Chapter 22 The Rest is Yours to Drink
"Liver and gall wine!"
The old man with the goat beard said in a deep voice.
"Right, have your boss come over, and drink liver and gall wine with us!"
"After that, you can share weal and woe with our Li Village, support each other through thick and thin!"
"If you dare not drink, then just go back to where you came from!"
The villagers around the goat-bearded elder also clamored.
"Fine, I'll promise on behalf of the boss!"
Although Qin Yu didn't know how "liver and gall wine" was supposed to be drunk, he had seen Yan Mingyu's capacity for alcohol at the charity dinner and it wasn't bad.
"Good, prepare the liver and gall wine!"
The elder with the goat beard waved his hand.
The dense crowd of villagers finally left the project department.
"Phew..."
Qin Yu breathed a sigh of relief, just as he said before, he hoped more than anyone that Mingyu would have the upper hand in the contest with her mother.
Otherwise, if the company were to have problems or even go bankrupt, who would pay him a monthly salary of thirty thousand?
He then took out his phone and called Mingyu.
"Dudu..."
It only rang twice before Mingyu's anxious voice came through, "How did it go, Qin Yu?"
"Boss Yan, they agreed to resume the project! It's just..."
"Just what?"
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Before Qin Yu could finish, Mingyu couldn't help but ask.
"They want to drink liver and gall wine with you, it must be some kind of ritual for welcoming friends. Uh... without authority, I promised on your behalf!"
Qin Yu scratched his head and said sheepishly.
Having been with Mingyu for half a month now, this was the first time his little bodyguard had acted "out of bounds."
"No problem, I'm on my way!"
Mingyu replied briskly.
Previously, when Manager Zhou and the people of Li Village had physical altercations, Mingyu didn't call them to avoid unnecessary complications and unpleasantness should they meet face to face again.
She drove Manager Zhou's car by herself and arrived at the resort project department.
Qin Yu was waiting for her.
After getting out of the car, Mingyu stared intently at Qin Yu, "How did you manage that?"
"Uh... just like we talked about before, sincerity. Appeal to their emotions and reason with them. Of course, I also hope that Boss Yan can offer them some real benefits. I'm a country person too, and I know all too well how hard it can be for them!"
Qin Yu definitely didn't want to be seen by the people of Li Village as a slick "bluffer" and big fraudster.
It's necessary to play the card of feelings, but tangible benefits are definitely to be given as well.
"Hm, I won't let them down!"
After Mingyu spoke, she glanced at the little mountain village, which was wafting with the smoke of cooking fires, and tilted her head, "Let's go inside!"
Soon.
The two of them followed the narrow path into Li Village.
In the middle of the village, there was a very spacious open area where all the village's events, whether happy or sad, took place.
At that moment, a bonfire was lit, and several villagers with rolled-up sleeves were about to slaughter a big fat pig.
Mingyu, who had grown up in comfortable circumstances and was essentially born with a silver spoon in her mouth, had never witnessed the scene of pig slaughtering with her own eyes before.
With her hands in the pockets of her trench coat, she watched with great interest.
Qin Yu looked at Mingyu's flawless profile, seeing for the first time this cool and dominant beauty of a boss showing an expression like that of a little girl.
He grinned, feeling immensely satisfied.
After all, the opportunity to drink "liver and gall wine" with the villagers was something he had secured for her.
Before long.
The elder with the goat beard changed into a fitting robe and walked over, leaning on a cane.
It was clear that he took the "liver and gall wine" very seriously.
Qin Yu hurriedly whispered in Mingyu's ear, "Boss Yan, this old gentleman is the most respected and virtuous person in Li Village!"
"Hmm!"
A strange light flashed in Mingyu's eyes. It had been many years and no man had come close enough to speak into her ear.
But now was definitely not the time for that.
She took her hands out of her trench coat pockets and walked toward the elderly man with a goat beard, "Grandpa, you really are in good health!"
"I never expected that the owner of such a big company would be a beautiful young lady like you!"
Actually, Yan Mingyu was not young either, already in her late twenties. In rural areas, children her age might already be fetching soy sauce for their parents.
But in front of the octogenarian with the goat beard, she really was just a "young lady."
"I merely inherited my family's business, the company was founded by my grandfather!" said Mingyu humbly.
"It seems the young man was right. If the grandfather started a company, then the granddaughter becomes the boss. If the grandfather was a farmer, then the grandson is also a farmer. Young lady, after drinking the liver-and-gall wine tonight, please resume the construction of your resort project!" the elderly man with the goat beard sighed.
"Thank you, Grandpa, for your understanding and support. About the compensation for the land, I'll offer double the price we previously agreed on. Additionally, for those who would like to exchange for small buildings, I'll construct one for each family.
Moreover, I'll also purchase a pension insurance for everyone, which you can start drawing money from at the age of sixty. Children from Li Village who meet the requirements can also work at our Four Seas Corporation!" Mingyu said quite generously.
"Young lady, you really are considerate!" said the elderly man with the goat beard, nodding his head, obviously very pleased.
"Great-grandfather, the bitter gall has been taken out, we can start drinking the liver-and-gall wine now!" said a villager holding a pig's bitter gall at that moment.
"Alright, bring out the wine!" said the elderly man with the goat beard, nodding his head.
Immediately, several villagers carried a large jar of wine over to the bonfire.
After setting the bowls in place, they used a knife to puncture the bitter gall and dripped the black bile into the wine.
This was the liver-and-gall wine.
Mingyu's eyelids twitched slightly at the sight.
Never mind the bitter taste of the bile that ordinary people could not stomach, the more terrifying thing was that the bile had not undergone any processing or treatment – was this not too unsanitary?
She was someone with a strong sense of cleanliness!
"Grandpa, our boss rarely drinks alcohol, how about she just drinks one bowl, and I drink the rest for her?" Qin Yu, who had been with Yan Mingyu for a while, could tell from her subtle expressions that she was reluctant to drink the so-called "liver-and-gall wine."
It was all due to her cleanliness issue.
"No problem, she's a young girl, one bowl is enough!" said the elderly man with the goat beard, pointing to the ten or so bowls of wine, "You drink the rest!"
"Hehe, alright!" Qin Yu said with a smile and a nod.
"Young lady, you are the guest, please go first!" The elderly man with the goat beard gestured for her to proceed.
"Then I... will drink first as a mark of respect!" Mingyu glanced at the wine, which had changed color, likely about three to four shots in size.
After picking up the bowl, she took a slight breath and then tilted her head back and downed it straight away.
"Cough cough...." The bitter and strange taste immediately made Mingyu start coughing.
"Young lady, have some fruit to wash it down!" The elderly man with the goat beard had someone bring over some wild peaches they had picked themselves.
"Grandpa, then I'll also drink first as a mark of respect!" Qin Yu, mimicking Mingyu, picked up a bowl of wine and downed it in one go.
Nine bowls, almost three liters.
By the time he finished the last bowl, Qin Yu felt as if the whole village was spinning.
"Good! You are the first one to finish the liver-and-gall wine!" the villagers applauded Qin Yu.
"How are you feeling, are you alright?" Seeing Qin Yu swaying and barely able to stand up straight, Mingyu quickly steadied him.