The First National Preceptor of the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 68

"Hehe," Zheng Zhu laughed smugly upon hearing this, and pointed to the person sitting next to him, saying, "Do you know who he is?"

Hearing him say that, Xu Tian took a closer look at the man next to him. He looked to be in his thirties and his features did look somewhat familiar, but he was certain that he did not know this person before.

Before Xu Tian could respond, Zheng Zhu said, his face beaming with pride, "He is Du Jiu, the eldest son of the Du family. He is preparing to transfer his share of this shop to me today."

Xu Tian's heart skipped a beat; this matter was even more troublesome. This person was actually Du's eldest son. No wonder his face looked somewhat familiar; it turned out he and Du's second son were brothers.

Various thoughts flashed through Xu Tian's mind. He wondered what role the Du family played in this matter—whether they voluntarily relinquished their shares or were forced into it. Regardless, neither outcome was good for Xu Tian.

If it was done voluntarily, it means the Du family was prepared to exchange shares in the store for some benefits. Considering that Uncle Du had previously said that the eldest son of the Du family was preparing to enter officialdom, these benefits are probably related to this matter.

If it's the latter, the situation is even worse, indicating that the Du family has become so weak that they can no longer protect their own interests.

Zheng Zhu's intention to take over the Du family's shares is definitely not good news. Given his character, he is clearly up to no good, which is tantamount to inviting a wolf into the house for Hua Zilou. External conflicts will turn into internal ones, like a persistent leech, making them even more difficult to resolve.

"So it's Brother Du. My apologies. Our two families have always cooperated very well. As for the transfer of shares, I wonder if it's your personal idea or the Du family's final decision?" Xu Tian said, looking at Du Jiu.

"My intention is the same as the Du family's intention; there is no difference," Du Jiu said expressionlessly, averting his gaze to the side.

"Master Zheng, what exactly do you want to settle this matter today? How about I offer one hundred strings of cash as an apology?" Xu Tian asked Zheng Zhu again, making his point clear from the start, hoping to bribe him with some money if possible.

"One hundred strings of cash? You think I'm some kind of beggar? Heh heh," Zheng Zhu's gaunt face revealed a sinister smile.

“I happen to be short of a house, and this one looks pretty good to me. I’ll buy it for a penny, and you idlers should move out today. Don’t ever show your face in front of me again, or I might just forget about it.”

This Zheng family owner is ruthless; he directly tried to seize the house and restaurant, leaving them homeless.

"Is there no other way?" Xu Tian's tone grew colder.

"Hmph," Zheng Zhu sneered again, "There's another way, it's very simple, you kneel down and offer me three cups of wine."

Then he kowtowed and begged to become my disciple, loudly proclaiming to the people outside the door that what he had learned before was all crooked and heretical, thinking that perhaps I would be pleased and agree, and maybe in the future I could even teach him a thing or two about alchemy, enough for him to benefit for a lifetime.”

This method is even more ruthless than the previous one; it's meant to completely crush Xu Tian for the rest of his life.

In this era, although the saying "a teacher for a day is a father for life" is not very widespread and has not yet taken root in people's hearts, the status of teachers is still extremely high. Once this title is established, one can never get rid of it for the rest of one's life.

Since things have come to this point, it seems Zheng Zhu has no intention of resolving this amicably, so there's nothing more to say.

"You think you're qualified to be my master?" Xu Tian replied coldly. "How about we make a bet? If I lose, this shop is yours."