Wen Kexing and Zhang Chengling glanced back to see Gu Xiang skipping towards them. Oddly enough, following behind her was Cao Weining. Wen Kexing could not come up with an explanation for these two had ended up together, but before he could even ask, Gu Xiang chattered on like beans spilling from a cup, “I couldn’t find you yesterday, so I went to look for you, and I heard this Cao-dage[5] say you and Zhou Xu brought that Zhang kid away, and he volunteered to take me out to look for you!”

Cao Weining grinned dumbly, and repeated, “It’s my pleasure, it’s my pleasure.”

Gu Xiang continued, “Master, Cao-dage isn’t only righteous, he’s also well-educated, let me tell you…”

Wen Kexing wanted to pretend that he didn’t know the two of them, and pulled Zhang Chengling into the tavern.

Chapter 34: Lady Vixen

When Zhou Zishu walked into the bank once more, it wasn’t only the shopkeeper who came out to welcome him.

Upon hearing of his arrival, a plump, fortunate-looking man strode out to welcome him. This man had thin brows, thin eyes, and a fleshy nose, his face like a fluffy white bun that had just been taken out of the steamer; it was a pleasing, affable face. Bowing slightly, the shopkeeper very respectfully followed two steps behind this man.

Once he saw Zhou Zishu, he first froze for a moment, before asking, probing, “Are you...Lord Zhou?”

Zhou Zishu smiled, saying, “Why, does Pingan no longer recognise me?”

This man who had come out to welcome him was Boss Song of the “Pingan Bank”, Song Pingan. Rumour had it that this man was originally the housekeeper of the Nanning Manor, who came out into the world to start a trading business with some of his savings after his master had passed. Not even a few years had passed, and his business was thriving.

His ventures were everywhere across the country; he never stopped shuttling from one place to another, and no one knew where he would be. Many traders knew that this Boss Song was shrewd at business, but was a rare sort who was righteous and not cunning. Gradually, with great testimonies and ambition to spare, the Song business prospered.

Extremely excited, he ordered the shopkeeper to close up shop, dismissed the assistants, cleaned the place, and invited Zhou Zishu to sit, saying, “This servant was originally near Yangzhou, but I hurried over once I heard the news. Have my subordinates ever given my lord unsatisfactory service? My master has been missing you for a good few years!”

Right after, Pingan lowered his voice. “Many thanks to Lord Zhou, for concealing the news about my master leaving the capital all those years ago, so we can have these few years of peace.”

Zhou Zishu took a sip of tea, smiling. “It’s no trouble at all, is Seventh Lord faring well?”