Chapter 18: I Must See the Lady

Chapter 18: I Must See Madam

For several consecutive days, Li Qi had worked tirelessly like an indefatigable mule, rushing about day and night. In this place, there wasn’t even a telephone or a single taxi; everything had to be done on foot or by one's own hands—truly a test of human endurance.

Having prepared everything that evening, Li Qi climbed into bed early, utterly exhausted.

The air in this era was fresh, and without the annoying blare of car horns, sleep was naturally more restful.

He slept soundly until dawn. After a simple wash, Li Qi went to the door of Wu Xiaoliu’s room and knocked, but found it empty. He smiled slightly—this kid really was reliable and efficient, a superb errand runner.

Li Qi then walked alone to a small noodle stall next to the Drunken Immortal Pavilion. The stall owner was a widow named Mrs. Cao, who was warm and hospitable, and her cooking was quite good. Li Qi had been here once or twice before. He ordered two large steamed buns and a bowl of tofu pudding, and leisurely ate these natural, green foods while watching passersby. Thinking of Uncle Wu’s expression at that moment made him chuckle.

“Young man, are you a worker here at the Drunken Immortal Pavilion?”

Just as Li Qi was lost in thought, a low voice sounded beside him. Startled, he turned to see Mrs. Cao, who looked surprised. He nodded in greeting. “Mrs. Cao, is there something you need?”

Mrs. Cao leaned in with a gossipy smile and asked, “I heard that the Drunken Immortal Pavilion is about to be sold to the Jade Pavilion across the street. Is that true?”

Li Qi was momentarily taken aback but smiled and inquired, “Who told you that?”

Mrs. Cao waved her hand dismissively. “Oh, it’s the talk of the town; even the blind old woman at the end of the street knows about it.” She winked at Li Qi as if to say, “Don’t pretend with me.”

Li Qi thought, “Is it really that exaggerated?”

He was unaware of the rumor but was curious why Mrs. Cao cared so much about the Drunken Immortal Pavilion. He asked with interest, “Do you hope it will be sold or not?”

Mrs. Cao sighed. “To be honest, I’ve worked here for years. When the Pavilion was prosperous, I benefited too. But in the last two years, business has declined steadily. Of course, it would be best if it weren’t sold, but things can’t go on like this forever, right?”

Her roundabout explanation finally made sense to Li Qi. These small stalls relied heavily on the big restaurants nearby to attract customers, and when the Drunken Immortal Pavilion closed, their business suffered. Naturally, they hoped the Jade Pavilion would take over, since it was booming and would bring more customers, lifting everyone’s fortunes. Li Qi laughed, “So you’re hoping it will be sold.”

Mrs. Cao nodded awkwardly and asked, “Is your boss planning to sell the pavilion to the Jade Pavilion?”

Before Li Qi could answer, he saw Uncle Wu Fu-rong and the boy Wu Xiaoliu hurrying toward them. He stood quickly and called out, “Uncle Wu, Xiaoliu, I’m here!”

After seating the two of them, Li Qi smiled and said, “You haven’t had breakfast yet, right? Come, have some buns here—they’re quite good.”

“Brother Li, I already ate,” Wu Xiaoliu chuckled.

“I did too,” Uncle Wu waved his hand dismissively. He had no appetite this morning and hurriedly asked Li Qi, “Young man, Xiaoliu just told me that you—”

Halfway through, Uncle Wu noticed Mrs. Cao standing nearby, eavesdropping with her ears perked up. “Mrs. Cao, shouldn’t you be attending to customers instead of standing here?”

Mrs. Cao smiled sheepishly and reluctantly turned away.

Once she left, Uncle Wu leaned in and lowered his voice. “Young man, Xiaoliu told me that you have a friend who’s planning to buy the Drunken Immortal Pavilion—is that true?”

Li Qi smiled, “Of course. I wouldn’t joke about something like this.”

“Then what does your friend do?”

“Oh, my friend used to run a restaurant in the capital of the Northern Song. But as you know, the Jin and Liao nations are at war, and business is tough for merchants. So he wants to move his operations to Bianjing,” Li Qi explained slowly.

The former capital was once the Liao kingdom’s capital, where business owners were among the wealthiest elites.

Uncle Wu’s face brightened. “How much is he willing to pay?”

Li Qi answered vaguely, “More than that Cai Yuanwai offered.”

Uncle Wu was the least eager to sell to that Cai Yuanwai. Hearing someone was willing to pay more to buy the Drunken Immortal Pavilion filled him with hope. Grasping Li Qi’s hand, he urged, “Young man, please take me to meet your friend.”

“Not so fast, Uncle Wu,” Li Qi withdrew his hand calmly. “My friend doesn’t want to appear publicly yet. He’s entrusted me with the matter, but—”

“But what?” Uncle Wu’s expression tightened, eager to know.

Li Qi looked troubled. “He insists that this deal must be discussed directly with Madam Qin. If not, he’d rather not proceed.”

Uncle Wu was slightly stunned and gave Li Qi a suspicious glance. “Young man, you’ve been here so many days; you know Madam rarely concerns herself with the pavilion’s affairs. I’ve managed things all along. Talking to me should be enough.”

Li Qi smiled faintly. “Uncle Wu, I trust you, of course. But I’m also acting on behalf of someone else. Forgive me for being blunt, but you’re also working for another party. This is no small sum, and if your boss can’t even meet the other party, would you feel at ease if you were in my friend’s position?”

“You do have a point,” Uncle Wu nodded thoughtfully. After a moment, he frowned, “If you want to see Madam, I can arrange it—but I have one condition.”

“If you want to meet my friend first, I’m sorry, I can’t agree to that yet. But I promise, after meeting Madam, I’ll take you to see him. You know, I don’t have that kind of money on me; paying is his responsibility,” Li Qi said with a shrug and a smile.

Li Qi’s guess was correct—Uncle Wu wanted to meet his friend first. If it were true, he would agree to take Li Qi to meet Madam Qin. Hearing this, Uncle Wu’s expression grew more troubled; he squinted and fell into thought.

Li Qi didn’t rush and continued to eat his bun leisurely. Nearby, Wu Xiaoliu kept his head down, grinning mischievously and occasionally exchanging knowing looks with Li Qi, as if in on some secret, but Li Qi pretended not to notice.

After a while, Uncle Wu sighed and said, “Alright, I agree. When do you plan to go?”

He didn’t want to miss any chance to settle this matter.

“The sooner, the better—preferably now,” Li Qi replied with a smile.

Uncle Wu was silent for a moment before saying, “Alright, I’ll take you there now.” He wanted to put this matter behind him as soon as possible.

“Thank you, Uncle,” Li Qi said, finishing his last sip of porridge. He stood, tossed a few coins to Mrs. Cao, and grinned, “Mrs. Cao, if you want your business to thrive, I have a tip for you.”

“Business thriving? What tip?” Mrs. Cao’s eyes sparkled.

“Simple. Just wait five more days. Then add a few more tables and prepare more tea. I guarantee you’ll make at least twice as much as now.” Li Qi laughed heartily and, without waiting for her response, left with Uncle Wu and Wu Xiaoliu.

“Five more days? What’s happening then?” Mrs. Cao scratched her head, watching Li Qi’s retreating figure with puzzled eyes.

Li Qi followed Uncle Wu along several streets until they saw a grand mansion from a distance. The walls stood nearly three meters high and about one meter thick. Two massive stone lions guarded the entrance, while two thick vermilion doors were tightly shut. Above the gate hung a large plaque inscribed: Qin Residence.

Li Qi looked up at the estate and sighed softly. To him, this mansion was like a prison only time could dismantle.

(End of Chapter)