu Family Teahouse.

Although he bore the surname Liu, he wasn’t a servant of the Liu family but the adopted son of the Liu family’s patriarch.

The Liu family had seen better days, and times were tough now. Only the teahouse business was doing reasonably well, barely maintaining some dignity.

Twenty taels per storytelling session—in the past, he would have agreed without hesitation.

But now, he really needed to consider carefully.

For the past two years, he had been struggling to keep the teahouse afloat precisely by being cautious. After all, one wrong step could lead to many more.

The Liu family had no room for trial and error; every decision he made was crucial.

“Let me think, let me think a bit more…”

Shen Yuan said, “Manager Liu, ‘Love Between Human and Ghost’ is nearing its end. I’ll be preparing a new story. If you agree now, then the new story will be told at the Liu Family Teahouse by a storyteller five chapters later.”

Ji Xingwang’s eyes lit up—a new story to look forward to!

Shen Yuan continued to sweeten the deal, “Not just the next new story, but every one after that as well.”

Liu Rufeng quickly thought it over; this was indeed very appealing.

More importantly, if the teahouse didn’t have storytelling now, there would be hardly any customers.

He had watched helplessly as the number of customers at the Liu Family Teahouse dwindled. The few regular customers who still came often asked when the teahouse would start storytelling again.

In fact, even if Ji Xingwang hadn’t come today, Liu Rufeng would have eventually gone to find him to discuss the matter.

Today, Ji Xingwang’s personal visit was clearly due to the situation with the Xu Family Teahouse.

Manager Xu had also come to see him this morning.

He offered ten taels per session to send a storyteller to perform ‘Obsession Between Human and Ghost.’ Manager Xu had someone recount the story for him to hear.

Liu Rufeng hadn’t personally gone to listen to ‘Love Between Human and Ghost,’ but some customers who had listened would gather and discuss it. Some even recounted the plot, attracting many customers who couldn’t squeeze into the Ji Family Teahouse to gather and listen.

Apart from the names and who died, everything else was exactly the same.

He refused without a second thought.

Wasn’t this just stealing someone else’s work?

No matter how desperate he was, Liu Rufeng wouldn’t make a living by stealing from others.

But twenty taels per session… even if he agreed, what about the Liu family…

Liu Rufeng clenched his fists tightly. “Shen Yuan, will the subsequent stories really be told at my teahouse just five chapters later? Also, may I ask how long the intervals between each story will be?”

Shen Yuan replied, “Naturally. Each story will have an interval of at most two months. All of this can be written into the contract. If you sign the contract with us now, storytellers will be dispatched to you on a priority basis later.”

He planned to eventually include teahouses and tea stalls as well. No matter how small the tips, they were still money. Plus, it would help Xie Yulin expand his influence—killing two birds with one stone.

This way, storytellers would become a sought-after resource.

Good storytellers needed to be trained.

Liu Rufeng gritted his teeth and said, “Deal. Let’s sign the contract now.”

Otherwise, he was afraid he might regret it.

After yesterday’s incident with Manager Xu, Ji Xingwang also felt it was best to settle things on the spot. Both parties directly drafted the contract at the Liu Family Teahouse, verified it, and then signed and stamped it.

Shen Yuan glanced at the cloth used for writing. Relying on cloth and bamboo slips for writing was still quite inconvenient.

If only there was paper.

He roughly knew the process of papermaking. In his previous life, he had experienced ancient papermaking methods in an ancient town and made quite a bit of rice paper.

But this matter was simply too significant. Just storytelling had nearly put his life in danger.

Papermaking…

He’d probably die.

"If you're going to discuss business at other teahouses, you should hurry," Liu Rufeng kindly reminded the two. "Manager Xu visited me today with the same purpose as you. I don't know if the other families have agreed with him, but he's only charging ten taels per session—his price is lower than what you're offering."

Shen Yuan snapped out of his reverie about papermaking and thanked Liu Rufeng for the kind reminder before heading with Ji Xingwang to the Xu family teahouse.

When Manager Xu saw Ji Xingwang and Shen Yuan, he grinned from ear to ear.

Upon learning their purpose, his eyes crinkled into slits from smiling. "Sign? Let's sign right now. You might not know this, but ever since our young master listened to *Love Between Human and Ghost*, he and his wife have been as harmonious as zither and harp. The Family Head and the Mistress are overjoyed and love the story too. We had considered asking the Ji family if we could pay to invite a storyteller to our teahouse for a few sessions."

"But we were afraid of poaching business and causing ill will, so we never brought it up. Who would have thought you two would come to our teahouse first!"

Lowering his voice, Manager Xu added, "To be honest, Manager Xu from the other family came this morning, and I had him driven out. What kind of story are they offering anyway? But you should be wary of the Xu family. I suspect someone behind them is trying to sabotage the Ji family—they're up to no good."

