Chapter 1220: TangNing Accidental meeting (1/2)
Chapter 1220: [TangNing] Accidental meeting
Manager Wu’s actions were obviously asking them to leave. Tang Li looked at his gesture and felt his temper flaring. For the sake of his wife and daughter, he’d thought hard and rushed the journey just to give them a peaceful place to pass the New Year’s in joy. The snowstorm outside was getting bigger and bigger, but they were in the middle of nowhere with no other villages or inns in sight. Where were they supposed to go? Stay in their horse carriage for New Year’s?
Little Tang Tang could sense her father’s anger and poked out her head, staring curiously at Manager Wu with her bright, big eyes. It was very cute.
“Suppose I say it’s inconvenient?” Tang Li asked coldly.
Manager Wu could clearly tell that Tang Li was unhappy, but he politely replied, “Sir Tang, I’m really very sorry. Please tell me how much compensation you need. I’ll pay it all accordingly.”
Tang Li gave a cold snort while Ning Jing remained silent as she took little Tang Tang from his arms. She went to sit on the sidelines and wait, clearly not intending to leave. Seeing this, Manager Wu was put in a difficult spot. “Sir and Madam, I am not the owner either, so I can’t call the shots! If you two won’t leave and the boss blames me, I’ll have to resign as well! Please take this as me begging you.”
“This is such a huge teahouse. What could have happened to prevent our family of three from staying one night? It’s New Year’s Eve and the snow is pouring outside. We even have a child with us, but you insist that we leave? Manager Wu, you tell me whether that’s right or not? Can a business last long if it doesn’t abide by the morals?” Ning Jing couldn’t help piping up.
This tea plantation was big enough to house at least a few dozen courtyards. Tang Li had spent a lot of money to reserve the entire place, but under these circumstances, he was willing to take a single courtyard for themselves. That was also the full extent to which they’d yield.
Tang Li lazily sat down in a chair and crossed one leg over the other. “Hmph. Fine, we can leave. Have your owner come out and convince me with a reasonable excuse first! Otherwise...do you believe I’ll set fire to this own place just to amuse my daughter?”
It wasn’t clear whether litle Tang Tang understood his words, but she nestled close to her mother and matched his act with giggles.
Manager Wu knew nothing of Tang Li’s origins, but he knew this was a considerable man. How else could he have managed to reserve the entire teahouse? He hesitated once more, then told the truth, “Sir and Madam, I won’t hide the facts. Two hours ago, two important VIPs entered the teahouse and reserved the entire place as well…”
Tang Li slammed the table and rose to his feet. “This sir sent in reservations days ago! What do you mean by this? What, we don’t count as VIPs? I’d like to see those so-called important guests of yours!”
“Sir Tang, please calm your anger!” Manager Wu’s face took on a mysterious expression as he lowered his voice, “Sir Tang, those two masters aren’t people I can afford to offend. You two can’t, either. It’s not that I don’t want your business, but that I can’t take it. Understand? Please listen to my entreaties and leave, quickly. I’ll send men to open the roads for you and promise to send you safely to a town. I’m also willing to pay you thrice for what you lost!”
“I can’t afford to offend them? Just because of that, you won’t follow the rules? I’ll tell you now, besides my big brother and sister-in-law, there’s no one else in the world I can’t afford to offend! Lead the way. I’m going to see those guests right now and teach them what it means to be ‘first come, first served!’” The more Tang Li thought, the more annoyed he felt. How could they run into this situation before the New Year’s? He had to vent somehow.
Manager Wu finally lost his patience as well and grew serious. “Sir and Madam, don’t refuse a toast only to drink a forfeit.”
But he’d hardly spoken before a hidden dart whizzed past his mouth, leaving a long bloody gasp that stunned him. He was still wondering what had happened when Tang Li started playing with another dart that had appeared between his fingers.
He looked at Manager Wu with amusement as he grinned. “This sir will give you enough time to brew a cup of tea to invite your distinguished guests here. Just say that I’m inviting them to drink a forfeit!”
Manger Wu was simply a businessman and knew nothing of martial arts. He trembled in fear and fled. But soon enough, a team of sword-wielding pageboys took his place to surround Tang Li’s family of three.
“Courting death!” Tang Li cursed as more darts appeared in his hands. All of them aimed for vital points but didn’t take any lives. After all, he didn’t want to kill people in front of little Tang Tang.
Ning Jing held her daughter in her arms and covered her eyes, but little Tang Tang peeked through the cracks fearlessly. She even started to laugh before tugging her mother’s hand down to clap her own. “Daddy, good! Daddy great great!”
Tang Li took care of the pageboys in seconds before chuckling at his daughter. “Was that fun?”
“Yes! Fun!” Little Tang Tang grew so excited even her childish words came smoothly.
“Come, daddy will take you outside to play!” Most of Tang Li’s temper evaporated in the face of his daughter’s smile, but that didn’t mean things were over. He held little Tang Tang and told Ning Jing, “Follow behind me. Let’s go amuse our daughter.”
Ning Jing had no objections as she came along.
Husband and wife guarded against any more pageboys as they headed deeper into the teahouse. Besides the sound of Tang Li’s flying darts, there was only the laughter of little Tang Tang. After they’d walked far enough, various shadow guards emerged from the darkness, including their leader, Xu Donglin.