Chapter 11: The Antique Shop Incident

  Ma Laohei pulled Mu Ya straight to Rong Bao Zhai, the young man running behind him. Although this young fellow was young, he was still panting with exhaustion, and compared to Ma Laohei who had been pulling carts for years, he was far inferior. There was no change in front of Rong Bao Zhai, only the big gate was closed tightly, what happened inside, people outside could not know.

  Just now, a young shop assistant from Rongbaozhai came to the Zhongyiwu Martial Arts Hall with a message from Tong Baosheng. He said that several suspicious big men had come to Rongbaozhai to force them to buy and sell goods by strong-arm tactics. At this time of year, businesses usually encounter similar problems, which are generally settled privately. Although they suffer economic losses, the matter can be resolved amicably. If reported to the authorities, it is common for the police to take bribes from both the plaintiff and the defendant, resulting in even greater losses.

  Mu Ya Ping got off the car and went to push the door, but it was locked from inside. A young man shouted from behind the door, "The boss is here!" The door opened a crack, and a burly-looking guy looked out through the opening, then scanned around cautiously before letting them in. Mu Ya Ping saw Tong Baosheng sitting on a chair, with a tall, muscular man standing beside him, holding a single-shot pistol aimed at Tong's head.

  Tong Baosheng's face turned pale, and his whole body trembled. On the right side of the hall, the shop assistants were squatting densely on the ground, with several men holding daggers staring at them fiercely. Next to the burly man with a gun, there was also a man with a pale face, who looked somewhat refined in appearance but had very sharp eyes, and he was coldly sizing up Mu Yapeng who had just entered.

  Tong Baosheng saw Mu Yapeng walk in, as if he had met a savior and hurriedly wanted to get up. Just then, "Don't move, or I'll take your life!" the big man shouted, holding his gun to Tong Baosheng's head. Seeing this scene, Mu Yapeng became calm instead. He judged that these people were here to extort money, not to kill or rob.

  Mu Ya Ping clasped his hands together and said, "Gentlemen, I don't know how our humble shop has offended you. Please put down your knives and guns, let's talk things over." The big man spoke up, "Damn it, I've got a few antiques here that I brought to your store to sell, but this little brat didn't even recognize their value, saying they're worthless! We came all the way here because of the great reputation of Rong Bao Zhai!"

  Mu Ya Ping saw that on the ground there were indeed copper utensils and ceramic bowls. Only then did Tong Baosheng explain, "Young master, these few antiques are only worth a few dozen silver dollars, but they actually want thousands of big oceans, this is also too bullying." The big man was about to roar, when the refined gentleman said, "You are the big shopkeeper, presumably you won't be blind to treasures?"

  Mu Ya Ping smiled and said: "Everyone, please calm down. Isn't it said that a harmonious atmosphere generates wealth?" He picked up a rusty copper utensil from the ground, examined it carefully, and said: "Who says it's worthless? I think it's a good thing, Master Tong is short-sighted. These antiques are worth at least 2,000 taels of silver. Give me the silver ticket immediately, I'll buy these antiques for 2,000 taels."

  Tong Baosheng looked at Mu Yaping with some disbelief, but under Mu Yaping's gaze, he had no choice but to hand over the silver ticket. Soon Tong Baosheng handed over the silver ticket to the big Han, who then handed it over to the refined man for inspection. The refined man put the silver ticket in his pocket, a smile spreading across his face as he said: "Boss Tong is indeed chivalrous, Rongbaozhai's reputation is well-deserved! I'll take my leave now, we'll meet again another day, brothers let's go!"

  Just as the group of strong men were about to leave in a line, Mu Ya Ping shouted: "Wait!" The big men immediately pulled out their things again, and the elegant man asked: "What do you want to do?" Mu Ya Ping said: "I am the eldest young master of the Mu Mansion. Today, all of you good men have come to our humble abode, and I feel extremely honored. Do you gentlemen have the courage? Let's continue to drink and chat." The big man with a face full of flesh was somewhat puzzled, and the elegant man said: "Thank you, Young Master Mu, for your hospitality. We'll take our leave now!" Then the crowd left in a hurry.

  Mu Ya Ping gazed at their departing figures, seemingly lost in thought, a sly smile spreading across his face. Tong Bao Sheng appeared to have recovered from his frightened state and said: "Young Master, what's the meaning of this? You gave them 500 taels of silver, enough to send them packing. If we continue to be so extravagant, our Rong Bao Zhai will go bankrupt. In my opinion, that group of people are just bandits. This time they got a taste of sweetness, next time they'll come again."

  Mu Ya Ping said: "Tong Shifu, you should understand the principle of breaking fortune to avoid disaster. I don't want to hurt any of the shop's employees, they are the real treasures. Money can be earned again if lost, but if people are gone, everything is over. Tong Shifu, these bandits didn't rob openly, which means they have at least a bit of conscience. I'm not afraid of them coming back, I welcome them to come back."

  Tong Baosheng was shocked and said, "Young Master, are you going to make friends with the bandits?" Mu Yapeng said, "I don't dare guarantee whether they will come back or not. If we can get acquainted with a group of heroic outlaws, why not?" Tong Baosheng seemed to be completely unfamiliar with Mu Yapeng and was shocked, saying, "Young Master, absolutely not! Rongbaozhai has a reputation outside, if you join forces with the bandits, your reputation will be ruined, let alone if our colleagues find out, we won't be able to do business in this line anymore."

