“Father, walk slowly!” Gu Pingyuan supported Old Father Chang Si as they stepped out from the dark prison cell step by step. Old Father Chang Si shielded his eyes from the sun with his hand, squinting as he looked back at the bitter jail where he had spent most of the past year.

“Fortunately, you had silver to grease palms, so I could still walk around the courtyard daily. The other prisoners couldn’t even see sunlight.”

“Father, walk slowly…” The prisoners in the jail called out in unison from behind. The connections Gu Pingyuan had bought for Old Father Chang Si with silver were quite substantial, and he himself was loyal and kind-hearted, using the daily exercise time to help prisoners pass messages and even exchange items with each other. The jailers, having taken silver, turned a blind eye. Countless people had received Old Father Chang Si’s kindness, and now that he was leaving, everyone felt both grateful and truly reluctant to see him go.

“Everyone,” Old Father Chang Si was also moved, “I hope you’ll all get out soon too. The messages you asked me to take to your families, I’ll definitely deliver them as quickly as possible.”

Chang Yu’er waited just outside the second gate. Seeing her father emerge, she quickly reached out to take the bundle he brought from the prison—this would need to be burned outside their home gate later.

But where was home now?

“Father, I’ve actually thought of a place!” Gu Pingyuan wanted Old Father Chang Si to stay at the Qiao family home—first to recuperate, and second to temporarily care for those two children. Ever since Qiao Songnian had his episode and ran away, he had disappeared without a trace. With no hope of finding him, Gu Pingyuan had to ask someone to go to Beijing to find Qiao Henian, hoping he now had a place to stay so he could take in his nephew and niece for upbringing. However, someone had just died in that house by hanging—a wrongful death at that—and he wondered if the old man would mind.

“No matter.” The father felt sadly moved hearing this tragic story. “It was all that Wang Tiangui’s doing. She wouldn’t come to harm me. I’ll go stay in Youlu Gully Village. Yu’er, you should also move over from Aunt Li’s place.”

Chang Yu’er froze, suddenly remembering the lie she had told to keep her father from worrying.

“Your daughter is now working as a maid in Wang Tiangui’s household!” Seeing she could no longer hide it, she had to tell the truth.

“What… what are you saying?” Old Father Chang Si was stunned.

“Miss Chang, you really can leave the Wang family now.” Gu Pingyuan knew this couldn’t be explained in a sentence or two, so he first advised Chang Yu’er, “That’s a den of wolves and tigers. Mrs. Qiao’s tragic fate is a warning you cannot ignore!”

“No!” Chang Yu’er was very determined. “Last time when Old Crooked killed Gold Tiger, if I hadn’t been in Wang Tiangui’s household, Brother Gu, you would have faced mortal danger. If I stay in the Wang family, perhaps I can help you!”

Old Father Chang Si finally understood the whole story after considerable effort. He pondered for a moment, then suddenly slapped his thigh. “Worthy of being my Chang Si’s daughter! Father approves of you.”

Both Chang Yu’er and Gu Pingyuan looked at Old Father Chang Si with some surprise.

“I’ve thought about many things during this past year in prison. These evil people are raised by good people’s tolerance. If everyone weren’t afraid of them, who would dare to be evil?” Old Father Chang Si straightened his back. “So daughter, if you want to help Brother Gu, then go ahead. Just be careful not to get bitten by dogs. As for father’s situation, don’t worry about me. I still have many things to do. Just helping these prison friends deliver safety messages and news to their families will keep me traveling for two or three months. Besides, I need to rest and recover for some time anyway.”

Gu Pingyuan looked at Old Father Chang Si and smiled. This good old man had experienced tribulations and his backbone had become much straighter.

He escorted Old Father Chang Si to Youlu Gully Village, then returned to the county town, heading straight for the “Daping Bank.” He wanted to see a rare and extraordinary sight.

Following the bluestone street in front of the county yamen southward, turning right at the first intersection, right next to the city’s foundry was the Daping Bank where Zhang Guangfa served as head manager. This street was a thoroughfare for post horses, normally with few pedestrians, but today was different. Right in front of Daping Bank, common people gathered as densely as bees on a hive, surrounding the entrance in three layers inside and outside.

Seeing this from afar, Gu Pingyuan was startled, thinking that even if Daping Bank was a newly opened business, even the Rishengchang Bank wouldn’t have such a scene. Could something have happened?

Only when he got close did Gu Pingyuan understand, and he was shocked at the sight. There stood a large gourd cast in silver, planted straight and solid at the entrance of Daping Bank. Wang Tiangui had mentioned this silver gourd to Gu Pingyuan yesterday in the shop, but Gu Pingyuan never dreamed it would be this big!

How big exactly? First, speaking of the gourd’s waist—three young men holding hands could barely encircle it. Next, the gourd’s height—those same three young men standing on each other’s shoulders could just touch the gourd’s stem! Finally, looking at the ground, this gourd had smashed a pit as deep as a millstone into the earth.

Having spent five years beyond the Pass, Gu Pingyuan had seen man-eating tigers and pythons thick as arms—he wasn’t some ignorant villager who had never left his hometown—but suddenly seeing such a huge silver gourd, he couldn’t help but be greatly startled.

After steadying himself somewhat and looking more carefully, he could see why people were gathering around the gourd. They were apparently playing a game, throwing copper coins at the gourd, seemingly trying to get them to land on the gourd’s stem. Close around the gourd were several baskets. If the coins fell into these baskets, people wouldn’t retrieve them, but if they fell on the ground, they could pick them up and continue throwing.

Smart as Gu Pingyuan was, he watched in confusion. A man nearby had been watching with great interest for some time. Gu Pingyuan approached him with a cupped-fist salute: “Greetings, brother.”

The man nodded: “Oh, what is it?”

“I’m from out of town. May I ask if this silver gourd belongs to Daping Bank?”

“Of course it does!” This man was idle, just sunning himself outside, and seeing someone ignorant asking for his guidance, his spirits immediately rose. “Daping Bank has money. Not long after they changed managers, they set up this big thing—must be worth several million taels!”

It wasn’t several million taels, but Gu Pingyuan estimated in his mind that if this gourd were solid, it would be worth at least several hundred thousand taels.

“This puts both Rishengchang’s golden abacus and the Changjia family’s silver winter melon to shame.” The man whispered as if sharing an exclusive secret: “I heard that Daping Bank’s silver vault has underground tunnels connecting to the provincial treasury!”

What nonsense. Gu Pingyuan couldn’t help but smile wryly, but he knew common folk loved such seemingly incredible legends, and it might well be rumors deliberately spread by Daping Bank to create market buzz.

“Quite a clever scheme indeed.” Gu Pingyuan murmured to himself.

“What did you say?” The man didn’t hear clearly.

“Oh, nothing. May I ask again, what’s this game of throwing copper coins at the gourd?”

“Game?” The man didn’t like that word. “This isn’t any game. This shows the manager’s kind heart. When Daping Bank set up this gourd, they established a rule that anyone—old, weak, women, children, or strong men—who could single-handedly push over this gourd would own it. This is truly difficult. Many have tried and failed. Later, Bear Li from Beijing’s Tianqiao area, who performed with animals, specially came here but also returned empty-handed, so everyone gave up hope. But then they said that anyone who could throw a copper coin onto the gourd’s stem and have it stay there would get a fifty-tael ingot. Coins that fell into the surrounding baskets would belong to Daping Bank, but they don’t want this money either—when a basket fills up, they distribute it to beggars. Everyone says that those in the banking business make money tumble over money, recognizing coins but not people, yet Daping Bank is truly a benevolent merchant.” He spoke volubly to this point, then looked around to make sure no one was listening, and said half-covering his mouth: “Much better than that Taiyufeng on the front street that reaches out from coffins demanding money.”

Hearing this, Gu Pingyuan could only smile bitterly. The man was right in principle, but with Daping Bank having such a good reputation, Wang Tiangui’s demand yesterday that he find a way to topple it in one stroke seemed impossible as climbing to heaven.

As he pondered this, suddenly the crowd erupted: “It stayed! It stayed!”

Gu Pingyuan quickly looked forward and saw a snot-nosed child staring stupidly up at the silver gourd, his expression slowly changing to surprise and joy. Looking up at the gourd, Gu Pingyuan indeed saw a copper coin lying on the gourd’s stem.

“That’s not easy. That gourd stem is slippery, both high and narrow. In three months, only two people have gotten this big ingot. Including this child, that’s the third.” Though it wasn’t his own good fortune, the man was also pleased, rubbing his hands together and shouting with the crowd to the child: “Go in! Go in and claim your ingot! What are you standing there for? Go!”

Reminded by the crowd, the child ran into Daping Bank with three steps compressed into two. Soon a clerk came out with him. But by coincidence, just as the clerk hadn’t yet stepped out the door, whether from a gust of wind or the crowd’s stamping and clapping shaking the gourd, that copper coin actually rolled off the gourd, fell to the ground, spun twice, and stopped.

The child ran out first and watched helplessly as his copper coin fell to the ground, stunned speechless. The clerk came out a step later, looked up, and frowned: “How can you child play such tricks? Where is any copper coin on the gourd?”

Everyone sighed, thinking this child’s luck was truly bad—fifty taels of silver could support a family for a year, and just like that it was gone. As the saying goes, “Seeing is believing, hearing is empty”—even the best merchant wouldn’t acknowledge such groundless claims.

The child grimaced and began crying heartbrokenly. The clerk shook his head and was about to go inside when Gu Pingyuan’s heart moved, and he called out from the crowd: “I can testify that the coin was indeed on the gourd just now.”

When one person spoke up, there was a second. The onlookers, as if defending against injustice, began talking all at once, essentially swearing on their lives and fortunes, though whether any would actually stake their lives and fortunes was another matter.

The clerk initially paid no attention, but seeing more people joining the commotion, he became somewhat flustered, though he really couldn’t make the decision. But it didn’t matter—someone who could make the decision quickly came out.

A middle-aged man of medium height, around forty years old, walked out with an authoritative gaze that swept across the entire scene. Some recognized him as Manager Zhang of Daping Bank, and the crowd’s voices immediately quieted.

“What’s happening?” the head manager asked the clerk.

The situation was explained in a few sentences. “Oh…” The head manager looked at the child, then at the watching crowd, and called out loudly: “Everyone, are you all willing to vouch for this child?”

“Yes!” “That’s right!” The crowd responded with various voices.

“Good! You are either current customers of my Daping Bank or future customers. I, Zhang, trust everyone. Clerk, go get an ingot for this child.”

