Chapter 714: Daylight Robbery

Chapter 714: Chapter 675: Daylight Robbery

“Princess, you must still be careful. If the Seventh Princess finds a way to ruin this, you might be next.” The handmaiden was a little worried. Handmaidens like her, who grew up with the princess, would eventually become part of her dowry. And Wang Meng’s reputation in Haojing was truly awful.

“What!” Little Jin’Er jumped to her feet, then suddenly smiled. ‘This actually sounds kind of fun.’

News like this traveled fastest. But to be honest, everyone was still skeptical. Until the wedding night was consummated, anything could change. After all, the matter itself wasn’t very reliable to begin with. As for Wang Meng, he had already put the matter out of his mind. Once he decided to refuse, it was no longer something he needed to worry about.

Besides, most people felt it was just a political maneuver, a signal given the current climate. The chances of it actually happening were slim.

Wang Shifeng was extremely efficient. These past few days, it was as if he’d found a new lease on life. The passion that had once vanished, especially his enthusiasm for getting things done, had returned in a rush. Perhaps his life as a cultivator was over, but proving himself by doing other things was just as good.

He didn’t know where Wang Meng got his wine, but its flavor could definitely rival the Wine God’s. All they needed to do now was let people know about it.

The question was, was the supply sufficient?

Master Wang certainly understood the importance of a strong start, so he had put in a great deal of effort. The first wave wasn’t about quantity; it was about quality.

The promotional gimmicks outside were quite lively, with firecrackers roaring. Wang Shifeng had also invited some friends. After all, having been around for so many years, he could always find a few people to help fill the seats.

A new shop opening always attracted a certain amount of attention, and a crowd gradually gathered.

“Drunkard?”

“Never heard of it. Is the owner an idiot? Opening a wine shop?”

Soon, a large crowd of onlookers had formed. In Great Zhou, especially in Haojing, opening a wine shop was just asking to go out of business. Everyone knew the Wine God’s wine was the best in the world.

Drunkard Wine. The name seemed a bit unconventional.

The two large characters on the sign, however, were written in a flourishing, draconic script, possessing considerable artistic flair. Wang Shifeng was enthusiastically chatting with his friends. Originally, Wang Shifeng had wanted to arrange an event for the aristocracy, but Wang Meng vetoed it, opting to open the shop directly to the public instead. Wang Shifeng was on pins and needles about the outcome of this approach. Most importantly, he had no idea how much supply they had, how to set the prices, or anything else—Wang Meng hadn’t told him.

‘The shop is about to open, but I don’t even know where the wine is. And Wang Meng doesn’t know anything about pricing. I just hope nothing goes wrong.’

“Shifeng, what made you decide to do this? It’s not that we brothers don’t support you, but going head-to-head with the Wine God is just asking for trouble!”

“Yeah, there are so many ways to make money, why this? We can do you a favor and patronize your business for a while, but that can’t last forever.”

Wang Shifeng just smiled. “This wine is really good. It’s got potential. Besides, I’m not an idiot. I wouldn’t get into a losing business.”

Though he said that, Wang Shifeng was genuinely afraid Wang Meng was up to his old tricks again. He glanced at the two large characters on the shop’s sign, “Drunkard.” The calligraphy was quite impressive. ‘I wonder who Wang Meng found to write this.’

Behind the shop, Zuojing and Youjing were so anxious they were sweating. In front of them sat only three jars of wine.

The shop was about to open, and they only had three jars. This was…

Wang Meng, however, was perfectly at ease. “So, what do you think? My calligraphy isn’t bad, is it? Go see if anyone out there appreciates it.”

“Master, how can you be so relaxed at a time like this? There are only three jars. How are we supposed to sell them?”

Wang Meng smiled. “In a moment, you’ll each take one jar. Zuojing, you take this ‘thirty.’ The price is three hundred thousand gold. Youjing, you take this ‘fifty.’ The price is five hundred thousand gold. If someone still wants more, then we’ll sell the third jar. That one will depend on luck.”

