From Hoarding to Time-Travel: My Supplies Saved Him

Chapter 456: Chapter 457: Gathering

When Mountain Leader saw Tian Er, he wanted to lunge forward and tear him to pieces.

But he was weighed down by heavy shackles, and menacing constables stood beside him. If he made any sudden moves, their whips would come cracking down.

His only hope now was that Ling San was smart enough to hurry back and get reinforcements.

"Tian Er, I really misjudged you. You’ve doomed so many of our brothers. We’ll settle this score later."

Tian Er was on the verge of tears. He rolled up his sleeve to show the scars on his arm. "Their torture methods are horrific. Any of us who goes into that torture chamber confesses everything."

"If you went in there, Lord Shan, you might have broken even faster than we did."

"Bullshit!" Mountain Leader gritted his teeth. "What about your warrior spirit? Couldn’t you have just ended your own life?"

Tian Er’s lips twisted into a mocking smile. "It’s easy for you to talk so tough, Lord Shan, when you haven’t been pushed to the point where you can neither live nor die."

"Besides, aren’t you standing right here with me now, Lord Shan?"

"You..." Mountain Leader glanced at the constables, who were looking their way more and more frequently. He lowered his voice. "I’d already sensed something was wrong. I sent Ling San to find you. If you had just held out a little longer, we might be safe by now."

Tian Er said, "Have you not noticed yet, My Lord? Our men who went missing before... they’re all here now, aren’t they?"

"Before long, Ling San will probably end up here too."

"Instead of blaming each other, we should be figuring out how to survive this long winter."

In truth, seeing Mountain Leader brought in actually calmed Tian Er’s heart. They were all prisoners now. Even if Prince Zuo rescued them later, they’d all be in the same boat. No one could point fingers at anyone else.

A constable walked over and cracked his whip at both of them. "Get to work! If you don’t clear the plot of land assigned to you today, you won’t get any rations tomorrow."

...

Today, Tianfu Restaurant reopened. The new owner had long since put up a notice: for the first three days of the grand opening, ten tables would be chosen for a free meal each day.

Everyone’s curiosity had been piqued for a while, so the moment the doors opened, all the tables were booked.

Although it was billed as a grand reopening after renovations, the original decor hadn’t changed much. The only difference was that each table seemed to have some kind of mechanism.

When the staff opened the tabletops, everyone discovered a stove hidden underneath.

The Gu Family Brothers, who had arrived early, occupied a table in the center of the main hall. A steaming pot of broth was already on their table, surrounded by platters of fresh ingredients.

"Isn’t this just hot pot?" In winter, who didn’t enjoy a meal like this? Most people were unimpressed.

The only difference was the layer of red oil floating on the broth, which must have been Tianfu Restaurant’s signature chili.

When the broth began to boil, an overpowering aroma wafted through the entire restaurant, making everyone’s mouths water.

Gu Yuanjin and his brothers were there today to put on a demonstration for Jin Qianqian’s restaurant. They skillfully placed bean products and various meats into the pot to cook. Then, they dipped them in prepared sauces, blowing on the hot food before stuffing it into their mouths.

Watching them eat one chopstick-full after another, the people at the surrounding tables couldn’t stand it any longer.

Since they already had tables, they didn’t want to just sit there drooling while watching others eat. They all began urging the staff to bring their food.

Jin Qianqian stood in a private room upstairs, curiously observing the young woman who had asked for her by name.

"Is this restaurant really yours?" Zhong Tian tightened her grip on her whip. It was clear she was looking for trouble.

Jin Qianqian replied, "It is. Would you like me to have the staff prepare a table for you, miss?"

"Where is Ouyang Bing?" Zhong Tian demanded. "Where are they now? Don’t think you can team up to put on a show for me. I’ll still smash this restaurant to pieces."

As she spoke, the guards standing behind her drew their swords in unison.

Lichun and the other attendants immediately shielded Jin Qianqian, ready to attack at a moment’s notice.

"Ouyang Bing?" Jin Qianqian said. "So you know the previous owner, miss."

"Unfortunately, you’re too late. He transferred ownership of the restaurant to me last month. If you’re looking for him, you should try his residence."

"Don’t try to fool me! Ouyang Bing built this restaurant from the ground up. He would never be willing to part with it. I know you two planned this to trick me. Bring him out right now, or this restaurant will cease to exist today!"

Jin Qianqian cursed inwardly, but her face was all smiles as she said, "You’re being rather tyrannical, miss. I clearly spent a great deal of money to purchase this place, yet you insist on accusing me of a crime."

"Have you not bothered to ask around? How could a mere merchant like Ouyang Bing possibly order me around?"

"If you don’t believe me, you can go to the Prefect’s Office and check whether this restaurant is registered under my name."

Zhong Tian wasn’t completely clueless. Hearing the other woman repeatedly refer to herself with such formality, her tone softened.

"So he did it on purpose to avoid me. I should have known."

"I hope everything you’ve said is true, Madam. Otherwise, my Zhong Family is not to be trifled with."

Jin Qianqian said, "I did indeed pay good silver to buy these properties. As for the entanglement between you two, that is none of my concern. I hope you understand that yourself, miss, and refrain from dragging innocent people into your personal grudge."

Zhong Tian glanced around the restaurant, then waved for her men to leave. "If you see Ouyang Bing, Madam, please pass on a message for me. Tell him that even if he hides in a mouse hole, I will dig him out. I hope he’s this lucky next time."

With a cold snort, she left with her people.

"Madam," Lichun said, a little worried, "should we have someone investigate the Zhong Family?"

Jin Qianqian shook her head. "We have little to do with these people from the martial world. It’s best not to provoke them unnecessarily."

"Later, tell the shopkeeper downstairs that if anyone mentions Ouyang Bing again, someone else will be taking over their duties."

He brought this trouble on himself, so he should be the one to bear it. Jin Qianqian had no desire to invite disaster upon herself out of a moment of kindness.

Looking down at the bustling crowd of customers, Jin Qianqian felt the risk she’d taken was worth it.

With the existing framework and customer flow, as long as she managed it well, she could recoup her investment quickly.

Gu Yuanjin and his brothers ate until their stomachs were round. They had to take a stroll around the Prefecture City before returning to the restaurant’s rear courtyard.

"Seventh Sister-in-law is truly a natural-born businesswoman. With just a casual move, she leaves everyone else in the dust." Gu Yuanshui had been thinking about the hot pot broth base himself, but he never expected his sister-in-law to act so quickly and set it all up.

Gu Yuanjin said, "When you go back, remember to have your people prepare the tofu skins and other ingredients properly. Just because this is Seventh Sister-in-law’s business doesn’t mean you can afford to be careless."

"Don’t worry, Big Brother!" Gu Yuanshui replied. "We aren’t that heartless."

"Seventh Sister-in-law has helped us so much. I would cheat anyone before I’d ever cheat her."

Gu Yuanjin rapped him on the head. "And who else were you planning to cheat?"