Once these words were spoken, people looked at each other with disbelieving expressions. Only when the clerk actually brought out a heavy ingot and handed it to the child, and the child wept with joy at his unexpected recovery, did the entire scene erupt in thunderous applause that continued for a long time.

Zhang Guangfa made a complete circle bow, then said to the child with a smile: “Hold it carefully and don’t lose it. I’ll have a clerk accompany you home and tell your family that if you can’t use the silver right away, depositing it in our bank would earn good interest.”

The child left happily. The crowd felt it impossible for anyone to hit the target again in one day, so they gradually dispersed. The man gave Gu Pingyuan a thumbs up: “Look at their benevolence! If they don’t make great fortune, that would be strange indeed.”

Gu Pingyuan pondered without answering, remembering Wang Tiangui’s angry words at the bank yesterday: “This Daping Bank has been open for over ten years without any major moves, but now they suddenly display this silver gourd, just like the Golden Horn King’s purple gold gourd in ‘Journey to the West.’ In just these few dozen days, they’ve absorbed most of Taiyufeng’s deposits. How can this continue!”

The reason Wang Chi had rushed back to Shanxi with 800,000 taels in silver notes was because Daping Bank opened for business. With their silver gourd displayed, anyone depositing money at Daping Bank could push the gourd and throw copper coins. With just this one move, people took their receipts and flocked to various banks to withdraw money, then deposited it at Daping Bank. In one day’s time, Taiyufeng’s main office lost half its deposits, frightening Accountant Qu out of his wits. Wang Tiangui initially pretended indifference, but later seeing this wasn’t the way, he quickly recalled those 800,000 taels.

This “Daping Bank” had originally conducted business in a proper, orderly fashion, but after changing head managers, their business methods and approaches completely changed. High interest for deposits, low interest for loans, especially remittances to Zhili and the capital—fast, convenient, and charging less commission—suddenly stealing considerable business from other banks. The major banks like “Rishengchang” in Pingyao and “Weizi Wulian Bank” in Qixian, though feeling pressure, were still far away. Only “Taiyufeng” in Taigu County was caught off guard, losing most of its business at once. Many people, seeking profit, withdrew money from Taiyufeng to deposit at Daping Bank, causing heavy losses at a time when they were already overwhelmed.

Wang Tiangui knew well that if not for the fact that back in the tenth year of Xianfeng, when foreign soldiers attacked Beijing and the Ministry of Revenue was in chaos, Shanxi banks had merit in advancing silver and thus gained the profitable arrangement of handling military provisions, Taiyufeng’s silver vault would already be unable to hold out.

“Among Shanxi Province’s eighteen major banks recognized by the Ministry of Revenue, everyone gets a share of military provisions. Our Taiyufeng receives over 200,000 taels monthly in provisions silver. The accounting period is one month, smelting into official ingots in the foundry takes another month, and only then is it reported to the provincial treasury for transfer to the Ministry of Revenue and Jiangnan military camps.” Accountant Qu counted on his fingers. “Fortunately, Mr. Wang has connections with the provincial minister. Besides these two months, we can delay some more time. This way, the silver vault always has several hundred thousand taels of provisions silver for our use.” Banks called this practice of holding and profitably using money that should be paid out “flying empty.”

“With this ‘flying empty’ money, no matter what methods others use, we at least remain undefeated. But Daping Bank is so aggressive—surely their silver doesn’t fall from heaven.” What Wang Tiangui couldn’t understand was exactly what Gu Pingyuan knew clearly.

Daping Bank’s backing was the Li family in the capital—this inside information he regarded as his exclusive secret. So when Accountant Qu suggested desperately using all the bank’s deposits plus the “flying empty” provisions silver to buy up Daping Bank’s issued notes, then squeeze them into bankruptcy all at once, Gu Pingyuan immediately opposed it.

Wang Tiangui, being deeply calculating, sided with Gu Pingyuan this time: “Not knowing the opponent’s background, rashly using all the provisions silver is indeed too risky. Unless absolutely necessary, we can’t use this method.”

Gu Pingyuan advocated planning before acting. Today he came to Daping Bank to probe their reality and carefully assess the situation, which inevitably made his heart heavy. He was about to return when he suddenly heard faint singing from Daping Bank’s back courtyard.

The singing seemed present yet absent, intermittent, but Gu Pingyuan immediately recognized Qiao Songnian’s voice. He walked into Daping Bank in three steps compressed to two. The clerks greeted him with smiles, but he didn’t even look, heading straight for the back hall.

“Sir, you cannot enter the back hall!” Two clerks blocked him.

“I’m looking for someone!”

“Who are you looking for? I’ll call for you. You must know the bank’s rules—the back hall is off-limits without invitation.”

Gu Pingyuan was furious: “Hmph! What bank? This is kidnapping! I have a mentally confused friend inside. Are you holding him captive?”

“Gu Pingyuan, if you want to cause trouble, you’ve picked the wrong place.” Zhang Guangfa came out with his hands in his sleeves, steady and composed. “The back hall stores silver. If you force your way in and silver goes missing, who’s responsible?”

At this moment the singing disappeared without trace. Gu Pingyuan wasn’t certain if he had heard correctly. Further argument would only bring humiliation. He looked coldly at Zhang Guangfa: “Manager Zhang, what fine business you’re doing! With one move you’ve stolen all the banking business in Taigu County. Next, will it be the turn of banks throughout the province to suffer?”

Hearing this implication, Zhang Guangfa’s expression changed. Though business was currently going smoothly, he wasn’t yet at the point of confronting all Shanxi merchants. His identity as a Beijing merchant was better kept hidden as long as possible.

“Gu Pingyuan, your complexion is getting better and better, incomparably improved from a year ago.” This was both threat and reminder—don’t forget that a year ago you were still exiled beyond the Pass, and now you’re still an escaped convict.

This reminder was worse than saying nothing. Gu Pingyuan’s anger flared up, involuntarily recalling his good friend Kou Liancai’s tragic death at Shanhai Pass, his head hung on the gate. Though he hadn’t witnessed it personally, this scene had played countless times in his mind, each time like a saw repeatedly tearing at him.

Even without considering his own wrongful exile and suffering beyond the Pass, just for Kou Liancai alone, this revenge had to be taken. Now Taiyufeng and Daping Bank were locked in conflict, Wang Tiangui and Zhang Guangfa were mutual enemies. Positioned between them, he might as well use force against force, ideally creating a situation where they destroyed each other.

“No, mutual destruction isn’t enough—they must perish together!” Gu Pingyuan stood outside Daping Bank thinking silently when suddenly there was a “crash.” Following the sound, he saw Daping Bank clerks pouring copper coins from several baskets together, then tossing them toward the grocery store entrance across the street, where waiting beggars swarmed forward to scramble for them.

“Copper coins, silver gourd, silver gourd, copper coins…” Gu Pingyuan kept muttering these phrases. He understood better than anyone that his past commercial victories were fundamentally based on “trust,” while his opponents were dishonest and untrustworthy, giving him opportunities to exploit. Now Daping Bank’s silver gourd standing there was equivalent to erecting a “trust” signboard higher than heaven. Casually displaying several hundred thousand taels on the street, giving an ingot for throwing a copper coin on it—everyone could see how thick this bank’s foundation was, “like a mute eating dumplings—knowing in their hearts.” Whether wealthy gentry or common households, money should naturally be deposited in a trustworthy place. Zhang Guangfa’s great effort in placing this silver gourd outside was essentially saying one thing: “Deposit your money in my Daping Bank—one hundred and twenty percent safe!”

He neither wrote nor spoke these words, but this huge silver gourd was more effective than a thousand explanations. Conversely, anyone wanting to compete for his business would find that empty words, even if they talked until their lips were raw, would probably be useless.

Gu Pingyuan wasn’t afraid of opponents using underhanded tricks, but this solid establishment that wasn’t afraid of being challenged was most troublesome! Daping Bank had both strength and credibility—what could compete with that!

Without breaking this deadlock, Beijing merchants and Shanxi merchants could never reach mutual destruction—only Zhang Guangfa would dominate alone. Moreover, Gu Pingyuan was certain his appetite didn’t stop there. After swallowing Taiyufeng, next would be Weizi Wulian Bank and Rishengchang, and even the Qiao family compound was probably in Zhang Guangfa’s calculations.

Gu Pingyuan’s head ached from thinking. Without realizing it, he walked back to Taiyufeng’s entrance. Just as he was about to step inside, suddenly a ragged old man was pushed and shoved out by a clerk. The old man couldn’t steady himself, staggered several steps, and nearly fell, fortunately Gu Pingyuan quickly reached out to support him.

“Anyone entering is a customer—how can you casually bully people!” Gu Pingyuan said angrily.

The gatekeeper clerk, seeing it was the third manager who had just taken office yesterday, quickly came over with a face full of smiles: “Mr. Qu told me to drive this old man out.”

“Old sir, are you hurt anywhere?” Gu Pingyuan asked with concern, while the clerk covered his nose, disgusted by the old man’s sour smell.

“My money! My money!” The old man panicked, struggling to get up and crawling on the ground searching everywhere for copper coins he had failed to hold and scattered on the ground.

“Just one hundred coppers total—barely one meal’s worth. What country bumpkin.” The clerk showed complete disdain.

“Shut up!” Gu Pingyuan suddenly became angry. He crouched down helping the old man collect coins, but searching everywhere found only ninety-nine copper coins.

The old man pursed his lips and shed two tears: “I traveled thirty li of mountain roads to come to the county town to deposit this money. Who knew that after going around in circles, no bank would accept it. What a mess—the money wasn’t deposited and I lost one coin. Ai!”

The little clerk impatiently pulled a large coin from his pocket and tossed it over: “There, compensation! What’s the big deal?”

The old man reached for it, but Gu Pingyuan grabbed the large coin: “Old sir, did you go to Daping Bank?”

“I did. That was the first place I went—to see that big silver gourd and open my eyes, you know.”

“They didn’t accept your deposit either?”

“No.” The old man looked disappointed. “They said you need at least ten taels of silver to open an account. We country folk don’t have ten taels, not even one tael of silver. These hundred copper coins were saved through scrimping. Actually, there are no thieves in our village, so keeping it at home would be fine, but I heard that depositing money in banks earns interest. I planned to deposit this money to earn some interest, then use it for my grandson’s wedding in a few years.”

“Ha ha ha!” The clerk listening nearby doubled over laughing: “Oh my, you country bumpkin are really ignorant! First, forget about depositing a hundred coppers—even if you could deposit it, with two percent interest, could you afford a grandson’s wedding? You must be crazy with dreams of getting rich!” He laughed again.

