A glimpse
The noble lady saw her son and had her emotional knots untied by the Wang sisters, making the trip a complete success.
After two days of quiet contemplation at the estate, she felt it was time to leave.
All good things must come to an end, and life is a constant cycle of partings and reunions. But when the noble lady informed Wang Pan'er of her impending departure from Jinzhou Prefecture, her eyes still welled up with tears.
The noble lady gently embraced her and softly comforted her, "It's not like we'll never see each other again. When Pan'er comes to the capital to play in the future, let me be her host."
Wang Pan'er nodded with tears in her eyes and hummed in agreement.
The two sisters wanted to give the noble lady a perfect ending to her trip to Jinzhou. After much discussion, they decided not to hold a farewell banquet at the estate, but to find an elegant place so that the noble lady could also experience the literary charm of the Jinzhong area.
While the lady was taking a nap, they hurriedly went around asking if there were any good places to go, and they actually found a wonderful spot.
This place is called "Yunqi Fenpan". It is built on a calm shoal of the Yellow River and is famous for Fenjiu liquor. It is sought after by many literati and scholars.
However, the "Yunqi Fenpan" restaurant operates on a private, customized model, and will not serve customers without the appropriate credentials or by a regular customer.
Logically speaking, Wang Pan'er's current wealth is not enough, but there is a wealthy man named Su.
Wang Pan'er asked someone to deliver a message to Master Su, saying that the noble lady was about to return home, and someone had recommended this place. They wanted to hold a formal farewell banquet for the noble lady.
Master Su was afraid that the nobleman would not make any requests, so he waited for many days. Finally, he got his chance to use his skills. He hurriedly went to reserve a place for the noble lady and then asked Prefect Zhao for help. The two of them waited in the shop for the nobleman to arrive.
The noble lady disliked the two sycophants. After they greeted her, they obediently withdrew and had a maid lead the noble lady and the Wang Pan'er sisters into a private room.
The noble lady sat down with a smile, looking at the surging river outside the window, yet feeling as tranquil as a still pond beneath her feet, and exclaimed, "The heavens and earth are truly a masterpiece of nature."
The noble lady was nourished from head to toe by Wang Pan'er and Wang Xiaoyao, and her complexion improved significantly. She was no longer emaciated, and the sorrow between her brows had completely disappeared. She was no longer the same person she was when she first arrived in Jinzhou Prefecture.
The dishes at Yunqi Fenpan were not as tolerable as those at Shanhe Medicinal Cuisine Restaurant, but the Fenjiu liquor was indeed unique.
The owner specially bought small glass wine cups from the Western Regions, which made the wine look crystal clear. One sip was refreshing, the second was sweet, and the third was fragrant with grains. Paired with peanuts in aged vinegar and fried pork, the taste was simply wonderful.
Worried that her mistress might not be able to hold her liquor, Hongxiao reminded her, "Madam, we will be taking a carriage ride later. If you like, I'll have the shopkeeper prepare a few more jugs to take back to the capital."
The noble lady nodded, filled her cup to the brim, and raised her wine cup to Wang Pan'er and Wang Xiaoyao: "Good wine should not be drunk in excess, but I must toast Pan'er and Xiaoyao."
Wang Pan'er and Wang Xiaoyao hurriedly refilled their wine cups, listening to the noblewoman's earnest words: "During this time, under your guidance, I have seen many things I could never have imagined before. Under your protection, young women are not subjected to the hardships of marriage and can shoulder the burdens of life. Many people who were born at the wrong time and are impoverished are also living optimistically. I have observed all aspects of this world, and the things that troubled me in the capital seem like yesterday's smoke, no longer able to disturb my mind. I was born into a high family and have power and influence, yet I do not live with the same courage as you. From now on, I will no longer be bound by this unhappy marriage, but should be like you, working for the well-being of the suffering people."
The power held by this noble lady must be extraordinary. That she is willing to act now is a blessing for the people. The two men respectfully drank the cup of wine.
