Chapter 229: I’ll Be Back Tomorrow

Er Laizi shifted the toothpick in his mouth. "The owner?"

"I’m the real owner! This building will be mine sooner or later, so the rent can only be paid to me!"

Gu Fei’s expression turned cold. "I saw the owner’s deed before I signed the lease. If you want the rent, fine. Show me the deed to this building."

Er Laizi scoffed. "A deed? I don’t have one. But everyone knows this place is mine."

"This rent money... when I say I want it, I get it. You’ll pay whether you want to or not."

"Otherwise, you can forget about keeping this shop open!"

’If this Er Laizi were as sensible as the Eight Immortals Association and asked for a small monthly sum of silver, I would have just paid it,’ Gu Fei fumed inwardly. ’I’d consider it following local customs—a small price to avoid trouble.’

But this Er Laizi opened his mouth and demanded thirty silver a month. She didn’t even know if she could earn thirty silver in a month yet!

Gu Fei said coldly, "There’s no silver for you. I’ve already paid the rent I owe. Now please, go back where you came from!"

"Well now!" Er Laizi spat the toothpick from his mouth. "The little miss has quite a temper, doesn’t she?"

"Go out on the street and ask around. Ask who I, Er Laizi, am. In this Ping’an City, who doesn’t have to call me ’master’ when they see me!"

Just as he was speaking, a voice came from the entrance. "Well now, who do we have here? What ’master’ is this, talking so big?"

Gu Fei looked over and saw Young Master Zhu, Young Master Zhou, and another young master she didn’t recognize walking in through the door.

Young Master Zhu snorted. "Isn’t this Er Laizi? What, here to sponge off your brother again?"

Er Laizi quickly bowed and said with a fawning smile, "Young Master Zhu! It’s been a while. Have you been well?"

Young Master Zhu, Young Master Zhou, and the others swaggered into the shop and sat down. "I was doing fine. Seeing you has soured my mood."

"This Miss Gu, Manager Gu, is my friend. If you want silver, go find your older brother. What are you doing bothering a young lady?"

Er Laizi’s mouth twitched. He kept the smile on his face, but his words were defiant. "That’s not my problem. Whoever rents this place is who I’ll ask for money."

Young Master Zhu waved his hand impatiently. "Go on, get out. I want to speak with Miss Gu. Scram."

Er Laizi gave a cold laugh and said to Gu Fei, "Miss Gu, is it? Just you wait. Your Grandpa Er will be back to see you tomorrow."

Young Master Zhu roared, "Get lost!"

That Er Laizi gave Young Master Zhu a perfunctory salute, turned, and left with an arrogant swagger.

Gu Fei quickly bowed to Young Master Zhu. "Thank you, Young Master Zhu."

Young Master Zhu waved his hand. "Miss Gu, no need to thank me. That Er Laizi was just giving me some face; he couldn’t be bothered to cause a scene right now. I can handle today for you, but I can’t guarantee tomorrow."

"Besides, there’s no telling what kind of dirty tricks that man has up his sleeve. You should be careful."

After saying this, Young Master Zhu looked around. "Miss Gu, your shop is decorated quite nicely."

"I had business out of town yesterday and couldn’t make it to congratulate you on your grand opening. How rude of me."

This was, of course, just an excuse.

He had known Gu Fei’s shop was opening yesterday, but he hadn’t planned on coming at all. Sending Manager Wang over was, in his mind, already showing a great deal of respect.

But this morning, when he went to the First-class Pavilion, Manager Wang told him about what he’d seen at yesterday’s opening: someone had sent a green jade bok choy, and another had sent a Mutton Fat Jade Treasure Bowl. He figured the people behind those gifts must have significant backgrounds.

Young Master Zhu had mulled it over and realized he had underestimated her. He came today specifically to make amends.