Wanjin Lady

Chapter 136 Who wins?

Manager Zhao explained it clearly in a few words, but Wen Wan sensed a different kind of crisis.

It seems that Yuan Liulang is not the only one eyeing this piece of fat meat of the winery.

Shopkeeper Zhao, a tall and thin man, smiled brightly. "I'm not late, am I?"

After these words were spoken, everyone's expressions varied.

Only Wen Weiming was overjoyed. With three companies competing, he was not afraid of the winery being sold at a low price!
He quickly took Shopkeeper Zhao's hand and smiled warmly, "It's not too late! Just in time! Brother Zhao, you just said you wanted to buy my winery for three thousand taels of silver. Is that true?"

"Thanks to my brother, Yixing Distillery has been doing very well these past two years. The owner has been planning to expand southwestward. I've traveled all over Bozhou this time and have visited your distillery before... I thought..."

Zhao Gaolou naturally couldn't say the rest of the words.

If you're not careful, people might think you're waiting for Wen Weiming to die of illness so that you can snatch up the bargain at the winery.

Zhao Gaolou changed the subject and began praising the winery again. "To be honest, I'm very satisfied with your winery... from the location to the well. Besides, everything you need to make wine is already there; you don't even need a broom. Just give it to me and I'll be up and running right away."

Wen Weiming couldn't believe that such a good thing could happen. He thought to himself, could it be that he had been extremely unlucky some time ago and now his luck has turned around?

Wen Wan looked at Old Man Wen, who was jumping up and down like a butterfly, and remained silent.

Yuan Jing, however, was confused when he saw Wen Weiming and Zhao Gaolou holding hands and calling each other "brothers". He immediately said anxiously, "Shopkeeper Zhao, everything should be based on first come first served..."

Wen Wan immediately sneered, "First come, first served? Yuan Liulang, can you come up with three thousand taels of silver? If not, why bother to join in the fun at my Wen Family Winery?"

Liu Hui interrupted Wen Wan with a smile, "Manager Wen, don't underestimate me. Although the third branch of the Yuan family has a young man as famous as Yuan Qi, the fact that the Yuan family sent Liu Lang alone to Ping County means that Liu Lang must have some extraordinary qualities."

He looked Yuan Jing up and down again, his expression as kind as an elder looking at a younger one. "It's said that Yuan Qi is the next head of the Yuan family. But I think... Yuan Liulang has the appearance of a dragon and a phoenix, and is no less than his brother!"

Yuan Liulang felt a sense of relief on his shoulders, and met Liu Hui's eyes, which were filled with encouragement and approval. "Besides, I heard that the third master of the Yuan family dotes on Yuan Liulang the most, and would even pluck the moon from the sky. How could Yuan Liulang not come up with a mere three thousand taels of silver?"

Yuan Jing's heart was burning with excitement when he heard this, and he wished he could immediately make Liu Hui his close friend!

Everyone in the world thinks that Yuan Jing is not as good as Yuan Qi, that's because they didn't give him a chance!

If he could take over the Wen family winery, he would be able to prove himself in front of his aunt and father. So what if he was raised by a young woman? He would still trample Yuan Qi, who was born to his first wife, under his feet!
Yuan Jing calculated that there must be more than three thousand taels left for that old witch, his stepmother!
As long as he takes over the Wen family winery, his father will definitely find a way to settle the debt!
As for the Bingzhou incident, there will be plenty of opportunities to vent my anger in the future!

You need to look at the long term!
Yuan Jing felt his blood boiling. He shook off Zhu Wang's hand, stepped forward, and declared, "Silver is plentiful in my Yuan family! I want your Wen family's winery! Three thousand five hundred taels! As long as Manager Wen agrees, I'll deliver the silver within ten days!"

Wen Wan, however, sneered, her eyes fixed, her tone mocking, and she ignored Wen Weiming's attempts to dissuade her. "Yuan Liulang, what makes you think I should sell my Wen Family Winery to you?"

