Transmigration: Space-Aided Rise to Power and Prosperity-Chapter 328 - 164: Mr. Hu

"Steward, our request isn’t unreasonable, is it? You took our Silver, but when the River Bandits came, if it weren’t for the brave young man on board, we would all be dead by now! I’m not asking for much, just return the Silver we originally paid and give each of us ten taels of Silver as compensation. Isn’t that reasonable?"

One of the passengers shouted; he only wanted ten taels of Silver, whereas originally, during the commotion, it was said to be twenty taels!

"Oh dear! My good sir, you saw it too. Several people on our boat died this time. We still need to compensate the families of those two passengers. We even lost four crew members. They too have families to support, and we need to compensate them. Plus, the damage to the ship was so extensive; selling it wouldn’t cover the costs!"

The steward was close to tears; this trip had been a complete loss. If his master found out, he wouldn’t be able to keep his job. Moreover, these people only cared about pressing him; how could he have Silver with him? The fare collected earlier wasn’t even handed to him; another steward took it. Yet this group just didn’t believe him, insisting he had the Silver.

With everyone so agitated, he dared not act forcefully and could only console them, fearing further trouble might arise.

Gu Chengyu listened to a few sentences and shook his head. It’s useless to seek out this steward; he wasn’t the one in charge.

"Young lord, please wait!" Just as Gu Chengyu was about to enter his room, a voice called from behind, clearly directed at him.

He turned around to see the man from the stern of the boat the other day, unsure what business he had with him.

"Young lord! My master wishes to converse with you. Do you have the time?" Although Hui An was asking respectfully, his demeanor was somewhat arrogant.

Gu Chengyu took a measure of the attendant before him. Judging by his manner of speaking, it seemed he held a high position among their household’s servants. This demeanor clearly indicated he sought something, yet the master summoned him repeatedly without showing himself, possibly a habit of someone accustomed to wielding authority.

Since the invitation was persistent, despite the lack of sincerity, Gu Chengyu was somewhat intrigued and saw no harm in meeting.

"Let’s go then!" Gu Chengyu closed the door and waited for Hui An to lead the way.

Hui An hadn’t expected Gu Chengyu to agree so readily this time, especially since previous invitations had been met with silence.

As Hui An turned to lead the way, he couldn’t help but think how insistent the master was, even granting such favor to this young man.

Gu Chengyu followed Hui An to a room at the back near the stern, where a middle-aged man stood with his back to them, gazing out at the undulating waves of the river.

"M... Mr. Hu! The young lord is here!" Hui An faltered as he spoke, breaking into a cold sweat, nearly letting something slip!

Gu Chengyu noticed the pause in Hui An’s tone, narrowing his eyes and smirking slightly.

The man turned around, smiling at Gu Chengyu, and said, "Please, have a seat!"

Gu Chengyu took a brief look at the man, noticing his ordinary attire and lack of adornments, except for the ring on his thumb when he poured tea. The ring was made of Mutton Fat Jade, not a common item.

"My surname is Hu. When the River Bandits attacked, we could only save our lives thanks to the young lord. I admire your noble character and integrity. This cup of tea is a substitute for wine in your honor." Mr. Hu said, lifting the tea bowl and drinking it all.

Gu Chengyu quickly replied, "Mr. Hu, you are too kind! As long as I was on the boat, intervening was only natural, noble character and integrity are beyond me. When the nest is overturned, how could any egg remain intact? I acted for my own sake, truly undeserving of such praise!"

"Ah~ without the young lord, we would have all become victims of the River Bandits. Please, don’t be modest!" Mr. Hu adjusted his robe, leaning forward slightly, and then changed the ring on his finger.

Gu Chengyu’s eyes dimmed; the fiddling with the robe was reminiscent of a scholar. The spinning of the ring was typically a habitual gesture when someone was thinking. This affirmed a bit more of Gu Chengyu’s earlier suspicions.

"Not at all, truly, it’s too much praise. Is Mr. Hu from Jingyuan Prefecture?" Gu Chengyu noted that the conversation had yet to move to the main topic, so he was in no rush. After all, he wasn’t the one with requests; since the other party wasn’t hurried, why should he be?

Indeed, as Gu Chengyu was observing Mr. Hu, Mr. Hu was also observing him.

This young man, at this moment, seemed nothing like the decisive and resourceful swordsman that Hui An described. He looked more like a young gentleman from a wealthy family, clearly well-mannered, without a flaw in etiquette.

"No, I’m not. This time I went to Jingyuan Prefecture for business. I am originally from the Capital. Have more to drink; this is some Maofeng tea I acquired elsewhere. Taste it!" Mr. Hu poured another cup of tea and gestured for Gu Chengyu to drink.

Gu Chengyu had tasted it earlier; this Maofeng was spring tea with a fragrance, bitter but not astringent, undoubtedly spring tea. Yet now, he focused less on the tea and more on Mr. Hu’s finger. The thick callus at the first joint of the ring finger suggested he was a scholar.

Only scholars develop such thick calluses in that spot from years of writing. Ming Mo had previously mentioned Mr. Hu as a merchant, but would a merchant have so much time for writing? Of course, it’s possible for scholar-merchants to have such hobbies, but such thick calluses were unlikely for a merchant.

A businessman, traveling often, even if writing daily, wouldn’t practice long.

"This is indeed good tea. It seems Mr. Hu is also a tea enthusiast!" Seeing but not revealing, what concern were another’s affairs to him?

"Oh? The young lord is also a kindred spirit?" Mr. Hu laughed heartily, now showing some of his bold nature.

Gu Chengyu lifted the tea to his lips, secretly curling his mouth, thinking that his act wasn’t convincing; he seemed strict by nature.

The two circled around the issue, neither mentioning the main topic. Hu Maoshen was quite frustrated; this youth’s demeanor was truly calm, patiently spiraling the conversation. From their talk, he could tell the young lord wasn’t impulsive like others, astute and shrewd. Whether he could help them remained unknown.

Moreover, it wasn’t certain the young lord would agree. Seeing their attendant’s dagger adorned with gemstones on the hilt and scabbard spoke of extravagance! They had nothing that could sway him; the boy didn’t seem like the young dandy from a Martial Arts Family as Hui An had claimed.

"It seems we share a lot in common, quite the affinity!"

Gu Chengyu earnestly listened to Mr. Hu’s ramblings, regretting staying as it would have been better to return for some sleep. The matter Mr. Hu wished to entrust him with surely wasn’t trivial, and he had no desire to be embroiled in any disputes.

Nonetheless, the long talk suggested they were approaching the main issue.