Yin Hong

The scenery outside the window of the carriage is constantly changing, and the silent wind comes in through the narrow gap, blowing the cotton curtains in the carriage and swinging from side to side. A maroon horse is pulling the carriage in front, and the driver sits leisurely at the front of the carriage. From time to time, he waved the whip in his hand.

Alvin set off for the Merrill Winery early in the morning. He was thinking about the letter written by Andre himself in his pocket, and a section of instructions from Catherine.

"You have to make it clear to them." Catherine said to him standing on the path outside the manor when she stepped into the carriage in the morning light, "Although we do not lack such a partner, but This is the first time I have encountered a situation where there is no reply."

This is also the first time for Yawen to do this kind of work. His work has always been limited to a small area. The unpredictable wind direction and the most detailed sea chart are the only images that linger in his mind.

The galloping horse's hooves stamped on the dirt-covered road, and the dust they brought up drifted backwards and scattered along the sides of the carriage.The sound of a horse's hooves hitting the ground echoed in Yawen's ears. He closed his eyes quietly, distinguishing the sound made by the horse pulling the cart.

After noon, the coachman parked the carriage beside a lush grass, and took advantage of this time to take out some food to fill his stomach.Yawen opened the door curtain and jumped out of the carriage. He squinted slightly to feel the glare of the sun. He didn't look around until the slightly stinging eyelids were relieved.

In the small forest not far from here, there seems to be something flapping the lush leaves, hidden behind the thick trunk.

Yawen withdrew his gaze from a distance, stood there and relaxed for a while, then stepped into the carriage again.

The coachman deliberately speeded up his pace, and in the evening of the next day, they gradually approached the huge green manor.In the night, only the two lights of the gate of the manor were emitting a faint light. An old man dressed in plain clothes was standing tremblingly at the door to put the latch. When he saw a carriage approaching, he raised his hand oil lamps, trying to illuminate the faces of those who came.

The coachman trotted over and handed him the letter bearing the logo of the Wilken Chamber of Commerce.

The old man stretched out his pale skin and wrinkled palms from the iron door, carefully squeezed the letter, opened it and stared at it for a while, then opened the door again for them.

"Please park the carriage, honored guests." The old man's hoarse voice sounded like a broken house with a leak, "The master is in the back room, I will take you there."

"Thank you very much, sir."

The coachman led the horse and pulled the carriage to one side, and bowed to Yawen, "Then I will wait for you here, Mr. Bonardi Duran."

"You can come in together," the old man turned around and continued to put the door bolt away, and said to the coachman, "I will take you to rest in the room, the master will not mind."

He checked the gate carefully again, and then with staggering steps, he led Yawen and the coachman to walk inside slowly.

The sky was too dim to distinguish, and even the stars hanging in the sky were obscured. The densely packed vine racks on both sides of the path meandered to the depths of the manor, one by one neatly arranged, like a never-ending road. path.This is the season when the grapes are ripe. Bunches of large and small grapes hang on the thin and solid wooden racks, which are mouth-watering even when the night is dark.

Yawen walked slowly, admiring the dark beauty with peace of mind. They approached the house at the end of the path little by little. The light from the windows of the house passed through the glass, forming a soft halo in front of the house.

The old man brought them into the big room of the house, and beckoned to the servant to settle them down, "I have to inform our master, Mr. Bernardi Duran, please sit here for a while."

"No problem." Yawen nodded, sat down on the comfortable velvet chair in the room, and thanked the young maid who was handing him a glass of water.

The coachman stood aside a bit cautiously, but after placing Yawen, the maid took him to the room for rest. In the spacious hall, only Yawen and another servant standing quietly were left.The firewood was burning and jumping in the fireplace, making rattling noises incessantly. The two sharp swords embedded in the wall above the fireplace reflected the light of the fire, shining on Yawen's side face.

The owner of the manor is named John Merrill, a gray-eyed man who is not too young. The huge asset of the Merrill Winery comes from his deceased grandfather. All he needs to do is to continue to preserve this asset. Well run.The soil of the Merrill Manor is fertile and suitable for plant growth, and the brewing techniques of the workers in the manor are almost perfect, which is why Andre is willing to keep trading with them for such a long time.But this man named Joe Merrilly was arrogant and arrogant, always putting himself in a superior position, and he never even spoke politely.

