109 Yellow Mandarin Wine

◎Free wine, it’s a waste not to drink◎

Song Jinyi was about to answer when she caught a glimpse of a rouge-colored figure flashing through the gap in the door in the backyard. She quickly pushed the door open and called out to the person - "Zhang Yao!"

The figure suddenly stopped in the darkness, slowly turned around, and walked towards them. As it got closer, the face became clearly visible in the candlelight pouring from the room.

"Why are you here so late at night instead of going home? And why don't you even say hello to us?"

Zhang Yao avoided Song Jinyi's inquiring gaze and stared at her shoes. "I just came over to take a look. Seeing that you were busy, I didn't want to disturb you."

Song Jinyi pulled her in and said with a smile, "Why bother you? Why are you suddenly so distant? Since you're here, why don't you try this wine?"

Zhang Yao was obviously not in a good mood. She only drank half a cup and then declined to leave.

Even the dazed Li He could tell something was wrong and bit her tongue as she said, "She's been acting really strange lately."

After Zhang Yao said goodbye to Song Jinyi, she did not go home immediately as she said. Instead, she walked along Zhuque Street all the way to Zhaixing Tower.

The night in Shengjing is lively, with lights on, a bright moon in the sky, and boats under Zhou Bridge lit with candlelight like fireflies.

The main restaurant was ablaze with lights, and people streamed by like a stream, making the place bustling and lively, just like daytime. Zhang Yao, mingling with the crowd, walked towards the entrance of Zhaixing Tower with lowered brows and eyes.

She took out the token and handed it to the waiter at the door, saying to him, "I'm here to see Huang Yan."

…

Zhang Yao was sitting in a box on the third floor. She took a quick look at the environment inside the box, her gaze lingering on a gilded standing screen with a magnolia and parrot for a few seconds. She turned her head and looked at the person sitting opposite her.

Huang Yan stared at Zhang Yao with a scrutinizing attitude, "Are you saying that Song Jinyi is brewing wine privately? Do you know what the word "private brewing" means?" He stretched out his tone, and every word was full of suspicion.

Zhang Yao understood what the other party meant - to produce proof.

She pulled a handkerchief from her sleeve. "Before I left Juxing Tower, I shared a few sips of newly brewed wine with them and used this handkerchief. As long as your nose isn't blocked by dirt, you should be able to smell the wine."

Huang Yan knew that Zhang Yao's words were always unpleasant to the ear, so he didn't bother with her. He took the handkerchief and put it close to his nose, then he smelled a strong aroma of wine mixed with the sweetness of citrus - it was Huanggan wine!

Huang Yan was overjoyed by this unexpected evidence, and a smile spread across his face. However, he changed his mind and realized something was amiss. "Imprisonment brewing is a serious crime, so how could Song Jinyi not know about it?"

Hearing this, Zhang Yao stroked the teacup with both hands and looked at Huang Yan angrily, "Are you doubting me?" After that, she stood up and left without waiting for the other party to answer.

This behavior caught Huang Yan off guard.

He hurriedly explained, "Don't blame me, Junior Sister. Don't blame me for being suspicious. I actually heard a few days ago that Song Jinyi had been in and out of the Crown Prince's Mansion. I heard that it was she who proposed the fundraising method.

"If she really has the Crown Prince's support, let alone brewing wine, even if she sells illegal salt, we won't be able to do anything even if we report it to the authorities."

Zhang Yao snorted coldly, "I'm sure your boss knows better than I do what kind of upright and honest person the Crown Prince is. Is he so close to Song Jinyi? It's just that her cooking skills are good, and she's favored by the Crown Princess, so she often sends people to buy some food for her."

"It's a shame she's just a village woman from a small town, completely clueless about the ways of the world. She clearly marked the prices of the food she brought to the Prince's residence. How could someone as ignorant as her possibly know about the imperial court's monopoly regulations?"

