Transmigrated into the Scumbag Ex-Wife of the Prime Minister - Chapter 22

The formula for shaojiu (distilled liquor) is nothing more than the method of distillation. The principle of distillation is not complicated; everyone working at the distillery knows the method and process of distilling alcohol.

It was only a matter of time before the formula leaked. Instead of waiting for it to happen, it would be better to sell it directly and make a profit.

Furthermore, another point was that the Lu Family Distillery standing out with their shaojiu was not necessarily a good thing in Lu Sheng’s view.

A tree that stands out in the forest will be destroyed by the wind.

Lu Hualin hurriedly pulled Lu Sheng aside, “Ah Sheng, the, the formula, you, you can’t sell it!”

Seeing this, Boss Liao narrowed his eyes, immediately realizing that Lu Sheng was the person who had the final say on the formula.

Lu Sheng told Lu Hualin what she had been thinking. Lu Hualin listened, and the urgency on his face disappeared, replaced by deep solemnity.

Boss Liao watched from a distance, assuming Lu Hualin was reluctantly giving in to Lu Sheng’s decision to sell the formula, which was why he looked worried.

He took two steps closer and seized the opportunity, saying, “Miss Lu, selling this alcohol formula for a hundred taels is already a high price. If you sell it to me for two hundred taels, I will also drop the matter of the four thousand catties of alcohol. How about it?”

“Boss Liao, that’s not right. The four thousand catties of alcohol were delivered by us on time; how can you ‘drop the matter’?”

Lu Sheng raised an eyebrow, looking displeased, “Just now, Boss Liao mentioned five hundred taels, and in a short while, it has changed to two hundred taels. It seems Boss Liao is not sincerely interested in discussing business.”

Boss Liao’s face stiffened. He originally intended to use the compensation money to exchange for the formula, which was why he said he would buy it for five hundred taels. Now, not only was he not getting the compensation, but he also had to pay another five hundred taels, which made him quite unwilling.

He was already regretting it bitterly.

Boss Liao said with a bitter face, “Five hundred taels is really too much. How about I add another hundred taels? Three hundred taels, what do you think?”

Lu Sheng looked at him without speaking and asked again, “Boss Liao, are you planning to take the alcohol away today, or on the twenty-fifth…”

“Three hundred and fifty taels!” Boss Liao gritted his teeth.

“Maybe we should forget it,” Lu Sheng said, sounding a bit regretful, “Currently, the Lu Family Distillery is the only one that can make shaojiu. Selling it just like that…”

“Five hundred taels it is!”

An hour later, Boss Liao left the distillery with the distillation diagram drawn by Lu Sheng, beaming with joy.

“Xiaosheng, why would he, a merchant who specializes in reselling things, buy the formula?” Qi Nan asked, puzzled.

“You also said he’s a merchant. Naturally, he buys this formula to resell it.”

Lu Sheng sat at the table, drawing the distillation diagram she had just given to Boss Liao.

“Ah! Then, didn’t we make it easy for him! This person is truly despicable!” Qi Nan said indignantly.

Since Boss Liao bought the formula to sell it, the price he sells it for would surely be higher than five hundred taels.

“He won’t get off easy.” Lu Sheng narrowed her eyes, revealing a sly smile, “Didn’t several distilleries want to buy the formula a few days ago? I have already asked my uncle to find them.”

While drawing the diagram for Boss Liao, Lu Sheng conveniently drew a few extra copies.

“Huh?” Qi Nan’s eyes widened in surprise.

“Didn’t I say we shouldn’t make it easy for Boss Liao,” Lu Sheng said with a smile, “Then we’ll earn this money ourselves.”

“But won’t our alcohol not sell well once other distilleries can make shaojiu?” Qi Nan asked worriedly.

“So we must continue brewing new alcohol, brewing alcohol that others haven’t brewed yet.”

“You have a new method again?!”

Meanwhile, Boss Liao was carrying the distillation diagram in his arms, calculating in his mind to copy it multiple times when he got home and sell it to the other distilleries in Binhe County.

Boss Liao had been a traveling merchant for over ten years, and his forte was discovering business opportunities. When he heard that the Lu family had introduced shaojiu, he set his sights on its formula.