Andre was still too young when he first started running around doing business. No matter how powerful he was, it was not enough to prove his status. Therefore, even if the attitude of Merili Manor was so bad, from the standpoint of Wilken Chamber of Commerce , he could only swallow his anger for the time being—although the expression on his face seemed to never be flattered or shocked, as if any word that John Merrill said was blown away by him like a wind in his ear.

But now, it doesn't matter whether Merrill Manor is willing to continue the contract.

When the rich man who had begun to put on weight slowly walked in, Yawen was already feeling a little tired. Although he could still stay awake, sitting motionless in the carriage for two consecutive days really made him uncomfortable.

"It's the first time I've seen a new face." After entering, John Merrill slumped onto the soft seat opposite Yawen. He lifted his chin, and kept scanning his eyes on Yawen. Casually and contemptuously, as if looking at a nervous new worker, "Why doesn't Mr. Andre come by himself?"

"Now is the stage of batching the goods. Sir is very busy, so I will be sent here this time to discuss with Mr. Merrill." Yawen sat up straight, with a smile on the corner of his mouth, maintaining a polite tone, "My name My name is Alvin Bonardi Duran, and it is a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Merrill."

"Negotiation? It will take some time for this year's wine to be taken out of the wine cellar. What is there to discuss?" Merrill asked impatiently. He frowned, his chin resting on his chest because of his posture, adding A circle of excess fat.

"The contract between Wilken Chamber of Commerce and Merrill Manor is about to expire. I believe you should have received the letter from Mr. Andre. If you are not willing to continue the transaction, we will not be able to receive this batch of wine." Yawen smiled gently while carefully observing the man's expression.

His eyes were vain and extravagant, and he seemed extremely dissatisfied with Yawen's midnight visit. He seemed unwilling to listen to Yawen's continuation at all, as if sitting here patiently was already his limit.

"Letter? Oh! By the way, that letter!" Merrill patted his forehead pretending to be surprised, "Yes, yes, that's right, I forgot. There is no free manpower, so it has been delayed and not sent, I hope Mr. Andre will not be so impatient."

Yawen calmly listened to the sarcasm in his words, and his tone was as calm as ever, "Since I have come, of course I won't let you take out that letter again, just tell me the answer directly."

Merrill snorted a few times. He shook his feet wrapped in a pair of boots made of high-quality cowhide. After a long time, he sat up slowly, put his hands on his thighs, and said, "You know , how perfect is the location of Merrill Manor?"

"Of course." Yawen agreed with a smile.

"So the quantity and quality of the wine we produce every year is greatly guaranteed, which is much better than other wineries, don't you think so?" Seeing Yawen nodding, Merili continued to groan: "It's just this time Now that the first contract expires, we can also sign a new one, don’t you think the money guarantee and amount in the previous contract of your Wilken Chamber of Commerce is a bit too low?”

Yawen immediately understood the meaning of his words, he couldn't help laughing, shook his head and said: "Sorry, Mr. Merrill, the purpose of my coming here is to understand your attitude towards the new contract. As for the contract I really don't have the right to change the content at will, I'm afraid you have to discuss this matter with Mr. Andre in person."

"Oh, is that so? So you're not an executive of the Wilken Chamber of Commerce." Merrill's eyes became disdainful, and he simply nestled in the chair and waved his hands vigorously, "Then you will live with me now." Let’s spend the night, go back tomorrow and tell your president what I think—where is my servant! Come quickly and take your guests back to the room!”

Hearing his disrespectful words, Yawen stood up without changing his face, and said kindly: "I will be responsible for delivering the message for you, Mr. Merrill, but you really have to write a written proof to I'll take it back, otherwise Mr. Andre might think that I've embezzled a few bottles of your fine wine, and that won't be very good for the outcome of the transaction."

"Of course." Merrill continued waving his hands, "Let's go, go back to your room, and I'll give you a letter before you leave tomorrow morning."

Yawen politely put his hands on his chest and nodded, then followed the maid into the corridor.His gentle expression gradually dissipated, and his deep and calm eyes were rippling in the firelight, responding to his unwavering smile.

☆、Chapter 013