The Legend of the Condor Heroes: From Being Expelled from Peach Blossom Island

Chapter 526 Gushan, Old Friends

Gushan County remains much the same as it was back then. In feudal times, it was considered lucky that this small seaside town was spared from natural disasters and man-made calamities. Even after many years, apart from the streets becoming more dilapidated, there has been little significant development.

However, you can still smell the faint saltiness of the sea breeze, the cobblestone streets and the houses with their cooking fires still stand, and it is still March in the human world.

The Hongyun Restaurant, which had been in business for nearly a century in the market of Gushan County, finally could not continue to operate. The old owner, who was kind to everyone, had a wide circle of customers, and was good at business, now had red and swollen eyes, but could not squeeze out a few tears as he looked at his old shop.

Anyone who has a spendthrift son who gambles away generations of family wealth in a gambling den, and whose livelihood is handed over to someone else, will surely be heartbroken.

He touched the old but still spotless signboard at the entrance, forced a smile, and said to the people at the brokerage shop next to him.

“We’ve been neighbors for many years. As you know, my restaurant is a century-old establishment in Gushan. It relies on regular customers. Every household in Gushan has eaten here. Whoever takes over will not have to worry about customers. Two thousand taels of silver is really too low.”

The broker had a smile on his lips, but his face was full of fat, so it was a forced smile, and his eyes were full of sarcasm.

"Old manager, it's not that I'm being unreasonable, but only we in the entire Gushan can afford this price. Once we get these two thousand taels of silver, your young master will have paid off the debt he owes to the gambling den. The debt to Bihai Gambling Den is not easy to incur; after today, the interest will probably go up again."

"Old shopkeeper, you still need to make a decision soon. I'm doing this for your own good."

The old shopkeeper's face showed even more sorrow: "My unfilial son owes the gambling house two thousand taels, and you only pay two thousand taels. If the restaurant is sold, I will be penniless, and my whole family will starve to death. This is not giving me a way to survive."

Upon hearing the shopkeeper's words, the broker's expression remained unchanged. He was certain that the deal would be done. Who in Gushan wouldn't be envious of Hongyun Restaurant's business? While it might not be a fortune, it was a steady stream of income.

Two thousand taels of silver is indeed not much. He was just offering a price based on the other party's gambling debt. If Hongyun Restaurant had offered a normal price, it would have been at least three thousand taels. But who in the entire Gushan would dare to compete with him for this piece of fat meat?

Just as the old shopkeeper was gritting his teeth and about to nod, a clear voice suddenly came from the side.

"It's rare to find such a good restaurant for sale. Why don't I try to negotiate the price? Old manager, give me a discount. I'll offer four thousand taels of silver."

Which buyer would double the price during a negotiation? This is clearly someone trying to cause trouble. The broker turned around angrily and found the person who had spoken, only to discover that there were more than a dozen people standing behind him without him noticing, and he hadn't heard a single footstep.

The speaker was clearly a young nobleman, around twenty years old, dressed in a blue brocade robe with a jade belt. Judging from his discerning eye, it was obviously expensive. His face was also incredibly handsome; no one in the entire Gushan region had ever seen such a handsome young man before. He was clearly from out of town.

Standing beside him was a tall girl, even taller than him, dressed in equally luxurious clothes, but for some reason, there was a small patch on the hem of her clothes in an inconspicuous place.

The girl had delicate features, but her eyes were very big and curved when she smiled, which was very sweet. However, the smile was not for them. The girl's eyes were always on the restaurant, and her gaze was somewhat subtle.

However, calling her a young woman is not quite right. She is young, but she has already tied her hair up, so she must already be married.

Besides the two leaders, the dozen or so people behind them looked like followers, but each of them had sharp eyes, a fierce build, and even carried long swords on their backs, making them look like they were not to be trifled with.

The old shopkeeper was in a daze and didn't react, but the most important thing for a broker is to have a keen eye. He was about to scold the newcomer, but after looking him over, he immediately put on a smile and bowed.

"This young master is clearly from a prominent family, of extraordinary birth. It is my honor to make fun of a lowly person like myself."

We've already agreed on a price for this restaurant, and the old manager has agreed to sell. I think you, young master, will be happy to oblige.

In that case, if you, sir, are interested in tasting the delicacies of my Gushan restaurant, you may wait until I take over the restaurant and reopen it. At that time, I will host a banquet and have the chef prepare the best feast for you as an apology.

My brokerage firm is owned by Master Lu of Guiyun Manor. You've probably heard of him, young master. Master Lu is known for his love of making friends, and I can introduce you to him."

His words were impeccable, showing both a willingness to back down and the ability to invoke his powerful backer. Anyone else would probably find it difficult to cause trouble, but unfortunately, the person who came was Wu Chengyu, the Master of Guiyun Manor, who really didn't need anyone's introduction.

Wu Chengyu stopped looking at him and turned to bow to the old manager: "Old manager, how have you been? I wasn't joking just now. If you want to sell Hongyun Restaurant, sell it to me. One price, four thousand taels."

