si-mexico Chapter 298: Jiangnan
Chapter 298: Jiangnan
Chapter 298: Jiangnan
When Ji Meiqing saw Lu Yu with his arm around her, she realized she had overlooked the two people beside them. She quickly pushed Lu Yu away, her face instantly turning red, and she muttered under her breath, "What are you doing with so many outsiders here!"
Seeing his beloved wife blushing in front of everyone, Lu Yu was in high spirits. Ignoring Ji Meiqing's resistance, he pulled her into his arms. Lu Yu was too strong, and Ji Meiqing couldn't break free, so she had no choice but to give up and hide in his embrace, not wanting anyone to see her blushing.
In bustling areas, people come and go in endless streams, always appearing crowded. This scene is not unique to Fuzhou; it is equally noisy in the prosperous areas of Jiangnan.
Within the Jiangnan region, Ji Meiqing gave the coachman some silver, and the coachman left, leaving only the three of them. All three disembarked from the carriage, with Lu Yu leading the horses. Ji Meiqing walked ahead alone.
"Miss Ji, where are we going now?" Yin Lie asked Ji Meiqing, who was walking ahead, with some confusion upon seeing the bustling scene. Ji Meiqing didn't tell him, but simply said two words, "To make money." This puzzled Yin Lie; how could a frail woman like her make money?
Ji Meiqing brews wine, so naturally he supplies it to places that need it—taverns. Looking at the bustling scene, Ji Meiqing was somewhat dazzled. Taverns were everywhere, some thriving, others deserted. The thriving establishments obviously wouldn't bother with Ji Meiqing's wine, and the successful taverns had their own methods, while the struggling ones had their own reasons.
Ji Meiqing searched for a long time before stopping in front of a restaurant. The signboard read "Yingchunlou," and one could tell from the name that it was a brothel, but there were no girls at the entrance and no one upstairs; it was deathly quiet. Somewhat strange, she didn't dwell on it too much, telling Lu Yu and Yin Lie to wait for her at the entrance before going inside.
Perhaps because there hadn't been any customers for a long time, the waiter sat at the table and kept his head down, not serving Ji Meiqing, and the shopkeeper did the same.
Ji Meiqing walked directly to the counter. The shopkeeper, seeing that she was a customer, immediately ordered the waiter to make some tea, but Ji Meiqing stopped him. The waiter looked at Ji Meiqing with a confused expression, and Ji Meiqing said directly, "I'm not here to eat, I want to see your boss."
Just as the shopkeeper was about to ask the reason, someone came down from upstairs, so the shopkeeper gave up.
A young man, around 20 years old, exuded a scholarly air; his refined, scholarly appearance surprised Ji Meiqing. The name of the restaurant itself reminded her that appearances can be deceiving.
The scholar turned and went upstairs again, and Ji Meiqing followed. Upstairs were elegant seats, offering a panoramic view of the outside world. The scholar sat down in a seat near the balcony and drank tea.
"What is your surname, young lady? What brings you here?" Ji Meiqing asked as soon as she sat down facing him.
"Your surname is Ji, young master. What is your surname?" Ji Meiqing replied and then asked the same question.
"My surname is Shen, Shen Bin," Shen Bin said, taking a sip of tea before looking downstairs. Ji Meiqing followed his gaze but saw nothing, and directly stated her purpose.
"Young Master Shen, I've come to discuss business with you," Ji Meiqing told him directly.
"Business? My restaurant is in such a state, and you're still willing to cooperate with me, young lady?" Shen Bin asked in a questioning tone, without even looking at Ji Meiqing.
"If you wish to turn this place into a brothel, please leave," Shen Bin said casually, but his words couldn't hide his disgust for brothels.
"Young master is too kind. I am just a woman who buys wine," Ji Meiqing said directly, and Shen Bin's expression improved slightly.
After asking around, Ji Meiqing roughly understood why business here was bad. Shen Bin was a top scholar in the imperial examination. He had passed with flying colors a year ago. His family was already wealthy, but he didn't rely on connections. Instead, he studied diligently and became the top scholar.
His father valued him highly, and after he became the top scholar in the imperial examination, he granted him one wish: to build a restaurant in the area. Shen Bin's father assumed his son wanted to spend his days indulging in pleasure and didn't question it further. After the restaurant was completed, it was named "Fan Ge" (Food Pavilion). When his father saw it, he realized he had been wrong.
Shen Bin built this restaurant so that everyone could eat well and be full without spending too much money. When Shen Bin was in school, his classmates said to him, "Shen Bin, if you get into university, go eat something nice." At that time, the classmate was full of anticipation, but then said, "Eating something nice means going to a restaurant, it's too expensive, I can't afford it."
This remark sparked Shen Bin's desire to open a restaurant. However, the restaurant next door was no different from a brothel; customers would always go to the brothel, and the restaurant's business declined day by day. Initially, it was because he had the title of top scholar in the imperial examination that many people came to curry favor and frequently dined at his restaurant. But a year later, no one remembered that he was the top scholar anymore. People only know how to enjoy themselves, preferring to squander their wealth on debauchery.
Later, the shopkeeper, wanting to improve business, changed the signboard to "Welcoming Spring Pavilion". But the shop remained deserted and lifeless.
Ji Meiqing was also a little surprised when she came in. If business was bad, the shop should have closed down long ago, but it was still open and no one was buying or causing trouble. It turned out that Shen Bin had quite a powerful backer.
"Young Master Shen, give me a month, and I won't let your restaurant turn into a brothel. I'll also provide the wine, but I want a 50/50 split of the profits," Ji Meiqing stated her intentions directly, and Shen Bin agreed. The restaurant couldn't continue like this; if there was any way to salvage it, a 50/50 split was acceptable.
Afterwards, Ji Meiqing went downstairs and asked Lu Yu to take out fruit wine, grape wine, and pear blossom wine from the carriage and carry them into the restaurant.
"Young Master Shen, please try my homemade wine," Ji Meiqing said to Shen Bin. Perhaps because he doesn't drink alcohol, Shen Bin was somewhat hesitant. Ji Meiqing told him that the fruit wine had no alcohol content, so he tasted it and said, "Good wine, sweet but not cloying, and unlike other wines, it doesn't have a spicy aftertaste." Since Shen Bin had found a wine he liked, he agreed that Ji Meiqing would be in charge of all the wine at his restaurant from now on.
After finalizing the business deal, Ji Meiqing found an inn to stay in. She shared a room with Lu Yu, while Yin Lie stayed in the room next door. Ji Meiqing had just sat on the bed when she started to drift off into a daze. Lu Yu didn't know what she was thinking, but he was sure it was something important, so he didn't disturb her.
After a while, Ji Meiqing said, "Brother Lu, could you go to the market and buy me some Xuan paper and calligraphy brushes?" Lu Yu didn't know what she wanted to do, so he didn't ask and went out directly.
Yingchunlou's business was already bad, and the surrounding area was full of people more shrewd than Shen Bin. Shen Bin didn't want his restaurant to become a brothel, which really troubled Ji Meiqing. People in ancient times certainly knew how to enjoy life better than modern people. They loved revelry and noise, unlike modern people who prefer quiet meals. Unlike in ancient times, when people used their bodies to attract customers just for a few coins.