Chapter 107 Fortune Lies in Peril
Inside Fengmian Residence, Song Wanjun appeared calm as he drank tea, but the anxiety in his eyes betrayed his true emotions.
Ping An, a close attendant standing nearby, noticed something amiss and kept glancing towards the entrance. Seeing that the owner of Sheng Garden hadn't yet appeared, he frowned and said with displeasure:
"Sir, this Mr. Sheng is far too pretentious."
His master is from the direct line of the Song family of Jinling, and he manages the entire Song family business. He is so busy that he can only rest late at night every day.
I've already given Mr. Sheng a lot of face by making time to come here in person today, but I've been treated coldly.
Song Wanjun's expression turned solemn as he sternly rebuked Ping An: "Watch your words!"
Ping An felt a chill run down her spine and immediately lowered her head and fell silent.
As the tea cooled, a chill ran through his fingertips. Song Wanjun put down his teacup and looked out the window.
A bare plum branch swayed back and forth; it turned out to be two plump sparrows hopping up and down, occasionally opening their little beaks to chirp merrily.
Song Wanjun became engrossed in watching, and the anxiety that had been lingering in his heart unexpectedly subsided somewhat.
At this moment, Shuqi walked in alone and bowed to Song Wanjun: "Master Song, my master is temporarily unavailable and cannot come to entertain you in person. He specially instructed me to come and apologize."
Upon hearing this, Ping An was so angry that his eyebrows stood on end.
Song Wanjun remained calm, his attitude quite amiable: "It's alright, I'll wait here."
If you need something from someone, you should have the attitude to ask for their help.
Being a direct descendant of the Song family is beneficial, but it should not be a constraint.
Having navigated the business world for decades, Song Wanjun surely understands such a simple principle.
Shuqi was quite surprised and couldn't help but glance at Song Wanjun a few more times.
On the way to Fengmian Residence, he expected that this short-tempered Master Song would fly into a rage and berate his master for being arrogant and disrespectful to the Song family of Jinling.
Unexpectedly, he was being petty; Master Song wasn't angry at all.
Is this the kind of vision the master mentioned before?
Master Song is a man of great vision!
With that thought in mind, Shuqi brewed another pot of hot tea and brought it over.
In the large kitchen, the aroma of freshly cooked dishes filled the air. Sheng An served Tan Qingrou a small bowl of food separately: "Eat slowly, there are other delicious dishes to come."
Tan Qingrou eagerly took the bowl, and looking at the thin, almost transparent fish slices, she secretly swallowed: "Sister, this braised fish slices smell so good!"
Sheng An smiled and said, "I'm glad you like it."
Tan Qingrou nodded vigorously: "I like it!"
Waaah, Sister Sheng's cooking is so good! I just ate a bowl of mutton soup and I'm not hungry at all, but I'm still craving it and can't resist Sister Sheng's feeding.
Fortunately, her home is some distance from Shengyuan, otherwise she would definitely not be able to control herself and come here every day, and sooner or later she would have eaten herself into a little fat ball.
Tan Qingrou thought to herself, but her actions were without hesitation. She picked up the trembling fish slice and swallowed it in one gulp, her round eyes instantly narrowing into slits.
Sheng An, who was busy at the stove, watched all this and for some reason thought of the cats he had fed before.
The expressions on their faces after eating the delicious food were not unrelated; they were practically identical.
Tan Qingrou slowly finished the delicious and tender braised fish slices, took a handkerchief from the maid, elegantly wiped her mouth, got up and walked to the stove, softly speaking about the Song family of Jinling:
"More than 20 years ago, the Song family of Jinling had already declined. There were very few Song family officials in the court, and the Song family's business was also severely suppressed by other families."
Later, one of Song's aunts married into the powerful An'nan Marquis's family in the capital, becoming the heir apparent's wife. She later died protecting the then-Imperial Consort, now the Empress Dowager, and it was only then that Song gradually rose to become the third most powerful family in Jinling.
Sheng An paused, his hand gripping the spatula still; these words contained a tremendous amount of information!
Tan Qingrou continued, "At that time, the Song family's aunt was eight months pregnant. After blocking the knife, she knew that her life was unlikely to be saved, so she begged the imperial physician to cut the child out of her womb."
At this point, the little girl took a deep breath, her hands clenched tightly under her sleeves.
She was both shocked by the cesarean section and admired the decisiveness of the Song family aunt.
Sheng An was also stunned, or rather, shocked.
If she were the Song family's aunt, she might not have had the courage to do this.
Sheng An felt immense admiration for this decisive woman he had never met before.
"The child was born prematurely, and the knife that stabbed his mother was poisoned. He was cut open without making a sound, and it took the imperial physicians a lot of effort to save him. They predicted that he would not live past the age of twenty-five."
Tan Qingrou sighed, feeling deep sympathy for the mother and son.
"Although he was granted the title of heir apparent of the Marquis of Annan and has the support of the Empress Dowager and the Emperor, he has been recuperating away from home for many years and has not yet married or had any children. The position of heir apparent will eventually fall to the second son of the Marquis of Annan's second wife."
After hearing this, Sheng An guessed the purpose of Song Wanjun's second visit.
"Sister, everyone outside is saying that the young master of the Ding family, Ding Tianci, is getting better. It's because of the meals you made that his spleen and stomach are healthy. They also say that the ladies and young women who drank your glutinous rice wine have improved their sleep and complexion."
Tan Qingrou looked at Sheng An with bright eyes, but her face showed a worry that was beyond her years: "Sister's cooking is delicious, and the glutinous rice wine is also delicious. It would be an exaggeration to say that they can cure diseases."
