THD Chapter 12

A perfectly good cup of tea was completely wasted on the tea table.

Miao Shuangshuang wondered if she had misheard.

"How much?"

Hearing her question, Ye Xiqing honestly repeated, "One hundred thousand."

Miao Shuangshuang: ...

You really think we're close friends, huh?

Before she could respond, Ye Shiying quickly stepped in to smooth things over. Although she also felt that 100,000 yuan was a bit excessive and had some reservations, they were family who had lived together for many years. They couldn't stay united when poor and then fall apart the moment they became wealthy.

So Ye Shiying hurriedly advised, "Don't rush. Let's talk this through."

Of course, Ye Xiqing wasn't trying to extort 100,000 yuan out of thin air. She immediately pulled out a thick notebook from behind her back and handed it to Miao Shuangshuang.

"This is my account book and transaction record for the small distillery I've been running over the past few years."

"As you know, you arranged the sales channels during the first year. That first order alone sold for more than 6,000 yuan. Later, with Aunt Cai's help, business remained quite good."

"I made more than 10,000 yuan in the first year, over 30,000 yuan in the second year, and this year I've already sold more than 50,000 yuan worth of products, with another 10,000 yuan still unpaid."

"You know I'm running a small operation. I only employ Aunt Zhou and Aunt Miao, so labor costs are low. After deducting equipment, grain, and rent expenses, my net profit should be around 50,000 to 60,000 yuan."

"You may not think much of 50,000 or 60,000 yuan now, Shuangshuang, but I believe that as my distillery grows, I'll earn even more for you."

"In the future, Qingqing Winery will become the largest distillery in the area—even bigger than the Lu family's."

"I'll give you 10% of the shares and Aunt 5% as well. What do you think, Shuangshuang?"

Miao Shuangshuang: ...

You used my money to build a factory and now want me to thank you for giving me 10% of the shares?

I'd kill you!

Unfortunately for her, her mother seemed completely convinced.

Fifty to sixty thousand yuan in profit over three years—wouldn't earning one hundred thousand in another two years be entirely possible? And her niece was even willing to give her 5% of the shares!

What a thoughtful child.

Besides, Miao Shuangshuang was making money easily now. Rather than spending lavishly on jewelry, cars, watches, or secretly subsidizing the Gu family, it would be better to use that money to help her niece start a business. If her niece became successful, their family would benefit as well. If the money went elsewhere, what would they gain?

They're family, after all.

So if they had the money, why not lend it?

Miao Shuangshuang: ...

She was truly being pushed to her limit this time.

Although she had earned a great deal over the years, she had spent a great deal as well. One hundred thousand yuan was probably all the savings she had left, yet everyone seemed to have their eyes on it.

She flipped through the ledger Ye Xiqing had handed her.

With only a junior high school education, most of the knowledge she possessed had come from memorizing scripts over the years. She had little interest in accounting or business. Ye Xiqing's talk about profits and shares sounded like nonsense to her.

Yet one phrase suddenly caught her attention.

Surpassing the Lu family.

She hadn't heard that name in a long time.

Wasn't the Lu family bankrupt by now?

The thought nearly made her laugh.

Looking back, marrying into the Lu family in her previous life had been extraordinarily unlucky.

Whenever her father-in-law was home, he behaved like an emperor. The entire family had to serve him like eunuchs. Morning greetings, evening greetings, endless lectures delivered in real time—nobody dared raise their voice around him.

At the dinner table, nobody could touch their food until he started eating. Any slight mistake invited his furious scolding and abuse.

To be honest, she had even laughed a little when she heard the news of his arrest.

Of course, everything that happened afterward was another matter entirely.

She didn't really believe Ye Xiqing's claims about making 50,000 yuan in three years or 100,000 yuan in two more. Running a small distillery and operating a major winery were completely different matters. Business wasn't as simple as one plus one equals two.

How could success come so easily?

But things changed if the Lu family collapsed.

For years, the Lu family had monopolized the local wine market, squeezing nearly every competitor dry. As long as they remained, smaller wineries had little room to grow.

