Chapter 78 - Better Admit Defeat

The Qian family carriage came at mealtime.

Qian Wanjin was the only one who came this time.

As soon as he entered the door, he felt the unusual atmosphere.

In the past, the courtyard, which was always full of vitality and laughter, was particularly silent today, with everyone in the family sitting in a corner, silent and gloomy. Even the smiling Grandma Liu who smiled every time she saw him also just barely curled the corner of her lips this time.

"Lucky Nannan, what's going on? Why is everyone looking like you're in mourning?" Qian Wanjin whispered as he approached Liu Yusheng, who was sitting on the porch.

Turning his head, he met the deep, dark eyes of the baby. Somehow, his eyelids fluttered and he panicked a little.

He felt a bad premonition.

"Young Boss, is your family very rich?"

"So-so, second in Nanling." In reply, Qian Wanjin subconsciously puffed out his chest. His chest, however, didn't stick out and his stomach instead became especially prominent.

"Then you must be doing a log of business. Is your network wide?"

Qian Wanjin's stomach immediately shrank and he looked at Liu Yusheng with wary eyes. "What do you want?"

"I want to ask a favor."

"Lucky Nannan, I'm a businessman, and as a successful businessman, I don't do anything that doesn't benefit me."

"Just say the price, as long as I can afford it."

Hearing that, Qian Wanjin slowly shed away the playfulness on his face and gazed quietly at the little child for a moment. In those clear black pupils, he actually saw a maturity and seriousness that surpassed her age.

She was really negotiating a price with him, not joking.

"What do you want me to do?"

"Help me disperse manpower and find Brother Axiu," Liu Yusheng said softly, her tone firm.

In the village, Grandpa and Dad had already gone to talk to the villagers and asked them to help find him together.

They've been busy all morning, running around the village and even to the town, but they haven't had any luck.

Moreover, each family has their own household to feed and their own things to do. Help was limited.

Liu Yusheng couldn't wait. While thinking of a way, Qian Wanjin was the first that came to mind.

Everyone in business has a wide network, so it would be more convenient and efficient for them to find him.

As long as he was willing to help, she was willing to pay any price.

Qian Wanjin fetched a stool and sat next to Liu Yusheng, regaining his hippie smile. "What? That kid's missing? And you have to go on a massive manhunt to find him? You're too nice to him. Who is he to you that you dare to tell this young master that the price is up to me?"

In the beginning, when they were negotiating about the distribution of shares in building the winery, even when his face turned crimson with anger, she refused to take any losses. But now, for the sake of that unrelated brat, she was surprisingly generous.

The difference in their treatment was really huge.

"Young Boss, I have no one else to beg. You're the only wealthy man I know. I'm begging you, help me find him, okay?" She knew that Qian Wanjin liked putting up a front. She wouldn't mind bowing her head if it meant she could retrieve him.

Her pride wasn't so important.

When she said she was begging him, Qian Wanjin instantly turned his head to the side, and his usual smile went cold.

He suddenly felt very upset.

Whenever he took a beating from her, he had always schemed on how to get back on her. But now that she was showing weakness in front of him, he found that it wasn't as good as when she made him swallow his words.

"Little girl, you've come to the right person. I dare not comment on others, but in terms of connections, if the Qian family said we're the second, no one would dare to say they're the first. We have plenty of manpower." He continued again, still with the same gangly smile, more than a little carefree. "I take seven from the winery profit, yours is three. In addition, add three premium recipes, but you don't get to own any shares."

After a pause, he added, "The medicinal wine recipe given by Axiu's mother doesn't count. The premium recipe I'm talking about, you have to personally research and provide it. For the sake of your young age, I won't bully you. Give it to me within a year."

"Okay." Liu Yusheng nodded without hesitation.

Her conduct earned another snicker from Qian Wanjin, feeling upset again.

He stood up and smoothed a nonexistent wrinkle on his brocade robe. "It's already dinner time. It's time to eat, right? This Young Master specially came here on an empty stomach. You won't send me back hungry, right?"

Looking at the cold stove and smoke-free kitchen, and then at her family who were still immersed in sadness and couldn't snap out of it, Liu Yusheng pursed her lips. "There's no food and only some mochi cakes at home, which are delicious. Why don't you have some before you go?"

"…" Was this an eviction or an expulsion? He wouldn't go. He wasn't in a hurry! "Of course! Eat!"

He had tasted that mochi cake before. It was sweet and sticky to the teeth.

He didn't like it.

Besides, the mochi cake this girl served him was still cold. She didn't even bother to heat it up!

If they weren't considered somewhat close friends, plus in consideration of her young age, he would have criticized her.

This was how she treated guests, and she still had the nerve to beg for favors!

Indignant, Qian Wanjin vented his discontent on the mochi cakes and bit down hard.

Mmm… The fragrance of mugwort leaves instantly filled his mouth, and the sesame seed filling in the middle was sweet but not too sweet. The taste was just right, delicious.

It was more than a little bit better than what he had ever had.

"Strange, Lucky Nannan. Why do I find your family's food extraordinarily delicious? Vegetables, rice, mochi cake, even the water in your home tastes better. Does the blessing thing still affect the taste of food?"

Liu Yusheng didn't explain.

All the food in the house was credited to the Spiritual Spring enhancement.

She just wanted to quickly serve this little ancestor, so he could return to the city right away and help find someone.

The incident at the cabin had happened last night, and it had been overnight, so she didn't know what kind of situation Brother Axiu was facing now.

But she had a hunch that the longer it dragged on, the more pain and suffering Axiu would suffer.

The little boy who had only been gentle with her; the one with the dark eyes of a midsummer night starry sky; she didn't want to see him covered in gloom once more.

She was scared, and also distraught.

When Qian Wanjin left, he took with him a bag of mochi rice cakes and also Liu Yusheng's ultimate expectations.

Before leaving, he had wanted to caution her against holding on to all hope. The matter had alerted the government, and even after sending out so many officials, they weren't able to bring anyone back. He might not find him either.

However, when he met the little girl's eyes, the words got stuck in his throat.

Rubbing his brow, Qian Wanjin took the carriage back to the county – his shortest stay in the Liu family.

The officials who searched in the villages had already withdrawn and left. According to the villagers who went to find out some information, there was still no news there.

While waiting, Liu Yusheng was inwardly tormented. Every second that ticked stretched particularly long.

One day, two days, one month, two months…

The winery was now up and running and the villagers started working there. The Li's wine jars were constantly being shipped to the winery warehouse.

The haze from that incident gradually dissipated over Xinghua Village, and the villagers' lives, along with the proceeds from the winery, gradually flourished.

And the person that Liu Yusheng was searching for, not a tidbit of information emerged at all.