Nan Jiu ignored the uncomfortable gazes cast her way and began introducing the tea menu in English.
As she spoke, the three men didn’t really listen, quietly whispering among themselves. Nan Jiu stopped talking and stood by the tea table, waiting for their discussion to end.
When they saw she had fallen silent, the three ceased their conversation. Li Wei spoke up in English, asking how much it cost.
Although Li Wei spoke fluent English, the habitual front-of-mouth resonance in his pronunciation was picked up precisely by Nan Jiu’s ears. She raised an impeccable professional smile: “Since you’re all Chinese, there’s no need for me to translate for you.”
She placed the tea menu on the table.
“Look it over and call me when you’re ready.”
Li Wei dropped the pretense of being a foreigner and asked aloud, “How much can you make working here for a month?”
Nan Jiu lifted her chin slightly and scanned them all. Li Wei’s gaze unapologetically roamed between her neck and collarbone.
“Interested in changing jobs?”
The smile on Nan Jiu’s face didn’t reach her eyes.
“Give me one reason to change.”
Li Wei pointed at the teahouse’s interior, rotating his wrist in a half circle.
“A stylish girl like you stuck in a rundown teahouse—why not go somewhere high-end?”
“What kind of place counts as high-end?”
Nan Jiu asked, following his words.
Li Wei smiled without answering and pulled out his phone, handing it to Nan Jiu.
“Leave me your number. I’ll get in touch.”
Nan Jiu took the phone, entered a string of numbers, and returned it to Li Wei. He glanced at the screen.
“Your number’s so short?”
“Yeah.”
Nan Jiu responded lightly and asked, “Ready to order?”
Li Wei casually pointed at the tea menu. Nan Jiu collected the menu and handed it to Wu Aunty, then returned behind the counter.
After a moment, Wu Aunty’s voice reached Nan Jiu: “I told you I’d give you a new tea bowl.”
Nan Jiu looked up at the sound just as Li Wei slammed the tea bowl onto the table, yelling, “Is this something you fix with just a new bowl? My mouth almost got cut! Is this how you handle things?”
His shout attracted the attention of other customers. Li Wei picked up the damaged tea bowl and held it in front of Wu Aunty.
“How am I supposed to know if someone else’s mouth got cut on this bowl before? What if they had a disease? I’d be the unlucky one!”
After Li Wei’s words, those who were holding tea silently set down their cups.
Just last week, Nancheng had reported a case: a restaurant customer was injured, and their blood contaminated the dishes. Due to insufficient disinfection, the next customer used those same dishes. That person’s lip was cut by a crack on the bowl’s rim.
At first, they didn’t pay attention, but later, feeling unwell, they went to the hospital and tested positive for HIV.
This explosive news had sparked a month-long Health Inspection Campaign across Nancheng’s dining industry. The teahouse was still under inspection, so this incident naturally unsettled the customers.
Nan Jiu stepped around the counter and walked straight to their table. Taking the tea bowl from Li Wei’s hand, she examined it, then shifted her gaze to his face.
“How do you know this bowl was broken before you arrived?”
Li Wei gave Nan Jiu a look. As he took the bowl back, his thumb pressed down on the back of her hand and dragged it slightly, signaling, “Don’t get involved.”
Nan Jiu pulled her hand back and casually took a tissue from the box to wipe her hand.
“So who do you want to handle this?”
“Have the boss come out and explain.”
Nan Jiu balled up the used tissue and tossed it in the trash bin. She lifted her head and glared at him.
“The boss is my grandfather. If you have something to say, say it to me.”
Li Wei looked somewhat surprised. The three men exchanged glances.
Nan Jiu gave them no chance to deliberate and continued, “There’s no way our teahouse’s tea ware would be damaged.”
“So you’re saying we broke it? Why would we break your tea ware when we came to drink tea?”
Da Qiangzi, wearing a string of prayer beads, said.
“Yeah, why would we?”
Nan Jiu didn’t follow Da Qiangzi’s tone but instead flipped the question back at them.
Li Wei picked up the thread: “You keep saying we broke it. Do you have any proof? Did you get it on surveillance or see it yourself?”
He rested one hand on the back of a chair, looking completely calm and confident that there were no cameras in the teahouse and no evidence could be provided.
Nan Jiu’s grandfather, hearing the commotion, came out from inside. He caught the gist of Li Wei’s words and noticed many passersby peeking in at the teahouse’s entrance.
