Chapter 63: The Restaurant Business

Lei Yushan did indeed favor his son more, but to say he didn't care about his daughter at all would be wrong.

He wouldn't have taken the trouble to find her a good match.

His other daughters hadn't married into great wealth and nobility, but after their weddings they were happy enough, husband and wife in harmony — what more could a father like him do to be considered good?

"Father, do you really have to marry me off?"

Lei Yan's eyes reddened too.

She hadn't expected that, just to make her marry, he'd rather threaten his own death.

"..."

Seeing Lei Yan like this, Lei Yushan let out a sigh and released the blade; the sword clattered to the ground.

"Father isn't threatening you, it's just that this time, Father really will die, and the Lei family will be destroyed too." This book is first published on Tiantian Kan Xiaoshuo Jie Shu Huang, 𝗍𝗍𝗄𝗌. 𝗍𝗐 — super reliable, giving you a flawless-chapter, no-out-of-order-chapter reading experience.

Once the words were out, Lei Yushan seemed to age ten years in an instant, his vigor and spirit visibly draining away.

"What exactly happened?"

Wiping the tears from the corner of her eye, Lei Yan grew serious.

Earlier she'd thought it was just an excuse cooked up to make her marry, but now it seemed that wasn't the case.

"Your uncle has gone mad."

Saying so, Lei Yushan waved his hand, signaling the surrounding servants to withdraw.

Once only he and Lei Yan remained, Lei Yushan slowly recounted everything that had happened recently.

"This... how could this be?"

After hearing it all, Lei Yan stood stunned for a good while before finally looking up at Lei Yushan.

Lei Yan certainly knew Lei Tang; in fact, she'd met him plenty of times in the past.

In her memory, although he could be overbearing and arrogant at times, he wouldn't go so far as to do something so foolish.

She'd only been away from Linshui City for a few years.

Why did it feel as if Linshui City itself had undergone earth-shaking changes?

"Who the hell knows which screw came loose in his head."

If things were still like before, would he have to worry like this?

Lei Yan ultimately didn't want to see her father truly come to harm.

"How about I ask my sect for help?"

Lei Yan's idea wasn't bad — although the Yueshan Sect wasn't well-known across the Thirteen Provinces, it did have a bit of a reputation around Linshui City, with over a thousand disciples under its banner.

With the Yueshan Sect's help, Lei Yushan would surely be kept safe.

However.

"Heh."

A single soft laugh said more than a thousand words.

"If you were really doing that well in the Yueshan Sect, you wouldn't still be without a single new set of clothes."

Saying so, Lei Yushan even gave Lei Yan's coarse cloth outfit a once-over.

Although she'd run away from home, Lei Yushan hadn't cut off Lei Yan's allowance — it was just that Lei Yan herself was too proud, refusing his money, wanting to prove that she could do well entirely on her own.

"I..."

She inexplicably felt a bit embarrassed.

She hurriedly tried to explain.

"Who says I don't have new clothes? It's just that when you're wandering the jianghu, wearing new clothes gets them dirty too easily."

She said it very naturally, but her expression was, well, somewhat less than sincere.

Let's just leave it at that.

Lei Yushan couldn't be bothered to argue with Lei Yan over clothes.

After softening his tone, he continued.

"In any case, just meet him first. Whether you marry or not is another matter, but without this Yù Gōngzǐ's help, Lei Ji Money House will truly be buried alongside Lei Tang."

Lei Yan still didn't want to marry.

But seeing Lei Yushan looking so drained, so aged and weary, she could only nod in agreement.

"Just a meeting?"

"Mm!"

Only then was Lei Yushan satisfied.

Where Lei Yan couldn't see, the corner of his mouth curved up.

She was still his daughter after all — Lei Yushan certainly knew that this daughter was good in every way except being too soft-hearted. It seemed a few years away from home hadn't improved that flaw much.

"Someone, prepare some gifts and send them to Yù Gōngzǐ's residence. Tell him I invite him here for a chat."

With Lei Yan's nod, Lei Yushan immediately began making arrangements.

Seeing this, Lei Yan opened her mouth, but in the end said nothing; the hand she'd just raised could only drop back down. Was she really going to have to marry this time?

,,,

At the same time.

Ye Tian had already arrived at the Golden Wind Tower on his territory.

Apart from staying at his residence, Ye Tian often made time to check on the various businesses on his territory.

When he'd planned to build the restaurant street earlier, the original Golden Wind Tower had been rebuilt as well — if it was meant to be a landmark building on his territory, being just an ordinary restaurant would be too plain.

After the rebuild.

Not only had the area expanded by a ring, a sizable stage had also been built on the first floor, where women would specially perform music and dance.

By this time, the Golden Wind Tower had already opened for business, with quite a few guests in attendance. On the stage, several women in light gauze, swaying with graceful bearing, performed their dance to the music, enchanting all who watched.

"Well done."

Ye Tian nodded with satisfaction after seeing it.

"It's all thanks to Boss's planning. Otherwise, even if we rebuilt, we wouldn't have known which direction to rebuild toward."

Mei Yongning, following behind, offered a smiling word of praise, not daring to bow.

This wasn't flattery either.

If Ye Tian hadn't made the plan in advance, they wouldn't have rebuilt the Golden Wind Tower in this direction.

"Boss!"

At this moment, the figure of Double Saber General hurried over. Thunderfire had been reassigned to watch over the brothel, so the tavern side was now under Double Saber General's sole responsibility.

Upon hearing that Ye Tian had come, Double Saber General rushed over at the first opportunity.

"Your little brother was held up by some matters for a moment. I hope Boss won't take offense."

"I was just dropping by to take a look anyway."

There had been no notice to begin with—Ye Tian had simply come on a sudden whim, so naturally it couldn't be blamed on Double Saber General.

"Well done. I'll leave these taverns to you from now on. I feel quite at ease."

"Boss, just rest assured. With me, Double Saber General, here, I absolutely won't let any trouble arise in this place."

Double Saber General slapped his chest and solemnly gave his guarantee.

If he couldn't even handle such a small matter well, would he still be worthy of the regard Ye Tian had shown him?

"Boss, you've come at just the right time. A new batch of wine just arrived. I specially set aside a few jars of fine wine, just waiting for Boss to come drink."

Ye Tian didn't stand on ceremony.

He followed Double Saber General up to the second floor together.

,,,

The second-floor private booth offered an excellent view of the performance on the first-floor stage—the sight was superb.

But without some status and some money, one couldn't sit here.

"Well done, but safety must still be handled properly. My tavern isn't preparing to do business only with men of the jianghu—I want to do business with ordinary people too."

"Boss, just rest assured, I absolutely—"

Double Saber General explained with a smile as he poured wine for Ye Tian.

"Bang!"

But before the words were finished, the sound of a wine pot shattering came.

The music from the performance downstairs stopped instantly.

Those few dancers were clearly startled, curling up and retreating. On the stage there was also a wine pot that had been smashed to pieces.

"Dammit!"

Down below, a somewhat drunk young man was swaying to his feet, shouting with a thoroughly displeased face.

"Told you so many times—dancing alone is fucking boring. Go on, strip them all off for this young master."

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