When Lin Yuan heard about this matter, she couldn’t help but admire the man deeply. Let alone whether Mrs. Liu could leave the Li Mansion, even if she did manage to come out, she would have been a wilted flower, a shadow of her former beauty. To Lin Yuan’s surprise, not only did Shen Dajun not disdain her, but he also constantly referred to her as his wife. Which woman wouldn’t be moved by that?
Seeing Mrs. Liu now, Lin Yuan felt even more sympathy.
"Are you here to eat, miss?" Pretending she didn’t recognize her, Lin Yuan smiled as she ushered her to the backyard, speaking as she led the way, "I’m really sorry, but our main hall is fully booked today, and there isn’t a spare room in the elegant area either. If you don’t mind, please come to the backyard. That is the private residence of the Fuman Building, and we generally don’t open it to customers."
Mrs. Liu was initially puzzled that Lin Yuan didn’t recognize her. But hearing her say this, if she still didn’t understand, she’d be too foolish. Lin Yuan was creating an opportunity for her and Shen Dajun to meet.
Mrs. Liu’s eyes gradually brimmed with tears, both grateful and excited. It had been two years, and she had thought she would never see him again. Yet, today there was unexpectedly a chance.
After letting Mrs. Liu into the room, Lin Yuan gave her a gentle nod and went to the kitchen to call Shen Dajun. She handed the pastries and tea that were prepared for Mrs. Liu to him, pointed to the room where Mrs. Liu was, and said mysteriously, "Business is so busy, and we’re short on helpers, please trouble you to deliver this to the guest."
Shen Dajun scratched his head, clearly surprised. He never expected he’d do the task of serving tea or water. What if he was clumsy and made a mess?
Seeing his unease, Lin Yuan mischievously smiled, "Hold it steady, if you drop it, it’ll come out of your wages for the month."
"Yes," Shen Dajun nodded nervously, vigorously rubbing his hands on his clothes before taking the tray from Lin Yuan’s hands, and cautiously made his way to Mrs. Liu’s room.
Knocking on the door, entering, and then...
Bang, the tray that Lin Yuan had specially instructed about, was smashed to the ground by someone.
Lin Yuan snickered, holding her belly and bursting into laughter. She could now completely imagine what Shen Dajun looked like when he saw Mrs. Liu, certainly dumb and stunned.
After a moment of silence in the room, Ying Tao came out with tears in her eyes, closing the door behind her. From afar, she saw Lin Yuan and gratefully bowed deeply to her.
As Lin Yuan laughed, tears came to her eyes, and turning around, she saw Xia Zheng.
Xia Zheng’s lips curled into a smile, he stepped forward, and with long fingers, he wiped the tears from the corner of her eyes, saying nothing. His warm hand enveloped her slightly cold one, tightly leading her upstairs.
After Liu Limin took over the reins of the Century-old Cake Shop, the first thing she did was to take down its signboard. There was no helping it, as those four words had become a symbol of villainy. Every time people saw those words, they would instinctively spit out, and after cursing, "Heartless," they’d walk away. Even three-year-old children in the city knew that the Century-old Cake Shop was a big swindler.
The old sign had come down, and it was essential to replace it quickly with a new one. It takes time for the public to accept these changes, and Lin Yuan did not want them to have to adjust slowly once the wine house opened; by then, it’d be too late.
As for the name of the wine house, Lin Yuan had originally planned to come up with a novel and fresh name. However, Liu Limin said that no matter how elaborate it was, nothing was as important as the wine itself. Thus, she stuck with a typical name, calling it the Liu Family Winehouse.
This name inadvertently reminded Lin Yuan of the Meng Family Wine House and the An Family Winehouse in Yecheng. Wine house and winehouse seemed only a single character apart, but the difference in prestige was significant. A wine house had a workshop feel, while a winehouse was much grander.
So, with Liu Limin’s consent, Lin Yuan changed the name from Liu Family Winehouse to Liu’s Brewery. The new sign was made quickly alongside the wine building renovations, and it was hung up without ceremony.
Although at first, many people habitually wanted to spit when passing by the wine building, upon looking up, they’d realize that the Century-old Cake Shop had long been replaced by Liu’s Brewery. Gradually, the people adjusted, and when passing by Liu’s Brewery, the Century-old Cake Shop was all but forgotten.
After reigning over Zhuma Town for over a decade, the Century-old Cake Shop finally closed its doors. And in the prison, Shopkeeper Chen, who had been left behind when Lady Chen, her son, and the Butler eloped with their silver, gave in to despair, committing suicide by running into a wall.