Rebirth: Making a Fortune in Ancient Times

The group talked at length, their words clashing, until the newcomer, seeing Zhang Youtie's strong disagreement, raised the price to twenty-eight wen per jin. In their view, all of Zhang Youtie's excuses for refusing were simply due to dissatisfaction with the price.

“Brother, twenty-eight coins is already quite a good price. With orders from our restaurants, you can earn more than two taels of silver a day, which is more than eighty taels a month.” The man who started the bargaining was already looking very unhappy, feeling that Zhang Youtie was being unreasonable.

Xia Yu, recalling the first time she sold shrimp in the county town, asked from the side.

"May I ask what the names of your restaurants are?"

"My humble surname is Liu, and my restaurant is Hongbinlou. This Brother Zhao's is Baiweilou, and Brother Li's is Weimeiju." The man answered smugly when Xia Yu asked about the names of their restaurants. He believed that anyone who had been to Ming'an County would know his Hongbinlou.

Hearing their answers, Xia Yu realized that the waiter who had pushed her father was from Hongbinlou. She didn't remember Baiweilou or Weimeiju, probably because they hadn't tried to sell to them door-to-door yet; they hadn't visited as many places in the county as they had in the towns. In the towns, they went from restaurant to restaurant asking, but after visiting Zuixiaolou in Ming'an County, they stopped trying to sell to other restaurants.

Unexpectedly, Xia Yu's expression changed immediately upon hearing his reply, and she shouted loudly, "You can leave now. We won't sell our shrimp to you even if they're rotten."

"Hey, how can you talk like that, young lady?" Liu Dongsheng of Hongbinlou frowned as he watched Xia Yu shout so rudely.

When Zhang Youtie heard Liu Dongjia introduce himself, he naturally thought of the time he was humiliated by the waiter when he first went door-to-door selling shrimp in the county town. To be honest, he wasn't angry anymore. But when his daughter shouted just now, he instantly understood what she meant.

His expression turned somewhat unpleasant, and he clasped his hands in a fist salute to the group, saying stiffly, "All of my shrimp have been sold to Zuixiaolou. Please leave!"

Liu Dongsheng got angry at Zhang Youtie's ungrateful attitude and slammed his cup down on the table.

"Hmph, if you don't give me a reason today, this matter won't end well. We came here in good faith to do business, and you're being so rude."

"Let's talk this out calmly. Harmony brings wealth, harmony brings wealth," Zhao Youting of Baiweilou quickly advised when he saw them suddenly arguing. After all, within a radius of fifty miles, besides Zhang Youtie's family, they hadn't heard of any other family selling shrimp.

“Brother Zhao is right, harmony brings wealth. There must be a reason why Brother Zhang is unwilling to sell us the shrimp. If Brother Zhang is not satisfied with the price, we can sit down and talk it over.” Li Chengye, the owner of Meiwuju, also tried to smooth things over and reconcile the situation.

Zhang Youtie also seized the opportunity and softened his tone, saying...

"I apologize to everyone. I was just in a fit of anger and my words were a bit harsh. Please forgive me." He then looked at Liu Dongsheng of Hongbinlou and said.

“When I first went to the county town to sell shrimp, the first restaurants that came to my door were Gui Restaurant and Hongbin Restaurant. You didn’t want them and even kicked me and my daughter out.”

"Impossible. Although I'm not in the shop every day, whenever someone from the restaurant comes to sell rare ingredients, the manager always sends someone to inform me," Liu Dongsheng said, immediately denying Zhang Youtie's words.

"What my dad said is true. We brought shrimp to ask if your restaurant wanted them. But the waiter at the door wouldn't let us in, saying that we peasants weren't worthy of eating at your restaurant. He even pushed my dad down the steps. If you don't believe me, you can go back and ask your waiter if this happened." Xia Yu didn't care about Liu Dongsheng's expression. She just kept talking, adding that she was deliberately complaining about the waiter.

Zhang Youtie chimed in, "Your waiter's words were truly rude, but so much time has passed, I really shouldn't have gotten angry over such a small matter. However, it's true that all of our shrimp have been reserved for Zuixiaolou, and Madam Shen signed an agreement with us. Those shrimp are only for the Shen family's restaurant. Please forgive us, esteemed owners." He then looked at Liu Dongsheng.

"Master Liu, my daughter and I were rude just now. Please don't take offense. We apologize to you." He then bowed deeply to him.

Liu Dongsheng, whose face was already grim, looked even worse after hearing Zhang Youtie's explanation. He knew that the father and daughter opposite him were probably not lying. Seeing Zhang Youtie bowing deeply to him, although he wanted to stand still and accept the bow, he couldn't do so with Li Dongjia and Zhao Dongjia watching. He quickly stepped aside to avoid Zhang Youtie's bow, saying...

"No, no. I should be apologizing to Brother Zhang and your daughter. It was my servant who offended them."

"Well, now that things are out in the open, Brother Liu, you should really keep a close eye on your waiters when you get back. Brother Zhang, could you spare some of these shrimp for us? We can negotiate the price." Zhao Youting asked quickly as the two sides reconciled. He still hoped to get some shrimp from them. Lately, people in the city always order shrimp when they eat out. The quality of a banquet is now judged by whether or not it includes shrimp dishes, which is a real headache for those of us in the restaurant business.

“Master Zhao, if I could sell, I definitely would. After all, I sell shrimp, so what difference does it make who I sell to? Besides, I can make more money if I sell to you. But right now, I really can’t sell. First, my shrimp ponds can’t produce that many shrimp, and second, I really can’t afford to offend the Shen family!” Zhang Youtie’s two thick, dark eyebrows were furrowed together as he shook his head and sighed, making his helplessness and desperation seem genuine.

The men standing opposite him, hearing his mention of the Shen family, also looked displeased. What restaurant owner doesn't have some connections? But they were no match for the Shen family. Not only did the Shen family have businesses spanning multiple industries, but they also had a son who was a high-ranking official in the capital, rumored to be a favorite of the Emperor. Not only could Zhang Youtie not afford to offend them, but they couldn't either.

“Although the Shen family has bought all the shrimp from my house, I can still eat them at home. It’s almost noon now, so I’d like to invite you gentlemen to stay for a simple meal and a little wine to express my apologies,” Zhang Youtie said, observing the expressions of the group.

That's what they said, but those men had no appetite left. They had arrived full of confidence, and seeing the Zhang family's wealth, they thought the trip was a sure thing. Who knew that their conversation would end like this? So they didn't bother with formalities, gave Zhang Youtie a few perfunctory words, and left in their carriage.

Watching the carriage disappear into the distance, the three of them turned and went back into the house. It was the first time Liu had known that Zhang Youtie and her daughter had suffered such humiliation while selling shrimp, and she felt a pang of sadness. However, seeing her daughter's bright eyes and smug expression, she found it amusing.