The day he spoke to Ding Laizi at the Tianyin Pavilion, he was telling him to steal the formula. However, because of the sour alcohol incident last time, the Lu Family Distillery had specially arranged for staff to take turns on night watch, and Ding Laizi couldn’t find an opportunity to sneak in.

Yesterday, Boss Liao was having dinner with the manager of Jixiang Distillery, the largest distillery in Binhe County. He heard that several distilleries had approached the Lu family to buy the formula. Some had offered up to three hundred taels, but the Lu family hadn’t budged.

He thought about it all night and went to the Lu Family Distillery early in the morning, intending to use the compensation matter to buy the formula. He would then copy several copies and sell them to these distilleries, which would allow him to make a huge profit.

There were over ten distilleries in Binhe County. If he sold one copy for three hundred taels, he could earn three thousand taels from ten distilleries.

Thinking of this, Boss Liao was overjoyed.

But he never expected that when he took the formula to Jixiang Distillery, they told him that they already had the shaojiu formula.

One hundred taels per copy. Not only did the Lu family sell them the formula, but they also had a dedicated staff member visit them to teach them the specific operations.

Upon hearing this, Boss Liao was so overcome with anger that he immediately vomited a mouthful of blood.

The red sun hung high.

Lu Sheng saw that it was getting late, so she instructed Qi Nan to find her at home when Lu Hualin returned, and then she left the distillery.

Having fleeced Boss Liao of five hundred taels, Lu Sheng was in a great mood. Before heading home, she bought a chicken.

When Lu Sheng arrived home, Tangtang was practicing calligraphy with Qi Zhenshu.

Dong! Dong! Dong!

As soon as she walked into the kitchen, the courtyard gate was knocked.

“Coming.”

Lu Sheng answered, put down the chicken she was holding, and went out to open the door.

“You’re back from the county so quickly…”

Lu Sheng initially thought it was Lu Hualin coming to find her, but she saw an unexpected person.

The woman had her hair neatly coiled, wore a light blue pleated skirt, and an outer silk jacket embroidered with orchid flowers, which was elegant yet noble.

“Shuqing?” Lu Sheng said in surprise.

Lin Shuqing looked at her hand resting on the door panel and smiled gently, “Xiao Sheng, won’t you invite me in to sit down?”

“Quick, please come in.” Lu Sheng opened the door and let her in.

Upon entering, Lin Shuqing seemingly casually surveyed the courtyard. When she looked toward the study, her eyes met a pair of cold, clear eyes.

Lin Shuqing smiled gracefully, then nodded slightly.

Qi Zhenshu retracted his gaze and lowered his head, continuing to teach Tangtang to recognize characters.

Leading Lin Shuqing to sit in the main hall, Lu Sheng poured her a glass of water and said with a smile, “We don’t have tea at home, Shuqing, please don’t mind.”

Lin Shuqing rubbed her finger on the rough pottery cup and replied with a gentle smile, “It’s fine, I don’t particularly like drinking tea anyway.”

“Did you come to see me today because of something?”

Since she had specifically come to her home, it should be because she had something to discuss.

Lin Shuqing lowered her eyes slightly, pondered for a moment, and said, “I heard that the distillery had some unpleasantness with Boss Liao from Huachi Street?”

“Eh? You actually know about this?” Lu Sheng was astonished.

“My family has some business dealings with him, so I heard a little.” Lin Shuqing took a small sip of water, “If you need anything, perhaps I can help.”

Knowing that she was here to help, Lu Sheng felt a warmth in her heart. She smiled and waved her hand, “No need, no need, it has already been resolved.”

“Resolved?” Lin Shuqing looked doubtful.

She had heard that Boss Liao was trying to swindle the distillery out of more than a thousand taels of silver by claiming breach of contract.

Could it be that the Lu family had already gathered the silver?

Given the Lu family’s financial situation, they shouldn’t be able to come up with that much money.

How did Lu Sheng solve it?

“This matter is a long story,” Lu Sheng looked at the sky.

Tangtang usually took a nap after lunch. If she kept talking with Lin Shuqing, she would delay the little one’s normal eating and sleeping time.

She thought for a moment and said to Lin Shuqing, “If you don’t mind, stay for lunch. I’ll tell you about it after the meal.”

“It’s only fair since you treated me to a meal last time. This time, it’s my turn to treat you, though the meal will be simpler.”

