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"Where does this wine come from?" Cheng Xi was quite surprised when he saw the orange-yellow wine in the jar.
The threshold for brewing wine in ancient times was not low, and due to differences in climate and geography, the wines people drank varied greatly from place to place.
In Panyu or Hepu, the more popular ones are white wine and rice wine. Even if there is yellow wine, it is of brown-red color. Such clear yellow wine is rare, not to mention the packaging and wine jars. It doesn't look like a cheap product.
Lu Jian smiled and said, "This is Huadiao brewed in my hometown. We can only make a few jars every few years. I wanted to send someone to deliver it to you during the Mid-Autumn Festival, but I was afraid it might get lost on the way, so I decided to deliver it to you personally."
This was somewhat unexpected. Cheng Xi originally thought that today's conversation would make Lu Jian restrain himself a bit and they could discuss other things the next day.
Unexpectedly, after a while he regrouped and brought some good wine. Has he changed his personality?
However, Cheng Xi didn't care about these little tricks: "That's really rare, thank you for taking the trouble."
The joy in her eyes was not fake. Lu Jian felt relieved. Fine wine should not be given to beautiful women, but Cheng Xi was not an ordinary woman. How many wealthy people in the sea did not love wine? With the lubrication of fine wine, other things were easy to talk about. Lu Jian smiled and said, "Besides this Huadiao, the dishes in Jiangnan are also unique. It's a pity that the ones made here always lack the taste. If there is a chance in the future, I would like to invite you to try it."
When they first met in Hepu, they also talked about a lot of delicacies from all over the world and the scenery of the south of the Yangtze River, but back then it was more of a test, while now it was a real invitation.
Cheng Xi said, "I heard that the food there is all sweet? I'm afraid I can't get used to it."
"How can it be as exaggerated as the rumors say?" Lu Jian laughed, "But I have actually heard people complain that they shouldn't put sugar in dishes, they should put sauce in instead."
She understood the debate between the sweet and salty parties. But Lu Jian came to offer wine, could he have just wanted to say this? Cheng Xi followed suit and said, "We don't have any dishes with sugar, but we can make some seafood tonight, which I think will go well with this fine wine."
Lu Jian's lips curled up when he heard this: "It's been a while since I left Luoling Island. It's time for me to get together with everyone."
He didn't actually want to date her alone, but wanted to join the group? Cheng Xi couldn't help but glance at him and laughed, "Of course."
So the evening banquet changed from a small gathering of two to a banquet for seven or eight people. Cheng Xi also took out the jar of fine wine: "This is the fine wine that Mr. Lu brought back from Jiangnan. Today everyone can have a taste of it."
Li Niu was the quickest to react, immediately bursting into laughter. "Mr. Lu is truly a sincere man, even bringing back some wine. This jar looks quite special, we're in for a treat."
If a rough guy like Li Niu drinks the finest Huadiao wine, it would be a waste. However, Lu Jian smiled and said, "Brother Li, you're joking. This Huadiao is too little. I'm afraid it won't satisfy me. If I have the chance in the future, I'll get some Jiannan liquor. That will have a unique flavor."
Such polite words immediately made Li Niu very happy. Back then, he was afraid to speak in front of Lu Jian, but now he can be on equal footing with him. Then again, this wine was probably not prepared for them. Could it be that the gang leader was deliberately trying to pressure him?
His mind raced, but Li Niu's smile widened as he personally stood up to pour wine for everyone. Ever since his men had violated the gang's rules, he had been more humble and had gone to great lengths to curry favor with the gang leader.
Everyone filled their wine cups. Cheng Xi raised his glass and said, "This wine was sent by Master Lu. This glass must be toasted to him first."
Everyone responded with a roar, and raised their glasses to Lu Jian. The smile on his face couldn't help but grow wider: "It's just a small favor, I hope everyone likes it."
After saying that, he was the first to drink the wine in the glass, and the others also drank the wine one after another.
The wine had been boiled with plums and then cooled in a well. It tasted sweet and mellow with a hint of plum fragrance, quite refreshing. However, in Yan Yuan's mouth, it was not very enjoyable.
As Cheng Xi's deputy, he reviewed all the news coming back from Panyu, and naturally, he'd seen quite a few rumors. If Lu Jian, who was in Panyu, said he didn't know, he wouldn't believe it. Instead of refuting the rumors, he personally brought fine wine to the island—his motive was easy to guess. In the past, he might have warned Cheng Xi to be careful about this kid. But now, he couldn't bring himself to say that.
He didn't know what position to put himself in.
If it was her father or brother, then they could have warned her to stay away from the scoundrel. If it was a subordinate, as long as it didn't endanger the leader, it wouldn't be appropriate to talk about such matters. Besides, someone like Lu Jian could be won over with some investment. Cheng Xi was no ordinary woman. She could even use her father's will against Xu Xianrong, so why would she care about such things?
But what if it's for myself? What if those unhappiness, inquiry, and evil thoughts are just because of jealousy?