Yuan Jing's face flushed with anxiety. "I offered the highest price, why wouldn't you sell it to me?! Do you have a grudge against silver?"

"Of course I have no grudge against silver, but whether I have a grudge against you or not, doesn't Mr. Yuan Liu know it?"

Yuan Jing's face turned grim as he thought of the girl named Lu Ping who used to be with Wen Wan.

Then Yuan Jing felt angry again. Damn it, it wasn’t him who did it. Is he addicted to taking the blame?
But the boast had already been made, and trying to explain now would only make him seem weak-willed. So Yuan Liulang changed his tune, saying, "A mere servant... is it really necessary? With three thousand taels, what kind of sweet maid can't you find?"

Wen Wan ignored him and greeted Zhao Gaolou with a smile, "Manager Zhao, you just offered to buy my Wen Family Winery for three thousand taels, and I agree. When are we going to sign the contract?"

"Ah... this..." Zhao Gaolou's face showed a hint of unnaturalness, and his eyes avoided. "Shopkeeper Wen... the price is fine... but can you accept that Xingyi Winery pays slowly?"

Yuan Jing, who was just furious, suddenly turned around.

Wen Weiming's face turned pale.

No one expected that something unexpected would happen.

"As you know, September is the perfect time for winemaking. I'm sure the Wen family winery, like my Xingyi winery, has just spent a fortune on grain for winemaking. Now, I'm... short on cash... If Shopkeeper Wen doesn't mind... we can sign a contract and pay it back slowly over the next six months..."

Wen Weiming's face immediately turned grim. "I need the money urgently, but you want to pay it back in half a year? This is not impossible, unless you pay the full amount in half a year before you can process the paperwork."

"This..." Zhao Gaolou hesitated, "This...is not appropriate...not appropriate..."

But he couldn't tell what was wrong.

Yuan Jing knew that the Wen family still had debts to Xinlong Money House. If they paid it off in half a year, it would be too late!

He immediately seized the opportunity to express his position, "Manager Wen, three thousand five hundred taels... present it with both hands within ten days! I can sign a document. If the silver is not handed over within ten days, the bank will charge two cents of interest!"

Wen Weiming immediately showed hesitation and looked at Wen Wan. The old man's tone was almost pleading, "Three thousand five hundred taels... is enough for our family to eat and drink for the rest of their lives..."

Wen Wan bit her lower lip, her face gloomy, staring at Yuan Jing fiercely without saying a word.

The uglier Wen Wan's expression became, the more excited Yuan Jing became!

Oh, no matter what, in the end, didn’t the Wen family winery fall into his hands?
Although 3,500 taels far exceeded his budget, one should not only focus on the present. When the winery is operational in the future, the profit will be far more than 3,500 taels!

Yuan Jing's thoughts turned more and more fond, and his tone softened. "Manager Wen, do you have any other choice besides me? As your father said, this silver is enough for you to pay off the debt of Xinlong Bank! If you agree, shall we sign the contract now?"

Wen Wan's face showed an expression of excitement. She glanced at Old Man Wen and then at Yuan Jing with a soft and gentle look.

The little girl pursed her lips and said hesitantly, "You...you...since the two families have signed the agreement...you can no longer attack the Wen family."

Yuan Liulang laughed heartily, "Don't worry, I've acquired the Wen family winery, and my wish has come true. All the past events are written off! Miss Wen and I are no strangers to each other!"

"That Bingzhou...Bingzhou's affairs..."

"What Bingzhou?! I forgot about it!" Yuan Jing seemed completely unconcerned about their past disagreements. "Ms. Wen is a businesswoman, so you should know what's good for you. Now that you've got the money, you can pay off your debts and take your old father back to the countryside to live a comfortable life. I've got the winery, which will bring honor to the family. Isn't it a win-win situation?"

(End of this chapter)