Old Master Liu turned back and saw that everyone was indeed staring greedily at the wine in his hand. He said grumpily, "Let's go. We won't disturb them from studying their wine. When Shopkeeper Liu releases new wine after some time, we'll get drunk again."
The crowd dispersed. Shopkeeper Liu had tasted the wine and found it to be an unparalleled delicacy. The thought of owning the recipe filled him with such excitement that his hands began to tremble. He wanted to take the remaining wine home to share with his father.
He quickly pulled the shopkeeper aside. Soon, the shopkeeper returned with a chest. Shopkeeper Liu impatiently opened it and looked sincerely at her, "Here are two thousand taels of silver. I don't have any more. Please, madam, teach me well."
Wu Caiwei saw this and thought the man was quite sensible. However, they had originally agreed on one thousand taels. So, she would take one thousand taels. For her, an extra thousand taels or not made little difference, but for others, it would take many years to earn. He seemed like a decent sort.
When she left the small tavern again, Shopkeeper Liu respectfully escorted her to the door. Wu Caiwei, satisfied, walked away clutching the box.
Zhang Tieshan, whose business had been disrupted by Wu Caiwei, felt increasingly resentful. He found a small tavern similar to the Liu family's, modestly displayed his skills, and the owner was very pleased. He finally sold the recipes to him for five hundred taels.
After receiving the silver, he hurried back to the courtyard, packed a few clothes with his sister, and ran towards the city gate.
In the past few days, the two small taverns in the city had introduced their new brews, and for a while, the taverns became bustling with people.
The other tavern soon discovered that the Liu family also had their new variety. They felt cheated. The contract clearly stated that the brewing skills were sold only to them. They hadn't expected him to turn around and sell to someone else.
The injustice gnawed at him, and he sent a legal document to sue.
When the authorities went to apprehend him, they found he had already left. Wu Caiwei, disguised, took the opportunity when the owner of the small tavern wasn't paying attention and placed a strip of paper on his counter.
The tavern owner, bewildered, opened it. By the time he chased after her with the note, Wu Caiwei was long gone.
Without daring to alert the authorities, as who knew if the contents of the note were true, he spent some silver to find a few thugs. Following the location mentioned on the note, they set off.
It is said that on the day they fled the provincial city, they arrived at a small town in a lower county. They lived a secluded life, and with money in hand, their days were incredibly leisurely.
They planned to stay in the town for a while before heading to the next place.
The main reason for the brief respite in the small town was that his sister was ill. Ever since her engagement to Yu Qiuyan was called off, she had been in low spirits. The days of escape had further unnerved her. By the time they reached here, she was too sick to get out of bed.
After several days of treatment, his sister had almost recovered. When it was time for a meal, he went out to buy some food. Just as he entered the courtyard and was about to close the gate, several people rushed in from somewhere. Caught off guard, he was knocked a considerable distance, falling to the ground with his food scattered everywhere.
As he was about to shout a question, looking at the people entering from outside, all his strength seemed to drain away.
He hadn't expected to be found even after hiding in this small town. He said with some panic, "You... why are you here? We settled our business, was there anything you weren't satisfied with? Tell me, and I'll teach you immediately."
Old Master Wu looked at him mockingly, "You still don't know, do you? I've already sued you. You can tell that to the county magistrate."
"Let's talk things out properly. Why did you sue me? I haven't committed any crime," Zhang Tieshan was confused. It had been said since ancient times that commoners should not fight officials. Hearing that he was sued made him nervous.
"When we signed the contract, it was clearly stated that the recipe could only be sold to me. Yet, you turned around and sold it to someone else. Did you think you could hide here and I wouldn't find you? You underestimate me."
Seeing that he had revealed the truth, Zhang Tieshan stopped pretending and said helplessly, "It wasn't me who sold it. It was Gao Feixue. If you're looking for someone, go find her."
"So, you didn't have exclusive rights to this recipe, and you still sold it to me at such a high price?" Having been in the business world for years, he knew that if this matter went to court, it would likely be a non-starter. After all, the price he sold it to him for was very low. Furthermore, it was indeed not him who sold it to someone else as agreed. In any case, he felt he had lost out.
If it were to end like this, Old Master Wu would still be unwilling to accept it. After all, he had placed great hope on this recipe, planning to turn his fortunes around with it, only to find that others had something better.
So, Old Master Wu gave a signal. The men behind him immediately closed the door, stuffed something into his mouth to silence him, and gave him a good thrashing. Finally, Old Master Wu himself stepped forward and used a stick to break his leg.
With a "crack," the intense pain in his leg made Zhang Tieshan's face change. He then fainted from the pain.
Old Master Wu then ordered them to search the house for silver. They searched the main room but found nothing. They went to the side room, and upon opening the door, they saw a woman lying on the bed. As they approached, they saw that her face was pale with illness. Of course, they showed no sympathy for her due to her sickness.
They found a chest hidden under her bed and brought it to Old Master Wu. After counting, only four hundred and fifty taels remained. Old Master Wu pondered for a moment, then called his men to leave. The fifty taels would be considered payment for those worthless recipes.
When the courtyard finally became quiet, Zhang Tiehua rolled out of bed. She had noticed the group of people as soon as they entered. Peeking through the crack in the door, she understood why they had come from their conversation. She quickly retrieved the chest from under the bed, took a few silver ingots, and hid them in three different places. Then, she took some powder and smeared it on her face, making her appear even more sickly.
After doing all this, she looked out again and saw her brother being beaten unconscious. She almost screamed and quickly covered her mouth. Seeing them searching for silver, her heart pounded. She lay back on the bed, feigning extreme illness.
At this moment, she cautiously opened the door and ran to her brother. Seeing him covered in injuries, she didn't know how to start.
"Ah!" Even in his unconscious state, Zhang Tieshan was woken by the pain. He looked up and saw an old doctor manipulating his leg, which brought back memories of what happened before he fainted.
After the old doctor finished prescribing medicine and left, Zhang Tieshan eagerly asked, "Is the silver at home still there?"