Gu Pingyuan said nothing, helped the old man up, tossed the large coin back to the clerk, and said calmly: “Keep your own money. From today, you’re no longer a Taiyufeng clerk.”

The clerk stopped laughing, staring at Gu Pingyuan speechlessly in terror.

“Old sir, let me help you inside to open an account.”

“What is this about!” Accountant Qu saw Gu Pingyuan helping the old man he had driven out back inside, looking very displeased as he came from behind the counter pointing and asking.

Gu Pingyuan ignored him, took a blank receipt from the counter himself, asked the old man’s address and name, and following regulations wrote out both the deposit slip and receipt, then respectfully handed them to the old man. “Old sir, I’ve written you four percent interest, as an apology for what just happened. If you have spare money in the future, feel free to bring it to Taiyufeng. I’ll give you preferential rates.”

“Ah, thank you so much, manager.” The old man left with profuse thanks, but this infuriated Accountant Qu standing beside them.

“Gu Pingyuan, aren’t you overstepping your authority! Yesterday Manager Wang made it clear—you’re to manage only the street runners. What right do you have to interfere with the main shop’s external accounting office?”

Banking establishments mainly consisted of internal and external accounting offices and the silver vault. Things like soliciting deposits and collecting payments outside were the street runners’ domain. This country old man coming to the shop to deposit money was external accounting office business—Accountant Qu’s sole responsibility. Seeing Gu Pingyuan interfere with his territory after just one day naturally couldn’t be tolerated.

“Ten taels minimum for opening an account is our bank’s ancestral rule! It hasn’t changed for generations, yet you dare break even this rule. Come, come, let’s go find Manager Wang to settle this!” Accountant Qu wouldn’t let it go, forcibly dragging Gu Pingyuan by the sleeve to the back courtyard to find Wang Tiangui.

After frantically explaining what had happened at the front counter, Wang Tiangui’s face darkened. “Gu Pingyuan, I made you third manager specifically to handle street runners because I value your resourcefulness and education. I wanted you to build relationships with wealthy households, landlords, and gentry in nearby villages and towns, bringing more deposits to Taiyufeng. Now you’re dealing with country bumpkins, opening an account for a hundred copper coins—isn’t this a waste of effort!”

After hearing this, Accountant Qu looked smugly at Gu Pingyuan, waiting to see him embarrassed.

Gu Pingyuan remained calm, addressing Accountant Qu seriously: “When I first entered Taiyufeng and slapped you—do you remember?”

How could he forget? Accountant Qu’s teeth itched with hatred whenever he thought of it, but to this day he couldn’t understand Gu Pingyuan’s purpose.

“When I initially opened an account with one copper coin, I saw the bank’s fundamental problem. Being arrogant and looking down on small customers—just as you said, Accountant Qu, even if everyone in the province came to deposit one coin, you wouldn’t consider it worth your attention, right?”

“That would only be a few thousand taels at most!” Accountant Qu remained disdainful.

“After all this time, you still don’t understand. I didn’t want that one copper coin—I wanted the path behind that receipt. Receipts have value, but customers are priceless! Business routes are priceless! Do you understand?”

Accountant Qu was lectured until his face turned red, protesting: “That stinking country old man is what you call a customer? Ha! What business route could he possibly have!”

“What business route he might have, I’ll show you clearly next.” Gu Pingyuan ignored him and turned to Wang Tiangui. “Manager Wang, since you’ve put me in charge of street running, I need to establish some new rules, like this one-copper-coin account rule. I hope Manager Wang will approve.”

“Hmm.” Wang Tiangui had run banks his entire life and vaguely glimpsed Gu Pingyuan’s thinking, though he couldn’t yet see clearly how much profit this path might bring Taiyufeng. But it was a path nonetheless. If Gu Pingyuan wanted to try it, why not let him?

“Very well, I agree.”

In the end, it was Accountant Qu who was left with nothing to show for his trouble. Feeling frustrated, after the lamps were lit and the clerks gathered for dinner, he deliberately stayed behind instead of leaving. Usually Accountant Qu dined and drank with several other accountants at restaurants, but today he unusually stayed to eat with the clerks, puzzling everyone.

Sure enough, after just a few bites, Accountant Qu began speaking by name: “Wang Chi, how do you think your street running is going? Pathetic or not! Last year that loan to Wealthy Hu’s family at Ying Family Camp—you brought that in, right? This year five of the seven major silk shops in the county are using Taiyufeng’s money—those were loans you ran your legs off and talked your mouth raw to arrange, right? These past years the third manager’s health has been poor. I’ve told the head manager many times that Wang Chi is capable—he should be the third manager.” He looked around. “But now this Gu Pingyuan who’s never done a day’s banking business has brazenly taken your position. I heard that this afternoon he came to consult you about soliciting deposits in various villages, and you earnestly gave him advice and guidance? Don’t forget—you’re a businessman. Don’t make losing deals!” He pointed his chopsticks at Wang Chi’s nose.

One stone stirred a thousand waves. The clerks were already resentful about this matter. With Accountant Qu speaking up, everyone naturally dared voice their grievances, banging tables in indignation for Wang Chi. A short fellow nicknamed “Short-legged Tiger” who was close to Wang Chi simply stood on his chair: “Everyone, I’ve long heard this Gu Pingyuan is a clever fellow full of tricks, but coming to our bank to show off his cleverness is a mistake. I heard he changed the rules as soon as he arrived, saying that starting tomorrow all street runner clerks must go to the countryside to solicit deposits and open accounts—not considering even one copper coin too small!”

He felt he wasn’t high enough, so he stepped onto the table, gesticulating wildly with spittle flying: “We’re Taiyufeng clerks—one of the three major banks! Going after such small deposits would be humiliating. Forget Rishengchang and Weizi Wulian Bank—even the small shops at the street corner would laugh at us. Besides, Brother Wang Chi works so hard in business—who among us doesn’t respect that! Look at his hands, look at his shoes…”

Everyone’s gaze turned to Wang Chi. His fingertips were actually flattened, and his cotton shoes had iron plates nailed to the soles. “Brother Wang has worn out countless abacuses running the streets, worn out countless pairs of shoes. Why should that fellow surnamed Gu suppress him the moment he arrives!”

“Exactly.” Another tall, thin clerk with white ringworm spots on his face and body, nicknamed “White Flower Snake,” also stood up. Standing on the ground, he was about as tall as Short-legged Tiger on the table, with a similar expression of indignation. “Today he also took it upon himself to dismiss the gatekeeper clerk. I say we can’t let this fellow surnamed Gu have his way. Rules can’t be changed just because he says so, or in a few days he’ll really be shitting on us old clerks’ necks.”

“Right!” “Right!” “Exactly!” The surrounding clerks responded in unison. They all had familiar customers they visited regularly. When free, they’d go to teahouses for tea and chat, living quite comfortably. Hearing that Gu Pingyuan wanted to change the rules and send them to solicit deposits from country mud-legs, they first felt apprehensive, then naturally unwilling and resentful.

Accountant Qu hadn’t expected this wildfire to ignite so easily. Secretly delighted but still guarding against Wang Tiangui’s potential blame, he wanted someone to share responsibility. He deliberately stood up and pressed his hands downward: “This is all our own business—getting worked up isn’t good. Since everyone respects Wang Chi, I think we should ask his opinion on this matter.” He glanced sideways.

Wang Chi sat stone-faced in the center, food on his chopsticks unswallowed for a long time. Hearing Accountant Qu’s question, he forced a smile: “The third manager naturally has his reasoning for his methods. However, I caught cold from rain while collecting debts recently. Starting tomorrow I need to rest and really can’t help much.”

“Right, my back hurts. I also need to request leave from the office.”

“Me too—I need to go home to visit my parents.”

Everyone spoke at once, delighting Accountant Qu. He thought to himself: “One hero needs three helpers. Without these street runner clerks’ assistance, let’s see what Gu Pingyuan can accomplish!”

As third manager, Gu Pingyuan’s monthly salary was enough to rent a room outside, just half a street from Taiyufeng—one room in a private courtyard. He rose early, concerned about business, and came to the bank to see if the clerks were ready and to assign their routes. Who knew that upon reaching the counter, Accountant Qu wore an expression of unfortunate coincidence, producing a stack of leave requests. The first was Wang Chi’s, and looking down, all were from street runner clerks—not one from the internal or external accounting offices.

Gu Pingyuan hadn’t expected this. Seeing Accountant Qu’s sinister smile, he knew he was behind this mischief. Gu Pingyuan took a deep breath, considering countermeasures. Going to Wang Tiangui to complain might bring these troublesome clerks back, but it would inevitably make people look down on him. Moreover, doing so would create lasting enmity—exactly what Accountant Qu wanted.

“These clerks are too ignorant! The bank is facing many troubles now, yet they all request leave. I should tell the head manager—during year-end ‘official discussions,’ one or two must be dismissed!” Accountant Qu feigned anger.

“No need!” Gu Pingyuan laughed coldly. “I don’t believe that without Zhang the butcher, we must eat unplucked pork.” With that, he turned and left gracefully.

“I’d like to see how you eat this pig!” Accountant Qu smugly watched his retreating figure exit Taiyufeng’s main gate.

Gu Pingyuan was gone for most of a month without a trace or word. Not only Accountant Qu but even Wang Tiangui was puzzled. Initially thinking Gu Pingyuan had fled, but Chang Yu’er remained at his mansion. Moreover, when Chen Laizi investigated, Old Father Chang Si was living peacefully in Youlu Gully Village. Based on Wang Tiangui’s understanding of Gu Pingyuan, if he fled he wouldn’t leave these two behind. Furthermore, having not escaped before, fleeing just after being promoted made no sense.

During this month and a half, Daping Bank’s momentum soared. Their bank saw constant traffic while Taiyufeng’s entrance grew increasingly deserted. Wang Tiangui worried inwardly but remained composed outwardly, until receiving a letter from Secretary Hu at the Provincial Office—then he finally couldn’t sit still.

“Daping Bank’s Manager Zhang visited the Provincial Governor the day before yesterday, presenting generous gifts.” He frowned deeply.

Accountant Qu understood the gravity, immediately tensing: “Why?”

“He wants to handle military provisions.”

“Military provisions have fixed quotas distributed among eighteen major banks according to business size. If Daping Bank squeezes in, everyone’s profits will be diluted. We can use this opportunity to make him widely hated.” Accountant Qu’s eyes rolled as he offered advice. He’d been tormented by Daping Bank recently. This bank seemed to specifically target Taiyufeng. Watching the ledger’s deposits decrease daily, forget other things—his year-end dividend from stock shares would certainly shrink greatly. Worse, if Taiyufeng collapsed, his golden rice bowl would shatter. Sharing fate on the same boat, he couldn’t help but think more.