Once they fell, however, an enormous market would suddenly become available.

Miao Shuangshuang understood this much, even if she knew little about the wine industry itself. She had no intention of opening a winery and competing for market share. But if Ye Xiqing wanted to do it, perhaps she could give her the opportunity.

After all, when the nationally famous Lu family winery eventually collapsed, the local wine industry's reputation suffered only briefly. New wineries sprang up everywhere afterward.

Those winery owners always complained that business wasn't profitable, yet somehow they quietly built industrial parks, bought luxury cars, and constructed lavish mansions.

Money had a way of revealing its value only after you possessed it.

Besides, Ye Xiqing lived under the same roof as them. Her success wouldn't hurt Miao Shuangshuang in the slightest.

At the very least, she probably wouldn't come asking for more loans.

After thinking for a long while, Miao Shuangshuang finally beckoned to Ye Xiqing.

"Fine. Write me an IOU."

"It's already prepared."

The moment the words left her mouth, Ye Xiqing deftly pulled out a printed contract from behind her back. All that remained was a signature and fingerprint.

Miao Shuangshuang silently accepted it, scanned it quickly, and then said numbly,

"So you never even considered the possibility that I might refuse to lend you the money?"

Ye Xiqing smiled obediently.

"Better safe than sorry. Better safe than sorry."

...

And so, Qingqing Winery officially opened.

To celebrate the occasion, many folk performers were invited to entertain the guests. Miao Shuangshuang, currently one of the most popular stars in the country, personally attended the ceremony and cut the ribbon.

The appearance of a hometown celebrity naturally became the talk of the town. Almost everyone had heard of Miao Shuangshuang.

The moment word spread that she had returned to her hometown and would be attending the opening ceremony of a winery, a massive crowd immediately gathered.

The crowd was so large that it completely surrounded the winery, creating a lively and festive atmosphere.

Dressed impeccably and wearing a bright smile, Miao Shuangshuang stood beside Ye Xiqing, greeting important clients and local officials. Strictly speaking, she didn't have to be here at all. However, she had just gotten into another argument with Gu Pengfei.

Gu Pengfei simply couldn't understand why she would lend such a large sum of money to her cousin instead of helping her own husband.

At first, Miao Shuangshuang tried to explain things calmly. Unfortunately, Gu Pengfei kept nagging and nagging until she finally lost her temper.

"It's my money. I can lend it to whoever I want. Why are you making such a fuss?"

"If you're really so capable, then go build your business from scratch yourself! You've already borrowed money from me before, and now you're trying to act like some big shot?"

People rarely care whether their words are hurtful when they're angry.

Those words hit Gu Pengfei hard.

As with most arguments, neither side was willing to back down. In the end, they parted on bad terms.

Still, Miao Shuangshuang wasn't about to let that ruin her mood. She arrived at the ribbon-cutting ceremony in high spirits, chatting and laughing with guests, delivering an enthusiastic speech as though nothing had happened.

Even so, she encountered an unexpected visitor.

Lu Jing'an and his father had arrived uninvited.

Father Lu was already over fifty years old. At home, he behaved like an emperor ruling over his court. Outside, however, he was surprisingly humble and approachable. He bowed and smiled at everyone he met, making sure nobody lost face in public.

After exchanging greetings with the guests, he stopped in front of the Miao sisters and straightened his back.

"Boss Ye is remarkably young," he said with a broad smile. "And Miss Miao, you're becoming more beautiful every time I see you. Thinking back, you almost became my daughter-in-law. What a pity things didn't work out."

Miao Shuangshuang looked at the old man as though she were looking at a grasshopper in late autumn—something that wouldn't be hopping around for much longer.

Completely unfazed by his sarcasm, she raised an eyebrow and smiled.

"Some things simply aren't meant to be, Boss Lu. I'm doing quite well these days. It just proves that everyone has their own destiny. People don't necessarily need to be together. Sometimes being together only creates problems."

Lu Jing'an's expression immediately darkened.

