Wanjin Lady

Chapter 46 Going to work in person
"Among the guys who stayed, there's one called Feng Shuigen who's quite skillful. Yesterday, it was Master Ma and him who were instructing everyone to clean the yard. I think he's a very honest guy and doesn't slack off at all."

"Master Ma, you can't get a damn thing out of him. All I know is that he used to work in another winery, but was eventually forced out by the boss and came to ours. This old fellow is sullen and doesn't like to talk. He only answers one question out of ten. Oh, he's exhausted me. I wonder how his wife can stand him."

Wen Wan listened to Chen Ma's report while walking into the inner hall with Zhao Heng.

The dozen or so men who stayed behind were all young men, standing straight and full of energy. When they saw Wen Wan and her group coming, they quickly put down their work and asked, "Young Master is here?"

They saw Hongmei, the girl behind Wen Wan, holding a tray covered with red silk in her hand. Thinking of the young master's promise to pay wages yesterday, several people felt excited.

Looking again, I saw a tall and handsome man behind Wen Wan, wearing a silver half-mask, which made him stand out in the crowd.

That person... must be the legendary son-in-law of the Wen family with a scar on his face, right?

But looking at his straight figure, sharp shoulders and slim waist, and his orderly movements, how could he look like a son-in-law who married into the family?

Zhao Heng didn't mind being stared at by others. He nodded in response to all the curious and inquiring looks.

Wen Wan smiled and said, "Come here. Let's have a meeting."

After everyone arrived, Wen Wan asked Hongmei to lift the red silk on the tray, and ingots of silver were piled up like a mountain.

The silver light was so bright that everyone in the house stared with their eyes wide open.

No one expected that the young master would actually pay them their wages!

Those who stayed behind were excited and secretly delighted, and they also called the guys who left yesterday idiots.

"I, Wen Wan, keep my word. I promised to pay you yesterday, and I won't break my promise today. I still say that as long as you are loyal to the Wen family, I, Wen Wan, will never let you down. From now on, as long as you work for me, Wen Wan, your salary will not only increase this month, but for every additional year you work in my Wen family, your salary will increase by another twelve."

Wen Wan knocked on the table. "But it's not easy to get my wages. You need to sign a new contract with me, Wen Wan. There are two new clauses in it. You should take a good look at them. One is a confidentiality clause, and the other is a non-compete clause."

Finally, someone asked, "Young Master, we know it's confidential, of course. But what is the non-compete clause?"

"I'll pay you twelve increments of salary each year. After you leave the Wen Family Winery, you're not allowed to work in any industry related to alcohol for two years. You can consider this as a supplement to the confidentiality clause."

Wen Wan didn't expect that the non-competition clause, which was criticized in later generations, was not a problem at all here.

"I thought it was something, but the boss actually gave us such a big raise. If we are loyal, we should never go to the rival winery and cause trouble for the boss."

"Don't worry, Young Master. We're not going anywhere. We'll just work at the Wen Family Winery!"

"Yes, we are just like Master Zhang, and we will always stand by our boss through thick and thin!"

We'll stick together through thick and thin.

she likes.

She pointed at Zhao Heng standing behind her and said, "This is my husband, Zhao Heng. There's not much work in the winery right now, so everyone should be busy. Come learn some martial arts from my husband."

They were all young men in their teens and twenties, full of energy. When they heard someone teaching kung fu, they immediately became excited.

Wen Wan left Hongmei to weigh the silver for everyone, and followed Ma Changshun to the wine cellar.

On the way to the winery, Wen Wan saw the well in the courtyard and asked Master Ma, "Do we use well water or river water to make wine in our winery?"

Ma Changshun took a look and said, "We use river water for domestic use and well water for the liquor. Young Master, the most important thing for a winery is the water source. Only from this well can our Bifang liquor have the mellow taste. Master Zhang once led us to use water from Taohua River to make liquor, but we found it to be quite astringent, so we didn't dare to use it anymore."

"Do you know the source of this well water?"

When the honest and straightforward Master Ma started talking about wine, he was no longer as lifeless as he had been yesterday; his eyes lit up with joy. "Master Zhang told me that when the owner decided to build a winery here more than ten years ago, he led a team to survey the entire surrounding area. This place is a natural treasure, backed by mountains and fronted by a river. This well draws water from a mountain spring, so the water quality is excellent, the feng shui is good, and it's well-ventilated and dry. Whether it's for a winery, making ink, brushes, paper, or even rouge and clothing, it's a place with unparalleled advantages." Wen Wan suddenly thought of Manager Zhu's so-called "distant relative."

Could it be that they are coming for their winery?

However, Wen Wan was even more curious about something else. "Master Ma, I heard that Master Zhang hasn't made wine in several years. Is this true?"

Ma Changshun's face once again showed the hesitation that was unique to a "good guy".

Wen Wan had only met Ma Changshun a few times, but she had figured out his personality.

He is an introvert who is not good at talking and does not like flattery. He is honest and dutiful, but his mind is not confused. He just doesn't like to gossip about others and is wholeheartedly focused on making wine.

Typical technical talent.

But the so-called good guys can sometimes... also be troublemakers.

"Is this question difficult to answer?" Wen Wan smiled, "Just tell the truth."

Ma Changshun recalled the advice the young master had given him before he left yesterday. After a moment's hesitation, he said, "It's been several years since I've seen him brewing wine himself. He said he was old... and his waist wasn't in good condition..."

Wen Wan was waiting for Master Ma to say "but".

really.

"But... the winemakers are getting older, their noses aren't as sharp as they used to be, and their tongues have degenerated, so they can't smell or taste the wine..."

Master Ma told the truth, but he only vomited half of it.

But Wen Wan knew that the winemaker's five senses had deteriorated, affecting every step of the fermentation process.

For example, the most important step in wine making is to start the winemaking process, which requires the supervision of an experienced master. He needs to judge the quality of rice, observe the wheat grains, make the koji, and brew the rice. He also needs to have the experience of listening, smelling, tasting, and touching to distinguish the spiciness of alcohol, the sweetness of saccharification, and the strength of the sourness of the fermentation liquid.

Zhang Jiping never puts down his pipe, and I'm afraid his nasal cavity and tongue have already degenerated.

No wonder he hasn't dared to do it himself for several years.

Just as Zhang Jiping was being spoken of, a person appeared.

"Young master!"

Wen Wan was talking to Master Ma when Zhang Jiping came late with a pipe in his hand.

Wen Wan greeted him, "Master Zhang, you're here?"

He even came to work in person.

"Young Master, you're really embarrassing me. My little grandson was making a fuss today and wouldn't let me leave, so I was delayed for a while. Why are you here today?"

As he spoke, Zhang Jiping took off the pipe from his armpit and tied it around his waist. Seeing Wen Wan staring at the pipe, the old man remained calm and assured, "Oh, don't worry, Master. I'm just enjoying it. I don't smoke it normally."

He pointed to the porch overhead and said, "There's no open flame in the winery. That's the rule. I know it."

Mother Chen rolled her eyes secretly.

Master Ma had a sarcastic look on his face.

(End of this chapter)