“What enemies? He’s coming for us specifically—asking for our share right off.”

“Then… then what did the Provincial Governor say?” Accountant Qu was truly anxious. If they couldn’t maintain the “flying empty” military provisions silver, tomorrow when customers came to withdraw money, he’d immediately be blindsided.

“That’s an official we’ve fed well—he won’t be bought by one gift. But this can’t continue indefinitely. This Daping Bank’s background is unknown—do they really have us figured out?” Wang Tiangui was completely puzzled.

Accountant Qu was momentarily speechless, equally worried. As the two men looked at each other in concern, suddenly they heard commotion from the front, startling them both.

In Taiyufeng’s spacious front hall, Gu Pingyuan faced the two black lacquered doors, pointing at a wall and directing hired laborers: “Put them in the corner, stack the bags properly.”

He pointed at external accounting clerks: “Get the large scale to weigh silver and record accounts.” To the internal accounting gentlemen: “Open the silver vault, prepare to count silver for storage.”

“Also, bring more blank receipts. I used up all the receipts I took out—I need to write receipts for all the accounts recorded in this notebook.” Gu Pingyuan waved the white paper notebook in his hand.

Internal and external accounting gentlemen, clerks, plus all the street runners were dumbfounded. Wang Chi squeezed in from outside, standing before the group of clerks, watching bags of silver being carried in and stacked in the corner—counting at least twenty bags.

“How much silver is this?” a young clerk murmured.

This question wasn’t difficult in a bank. Someone immediately said: “Looking at this, each bag is about 1,500 taels, so twenty bags would be 30,000 taels.”

“It’s 31,880 taels.” Gu Pingyuan corrected. Seeing all the silver brought in, he settled accounts with the laborers, then turned to address the clerks loudly: “Everyone, it’s been a while. Before I went street running, Manager Wang had already agreed that any measures beneficial to our office could modify old rules and add new systems. I had previously established the ‘one copper coin account’ rule. These days I’ve been thinking and want to change another shop rule.”

Change another shop rule? The clerks looked at each other with surprise and uncertainty.

“Previously, only clerks and managers with ten years’ service were eligible for dividend shares at year-end. Now I, Gu, want to change this rule. Any bank clerk who works diligently and brings profit to the bank—whether clerk or manager—will receive dividends, and not necessarily waiting until year-end.” He waved the white paper notebook. “This time, I assigned thirteen clerks to solicit deposits, bringing in over 30,000 taels total. Based on lending interest rates and stock dividend percentages, each person can receive fifteen taels of silver.”

He called the clerks’ names one by one: “Zhang Desheng, Chen Zipeng, Huang He, Gu Jizong…” The last name was “Wang Chi!”

“I have the silver ready.” He untied the bundle he carried and placed it on the table, arranging five-tael silver cakes in a row. “Those whose names are called, each take three.”

Who could have imagined he’d do this!

When Gu Pingyuan appeared bringing large deposits, those clerks who had feigned illness to request leave all felt their hearts sink, thinking he would surely leverage his achievement to complain bitterly to Wang Tiangui. Instead, he not only didn’t complain but gave silver to those who had shirked—what strategy was this?

After a long pause, one clerk whose family owed debts tentatively stepped forward two steps. Seeing Gu Pingyuan’s gentle smile, he swallowed and softly picked up three silver cakes: “Third Manager, I’m taking them?”

“Take them. Next time I hope you’ll contribute more to our office—naturally the dividends won’t be lacking either.” Gu Pingyuan nodded with a smile.

The clerk’s face reddened as he returned to his position. Fifteen taels! Enough for his family’s expenses for two months. Who wouldn’t be envious? Seeing someone take them, naturally a second person followed, until even Short-legged Tiger and White Flower Snake took silver. Only Wang Chi remained motionless, his face hard as stone.

“Brother Wang, this is what you earned—take it.” Seeing him not approach, Gu Pingyuan took the silver and walked to him.

Wang Chi looked away, neither acknowledging nor responding. Gu Pingyuan took his hand, placed the silver in it, smiled, and patted Wang Chi’s shoulder.

“Head Manager, you saw that.” Accountant Qu trembled with anger. “This Gu Pingyuan is truly audacious—changing something as major as stock dividends without consulting you. Does he still respect you!” When clerks received more, managers naturally received less. Accountant Qu was both hateful and furious.

Wang Tiangui’s small, slightly sunken eyes held indescribable meaning—part anger, part greed. He alternately looked at Gu Pingyuan and the pile of silver, finally speaking: “Third Manager, come with me to the back room.”

Wang Tiangui sat in a luohan chair, leisurely playing with a Wanli blue-glazed brush washer, remaining silent for a long time.

Accountant Qu stood with hands at his sides, anxiously waiting, glancing at Gu Pingyuan, who stood with hands clasped, casually observing the “Three Mountains Pleasure Journey” painting hanging on the south wall, as if not waiting for the head manager’s questioning but leisurely appreciating art in a painting shop.

Wang Tiangui finally spoke: “Where did you get those 30,000 taels? The Hou family in South City, or Wealthy Cao in Cao Family Village?”

“Neither! The receipts are here—please examine them yourself, Head Manager.” Gu Pingyuan placed a thick stack of receipts from his bundle on the table.

“So many?” Wang Tiangui set down the brush washer and flipped through them—nearly over a hundred receipts. Looking at the names, most were unfamiliar, and the deposit amounts varied wildly—from several hundred taels down to literally one copper coin per receipt.

“This isn’t even all of them. When receipts ran out, I temporarily recorded them, returning to make proper receipts.”

“Who are all these people?”

“Just farmers, with a few wealthy households but not many. Shanxi is truly a land of merchants and people—quite prosperous. Common folk almost all have savings. I only toured within a hundred li south of Taigu, explaining the benefits of depositing money in banks and mentioning that regardless of amount—even just one copper coin—could open an account. Immediately over ten people pulled out one copper coin to open accounts.”

This was initially taken as a joke, but who knew Gu Pingyuan would actually do it, properly writing out receipts. Villages had families who deposited money at Taiyufeng. Comparing those receipts showed no difference whatsoever—absolutely genuine. This amazed the country folk. The next day many came with strings of coins or silver bits to deposit. Gu Pingyuan remained consistently pleasant regardless of amount, writing receipts and accepting money meticulously.

Some recognized Gu Pingyuan as Fourth Steward from Wanyuan Pawnshop, further trusting him. Eventually no one came to open one-copper accounts anymore—minimum was half a string of coins. But wherever Gu Pingyuan went, he still earnestly explained that even one copper coin could open an account—honest dealing regardless of age, absolutely no reversals.

Thus he traveled for over a month. By the fifth day he needed to hire laborers to carry silver. After two weeks he had to hire a mule cart.

“This was just within a hundred li south of the city. Clerks could certainly go farther—deposits aren’t lacking.”

Accountant Qu listened in amazement. Seeing Wang Tiangui squinting with obvious great interest in Gu Pingyuan’s words made him uncomfortable. He retorted: “This is just your dog-shit luck. How do you know other places have silver waiting for you to collect?”

Gu Pingyuan smiled dismissively, stepped back two paces, and opened the door. Old Crooked stood guard outside.

“I know you carry a knife—could I borrow it?” Gu Pingyuan extended his hand.

Old Crooked looked at him expressionlessly without moving. Then Wang Tiangui coughed from inside. Old Crooked reached into his jacket, pulled out a sheathed dagger, and handed it over.

Gu Pingyuan drew the blade and walked toward a purple camellia—Wang Tiangui’s favorite flower. Puzzled about Gu Pingyuan’s intentions, Wang Tiangui watched as Gu Pingyuan made several swift cuts, “decapitating” over ten blooms, leaving only bare branches swaying.

Wang Tiangui angrily demanded: “Gu Pingyuan, what are you doing?”

Gu Pingyuan smiled, pointing at the fallen flowers: “These are the deposits that Manager Wang, Accountant Qu, and those street runner clerks obsess over—the deposits everyone sees. Simply put, they’re money in the hands of wealthy landlords, prosperous gentry, officials, and merchants. There’s only this much total. Now Daping Bank has displayed a silver gourd, absorbing all these deposits, so naturally Taiyufeng has less.”

“Nonsense! Do we need you to tell us that!” Accountant Qu glared.

Gu Pingyuan thrust the dagger into the soil beneath the flowers, stirring vigorously, then grabbed a handful of earth and held it before Accountant Qu: “What is this?”

“This is… this is soil.” Accountant Qu blinked.

“What else is it?” Gu Pingyuan pressed relentlessly.

“…You… what do you mean?” Accountant Qu looked somewhat flustered.

Gu Pingyuan slowly clenched the wet mud in his hand, squeezing water from between his fingers—drop by drop falling to the ground.

“It’s also water! Only no one sees it.”

While Accountant Qu still stared confusedly at Gu Pingyuan’s clenched fist, Wang Tiangui had already taken a long breath: “Gu Pingyuan, go do your work. But next time, consult with me before changing major shop rules!”

“Yes!” Gu Pingyuan returned the dagger to Old Crooked and walked toward the front counter.

Wang Tiangui patted the still-confused Accountant Qu’s shoulder: “Wait for him to bring silver to our vault.”

From the next day, clerks who had received silver began following Gu Pingyuan’s instructions, heading to various villages to solicit deposits. Only three remained unmoved: Short-legged Tiger, White Flower Snake, and Wang Chi. These three were determined as iron, continuing to visit wealthy households as before. Seeing this, Gu Pingyuan didn’t force them, simply leaving their assigned areas vacant.

Truly “three steps from home is another world”—only when the clerks began working did they discover that one village’s farmers could match several wealthy households. They had visited these places before but kept their eyes fixed on landlords, never looking at small households. Occasionally when someone timidly asked about opening bank accounts, their cold words nearly squeezed people against walls. Now with smiling faces serving customers, they discovered “Without accumulating small streams, no rivers form”—a supreme truth.

Zhang Guangfa of Daping Bank had been pleased for a while. Flipping through his account books, he felt nearby wealthy households’ deposits were nearly exhausted—meaning Taiyufeng’s vault was probably running short. According to his predetermined plan, he prepared to start collecting Taiyufeng’s issued bank notes. Once he collected eighty or ninety percent, he’d demand immediate redemption, forcing Taiyufeng to close in one stroke.

