A Tale of Golden Heiress: Lady Wanjin - Chapter 14

Wen Weiming was slightly taken aback, yet he couldn’t make up his mind. “But wouldn’t bringing someone with an unclear background into our home be like inviting a wolf into the house, risking endless future troubles?”

Wen Wan, however, shook her head with a faint smile. “We knew the roots and origins of the Third Young Master of the Qi family, and Aunt is your own flesh and blood. Yet, they struck even more ruthlessly than our own clansmen.”

At this point, Wen Wan promptly stopped herself.

She had no intention of hurting her kind-hearted father.

So, she quickly changed the subject. “This goes to show that human hearts are as unpredictable as the moon—you never know whether someone is truly good or evil until a critical moment. Since that’s the case, why bother whether they are human or ghosts? As long as they can be of use to us—”

Wen Weiming was inwardly astonished, thinking to himself that his daughter must have been deeply wounded by the Third Young Master of the Qi family, to the point that even her temperament had become so unyielding. He also secretly blamed himself for his failing health, which had dragged his daughter into such a difficult marital situation.

Unaware of the tumultuous thoughts swirling in her father’s mind, Wen Wan continued, “Father, our greatest challenge right now is to protect the legacy you’ve worked so hard to build. As for what kind of man we bring in as a son-in-law, what his temperament is like, or how he treats me—those are all matters for later. For now, the two of us must join forces to overcome this immediate hurdle.”

Father Wen nodded. “Wanniang, you’re right. We don’t necessarily have to be at others’ mercy. Let the Qi family indulge in their wishful thinking!”

As for the son-in-law they would bring in, they could always order him to take the wife’s surname and register it with the authorities. That way, the son-in-law would forever be a servant of the Wen family—directed east, he would go east; directed west, he would go west. How could they not keep him under control?

With their alliance firmly established, Wen Wan finally felt at ease.

She had been worried that Father Wen would find her words rebellious and contrary to the natural order. Fortunately, having battled in the mercantile world for years, Father Wen was more flexible in his thinking than most.

This way, if Second Master Tu made progress on his end, she could quickly persuade Father Wen to accept a stranger as the Wen family’s son-in-law.

They travelled late into the night, but with servants escorting them, the journey remained peaceful.

As dawn broke and the city gates opened, the carriage slowly made its way to the Wen residence.

Wen Wan drowsily opened her eyes only to realize that Father Wen had not slept at all. The old man’s face was creased with worry, his expression filled with anxiety.

Throughout the night, he had been burning the midnight oil, tormented by his thoughts.

Wen Wan offered a word of comfort. “Father, there’s no need to worry. At worst, we’ll pave a way through mountains and build bridges across rivers. With your wisdom and my cleverness, every coin that falls from the sky in Ping County will belong to our Wen family!”

Wen Weiming cracked a smile, the dark clouds in his brow beginning to disperse.

He never expected that after half a year of managing the household, his daughter would become more open-minded than before. It seemed his own illness had left him less decisive and resolute than he once was.

After seeing Father Wen back to his room, as Wen Wan was leaving, he reminded her, “Wanniang, don’t put all your eggs in one basket. That lad from the Western Hills may not be reliable. Why not have Second Master Tu check with nearby labour brokers or middlemen? Bring in a few more young men so you have options. Since we can’t tell whether someone is human or a ghost, at least pick one with outstanding looks.”

Wen Wan chuckled inwardly.

Not bad, Father Wen.

Not only had he figured things out on his own, but he had even learned to apply the lesson creatively.

Truly, the pupil is worthy of the master.

Old Man Wen, perhaps thinking of Wen Wan’s mother, grew somewhat misty-eyed. “Although they say you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, you must believe that appearances reflect the heart. Those who are ugly in face are surely wretched in mind. Back in the day… if I hadn’t married your mother, you would’ve been a crooked melon and split date yourself!”

Wen Wan couldn’t hold back a laugh. “Don’t worry, Father. Second Uncle already left yesterday to take care of it. No matter what, the wedding date is in half a month… will not be delayed!”

