Chapter 172: Chapter 162: Fated to Encounter Villains
The man briefly glanced up, his gaze landing on the one with the surname Zhang, his eyes suddenly brightened, "Isn’t this Brother Zhang? Did you get out so soon?"
The scholar with the surname Zhang’s face darkened, "What nonsense are you talking?"
The man said, "Brother Zhang, you really have a short memory." Then he looked beside him, "And Brother Lin, we met in the government office’s prison a few months ago. You even said when you got out, you’d treat me to a drink. What’s up? You both really can’t remember anything?"
Upon hearing these scholars had been imprisoned, the store worker’s expression changed several times. Taking advantage while the group wasn’t watching, he quietly went to report to the shopkeeper.
Currently, during the provincial examination period, every inn hopes the scholars staying are virtuous and accomplished, so when they become scholars, the inn would have a live advertisement. When mentioning a particular Mr. Scholar stayed at their inn before passing, it becomes a "prosperous place," and one can imagine how booming the business would be in the future.
So at this time, even if the other party offers money, no inn is willing to ruin their reputation.
After listening, the shopkeeper immediately made the decision, instructing the worker, "Go out and tell them the inn is full, we can’t accommodate them."
The scholars who had been imprisoned were full of blemishes; once they moved in and were recognized, is his business even doable?
When the store worker went out again, the previously scruffy man was already gone, leaving only the group of people with ugly expressions standing there.
The store worker took a couple of steps forward, his face with an apologetic smile, "Sorry, patrons, but the inn is full. If you want to stay, perhaps look elsewhere?"
One of them yelled angrily, "Nonsense, there were rooms available when we just came in, and now you suddenly say there aren’t any. What, you look down on us, thinking we can’t afford to stay?"
The store worker hurriedly said, "I’m truly sorry. We really don’t have any vacant rooms. I’m just a runner, I beg the patrons not to trouble me."
The scholar with the surname Zhang sneered, "You say there are none, and there are none? Dare you take us up to see?"
At that moment, the shopkeeper came out from the backyard, smiling a typical business smile, "Patrons, don’t trouble the runner. Our inn is indeed full, the rooms upstairs are occupied. If you go up to see, it will disturb other guests, which is unsuitable. Besides, even the province doesn’t have the rule allowing guests to inspect rooms one by one.
This is the situation. If you feel our inn has not treated guests well, you can naturally complain to the government office. We’ll talk in public court."
At the mention of "public court," the faces of the previously imprisoned group changed instantly.
Hao Yun stepped forward at the right moment, "You must be the shopkeeper, right? Earlier, we didn’t assess the situation clearly, almost causing conflict with the store worker. I apologize on behalf of my brothers."
Saying this, he made a bow.
The one with the surname Zhang pulled Hao Yun, "Brother Hao, you’re too kind-hearted. We didn’t do anything wrong, why apologize to him? Don’t forget, you are the top scorer of the academy exam, a first-class Scholar, you don’t need to kneel before the official, can you lower yourself to apologize to a swindler?"
The shopkeeper’s smile faded a little.
Hao Yun said no more, leading the group out of the inn.
When outside, he turned his head to glance upstairs, lightly sighed, "What a pity, couldn’t stay at this inn."
The one with the surname Zhang spoke disdainfully, "If we can’t stay, we can’t stay. We’ll just change to another place. Anyway, none of us are taking exams, we’re here to support you. What’s the difference where?"
Is that so?
Hao Yun’s lips curled into a vague smile.
Some things, they had to get into this inn to encounter that person and spark a conflict for them to happen!
Unfortunately, although he calculated everything, he didn’t account for a "prison mate" appearing midway and directly exposing their dark past, alerting the inn’s shopkeeper.
It was a futile arrangement.
——
Xie Zheng stood by the window of Song Wei’s room, watching as Hao Yun and the others walked away, then turned to Song Wei, who was engrossed in a book, "They’ve left."
Song Wei responded with a hum, unsurprised.
After all, they were merely inexperienced scholars, not like the street hooligans. No matter how bold, they valued their reputation, fearing the matter would escalate for the whole inn to know they had been imprisoned, so they could leave so quickly.
That’s precisely why he let Xie Zheng bribe beggars to stir up trouble.
Otherwise, if those people really came up to meet him, a dispute and fight would be inevitable, and before the inn could catch fire, there’d be deaths first.