strictlysupreme Chapter 170 The Prelude to the Grand Tournament
Chapter 170 The Prelude to the Grand Tournament
In the following days, Lin Yan either met up with a few people or went out to Luocheng for a stroll. She and Quan Wenxue bought quite a few things.
The third floor of Luo'an Restaurant became increasingly lively as wineries participating in the wine tasting event gathered there.
The wine tasting event has finally begun.
The wine tasting event was held in Lianyuan, which was also the Fan family's house, surrounded by buildings with blue bricks and gray tiles.
In the center of the courtyard is a lotus pond. It is summer, and the lotus flowers are in full bloom, a beautiful sight. Outside the lotus pond is a spacious courtyard with several ancient trees growing impressively, their green shade covering the ground. Every now and then, there are ice chests, which bring out a cool breeze.
Dozens of carved wooden tables were set up in the courtyard, covered with simple white tablecloths, and filled with all kinds of wine sets and exquisite snacks.
Upon entering the courtyard, one can feel a slight coolness, and the air is filled with a faint aroma of wine, mixed with the fresh scent of flowers and plants, making one feel relaxed and happy.
Those invited were all celebrities and dignitaries from Los Angeles or the surrounding area, or established wealthy businessmen. The guests gathered in twos and threes, chatting quietly, with laughter occasionally breaking the silence, creating a relaxed and pleasant atmosphere.
Lin Yan and the others walked into the courtyard side by side. Lin Yan was wearing a light green dress today, the hem of which swayed gently with her steps, making her appear exceptionally graceful. Quan Wenxue wore an elegant light purple dress, exuding a gentle and refined air.
"This courtyard is so beautiful! The lotus flowers are in full bloom. It would be such a pleasure to hold a conference here at this time of year." Lin Yan looked around.
Quan Wenxue smiled slightly and said softly, "Yes, we invited prominent figures, so we naturally had to put in the effort. This also reflects the financial strength of Luo'an Restaurant."
Quan Sinian seemed to remember something, and his expression turned serious. "By the way, I asked Young Master Fan yesterday, and the FamilyMart is on the judging panel this time."
Quan Wenxue's relaxed mood vanished instantly, replaced by disgust. She said coldly, "Who is it?"
Quan Sinian continued, "It should be Quan Rongzhi. All the judges this time are big shots, and his family is qualified, so only he can come. However, we are sitting in the back, so we don't need to meet. It was originally planned that I would introduce them, but I can only leave it to Fu Bo. Wenxue and I should not show up, lest we be targeted by that guy."
Fu Bo nodded and patted Quan Sinian on the shoulder: "Don't worry. I haven't been working for nothing these past few years!"
As they were talking, Zhao Yuncheng and Zhao Yunqing walked over. Zhao Yuncheng was still wearing a black robe, with a cold expression, while Zhao Yunqing was wearing a light blue brocade robe, with a gentle smile on his face.
"You've arrived," Zhao Yunqing greeted with a smile.
Lin Yan and Quan Wenxue greeted each other with smiles.
Fan Yizhou followed behind the two, dressed in a blue brocade robe today, which made him look much more solemn. "I have many things to do today, so I'm afraid I can't attend to you. Please find a place to sit!"
Zhao Yunqing also smiled and said, "I'm a judge today, so I can't sit with you all, but... I'll have to ask you all to take care of my seventh brother."
As Zhao Yunqing spoke, he shoved Zhao Yuncheng and gestured for him to look at Lin Yan.
Zhao Yuncheng glanced at her and said indifferently, "I heard there are many rare and exquisite wines today."
Lin Yan blinked and said with a grin, "Yes, I've been looking forward to it for days. I have to have a good taste today; I can't miss out on these fine wines."
"Don't drink too much."
Lin Yan said confidently, "Drunk? How could that be?"
Lin Yu: Ha!
"Let's find a place to sit!"
Because of the Quan Rong Association's visit, Lin Yan and the others found a seat at the back.
On the table before me were displayed a variety of wine vessels, including gilded wine pots, carved glass cups, and translucent jade cups, each one exquisitely crafted.
"These wine vessels are truly exquisite," Quan Wenxue exclaimed softly, her fingertips gently tracing a jade cup carved with lotus flowers. The cup was warm and smooth like jade, cool to the touch.
Lin Yan picked up a wine pot, carefully examined the patterns on its surface, and said with a smile, "The pattern on this pot looks like a lotus flower, which complements this lotus garden perfectly."
"Underestimated, still underestimated!" Lin Yan exclaimed.
Quan Wenxue asked in confusion, "What do you mean by underestimating?"
"The Fan family is really rich!" Lin Yan said.
Quan Wenxue: ...
Lin Yu nodded in agreement: "They do have money."
Lin Yan wasn't just thinking about the Fan family's wealth; she wasn't short of money either. Not to mention what she had earned over the years, she hadn't even touched the gold in her spatial storage.
She was looking at the guests filling the courtyard, and none of them were ordinary people. The Fan family had not only money, but also connections and channels.
Luocheng's raw materials and geographical advantages are indeed incomparable. They also bought land in the Huainan area, but it is far away after all. Grain can be transported, but water source cannot.
It seems I need to seriously consider the collaboration that Fan Yizhou proposed.
…………
"The judges have arrived," Quan Sinian said calmly.
The group looked up and saw that several people were already standing at the table at the front.
In the middle is Zhao Yunqing. To his right is a chubby man with a kind expression, and to his left is a serious-looking man with a black beard. Both of them are wearing official robes.
Besides them, there were two old men with white beards: a shrewd-looking middle-aged man and a refined middle-aged man.
The others were all very polite and courteous, but Zhao Yunqing sat casually in the middle, waving his fan with an air of nonchalance, showing no intention of chatting at all.
The refined-looking middle-aged man was gesturing for the group to sit down and speaking with two officials.
Lin Yan had seen this person before; he was the head of the Fan family, Fan Yizhou's father, Fan Ji.
Seeing the increasingly unpleasant expressions on Quan Wenxue and Quan Sinian's faces, Lin Yan realized that Quan Rongzhi should have arrived. Excluding the two officials, there was also Fan Ji. Judging from his age, he should be that shrewd and serious man. Hmm, he really looked like a hypocrite.
Lin Yan had a preconceived notion and found him increasingly displeasing.
"Who are those two men in official robes?" Lin Yu asked curiously. He hadn't expected that government officials would be present at a wine tasting event.
“That’s Prefect Chen Fengchun and Prefect Xia Mujiang of Luocheng. Luocheng’s wine industry is thriving and has always been highly regarded, but the main reason they’re here this time is because Sixth Brother is here,” Zhao Yuncheng’s deep voice came.
"Oh! Isn't that the father of those two little girls from a few days ago?" Lin Yan suddenly realized, immediately remembering Chen Qianqian and Xia Mingwei, whom they had met on their mountain trip.
“That’s right.” Zhao Yuncheng nodded.
"What about the other two?"
Zhao Yuncheng looked over. Knowing the whole family's affairs, he naturally knew that Lin Yan was not asking about Quan Rongzhi, but about the two older people.
"Next to Xia Mujiang is Master Fan Li, the head chef of Luo'an Restaurant. He is very prestigious in the brewing industry. I haven't met the other one, but I heard Fan Yizhou mention him. He should be Changsun Huai, a famous scholar in Luocheng."
As they were talking, a clear gong rang out.
The crowd looked in the direction of the sound and saw Fan Ji standing by the pavilion, with a servant boy beside him holding a bronze gong and smiling.