Water gurgled beneath South Stone Bridge.
At Langyun Restaurant, large red lanterns hung from the lofty door lintels, their gauze wraps encasing clumps of warm red light that swayed invitingly.
Gentle singing echoed endlessly around the rafters, the head cook jotted down orders, and food runners bustled to and fro.
Inside Private Room Bing of the Earth Tier, Liang Qu pushed open the door, and a wave of warm air greeted him.
"A handsome talent! Truly a fine and distinguished figure! Dignified as the wind whispering through pine trees, lofty and composed—no wonder you became Master Yang's prized disciple!"
Dressed in dark blue robes, Lin Di rose to greet him with loud praise.
"My worthless son Songbao told me long ago that he'd made a friend in Yixing with an extraordinary bearing, someone who would never remain just a fish in a shallow pond. At first, I assumed a tiny place like Yixing couldn't possibly produce such an exceptional person, thinking my son was exaggerating out of sheer ignorance. But seeing you today, it turns out to be true!
"It is truly my poor fortune that I did not behold Younger Brother Liang's grace sooner. Oh, my apologies! Forgive my lack of manners. I was simply too excited and took the liberty of an elder to speak so loosely. Brother Liang, Brother Liang! Allow me to punish myself with three cups!"
With that, Lin Di downed three cups of wine in swift gulps, his face flushing slightly pink.
Lin Songbao: "..."
*When did I ever say anything like that? And if you call him Brother Liang, what am I supposed to call him? Elder Uncle Liang?*
Liang Qu: "..."
*This man is quite a smooth talker. And why are the generations so tangled up?*
Before he knew it, Liang Qu was ushered to his seat by Lin Di, who gestured toward a boy of thirteen or fourteen at his side. "Allow me to introduce my eldest son, Lin Fuyun! Fuyun, greet your Uncle Liang!"
*Eldest son?*
Liang Qu glanced in surprise at Lin Songbao behind him, only to see him nod.
*Ah, concubine-born versus main wife's son, right?* Liang Qu finally understood why Lin Songbao, despite being the fishing yard master's son, had to do hard labor at the fishing yard every day.
Lin Fuyun rose and bowed. "Greetings, Uncle Liang."
The corner of Liang Qu's mouth twitched. *Does this kid really think calling me Uncle Liang will please me?*
"Please don't call me Brother Liang. I'm quite young."
"Then may I be so bold as to address you as Worthy Nephew?"
Liang Qu fell silent for a moment. "It's better if you just use my name."
"How could I do that? That would be far too impolite."
"Young Master Liang, then."
"Very well." Lin Di looked a bit disappointed. Turning around, he instructed the food runner to serve the dishes while clapping his hands. In an instant, a fragrant breeze wafted in.
Three women dressed in splendid silks entered. Liang Qu's heart gave a slight jolt as they bowed deeply, after which two began to play instruments while one danced.
*Right, right, you're pulling this trick on me, are you?*
"Rest assured, Young Master Liang, we are only appreciating the dance," Lin Di said with a smile. Before coming here, he had already asked around and learned that Liang Qu was thin-skinned and had even felt shy about a matchmaking session. Springing something overly provocative on him might invite trouble instead, so he had opted purely for refined entertainment.
His face slightly flushed, Liang Qu covered his mouth with a loose fist and coughed. "Very well, that works too."
What followed was the clinking of cups and pouring of drinks, though Liang Qu drank only tea rather than wine. He did, however, clear plate after plate of food.
The food at Langyun Restaurant was indeed delicious, and some dishes even contained chili peppers. Liang Qu had never seen chili peppers before and had assumed Dashun had none; now it seemed he had simply been too poor to ever encounter them.
"This is a spice brought back last year from the Western Army's expedition. People only started cultivating it popularly this year. It has a bright red color and a pungent, spicy flavor. Eating it makes one sweat profusely, yet brings a peculiar sense of invigoration. I wonder if Young Master Liang is accustomed to it?"
"I am, I am." Liang Qu stuffed mouthfuls of meat into his mouth.
"Then regarding the matter of my fishing yard, I wonder if Young Master Liang might look after us a bit? When the time comes, I will gladly offer twenty percent of the fishing yard's annual income with both hands." Lin Di refilled the teacup, his face beaming like blooming peach blossoms. "Of course, regardless of whether this works out, the black-awning boat promised to you will be returned to Young Master Liang. After all, it is only right to return it to its original owner."