After the meal, the noble lady was about to depart, and Wang Pan'er accompanied her on foot to the city gate.
At the city gate stood a young woman working at a medicinal cuisine restaurant, carrying a large wooden box and eagerly awaiting her arrival. Upon seeing the visitor, she happily handed the box to Lüyi.
Green Ripple was puzzled.
Wang Pan'er explained, "I was worried that Madam's journey would be difficult, so I specially prepared some pastries and candied fruits to cleanse her palate. At the bottom of the box, I also put some recipes I wrote down, which are Madam's favorites and not too complicated. If Madam wants to eat them, she can have them in the capital."
Before the noble lady could even give her emotional speech, Green Ripple's tears streamed down her face: "You must come to the capital to visit sometime."
"Yes, it will." Wang Pan'er wiped away Lü Yi's tears and repeated, "It definitely will."
The noblewoman chuckled, "It's not like we're facing life and death. If we really miss each other, we can keep in touch by letter. It'll only be about ten days. If we're still reluctant to part, we won't be able to leave today."
Luyi sniffed and climbed onto the carriage, looking back every few steps.
The coachman's whip lashed the horse's rump, and the horse reared up; it was truly time to say goodbye.
Wang Pan'er and Wang Xiaoyao stood at the city gate, waving as they watched the carriage gradually disappear into the bluestone path.
As soon as the noble lady left, Prefect Zhao and Master Su immediately surrounded her from their hiding place.
Seeing the expressions on their faces and the reluctance to part, Prefect Zhao's anxious heart finally settled down: "This young lady is truly capable."
"You flatter me, sir." She clasped her hands and bowed to the prefect, taking the lady's petty matter as an imperial edict. "The lady is kind, but it is only because a woman's mind is difficult for you and the master to fathom that I have the opportunity to gain the favor of such a noble person."
Now that I have gained the favor of a noble person, I can no longer speak to myself as I did before.
Lord Zhao stroked his beard, finding his words quite agreeable: "A generous reward awaits!"
“It is my duty to share your burdens, my lord. I dare not accept any reward, but…”
"But what?"
Wang Pan'er changed the subject: "The master promised me that if I could satisfy the nobleman, he would allow my medicinal cuisine restaurant to be listed in the Liuyun Chamber of Commerce."
"Hmph!" In Lord Zhao's eyes, this was even more insignificant than a trivial matter. "Master Su, what do you say?"
With a smile on his face, Master Su finally had a place to speak: "Yes, I must. Young lady, come with me, and I will personally take you to do it."
Being a good host to an important person is completely different from gaining their favor. Merchants are good at grasping the essentials, and Master Su instructed his servant, "Bring Ah Zhao to the guild hall."
The membership process is not complicated. After registering your shop's information at the counter of the association and paying the membership fee, you can sit back and wait for the association to make a wooden sign.
The Chamber of Commerce building was located in the very heart of the East Market. The interior of the building, facing the street, was ornately decorated and exuded wealth. Wang Pan'er thought that the storefront was already extremely luxurious, but when Master Su led her into the backyard, she found an even more enchanting world.
The first thing that catches the eye is a glazed screen wall, carved with a pattern of a qilin offering auspicious gifts, and adorned with bat motifs at the four corners, shimmering and sparkling in the sunlight. Next are a pair of towering iron flagpoles, each adorned with coiled dragons, appearing at first glance as if celestial dragons have descended, so lifelike. The towering flagpoles are supported by a hexagonal base, which, upon closer inspection, is covered with incredibly exquisite carvings of flowers, birds, insects, and fish.
Further inside, there was a meeting room that could accommodate over a hundred people. Beyond the meeting room, there were also the Flower Opera House, the Drum Tower, and the Bell Tower. In this prime location, their wealth was beyond Wang Pan'er's imagination.
Finally, Master Su led Wang Pan'er to stop in front of a golden statue. Wang Pan'er looked around and found that it was actually an ancestral hall.
