When the Cannon Fodder Meets the Love-Brained Female Supporting Character - Episode 12

The crowd swarmed around Chen Nanjin as he cleared his throat and began, “Let’s start with the Spring Bud Longjing from Wanchun Tower. I’m sure many of you have tried it?”

“First, the price—it’s affordable, just sixty coins for a pot. As for the taste, it lives up to its name like tender spring buds after the rain, fresh and vibrant, with a delicate, pleasant fragrance. The liquor is clear and bright, and it quenches thirst wonderfully. After a long, tiring day, it’s an excellent choice.”

“Is it really that good?” Those who hadn’t tried it were already itching to taste it.

Chen Nanjin nodded with a smile. “Absolutely. It’s brewed over twenty-four hours, giving it a rich, beany aroma. And at sixty coins, you can’t go wrong. On a scale of ten, I’d give it a nine.”

The crowd buzzed with excitement, murmuring among themselves, and a few even made plans to try the tea together later.

A woman in green blinked in surprise. “Such a high rating this time?” In the past, even the best teas had never scored above an eight.

A man in black frowned slightly. In his opinion, the Spring Bud Longjing he’d tasted didn’t deserve such praise.

Sure, it was cheap and accessible, but there was a reason for that. The aftertaste was slightly bitter, and drinking too much could leave you with internal heat the next day. The flavor wasn’t particularly rich either at best, it helped cut through greasiness.

Someone voiced skepticism.

Chen Nanjin chuckled. “I’m looking at the big picture. If we’re judging purely on taste, it’s a six at best. But considering its price, it’s the best among cheap teas and the cheapest among good ones. That’s why I gave it a high score.”

Once the crowd settled, he continued, “Now, let’s talk about the Half-Day Waist Tea from Cangfang Tower.” His expression darkened slightly at the mention.

The woman in green whispered to her companion, “I have a bad feeling about this…”

“First of all, personally, I oppose selling ordinary tea for eight hundred coins a pot,” Chen Nanjin scoffed. “But I suppose we should thank them for not swindling the poor.”

As expected, the mention of eight hundred coins stirred unrest.

“How can they charge so much?”

“No wonder Chen Nanjin looked so grim when he mentioned Half-Day Waist!”

“It’s just a teahouse. Who do they think they are?”

“Maybe it tastes amazing? Let’s hear him out first.”

That last comment came from a man in yellow.

Chen Nanjin smiled faintly. “Let’s start with the taste. It’s bland, no different from ordinary green tea.”

The woman in green exchanged puzzled glances with a few others.

“Second, the liquor is murky, not bright at all. As for their so-called ‘exclusive tea leaves’… Hmph, I suspect they’ve mixed in something else. What exactly, I can’t say only Cangfang Tower knows.” His words were blunt and unsparing.

Whispers spread through the crowd: “We definitely shouldn’t waste our money there.”

“A teahouse like that deserves to go out of business.”

“I was actually planning to visit. Glad I didn’t.”

The woman in green snapped, “He probably never even tried it! He must be taking bribes from other teahouses to slander Half-Day Waist!”

The man in black stepped forward firmly. “That’s not true! I swear, Half-Day Waist Tea isn’t like that at all!”

But no one believed him.

Chen Nanjin shook his head and gave the man a look, his eyes filled with suspicion that the man was a plant. The black-clad man was furious but had no way to prove his innocence.

The matter quickly reached Jiang Nan’s ears.

Fang Rui was so angry she paced around frantically. “I’m so mad!!! How can there be people like this?” she fumed. “Spreading nonsense everywhere. He deserves to have his tongue cut off! Just because we didn’t invite him, he’s taking revenge like this?”

Jiang Nan pondered for a moment before saying, “Move up the launch of the Bantianyao tea from three days later to tomorrow. Set up a free tasting station at the Cangfang Tower.”

The next day.

A long row of tables was set up in front of Cangfang Tower, each holding several pots of tea. A sign stood beside the tables, reading: “Free tasting, bring your own cup.”

Word spread quickly, and soon a crowd had gathered.

Each person held a cup, blocking the street entrance completely.

Fang Rui directed them to form an orderly line, serving them one by one.

Amidst the buzz, Chen Nanjin also showed up. He blended into the back of the crowd, though many recognized him. Smugly, he began spouting nonsense, declaring that he was there to witness firsthand how Cangfang Tower was deceiving people.

Fang Rui slammed the table. “You there in the back. If you can’t line up properly, then leave.”

Chen Nanjin glared at her resentfully, but seeing the burly men standing behind her ready to escort him out if he caused more trouble. He involuntarily lowered his voice.

Being dragged away in front of everyone would be humiliating.

The black-clad men arrived too, having rushed over without even eating when they heard about the Bantianyao tasting.

Most of the crowd got to sample the tea, and the rich, woody aroma won them over instantly.

