Chapter 270: No Distinction Between High and Low, Noble and Base

Su Zhao immediately looked where Qin Mian was pointing. The line appeared to contain several hundred people. Customers who had already bought their food left, while new arrivals continuously joined the queue. The stream of people seemed endless.

Even after seeing the booming business Qin Mian had described with her own eyes, Su Zhao could not help marveling. "Food made from soybeans can actually sell this well? If we line up like this, how long will it take before we can buy any?"

Ming Lake was already in a comparatively out-of-the-way part of the city, yet this shop could still draw such crowds. Su Zhao's interest in this so-called tofu immediately deepened. She was even becoming impatient to taste what sort of delicacy could attract so many people.

Qin Mian smiled. "The line looks long, but it moves quickly. Proprietress, do you see the bowls in their hands? They all bring their own containers. They pay, have the food ladled in, and leave. It doesn't take long. Of course, customers keep arriving, so the queue always looks crowded."

She added, "This shop can stay busy from the moment it opens until the moment it closes, with customers never stopping. Business like this really is rare!"

Su Zhao found that strange. "They don't give customers anywhere to sit and eat?"

"I was curious about that too, so I asked around. At first, they did. But business became so good that if everyone were allowed to sit down and eat at leisure, I'm afraid even a place the size of Among the White Clouds couldn't hold them all."

Qin Mian continued, "In the end, they had no choice but to establish this rule. There is still space inside for customers who want to sit and enjoy their food slowly, but there's a threshold: one silver coin for admission. That way, aside from wealthy people who don't want the inconvenience, ordinary customers naturally prefer to stand in line."

Su Zhao nodded in understanding. "Is the food expensive?"

Qin Mian shook her head. "That depends on the person. You could call it expensive, or you could call it cheap. Cheap because one serving costs only ten copper coins. Most people who want to try something new can still afford that. Expensive because the portion is rather small. They ladle out only a little cupful, and that already costs ten copper coins."

"I heard that when the shop first opened, it was only five copper coins per cup."

Su Zhao laughed. "What a black-hearted shop. Business gets good, and they immediately double the price."

Qin Mian said, "The shop's explanation isn't entirely unreasonable. They say their volume has grown so much that the price of soybeans throughout the city has risen. Their costs went up, so naturally the selling price had to rise too."

"Oh." Su Zhao nodded. "That does make sense. There were never many people planting soybeans to begin with. Selling this much would naturally drive the price up. But with business this good, aren't they afraid someone will try to seize a share?"

"The Huyan family is backing them!" Qin Mian said. "Without some background, business this good would definitely cause trouble. Forget outright extortion or people reaching out for a cut—even someone merely a little overbearing wouldn't stand obediently in line like this. The fact that everyone follows the rules means there is naturally someone capable of keeping the situation under control."

Su Zhao looked surprised. "The Huyan family would open a little shop in an out-of-the-way place like this?"

"I thought it was strange too, so I checked. The true backer is Huyan Wei, youngest son of Supreme General Huyan Wuhen. This shop and the large residence behind it were both secured after Huyan Wei put in a word."

Qin Mian lowered her voice slightly. "I heard that someone from a yamen came demanding money before. Once Huyan Wei heard about it, he came over and beat the man into a cripple!"

As they spoke, the boat had already reached the shore.

Qin Mian asked, "Proprietress, should we spend the money to sit inside and try it, or have someone line up and bring some back?"

Su Zhao hesitated.

She had originally wanted to go inside the Tofu House and look around, but in the end she sighed. "Have it brought onto the boat."

Qin Mian understood. With Su Zhao's looks, appearing openly in a place like this would draw far too much attention. Being stared at by a crowd of men would probably make it impossible for her to eat in peace, ruining both her mood and her appetite. A pleasure boat like this had no shortage of bowls and utensils.

Qin Mian took a lidded white porcelain tureen from the cabin, stepped outside, and instructed one of the maidservants to join the line. Just as she had said, although the queue looked long, it moved quickly. Before too much time had passed, the maidservant returned carrying the tureen. Then trouble arrived. Three young men came galloping along the lakeshore, riding abreast. The maidservant carrying the tureen could neither dodge forward nor backward. Frightened, she screamed.

Inside the cabin, Su Zhao and Qin Mian abruptly turned their heads. The four servants outside immediately looked toward Qin Mian for a signal. With one gesture from her, they would naturally step in at once. But Qin Mian did nothing. She did not want to expose the identities of the cultivators around them in a place like this. One fine horse was hauled to a rearing stop. Its hooves nearly struck the maidservant in the head.

Crash!

With a crisp shattering sound, the terrified maidservant dropped the tureen. White porcelain smashed across the ground, and tofu pudding splattered everywhere as she staggered backward. The other two horses that had rushed past on either side were also pulled to abrupt stops. The rearing horse came back down.

The young man in its saddle held a wine flask in one hand and the reins in the other, the smell of liquor heavy on him. He looked at the maidservant, then at the pleasure boat nearby, and noticed the lantern marked Among the White Clouds.

He immediately grinned, jumped from the saddle, and reached out to pinch the maidservant's tender chin. "Such a fresh little beauty. How come I've never seen you at Among the White Clouds before?"

The maidservant took a step back and turned to leave, but the other two young men dismounted and stretched out their arms to block her. The three surrounded her and began teasing her.

Qin Mian pointed outside, signaling to the servants, then waved a hand to indicate that they were not to make trouble. Two servants immediately went ashore and tried to extricate the maidservant.