Leaning on his cane, he stepped forward and offered some polite words, proposing to waive the bill for that table to defuse the situation.
While the old man negotiated, Nan Jiu stepped out of the teahouse and lingered in the alley for a moment. Upon returning, she saw Li Wei kick a chair aside and stand up with his two companions, throwing a harsh remark: “I’m letting you off because of your old age, but with your hygiene like this, why are you even running a teahouse?”
Nan Jiu’s grandfather’s expression darkened. Stamping his cane on the ground, he said, “This small place has been running for years. There have been many incidents, but hygiene has never been one. No need for you three to trouble yourselves. Please leave.”
With a sharp dismissal, Li Wei and his group had no intention to stay. Just as they turned, Nan Jiu took a step across and blocked their path.
“My grandfather may be the owner, but I’m the one who collects payment. Today, you’ll pay for the tea and compensate for the broken bowl.”
Nan Jiu’s grandfather glared at her, his voice wheezing like an old bellows.
“Xiao Jiu!”
Before he could stop her, Nan Jiu spoke first.
“I called the police five minutes ago. They’ll probably be here in five minutes.”
Her stance was firm, standing at the teahouse’s door, her icy gaze pinned the three men in place, stopping their restless steps.
Li Wei’s anger turned into a smile.
“I guess your boss is too old to bother with this, but if you want to argue, fine. We’ll wait for the police to sort this out.”
He turned to the old man, pointing a finger at him.
“Just a heads up: if the police can’t make a decision, you’ll owe me more than just a free meal.”
The three pulled up chairs and lounged carelessly at the teahouse entrance, blocking anyone from entering.
With the situation blown out like this, business naturally ground to a halt. Customers started leaving one after another, with only a few lingering, waiting for an explanation.
Nan Jiu’s grandfather came over and glared at her.
“Did you think making this worse was a good idea? Who told you to call the police?”
The old man’s anger boiled over, concerned about the teahouse’s reputation. Nan Jiu didn’t want to argue in front of so many people and simply said, “It’s already done.”
The old man stormed off with a sleeve flick, ordering Wu Aunty to boil hot water while he went table to table greeting customers. Wu Aunty ran back and forth with a grave expression, while the remaining customers had lost all appetite for tea.
When the police arrived, a crowd gathered in the alley. A younger officer fixed his gaze on Li Wei and his two friends sitting at the entrance.
“Did you three call the police?”
“Yes, I did.”
Nan Jiu stood behind the officer.
“Please come out with me.”
The younger officer followed Nan Jiu out of the teahouse, while an older officer stayed inside to hear the dispute. Li Wei led the accusations, claiming the Hat Teahouse bullied customers.
His two friends echoed him, saying they were subjected to various unreasonable treatments and openly questioned the Hat Teahouse’s severe hygiene issues, demanding a thorough investigation.
Given the city’s recent strict policies on food safety violations, if Li Wei’s accusations were confirmed, the teahouse could face heavy fines or even suspension. The police took the matter seriously.
Nan Jiu’s grandfather did his best to defend the teahouse’s reputation, and a heated argument broke out in front of the officers. The noise inside and outside the teahouse escalated until Nan Jiu and the younger officer returned.
The younger officer showed his phone to the older one.
After watching the footage, the senior officer glared at Li Wei: “Do you know what the charge of ‘picking quarrels and provoking trouble’ means?”
Li Wei’s eyes flickered but replied, “I’m not provoking trouble.”
The officer flipped the phone around and played a piece of surveillance footage. Hat Alley had several old cameras covering most of the main street. These public cameras were maintained by the police, and footage could only be accessed with a report.
Though the camera was a distance from the teahouse, the figure sitting by the window was faintly visible.
In the video, after Wu Aunty finished serving tea and left, Li Wei picked up the cup, took a sip, and then knocked the bowl against the windowsill.
Li Wei hadn’t expected the teahouse to take such a broken bowl so seriously. Confronted with undeniable evidence, his arrogance faded but his attitude remained defiant as he said to Nan Jiu, “I’ll pay for the tea bowl. Is that enough?”
Nan Jiu stood at the door, raising her voice: “Is this just about paying for a tea bowl? Have you paid for the tea? You wasted an entire afternoon of business, and your false accusations about our hygiene have seriously damaged our reputation.”
Her gaze shifted to the officers.
