Chapter 55 Finding the True Master

A floral water workshop could be established, but it certainly could not be built in Fan Jin's name. At least on the surface, he was merely acting as a landlord collecting rent, leaving no grounds for anyone to find fault.

Fortunately, it was only mid-February, and there were still several months before the peak season for floral water.

At the same time, the scale of construction for the floral water workshop was not particularly large.

Instead, more time needed to be spent deliberating and adjusting the ratios of various raw materials for the floral water, as well as the related production processes.

All things considered, time was not as abundant as one might imagine; it was simply just right.

Since he intended to produce floral water, the selection of raw materials naturally had to focus on the effects of repelling mosquitoes, clearing heat, and providing a cooling sensation.

With a little careful attention, these raw materials were easy to find, or at least easily substitutable.

As for why Fan Jin chose the "distant path" of making floral water instead of directly creating mosquito coils?

Ultimately, it was because the production of mosquito coils, whether in terms of raw materials or manufacturing techniques, was far more complex and difficult.

The secret to mosquito coils repelling insects actually lay in a plant called pyrethrum, which was located thousands of miles away in Africa.

Even if pyrethrum could be found, extracting the active ingredients from it remained a major challenge.

As for certain novels where wormwood was used as a raw material to make mosquito coils and earn a first pot of gold, that was merely wishful thinking.

While burning wormwood did possess a certain degree of mosquito-repelling effect, mosquito coils made primarily from wormwood could hardly achieve any real mosquito-repelling function due to the difference in volume and concentration.

The world's first truly effective mosquito coil with strong repellent properties only appeared after the addition of pyrethrum, and that did not happen until the 1950s.

Fan Jin merely drafted all the necessary precautions for the floral water workshop and then handed them over to Steward Fu Bo to oversee.

With the metropolitan examination imminent, he needed to further master the classical scriptures to avoid losing a watermelon while picking up sesame seeds.

Wealth was an external possession, whereas power was enduring.

Those with money might not necessarily have power, but those with power would always have money.

Consequently, the servants in the estate were astonished to find that ever since their master arrived in the capital, apart from attending a literary gathering at Wangyue Pavilion and purchasing large quantities of wine and supplies to prepare for building a workshop, he had once again shut himself away.

During these days, the Fan residence had turned away countless invitations from scholars across various regions wishing to pay a visit.

However, just three days before the metropolitan examination, Steward Fu Bo suddenly came to report: "Master, that young master Li is here again!"

Fan Jin slowly lowered the dog-eared book in his hand, sighed, and said, "Please show him in."

A moment later, before Li Sanyuan had even arrived, his hearty laughter echoed ahead of him: "Brother Fan, come out and see who I have brought with me this time!"

Fan Jin turned his head and instinctively sized up the two visitors.

He was already familiar with Li Sanyuan; especially after spending so much time together, the longer he looked at Li Sanyuan, the more he felt the man resembled his close friend Wei Haogu from Nanhai County.

As for the other person, he appeared even younger and more handsome than Li Sanyuan.

"I am Wang Shizhen from Suzhou. I have long admired Master Fan's great reputation. Today, I made the presumptuous visit and am bound to have committed many discourtesies, so I hope you will be magnanimous." With that, he glanced at the attendant beside him.

The attendant understood immediately, handed the gifts to Steward Fu Bo, and respectfully withdrew.

Fan Jin's lips parted slightly as he vaguely found the name somewhat familiar. Once he remembered who it was, the look in his eyes as he gazed at the visitor instantly turned somewhat peculiar.

Without a single doubt, among historians, a considerable portion inclined toward the belief that Wang Shizhen was the true identity of Lanling Xiaoxiaosheng, the author of the notorious *Plum in the Golden Vase*.

"Please have a seat, you two," Fan Jin greeted vaguely, then ordered tea to be served.

As he conversed with them, he secretly wondered if Wang Shizhen had already written the greatest masterpiece in the world, pushing the realm of erotic literature to an unprecedented and unsurpassed pinnacle that left no predecessors and would have no successors.

"Ahem, Brother Fan, is there something on my face?" Wang Shizhen noticed Fan Jin repeatedly glancing at him and could not help coughing softly.

Damn it!

He clearly hadn't done anything wrong, so why did he suddenly feel as though his tail had been caught?

At that very moment, an impulse to turn and flee arose deep within his heart.

"Oh, it's just that I felt the younger brother resembles an old friend of mine. For a moment, I was a bit dazed and couldn't help taking a few extra glances," Fan Jin casually fabricated an excuse.

Hearing this, both Li Sanyuan and Wang Shizhen wore expressions of deep interest. "If there's an opportunity, we would certainly like to meet this friend of yours, Master Fan."

Fan Jin shook his head. "Two years ago, that friend of mine passed away..."

Since the friend was purely a figment of his imagination, how could he let them meet? Wouldn't that expose the lie?

Disregarding their reactions, Fan Jin continued "angling" on his own: "Speaking of which, that close friend of mine was truly a peerless talent in this world—upright in appearance and romantic in demeanor, but a pity..."

"A pity what?" Wang Shizhen and Li Sanyuan were completely hooked, their curiosity thoroughly piqued.

After a long silence, Fan Jin let out a lingering sigh: "It is a pity that my close friend possessed an indescribable penchant..."

Hearing this, both men guessed it might involve a fondness for other men's wives or homoeroticism, never expecting Fan Jin to state bluntly: "That is, he loved to write profane works as a means to cultivate his moral character. Although his literary style and plotlines were of the absolute highest caliber, he was misunderstood by conservative people..."

In this, he was not lying at all; *Plum in the Golden Vase* had echoed through the millennia and was naturally a masterpiece rich in profound subtext.

Even someone who utterly detested reading would instantly find themselves unable to put the book down once they picked it up.

Li Sanyuan's eyes lit up as he listened, and with a faint smile, he remarked, "Master Fan's friend sounds remarkably interesting. It is only a pity that we cannot meet him..."

However, amidst their conversation, Fan Jin noticed that the moment he mentioned "profane works," Wang Shizhen's complexion turned abruptly pale.

Coupled with Fan Jin's earlier mention of "two years ago," which precisely coincided with the time *Plum in the Golden Vase* was published and became a sensational hit...

By this point, how could Fan Jin still fail to realize that the person before him was the real author?

During the visit, Fan Jin found an excuse to leave the room, and shortly thereafter, Wang Shizhen predictably found an excuse to follow him out.

"Brother Wang?" Fan Jin asked with a feigned look of surprise.

Unexpectedly, Wang Shizhen suddenly bowed to him and said through clenched teeth, "I beseech Master Fan to keep the matter of my scandalous book a secret. Whatever Master Fan requests, the Wang clan of Taicang will undoubtedly fulfill to the utmost!"

The moment Wang Shizhen uttered those words, Fan Jin realized the situation had escalated significantly.

He hurriedly stepped forward to help Wang Shizhen up, explaining repeatedly, "I was merely guessing out of thin air and had no solid evidence. Brother Wang need not worry."

He certainly did not want to plant a thorn in the other man's heart, nor did he deign to use such petty tactics to blackmail him and thereby coerce the Taicang Wang clan.

"Then why..." Wang Shizhen could not help asking.

Fan Jin wore an awkward expression. "It was merely a bit of my own morbid curiosity, just to resolve a puzzle in my mind. It wouldn't do to ask you directly to your face for verification, Brother Wang."

Wang Shizhen's cheek twitched slightly. In matters like this, as long as one still cared about saving face, one would naturally deny it to the death.