When the dishes were served, Grace Bolton was the first to offer a toast, pouring wine for the two of them and saying, “Come, I toast a cup to Father and Brother.”

As he spoke, Grace Bolton picked up his cup and drank first, only to find the taste bland, far less strong than the fiery spirits of later times.

“Good, good, today I’ll drink heartily.” Mr. Foster also downed a cup of wine.

However, though he smiled on the surface, after Robert Foster drank a cup and looked at Grace Bolton’s smiling face, a feeling of irritation crept through his heart like thorns. Forcing himself to brush aside his displeasure, he drained his cup in one gulp: “This guy, half a year ago he was just a little servant, and now he’s really climbed up. If I hadn’t been crippled, all of this would be mine. Hmph!”

Though he knew it was jealousy, he couldn’t control his emotions. Even as the poison coursed through his veins, he knew he couldn’t show these feelings, so he drank boldly, letting the frequent toasts and the power of alcohol mask most of his true expression.

“What should my son do in the future?”

“Father, I just established the incense hall, but the brothers are still far from competent. I want to let them get some experience first. After all, Yan Kuan isn’t much in Yangzhou City, but in other places, it won’t be so easy.” Grace Bolton said in a low voice, “What do you think, is this the right way?”

“Isn’t that a bit too conservative?”

“Father, there are too few people who can get things done. In the street I control now, there’s a tavern that used to belong to Yan Kuan—you know it. None of us know how to run a business. I was wondering if you could oversee it? I’d like to ask Brother to take it over, so the brothers will have a place to make a living in the future.” Grace Bolton didn’t want to discuss whether it was conservative or not, and directly changed the subject.

Everyone present couldn’t help but gasp. In Yangzhou City, a shop and business like that—while it might not make a fortune every day, it could still bring in over a dozen taels of silver daily. Yan Kuan’s most important asset was this, and it was what supported the brothers. Now, handing it over all at once was truly a generous gift.

“That’s not good, the incense hall also needs money.”

“What’s not good about it? We don’t know business, nor do we have enough status or prestige. Only Father can hold it down. No matter what, please, Father, take it over, even if it’s a bit of trouble!” Grace Bolton pleaded. “As for the incense hall, with four streets, we can collect two hundred taels of silver a month, enough to support the brothers. Besides, if the brothers want to amount to something, they need to be tempered. I’d also like to ask Father to negotiate with the main hall and get some opportunities for the brothers to run errands!”

Mr. Foster hesitated. He knew the value of Yan Kuan’s tavern at the South Gate market—it was the core of Yan Kuan’s business. If he got it, though he’d have to grease some palms, he could easily make two thousand taels of silver a year. He couldn’t help but be tempted.

But precisely because of this, seeing Grace Bolton offer it up so easily, he felt a sense of unease—something very dangerous. Although Grace Bolton usually acted very respectful, his instincts as an old hand told him there was a sharp edge behind it all.

“Father, my brother is right. Since he doesn’t know business, let Father help him. After all, we’re family.” At this moment, Robert Foster also spoke up. He was crippled and couldn’t fight anymore, but he still wanted to do something. With this opportunity, how could he let it slip by?

Seeing the eagerness in his son’s eyes, Mr. Foster sighed and said, “Since my son has such a request, as your father, how can I refuse? All right, I’ll take over the tavern.”

“Father, I’m truly grateful for your strong support. If it weren’t for you, I really wouldn’t know what to do!” Grace Bolton said gratefully.

Now that their positions were clear and their interests more closely tied, their conversation naturally became much more relaxed and lively. They discussed a few matters and didn’t finish eating until the afternoon.

Back at his own residence, Grace Bolton finally breathed a sigh of relief. This house had originally belonged to Yan Kuan and was still a mess, but it was truly his home.

A little brother brought hot water, and after wiping his face and washing up, he changed into casual clothes and looked clean and refreshed.

The income from the four streets wasn’t much, but the key was that even these four streets were hard for him to hold on his own. So he had to offer the biggest share to Mr. Foster, and all the other matters with the various halls would naturally be handled by him. Though it seemed like he was losing out, in reality, he was trading for the chance to establish his own foundation and develop.

Besides, as someone familiar with the history of the Twin Dragons of the Tang Dynasty, he didn’t care about such small profits. He wasn’t foolish enough to challenge the Shimen Dojo directly—growth comes step by step.

Without the tavern, the protection fees from the street would only be enough to get by. If he wanted to get rich, he’d have to find another way.

Smuggling private salt became a viable path, but for now, it wasn’t the right time.