#[ she has a decent pouch of mora on her. that and an even bigger pouch of favors people owe her (and vice versa). ]

[orchideae]

A few quick random tidbits about Yanshang Teahouse:

— Teahouse/casino. While said to be 'disguised' as a teahouse, Yanshang does seem to genuinely function as one, or at least during the daytime. And it's primarily during the evening hours that it functions more actively as a casino. Now I need to note, the latter is not public knowledge. Or rather, it's more so a rumor that holds a fair bit of truth to it. But a rumor is a rumor nonetheless. This is vital, because it is because of this that it is still running. I've spoken a fair bit about this behind the scenes lately, but Yanshang functions as a casino because it draws 'less than good people' into a surrounding that has everything playing against them, and through that, Yelan is able to gather intelligence that benefits everyone, especially Ning. So if the latter for example, Ningguang were to know its full ins and outs, it would actually mean that she'd have to turn a blind eye to something that is not fully legal, which spells all kinds of trouble for the person responsible for, well, the law in Liyue Harbor?

— Gambling. Yelan has gained a reputation for her gambling skills, and is even rumored to cheat when the need calls for it (though of course, this isn't picked up on, it seems!), as is noted in her fifth character story: "If there is a draw, that could only mean one thing: Her opponents are cheating too.", and so potential opponents are advised to steer clear of playing against her through word on the streets of the harbor.

— Home? While this is not Yelan's home whatsoever, there is an upstairs area that is something akin to her 'private quarters'. It holds no personal affects that are tied to her directly, but to an extent, if one were to ever intrude/break in (past The Halbert and the Fang, somehow), you'd find the 'guise' tied to this notorious woman who owns Yanshang. But this guise is not quite her. Again, she works in personas, some much more realistically than others (the art of it, is knowing what of yourself you put into personas as to add to their authenticity's longevity). Either way, there is a comfort and peace that she finds in it, and the room is somewhat styled into a decorum that Yelan appreciates, beyond the 'keeping up appearances' aspect to it. It is hers in the end, to some degree.

— Finances. While one would be led to believe that Yelan gains a lot of financial benefits through Ningguang, Yelan's second character story might beg to differ: 'The way (Yelan) sees it, she is not so much working for Ningguang as making good on her end of the deal, or rather... she is honoring a certain pact. She plucks the fruits of intelligence from the tree of danger for Ningguang, and in return, all she asks for is danger itself and the sense of achievement.' While I'm decently certain that Yelan might occasionally stand to gain some sort of financial gain through the Qixing, it seems evident that it's not what her primary motive is. Yelan seems to not be interested in luxury by default (she lived in a hut for a long time), and more so seeks a sense of freedom, thrill and personal achievement. Now do I think that because of this, she's not well off? No, I simply think that the majority of her income may actually come from Yanshang Teahouse, and, to put it not-so-eloquently, ripping off bandits, and hopefully, specifically some Fatui in the process.