CH 51.2

Jiang Kangning directly said, “Dean Cen. This wine and tea must be presented to the emperor first, so before that there shouldn’t be any gossip about it.” Old Cen was surprised and then nodded quickly. “I have only tasted the tea you gave me with my lady. I will be careful to not leak information about it anywhere.” Then Dean Cen’s expression changed as he looked at Shao Yunan. “Did you want to make this old man a joke on purpose?”

“Lord Dean, Yunan wouldn’t dare. It’s Yunan who is asking for your help and he is afraid that you will refuse, so he asked his big brother to help.” When he heard him, Dean Cen was stunned again as Jiang Jiang Kangning laughed. “I seem to have a destiny with the two of them, so I recognized them as brothers.”

Dean Cen pointed at Shao Yunan, “You’re a really capable kid. Say, what do you want from me?” Shao Yunan said, “Dean, why don’t you try the wine I made first? I just finished making this wine and brought it here for my brother and you. I didn’t even drink it myself.”

Dean Cen hummed twice. “You are a slick one.” But he didn’t voice any objections. Wang Shijing took out a clean decanter and opened the wine. When the barrel switch was turned on, Dean Cen’s nose moved. He scurried to Wang Shijing’s side in one step, his eyes fixed on the wine that was flowing out. Jiang Kangning immediately gave Shao Yunan a ‘fish biting the second hook’ look, but Shao Yunan just smiled, not saying anything.

“What kind of wine is this?” Dean Cen’s nose kept moving. Shao Yunan replied, “I used the goat’s milk fruit, also known as red sour fruit, to make this wine. It took a total of fifty days. If this wine had been left a little longer, it would taste even better.”

When Wang Shijing turned off the switch, Dean Cen took the wine decanter from Wang Shijing’s hand (vigorously) and wanted to drink from it, but was hurriedly stopped by Shao Yunan. “Dean, this wine should be put aside for some time to let It taste better. It has sat in the barrel for so long, so it needs some time outside to wake up.”

It was the first time that Dean Cen heard that the wine had to be awakened and Jiang Kangning also said, “This wine does taste purer after it is awakened. It also only takes the time of two incense.”

Dean Cen sat down with the wine decanter in his hands, without any intention of returning it to Wang Shijing. He then opened his mouth and asked Shao Yunan, “What is it? Explain.”

However Shao Yunan didn’t explain as he took out the tea sets, tea leaves, and golden silk royal chrysanthemum. Then he took out a gourd of mountain spring water as he performed a tea ceremony in front of Dean Cen, before finally giving Dean Cen a cup of authentic Longjing tea and a cup of golden chrysanthemum tea. Listening to Jiang Kangning’s explanation that the golden silk imperial chrysanthemum tea depended on its harvest and cost three silver for a cup in Yizhang Xuan restaurant, Dean Cen with a heartbreaking expression made Shao Yunan laugh psychologically. 

Dean Cen was holding a decanter, with a glass of Longjing and a cup of golden chrysanthemum tea on the table. Wang Shijing’s one eye showed a smile. Shao Yunan then said, “Lord Dean…”

Dean Cen, “Call me Elder Cen.” Shao Yunan grinned. “Elder Cen, these are my filial piety to you. My son Wang Qing is six years old this year. Although he has not studied for long, he is a smart and hardworking child. I am still teaching him how to read and write, but I want to send him to your White Moon Academy next year to study.” Once these words came out, Elder Cen couldn’t help but seriously look at Shao Yunan and ask, “Is it one of Shijing’s children?”

“Yes.” Shao Yunan spent so much effort and also let Jiang Kangning appear. He sent these things which could not only be described as rare, that were difficult for others to buy even with money, in order to send his stepson to study in his academy. Elder Cen couldn’t help but think highly of Shao Yunan.

Elder Cen stroked his beard. “Letting him study in my academy is not difficult, but what are the children in the academy like, you must have already inquired. Even if I accept your things, I can’t take special care of him in the academy and he will probably not fit in.”

“I have thought of this and I will find a way to solve it. As long as you, Elder Cen is willing to give that boy a chance.” Elder Cen mused, “You are a thoughtful and capable person, and it is rare to love a stepson so much. I’ll tell you what, since he started to learn late, why don’t you send him to my house every day so I can teach him. On the first day of February next year, you will send him to the academy.”

“Thank you, Elder Cen!” Shao Yunan looked happily at Wang Shijing, who saluted Elder Cen. “Thank you, Elder Cen!” Elder Cen said to Wang Shijing in a serious tone, “When you marry a wife, you should marry a virtuous one. You have married a good male wife. so be sincere to him.”