"I like this girl. I'll take her for tonight and send her back tomorrow. You won't be shorted on the money." The young man with the wine flask took out a purse and tossed it at one of the servants.

The servant offered the purse back with both hands. "Young Master, this girl hasn't been properly trained yet and isn't receiving guests for now. Please tell us which residence you belong to. Later, we'll select a good one from the house and send her over personally."

"Forget those painted women. I like this one because she's fresh and tender. Doesn't matter if she hasn't been trained. I like her, and that's enough."

The young man refused the purse. He spread his arms, seized the maidservant, and prepared to lift her onto his horse and carry her away. The maidservant was frightened and helpless. She had already begun to cry. The other two young men blocked the servants. The two servants could only look back toward the cabin window, waiting for further instruction. Just then, a tall young man walked over from the roadside.

He extended one hand in front of the horse, preventing the drunken youth from putting the maidservant in the saddle. His voice was low and heavy.

"Put her down."

The newcomer was none other than Yuan Gang. Yuan Gang's sudden appearance, together with the weight of his presence, actually intimidated the young man. Without thinking, he set the maidservant down. Then he took a closer look at Yuan Gang's clothing. Coarse cloth. Sleeves rolled up. Dust still clinging to his body. Obviously a man who worked with his strength.

The young man immediately became furious. "What blind bastard crawled out of nowhere?"

Yuan Gang said calmly, "You're abducting a woman by force."

The three young men froze. Then all of them burst out laughing.

The one facing Yuan Gang pointed with the hand holding the wine flask at the maidservant he still had by the arm. "What kind of decent woman is she supposed to be? She's a whore from Among the White Clouds. She's out here selling herself. I'm paying money for some fun. How does that become abducting a woman by force?"

Yuan Gang looked at the maidservant. "Do you want to go with him?"

Terrified, the maidservant shook her head. She tried to pull her arm back, but the young man held her fast.

Yuan Gang said, "You saw it yourself. She doesn't want to go. This kind of thing can't be forced."

The young man laughed. "You're telling me I can't force some lowly bitch who sells herself for money?"

Yuan Gang said, "Everyone is born equal. There is no distinction between high and low, noble and base. She isn't some lowly creature either. If she'd had a choice, she wouldn't be doing this kind of work. Since she doesn't want to go, then please show some mercy and let her be."

Inside the cabin, Su Zhao had been sipping tea without much interest. A trivial matter like this was hardly difficult for her to resolve, and she had paid it little attention. Yet the words from outside made something in her heart tremble for no apparent reason. She froze. Slowly, she turned her head and looked out, her bright eyes settling properly on Yuan Gang for the first time.

"Hahaha..."

The mounted young men could not stop laughing. To people raised with their way of thinking, Yuan Gang's words were an enormous joke.

Human lives were divided into ranks and stations. Who beneath Heaven dared claim there was no distinction between high and low, noble and base among the countless living people of the world? What could such words be except ridiculous?

"Only some lowborn wretch could say something like that!" The young man pointed the wine flask at Yuan Gang and laughed without restraint.

Then his expression changed. He swept an arm out and barked, "Move!"

Dragging the maidservant with him, he approached the horse and tried to shove Yuan Gang aside. Yuan Gang's hand suddenly shot out and seized his wrist. The grip made the young man's face twist in pain. Instinctively, he released the maidservant. Yuan Gang threw his arm aside, pulled the maidservant behind himself, and guided her toward the pleasure boat. The moment Yuan Gang laid hands on their companion, the other two young men naturally could not stand by. They rushed forward with horsewhips in hand and lashed out furiously.

Yuan Gang moved the maidservant behind him and shielded her with his body.

Crack! Crack!

The whips struck him repeatedly. He did not retaliate. The drunken young man shook his aching wrist, grew furious, rushed forward, and smashed the wine flask against Yuan Gang's forehead.

Crash!

The flask shattered. Wine ran down Yuan Gang's face. Yuan Gang suddenly swung one arm backward. He did not strike the young man. Instead, his forearm smashed into a willow growing beside the lake, its trunk as thick as a man's arm.

Bang!

Crack!

The willow snapped cleanly through the middle. Half the tree crashed into the lake with a tremendous splash.

Inside the cabin, Qin Mian muttered, "What brute strength!"

The three young men, who had been preparing to continue the beating, stared in shock. Their raised hands stopped moving.

"Don't force me to hit you," Yuan Gang said coldly.

Just then, the rumble of approaching hooves sounded. More than ten riders came galloping over and reined in around them.

At their head was a young man who looked youthful despite his powerful build and full beard. He shouted toward Yuan Gang, "Brother An, what's going on?"

Inside the cabin, Qin Mian quietly reminded Su Zhao, "Huyan Wei is here!"

The riders who had just arrived plainly carried an unusual air. The three young men appeared to recognize them as well.

When they heard the newcomer address the unyielding fellow in front of them as a brother, panic immediately appeared on their faces. Their raised hands dropped.

The young man who had tried to carry off the maidservant hurriedly cupped his hands. "Young Master Huyan, a misunderstanding! It was all a misunderstanding!"

Huyan Wei looked at what the three had been doing, then at Yuan Gang's clothes, now torn open by whip marks. His leopard-like eyes widened. He neither cared whether it was a misunderstanding nor bothered asking what had happened.

He pointed at the three men and roared, "Beat them! Beat them to death!"

[End of Chapter 270]