After some thought, Ji Dong said: "I was still young back then and didn’t remember much about it. But I recall our mother telling me about it from time to time. She couldn’t really judge whether it was good or bad. After all, they were high-ranking people, and our mother was merely a humble wet nurse in their mansion, serving a legitimate daughter who wasn’t favored. She hardly had any chance to see the real masters."
Ji Xinhe nodded silently.
Ji Dong continued: "When our mother worked for the Wang family, they were not a royal merchant, merely a wealthy family in Lian’an Town. However, they still paid generously. When the masters were pleased, they would reward her with some valuables, and her wage was also considerable. The accumulated fortune our family had, was all because of this. Our mother even mentioned those rewarded items, that everything will be part of your dowry!"
As he spoke, Ji Dong became sullen again: "But after all these times, Lady Ding either seized or sold everything. Nothing was left."
Ji Xinhe couldn’t help but feel confused: "If it’s as you said, our mother was just an unnoticed wet nurse in their mansion. How could the Wang family, years later, generously give more than a hundred silver in consideration of our mother?"
"Well, a wealthy family might not care much about this money." Ji Dong waved his hand and resumed his meal.
However, Ji Xinhe still felt something was amiss. As for the Wang family, her father and Lady Ding were the only ones who had had contact with them. It was them saying the Wangs were charitable, and it was also them saying the Wangs had offered her a business opportunity.
Ji Xinhe didn’t enjoy being led by the nose, especially by these people whose words she could hardly believe.
"Well ..." Ji Xinhe was about to ask more when she suddenly stopped.
At that moment, Ji Dong, who was eating, looked at Ji Xinhe and said, "What’s the matter? Why did you stop?"
Ji Xinhe gestured for silence: "Wait."
She then rose silently, moved swiftly and silently to the door.
Ji Dong tensed too, thinking there might be a thief at home. He clenched the fire stick next to him, not daring to move rashly. With Xinhe being so cautious, he naturally had to uphold the silence and wait.
Ji Xinhe stood by the door, straining her ears to catch any sound from outside.
"What’s going on inside?"
It was Lady Ding’s voice.
Despite the voice being low, Ji Xinhe’s hearing was far superior to normal people due to her past as an assassin. Listening carefully, she could hear clearly.
A cold glint reflected in Ji Xinhe’s eyes. Why was Ding here again?
All day she had behaved suspiciously. Initially claiming to represent the Wang family and offer her a business opportunity, she slinked away after being rejected firmly. Yet she had come back already.
From the moment they had come for her during the day, Xinhe felt something was off. She was skeptical about the Wang family, and even more so about this couple!
Outside, Ji Dashan spoke to Ding in a low, nervous voice: "Nothing, I heard nothing."
They had just arrived when Ji Xinhe stopped her conversation. Naturally, Ji Dashan didn’t hear anything.
Lady Ding replied in frustration: "This door is not soundproof, can’t you hear anything? The Wang family has given us five days. Do you think we have much time? Hurry and listen!"
Ji Xinhe’s eyebrows raised. The Wang family gave us five days?
Five days for what?
The grape wine?
Hearing about the five-day deadline, Ji Dashan’s heart pounded in terror. Despite trying to listen carefully, he didn’t hear a thing and plaintively said: "really, they aren’t saying anything, what should we do now?"
"What can we do? The Wang family wants the brewing method for the grape wine. Just keep eavesdropping here. They have to talk about it at some point. Perhaps, we may even hear about the secret recipe," Ding replied
So, that’s how it is!
Ji Xinhe gave a cold smile. This couple indeed harbored ill intentions. During the day, they had forced her to cooperate with the Wangs. When that failed, they decided to steal the grape wine brewing method! Did they really think she was an easy target?
An idea popped up in Ji Xinhe’s mind and she suddenly said to Ji Dong: "Big brother, we’ve already signed a contract with Gu Lin Residence, saying that we need to deliver goods by the end of this month. Now, it’s only halfway through the month, so we must hurry up with the brewing. Otherwise, we won’t make it in time."
Ji Dong was momentarily stunned. Hadn’t the grape wine for the palace already been brewed?
But, seeing the look in Ji Xinhe’s eyes, he quickly understood, and immediately replied: "Yes, we need to hurry."
Hearing this, Ding and Ji Dashan’s eyes lit up. Ding even showed a satisfied expression, as if she had predicted it all along.
Ji Xinhe continued: "How about we start brewing early tomorrow? Although we’ve got less time, with half a month’s work, the grape wine will definitely taste good."
The brewing of grape wine could take as little as half a month or as long as several months or years. Generally, Ji Xinhe took as much time as possible to ensure that the taste of grape wine was richer, thereby worth its price.
So in this respect, she wasn’t deceiving anyone.
Ji Dong repeated, stunned: "Ah? Well, okay."
Ji Xinhe deliberately raised her voice: "This grape wine, currently only our family knows how to brew. We must never let the secret recipe leak out. We’ll quietly brew it in our small courtyard and tell no one!"
"We’ll do it as you say." Seeing the cunning gleam in Xinhe’s eyes, Ji Dong had a rough idea of what she was going to do and played along with her.
Listening, Ji Dashan and Ding’s hearts beat even faster. They quietly chuckled to themselves and sneaked off.
After Ji Xinhe confirmed that they had gone far away, she snorted coldly: "A couple of fools!"
Ji Dong was still in the dark. He hadn’t Ji Xinhe’s sharp senses and couldn’t hear what was happening outside. He hastily asked, "Who was outside just now?"
"It was Ding and... Ji Dashan." Ji Xinhe could barely bring herself to say ’dad’ now.
"What do they want?" Ji Dong was annoyed.
"They want to steal our skills." Ji Xinhe laughed coldly. "Such people, if not taught a lesson, they’ll assume I can be pushed around!"
----
Meanwhile, Ji Dashan and Ding returned to their room and let out a breath of relief.
"Ji Xinhe, this girl may seem smart but is actually very naive! Just wait and see, tomorrow we’ll secretly observe their brewing process, then we’ll be rich!" Ding was extremely excited: "Once we have this brewing method, you should ask the Wang family for more money. Don’t be so stupid as to settle for five hundred silver!"
At this moment, she seemed to have already had the money in hand and was very complacent.
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