“Elder Cen, don’t worry. I will love Yunan for the rest of my life.” In front of Elder Cen, Wang Shijing took Shao Yunan’s hand as Yunan squeezed back. Elder Cen sniffed the wine in the wine decanter and asked, “How much longer?” Jiang Kangning was helpless. He could already imagine what his teacher’s reaction would be when he tasted this tea and wine. But Shao Yunan only said, “Just a bit longer.”

Elder Cen was so anxious that he scratched his ears and when the time came, he immediately brought a wine glass and poured wine in it. With the wine decanter in one hand, he had no intention of sharing it with anyone present. After the first taste of the wine, Dean Cen looked like his whole person had entered another world, in that world was only him and the wine decanter in his hand.

“Elder Cen won’t finish this decanter of wine in one gulp today, right?” Shao Yunan muttered to Jiang Kangning in a low voice, looking scared. Jiang Kangning shook his head. “It’s hard to say. Elder Cen is not a wine lover, but he likes good wine. It’s hard to find good wine, so you delivered something straight to his heart.” After saying that, Jiang Kangning heartily patted his chest. “I am afraid that my teacher will not be much better.”

Shao Yunan had to remind him. “This time the quantity is limited and we still have to make money.” Jiang Kangning suddenly felt that the task of ‘making money’ was a bit difficult. He even became a little afraid that the emperor himself would not be willing to sell it after tasting it.

Seeing that Dean Cen had already drunk up the wine in the decanter and wanted to fill it for the second time, Shao Yunan hurriedly spoke out. “Elder Cen, I can only bring you this barrel of wine this time. If you drink it all now, you will have to wait until next June. Since goat milk fruits only bear fruits starting in April.”

Dean Cen’s action paused. “The wine is good, but you can’t get greedy, otherwise it will quickly go to your head. Drinking two cups a day is enough.”

“Not until after June next year?” Dean Cen felt like he was struck with a lightning bolt. Then he spoke. “You must still have some there! I don’t want you to give it to me for free, how much silver per liter? I will buy it. That tea too. I will not take advantage of you, I will pay as much as others.”

Shao Yunan was unable to laugh or cry, but Jiang Kangning said in time, “Elder Cen, I will take this wine and tea to the emperor, so this wine and tea cannot be sold for the time being. It also depends on the emperor’s intention. The amount Yunan made is not much, so I also only have one small barrel and have to save it up.”

Shao Yunan said, “Elder Cen, I just made it this year. Don’t tell me you want to buy it. I won’t take your money. Next year I will add more, but I can’t guarantee how much this goat milk wine will be next year. But I will give you at least two large barrels of a hundred liters each. The amount of tea will also be two kilos per class and at least fifty golden chrysanthemums.”

“No, I can’t take advantage of you. If these things were sold, not to say that it would be worth a lot of money, it would still be difficult to buy… I’ll take the ones you sent me this time, and I’ll buy the future ones myself.”

Shao Yunan said helplessly, “Elder Cen, don’t think I’m losing out, sometimes losing out is taking advantage. If you insist, I have two nephews who are close to my son. They are ten years old this year and have been attending private school for two years. All three of them study together every day and read together. My two nephews are also good children who are good at learning and improving rapidly. So why don’t you take them together? The wine and tea I give you every year will be used as payment for the three children, how about that?”

Jiang Kangning immediately said, “Elder Cen, I think this is a good idea. If you insist on paying money for it, it will be difficult for Yunan and Shijing.” Elder Cen swayed, for him to accept three children into the academy was something too easy to do.

“I have one more thing to trouble Elder Cen with. My daughter is four years old and I want to find a female teacher to teach her how to play the zither or other musical instruments. I don’t want her to be bored at home all day, so she can learn to play the zither and nurture her emotions.”

When Elder Cen heard that, his spirit was shaken. “That’s good. There is no need to look for one, my wife can play the zither. There are no children at our house, so your daughter can come and keep my wife company. She doesn’t have to come every day to learn the zither, just send her here every two days.”

Shao Yunan was delighted. “Thank you, Elder Cen.”

Elder Cen, “What’s your daughter’s name?”

“Her name is Wang Nizi.”

“That’s not a good name.” Elder Cen thought deeply and said, “I’ll give her a nice name the day you send her over. Daughters need a good name to find a good family in the future.”

“Then I will trouble Elder Cen.”

Elder Cen immediately changed his tone. “That’s the deal. I’m waiting for your tea and wine next year. You don’t have to give me so many golden silk chrysanthemums, twenty is enough. The things you give are more than enough for the three children’s education.”

Shao Yunan said with a smile, “I am still calculating. At least fifty-fifty. Money can always be earned so you shouldn’t become a slave to money.”

“Slave to money…” Elder Cen laughed openly. “Well since you have ambition and heart, so I will take advantage of you. If you have a need for this old man to intervene in the future, don’t beat around the bush and come directly to say it. The three boys from your family can be sent over together tomorrow.”

“Alright!”