——————————————————————

Anyone in Ping County who paid the slightest attention would have noticed the changes in the Wen family.

The county was no larger than the palm of a hand—stretching just two or three li from west to east. News of which wife had an affair, which daughter-in-law had an illicit relationship with her father-in-law, or which man was chased three streets by his wife after drinking at a brothel would spread to every household within an hour.

But over the past six months, the topic that most occupied the common folk of Ping County during their leisure time was the Wen family, who dealt in liquor.

—I heard the Wen family has hung red lanterns and banners. Seems a happy occasion is near.

—Didn’t they just hang white lanterns last month? How can they be holding a celebration so soon? Is Old Master Wen still holding on?

—With a physician attending to him around the clock and expensive medicines sustaining him, he won’t die!

—Aiya, their Bifang liquor sells for over a hundred coins per jar. They must have earned too much ill-gotten money. The King of Hell is coming to collect his due.

—What a pity for Miss Wen, though. I heard she’s a renowned beauty in Ping County—even the magistrate’s wife can’t compare. Tsk tsk. Whoever marries Miss Wen will have truly cultivated blessings for eight lifetimes! Not only would they hold a beauty in their arms, but they’d also gain the Wen family’s immense wealth.

—Who’s to say? Maybe they’ll seek a live-in son-in-law instead.

—A live-in son-in-law? The court isn’t at war now, and no family is so desperate that they can’t survive. What kind of parents would send their son to be an inverted-mattress groom?! How is that any different from selling their son?! Such parents are black-hearted from core to cranny!

—Hey, hey, Old Zhao, didn’t you just say you’d never seen Miss Wen? Look—the one sitting in that carriage is her…

Wen Wan had set a small goal for herself.

She intended to visit all the taverns in the four counties of Anyang, Yang County, Shou’an, and Guangji.

Bo Prefecture encompassed a total of eight counties. Bifang liquor had already made its way into four of them—all adjacent to Ping County. The closest was a hundred kilometers away, the farthest three to four hundred.

With Ping County as her base, supported by the Wen family estate, the winery, and a tavern, it served as both the production hub and headquarters. The other four counties either placed orders through local taverns or had distributors deliver to them, but all ultimately relied on the winery in Ping County as their foundation.

Worried that her father’s condition might change, Wen Wan didn’t dare travel too far and went only to Anyang first.

The round trip took just four or five days.

Yet, on her return, as she passed a tea house, she overheard this snippet of common gossip.

Hongmei was so angry that her mouth twisted, and she rolled up her sleeves, ready to confront them. But Wen Wan stopped her. “Don’t go.”

She paused.

The young lady in the carriage lifted her bright eyes from the account books of the tavern in Anyang County and looked at Hongmei. “There are more of them. I’m afraid you’d be beaten.”

Hongmei said resentfully, “But this maid doesn’t want to be a turtle hiding in its shell.”

“What’s wrong with turtles?” Wen Wan gently closed the account book and rubbed her tired eyes. “Turtles live a hundred years.”

Lüping laughed. “The young lady is right. Although turtles can also be made into soup—” She turned her head. “Miss, I’ll make you some turtle soup tonight to nourish you.”

Wen Wan wasn’t quite sure how they had gone from turtles to turtle soup, but she still said, “Alright.”

Lüping thought to herself: Before, the young lady refused to eat turtle because she found it ugly, but her appetite has changed quite a bit now. Since she’s willing to eat turtle, does that mean I can feed her pigeon, rabbit, or even snake soup in the future?

Little did she know that ever since Wen Wan had fallen ill in her previous life, she had craved nothing more than the foods she couldn’t eat.

After the chemotherapy back then, everything tasted like nothing, and that was when I gradually lost my appetite.

In this life, finally blessed with a healthy stomach, I’m determined to eat and drink well while also taking good care of it.

To hell with the idea that only the slender is beautiful.

I want to live this life strong as an ox and in the best of health.