A Tale of Golden Heiress: Lady Wanjin - Chapter 25

Red lanterns hung high outside the window.

Their light was a deep, blood-like crimson.

The grounds were already brightly lit, with clansfolk who had come to help arriving early at the estate, bustling about in preparation for the next day’s wedding festivities.

The banquet needed to be prepared well in advance.

Tonight, the servants of the Wen household would be working through the night.

Wen Wan still wore the inner layers of her wedding attire, her trial bridal hairstyle only half done. Her expression was tense as she tapped the account book on the table, her tone unreadable. “Shi Jinquan has fled.”

Also gathered in the room were Aunt Liu and Second Master Tu, who had been summoned urgently.

Faced with such a significant matter and unfamiliar with the Wen family’s affairs, Wen Wan had no choice but to seek counsel from these two.

Aunt Liu frowned deeply. “Shi Jinquan has been with the master for a long time.”

“He came to me a few days ago to resign. In the six months since Father fell ill, many people have been clamoring to leave. I didn’t take it seriously.”

After Wen Weiming became critically ill, the original host had devoted herself to caring for him for two or three months. At that time, the winery could still operate normally.

But gradually, as Wen Weiming’s condition worsened, the staff at several wine shops began to grow restless.

Some were anxious to find new opportunities, others feared the Wen family would renege on debts, and some took advantage of the situation to line their own pockets. The Wen household appeared calm on the surface, but beneath it, undercurrents swirled.

Ultimately, it was all because of her, the heir to the Wen family.

These people had followed Old Master Wen for many years and feared that once leadership changed, the business would become unstable.

Moreover, she was a woman.

Without a son to carry on the line.

They had even less confidence.

It was a simple yet irrefutable truth.

Hongmei bit her lip. “Miss, we should report this to the authorities. For an accountant to abscond with the account books is a serious crime. If the government issues wanted posters, Shi Jinquan won’t escape.”

“That won’t do. If we report this, the creditors will learn the account books are missing and will surely come demanding repayment. Before the authorities even find Shi Jinquan, we’ll be picked clean. This oversight is my fault.” Wen Wan quickly admitted her mistake. “The priority now is to suppress this matter and avoid drawing attention. We must find Shi Jinquan first.”

“Leave this task to me.” Second Master Tu immediately accepted the assignment but voiced his concern, “If he had ill intentions from the start, he must have prepared accordingly. Finding him will likely be difficult. You must be mentally prepared, Miss.”

“I know. Do your best to find him for now.” Wen Wan was not optimistic. “What worries me more is that he might have a backup plan.”

Aunt Liu’s heart sank as well.

In the Great Chen Dynasty, accountants were almost always the trusted confidants of their employers—either close relatives or loyal aides—sharing in their fortunes and misfortunes.

Unless the employer was involved in major trouble, and the accountant fled to protect themselves or turned against the family, accountants typically stayed with one household for three to five years, sometimes even a lifetime.

In other words,

Shi Jinquan’s flight… could mean either he embezzled funds and feared Wen Wan would discover it, or the Wen family’s accounts had major issues.

Either scenario would be a fatal blow to the Wen family in its current state.

“That wretched scoundrel!” Aunt Liu cursed anxiously. “With the wedding just around the corner, he certainly picked his timing! He knew full well that the creditors are watching our family. Once the wedding is over, they’ll surely come demanding repayment! Now that the account books are gone, whether we owe money and how much will be entirely up to their whims!”

Wen Wan gestured for Aunt Liu to calm down. “We must keep this quiet for now. Father has only just improved slightly in the last couple of days. The physician said he must avoid agitation. Tomorrow is my wedding day. At such a critical juncture, we cannot afford any trouble. We mustn’t let outsiders see our weakness.”

Aunt Liu felt her brow twitch at Wen Wan’s words.

It was true—everything was happening at once!

In the room, a faint candle flame cast a dim light over the young woman’s face.

“Aunt Liu, I must trouble you again to ask your brothers to come and help maintain order. Tomorrow’s wedding banquet must proceed without a hitch.”

“Second Master Tu, first focus on finding Shi Jinquan. Then, investigate whether any new wineries or wine shops have recently opened in Ping County, or if Shi Jinquan had contact with other wineries. Find out who he met in Ping County in his last few days, whether he had any debts, and so on.”

Second Master Tu understood immediately. “Miss, are you worried Shi Jinquan might have accomplices?”

Wen Wan couldn’t quite articulate her suspicions, but she felt a lingering unease.

In the past, the original host had never concerned herself with the family’s affairs and had only met Shi Jinquan a few times. She had no authority to speak on what kind of person he was.

“My father treated him well, and there was no deep-seated hatred between them. For him to suddenly betray my father like this, there must be a reason behind it. For now, the wedding banquet must be our priority. As long as the banquet goes smoothly, the elders won’t have grounds to complain, and then we can deal with the matter of Shi Jinquan.”

“Aunt Liu, these next few days, please also help by inquiring around to see if there are any other accountants available in Ping County.”

Wen Wan paused for a moment. Accountants were a fixed presence in every shop; unless a business went under, it was rare to find one available temporarily. Finding one on such short notice would indeed be difficult.

“Isn’t there a Qingshan Academy in the outskirts of Ping County? There must be scholars there who can read and write. Find one or two students from humble backgrounds to temporarily fill the role until we get through this period.”

After the two had left, Wen Wan let out a soft sigh and rested her elbow on the table, massaging her temples.

As she gazed at the courtyard filled with red lanterns and the vibrant flowers arranged in the corners, she was reminded once again that she was about to get married.

She thought of her past life, where her parents had always carefully avoided words like “boyfriend,” “marriage,” and “having children.” They had even kept her from attending the weddings and full-month celebrations of her siblings and cousins, afraid that she would be saddened by the sight.

Yet now, in this different time and place, she was about to accomplish something she had never achieved in her previous life.

And with a man she barely knew.

Wen Wan’s heart felt heavy, without a trace of joy.

The night was deep, and the servants in the backyard were still awake, the clattering of pots and pans echoing clearly as they made preparations for the next day’s banquet.

And here she was, the bride-to-be, fretting over account books.

If the accounts from Anyang were in such disarray, the other wine shops likely weren’t much better. To consolidate them into a clear, balanced ledger, she would need to hire someone to carefully review them.

The most critical issue was that Shi Jinquan had not only taken the account books but also all the contracts, IOUs, debt certificates, and receipts between the Wen family and their suppliers.

In other words, Shi Jinquan had pulled off a daring heist, leaving the Wen family completely exposed.

Just as Wen Wan was feeling overwhelmed, she suddenly heard a faint, intermittent tapping sound coming from the window lattice.

She pushed the window open and leaned out to look.

The window prop had been taken away, and a pair of slender, pale hands reached in.

Zhao Heng was dressed in dark silk robes, his jet-black hair tied up with a bamboo crown. Under the moonlight, the sharp contours of his features were fully revealed.

He had just walked through the courtyard, passing by the bamboo grove, and a single bamboo leaf rested on his right shoulder.

As he stepped inside, the wind carried with it the fresh scent of soap from his recent bath.

He propped the window open with the rod, then glanced at Wen Wan with a playful smile. “Tomorrow is our wedding day. Why does my bride look so troubled? Could it be… you’re having second thoughts?”