Zhang Guangfa had worked half his lifetime in Beijing commerce, always keeping the word “caution” firmly in mind. Before collecting Taiyufeng’s bank notes, he first sent clerks to scout the situation, thinking it was merely routine. Who knew the young clerk came running back, reporting that silver wagons were actually delivering silver to Taiyufeng.

Zhang Guangfa didn’t believe it, thinking the young clerk had seen wrong. He went to see for himself, and indeed there were several large wagons arriving, loaded with bags of silver ingots and cakes. Still fearing this was Taiyufeng’s empty city stratagem, he followed further and personally witnessed fully loaded wagons of copper coins and silver bits being exchanged at the foundry for gleaming white ingots. Only then was he completely convinced. He stood dumbfounded outside Taiyufeng’s entrance, watching clerks unload silver, momentarily stunned.

“What the hell—where did they get this money from?” Zhang Guangfa had thought victory was assured, never expecting Taiyufeng to pull a miraculous move from a hopeless position, completely disrupting his entire plan.

“Manager Zhang.” Gu Pingyuan spotted him and strolled over leisurely. “What brings you here? Business so good you have leisure time to visit Taiyufeng?”

Zhang Guangfa glared at him sourly and snorted through his nose.

“If I’m not mistaken, Manager Zhang’s next step was to collect Taiyufeng’s notes. Now you probably don’t dare do that.” Gu Pingyuan knew Zhang Guangfa’s identity and saw through his purpose like fire. First cut off Taiyufeng’s financial sources, then when the silver vault ran short, collect large quantities of bank notes to squeeze Taiyufeng. If even one or two taels couldn’t be paid out, Taiyufeng would be finished. Now with large amounts of silver entering the vault—silver of unknown origin—he absolutely wouldn’t dare proceed with his original plan to collect Taiyufeng’s notes. If Taiyufeng had continuous financial sources and kept issuing notes, then Daping Bank’s vault might be the one to run dry.

“I’m asking you—where did this silver come from?” Zhang Guangfa was somewhat flustered. Beijing merchants hadn’t targeted Taiyufeng without reason. Among the three major banks, they chose it as their first opponent because they saw that Wang Tiangui was extremely unpopular among bank merchants—if something happened, no one would help him. So this silver definitely couldn’t have been borrowed from elsewhere.

Gu Pingyuan seemed to have anticipated this question, smiled mockingly, and replied: “First tell me why you framed me back then, and I’ll tell you where this silver came from!”

“You…” Zhang Guangfa was left speechless, flicked his sleeve, and departed in frustration.

Zhang Guangfa was no easy opponent. Returning to Daping Bank, he immediately arranged for clerks to trace the source, following the vine to find the melon. But before the clerks could report back, Li Qin came rushing over urgently.

“Uncle Zhang, I’ve figured out the whole story behind this money.”

Li Qin’s information was accurate. Yesterday afternoon, when he was having a tryst with Ruyi in a small house they’d specially rented in the south of the city, Ruyi had revealed it to him in bed.

“Who would have thought there was such a move? I really underestimated this Gu Pingyuan.” Actually, Zhang Guangfa had long been secretly vigilant. An exile who, within less than a year of escaping from beyond the Pass, had consecutively made several major deals that shocked the commercial world. Not to mention anything else, just recently following Senggelinqin’s cavalry into battle, selling grain and making big money along the way—Zhang Guangfa honestly asked himself, even Beijing commerce couldn’t pick out such a talented person with both courage and insight!

But Li Qin was unconvinced. He viewed Gu Pingyuan as a thorn in his eye and flesh. As the Li family’s eldest young master, wherever he went in the capital he was met with smiling faces and welcome, everyone fawning and respecting him. But only after coming to Shanxi did everything go wrong. Su Zixuan had twice helped Gu Pingyuan—that was one thing. But Ruyi, who he’d already seduced, despite being passionate with him, still showed lingering attachment beneath her hatred when mentioning Gu Pingyuan. He even suspected Ruyi told him this information just to strike at Gu Pingyuan. Women’s hearts, Li Qin understood too well—behind hating a man often lay unrequited love. This exile Gu Pingyuan surpassed him in both business talent and success with women. This was truly unbearable!

Thinking of this, Li Qin clenched his fists. “Uncle Zhang, you handle the business matters. Leave this to me—I’ll definitely handle it and cut off Taiyufeng’s financial route.”

“Can you manage it?” Zhang Guangfa was somewhat doubtful.

“Just watch!” Li Qin left his seat and hurried away.

Within a few days, Gu Pingyuan received reports from his street runner clerks that Daping Bank people were following them everywhere, competing for business and deposits. Their method was clever, exploiting country folk’s love of small bargains. They brought a cartload of daily necessities like needles and thread. Anyone opening an account at Daping Bank immediately received gifts. Though worthless, to common people who split every coin in half, it was naturally tempting.

After asking more questions, learning the leader was a young man respectfully called “Young Master,” Gu Pingyuan knew it was Li Qin’s scheme. This was “using capital to hurt others”—a strategy others couldn’t afford to use, but Li Qin felt no pain using it, naturally with Zhang Guangfa’s support behind him. Apparently soliciting deposits was secondary; cutting off Taiyufeng’s financial route was the real purpose.

Seeing all the clerks looking at him expectantly, waiting for his decision, Gu Pingyuan smiled easily. “Doing business is like warfare. You have swords and spears, opponents have them too. You have one move, they have another. The final victory actually lies in hair’s breadth differences. Don’t panic. Daping Bank is copying us—I’ve long prepared for this.”

He stood and walked a few steps, suddenly asking: “What do banks fear most?”

“Bad debts!” A clerk answered quickly. Under Gu Pingyuan’s shop rule reforms, these young clerks were the biggest beneficiaries. Seeing their white silver increasing, their hostility toward Gu Pingyuan had long vanished without trace. Now one word from Gu Pingyuan, and these street runners obeyed orders completely.

“I’d say it’s inability to attract deposits.” A silver-short vault was naturally a big problem, replied a slightly older clerk. “Both are right,” Gu Pingyuan nodded. “But have you considered there’s an unavoidable hurdle between attracting deposits and bad debts—that’s rotten deposits.”

For wealthy families, vaults full of money was good, but for banks it wasn’t necessarily so. If silver piled up like mountains in the vault couldn’t find borrowers to lend out and earn interest back, then when deposit receipts matured requiring interest payments, banks would work for nothing or even lose money on interest.

“Everyone fears not attracting money or not getting money back, but money that can’t be used is also a problem.” Bank profits lay entirely in the interest differential between deposits and loans. “Now Daping Bank competes with us over who attracts more deposits, but if this money gets stuck in hand, that’s worse than not having it.”

Gu Pingyuan’s analysis was thorough. Some clerks couldn’t help speaking up: “Third Manager, listening to you doesn’t sound like someone new to banking, but rather an old manager.”

Gu Pingyuan smiled. Ever since becoming enemies with Wang Tiangui, he had constantly studied the banking trade. When Deng Tieyi had problems, Gu Pingyuan finally realized that without cutting the root of banking, moving Wang Tiangui would be extremely difficult. So he studied even harder, reading late into the night about banking rules and management methods. As third manager, being willing to ask questions humbly naturally found people willing to teach. Gu Pingyuan thus learned of a book by Mao Hongyi called “Correspondence from Three Capitals,” his masterwork on years of bank management. Gu Pingyuan bought a copy with heavy payment, and within days could recite it backwards.

“Rotten deposits are a taboo everyone knows, but market shop managers aren’t fools—they won’t borrow unneeded silver just to pay interest for nothing. Previously attracting deposits was relatively easy. Street runners’ biggest headache was lending deposits out.” Street runner clerks all deeply understood this.

“But as I know, the market now is ‘those with money can easily borrow money, while those without money can’t borrow a penny despite desperate efforts.'” This was due to the aforementioned fear of “bad debts.” Not just street runner clerks, even bank managers were helpless about this.

“Previously after lending money out, we ignored it until time came to collect interest. So we could only pick large households for loans because they had money and we needn’t worry about bad debts. But if they have money, why would they borrow from you? This is an unsolvable dead knot!” Hearing this, clerks nodded. Gu Pingyuan had talked for so long, and the key point was in the next sentence: “I think lending methods also need changing.”

“Changing again?” This time clerks weren’t afraid, knowing that when Gu Pingyuan changed rules, clerks inevitably benefited.

Gu Pingyuan nodded slightly. Just as he was about to continue speaking, looking up he saw Man Yi Lou’s clerk carrying food boxes entering the door. He smiled and called out loudly: “Come, come! Only after eating well do we have strength to think and work. Let’s eat while thinking of solutions. This meal is my treat as third manager.”

The clerks had already smelled the food boxes’ aroma. When lids were opened, everyone cheered. Gu Pingyuan didn’t treat this meal for nothing—after eating, he wanted clerks to work hard, so he really invested. This meal cost thirty taels, almost matching a shark fin banquet.

The table had all kinds of cooking methods—frying, stir-frying, boiling, deep-frying. Main dishes were all Qin-Jin flavors: fragrant fish slices, half-stewed chicken, golden coin hair vegetable and three-skin strips, milk soup hot pot fish, Dali elbow with handle. Three large plates of Pingyao beef filled the air with aroma. Shanxi people loved noodles—noodle dishes filled half the table: youmian fish, youmian rolls, sorghum fish, pulled pieces, picked tips, knife-cut noodles. In the table center sat a pot of “Tiliang Ji” old vinegar shop’s ten-year aged vinegar. This vinegar had experienced ten years of seasons, frozen then sun-dried, sun-dried then frozen. Just one sniff made the mouth water. Pour a small bowl mixed into noodles—it cut grease and aided digestion, truly supreme flavor. This pot of vinegar alone cost eight taels!

This meal satisfied the clerks completely—hearty eating, wolfing down food better than the year-end prosperity feast, burping loudly. Short-legged Tiger and White Flower Snake hid next door, smelling this aroma and drooling, glancing at Wang Chi who sat silently keeping accounts nearby. They swallowed and looked at each other, seeing some regret in each other’s eyes.

“All finished eating?” Gu Pingyuan ate sparingly for health, only having a few steamed dumplings. Seeing clerks patting their bellies and drinking tea heartily, he asked with a smile.

“Finished eating, thank you Third Manager.”

“Let me settle accounts with the restaurant clerk.”

He called the clerk over and paid the silver, then pointed and called another person: “His account should be settled separately.”

Everyone recognized this person—Wei Si, who originally ran a snack stand at the entrance. Someone asked: “Boss Wei, I said those snacks tasted familiar—turns out it’s your handiwork. Haven’t seen you these days, thought you’d packed up and returned home. Made me really miss those snacks. How did Third Manager find you?”