Although Lin Shuqing was dressed very expensively and looked noble, the eatery where they had eaten last time was just an ordinary shop serving home-style food. Therefore, Lu Sheng didn’t feel anything improper about inviting her to eat at home.

“As long as Xiao Sheng doesn’t mind my intrusion,” Lin Shuqing smiled lightly with curved eyebrows.

Lu Sheng refilled her cup with water, “Then you sit here for a while. I’ll go cook. Do you have any dietary restrictions?”

“I’m not a picky eater.” Lin Shuqing took a sip of water, “It’s boring for me to sit alone, so I’ll cook with Xiao Sheng.”

“You can cook?” Lu Sheng was surprised.

Lin Shuqing was richly dressed and had a dignified demeanor, clearly looking like a young lady from a wealthy family. Lu Sheng could not imagine that she knew how to cook.

“I learned a bit when I was a child,” Lin Shuqing said, putting down the teacup and standing up.

Seeing her insistence, Lu Sheng did not try to dissuade her further and said with a smile, “Let’s cook together then.”

Upon reaching the kitchen, Lu Sheng started preparing the chicken, while Lin Shuqing helped wash and chop vegetables.

Lu Sheng casually asked her about how she learned to cook as a child and realized that Lin Shuqing was not born into wealth.

Lin Shuqing’s mother was a concubine of a young master from a rich family. She was framed for stealing property by the main mistress and driven out of the house while pregnant.

Lin Shuqing and her mother depended on each other until she was ten years old. That year, the young master’s family went out for a trip, and their carriage fell into a cliff. The whole family perished. Only then did the old master of the residence bring her back home to inherit the young master’s line of descendants.

No wonder Lin Shuqing, a young lady from a wealthy family, not only loved to eat commoner’s food but also knew how to cook. It was all due to her complicated and difficult background.

Lu Sheng started the fire to stew the chicken and then went to the courtyard to pick some cabbages and cucumbers.

Since she had a guest, she thought of making more dishes. Besides the stewed chicken, she would stir-fry some cabbage and make scrambled eggs with cucumber.

Lin Shuqing raised her left hand and said to her, “Xiao Sheng, help me roll up my sleeve.”

She was washing vegetables, and the sleeve of her left hand had come loose. Lu Sheng stood up from the stove area and went to help her fold the sleeve.

Lin Shuqing lowered her gaze, looking at the charming face so close to her. Her eyes were filled with soft light, and her thoughts drifted further and further away.

“A-niang (Mom).”

A child’s innocent voice interrupted Lin Shuqing’s recollection. She turned around and saw a little girl standing at the kitchen doorway, with a small bun in her hair and holding a delightfully naive cloth tiger in her arms.

The little girl was cute and well-behaved, with a pair of bright, black eyes that were innocent and lively, extremely similar to the face in her recent memory.

Lin Shuqing’s expression froze, and her heart was filled with melancholy and sadness.

“Tangtang baby, have you finished practicing your calligraphy?”

Lu Sheng walked around Lin Shuqing, went to Tangtang, picked her up, and kissed her little cheek.

“Mhm.” The little one hugged Lu Sheng’s neck and nodded happily.

“How many characters did you learn today?”

The little one counted on her fingers: “Father, son, close, husband, wife, obedient—a total of six characters.”

Children’s primary education in the Liang Kingdom also started with the Three Character Classic. Lu Sheng had read it once; apart from the differences in historical allusions and figures, the basic content was quite similar.

“Baby is so great! You learned six characters today.” Lu Sheng praised her, poking her little nose.

The little one started her education just over two months ago. Initially, she learned one character a day, and now she can memorize several characters a day.

“Mother also praised me today!” The little one happily shared her joy with her mother.

“That’s impressive!” Lu Sheng gave her a thumbs-up.

The little one narrowed her eyes, giggled, and said somewhat shyly, “What are we eating for lunch, A-niang?”

“For lunch, we’re having your favorite—chicken stew with potatoes.”

The little one looked toward the stove and finally focused her attention on Lin Shuqing, blinking her eyes curiously.

Lu Sheng carried her and walked up to Lin Shuqing, “Baby, say ‘Auntie’.”

Lin Shuqing smiled lightly on the surface, but her heart felt like she had eaten an unripe green plum—both sour and astringent.

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