Chapter 228: The Long-Admired Ruffian

The two entered and first bowed to Gu Fei. Gu Fei quickly rose and returned the bow.

The woman asked, "Are you the Shopkeeper?"

Gu Fei nodded. "Can I help you?"

The woman said, a bit sheepishly, "Your inn is new, isn’t it? My husband and I have been performing in Ping’an City for a living. The last inn we performed at is no longer in business, and we were wondering if you would let us sing here?"

Gu Fei herself was the type of person who preferred to eat in peace and quiet.

But some people enjoyed listening to music while they ate.

Having singers would liven up the place, and a business needed to be lively.

They would essentially be resident performers.

Gu Fei saw the middle-aged man’s pained expression and the woman anxiously twisting her sash, both of them staring at her with expectant eyes.

Gu Fei pondered for a moment. "My inn just opened, so there aren’t many customers. As long as you don’t mind the quiet, it should be fine."

The woman’s face lit up. "Of course not! Your inn is so beautiful, I’m sure business will be booming in the future."

Gu Fei smiled. "I’ll take that as a good omen. But let me be clear about the rules upfront. You’re welcome to perform here, but I have one requirement: if a customer doesn’t wish to listen, you must not pester them or disturb their meal."

The woman waved her hands frantically. "Of course not, of course not. We’ve been performing for twenty years. We know how to be discreet."

Gu Fei smiled, came out from behind the counter, and had Tie Niu set up a small table and two chairs by the window. The spot was near the main door but still a fair distance from the dining tables.

"When you two aren’t performing, you can rest here. Sound good?"

The man lowered his head in thanks, and the woman also thanked Gu Fei. "My husband is a mute," she explained. "He can’t speak, but he can hear."

"You can just call him Ah Wang, Shopkeeper. My surname is Ye."

Gu Fei smiled. "Uncle Wang, Aunt Ye, if you need a drink of water or anything, just head to the kitchen in the back and help yourselves. Please, make yourselves at home."

Aunt Ye bowed to Gu Fei again. "Thank you, Shopkeeper."

The two of them then quietly went and sat down by the window.

Gu Fei was just about to turn back to her seat behind the counter when she saw someone appear at the entrance.

A toothpick dangled from the man’s mouth. He wore a greasy, black, cross-collared robe that hung loosely on his frame, and he swaggered in as if he owned the place.

Gu Fei’s heart sank, but she put on a smile. "Welcome, sir. Are you here for a meal or a room for the night?"

The man shifted the toothpick from the left corner of his mouth to the right, looked Gu Fei up and down, and laughed. "Well, well, what a pretty little thing you are. I’m not here to talk to you. Go get your Shopkeeper."

Gu Fei didn’t move. "I am the Shopkeeper."

Seeing the situation, Lian’er hurried over to stand behind Gu Fei.

The man roared with laughter. "What a joke! The world’s gone crazy if little girls can be shopkeepers now!"

"Alright then, I’ll talk to you."

He squinted at her. "How much silver a month do you pay to rent this place?"

Gu Fei shook her head. "I can’t tell you that. It’s a matter between me and the owner of the building."

"Oho, the little girl’s got some nerve," the man sneered, jiggling his leg like a ruffian. "Alright, if you won’t say, you won’t say."

"I’m just here for the money. Starting today, you’ll give me thirty silver a month. Just consider it rent."

’This must be Er Laizi,’ Gu Fei thought, though she kept a smile on her face. "You must be joking. I’ve already paid the rent to the owner. How could there be another person collecting rent?"