Back when Miao Shuangshuang had broken off the engagement, he had confidently declared that she would eventually regret it and end up living a miserable life.

Instead, she had become a famous star.

Over the years, countless people had expressed regret over the broken engagement. Whether those regrets were genuine or not didn't matter. To Lu Jing'an, every comment felt like a slap across the face.

As a result, his resentment only grew.

Recently, he had begun taking over some of the family's business affairs. Upon hearing that a new winery was opening—and that it belonged to the Miao sisters—he naturally decided to come and see it for himself.

Looking at Miao Shuangshuang now, he found her even more beautiful than before. Fame, wealth, and confidence had transformed her.

The sight filled him with a strange mixture of attraction and disdain.

As the spoiled young master of a wealthy family, whenever he wanted something, his first instinct was always to take action.

So he smiled ambiguously.

"Fate is a funny thing. If it doesn't happen yesterday, it might happen today. If not today, then perhaps tomorrow."

"For example, I recently heard that Miss Miao will be appearing at this year's Spring Festival Gala. Coincidentally, the Lu family has already secured the hosting rights."

His smile widened.

"Miss Miao is so beautiful. How about becoming our spokesperson? And if opportunities arise in the future, I could even sponsor your acting career."

Miao Shuangshuang: ...

At that moment, it felt as though a live toad had suddenly opened its mouth and started talking.

Disgusted by the behavior of her so-called ex-fiancé, she was just about to fire back when Ye Xiqing—who had been standing quietly as though someone else's winery were opening today—suddenly spoke.

"The Lu family is hosting the Spring Festival Gala?"

Her calm question immediately drew everyone's attention.

The reason Father Lu had come today was simple.

Unlike his son, he took the Miao sisters very seriously.

Over the years, Ye Xiqing's small distillery had quietly built an impressive reputation throughout the region. Lu Jing'an, distracted by women and entertainment, knew little about it. His father, however, had been paying close attention.

At first, he hadn't thought much of the business.

Then he tasted Ye Xiqing's wine.

Only then did he realize that this was no ordinary product.

If she successfully expanded production, she might genuinely threaten the Lu family's dominance of the local wine industry.

Naturally, he had no intention of allowing that to happen.

He had even considered marrying his son to Ye Xiqing. Not only would that tie her to the family, but it might also allow them to acquire her secret brewing recipe.

Unfortunately, before he could put that plan into motion, Ye Xiqing had already secured funding and opened her winery.

The other local wineries didn't concern him at all.

Only the Miao sisters worried him.

One possessed an exceptional brewing formula.

The other was a nationally famous celebrity.

Together, they represented a genuine threat.

Still, Father Lu wasn't worried.

As long as he remained standing, Qingqing Winery would never be allowed to flourish.

In this era, hosting the Spring Festival Gala was a symbol of tremendous wealth and influence. The moment Lu Jing'an mentioned it, many people present looked at the Lu family with renewed admiration.

After all, few families possessed enough power to secure such an opportunity.

The display of power had achieved exactly the effect Father Lu wanted.

With just a few words, the attention of the entire crowd had shifted. What was supposed to be the grand opening of Qingqing Winery had gradually turned into a stage for the Lu family's prestige.

Father Lu smiled modestly and waved his hand.

"It's nothing more than a small accomplishment," he said. "The Lu family's success today would never have been possible without the support of our elders, neighbors, and fellow townspeople."

The crowd immediately responded with enthusiastic whistles and cheers.

For a moment, the atmosphere became even more lively.

Watching the scene unfold, many people couldn't help but admire the Lu family's influence. After all, being able to host the Spring Festival Gala was no small matter in this era. It was a clear symbol of status, wealth, and connections.

Meanwhile, the ribbon-cutting ceremony for Qingqing Winery had all but become free advertising for the Lu family.

Father Lu's smile grew wider.

However, Ye Xiqing remained calm.

She looked at the old fox before her as though she were looking at a fish already laid out on a chopping board.

A faint smile appeared on her lips.

"The higher you climb..."

She paused slightly.

"...the harder you fall."

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