Wei Si smiled broadly: “Third Manager is a living Buddha. Even if he hadn’t found me, I would have come to respectfully offer a few boxes of snacks.”

Gu Pingyuan smiled without speaking, letting the clerks curiously question Wei Si. Today he wanted this snack vendor to tell the story in complete detail.

“That day I was running my breakfast stand when suddenly a box landed right in my arms, nearly knocking me over.”

It was a box of copper coins—seven or eight strings worth. Looking at the young man before him, Wei Si felt he looked familiar. Later he remembered—this was the fellow who months ago desperately wanted to borrow one copper coin from him, saying he’d pay interest. At the time Wei Si had mockingly told him to bring a box for the interest. Now he’d actually turned one copper coin into a box of interest.

Naturally it was Gu Pingyuan who returned the money. He straightforwardly told Wei Si this box of money had friendship involved, not entirely bank interest. But if Wei Si wanted to taste the flavor of turning one coin into hundreds or thousands again, he could borrow from him—Gu Pingyuan had already pointed out a path to wealth.

This path was setting up a stand in the big restaurant “Man Yi Lou.” Gu Pingyuan felt Wei Si’s snacks had excellent flavor and many return customers, but just running a small street stand was small-scale with no real profit. He helped Wei Si by serving as guarantor and intermediary. Wei Si borrowed space at Yi Lou, negotiated profit-sharing with Man Yi Lou, signed contracts and paid silver, then used borrowed money to hire two assistants. Indeed, his snacks sold at Man Yi Lou for several times street prices yet were still in short supply.

“Now I can repay this silver—principal and interest both.” Wei Si looked at Gu Pingyuan. “But I want to borrow again to set up my snack stand at Man Yi Lou’s Taiyuan branch too.”

Gu Pingyuan nodded, ignoring others for now, took the account book to write documents, and immediately paid Wei Si silver on the spot. This was another of his innovations—whenever someone came to borrow or repay, regardless of time, Taiyufeng always had someone available. Naturally those working night shifts without sleep earned extra money. Just for this point, internal and external accounting clerks all appreciated Gu Pingyuan.

Watching Wei Si leave with profuse thanks, Gu Pingyuan slowly turned around. Street runner clerks stood or sat, none speaking, all lost in thought.

Gu Pingyuan also remained silent, brewing strong tea and sipping slowly.

“Third Manager, I understand—you’re teaching us how to do business.” An old clerk finally spoke, eyes showing admiration.

Gu Pingyuan nodded approvingly, knowing he needn’t say more. Wei Si’s firsthand testimony was far more useful than lengthy theories.

Li Qin rode his tall horse through villages within ten li for over twenty days, exchanging his goods for a thick stack of receipts, pulling a large silver wagon, returning triumphantly to Daping Bank.

“Uncle Zhang, now that fellow Gu Pingyuan can’t manage—look, I’ve pulled away all his customers.” Li Qin excitedly entered Zhang Guangfa’s room, immediately seeing Su Zixuan in lake-blue silk also present.

“Failing to stop Taiyufeng at this step is like hobbling Daping Bank’s legs. What to do next? I think we should send word to the capital and ask Master Li.” Su Zixuan was speaking to Zhang Guangfa. Seeing Li Qin enter, she stood and added: “Gu Pingyuan has already repaid me the money for buying grain in Shaanxi, meaning the provincial treasury exchanged silver for him. Now Taiyufeng has another two hundred thousand taels income. This is truly difficult.”

While speaking, she walked out, glancing at the thick receipts in Li Qin’s hand: “Young Master Li, truly a victorious start.” She spoke mockingly.

Li Qin was startled: “What’s wrong?” he asked Zhang Guangfa.

Zhang Guangfa rubbed his chin, thinking long: “Young Master, do you know what I regret most now?”

“…”

“I regret not giving Gu Pingyuan a cup of poison wine when we were beyond the Pass!” He suddenly struck the chair arm violently. “Never imagined this person had such capability.”

“Uncle Zhang, what exactly happened? Don’t keep me in suspense!” Li Qin’s eyes widened.

“You don’t know—in these ten-plus days, Gu Pingyuan led a group of street runners to turn all the city’s small merchants into Taiyufeng’s lending customers. Originally these people were ignored by banks—as the saying goes, ‘Year-end caught a rabbit—have it for New Year, don’t have it, still New Year’—but Gu Pingyuan, he…” Zhang Guangfa’s hands shook, whether from anger or fear.

“He advised these small merchants, guided their purchasing, and used the bank’s convenience to tell them which trades were profitable lately, which were losing, how profits and losses occurred. Now it’s incredible—these small merchants all deal with Taiyufeng, borrowing silver from Gu Pingyuan and depositing earned money with Gu Pingyuan. This completely activated Taiyufeng’s silver vault. Though these businessmen’s trades aren’t large, there are many customers, all common people—equivalent to advertising for Taiyufeng again. This money keeps rolling bigger.”

Li Qin listened in disbelief, stunned for a long time before saying: “Then… then if he can do this, so can we.”

“Too late! One step behind, every step behind! If we copy him now, we’re clearly at a disadvantage, making customers think we’re following his coattails. In one county with two major banks, if it were you, would you deposit money with the master or the disciple?” This question immediately left Li Qin speechless.

Zhang Guangfa slowly exhaled: “Business is about momentum. These past days we relied on the silver gourd and truly had overwhelming momentum, beating Taiyufeng so they couldn’t raise their heads. Who knew Gu Pingyuan would produce several schemes that, while not as imposing as our silver gourd on the surface, were like drawing silk from cocoons, slowly weaving a net. By the time we realized it, we’d fallen into his net. Master originally instructed that dealing with Taiyufeng, the weakest of the three major banks, should be a single decisive blow using the silver gourd. Now Taiyufeng has both income and expenditure sources—making them close shop won’t be so simple.”

Hearing Zhang Guangfa’s words, Li Qin looked at the stack of receipts in his hand, suddenly threw them on the ground where they scattered, then stomped on them.

During Li Qin’s month away, Gu Pingyuan hadn’t been idle either. He “disappeared” again, and when he returned to Taiyufeng’s entrance, the greeting clerk almost didn’t recognize this third manager.

Gu Pingyuan wore coarse short clothes, under an old brown grass hat his face was dark, his wrists also black, dust covering his entire body. His clothes were somehow torn in several places.

“Third Manager, the clerks are all waiting to give you good news. You look like… you’ve been through deep mountains and old forests.” The door clerk grinned, thinking this hardly looked like Taiyufeng’s manager—more like a street beggar.

“Good eye!” Gu Pingyuan wasn’t offended but smiled.

“Oh my, Third Manager, how did this happen?” When he entered the front hall, several street runner clerks surrounded him. Accountant Qu covered his mouth, nearly laughing aloud. This was a manager? Truly embarrassing Taiyufeng.

But one sentence from Gu Pingyuan left all the gentlemen and clerks in the hall unable to laugh: “Nothing much—I made a trip to Taihang Mountains. Now the mountain hunters and farmers have also become associated with our Taiyufeng. Later I’ll go to the miscellaneous goods market—they’ve asked me to get them space there to sell mountain delicacies and wild goods.”

“Well done!” Wang Tiangui walked in from outside. “Gu Pingyuan, go to the counter later and withdraw two hundred taels—this is your bonus for this trip. No matter how much profit, anyone willing to risk their life earning money for our office deserves reward!” He understood in his heart: the more effort clerks put in, the more profit the office gained. This reward silver was a flag—clerks would only work harder in future, and the office definitely wouldn’t lose out.

Gu Pingyuan gained two hundred taels for nothing, yet not one clerk was jealous—instead they were sincerely convinced. A trip through Taihang Mountains sounded easy, but looking at Gu Pingyuan’s condition showed he’d suffered plenty, possibly escaping death from the mountains.

When Gu Pingyuan added this two hundred taels to the profits everyone had earned recently, distributing silver to clerks according to their contributions, this move completely won over all office clerks. Everyone secretly gave thumbs up in their hearts.

“Third Manager.” After distributing silver, an old clerk smiled and approached: “Several shop managers want to come thank you.”

“Thank me? Why?”

“Hehe, didn’t you give them advice that earned them quite a lot? Today they came to settle silver accounts and heard Third Manager had returned, specially wanting to thank you.”

“Their business is doing very well—I’ve seen it.” Walking from the city gate, Gu Pingyuan had noticed the city’s merchants seemed transformed, faces showing unconcealed smiles, voices calling out much louder than usual. Without asking, these all benefited from Taiyufeng.

As they spoke, those small merchants approached: “Third Manager, we really must thank you. As the saying goes, ‘small capital, thin profit; thick capital, big profit’—who doesn’t want to expand business and prosper? But we really had no money. Since you gave this advice, it’s been wonderful. Not only did our office lend us silver, but you also guided our business paths. Business flows like wind and water—who else should we thank but you!” Several people respectfully bowed to Gu Pingyuan.

Gu Pingyuan returned the courtesy without negligence, modestly saying: “I absolutely don’t deserve this. You are customers—rather I should thank you for doing business with our office.”

One manager was special—he fell to the ground and kowtowed loudly to Gu Pingyuan. This courtesy Gu Pingyuan couldn’t return, only helping him up.

“Manager, this is really too polite—I can’t accept this.”

“You can accept it.” This manager’s eyes held tears. “To treat my child’s illness, I nearly sold my wine stand, leaving the family without livelihood. Now borrowing your profit, not only kept the stand but opened a wine shop. You’re my family’s lifesaver.”

Gu Pingyuan felt this person looked familiar. Looking carefully, he suddenly recognized him—wasn’t this the vendor selling wine at the bridge the night he encountered Chen Fu’en?

Gu Pingyuan’s heart moved. He asked where the wine shop was located and said: “When I have leisure, I’ll come to your wine shop for a drink or two.”

The wine vendor didn’t recognize the person before him. He smiled with squinting eyes, repeatedly agreeing: “If Third Manager comes, I’ll definitely serve good wine.”

Gu Pingyuan returned home to wash and change into clean clothes, then walked unhurriedly to Youlu Gully Village to find Old Father Chang Si. Near the village entrance, someone approached, walking unsteadily—black clothes and pants, chest half-open—it was Chen Laizi. He quickly hid behind a tree, hearing Chen Laizi cursing: “Old stick, living so far away, making me run here in this heat.”

After he left, Gu Pingyuan slowly emerged, coldly smiling inwardly. He knew Wang Tiangui wouldn’t leave no backup. Though Old Father Chang Si had left prison, he remained under Wang Tiangui’s control.

