Transmigrating to the Song Dynasty: Water Margin Business Management

Wang Zhiqiang and Jiaogen Jingchun were drinking and having a great time in the restaurant when the butler rushed in, looking as if he had been chased by a dog for several blocks.

Upon seeing this, Manager Wang angrily slammed down his chopsticks and shouted, "What are you rushing around for? Can't you see I'm having dinner with Mr. Footprint?"

The steward paid no heed to any of that. Panting heavily and sweating profusely, he squatted by the dining table, so anxious he could barely speak: "Manager Wang, forget about heels, shoe heels, and grass roots! Something terrible has happened!"

Wang Zhiqiang frowned and said with a look of disgust, "What big deal could you possibly have with that monkey-like appearance? Speak slowly, don't startle the guests!"

The butler told Wang Zhiqiang haltingly, "Manager Wang, while you were away from the shop, Hou San and his men caused trouble. They surrounded our shop inside and out."

Upon hearing this, Wang Zhiqiang slammed his hand on the table with a loud "bang," nearly giving Jiao He Jingchun a heart attack. Jiao He Jingchun clutched his chest, his face deathly pale, and it took him a long time to recover.

Wang Zhiqiang's eyes widened in anger as he roared, "Oh, didn't Hou San'er take the money? Why isn't he doing his job?"

The steward hurriedly said, "Manager, he said that the money you give is settled daily, and if you don't give them the money, they won't work."

Upon hearing this, Wang Zhiqiang became furious and shouted, "Why don't you just give it to these money-grubbing bastards?"

The steward looked aggrieved and said in a tearful voice, "Manager, how can I make decisions when you're not here? I planned to give each of them one tael of silver and make up the difference later. But Hou San'er simply wouldn't have it. He not only cursed at me, but also spoke disrespectfully to you."

Wang Zhiqiang was so angry his teeth itched. His cheeks puffed out, and he gritted his teeth as he said, "Where's Lu Qian? Weren't these people Lu Qian hired? Tell Lu Qian to handle this for me. I don't have time right now!"

The butler wiped the sweat from his brow and said, "I've spoken to Lu Qian, but he said he can't handle this and that we should resolve it ourselves."

Wang Zhiqiang's eyes widened in disbelief. "What? He can't control it? He took bribes from me, and now he's saying he can't control it?"

The butler cautiously observed Wang Zhiqiang's expression and said, "Manager, Lu Qian said he was only helping to find people, but he didn't say he would be responsible to the end. Now Hou San'er and his gang are making a scene at the shop entrance, and customers are afraid to come in. We can't do business."

Wang Zhiqiang paced back and forth in the room, cursing as he went: "These bastards, I'll deal with them when I get back."

Once Jingchun had recovered, she said, "Manager Wang, don't be angry yet. Let's think of a solution quickly."

Wang Zhiqiang stopped, took a deep breath, and said to the butler, "Go back first and try to stabilize the situation. I'll go back and handle things as soon as I'm done here."

The butler nodded and left with a worried expression. Wang Zhiqiang sat down again, but he had no appetite for eating or drinking anymore; all he could think about was how to deal with Hou San'er and the others when he got back.

This meal was now impossible to eat. After finally managing to persuade Jingcun to leave, Wang Zhiqiang hurriedly followed the butler to his shop. The moment he saw the scene before him, he was stunned, frozen in place as if under a spell.

The hawthorn vendor was shouting at the top of his lungs, "Hawthorn berries! Big and sweet hawthorn berries!" The sock vendor was yelling in a tattered voice, "Cheap socks, three pairs for ten coins!" The oven for roasting sweet potatoes was billowing thick smoke, the aroma was tempting, but the sheer number of vendors was a headache. There were also pear and date vendors, and all sorts of hawkers had completely blocked his stall, making it impossible to move.

Not only that, the ground was littered with fruit peels and rotten vegetable leaves, it looked like a garbage dump. Wang Zhiqiang was so angry that his face turned green, and the veins on his forehead bulged.

He took a deep breath, suppressing his anger as he walked towards Hou San, and shouted, "Hou San, how dare you block my shop!"

Hou San glanced at Wang Zhiqiang with disdain, a straw dangling from his mouth. He chewed it a few times, then spat it out at Wang Zhiqiang's feet with a "pfft." While picking his nose, he said, "What can you do if I block your shop?"

Wang Zhiqiang's eyes widened, and he raised his voice: "You scoundrel, you took my money and didn't do anything, you even caused trouble!"

Hou San curled his lip and said nonchalantly, "Oh ho, Manager Wang, what are you talking about? Where's the money? Where's the money? You're not letting us leave until you pay us." As he spoke, he crossed his legs and shook his foot.

Wang Zhiqiang pointed at Hou San's nose: "Don't go too far!"

Hou San snorted: "Excessive? I, Hou San, am excessive, what can you do to me? Go ahead and bite me if you dare!" After saying that, he even made a face at Wang Zhiqiang.

Wang Zhiqiang was so angry that he trembled all over: "You, you are utterly shameless!"

Hou San laughed loudly: "Shameless? I, Hou San, don't know what shamelessness is. All I know is that you can't do anything without money!"