As he spoke, Wu Chengyu sighed inwardly. The old shopkeeper had aged far too quickly compared to more than ten years ago. He should have been in his fifties, but he looked like he was seventy. He was incredibly old.

The old shopkeeper finally realized that the price he had just offered was genuine, and he was quite surprised. If he wanted to sell his restaurant, there were actually quite a few people who would want to buy it.

Unfortunately, the brokerage firm had powerful backers, so no one dared to bid, and besides, the restaurant really wasn't worth four thousand taels of silver.

The old shopkeeper carefully examined Wu Chengyu. Wu Chengyu had undergone a complete transformation and was no longer the handsome young man who told stories at Hongyun Restaurant. He was unrecognizable.

“Young master is joking. If you are sincere about buying, three thousand taels of silver will suffice. After I pay off that unfilial son’s gambling debts, I will leave Gushan. I will use the remaining one thousand taels of silver to do some small business, just enough to have enough to eat and get through my twilight years. Your offer is too high.”

Wu Chengyu stepped forward and supported the old shopkeeper's hunched body: "I'm determined to pay these four thousand taels. The old shopkeeper was kind to my brother and me back then, what is a little silver?"

The old shopkeeper was very surprised, but he still didn't recognize him. He had helped many people in his life, so he really couldn't remember them all at once.

Wu Chengyu turned to look at A Ku, who was always smiling: "Little sister, sing a little song for the shopkeeper. Back then, every time you sang a song, the shopkeeper would give you a meat bun."

"Peach leaves are pointed, willow leaves cover the sky, old manager of Hongyun Restaurant, listen to what I have to say..."

"You, you, you are the young Wu and the little girl from back then?" The old manager immediately knew who the newcomers were. Back when Wu Chengyu was telling stories at Hongyun Restaurant, it was also the best period for Hongyun Restaurant's business.

And then there was the "Who is the hero?" event that Wu Chengyu organized, which almost became a major event in the memories of the older generation in Gushan County, and they can still reminisce about it occasionally in their dreams.

Ah Ku sang a few lines and then stopped, smiling as he said, "Old shopkeeper, are you really going to sell the restaurant? If you don't want to sell, I'll have my brother pay off your gambling debts, and the restaurant will still be yours. Nobody can take it away from you."

The old shopkeeper sighed deeply. He patted Wu Chengyu's hand, looked at Wu Chengyu's unbelievably handsome face, and shook his head repeatedly.

"I'm old, and that good-for-nothing son of mine is a disgrace. Even if I leave the restaurant behind, he'll squander it all. With such a spendthrift son, I don't want to stay in Gushan and bring shame upon myself. My hometown is in Lishui. If I pay off the gambling debts, I'll move the whole family back there, a way to return to my roots. It's so good to see you two siblings again. Back then, you two would tell stories and sing in my restaurant, and it was always packed with customers, so lively. I later hired people to tell stories too, but I could never compare to you."

Over the years, I've occasionally thought of you all, wondering where you are and how you're doing. But I've always believed that with your abilities and intelligence, you would surely achieve great things. Now it seems I was right; you're clearly big shots.

More than ten years have passed, and it's enough that you still remember me. You can't afford to offend the people behind the brokerage firm. I'll just sell the restaurant to them. Don't get yourself into unnecessary trouble because of a dying man like me.

Wu Chengyu laughed heartily: "Old manager, if you're sure you want to sell, I'll take it. This restaurant was where I made my living back then, how can I hand it over to someone else? The Hongyun Restaurant signboard won't be changed. As for Guiyun Manor here, I have my own ways of dealing with it."

The old shopkeeper hesitated for a moment: "Really? You're not afraid of trouble? Those are all highly skilled heroes, not to be trifled with."

Wu Chengyu said decisively, "Old shopkeeper, you know me. I never do anything without being sure of the outcome. If I say it's okay, then it's okay."

The old shopkeeper nodded, then sighed, "That's true. You were just a ten-year-old child back then, yet you spoke and acted differently from others."

At that time, it was less about me helping you and more about me seeing your extraordinary qualities and wanting to make a good connection with you. I was right; in the end, I was rewarded.

"Since that's the case, I'll sell Hongyun Restaurant to you. I feel at ease with you having it in your hands. But you've definitely not come back for my restaurant. Young Wu, you always plan carefully before you act. This old man can only wish you all the best."

Ah Ku immediately took out a silver note: "This four thousand taels is for buying the restaurant, given by my brother. And this one thousand taels is from me. This is all the money I have left in my private savings. Please don't mind, old manager."

The brokers nearby saw Wu Chengyu and the others suddenly pull out five thousand taels of silver notes. Their eyes darted around, but they knew that they alone could not salvage the situation. So they didn't say anything more and turned to leave.

The old shopkeeper, a shrewd old man, looked at the broker's retreating figure with some difficulty: "Young Wu, giving too much money is not a good thing."