  Mu Ya Ping smiled and said: "I won't collude with them to do anything bad, as long as you keep it confidential, outsiders won't know. Master Tong, this is just a private conversation between us, don't let the others know. In the future, if we have dealings with them, I'll take care of it myself and won't involve you, so rest assured!"

  The group of strong men carefully exchanged their silver dollars at the bank and quickly left the city. Outside the city, they were met by someone who had come to receive them, and then they mounted their horses and headed northwest. After entering the mountains for no more than two days, they arrived at the foot of a mountain peak, where they saw that the mountain was tall and dense with trees, and the terrain was treacherous. In front of them, a small mountain path wound its way up to the summit. As soon as they appeared, some hidden underlings came out to greet them.

  A group of people started climbing the mountain, with a tall and burly man leading the way. He had a scar above his eyebrow and a wide grin on his face as he said, "This deal is going too smoothly, we'll be able to settle down at Peony Peak in no time, and Big Brother will finally be at ease." The refined-looking man beside him said, "I observed that young Master Mu seems to want to make friends with us, it's really hard to imagine." The burly man sneered, "Do you think that young master is being genuine?"

  Wang Debiao, 25 years old, is a tall and sturdy man with a scar on his face. Jiang Sen, 30 years old, has studied in a private school for several years and claims to be the military advisor of the group. Their leader, Chen Zhan Shan, recently fled to Mudan Peak. Previously, they had been active on the edge of the western grasslands. Once, in a fierce battle with horse bandits, they were almost annihilated. To survive, they escaped eastward and settled at the foot of Mudan Peak.

  They fled to Mudan Peak with only about 30 people left, and half of them were injured. Since they had escaped in a hurry, they hadn't eaten or drunk anything and didn't have any money. They had thought about robbing merchant caravans, but with just a few crude guns in hand, they didn't dare to take action. Just as it seemed like they couldn't open the pot, Jiang Sen boldly came up with this idea. Although there was great risk involved, it wasn't a bad plan either.

  They then gathered a pile of junk, which led to this trip to the capital. They didn't expect extortion and blackmail to be so smooth. Especially Wang Debiao couldn't stop praising Erge's clever plan. However, Jiang Sen was not convinced, as Mu Ya Ping's image kept appearing in his mind all along the way, because Mu Ya Ping had left a very deep impression on him.

  Wang Debiao broke the silence and said, "Second brother, Mu Shaoye of Rongbaozhai is indeed extraordinary. This person is unpredictable, perhaps he is just afraid of us and that's why he yielded." Jiang Sen refuted, "Not so, I have observed Mu Shaoye to be very composed, absolutely not a incompetent person. His generosity is not because he is yielding to us. I have an idea, if we can establish a relationship with him in the future, we will definitely be able to navigate the capital like fish in water." Wang Debiao said, "I'm afraid this person might set a trap for us, it's better to be cautious."

  Big Brother Chen Zhan Shan was anxiously waiting in the cave on Mudan Peak, when he suddenly heard that his second and third brothers were returning with great fanfare and a substantial harvest. He was overjoyed and ordered his underlings to buy pigs, sheep, and grain wine to celebrate for three days on the mountain. As they chatted with their two brothers, they understood the ins and outs of what had happened. Chen asked Jiang Sen: "Old Two, did Young Master Mu really say that when you left?" Wang Debiao took over and said: "Big Brother, I can attest that it's not false at all."

  Jiang Sen said: "If we want to stay in Mudan Peak, we must rely on the business of the capital. Therefore, I suggest that Big Brother should contact Mu Shao Ye and explore the situation. In my personal opinion, the conclusion is that this person can be trusted. Taking a step back, if we make friends with such a wealthy and generous friend, when we are in trouble, he will definitely lend a helping hand. I won't misjudge."

  Chen Zhan Shan said: "Since the second is so sure, another day we will go down the mountain and meet this kid in Beijing." The terrain of Peony Peak was extremely dangerous, with a natural stone cave on the mountain that was warm in winter and cool in summer. This place was indeed a good spot for the howling mountains and forests, where a group of bandits had taken refuge, making the quiet forest appear lively.

  Tong Baosheng told Mu Yaping that in just a few days, he had already spent three thousand dollars. If the old master found out, it would be disastrous. Seeing Tong Baosheng's anxious expression, Mu Yaping comforted him and promised to fill the gap by the end of the year. He also said that if things went smoothly, he could make a big profit. Frankly speaking, Tong Baosheng didn't believe his words at all, but since things had come to this point, he had no choice.

  That night, Mu Ya Ping returned very late and turned into his own alley, seeing a figure in front of him walking unsteadily. Mu Ya Ping thought to himself, "So late, who is this drunkard?" As they brushed past each other, Mu Ya discovered it was his third brother, He Ping. He quickly got out of the car to support He Ping, only to hear He Ping's unclear words: "Big...brother, you've also gone out to have fun, if there's a good place, don't forget to tell me." Mu Ya Ping supported He Ping as they walked straight towards their room.

  Xiangyun was reading under the lamp when she saw Mu Yaoping supporting Heping, who was drunk and staggering, walk in. She seemed unperturbed as she helped Heping onto the bed. Mu Yaoping asked: "Xiangyun, tell me the truth, is Heping often like this when he comes back?" Xiangyun sighed and said: "Big brother, I'm sorry to let you see him like this, but Heping is troubled in his heart, I understand him."

  Mu Ya Ping asked, "What's wrong with He Ping?" Xiang Yun said, "Big brother, don't ask, maybe he'll be fine after a while." Mu Ya Ping decided to take out some time to properly discipline He Ping, and couldn't let him continue to degenerate like this.