Old Father Chang Si was waiting for him, and coincidentally Chang Yu’er was also there. Seeing Chang Yu’er, Gu Pingyuan’s face showed discomfort. This girl had been willing to die alongside him in Xi’an, her feelings clear as day, yet he couldn’t respond to her affection—truly wronging her.

Chang Yu’er, however, was generous and unconcerned. Ever since Gu Pingyuan mentioned having a sweetheart back home, Chang Yu’er had made up her mind with one word: “wait.” If Gu Pingyuan could wait for that woman all these years, why couldn’t she wait for him? At worst, she’d wait a lifetime. If Gu Pingyuan truly married someone else, she’d remain unmarried caring for her father, or more simply, become a Buddhist nun. Having made this decision, her previously tangled emotions had actually calmed down.

“Brother Gu, what you asked father to handle has been completed.” Chang Yu’er handed over a waist knife.

The moment Gu Pingyuan saw this knife, tears fell. He silently took it, stroking the scabbard, his heart churning like overturned seas.

“Brother Deng’s remains were claimed by the Green Standard Army. His hometown is in distant mountains—they surely buried him nearby. Once I find out exactly where, I’ll definitely have this knife buried with Brother Deng.”

Looking at the knife as if seeing Deng Tieyi’s loyal face, tears fell on the blade. “Brother Deng, your heroic spirit is near—protect me as I avenge you! Wang Tiangui killed for wealth and honor—I’ll make him lose everything, make him wish he were dead!” Gu Pingyuan said hatefully.

“Brother Gu, don’t act rashly.” Chang Yu’er truly hated Wang Tiangui but also truly feared him.

“Yu’er reminds me correctly. Wang Tiangui is a thousand-year-old fox, extremely cunning. You must be very careful.”

“Father, I understand. To deal with Wang Tiangui, one trap isn’t enough—I need a series of interconnected snares.”

“Don’t let word leak out.” Chang Yu’er was thoughtful.

“Thank you, Miss Chang. I won’t repeat past mistakes.” Actually, Gu Pingyuan hadn’t yet figured out how to set this trap, but he knew that to catch this old fox, he needed an extremely ingenious snare.

Old Father Chang Si had recovered well, still able to practice with stone weights morning and evening. He told Gu Pingyuan that the two children had been taken by Qiao Henian. Since Gu Pingyuan was in the mountains then, Qiao Henian had left him a letter, which Old Father Chang Si now handed over.

Gu Pingyuan took his leave and headed to the main road from Taigu to Qixian. Roadside stood a small wine shop under a mat awning. Being a traffic thoroughfare, business was booming.

“Manager, busy?” Gu Pingyuan ducked his head entering.

“Oh my, Third Manager! You said you’d come and here you are—such an honor for me, Liu Sankuai.” The manager was surprised and delighted.

“Passing by, came in for a drink.” Gu Pingyuan smiled broadly.

“Yes, yes! Please sit inside.” This Manager Liu kept greeting him.

Gu Pingyuan sat and asked: “Why are you called Liu Sankuai (Three Fast)?”

“It’s a nickname—I’m fast with hands, feet, and… mouth.” Manager Liu was somewhat embarrassed.

Gu Pingyuan laughed: “Manager, truly don’t recognize me?”

“You are…” Liu Sankuai looked left and right, asking puzzledly.

“Last time you saw me, you fled in panic.” With Gu Pingyuan’s reminder, Liu Sankuai finally understood.

“So it’s you! What fate indeed.” Liu Sankuai suddenly realized.

“Indeed fate. Speaking of which, you once saved my life.”

“This… this…” Mentioning this matter, Liu Sankuai became hesitant.

“Manager Liu, honest words before honest people. I came mainly to ask about Old Crooked, drinking is secondary.” Gu Pingyuan lowered his voice.

Liu Sankuai’s face changed color. Just as he waved his hand, Gu Pingyuan placed a five-tael piece of silver on the table.

“Ai!” Liu Sankuai sighed, stood up apologizing repeatedly, asked all the wine customers to leave, closed the shop door, then returned to sit.

“How could I take your money? Since you truly want to know, I’ll speak. But you probably know—that Old Crooked isn’t any good man. Years ago someone called his name on the street, and he cut out their tongue. Now few dare remember his name.” Liu Sankuai’s face tensed.

“Rest assured, I’ll keep it absolutely secret.” Gu Pingyuan’s expression was also serious.

“Very well.” Liu Sankuai poured wine into his mouth, filled Gu Pingyuan’s cup, and slowly released what he’d kept bottled up since hearing it: “Old Crooked’s real name is Gao Dehui…”

Gao Dehui was born into a scholarly family in Taiyuan Prefecture. His father was a xiucai who had served as a minor clerk, plus ancestral lands—a small but comfortable scholarly family.

But Gao Dehui loved martial arts from youth, having no ear for the Four Books and Five Classics. Seeing Gao Dehui disliked study, his father didn’t force him, merely saying: “Killing bandits on horseback also serves the emperor and can achieve fame, ennobling wife and children.” So he hired martial arts masters. Gao Dehui truly loved martial arts, practicing in summer’s heat and winter’s cold, quickly gaining local fame.

At thirteen he passed the military xiucai examination, then three years later became a military juren. By then his father had died of illness. Gao Dehui enjoyed making friends outside while his mother, Mrs. Xue, managed everything at home. Unable to handle it alone, she invited her widowed cousin Mrs. Cai to live with them. Mrs. Cai brought her daughter nicknamed Ruyi, then only twelve.

Life was good initially, but heaven brings unexpected storms. The next year Mrs. Cai fell ill and never recovered. On her deathbed, she arranged for Ruyi to marry Gao Dehui, first serving as child bride until coming of age for consummation. Watching Ruyi kowtow to Mrs. Xue calling her “mother,” Mrs. Cai finally closed her eyes.

From then on, Mrs. Xue treated Ruyi as her own daughter. Though they say child brides are thorns in mothers-in-law’s eyes, Mrs. Xue was a kind Buddhist woman who treated Ruyi wonderfully in every way. Ruyi also treated Mrs. Xue as her birth mother. Most satisfying, Gao Dehui and Ruyi loved each other. Ruyi found her cousin handsome and skilled in martial arts. Having been bullied with her mother in their hometown, she longed for such a man beside her, so she was completely satisfied to marry Gao Dehui. Gao Dehui also liked Ruyi’s cleverness and beauty, plus her help with household management, already considering her his destined wife.

Mrs. Xue saw everything and felt they were heaven-made, naturally rejoicing. When Ruyi turned fifteen, approaching her eighteenth year, Mrs. Xue decided to arrange their wedding.

Gao Dehui was good in everything except one vice—gambling. He’d lost much of his grandfather’s inheritance over the years. Ruyi’s gentle persuasions were useless. Later, knowing Mrs. Xue was planning their wedding, she specifically chose a private moment to find Gao Dehui and earnestly advise him: “Good men have ambitions in all directions. With your abilities, how can you daily sink into gambling tables? Now we’re about to marry—after marriage I’ll naturally serve my mother-in-law filially, while you should go out and earn achievement with your skills to honor our ancestors.”

Such insight from a young woman shamed Gao Dehui. He resolved to quit gambling and decided to join the army, since the court was fighting in the southeast. He’d earn a fifth-rank title through sword and spear to honor his family and show Ruyi she hadn’t married a useless man.

His mind made up, he went to bid farewell to gambling friends. These street ruffians and market rogues weren’t true friends—they only cared about money in his pockets. Hearing their cash cow was leaving, they conspired to make one final big score. Unable to resist their manipulation, thinking it was the last time, Gao Dehui sat at the gambling table and never got up, gambling until dawn. Those gamblers had prepared their trap—in one night they made Gao Dehui lose even his house.

Red-eyed from losing, Gao Dehui wanted to bet more. Mocked for having nothing left to wager, he gritted his teeth and said: “I still have a wife!”

Reaching this point, Liu Sankuai looked pained: “Naturally Gao Dehui lost this bet too. After leaving the table, he held a wine jar drinking two full jars, becoming unconscious drunk.”

When he returned home the next day with bleary eyes, he learned that last night those ruffians had already used his handprinted contract to seize Ruyi from home and immediately sold her to the local largest brothel.

Seeing Ruyi’s fierce resistance, the madam simply bound her to a bed and had ten men violate her in one night, telling her: “Once a woman loses chastity, one or a hundred are the same. Even if you die now, you can’t earn a chastity memorial.”

Then Gao Dehui burst into the brothel red-eyed to rescue her. Ruyi, who had been sitting dazed and motionless, suddenly rushed downstairs upon hearing he’d come, slapping Gao Dehui dozens of times before everyone—prostitutes and customers—until she collapsed exhausted.

Gao Dehui stood motionless receiving Ruyi’s blows. When he tried to carry her home, Ruyi screamed like mad: “Don’t touch me! Get out!”

Ruyi lay in the brothel bed, staring vacantly, not eating or sleeping for three days and nights. Later someone told her Gao Dehui had knelt in the street outside the brothel for three days and nights.

Finally Ruyi walked out the brothel’s main door. By then thousands of onlookers filled the street. They heard Ruyi say one sentence:

“I want you to marry me now, right here in this street before ten thousand eyes.”

Gao Dehui, whose intestines had turned green with regret, immediately nodded. Right there under everyone’s gaze, they bowed to heaven and earth on the street, becoming husband and wife.

After standing up, Ruyi’s first words were: “I want you to promise me one thing.”

Gao Dehui would agree to anything, but he never expected what Ruyi demanded with a sworn oath: “Never divorce me for life!”

After hearing Gao Dehui’s poisonous oath, Ruyi turned and entered the brothel door, saying to the madam: “Mama, I want to receive customers!”

Mrs. Xue had already coughed up blood in rage. When Gao Dehui returned home devastated, she dug out her own eyes with two fingers, threw them before him, tearfully declaring their mother-son bond severed—she never wanted to see this evil son again.

This shocking tale left Gu Pingyuan stunned, involuntarily asking: “What happened next?”

“Later Gao Dehui became Crooked Hat, constantly wearing his hat to cover his face, possibly ashamed of the surname his ancestors gave him, forbidding anyone to mention his name. Understandable—his gambling destroyed his wife, forcing her to receive customers daily in a brothel. If ancestors had spirits, they’d weep underground too.”

Afterward Old Crooked also entered that brothel as a guard. Though Ruyi willingly received customers—he couldn’t and didn’t deserve to interfere—if anyone mistreated or beat her, that person was doomed. After Old Crooked broke the third person’s wrist, even the madam dared not speak harshly to Ruyi.