Wu Chengyu said, "It's alright. I'll send someone to accompany you to the casino to pay off your debts. Then, you can go home and pack your things, and I'll send a few young men to escort you back to Lishui. Don't worry, everything will be fine."

Wu Chengyu then turned to the person behind him and said, "Jing'er, take a few brothers and accompany the old shopkeeper to the gambling den to pay off the debt. If anyone tries to stop you, just fight them. There's no need to worry."

The person who responded was Guo Jing, who was about to turn eighteen. He was not far from the date of the agreement made by the Seven Freaks of Jiangnan with Qiu Chuji. This time, Wu Chengyu specially brought him from the military camp on Xishan Island in Taihu Lake.

Now, Guo Jing has been training in the army for more than two years, experiencing the military methods of Yue Fei's army. He is no longer the naive young man on the grasslands he once was.

Although he still looks honest and simple, he has led his team to carry out many operations within the Jin Kingdom. He is calm and decisive in handling affairs and is highly praised by Hong Niangzi.

However, Guo Jing was confused about why he was suddenly brought to Gushan by his master when he was doing well in the army camp. On the other hand, his eyes were filled with sorrow and his brows were furrowed.

But this boy has always respected his teachers since childhood, and Wu Chengyu's kindness to him is no less than that of the other seven masters. He will immediately carry out any order from Wu Chengyu at any time.

"Grandpa, my name is Guo Jing. I'll go with you to that gambling den. Don't worry, no one will dare to cause you any trouble."

Without hesitation, the old shopkeeper, having been cornered by the gambling den and brokers, now had a chance to escape. He didn't care about anything else, so he cupped his hands to Wu Chengyu and hurriedly left with Guo Jing and the others.

After the old shopkeeper's figure disappeared, Wu Chengyu turned to Aku and said, "Luckily we arrived in time. Who would have thought that the old shopkeeper would encounter such a thing? If we hadn't been able to help him, how could we have lived up to his kindness back then?"

A-Ku nodded: "This shows that good people are rewarded. The old shopkeeper did so many good deeds back then, so naturally someone would help him in times of crisis. If it wasn't us, it would have been someone else."

Wu Chengyu shook his head: "Where are there so many good people who get good rewards? If I hadn't indirectly helped Lu Chengfeng and Qu Lingfeng back then in order to deal with the Black Wind Duo, they wouldn't have moved to Gushan, and no one would have taken advantage of their power to bully their hometown."

Ah Ku, I remember the Beggars' Sect has a branch in Gushan. Go and find out the current situation in Gushan for me, especially regarding those associated with Peach Blossom Island.

“Brother, a few years ago, Lu Chengfeng and his group returned to Peach Blossom Island and settled in Gushan. Then they made things difficult for my Beggars’ Sect branch here.”

Seventh Master said it wasn't worth antagonizing Peach Blossom Island over a small county, so he closed the branch here. However, even without a branch, there are always a few spies. I'll go find them now.

After Mo Ku turned to leave, Wu Chengyu said to the person behind him, "Moli, send a message to the brothers who are staying outside Gushan County and ask them to send ten men into the city to escort the old shopkeeper's family back to their hometown for me."

And you, Shaobing, you've got the biggest craving in the Beiwei Army. You've been learning cooking from me all the time, and over the years you've become quite proficient. Now that I've taken over this restaurant, the kitchen work is your responsibility. If no one comes to eat, I'll hold you accountable.”

Shaobing was one of the earliest brats to follow Xiaolu's group back then. This name has nothing to do with the Shaobing from Deyun Club. Although he is also muscular and has a pockmarked face, his appearance is really not good.

Years ago, his family fled famine. His parents left him the last half of a sesame seed cake and starved to death themselves. From then on, the boy renamed himself "Sesame Seed Cake".

He originally wanted to have the surname Wu like Wu Chengyu, but Wu Chengyu thought the name Wu Shaobing was too unpleasant and firmly disagreed, so Shaobing was just called Shaobing and simply didn't have a surname.

There's also Wu Moli. When Wu Chengyu left Guangming Peak and passed through Xixia, he brought her back with him. Wu Moli is shrewd and quick-witted, while A Ku is naive and innocent. They definitely need a trustworthy person by their side to give them guidance.

Wu Chengyu first returned to Suzhou from Xixia, then found Aku, and led Guo Jing and a hundred Beiwei soldiers straight to Gushan, which just solved the old shopkeeper's urgent problem.

It was when he saw the old manager wanting to sell the restaurant that he suddenly had a rough plan in his mind.

Gushan is his birthplace in this world, and also his starting village. As the saying goes, "It's like wearing fine clothes in the dark if you don't return home when you're rich," so he plans to use this restaurant to put on a good show in Gushan.

　There's only one update today, 4,000 words. The protagonist is finally going to cause trouble for Huang Yaoshi.

　　However, the chapter 91 I posted yesterday was blocked, mainly because the handling of the Pu family was reviewed. I had no choice but to delete it. It was finally unblocked, but it really affected my mood. I can't write anymore today. I'll continue tomorrow.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)