He turned to look at Ye Chongming, waiting for his instructions.

Ye Chongming narrowed his eyes slightly as he glanced at the Gong family’s home, and said expressionlessly, “Let’s go.”

The group followed Ye Chongming out of Gong Village. Only then did he instruct Wu Qingping, “We’ll wait for you here. Go into the village and ask about the situation.”

Gong Village was nestled in a mountain valley. Gong Daniu’s family had the most tea gardens and was considered wealthy in the village. Other families also had small tea gardens and had previously sold to the Ye family alongside Gong Daniu’s family. Because their tea fields were small, villagers also relied on hunting, farming, and herb gathering for their livelihood.

The village included various surnames, with uneven wealth distribution. The entire village wasn’t unified. As long as money was offered, information could be obtained.

Wu Qingping had come here to collect tea in previous years and had dealt with the villagers, so he naturally knew the village situation.

He agreed and walked back. After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, he returned, panting heavily, and reported to Ye Chongming, “Old Master, tea merchants from elsewhere came before us to purchase tea, offering quite high prices. Usually, the people of Gong Village wouldn’t sell to them, but they spread rumors saying…”

He glanced at Ye Chongming and didn’t dare continue.

Wu Qingping had previously visited these villages with Ye Hongchang, knew the routes well, and was familiar with each village’s situation, which is why Ye Chongming had brought him along.

He didn’t know about Meng Chengwei or the situation. He only thought some outside tea merchants were causing trouble.

“Speak!” Ye Chongming said sternly.

“That person spread rumors that our Ye family tea shop had serious problems and lost a lot of silver. They said we don’t have money to buy tea now. Even if we collected all the spring tea next year, it wouldn’t fill the hole, and their tea would be wasted.”

Wu Qingping paused here and continued: “Because of this, Gong Daniu sent his son specifically to leave the mountain and inquire at our tea collection point. He discovered that we were indeed not giving actual silver but tea currency, and also required everyone to sign red contracts at the government office. Gong Daniu then persuaded the villagers to agree to pre-order tea to that outside tea merchant.”

Ye Chongming’s face darkened.

Although he had already anticipated that Meng Chengwei was behind this, having it confirmed still made him furious.

Moreover, Gong Daniu had taken benefits from Liu Qilin, which is why his son would distort the facts this way. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have described the Ye family’s situation to the villagers like that.

The accompanying people were also angry, cursing under their breath.

“Let’s go back to the villa,” Ye Chongming said.

Wu Qingping was stunned. “We’re not going to Wang Family Hollow?”

Ye Chongming shook his head: “Gong Daniu is worried we’ll hold a grudge and retaliate against him, so he’ll unite with Wang Family Hollow.”

Wu Qingping nodded, agreeing with Ye Chongming’s conjecture.

Wang Family Hollow wasn’t far from Gong Village, and the two villages had intermarried. Gong Daniu’s mother was from Wang Family Hollow. Since he had received the news and firmly believed it, he would certainly notify the people of Wang Family Hollow.

“I should still go have a look, just in case. Besides, we’ve bought their tea in previous years. If we don’t even inquire this year, they might turn around and accuse us of breaking the contract, which would harm our reputation,” he said.

This was exactly what Ye Chongming had in mind.

However, he had his methods for managing subordinates. As a newcomer, he would offer guidance. But Wu Qingping had been a manager for many years. If he couldn’t think of this, or was unwilling to make the effort and pretended not to have thought of it, Ye Chongming would send someone else to Wang Family Hollow. But then it would be difficult for Wu Qingping to rise in position later.

“Very well, I’ll have Meng Ji and a guard go with you,” Ye Chongming said.

He immediately assigned a guard to accompany Wu Qingping to Wang Family Hollow, while Ye Chongming himself returned to the villa. On the way, he sent Zhou Xiang and two guards to a nearby village where contracts had already been signed to gather information.

He wanted to know if those rumors had spread there and how the village tea growers were reacting.

By nightfall, both Zhou Xiang’s and Wu Qingping’s groups returned at the same time.

“How did it go?” Ye Chongming had rested for half a day but still looked fatigued.

With age, recovery was slower.

Wu Qingping, being a manager with higher status, spoke first: “Wang Family Hollow has indeed joined Gong Village in pre-ordering tea to that outside tea merchant. Just as you guessed, it was Gong Daniu who persuaded them.”

The attendant who had gone with Wu Qingping had been angered and said with indignation: “Hmph, this Gong Daniu is truly heartless. When his father was ill, it was the Old Master who sent a physician to treat him, allowing him to live several more years. Now he not only betrays our family but also persuades the people of Wang Family Hollow to join him. What an ungrateful wretch!”

Ye Chongming ignored him. Such words were useless now.

He turned his gaze to Zhou Xiang: “How about your group?”

Zhou Xiang said, “Those people probably just started pre-ordering tea today. They began at the eastern mountain foot, first going to Gong Village, then to Wang Family Hollow, and then heading south. When we reached Half Mountain Village, they had just entered the village.”

These people’s route was exactly opposite to theirs.

If they hadn’t moved quickly, starting with the larger villages with more tea growers, they might have lost some tea growers to them.

Ye Chongming became serious: “Did you see them? What surname and name?”

Zhou Xiang hadn’t mentioned names initially because Wu Qingping and another manager were present, and he wasn’t sure if the Old Master wanted them to know about Meng Chengwei’s group.

Now that Ye Chongming asked, he said: “I caught a glimpse from afar. The leader was dressed in fine silks and satins, about thirty years old, called Liu Qilin. He was accompanied by several attendants and guards.”

“Liu Qilin!” Ye Chongming’s eyes narrowed.

It was indeed Meng Chengwei’s people, as expected.

“What did the people of Half Mountain Village say?” Ye Chongming asked Zhou Xiang.

“They were half-believing, half-doubtful, and arguing continuously. Some said you have been kind to Half Mountain Village, and that the tea currency can be exchanged and even earns interest. Those who don’t want tea currency but want actual silver can still get it, showing that the Ye family is not short of money. Anyway, contracts have been signed, and they’re red contracts. The village headman is not only willing to guarantee but also willing to go to the government office to establish the contract, proving that the rumors spread by that Meng person are false.”

“Liu Qilin knows we’ve pre-ordered the tea. How did they react?” Ye Chongming asked.

“Hmph,” Zhou Xiang sneered, “When they heard from the villagers that we had gotten there before them, they were dumbfounded.”

“Because contracts had been signed, and they were red contracts, they knew that no matter how eloquently they spoke or how much money they offered, the villagers wouldn’t sell their tea to them. They had no choice but to leave with their tails between their legs.”

“I gave a few copper coins to some village children to eavesdrop on their conversation. Those two men plan to stop traveling and find a place to stay. They’ll return to Meng Chengwei the day after tomorrow and report that they went to seven or eight villages, but the tea from these villages had all been pre-ordered by the Ye family using tea currency. Despite their best efforts to persuade, those people wouldn’t change their minds.”