Two years later, the brothel owner offended the Taiyuan prefect’s son and had to move the brothel to Taigu. Thus Ruyi met Wang Tiangui, who paid heavily to take her as a concubine. Old Crooked followed to Wang’s household as a guard. With such abilities, Wang Tiangui naturally welcomed him.

“Wait, wait!” Gu Pingyuan said. “Didn’t you say Ruyi forbade Old Crooked from divorcing her? How could Wang Tiangui marry her?”

“A brothel woman—calling it marriage, do you need marriage papers? She just moved from the pleasure house to Wang’s mansion. Heh, that Old Crooked watching his wife sleep with Master Wang every night—I bet that doesn’t feel good!” Liu Sankuai spoke while drinking, becoming half-drunk.

“So that’s how it was…” Gu Pingyuan recalled the moment they met at that old woman’s house, murmuring to himself.

The next morning, Gu Pingyuan arrived at the bank full of energy. Last night he’d read Qiao Henian’s letter saying he’d passed the supplementary tribute examination and was now a ninth-rank clerk copying documents in the Ministry of Works—though the lowest Beijing official rank, he’d entered officialdom. Qiao Henian’s letter never mentioned Wang Tiangui, but this very silence showed hatred deep as oceans buried in his heart.

These days Gu Pingyuan had been pondering: regarding fox borrowing tiger’s might, if Wang Tiangui was an old fox, naturally tigers and wolves around him either protected, tolerated, or helped his evil deeds. Without removing these tigers and wolves, ultimately dealing with Wang Tiangui remained empty talk. Yesterday Liu Sankuai’s story and Qiao Henian’s letter suggested a method of driving tigers and wolves away. He gathered the street runner clerks, planning to arrange these days’ work, then free his hands for his own business. Halfway through speaking, Short-legged Tiger and White Flower Snake, previously at odds with him, rushed in frantically.

“Third Manager, Wang Chi he…” The usually eloquent White Flower Snake stammered.

“What about Wang Chi?” Only then did Gu Pingyuan notice that Wang Chi, who usually sat silently keeping accounts in the corner, wasn’t present today.

“He went to Daping Bank, saying he’d tear down their signboard.” Short-legged Tiger blurted out impulsively.

“What!” Gu Pingyuan and all the street runners were shocked. Gu Pingyuan thought Daping Bank was Beijing merchants’ carefully laid business, Zhang Guangfa was deeply calculating—how could one Wang Chi tear it down? This trip might cause great trouble.

Besides him, other clerks thought likewise, so everyone rushed to Daping Bank. On the way, Gu Pingyuan finally understood the whole story.

Yesterday when Gu Pingyuan distributed his bonus silver as everyone’s dividend, even Wang Chi, Short-legged Tiger, and White Flower Snake, who hadn’t contributed at all, received shares. This silver was too hot to handle. Short-legged Tiger and White Flower Snake didn’t sleep all night, staring at the silver in their hands. At dawn when roosters crowed, Wang Chi came out to keep accounts as usual. These two nudged each other and slowly approached.

“Brother Wang, we’re going street running today.”

“Go ahead. New silk will soon hit the market—silk shops will need money again. Visit Manager Li and Young Master Pang more often.” Wang Chi put down his brush, instructing them.

White Flower Snake hesitated: “We… we’re going to Lujia Shed. I heard no clerk has been there yet.”

Lujia Shed had no wealthy households. Wang Chi paused, immediately understanding—these two were also going to help Gu Pingyuan.

“Brother Wang, we’re leaving.” Having nothing else to say, they bowed to Wang Chi before departing.

Wang Chi’s face slowly reddened. He stared at the dozen or so taels of silver on the table that Gu Pingyuan had left last night, which he hadn’t touched. Now he suddenly grabbed it forcefully and threw it out the window. Taking up his abacus, he strode out.

“Shanxi abacus, Jiangning scale! All merchants know this old saying.” Gu Pingyuan arrived at Daping Bank with his clerks, hearing Wang Chi standing beside the silver gourd speaking to Zhang Guangfa and Li Qin.

“What exactly are you doing?” Li Qin looked down on him.

“I’m a Taiyufeng clerk. Standing here today, I want to ask Daping Bank—what qualifies you to open a bank in Taigu?” Wang Chi said steadily.

“Just this silver gourd!” Li Qin raised his thumb.

“Gourds are dead, people are alive. Business depends on businessmen—your bank has no capable people!”

“Young man, don’t speak too arrogantly.” Zhang Guangfa had been listening. Initially puzzled by this sudden hothead, he now heard some meaning. “Are you saying my Daping Bank lacks capable people like you?”

“Correct. Daping Bank has been opposing our Taiyufeng lately. Rather than drag this out, better settle it early.”

Zhang Guangfa had completely seen through his intention but remained silent. Li Qin asked: “Settle it how?”

“Simple—as I just said, ‘Shanxi abacus, Jiangning scale.’ Shanxi merchants’ abacus skills are divine—no one in the Qing business world doesn’t know. Today I want to compete with you in abacus, gambling on victory or defeat.”

“You’re not qualified!” Li Qin spat. But Zhang Guangfa frowned darkly. Banks naturally had many skilled abacus users. Since the opponent dared challenge publicly despite knowing this, he undoubtedly had amazing skills. Better hear what he wanted to wager before deciding.

“If Daping Bank loses, smash this silver gourd! If I lose, I’ll personally remove Taiyufeng’s signboard!” Wang Chi’s words caused the watching crowd to roar. Whether silver gourd or signboard, both were their banks’ lifelines—this was life-or-death competition.

If common people reacted so, Gu Pingyuan’s street runner clerks were even more shocked. White Flower Snake murmured: “Has Brother Wang gone mad? What qualifies him to remove a bank’s signboard? How could Manager Wang allow it?” Short-legged Tiger stamped his foot: “I’ll drag him back!”

Just as he stepped forward, Gu Pingyuan blocked him with his arm. Short-legged Tiger looked sideways—Gu Pingyuan shook his head: “Can’t stop him.”

Zhang Guangfa’s heart fluctuated. This wager was too big—if they lost to this person and the silver gourd was smashed, Daping Bank would collapse. But if they won, even if this clerk wasn’t qualified to remove Taiyufeng’s signboard, the story “Taiyufeng challenged Daping Bank but returned defeated” would benefit their business immensely.

Zhang Guangfa couldn’t decide after much thought. Finally feeling unprepared battles shouldn’t be fought, just as he was about to politely decline, a voice suddenly called from outside the crowd: “We’ll gamble!”

Everyone was shocked. The crowd parted to let the speaker through. Zhang Guangfa hurried down the steps to that person, saying quietly: “Without diamond drill, don’t take porcelain work. Young Master Su, think carefully.”

Naturally it was Su Zixuan speaking. She said unconcernedly: “I own half this shop’s shares—I’m a financial backer and can make this decision. Just competing with abacus—91 abacus beads, upper and lower manipulation—what’s difficult?”

Wang Chi heard clearly and laughed coldly: “This young master talks big indeed. The abacus was created by the Yellow Emperor and improved by Lu Ban—dare you look down on it?”

“If I say it’s nothing, it’s nothing. You’ll see shortly. How shall we compete?”

Wang Chi’s method was fair: Daping Bank would randomly borrow an account book from any street shop, then time with incense to see who could calculate the accounts fastest—that person wins.

“Good!” Su Zixuan immediately agreed. Using the same account book, they’d naturally take turns calculating separately.

“Guests first! Please go ahead.”

Wang Chi wasn’t polite, having Daping Bank set up a table and chairs on the street and borrowing another abacus from their counter.

Two abacuses! This stunned the watching crowd. Wang Chi calmly lit an incense stick, looked unhurriedly at Su Zixuan: “Let me open your eyes to how 182 abacus beads work!” Finishing, his fingers flew like lightning, crackling the abacus. People watched his fingers move on the abacus, soon becoming dizzy.

This extraordinary skill truly amazed everyone. This commercial street was full of people who used abacuses daily. Fast calculation wasn’t remarkable, but like Wang Chi—using both hands on two abacuses—was unheard of.

While everyone gaped, Wang Chi had quickly and accurately calculated to the last page, writing expenditure, income, and surplus neatly on white paper and sealing it. Then he stood looking at the incense—only the third stick’s head had burned, barely two quarters of an hour.

“Brother Wang is truly a hidden master.” White Flower Snake among the street runners saw clearly. Being a skilled abacus user himself, he now sincerely admired: “Such a thick account book—if I calculated it, I’d need two hours.”

Gu Pingyuan was also stunned but not surprised. Though Wang Chi came in anger, he wasn’t reckless. Daring to challenge publicly, he naturally had confidence in victory. He just wondered why the usually clever Su Zixuan would so carelessly accept this challenge.

Wang Chi remained humble, standing and telling Su Zixuan: “Young master, your turn.” He took away his abacus, leaving only one on the table.

“Wait!” Su Zixuan pointed at Wang Chi’s abacus, then gestured for him to put it back on the table.

Wang Chi puzzledly complied. Su Zixuan smiled, sat down, lit an incense stick, then turned leisurely to Wang Chi: “Using two abacuses simultaneously is indeed convenient and fast. Let me try too—showing off before experts, forgive me.”

Wang Chi was amused. He’d practiced over ten years to achieve this skill, yet this Young Master Su wanted to try immediately—truly boastful. He thought: Let me see how you embarrass yourself.

Zhang Guangfa’s heart clenched, knowing they’d been careless. He didn’t believe Su Zixuan could instantly learn dual-handed abacus skills. If they lost to Taiyufeng next, how would this end?

“Sixi!” Su Zixuan called. Sixi smiled coyly, took a silk scarf to blindfold Su Zixuan’s eyes, then picked up the account book.

Another unexpected twist! People just recovered from surprise only to be confused by Su Zixuan’s unexpected move.

“My heavens!” Short-legged Tiger exclaimed quietly. No one believed their eyes—Su Zixuan not only used both hands lightning-fast on abacuses but was actually blindfolded, only listening as Sixi continuously read from the account book.

“April 29th, purchased one small barrel pine seed oil, silver price three taels two qian…”

“May 1st, purchased one set paper and ink, one pair copper bells, silver price five taels three qian six fen…”

“June 27th, Old Zhang’s family settled half-year accounts, paid 462 large coins to the counter, manager rounded down, collecting two less…”

Sixi never looked at Su Zixuan, reading the account book at incredible speed, turning pages with barely any pause, soon reaching the last page.

Su Zixuan lifted her hand, removed the blindfold, likewise wrote three numbers and gave them to Sixi. The incense had only burned to the second stick.