At this point, the vendors nearby joined in the commotion: "That's right, that's right, don't even think about letting us leave without paying!"

Looking at this group of scoundrels, Wang Zhiqiang was both angry and helpless, and for a moment he didn't know what to do.

Wang Zhiqiang suddenly remembered something, and he pointed at Hou San angrily, saying, "Hou San, let me tell you, I got all the documents for these stalls. Let me tell you, as long as I take all the documents back, you're illegally occupying the road. If I take this to the authorities, you'll be in deep trouble!"

Upon hearing this, Hou San showed no fear whatsoever. Instead, he said to Wang Zhiqiang with a smug look, "Take all those tattered papers back. Let me tell you, Manager Zhao has reissued the documents for us. Take a look!" After saying that, he arrogantly waved the documents right under Wang Zhiqiang's nose.

"You're still too green to fight us. Let me tell you, Third Master, when I'm being tough, you're still peeing and playing in the mud!" Hou San held his head high, his nostrils flaring to the sky, his arrogant demeanor making everyone grit their teeth in hatred.

Wang Zhiqiang's eyes widened, he snatched the document, examined it carefully, and his face grew even more grim. "Impossible, how could Manager Zhao..." He was so angry that he could barely speak.

Hou San crossed his arms and sneered, "Hmph, Wang Zhiqiang, there are plenty of things you can't imagine. You think you're the only one who can come up with a solution? I, Hou San, am not someone to be trifled with!"

Wang Zhiqiang gritted his teeth and said fiercely, "Hou San, don't be too smug. We'll see!"

Hou San laughed loudly: "Just you wait and see? I, Hou San, am not afraid of you. Come at me if you dare!"

The surrounding vendors joined in the jeering and mocking of Wang Zhiqiang. Wang Zhiqiang stood there, both angry and annoyed, but unable to think of a way to respond.

Wang Zhiqiang had no way to deal with Hou San for the time being, so he had to suppress his anger and said to Hou San, "Move aside, I'll go inside, okay?"

With a sly smile on his face, Hou San said in a sarcastic tone, "Oh, Manager Wang, please." After saying that, he shouted to the vendors around him, "Everyone, give it your all and keep a close eye on Manager Wang's door."

Hearing this, Wang Zhiqiang was furious, but there was nothing he could do. He could only glare at Hou San resentfully before squeezing through the crowd. The vendors deliberately jostled and pushed, making it very difficult for Wang Zhiqiang to walk.

After finally getting inside, Wang Zhiqiang plopped down in a chair, panting heavily. He was furious, as if a fire was burning inside him. He kept thinking about Hou San's arrogant face, and the more he thought about it, the angrier he became, his chest heaving.

That afternoon, Wang Zhiqiang couldn't sit or stand still in the house, his mind filled with Hou San's scoundrel-like appearance and those messy stalls. He would occasionally go to the window to look outside, only to hear the constant shouts and noises that made his head buzz.

"That Hou San is going too far!" Wang Zhiqiang slammed his fist on the table, wincing in pain, but his anger still hadn't subsided. He spent the entire afternoon tormented by anger and helplessness.

When Li Kui saw Wang Zhiqiang's humiliation and his disheveled appearance, he ran back, his smile as wide as a blooming trumpet flower, impossible to contain.

Zhao Tianming and the others were discussing something inside when Shi Qian'er, with her sharp eyes, was the first to notice Li Kui's overjoyed expression. Curious, she asked, "Brother Li Kui, what's making you so happy?"

Li Kui took a few deep breaths to calm himself before speaking, "Oh dear, you didn't see it, did you? That Wang Zhiqiang, who's always so arrogant, has really suffered a big setback today!"

Upon hearing this, everyone became interested and gathered around.

Li Kui gestured animatedly, "I just went out and saw Wang Zhiqiang being blocked at the shop entrance by Hou San and his gang. His face was as purple with anger. He wanted to go inside, but Hou San deliberately made things difficult for him. The scene was hilarious!"

Wu Song, being impatient, urged, "Li Kui, stop being so mysterious and tell me in detail."

Li Kui cleared his throat and continued, "Wang Zhiqiang had no choice but to beg Hou San to let him in. That fellow Hou San pretended to be all high and mighty, saying, 'Oh, Manager Wang, please,' and then told the merchants to keep watch on the door. This infuriated Wang Zhiqiang, but he didn't dare to retaliate."

At this point, Li Kui couldn't help but burst into laughter: "Wang Zhiqiang was squeezing around there and almost got crushed into a meat patty. When he finally got into the room, his expression was as if he had eaten bitter melon, so bitter it was indescribable."

Song Jiang smiled and shook his head: "This Wang Zhiqiang is too arrogant. This time, we've taught him a lesson."

Li Kui slapped his thigh and stomped his feet with laughter: "Haha, serves him right! Let's see if he dares to be arrogant again."

Everyone chimed in, agreeing that Wang Zhiqiang's humiliation was incredibly satisfying. Li Kui, seeing everyone laughing so hard, was overjoyed and embellished the story, causing the laughter in the room to grow louder and louder.