Chapter 27: Managing the Restaurant

The group sat huddled around a hot pot, the atmosphere light and cheerful. The young girl, having narrowly escaped death, sat timidly beside Wu Ergou, cradling an empty bowl that she had licked clean.

"Actually, one of the reasons I had Xiao Gui and the others take the main road while we took the side path was for this very purpose," Chen An said, glancing at Wu Ergou. "Providing high-quality feed for three hundred warhorses is no small expense."

"I’ve done the math. The Tiger Battalion’s accounts still have a few hundred taels of silver, but that money is earmarked for the families' support; we’re already stretched thin."

"They are all brothers. A day or two of delay shouldn't matter," Wu Ergou replied.

Chen An shook his head. "Rules are rules. Besides, I won't feel at ease unless we have some self-sustaining income. We must prioritize opening the restaurant and trading post as soon as possible."

Suddenly, the silent girl spoke up. "I think I know a suitable place!"

"You do?"

The girl pointed. "Twenty miles west along this path is the Baichuan Post Station. Baichuan Mountain is a spur of the Huyang range. It’s a transportation hub, and the post station is the throat of the passage between the two regions, bustling with constant streams of merchants."

"Are you familiar with that area?" Chen An’s eyes lit up.

"Yes," the girl nodded firmly.

Baichuan Post Station was considered one of the most luxurious stops beyond the Northern Liang frontier. Walking through its streets, Chen An lamented how little of the world he had seen. The scene before him—a flow of carriages and horses—far surpassed the desolate bitterness of the frontier, leaving him dazzled.

The late spring sun filtered through mottled leaves, casting golden specks upon the bluestone path. Chen An held the girl’s hand as they wove through the bustling market. After wandering for a while, they stopped beside a restaurant with a sign that read "Liquidation."

"It looks like they aren't doing business here anymore," Wu Ergou remarked after a quick glance.

"I heard my grandfather say the owner here was kind-hearted and often helped the poor, but he was eventually squeezed out by other merchants who wanted to buy the place," the girl said, her large eyes blinking. She pointed to an open space at the corner of the street and added excitedly, "Right here! With so many people coming and going, we’ll definitely sell plenty of liquor!"

Chen An smiled and nodded. It had to be said, the location was excellent.

"Ergou, take the silver and go inside to negotiate. If it works out, let’s settle here."

However, no sooner had they set foot there than several other merchants surrounded them. The leader, a man with a bulbous, wine-red nose, glared at Chen An, the jade pendant at his waist clinking with every step.

"An outsider wants to plant a flag on this turf? Do you know whose territory this street is?"

The tavern owners behind him crossed their arms and sneered. The air grew thick with the pungent smell of alcohol and the tension of a powder keg.

"I am merely looking to run a small business—some hot pot and spirits to make a living," Chen An said, unwilling to escalate the conflict. He cupped his hands, his gaze sweeping over their tense shoulders. "I hope you all can show some convenience."

"Convenience?" The red-nosed man suddenly snatched a wine bowl from a table and smashed it against the ground. The flying porcelain shards startled the girl, causing her to hide behind Chen An.

"The food and drink business on this street has always been decided by us! You think your 'tripe hot pot' and 'spirits' are worthy of competing with us?"

The man kicked over a stool Chen An had just set up and struck a wine jar heavily with a copper pipe. "Business on this street requires my permission!"

Behind him stood four burly merchants. One, a sharp-featured man with a rat-like face, rattled the iron chains in his hand and said with a mocking drawl, "With these broken jars, are you trying to sell dishwater? And you dare come here to steal business?"

A crowd of onlookers quickly gathered. A-Rou hid behind Chen An, clutching his robe tightly with her small hands. Chen An scanned the merchants and noticed the short blades tucked into their belts; they were clearly prepared.

He brushed the dust off his robe where it had been kicked and said calmly, "Since you all look down on my liquor, how about a wager?"

"A wager? Hahaha!" The rat-faced man laughed until he doubled over. "What could you possibly have to bet against us?"

Chen An unslung his hardwood bow, a bamboo arrow dancing nimbly between his fingers. "If I can pierce that cypress wine vat with a single shot, you will allow me to set up my stall here. If I fail, I will pack up immediately and never return to this street."

He pointed to a massive vat twenty paces away, standing outside the red-nosed man's tavern. It was large enough for three men to embrace and featured a rough grain at least three inches thick.

"You?" The red-nosed man scoffed and spat on the ground. "My vat is so thick that even an axe would take half a day to cut through it!"

The onlookers shook their heads, finding the wager absurd. But Chen An said no more. He shielded A-Rou behind him, drew the bowstring, and stood like a taut crossbow, his gaze as sharp as a hawk’s.

With a thunderous "whoosh," the bamboo arrow tore through the air like a shooting star and pierced clean through the vat!

"Boom!" The vat exploded, and the aged liquor poured out like a waterfall, soaking the merchants entirely.

The crowd was stunned for a moment before erupting into thunderous applause. The red-nosed man stood like a wooden statue, his mouth agape. A gold chain he held clattered to the ground, unnoticed.

Chen An casually slung his bow back over his shoulder, picked up the broken half of the arrow, and toyed with it. His voice was steady and measured: "Now, it is my turn to decide. From today on, business on this street is based on skill and governed by rules."

He glanced at the merchants sitting in the puddle of liquor. "Anyone who dares to act out again..."

Before he could finish, the remaining shards of the vat collapsed with a crash, startling the crowd into stepping back. "That vat is the price."

The murky liquor sprayed into the air like a fountain, drenching the merchants once more. The tavern street fell into an eerie silence. The red-nosed man wiped the liquor from his face, his throat bobbing. "You... what are you trying to do?"

"Nothing much. Just setting some rules." Chen An slammed his longbow onto the table, making the dishes clatter. "We only want to run a restaurant and earn a living. If we show each other respect, we can all live in peace. Otherwise, don't blame me for being discourteous."

Chen An’s gaze swept over their terrified faces like a falcon’s. "Gentlemen, will you consider my proposal?"

The street fell into a brief silence, followed by waves of cheers. A-Rou peeked out from behind Chen An, looking at him with worship and pride in her eyes. Meanwhile, the tavern owners, humiliated and soaked, fled in disgrace amidst the mocking laughter of the crowd.