The golden statue wears a scholar's hat and a gauze crane cloak, and holds a jade ruyi in its hands. Unlike the common benevolent-looking deities, this golden statue has a serious and unsmiling face, a slender figure, and an openwork chest.
Master Su coughed twice, and a handsome young man, around twenty years old, came up, pouting slightly, seemingly unwilling.
Master Su explained: "The final hurdle to joining the association is to burn incense and swear an oath before the statue of Bi Gan, promising to strictly abide by the rules of the trade in the future when operating a shop."
The boy handed over three lit incense sticks, which Wang Pan'er respectfully nodded and placed in the incense burner.
After the ceremony, Master Su pulled the young man aside and introduced him to Wang Pan'er, saying, "This is my son. After he came of age, I took him with me so that he could learn some skills from me."
Wang Pan'er looked at Master Su, then at the young man, and nodded somewhat inexplicably.
Master Su could only be considered decent-looking at best, and he had even gained weight in his middle age. This young man with rosy lips and white teeth, standing next to Master Su, showed no resemblance whatsoever.
He was very handsome, and although he couldn't compare to the stunningly handsome Mu Chuan, he was definitely one of the most handsome young men in Jinzhou Prefecture.
However, he is already past the age of twenty, comes from a merchant family, and has been influenced by his surroundings since childhood. He can still wear his emotions on his face, so he doesn't seem to be very smart.
Wang Pan'er looked him over again. The boy's lips pursed even more, his anger barely contained, and his eyes revealed a kind of innocent naiveté unique to college students.
She bears no resemblance whatsoever to the lively yet domineering young lady, Su Lingya.
I had heard Wang Xiaoyao say earlier that although Su Lingya was the legitimate daughter, her mother was frail and gave birth to her prematurely, after which she could no longer conceive. As a result, Su Lingya herself was also sickly and suffered greatly during her menstrual period. To have a son, the wealthy Su family took several concubines before finally having Su Lingzhao, their precious daughter. At the time, she and Wang Xiaoyao discussed that in Su Lingya's family, the problem was most likely not that the mother was infertile, but rather that the father was of poor quality.
Looking at Su Lingzhao's pretty little face, Wang Pan'er couldn't help but think to herself: "Does Master Su only care about looks? He found a concubine who's all beauty and no brains, and sadly, she didn't inherit a single bit of the Su family's intelligence. She doesn't seem to be cut out to be a businesswoman at all; she's more like the kind of little brat who can whine and call out 'Zizhe'."
Wang Pan'er didn't know how to flatter him, so she chuckled twice and said, "Young Master is indeed a very handsome man."
Upon hearing this, Su Lingzhao's brows furrowed so deeply they looked like they were about to trap a fly.
Master Su ignored his son's resistance and picked up where Wang Pan'er left off with satisfaction: "His face is barely presentable."
He grabbed his son by the collar and pressed him in front of Wang Pan'er: "Quickly greet the master. You are of the same generation and will have to rely on him in the future."
The word "rely on" made Wang Pan'er feel a little awkward.
She took a half step back, creating some distance between herself and Su Lingzhao, and Su Lingzhao's expression improved slightly.
Wait, this scene looks more like a blind date, or rather, the kind where unwilling juniors are forced onto the dinner table as resources.
Did she just compliment Su Lingzhao on her looks?
What a terrible thing!
The son of the president of a state chamber of commerce was forced by the president to go on a blind date with her and was even forced to act subserviently. It all seemed very strange.
Offering unsolicited favors is always suspicious; this Master Su must be up to no good.
Wang Pan'er chuckled awkwardly, "I haven't been able to deal with the shop matters for a long time because of entertaining distinguished guests. Now that distinguished guests have returned and completed the membership procedures, I need to go and take a look around the shop, so I'll take my leave first."
Before Master Su could react, Wang Pan'er slipped away with lightning speed, all the while forcing a smile as she fled the guild hall.
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