However, Emperor Hongxing was a cautious man, and he would not dispel his suspicions about King Wen just because of the close relationship between the two.
He wouldn't let anyone know his whereabouts until the real culprit was exposed.
On the other side, Wan Shu also encountered someone she never expected.
"Miss Zhong, I never expected you to grace us with your presence. I am truly sorry for not welcoming you properly."
Zhong Pan'er raised her hand, signaling the maid beside her to present the congratulatory gift, and spoke with a beaming smile.
"I heard that Madam Wan's eldest son is getting married today. Now that our two families are in a cooperative relationship, I naturally have to come and offer my congratulations."
That's true, but Wan Shu didn't think Zhong Pan'er would be so kind.
She probably came here today for some other reason.
Sure enough, before they could even exchange a few pleasantries, Zhong Pan'er couldn't hold back any longer.
"Actually, I came here today because there is another important matter I would like to discuss with Madam Wan alone. May I speak with you privately for a moment?"
Wan Shu nodded and led Zhong Pan'er to the deserted backyard of the old house.
"There's no one else here, Miss Zhong, please feel free to speak your mind."
Zhong Pan'er smiled and nodded: "Actually, it's nothing big. My father just sent me to ask if you could sell your soap recipe to the Zhong family, Madam Wan?"
“No.” Wan Shu refused without hesitation: “I’m sorry, Miss Zhong, I have no intention of selling soap recipes.”
Zhong Pan'er was not in a hurry when she saw that she refused, and still had a smile on her face.
"Why refuse so quickly, Madam Wan? Why not listen to the conditions that the Zhong family can offer?"
Wan Shu raised an eyebrow but didn't speak.
Zhong Pan'er continued, "My father is willing to contribute ten thousand taels of silver."
Ten thousand taels of silver!
The Zhong family is actually willing to spend so much money on soap.
Upon hearing this condition, it would be impossible for Wan Shu not to be surprised or tempted.
This is indeed a large sum of money. Even if she opens the factory, it will probably take her a long time to earn 10,000 taels of silver.
Seeing the look of interest in Wan Shu's eyes, Zhong Pan'er confidently said, "Our Zhong family is full of sincerity. What do you think, Madam Wan?"
Unexpectedly, Wan Shu still rejected her.
"Thank you for your appreciation, Ms. Zhong, but I'm sorry, the soap recipe still cannot be sold."
This time, it was Zhong Pan'er who was surprised.
"Why, even with ten thousand taels of silver, are you still unwilling to sell?"
Why else could it be? Naturally, it's because she doesn't want to get involved with the Zhong family or Su Fan any further.
Moreover, neither the head of the Zhong family nor Zhong Pan'er are fools.
The fact that they are willing to spend so much money to buy the soap formula proves that soap does indeed have a lot of market value.
If she can manage it well, the return she can get in the end will be ten times, or even a hundred times, the amount of ten thousand taels of silver.
She's a businesswoman, after all.
Businessmen naturally seek to maximize their profits.
However, Wan Shu naturally wouldn't tell the truth; she just made it up on the spot.
"The soap recipe was given to me by a master before he died. He repeatedly warned me not to tell anyone, otherwise he would turn into a vengeful ghost and take me away."
To increase the credibility of her words, Wan Shu even crossed her arms and pretended to be scared.
“I’m really scared, so the soap recipe must not be sold under any circumstances.”
However, Zhong Pan'er would never believe such a blatant lie, and even thought that Wan Shu was playing a trick on her.
Someone of her status has never been treated like this before!
No matter how much Zhong Pan'er tried to restrain herself, she couldn't hold back any longer and her face darkened immediately: "In that case, I won't force Madam Wan. Besides, there are still many things waiting for me to deal with in the county town, so I won't stay any longer!"
After saying that, he turned and left.
Wan Shu was too lazy to try and persuade him to stay.
This was supposed to be a great day for Dazhu and Daniu, and with this annoying person gone, they could be happier.
"The bride has arrived!"
"Oh my! Our bride looks absolutely gorgeous today!"
Just then, cheers erupted from outside.
When Wan Shu went out, she found that Da Niu had been taken home by Da Zhu, accompanied by Sun Shi and her four younger sisters.
Rural wedding banquets are not as elaborate as those in the city.
The young woman did not wear a veil or a wedding dress.
She was simply wearing a festive red overcoat and had put on a little makeup.
In addition, she wore a gold hairpin that Dazhu had specially bought for her.
Although the decorations were minimal, the girl herself was already beautiful, and with just a little dressing up, she was absolutely stunning.
Along the way, he not only received a lot of praise from the villagers, but also made Dazhu stare in disbelief. When he entered the courtyard, he almost tripped and fell, which made everyone burst into laughter.
"Oh dear, look how happy Dazhu is, he can barely walk straight!"
Wan Shu also found it amusing, but still stepped in to help Da Zhu and Da Niu out of the predicament.
"Now that the bride has arrived, and it's getting late, everyone please don't stand on ceremony and sit down to eat!"
In Sishui County, weddings include a ceremony where the bride and groom toast each other.
That is, the bride and groom have to go to each table to toast and have a drink with everyone.
Although the alcohol content of the wine is not high nowadays, after these eighty-odd households drank it, Dazhu and Da Niu both turned red in the face.
The girl couldn't take it anymore halfway through and even vomited once.
Even so, after the guests had all left, she still mustered her spirits and decided to help Wan Shu and the others clean up the mess.
Seeing this, Wan Shu quickly ushered her into the house.
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