“Officer, the reputation of an old shop matters most. If they get away with this, we won’t even have a business.”
Seeing Nan Jiu escalating the situation, the old man interrupted her, telling Li Wei and the others: “Pay for the tea and the bowl, then you may leave.”
Nan Jiu’s anger flared. With the police present, there was room to negotiate, yet her grandfather chose to settle quietly. She blinked rapidly in frustration, but he didn’t spare her a glance.
The men paid and left the teahouse. Once around the corner of Hat Alley, Li Wei pulled out his phone and looked up the number Nan Jiu had given him. Frowning, he said to Da Qiangzi, “Can you check this number?”
Da Qiangzi searched and muttered, “Damn, this is the Anti-Pornography and Illegal Publications Hotline.”
Li Wei’s expression darkened.
***
As soon as the police left, Nan Jiu’s grandfather gripped his cane tightly and glared at her.
“Come inside.”
In the back kitchen, he hung his cane heavily on the door handle, his eyes deep with an unshakable force.
“With your temper, offending people easily, how do you expect to last in anything?”
“They obviously weren’t here to drink tea. People like that won’t become regulars. What does it matter if we offend them?”
Nan Jiu leaned against the stove, looking down at her nails.
“The best you can do is minimize trouble, but you make it public. If this spreads, our teahouse will seem unreasonable. How’s that good for our reputation?”
Nan Jiu put down her hands and met her grandfather’s gaze.
“If customers who come here properly have problems, of course we fix them. But these weren’t proper customers. Why should we let them push us around? Is the service industry meant to be a doormat?”
“Who said you have to be a doormat?”
Her grandfather’s voice rose sharply.
“You’re cocky now, ignoring what I say, calling the police without a word. Do you still have any respect for me, your grandfather?”
Their argument echoed through the kitchen. Wu Aunty didn’t dare breathe loudly and quietly cleared the tea sets.
Song Ting came back from outside. Seeing the teahouse had closed early with a few people lingering, he asked Wu Aunty, “What happened?”
Wu Aunty recounted the afternoon’s events in detail. Nan Qiaoyu came over to listen as well.
“They’re still arguing!”
Wu Aunty glanced toward the kitchen.
Song Ting said nothing and headed toward the kitchen.
Nan Jiu’s grandfather’s angry voice came from inside: “Sending them a pot of tea would have sent them away. A small matter—you’ve made it public. With your temper, you’ll pay dearly!”
“I don’t think this is a small matter. They even touched me—why should I let them get away with it?”
“I told you not to wear those ragged clothes, showing your arms and legs. How can you look like a proper girl?”
Nan Jiu’s eyes flickered and widened. She stood up and strode forward, her glare sharp as shattered ice shards.
“You’re saying… this is my fault?”
Her grandfather had spent his life running the teahouse with kindness and harmony, hoping to pass on this philosophy to Nan Jiu. But after all his efforts, she was stubborn as ever, and now like a wildcat showing sharp claws.
His thin chest heaved. He raised his cane to strike at her.
“I think you’re rebelling against heaven!”
Suddenly, a figure stepped between them. Song Ting stretched out his arm, and the cane struck his forearm hard, leaving a red mark.
The old man’s expression froze and he dropped the cane. Nan Jiu’s eyes reddened as she turned and rushed out of the kitchen.
Song Ting bent down to pick up the cane and handed it back to his grandfather before going after Nan Jiu.
Nan Jiu’s footsteps struck the ground sharply: “thud thud.”
Nan Qiaoyu tilted his head, watching from the hallway. Nan Jiu brushed past him, pushing his shoulder without hesitation and walked out the door.
Song Ting quickly followed, blocking the teahouse entrance.
“Where are you going?”
“None of your business.”
Nan Jiu stepped left; Song Ting shifted left to block her.
Nan Jiu then stepped right; Song Ting moved right to stand firmly in front of her.
Nan Jiu clenched her fists and glared at him, her eyes burning like fierce flames.
The wind in the alley stirred fallen leaves as the sun slowly sank below the eaves.
A faint, almost imperceptible smile curved his lips.
“What? Want to throw a tantrum at me?”
But Nan Jiu didn’t unleash her anger on Song Ting like before. She still carried that stubborn spirit that refused to bow, but years had taught her how to sheath her sharp blade.
Song Ting closed the teahouse door behind him and said, “Come with me.”
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