Sheng An was surprised by the little girl's intelligence and quick wit. Seeing the slight worry on her face, a warm feeling rose in her heart: "Xiao Rou is right, the rumors are too exaggerated."
Tan Qingrou secretly breathed a sigh of relief, but couldn't help but delve deeper:
"The Song family's foundation is still too shallow. For more than 20 years, they have relied on the legacy of that aunt to get to where they are today. If it were that Marquis of Annan's heir... the Song family would lose its backing and be brought back to its original state."
Similarly, the existence of the Marquis of Annan's heir and the Song family also blocked the way for some people.
If Sister Sheng were to intervene rashly, it might bring trouble that even the Tan family couldn't afford to offend.
"Xiaorou, I know what to do."
Sheng An gave the little girl a reassuring smile. If it weren't for the oil stains on his hands, he would have already patted her head a few times: "Don't think so much at such a young age, or you won't grow tall."
Tan Qingrou believed it to be true, and a look of horror appeared on her little face: "Sister, really?"
No wonder she never grew taller. This time when she returned to Jinling, her younger sister almost caught up with her. It turns out she had too many thoughts on her mind.
Looking at her adorable appearance, Sheng An couldn't help but chuckle: "I wouldn't lie to you, thinking too much will make you sleep poorly, and poor sleep will make it harder for you to grow taller."
Otherwise, why would there be the saying "big, dumb guy"?
Tan Qingrou was completely convinced and decided to start sleeping well from today onwards and stop overthinking and affecting her growth.
Sheng An cooked two tables of dishes in a row, and his arms were so sore they didn't even belong to him anymore.
Tan Qingrou's belly was round from being fed so much; if it weren't for the thick winter clothes, it would probably have bulged out and become a laughing stock.
Knowing that Sheng An was going to see Song Wanjun, she did not stay at Sheng Garden any longer. She left reluctantly with a food box full of delicious food.
Sheng An ate a few bites in the main kitchen, then went back to the small building to change his clothes before leisurely arriving at Fengmian Residence.
This was the first time Song Wanjun had waited for two hours. When he saw Sheng An arrive late, he showed no displeasure and even stood up to greet him: "It's been a long time. Boss Sheng, you still look as dashing as ever."
Sheng An was puzzled, but his face was full of apology: "I was busy with business today, and I kept Mr. Song waiting."
Song Wanjun smiled slightly: "It is I who have come uninvited and disturbed Boss Sheng."
Seeing how polite and courteous he was, Sheng An guessed that his nephew, the heir of the Marquis of An'nan, was probably on his deathbed, beyond even the help of the imperial physicians.
The reason we're coming to her now is simply to try anything, even if it's a hopeless situation.
With this thought in mind, Sheng An remained composed: "Guests are welcome, Mr. Song, you are too kind."
Looking at the woman in front of him, who clearly came from a farming background but possessed a dignified air, Song Wanjun became even more cautious: "Boss Sheng is a straightforward person, so I won't say much to you. I have come here today to ask you for a favor."
Seeing his directness, Sheng An realized that things were more urgent than she had imagined.
She pretended not to know Song Wanjun's purpose, first showing a perfectly timed look of surprise, then her expression became serious: "Mr. Song, please speak freely, but to ask for a favor is too much."
Song Wanjun couldn't see through Sheng An's thoughts. He waved to Ping An, who was standing to the side, signaling him to stand guard at the door and not let anyone approach Fengmian Residence.
Once there was no one else in the room, Song Wanjun got straight to the point: "Boss Sheng's culinary skills are superb. I would like to invite Boss Sheng to Jinling to cook for one person for at least three months. The conditions are up to Boss Sheng."
Sheng An raised an eyebrow slightly. Should she name her terms?
That shows great sincerity.
Indeed, compared to the lives of the Song family's powerful backers, everything else is just material possessions.
It's well worth exchanging these material possessions for the Song family's wealth and prosperity for the next few decades.
Sheng An probed calmly, "Jinling has no shortage of skilled chefs, so why make me travel all this way?"
Song Wanjun stared directly into Sheng An's eyes, as if trying to discern something from them.
After a long pause, he directly stated the reason for inviting Sheng An: "Boss Sheng's culinary skills are superb, and the dishes he prepares have nourishing effects. I, Song, am well-informed and knowledgeable, and I believe that Boss Sheng is the only person with such abilities."
After leaving Shengyuan last time, Song Wanjun secretly sent people to keep an eye on Shengyuan's movements.
For more than two months, news about Shengyuan has been constantly reaching the Song family in Jinling, and Song Wanjun has become increasingly convinced that Sheng An is no ordinary person.
This time, the invitation to Sheng An to go to Jinling was indeed a last resort.
Even if the final result is not satisfactory, as long as his nephew, the heir of the Marquis of An'nan, can taste the delicacies of the world, it will not be a wasted trip.
Seeing Song Wanjun's frankness, Sheng An didn't beat around the bush with him: "I'm sorry, Sheng Garden can't do without me, please forgive me for not being able to grant Master Song's request."
Having been immersed in the business world for many years, Song Wanjun instantly understood Sheng An's unspoken meaning. A hint of hesitation appeared on his usually serious face: "Boss Sheng, I keep my word. As long as Boss Sheng is willing to go to Jinling, you can name your terms."
Sheng An remained unmoved: "I'm sorry."
Seeing that she had made up her mind, Song Wanjun frowned and pondered for a moment before finally compromising, saying, "How about I send the person to Qingzhou, and Boss Sheng prepares three meals a day for him?"
Boss Sheng readily agreed: "Sure!"
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