Heaven is the shore of mortal dust - Chapter 33
“I almost died at that time.”
"What's going on!" Li Tianqi grabbed her hand worriedly. He didn't know why, but he always wanted to take the opportunity to grab Wei Zijun's hand because it felt so good. It was soft, smooth, slender, and boneless, making it irresistible.
"I was stabbed in the abdomen and shot in the chest. I was bleeding almost to death. My master's apprentice found me in the wilderness and rescued me. Perhaps due to the head injury and the shock of the bloody scene, I lost my memory. I guess I must have suffered a great deal of pain, and maybe even had a family massacre on my hands. Otherwise, why would I have preferred to forget everything? Now, all I remember is what I instinctively do."
This statement is half true and half false, but it is sincere. It's just that some parts are inconvenient to say and have been altered.
"Zijun! You... have suffered so much." Li Tianqi felt his eyes welling up with tears. He completely believed her words. How could he not believe her? He believed her even before she explained anything. Now that she had spoken, he felt not only belief but also heartache.
"So, Second Brother, I don't know who I am either. Even my name was given to me by Master. But one thing is certain: if I find out who I am in the future, and if I happen to be Second Brother's enemy, I will not harm you."
She meant it sincerely; even if they became enemies one day, she wouldn't hurt him.
"Zijun!" Li Tianqi pulled Wei Zijun into his arms again and buried his head in her shoulder.
After a long pause, Li Tianqi looked up. "Fourth brother, how come you have a natural fragrance?!"
Wei Zijun held her sleeve to her nose and sniffed. "Why can't I smell anything?"
"You can't smell your own body odor."
"How could that be? It's the fragrance from the clothes."
"And you said I clearly smelled it near my ear, and it wasn't the smell of spices." Don't try to deny it.
"Oh! He's not even the master's apprentice. He's always vain and always makes his clothes smell fragrant. My clothes are in the same closet as his, so it's inevitable that they'll get a little smelly."
In just a short while, Dieyun had transformed from an innocent child into a frivolous young master, and Wei Zijun couldn't help but feel apologetic to Dieyun in his heart.
Li Tianqi gave a noncommittal "hmm". Maybe so, after all, it's quite strange for a grown man to have a natural body odor.
[Volume 1, Deer City Chapter: Chapter 29 Opening]
Juyunlou finally opened to the congratulations of its guests.
On the opening day, the place was bustling with people and incredibly lively. Nearly a thousand people were watching, as red envelopes were being thrown down from upstairs from time to time, and the onlookers scrambled to grab them.
All the distinguished guests were present, which shows that Li Tianqi and Chen Chang really put in a lot of effort. If it weren't for their sake, who would have come to the banquet of an unknown nobody?
A table for receiving congratulatory gifts was set up at the entrance. Because of Li Tianqi and Chen Chang's influence, everyone who came to the banquet brought a gift. Wei Zijun saw this and was delighted. This banquet would not only not be a loss, but would also make her a fortune.
As for why this restaurant is called Juyunlou, isn't it because they're after the master's wine?
During the banquet, Wei Zijun, along with Li Tianqi and Chen Chang, went from table to table toasting. The two introduced her to the dignitaries and nobles, and she memorized each of them.
After several rounds of drinks, Wei Zijun stood in the center of the second floor, holding a jade cup, and addressed the crowd: "Distinguished guests, I am deeply grateful for your presence. To express my gratitude, I have prepared a cup of wine for you to enjoy. This wine is made from the mist rising from the mountains, combined with various wild fruits from the mountains. It is brewed from the nectar condensed from the mist, and it is extremely rare, with only a few cups available. Therefore, each of you will only have one cup. I hope you will not find it lacking. I offer this cup to you all as a small token of my appreciation."