His heart was in turmoil, that moment of looking back under the moonlight. If he couldn't even confirm his own identity, how could he dissuade her? It was precisely because of this that he kept his mouth shut, hoping he could continue as usual, at least so she wouldn't notice anything was wrong.
Yan Yuan wasn't enjoying his drink, but Lu Jian seemed oblivious and continued chatting with the others. His demeanor and presence didn't fit in with most of the people present, but when they actually started chatting, they actually seemed to get along quite well.
"A textile mill is going to be built so soon?" Li Niu asked curiously while chewing something.
"The construction of the houses has already begun. There are about a thousand looms, and more will be added in the future." Lu Jian did not hide it and said directly.
Li Niu's eyes nearly popped out of his head. He couldn't help but swallow his saliva and turned around to ask, "Boss, are we going to seize the silk fabrics from Panyu Port?"
Cheng Xi smiled and said, "Look at your achievements. The big weaving mills in Jiangnan have at least a thousand looms, and Panyu handles an untold amount of cloth and silk every year. How can we possibly consume it all?"
Lu Jian said jokingly, "If the loom can really be improved, it won't be a problem to eat up 30% of it."
Li Niu slapped his thigh and said, "The gang leader is really amazing! Young Master Lu is also a capable man. He can handle such a big business."
This was a bit of flattery, but of course it was mainly to praise Cheng Xi, and he was very smart not to mention the investment. The three of them all had shares in several workshops in Dongning, but the industries in Panyu were different. In the future, they would be put into the public treasury. To put it bluntly, they were the gang leader's private property, and he didn't dare to rashly stretch his claws.
Lu Jian smiled and said, "It's just that recruiting people is a bit troublesome. I'm afraid we have to recruit some people from various villages. Brother Li will have to help us when the time comes."
Cheng Xi glanced at him when he heard this, and Li Niu also noticed it, and immediately slapped his thigh: "This matter can be discussed. I will send people to spread the word in each village. I don't know how many people will be happy if you can become the Weaver Girl."
He was in charge of a fleet selling groceries, so he was incredibly familiar with the coastal areas. More importantly, the gang leader would definitely be interested in recruiting the Weaver Girl. Buying an orphan girl and training female soldiers—wasn't the underlying meaning clear? He would definitely cater to her needs.
Cheng Xi's smile deepened. Li Niu was playing to her liking, and Lu Jian bringing up the topic at this time, wasn't that right? It seemed that the conversation had made him change his strategy.
Seeing Cheng Xi's smile, Lu Jian knew he had made the right move. He had always understood what those in power wanted. Even after accepting the bank's job, he still considered himself an "ally." He could collaborate with such people, but not treat them as confidants.
But what he wanted wasn't just cooperation. If he wanted Cheng Xi to be inseparable from him, the first thing he had to do was to make her less suspicious. He had already made a concession, so why not give in a little more? She wanted him to curb those wealthy clients, to make the bank absorb more money, and to involve more people. He could do all of this. Furthermore, it didn't conflict with his own interests. It could even help the bank grow rapidly, allowing him, who was using the power of others to bully others, to expand his power to an astonishing degree.
It would be extremely difficult to be independent. But what if he didn't want to be independent? What if his family would be closely connected with the Red Flag Gang in the future?
Once Lu Jian had thought this through, she knew what to do. She trusted Yan Yuan because he was an old subordinate of Qiu Sheng's and a capable commander. But he was only one of the leaders, and if he wanted to make further progress, the other leaders would probably get nervous first. She was unique, and not even Zhong Ping could share the responsibility he shouldered.
Such advantages must be utilized well.
Watching the elegant young man dancing gracefully, Yan Yuan felt the wine in his mouth turn bitter and was almost unable to swallow. Unexpectedly, the other party glanced at him and suddenly smiled and said to Lin Meng, "I heard that Brother Lin is getting married? That's great news. I also went to Brother Sun's wedding before and had a drink."
Lin Meng was a little surprised that the other party knew about this, but he was also very happy: "The wedding date is set for next month, and Mr. Lu can come and have a drink at the wedding."
Everyone knew the Long Whale Gang was eyeing them covetously, so some things needed to be done. Besides, once he got married, his sister could follow suit.
Lu Jian smiled and sighed, "I am only able to indulge myself for two more years while I am still young. When I am older, I should focus on starting a family and building a career."
Yan Yuan paused, nearly slamming his cup on the table. Aside from Li Niu, he was the oldest of the big bosses present. At twenty-seven or twenty-eight, still unmarried, he was truly an anomaly. Needless to say, who was Lu Jian targeting? But he wasn't speaking to him, and he was speaking with "good intentions." Could he possibly turn against him?
Looking at the people chatting lively below, Cheng Xi's smile deepened.
It is not difficult to guess what Lu Jian is thinking, but for her, a relatively harmonious group and a truly obedient subordinate are much more important than anything else.
Only in this way can they have the strength to fight against a powerful enemy like the Changjing Gang.
I just don't know what Ning Fu is doing right now. Given his temperament, he's been so quiet lately that it's a bit unusual...
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