“Father, what do you mean by this?”
Having been scolded so harshly out of nowhere, Young Master Wang looked somewhat dazed, the shock in his eyes completely genuine.
“Such a major incident has occurred in our distillery. If we don’t find out which ghost or god is making trouble, I’m afraid the reputation of our ‘Immortal Drunk’ will be utterly ruined in the future.”
Master Wang’s expression changed, and he struck his walking stick heavily against the ground, his coughing growing even more violent:
“You foolish seed! Cough, cough, cough... Have you read yourself stupid from studying all day?
I have always acted uprightly and performed good deeds and accumulated merit, constantly having people buy fish, foxes, and turtles to release them into the wild.
I have never deducted the servants’ monthly wages, nor have I ever beaten or scolded them like other wealthy households do. If a maidservant makes a mistake, I have never had her dragged out and beaten to death at a whim.
Even the officials praise our Wang family as a well-known, rare charitable household far and wide! Cough, cough, cough...
Furthermore, cough, cough... on the first and fifteenth of every month, your mother goes to the temple to offer incense, and even orders porridge and rice to be distributed to the poor.
As they say, a charitable household is inherently blessed and protected by the gods and Buddhas in the unseen realms. And in the distillery, we have the Kitchen God watching over us! Where would any ghost or monster come from that would dare harm us?”
Master Wang coughed as he spoke, making such a loud ruckus that it seemed as though he would cough up his very lungs.
Seeing this, Young Master Wang hurried forward to support him and help him sit down, gently patting his chest to ease his breathing:
“Father, please sit down first and don't agitate yourself. The physician said your illness requires rest and quiet. You should leave the distillery matters to me.”
“Cough, cough, leave them to you?”
Master Wang glanced at his son and daughter-in-law in exasperation, shaking his head bitterly:
“If I truly entrusted this distillery to you, cough, cough, I fear the foundation I built with my own two hands would be utterly ruined by you!”
These words were rather harsh, especially in front of an outsider like Nan Zhi.
Young Master Wang’s face flushed bright red at once, and his gaze toward his elderly father carried an involuntary hint of resentment:
“Father, have you truly gone senile in your old age?! I was thinking that with ghosts haunting the distillery, the workers have no heart for their labor, and rumors spreading outside would sound terrible. That is why I invited Lord Nan here...”
Master Wang let out a soft huff and ignored him, turning directly to Nan Zhi with an affable smile:
“Lord Nan, today’s affair is purely because my young son lacks experience. Someone else’s petty trick of playing the ghost, cough, has sent him into a panic...
Cough, I will not hide it from you today, my Lord. The ghost haunting the distillery is purely a deliberate act by someone wishing to ruin my Wang family’s reputation.
If there are any ghosts, it is merely petty people harboring unspeakable ulterior motives in their hearts.
I have already reported this matter to the authorities and am only waiting for the government to bring justice to my Wang family.”
“So according to that, the rumors of the Wang Family Distillery being haunted are just a misunderstanding?”
Nan Zhi followed along with his words, smiling as she remarked:
“Hearing Master Wang say so, you must already have a suspicion in mind.
Presumably, the culprit playing tricks behind the scenes must have some friction with the Wang family, or else they wouldn’t be so vicious.
Not only did they disguise themselves as ghosts to frighten people, but they also dared to tamper with the wine. As I see it, they clearly intend to ruin the name of ‘Immortal Brew.’”
As soon as these words were spoken, everyone in the room turned their eyes toward Master Wang.
“Doing business is never easy, and disputes easily arise between different distilleries, especially in a small place like ours.
However, regarding this incident, cough, cough, cough, frankly speaking, the root of the trouble lies with the bane of a son I sired.”
Master Wang glanced at his son and daughter-in-law beside him, unable to hold back a sigh, and slammed his fist onto the table:
“This son of mine was raised like a precious pearl since childhood. My wife and I even arranged a marriage for him when he was young—the daughter of the Qu Family Distillery.”
At this point, Young Master Wang fell silent. Ma Chunxiang, standing beside him, darkened her expression unconsciously and secretly pinched his arm.