Zuojing and Youjing’s jaws dropped. ‘Is this selling wine? This is outright robbery!’

‘This is even more expensive than the Wine God’s private reserves of the same vintage! Aren’t we just waiting to go bankrupt!’

Zuojing and Youjing wanted to protest but held their tongues. Seeing Wang Meng’s confidence, they could only do as they were told. The two girls had been bustling about, hoping to help supplement the household income, but at this rate, they were afraid they would lose everything they’d invested.

Master Wang lay back in a grand armchair, rocking gently as he soaked up the sun. ‘What a beautiful day,’ he thought. ‘A perfect day for this.’

The crowd grew larger and larger. Wang Shifeng had wanted to wait a bit longer, but aside from the few drinking buddies he had invited, not a single person of consequence had shown up. He had lost a great deal of face right from the start. There was absolutely no one there to lend their support.

It would have been different if Fairy Han could have come, but it was obvious that neither she nor the Little Princess would be attending. This was a stunning blow right at the opening. Now, he could only hope the wine itself would save the day.

When the curtain was pulled back, a stir went through the expectant crowd. A pair of lovely twin sisters appeared, which was at least a feast for the eyes.

Wang Shifeng tried his best to look excited. ‘After all, the wine is good.’

Just then, Zuojing spoke up. “Everyone, today is the grand opening of Drunkard Wine! We are offering three special jars of wine. We only have three, and when they’re gone, they’re gone!”

A wave of murmuring instantly swept through the crowd. ‘They opened such a large wine shop only to sell three jars? Is this a joke?’

Wang Shifeng rushed over. “Zuojing, what’s going on? Why are there only three jars? This shop cost a fortune!”

Zuojing nodded. “This is what the Master ordered. Please leave the rest to my sister and me.”

Wang Shifeng froze. ‘It’s over. Wang Meng is up to his old nonsense again… Have I been too trusting?’

‘If this wine shop succeeds, fine. But if it becomes a laughingstock, my status in the Wang Family will hit rock bottom. This wouldn’t be a matter of being a wastrel anymore; I’d just be an idiot.’

Zuojing and Youjing remained poised, though their hearts were pounding with uncertainty.

“This jar in my hand is the Drunkard Thirty. Three hundred thousand gold.”

The entire crowd fell silent in an instant, everyone wondering if they had heard correctly.

“Little lady, even if you two were thrown into the deal, you wouldn’t be worth three hundred thousand gold coins! Has your boss lost his mind? He must be crazy for money!”

The crowd erupted in laughter. Wang Shifeng’s face turned black. ‘He’s crazy, he’s absolutely crazy! It’s completely over now. I actually thought Wang Meng had a real supply chain, that he could recreate the miracle of Wang City. But it turns out this is all the stock he has. Three hundred thousand gold coins… only a fool would buy it.’

Youjing stepped forward. “And this is the Drunkard Fifty. Five hundred thousand gold per jar.”

Her voice wasn’t very loud, but it only made the crowd’s laughter grow even louder. An uproar of discussion followed. News of this ridiculous affair, coupled with the revelation that the owner was Wang Meng—the formerly infamous Wang Rencai—spread through Haojing like wildfire.

He could change his name, but he couldn’t change who he was. Wang Rencai was still Wang Rencai—what a piece of work!

Trying to swindle eight hundred thousand gold with just two jars of wine.

“Hey, can we taste this wine?” someone in the crowd shouted. It seemed there were still some skeptics who thought that with such bold claims, there might actually be something to it.

Zuojing did her best to maintain her smile. “I’m sorry, but our Master says that Drunkard Wine is excellent value for the price. You are welcome to try it after you’ve paid the three hundred thousand gold.”

Zuojing said this with absolutely no conviction; Wang Meng had instructed her that she must say it exactly that way.

The crowd completely lost it, roaring with laughter. ‘Calling three hundred thousand gold a jar “excellent value for the price”? We’ve seen shameless people before, but never this shameless!’