As the waiters brought out the Juyun Brew, everyone couldn't help but marvel. The wine, served in a green jade cup, was a pale green, its color complementing the cup's oily green hue, resembling a clear pool of green water. The wine was crystal clear, exuding a rich aroma reminiscent of a hundred fruits, making everyone eager to taste its sweetness. After Wei Zijun uttered the invitation, everyone raised their cups, some drinking it down in one gulp, others savoring it slowly.
The first sip felt like a refreshing, cool sensation sliding down the throat, like a clear spring flowing down the throat. The icy sensation rushed upwards, invigorating the mind and spirit. After entering the stomach, it transformed into a warm, comforting spring, leaving a lingering fragrance in the mouth. The second sip, slowly savored, was fragrant and smooth, with the aroma of a hundred fruits. Holding a mouthful in the mouth, it was cool and refreshing, incredibly soothing, like a nectar, making one reluctant to swallow.
As everyone put down their glasses, exclamations of praise rose and fell: "Good, good wine, good wine indeed, it's hard to find even a thousand catties of it."
"Huh?" Chen Chang complained from the side, "Why doesn't Fourth Brother let his own brothers try such good wine first?"
Wei Zijun leaned close to Chen Chang's face and whispered, "I'll let you have your fill tonight, this wine is really strong!"
Chen Chang suddenly choked, perhaps because of her sudden closeness? Why did that sentence sound so ambiguous?
"You said it yourself, we won't leave until we're drunk tonight!" Chen Chang shook off his strange mood. He thought to himself, "It's a shame this man is too fair-skinned; he doesn't look like a real man at all."
The banquet lasted until nearly 1 p.m., and the guests were already quite drunk. Servants and attendants came in droves to greet them, and with those waiting outside, it was quite a lively scene.
Wei Zijun and the other two helped or looked after the guests as they were carried to their seats, and then rewarded the servants. She breathed a sigh of relief. This was exactly the effect she wanted. She drank cup after cup of plain water with the guests until they were dizzy and disoriented. Even those who were usually cunning and calculating did not suspect how she could drink so much without getting drunk.
After seeing these people off, Wei Zijun and the others returned. The staff had already quickly cleared away the tables, chairs, and dishes. It seemed that her previous training methods for employees were quite effective when applied to people in ancient times.
"Fourth brother, I, a dignified general, have served your guests for half a day. Shouldn't you bring out your Juyun Wine now?" Chen Chang called out.
"What's the rush? Good wine needs good food too." Wei Zijun glanced at Chen Chang sideways.
“Ah! Good food needs beautiful scenery to go well with it, Ziju, how about we take some wine and go boating on the lake?” Li Tianqi suggested.
"Good, very good! I haven't played around here yet!" Wei Zijun then called out to Liu Lang, "Liu Lang, you look after things here. This is the tip for the shop assistants and cooks. Distribute it equally among yourselves. Hurry up and get them to eat."
Liu Lang happily accepted the reward money and even punched her lightly: "I knew you were here, I knew I wasn't wrong."
Liu Lang is truly an honest man. He did not become overly formal despite his changed status, and Wei Zijun liked this trait of him quite a bit.
"I've left an extra portion for you and Duan Xin," Wei Zijun whispered to Liu Lang, then took out two silver coins and placed them in Liu Lang's hand.
Just as Liu Lang was about to refuse, Duan Xin ran out and shouted at Wei Zijun, "Where are you going? I want to go too! You haven't paid any attention to me for days."
“This…” Wei Zijun looked at the other two people with difficulty.
Chen Chang turned his head away in displeasure, indicating that he did not want to take this scoundrel with him.
"Shen'er, be good! Isn't it nice to be here with Liu Lang? I'll come back and bring you something delicious." Wei Zijun said, stroking Duan Xin's cheek.
"No way! You left and went straight home, leaving me and Liulang here." Duan Xin clearly didn't believe her.
"Forget it, take him with you. He's lonely enough." Li Tianqi sighed.
"Alright then, but you have to be good, understand?"
"Hey!" Duan Xin was so happy that he danced with joy.