Feeling guilty, he did not dare talk back despite the pain, merely reaching around to clasp her hand while secretly shooting her a meaningful glance.
“Originally, in matters of marriage, it has always been the command of parents and the words of matchmakers since ancient times.
Yet this bane of mine has a fond eye for beauty and loves frivolous indulgence, frequently lingering in the entertainment quarters. Gradually, word of this reached the ears of the Qu family daughter, who naturally developed resentment toward him.
As time went on, the Qu family decided this bane of mine was no good match, so they broke off the engagement, and a rift grew between our two families.”
Master Wang showed no interest in the subtle glances exchanged between the couple, pretending not to notice as he pointed at the two and said to Nan Zhi:
“Lady Ma was a fine daughter-in-law whom my wife and I carefully selected through a matchmaker. Her horoscope is exceptionally auspicious, bringing prosperity to her husband and children.
Moreover, since she learned business at her father's side from a young age and was raised like a boy, her character isn't like ordinary young women—she is very crisp and capable.
As the saying goes, ‘a fine woman is sought by a hundred suitors.’ Concerned for this bane of mine, I hurriedly finalized the marriage and had my son take Lady Ma as his bride.
It was truly a marriage made in heaven. Once Lady Ma entered our household, this bane of mine curbed his wild ways, cutting off all his messy entanglements from before and taking on the burdens of the family business.
Yet who could have thought that when the Qu family learned of this, they suspected we had put on a show earlier solely to force them to break the engagement...”
“So, the Qu family believed the Wang family had planned to break off the engagement all along, developed a grudge against your household, and that led to today’s masquerading as ghosts and tampering with the wine?”
Master Wang gave a bitter smile without answering directly, merely covering his mouth with a handkerchief and coughing violently:
“Cough, cough, cough... cough, cough. I had thought that between the Wang and Qu families there was still past goodwill, so I suppressed the matter to handle it quietly and cleanly, leaving some leeway for both sides.
Who could have expected, cough, that this unfilial son would directly invite Lord Nan to our home...
Cough, I was worried Lord Nan might think our Wang family was deliberately playing tricks on you, so I, cough, was forced to come in person to explain.”
Young Master Wang seemed about to say something from the side, but Master Wang glared him into silence.
Listening to Master Wang’s explanation, Nan Zhi’s confusion was not resolved in the slightest.
Although she could not tell what illness Master Wang had, seeing the dark purplish bags under his eyes, his red tongue coating, and the strange grayish hue tinting the whites of his eyes whenever he coughed, anyone with discerning eyes could tell something was amiss.
—The mud ghost at the City God Temple had once explained to her that Master Wang's countenance was a manifestation of being plagued by karmic debt.
And people with such a countenance generally did not live long.
This was strange.
How could a man who repeatedly claimed to act uprightly and accumulate merit throughout his life be plagued by karmic debt?
Looking at this father and son again:
One adamantly insisted their household was haunted and wanted someone to catch the ghost, while the other refused to utter a single word about ghosts haunting the distillery, only vaguely hinting that the Qu family was making trouble.
Something was fishy.
There was definitely something fishy going on.
Yet Nan Zhi did not expose them, merely feigning ignorance. Finishing her tea, she prepared to take her leave.
Master Wang did not detain her, but instead warmly told the manager to take Nan Zhi on a tour around the distillery, his demeanor perfectly calm and composed.
He seemed confident that Nan Zhi would find nothing.
“It just so happens that I am rather curious about winemaking. I only took a cursory glance earlier and didn’t get a clear look. Why don’t I trouble the Young Mistress to show me around?”
Nan Zhi spoke with a smile. The latter sought her father-in-law’s permission with a look, and only after receiving a nod of approval did she stand up to lead the way:
“Lord Nan wishes to stroll through the garden? What a coincidence! There is a Peony Pavilion in the garden with exquisite scenery.
The peonies in the garden are all premium varieties that my father-in-law spent a fortune commissioning someone to buy back from Bianjing. In this season, the flowers are in full bloom. Please follow me—”
Rate on N.U.