The Xu family's eldest son and his wife had been married for three years and had argued for every one of them. The young master felt his wife, a country doctor's daughter, was beneath him—his family had arranged the marriage to repay a favor. Other men's wives were either noble ladies or daughters of wealthy merchants.

His friends' taunts made the eldest Xu son feel publicly humiliated.

For three years, he neglected his wife. To discipline their son, the Xu family head and his wife cut off his allowance and forbade him from taking concubines, declaring that as long as they lived, he could have only one wife—no concubines or maidservants allowed.

The Xu family had been in such turmoil that many people watched the drama unfold.

But then, after listening to *Love Between Human and Ghost*, the eldest Xu son began to see the doctor's daughter in a new light. He tried to understand his wife, and gradually, their relationship warmed.

The couple, who had been like strangers for three years, now acted like newlyweds. The Xu family's cold, tense household warmed up again.

No wonder Manager Xu treated Shen Yuan and Ji Xingwang with such respect.

With the warnings from Manager Xu and Liu Rufeng, Shen Yuan had a better understanding of the situation.

They arrived too late at the Wang family teahouse—it had already signed a contract with the Xu family.

On the way back, Ji Xingwang sighed. "The teahouses in Qingyun County are about to get lively."

Shen Yuan nodded in agreement. With three against three competing, how could it not be lively?

"Manager, do you know of any enemies the Ji family might have?"

Manager Xu's words lingered with Shen Yuan.

He also thought the Xu family's sudden change was suspicious. They had been willing to sign a contract before, but overnight, they changed their minds. They even had a complete story and storytellers ready—it must have been planned in advance.

If they had planned from the start to copy the story and change the names, they wouldn't have gone through the motions the day before.

What on earth happened that night?

It was hard to believe no one was pulling the strings behind the scenes.

Ji Xingwang thought carefully and shook his head. "There are too many to count. The Ji family's business is sizable—how could we not make enemies in trade? If I had to name them, the list would be endless. The scope is just too broad."

Shen Yuan asked, "Then is there anyone who fears the Xie family but still dares to target the Ji family because of their connection to the Xies?"

For one thing, Xie Yulin's name was at the top of the reward board.

It deterred others from trying to surpass him, though with that sum, no one in Qingyun County could anyway.

Not to mention the Ji family's kinship with the Xies, and the fact that the Xie family's main branch was still in Qingyun County. Even Magistrate Pang now treated the Ji family with respect, never daring to speak harshly to them.

For someone to do such a thing at this particular time, they must have significant backing.

Ji Xingwang thought about it the whole way but couldn't think of anyone who fit the description.

According to him, none of the Ji family's enemies dared to target them precisely because of the Xie family.

They didn't dare when the Xie family was far away in Youyang, and now that the Xie young master was in Qingyun, they dared even less.

As soon as the two returned to the teahouse, a Xie family carriage arrived.

Song Zijuan said to Shen Yuan with a serious expression, "Young Master Lin wants to see you."

Shen Yuan boarded the carriage to the Xie family ancestral home.

On the way, he asked Song Zijuan, "Brother Song, do you know why Fifth Uncle wants to see me? Is it because I asked the hidden guards to help me fight?"

Song Zijuan was stunned. "How did you know there were hidden guards following you? And you asked them to help me fight?"

Shen Yuan replied, "I didn't notice at first, but after a while, I figured it out. Can't I ask them to help me fight? I thought it was allowed. Is Fifth Uncle calling me over to punish me for that?"

"You're quite observant..." Song Zijuan shook his head, dismissing Shen Yuan's speculation. "Young Master Lin would only punish the hidden guards for not hiding well enough to be discovered by you. He wouldn't punish you for that. As for the specific reason, I'm not sure."

To be honest, he was surprised that Young Master Lin wanted to see Shen Yuan again.

Normally, he would be the one to communicate with Shen Yuan going forward. Young Master Lin would at most listen to reports from the hidden guards and wouldn't meet Shen Yuan again.

Since Song Zijuan didn't know either, Shen Yuan stopped asking.

He'd find out when he got there—no need to scare himself.

Xie Family Ancestral Home.

Song Zijuan left after delivering Shen Yuan. Xie Yulin had only asked him to bring Shen Yuan, not to stay.

Shen Yuan raised his hand in greeting. "Good evening, Fifth Uncle."

Xie Yulin set down the cloth scroll in his hand and looked at Shen Yuan. "When did you discover the hidden guards were following you?"

"Two days ago, when I took my younger brothers to sleep at Auntie Ping's house. On the way, I saw a snake coming toward me, but it died as it got close." Shen Yuan's tone was certain. "My eyesight and hearing are very good. I'm sure the snake was alive and moving before that."

Shen Yuan smiled and cupped his hands in thanks to Xie Yulin. "Thank you, Fifth Uncle, for sending people to protect me in secret. The hidden guards must have worked hard, dealing with many troubles I never even saw."

Xie Yulin's previously indifferent gaze grew more inscrutable. Being monitored, followed, and investigated—and yet this boy was thanking him?