"Of course not."
"Hahaha, is that so? That's wonder—eh?" Lin Di froze mid-laugh, realizing something was amiss, and stood there awkwardly. Suspecting he had misheard, he asked again, "Young Master Liang, did you just say..."
"I said I cannot."
Lin Di was dumbfounded. He had sought out Liang Qu precisely to use Liang Qu's status to bolster the fishing yard's prestige so he could seize business at other wharves.
Anyone capable of opening a fishing yard had connections to some degree and was not easily dealt with. But with Liang Qu's help, under the umbrella of protection from Master Yang's personal disciple, things would become far simpler.
Yet how could he refuse so bluntly?
After all, if this matter went through, Liang Qu would not have to lift a finger—he could just lie back and collect at least a hundred taels of silver a year!
"Young Master Liang, perhaps I didn't make myself clear earlier. As long as you agree, thirty percent of the fishing yard's annual profits from now on—"
Liang Qu set down his chopsticks and let out a burp of fullness.
"Even if you gave me all of it, the answer is still no. I've eaten the meal and I'll take back the boat, but I won't do the favor, nor will I take a single copper of the fishing yard's income."
Lin Di felt exceedingly crestfallen, yet he didn't dare to get angry. "Could Young Master Liang tell me why?"
"Because I am a fisherman."
Lin Di's pupils constricted slightly.
Liang Qu pushed back his stool and stood up. "Making money by bullying my own kind—holding that kind of money turns my stomach. Well then, I'm full. Farewell. Oh, by the way, your dancing was lovely, and you ladies are very beautiful."
"We thank the young master for his praise."
The three women curtsied.
Liang Qu pushed open the door and left.
Coming to his senses, Lin Di hurriedly called out to Lin Songbao, "Quick, see Young Master Liang out!"
"No need to see me out. I'd like to walk along the river by myself and catch the cool breeze. It feels nice."
The door closed, and Liang Qu's voice faded from their ears.
Walking out of Langyun Restaurant, a gust of cold wind rushed straight down his collar. Liang Qu shivered, and the drowsiness from his full belly vanished completely.
That fishing yard income...
To be fair, Liang Qu actually had a compromise in mind.
He could waive the twenty percent cut and instead have Lin Di reduce rental fees by twenty percent, or find some other arrangement to make life easier for the fishermen.
However, that might harm Liang Qu's own interests.
The fishermen were certainly pitiable, but to call them completely kindhearted...
Whether he rejected the income or took less to reduce their rent, the fishermen might be grateful to him at first. But over time, once they grew accustomed to the reduced rental rates while their lives remained tight, they would come to see Liang Qu, as the fishing yard's protective umbrella, as repulsive.
And how would his master and senior brothers view him then?
Having been accepted by Master Yang as a personal disciple, Liang Qu had gradually come to realize one thing:
When you have no capability, a good reputation is completely useless. But as long as you display even a bit of talent, a good reputation can bring unexpected rewards.
Liang Qu considered himself a good person, yet not that good.
He was willing to reach into his own meager pockets to buy steamed buns for snot-nosed urchins, yet he would also refrain from partnering with the fishing yard to help the fishermen out of fear of tarnishing his own feathers.
Still, this meal hadn't been entirely pointless; at least he had reclaimed his family's black-awning boat.
That was a fine boat indeed. It was a bit old, but that didn't affect its use in the slightest. The hull was wide and spacious, big enough to lie down completely inside to sleep—far more comfortable than his current sampan.
The water beneath South Stone Bridge rushed and gurgled, slapping against the shoreline rocks and kicking up white spray.
"Sigh. Life is clearly getting better, so why have so many troubles popped up out of nowhere?"
Liang Qu let out a long sigh. Crossing his hands behind his head, he ambled along, humming a tune entirely different from the singing girls' melodies at the restaurant:
"How dissolute I am, how filthy I am,
A thousand pages of ink to write my crimes.
My wildness, my thoughts,
Bound to this hideous shell.
How noble you are, how arrogant you are,
Gluttons and drunks, beasts in human guise.
Your hypocrisy, your fickleness,
Inlaid upon your exquisite shell."
The cold wind swept across the street. Liang Qu felt that the breeze came from the river, carrying a familiar scent with it.
Chapter 53