A Tale of Golden Heiress: Lady Wanjin - Chapter 36

Little Wen Jing was very reluctant to accept this “unequal treaty,” but in the end, she couldn’t resist the temptation of candy. She replied in a fierce tone, “But you have to promise me that you won’t bully my sister from now on!”

This…
Now it was Zhao Heng’s turn to look troubled.

“If you don’t promise me, I’ll tell Daddy right away and have him report you to the authorities!”
Little brat, so young yet knows quite a lot.
She even knows how to bargain.

Zhao Heng smiled indulgently, “Alright, alright, I won’t bully Wanwan.”

Little Wen Jing wasn’t easily fooled. She opened her sparkling big eyes wide and looked at him, “Swear it!”

Zhao Heng raised his right hand, “I swear, for this entire lifetime, I will respect and love her, and never let anyone bully her.”

Little Wen Jing was satisfied, but still didn’t forget to remind him, “Don’t forget my red envelope! Sis keeps her valuables in a cabinet in the corner of her room!”

After leaving Old Master Wen, Wen Wan summoned Nanny Chen, Hongmei, and Lüping to the winery.

As soon as Nanny Chen stepped out of the courtyard, she saw Wen Wan staring blankly at the main gate of the Wen family residence.

The elm wood door had a small hole smashed in it the day before yesterday by debt collectors, and even one of the door knockers had been stolen. The entire gate reflected the Wen family’s declining state.

Wen Wan pointed at the hole in the door and said to Nanny Chen, “Find a craftsman to repair it.”

Nanny Chen acknowledged the order.

The four of them hitched a horse carriage and hurried towards the winery.

Passing through the large Ping County, they followed the Peach Blossom River upstream to a suddenly open flat area in the suburbs, where a large single-story building appeared before them. Two or three small houses were built by the river’s edge, supported by several wooden frames below. Hollowed-out bamboo tubes were set on the windowsills as water pipes, convenient for drawing water for brewing.

With the babbling stream and the bamboo tubes moving up and down, water from the Peach Blossom River was channeled to the winery.

As everyone knows, brewing liquor requires water sources. The Wen family winery had mountains on one side and water on the other, with beautiful scenery—its geographical location could be described as uniquely advantageous.

Moving further ahead, there was a natural channel pond in front of the gate, with lotus flowers planted on the water’s surface, spreading densely across the river.
Round, clear leaves and wind-lifted lotus blooms.

Arriving here, the aroma of wine filled the air, mingled with the subtle fragrance of lotus.

The final steps of brewing the Wen family’s Bifang liquor required large quantities of lotus flowers.

The lotuses planted in the channel pond were only for ornamental purposes; they were far from enough for making wine. They still needed to be purchased from nearby towns and villages.

“Miscellaneous Records of the Cloud Immortal” mentions: “In the sixth month, summon guests, sit on bamboo mats, lean on carved desks, weave fragrant vines for stands, hollow out coconuts for cups, pound lotus blossoms, and make Bifang wine.” Bifang wine is precisely liquor infused with pounded lotus petals.

Wen Wan first sent Hongmei to scout the way, while the rest of the party walked slowly behind.

The original host had visited the winery a few times.

On the previous two visits, the workers had been bustling with activity, but now the place was eerily quiet, with only the sound of loud, idle chatter and no sign of anyone busy at work.

Even the bluestone path underfoot, left unswept for so long, had sprouted a few tender green shoots from the cracks between the stones.

Nanny Chen couldn’t stand the sight. “These people have grown far too lazy while the master is gravely ill! A broken drum needs a heavy hammer! We must thoroughly cure them of their laziness!”

Seeing Wen Wan’s displeased expression, Hongmei quickly said, “I’ll go fetch Master Zhang.”

But Wen Wan stopped her. “No need. Let’s slip in through the back door.”

This was… an incognito inspection.

