Chapter Sixty-Five: Taking Over the Shop (Part One)

It is often said that good wine needs no bush, but modern marketing theories have amply disproved this notion. No matter how fine an item is, if it remains hidden away in some remote mountain, unknown to others, it is all for naught.

The moment Liu Qin stepped into the small tavern named “Jiang’s Tavern,” she immediately understood the crux of the problem: small, dirty, disorganized, and off the main street. Other than seasoned wine connoisseurs like Master Cheng, few people would ever set foot here. Who knows how Master Cheng even found this place—perhaps his nose could catch the scent of good wine from afar, and so the aroma drew him in.

The main room of the tavern could barely fit three small tables. At that moment, a woman sat at one of them, her brow furrowed with worry. Upon seeing guests arrive, her expression relaxed a little and she rose to greet them.

“Madam, you’re still here? I was worried you’d left, and I’d have no wine to drink,” Master Cheng said heartily, taking a seat at one of the tables. Liu Qin and her three companions glanced at the grimy tables and chairs—there was simply no way to sit down, so they stood to the side, casting their eyes about the room. Lei Hu was not one to fuss, but since Liu Qin remained standing, he felt he couldn’t very well sit either, so he kept her company.

The woman, whom they called the proprietress, smiled faintly upon seeing Master Cheng. “We were planning to leave, but no one wants to take over the shop. Without the money from selling it, how could we go? There are no customers left—only you still come. Please have a seat; I’ll ask my husband to bring out some good wine for you.”

She then noticed the four well-dressed and strikingly handsome children, and, not daring to neglect them, considered inviting them to sit. But realizing they must have found the furniture too dirty, she could only apologize, “Alas, the shop is truly in disrepair. Forgive us for our poor hospitality, young sirs.”

Liu Qin smiled and waved her hand. “It’s nothing, really. But if you don’t hurry and bring out some wine, Master Cheng might die of longing.”

“Haha, the young master knows me well.” Though Master Cheng was fond of wine, he was not foolish; he would never reveal Liu Qin’s true identity in public.

The proprietress hurried off. Soon she returned with her husband, a short, unremarkable man who carried a wine jar. He looked honest and plain. After placing the jar on the table, he hesitated, muttering under his breath without saying a word.

The proprietress brought out a few large, rough ceramic bowls, clearly second-rate ware from some private kiln. Master Cheng wasted no time breaking the seal, sniffing the bouquet with half-closed eyes, exclaiming repeatedly, “What a fragrance! What a fragrance!”

Lei Hu craned his neck to join in, but as for Liu Qin and the other three, they felt nothing at all. After all, they were still children and had never drunk wine. Even in her past life, Liu Qin had not been a drinker, so she had no notion of its delights.

Master Cheng, after inhaling deeply, poured the wine into a large bowl, swirled it about, and then took a hearty gulp. He praised it loudly, “Excellent wine, truly excellent.”

He finished the whole bowl and savored the aftertaste before finally remembering the others. He turned to them with a smile, “Don’t you want to try it?”

Just as Liu Qin was about to speak, Jiang Li tugged at her hand and shook his head.

Lei Hu scratched his head, saying, “It does smell good. Why not pour me a bowl to taste?”

The proprietress filled a bowl for him and handed it over. Master Cheng watched in distress as Lei Hu downed it in a few gulps, unable to help himself from shaking his head and lamenting, “Such a waste! How can you appreciate the flavor when you drink so fast?”

Lei Hu grinned sheepishly. “I may not savor it, but it does taste good. Proprietress, another bowl, please.”

“No, no! This is for me to savor over time. I can’t let you waste any more,” Master Cheng declared, clutching the wine jar to his chest like a mother cow protecting her calf.

Liu Qin couldn’t drink, and Jiang Li wouldn’t let her try, so she couldn’t judge the quality herself. But seeing how much Master Cheng cherished it, she was sure it must be good. Her eyes sparkled with a sudden idea.

She walked over to Master Cheng, tugged his sleeve, and whispered, “Master Cheng, can I speak to you outside?”

He immediately stood, not forgetting to clutch the wine jar tightly. Liu Qin signaled to Jiang Li and the others to wait inside, then led Master Cheng to the carriage. Only when she was sure they were alone did she smile and say, “Master Cheng, would you like to have fine wine to drink every day from now on?”

Master Cheng’s eyes lit up; he sensed she had more to say, so he curbed his excitement and asked, “Do you have a plan, Miss?”

“Yes. After you go back in, tell the proprietress you’ll take over the shop, but on one condition—the proprietress and her husband must stay and continue brewing the wine. We’ll pay them a monthly wage. As for the amount needed to buy the shop, you can discuss it with them.”

Master Cheng hesitated. “This hasn’t been approved by your mother. I can’t make such a decision on my own. Besides, this shop’s location is terrible; it’s not a good deal.”

What he meant was that, if he acted, it would be on behalf of the old madam, and her approval was needed—he hadn’t realized it was Liu Qin’s own idea, given that she was only six years old.

Liu Qin knew such a bold plan might raise suspicion, but today, only Master Cheng could handle this. So she explained, “Don’t worry. This shop won’t count as the Liu family’s property. I’ll talk to my father and mother myself. It’ll be fine.”

“It won’t be family property? You mean you want to take it over yourself?”

“Mm.” Liu Qin nodded seriously. “My mother and sister-in-law have already taught me some estate management. For a small tavern like this, I should be able to handle it.”

“But…but…” Master Cheng was dumbfounded. She was still a child—who would believe she could run a business?

“Master Cheng, please? Don’t you want to have wine to drink? I promise to ask my father when we get back. If he really objects, the worst is losing the money for the shop—and that’s not much. I’ll treat it as my own expense.”

Finally, after much coaxing, Master Cheng relented. “Fine, I’ll ask for you. But if the master and madam refuse, you mustn’t trouble me again.”

Liu Qin readily agreed.

When they returned inside, Master Cheng negotiated with the proprietress and her husband. Meanwhile, Liu Qin wandered about, and Jiang Li, having guessed her intent from Master Cheng’s words, pulled her aside and whispered, “Are you really going to take over this shop?”

“Yes. Don’t you trust me, Brother Jiang Li? If Master Cheng says it’s good wine, it must be. If it truly doesn’t sell, we’ll just keep it for my father. Our household spends plenty on wine every year; we can’t lose.”

“But, sister…” Jiang Li, like Master Cheng, worried that she was simply too young for such a scheme.

While they conferred, Master Cheng had finished negotiating. The owner’s name was Jiang, and his wife’s maiden name was Wang—thus, Madam Jiang Wang. The couple was delighted that Master Cheng wanted to take over the shop, and even happier when they learned they could stay on as brewers with a monthly wage. After all, this was their craft—much better than returning to the countryside to farm.

Madam Jiang Wang apologized, explaining that when they opened the tavern and bought the furnishings, they spent five taels of silver. Now, there were still two months’ rent left on the lease, but she wouldn’t mention the rent—she only hoped to recover the cost of the furnishings.

Thus, they agreed: five taels of silver to take over the shop.