Chapter 269: Something Happened

Translator: 549690339

Some cat litter was also prepared, placed in a simple coarse porcelain basin, serving as a makeshift cat toilet.

As for cat food, which is easily overlooked and whose quality is uncertain, Zhuang Qingning preferred to make delicious meals for the cat herself. Seeing the enthusiasm of Zhuang Qingsui, it seemed that she wouldn’t even have a chance to cook for the cat.

Zhuang Qingning glanced at the courtyard, where one person and one cat were excitedly playing amidst the stretched shadows cast by the setting sun. She smiled in satisfaction.

When Zhang Yongchang and Lian Rong arrived in town, the sun had already fully set.

Being concerned about traveling after dark, the two of them let Zhuang Sifu rush back as soon as they reached the town, telling him not to accompany them back home.

Zhuang Sifu tried to persuade them twice, but failed, so he could only follow Zhang Yongchang’s instruction, cracking the whip and hastening his return.

Meanwhile, Zhang Yongchang and Lian Rong walked back towards their house along the road.

Perhaps it was because of his good mood that day, Zhang Yongchang strolled back home with his hands on his back, humming a tune along the way. When he met acquaintances, he would stop and greet them warmly.

“Chef Zhang.” After Doctor Wei of the pharmacy greeted him and saw his beaming smile, he couldn’t help but laugh, “You have good reason to be happy, Chef Zhang.”

“Oh?” Zhang Yongchang immediately turned his head, his face full of surprise.

“Isn’t Chef Zhang’s happiness due to the misfortunes of Fushun Tower and Manager Feng?” Doctor Wei said, “Anyone would be happy with these news, right? Are you worried about people finding out?”

“Oh, as for what happened between you and Manager Feng, we all thought it was Manager Feng who was in the wrong. Now with what’s happening at Fushun Tower, we all think Manager Feng got what he deserved.”

“Hold on, what happened to Fushun Tower?” Zhang Yongchang asked with a furrowed brow.

“You don’t know?”

Now it was Doctor Wei’s turn to be surprised.

However, seeing the bewildered look on Zhang Yongchang’s face, Doctor Wei realized his previous comments were quite awkward. He cleared his throat and said, “Since you don’t know, let me explain…”

“It’s not a major issue really. After Fushun Tower let you… um, after you left Fushun Tower, Manager Feng hired a cook named Qi Changfu along with his apprentice, a boy named Tong Fei. These two withheld the daily payments that were supposed to go to the meat shop and the vegetable market, saying they would all be paid in a lump sum in half a month.”

“Seeing as it was the head chef of Fushun Tower speaking and Fushun Tower wasn’t going anywhere, no one made a fuss and everyone just waited for the payments due in half a month. But when the shop owners came to claim their money, the apprentice and teacher duo were nowhere to be found. As a result, the shop owners went to Manager Feng for their money.”

“But Manager Feng insisted that he had paid his dues every day, and he paid with real silver, so it wasn’t fair to say he hadn’t paid. He claimed he should not have to pay twice because Qi Changfu had run off.”

“The creditors, naturally, didn’t accept this. They claimed that Manager Feng was playing a game of ‘decoy’, blaming Qi Changfu for everything in order to save some money. The argument got heated, and eventually, it was brought to the Pavilion Chief.”

“The pavilion chief inevitably had to look into it to see what was going on. Upon investigation, they found that nearly all the shops in town had accounts pending with Qi Changfu, whether it was a wine shop, tea shop, cloth shop, or grain shop, all varying amounts, all in the name of Fushun Tower. In total, it added up to several dozen taels of silver.”

“Those who were originally unaware of Qi Changfu and Tong Fei’s disappearance and who did not know to demand their money, upon hearing the news, all went to Manager Feng to claim their dues. It created quite a stir in the town today, it was chaos.”

Such a thing had actually happened.

Zhang Yongchang and Lian Rong exchanged a look, their feelings as complex as their expressions.

This incident was indeed unexpected, but on second thought, it was not entirely unreasonable.

Although Zhang Yongchang was at home, he had heard some things.

Ever since Qi Changfu and Tong Fei came to Fushun Tower, the business had declined significantly. Feng Yongkang was very dissatisfied with this and had many disputes with Qi Changfu and Tong Fei.

Qi Changfu and his apprentice were not good-natured individuals. It was not surprising that they would resort to such means in their anger.

But if that’s the case…

Zhang Yongchang clenched his fists.

“That’s the basic situation, but this is just what I heard. If Chef Zhang wants to know more, he could ask the staff at Fushun Tower. I suspect they know more.”

“Thank you for letting me know, Doctor Wei.” Zhang Yongchang managed to squeeze out a smile, “It’s getting late, I should go home. I haven’t eaten dinner yet.”

“Take care, Chef Zhang.” Doctor Wei nodded his greeting.

Zhang Yongchang and Lian Rong then continued their journey home.

Lian Rong couldn’t help but notice that, perhaps due to the news he just heard, Zhang Yongchang’s steps had lost their lightness and were more weighted than before. Even his smiles had disappeared.

“Master, should we… go take a look?”

Lian Rong could see that Zhang Yongchang was also somewhat worried about Feng Yongkang and Fushun Tower.

Encountering such a situation where claims could not be denied, even if Feng Yongkang had no knowledge of them, it was his employee’s doing, so he could not avoid responsibility. Without a full refund, he would at least have to give back the majority.

Business at Fushun Tower had already been doing very poorly recently, and now if they needed to pay back so much silver, it would be a huge blow. Furthermore, this incident would greatly impact the reputation of Fushun Tower, making it even less likely for business to prosper later on.

You could say that Fushun Tower was already on a downward trajectory, and their best hope was to hang on for dear life.

Having spent so many years at Fushun Tower, Zhang Yongchang had long considered it as his own business to manage. Learning about the current situation at Fushun Tower, he probably felt a deep sense of concern.

“Let’s… let’s go take a look.” After hesitating for a moment, Zhang Yongchang nodded slightly.

Then, he quickened his pace.

The apprentice and the master reached Fushun Tower one after another.

The scene at Fushun Tower was quite lively at the moment.

But this was not because business was booming, but because there was a group of debt collectors swarming at the entrance.

“Manager Feng, we can’t leave it at that. Just because you say you weren’t aware of the situation doesn’t mean you’re off the hook. You say this matter has nothing to do with you? I bet you and Qi Changufu planned it all along – let him run up debts everywhere, then hide away. Then you deny all claims, all the while these silver coins end up in your own pocket.”

“Right, we’ve delivered our goods, received your payment, and on top of that, we even have your Fushun Tower’s seal. You can’t just deny all claims. If our money is lost, who’s going to help us figure it out?”

“I think we should stop wasting our breath. We’re all businessmen, we all know how hard it is. Where in the world can you get away with not paying your debts?”