The group avoided the front courtyard’s line of sight and quietly made their way to the winery’s back door. As soon as they entered, a scene of decay greeted them. Fresh lotus leaves delivered from Hexiang Village were simply piled on the ground, layer upon layer. Because they hadn’t been steamed in time, water dripped from the leaves above, and the ones underneath had already begun to rot, emitting a foul odor.

Nanny Chen was heartbroken, itching to immediately pick out the rotten leaves. “How can they store things like this? In this hot weather, the lotus leaves have all rotted. If we put them in the wine, won’t it make people sick?”

The entire winery had ceased operations. The warehouse door was wide open, allowing anyone to come and go as they pleased. Several opened wine jars were carelessly left uncovered in the corner, their aroma filling the air.

Wen Wan peered through a crack in the door.

Despite the sweltering heat, most of the winery workers sat shirtless under the trees in the yard, drinking. With a plate of peanuts and side dishes, they were loudly discussing Wen Wan’s wedding from the day before.

Hongmei glanced over, her brow furrowed tightly. “In broad daylight, how can they gather to drink like this? They’re all drunkards! Are they even going to work?”

Even the good-tempered Lüping felt a spark of anger. “And the wine they’re drinking was stolen from the warehouse!”

Wen Wan let out a soft, derisive laugh but remained silent.

She simply took the seat at the head of the room, her face cold as she listened to the commotion outside.

The voices of the workers outside drifted in intermittently.

“If you ask me, this winery might as well shut down! It’s a shame I’ve been an apprentice for three or four years, just about to qualify, and then I run into this mess! Ping County is such a big place, yet there’s no other winery. Our hard-learned skills are going to waste!”

“It might not come to that. There’s still the Cheng family in Bozhou City. Their business spans the whole country, and their treatment of master brewers is countless times better than the Wen family’s! They’re a huge operation; they must need people! We could go to the provincial capital and beg the Chengs to take us in!”

“That doesn’t seem right. The boss’s health has improved, hasn’t it? Maybe the winery’s situation will get better in a few days.”

“Ha! Look, it’s already August, and the millet and rice still haven’t arrived. Yesterday, the boss paid off so many debts. Chances are, we won’t be able to work at all in the second half of the year. Not to mention, now that little girl is in charge of the Wen family. What does she know about brewing or selling wine? A young chick who doesn’t know the first thing about it, and she’s here to order us around?”

“Old Brother Zhao is right! The Wen family will go under sooner or later in that little girl’s hands! Rather than clinging on desperately, we should find another way out now!”

But someone disagreed. “Old Brother Zhao, you can’t say that. Think back to when we had nowhere to turn; it was the boss who took us in and gave us a bite to eat. Now that the boss is in trouble, we can’t just abandon him.”

The man snorted coldly. “Hmph, he gave me a bite to eat, and I’ve worked day and night for him all these years! I didn’t sell myself into slavery to the Wen family! Besides, both of his concubines have run off. Why shouldn’t I? Water flows downhill, people move toward higher ground. If you want to be an ox or a horse for the Wen family, that’s your business, but don’t block the path for the rest of us brothers!”

“Exactly. We’ve followed the manager for so many years, and now he hands the winery over to a woman? If you’re willing to take orders from a little girl, that’s your affair. With our skills, us brothers can make a living anywhere. Why put up with this humiliation! Master Zhang, you’re the senior master here. We’ll all listen to you. What do you think we should do?”

Wen Wan pricked up her ears and looked through the crack at the winery’s head master, Zhang Jiping.

This man… was the head master of the winery, having followed Old Master Wen for at least ten years.

Wen Wan also wanted to know how many more Shi Jinquans were left in this winery.

Zhang Jiping sat lazily in his armchair, surrounded by his disciples and apprentices. He listened for a long time without speaking, silently fiddling with his jadeite and jade tobacco pouch.

“Master Zhang, don’t just play with your tobacco pouch. The manager is seriously ill now, and the one in charge is a young chick who doesn’t know the first thing. Accountant Shi has run off too. This winery is definitely doomed for the second half of the year. What should we, this group, do? You’ve seen much of the world; help us brainstorm some ideas.”