“This tea is amazing!”

“Right? Why did I hear from a friend yesterday that Chen Nanjin called Cangfang Tower’s new tea inferior?”

“Wait, Chen Nanjin said that? This Bantianyao tea lives up to its reputation! My neighbor bought some yesterday and bragged about it for hours.”

“He must’ve been paid off by a competitor!”

“One small cup isn’t enough! Boss, I’ll take a whole pot.”

“Me too! Me too!”

Chen Nanjin’s expression darkened. He sneered, “Who knows if what they served yesterday is the same as today?”

A woman in green scoffed. “Who says? The taste is exactly the same. Chen Nanjin, we used to think you were a refined tea connoisseur, but now it seems you’re nothing of the sort!”

“Exactly!” Most of the crowd turned on him.

A few, however, voiced dissent: “But he has a point. It’s not impossible.”

Jiang Nan crossed her arms and stared at Chen Nanjin. “The burden of proof lies with the accuser. Since you’re so certain we used different tea yesterday, kindly provide evidence.”

Chen Nanjin faltered under her gaze but stubbornly turned away. “The tea’s already been drunk. Who would keep it as evidence?”

Fang Rui burst into laughter. “You drank it all and still claim our Bantianyao is bad? Hilarious!”

Chen Nanjin snapped, “I was just avoiding waste!”

“Fine. You say you came yesterday?” Jiang Nan toyed with two walnuts in her hand, her tone calm.

“Yes. I was here!” Chen Nanjin, confident they couldn’t disprove him, dug in his heels, determined to smear their reputation. “If you don’t remember me, that’s your problem.”

Jiang Nan let out a scoff and walked up the steps in front of him, looking down at him from above. With a flick of her sleeve, the scroll in her left hand unfurled with a rustle, densely covered in writing.

“Alright then,” she said with a smirk. “Why don’t you try and find your name in here?”

Fang Rui smiled sweetly. “Didn’t expect this, did you? Our boss has long anticipated troublemakers like you. Everyone who came to drink Ban Tian Yao yesterday was registered!”

The man in black and his companion exchanged uneasy glances.

No wonder Fang Rui had asked them to register their names and write reviews of Ban Tian Yao when they left yesterday, promising an extra pot of tea on their next visit.

So that was the reason.

The moment Chen Nanjin saw the scroll, he knew things had taken a bad turn. His face turned ashen, filled with unwillingness, but he couldn’t bring himself to speak or step forward to claim his name.

The onlookers quickly understood the situation and quietly distanced themselves from him. Soon, a wide empty space formed around him.

Whispers spread through the crowd:

“Who would’ve thought? The so-called ‘Tea Tasting Expert’ was taking bribes to slander other teahouses.”

“Who would trust his reviews now? They’re neither fair nor objective.”

“I certainly won’t.”

A woman in green sneered. “Let’s strip him of that ‘Tea Tasting Expert’ title! We should spread the word quickly so others don’t get fooled and blame good teahouses unfairly.”

“Exactly! I’ll tell everyone when I get back. My neighbor still admires Chen Nanjin. I’ll make sure he knows the truth!”

Under the weight of so many scornful gazes and condemning words, Chen Nanjin felt as if he had been thrown into a fire, his entire body burning with shame and humiliation, his head spinning.

He scrambled away in disgrace.

Before long, the incident spread throughout the small city of Yangcheng. With his reputation in ruins, no teahouse dared to seek Chen Nanjin’s reviews anymore. The once-revered expert, who had been fawned over wherever he went, gradually faded into obscurity.

Sometime later, no one saw Chen Nanjin again, and no one knew where he had gone.

During his time in Yangcheng, Chen Nanjin had also lavished undeserved praise on the mediocre tea of Wan Chun Lou. As a result, people lost trust in that establishment as well.

Meanwhile, Cangfang Lou’s reputation grew even further, spreading to neighboring cities.

But that was all for later.

________________________________________

The annual Kite Festival arrived swiftly.

The winds of Qinghe Month carried a hint of warmth, brushing over mountain ridges and sweeping across the land. Grass quietly sprouted, weaving a green blanket over the earth.

Jiang Manor.

In the vast rear courtyard, a crowd stood together, each holding a kite, chattering excitedly as they compared designs.

Jiang Nan was among them, and the kites she and A’Tuo had made drew frequent admiring glances.

The Kite Festival.

A day eagerly anticipated by the manor’s servants.

And the day Jiang Yumin looked forward to most of all.

She stood at the gate, craning her neck in anticipation, waiting for her latest “target.” She had already planned her prank, and to the uninformed, her actions would only seem warm and welcoming.

Xiao Ran arrived quickly. Today, she wore the same jade-green outer sleeves and ivory-white inner robe Jiang Nan had seen her in the first time, the very image of a refined southern girl.