Green Mountain

Chen Zhe cupped his hands again, "Farewell."

Shen Ye leaned against a table, squinting as he watched the departing figures of Chen Zhe and Second Manager Ye: "Brother Ji, the person rushing to spend a fortune to buy these salt permits must be someone who wants to destroy you."

Chen Ji stood by the threshold without a word.

Brother Pao on the side took out a pipe, slowly filling it with tobacco. Chen Ji turned back to Brother Pao and said, "Pack the salt permits, the silver from selling those permits, and the salt shop's account books onto a cart and send them to the Chen family. They'll be needed tomorrow. I'm leaving."

Brother Pao responded with, "Rest assured," then held the pipe bowl to the candle flame, inhaling deeply a few times before blowing out a wisp of blue smoke.

Through the swirling smoke, the figure of Chen Ji seemed a bit blurry, as if slowly converging with the Chen Ji in his memory.

...

...

Second Manager Ye walked out of Meihua Ferry Crossing suppressing his anger, a group of men carrying boxes heading out of the city.

Upon leaving the Eight Great Hutongs, he turned to Chen Zhe: "What does Chen Yue mean by this? A salt permit for four taels of silver? I've never collected such a price in my life. I set the price for three taels, and those borderline people would still kneel begging me to take theirs!"

However, at this moment, Chen Yue's trusted aide Chen Bin walked out of the shadows of an alley: "Second Manager Ye, the Store Manager has instructed that it is only a matter of time before that boy discovers the private salt dealings. If you want to keep yourself clean, you must deal with all the private salt vendors under your command. It's time to cut your losses."

Second Manager Ye's expression changed, "Cut losses, my foot! Who does Chen Yue think he is to use my people as scapegoats the moment something goes wrong?"

Chen Bin earnestly stated, "Second Manager Ye, we are salt merchants with a Gang Register. How can we be involved with selling private salt?"

Second Manager Ye cursed loudly, "Damn nonsense! All these years, the silver from the salt shop was earned by me transporting private salt and mixing it with the shop's stock. Without me, could Chen Yue's accounts be clean? Without me, where would your yearly bonuses come from during the holidays? Now he's pretending to be squeaky clean?"

Chen Bin sighed softly, "Second Manager Ye, times have changed. Now that the Family Head has sent a new Landlord, it's time to clean up past matters."

Second Manager Ye sneered, "What, are you going to deal with me along with the private salt dealings I've been handling for years?"

Chen Bin stared at him without a word.

Second Manager Ye turned to run out of the alley, but as he turned, he saw the men carrying boxes had already set them down and drawn daggers from their waists.

Second Manager Ye shouted sharply, "Do you think you can handle the experts I've settled in the fields? Overestimating yourselves! If you can't deal with them, they will surely expose your scandals. Let me go now, and I'll handle it."

Chen Bin smiled, "No need, we have our own way."

A trace of doubt flashed in Second Manager Ye's eyes, then he suddenly understood, "It's Second Master, isn't it? It's Second Master who told you to do this, right? His Executive Officer is about to take action?!"

...

...

Early morning, between 5 to 7 AM.

Chen Ji carried a shoulder pole, stepping on the stone path back to Silver Apricot Garden.

As he entered the courtyard, he saw a middle-aged man waiting there, who was from Official Chen's side.

The man greeted him with courtesy, "Young Master, the Family Head sent me to invite you to Wendan Hall. He says there's an important matter to discuss."

Chen Ji carried the shoulder pole into the side room, pouring the water from the barrel into a vat: "Wait a moment."

The middle-aged man didn't urge him, instead keeping both hands tucked into his sleeves, curiously asked, "Doesn't the residence's servants fill the water vats in Silver Apricot Garden daily?"

Chen Ji explained with a smile, "No, I just have nothing better to do."

After emptying the two wooden buckets, he rolled down his sleeves: "Let's go."

The middle-aged man led the way in front, Chen Ji following behind. It seemed as if both had turned mute, unwilling to say an extra word.

Passing through Little Yingtai, they arrived at Wendan Hall. There, Official Chen, Chen Lizun, and Chen Lizhi sat inside, with Chen Wende standing behind Chen Lizhi. The Store Manager of the Chen Family Salt Shop, Chen Yue, stood in the hall, hands hanging down, while Chen Liqin was absent.

Several members of the Chen family were all dressed in red official robes, as if presiding over a court case.

The middle-aged man stepped over the threshold of Wendan Hall, speaking in a low voice, "Family Head, I've brought Chen Ji."

Official Chen said nothing, and Chen Lizhi continued to dab his eyelids with tea, also not speaking.

Chen Lizun looked at Chen Ji, asking seriously, "Chen Ji, the other day, the Family Head asked you to handle the salt shop's affairs. How is it progressing? Has anyone given you trouble?"

Chen Lizhi wiped the tea from his eyelids with his sleeve, opening his eyes to mock, "Big Brother, being biased shouldn't be like this. Today, we're summoning him for accountability, not to offer concern. If you can't say it, we will."

Chen Lizun's expression darkened, and he remained silent.

Chen Lizhi pointed at Chen Ji, and Chen Wende questioned, "Chen Ji, I heard that you took away the salt shop's account books and salt permits. Is there any truth to this?"

Chen Ji glanced at Chen Yue, then turned and humbly answered Chen Wende, "Brother, as the new Landlord of the salt shop, the first thing to do upon taking office is to review past accounts and inventory the storehouses. Why say 'taken away'?"

Chen Wende was unhurried: "If you want to audit, you can take the account books. Why take the salt permits too? With the salt permits gone, how can the Chen Family Salt Shop conduct business? For years, the salt bins have been empty, and outsiders would mock the Chen family for lacking talent if they saw it."

Chen Ji calmly responded, "To exchange a salt permit for salt, then transport it from the nearest Han Gu to the Imperial Capital with mules and carts would take at least seven days. How could the salt shop not continue merely because I just took the permits? From this, it follows that whether I took the permits or not, there was actually no salt available to buy in the shop then."