Huang Yan smiled awkwardly, but he felt very contemptuous in his heart. A few days ago, Zhang Yao regarded Song Jinyi as a life-saving straw, but now he changed his attitude and immediately betrayed her.

This woman is just unreliable!

"Then, Junior Sister, when is the best time for me to catch them in the act?"

Zhang Yao glanced at him and said slowly, "I heard her discussing with someone that the day after tomorrow is November 17th, Amitabha's birthday. By then, she will definitely open an altar to sell it. You can just report her to the police and have her arrested. But..." She paused.

"My father has been away from work for a long time, leaving everything to her. I'm cooperating with you just to get rid of her, and I don't want to implicate Juxing Tower and my father."

"Of course," Huang Yan responded repeatedly, patting his chest.

"Your father is my master. Once a teacher, always a father. Back then... I just had a small disagreement with him. If Junior Sister can take back Juxing Tower, maybe I will have to rely on her in the future!"

The two of them flirted with each other for a while, and then Zhang Yao left.

Huang Yan stood by the window and watched Zhang Yao's figure disappear into the distance. He then walked behind the screen and bowed to the person sitting inside.

"How credible do you think what she just said is?"

"To be honest, I don't completely trust her. As for the day after tomorrow, let's wait and see what happens. If we don't see the rabbit, we won't release the eagle. As long as Song Jinyi dares to take out the privately brewed wine, no matter what twists and turns she has, she will be killed."

The other party nodded in approval and continued, "What do you think about her promise to Juxing Tower?"

Huang Yan said flatteringly, "It's just a delaying tactic. I've long since severed ties with that old man, so how could there be any friendship left? Now that I'm a member of Zhaixing Tower, I'm naturally wholeheartedly considering the interests of Zhaixing Tower."

"As for what happens after this is done... I'm just a cook in Zhaixing Tower. How can I be the boss of anything else?"

The other party laughed loudly twice, "I was right about you, you are a smart person."

******

Wang Minzhi had nothing to do that day, so he called a few friends to go to the Juxing Tower for a gathering. As soon as he stepped onto the tower, he felt that the atmosphere was unusual.

A rich and mellow aroma of wine wafted into her nose. She looked around and saw that every diner's table had a green bamboo cup filled with amber liquid.

She asked in surprise, "Shopkeeper Song, what is this...?"

Song Jinyi came forward with a smile and explained, "Thank you all for your care for our shop. To thank our new and old customers, we specially brewed this yellow tangerine wine. Anyone who spends 30 wen or more in our shop will receive a glass of our secret recipe 'yellow tangerine wine' as a token of our gratitude!"

Huanggan wine is a common type of wine in Daxia. However, people who know the ins and outs of wine can smell the difference of the wine brewed by Song Jinyi just from the aroma. The taste is more fragrant and delicious.

Those who had tasted a glass of wine were even more greedy. This delicacy was something they had never tasted before. They all asked Song Jinyi if they could buy the wine separately.

The only answer is no.

What's more, they would even spend an extra thirty cents to buy snacks just for that glass of yellow tangerine wine. They would either give the food away to others or force the money back.

Song Jinyi didn't expect this to work, so she urgently adjusted the method - limiting the gift to one person only once.

Wang Minzhi loved to eat and drink every day and didn't take care of things much, but she was the mother of a juren after all.

Song Jinyi's shrewdness was clearly felt when ordering snacks: most of the food in the store was priced at more than 20 wen, and if you wanted to make up 30 wen, you would probably have to order two items, which would cost at least 40 wen.

The portions are generous and most people won't be able to finish them. They even offer takeaway service: a white porcelain bowl costs five cents.

Calculating it this way, this gimmick of giving away wine is actually a sure win.

She smelled the rich aroma of wine and couldn't help swallowing. She knew it was a consumer trap, but she still jumped into it.

Soon, the yellow tangerine wine she had been longing for was served. She had tried yellow tangerine wine from other places before, but judging by the color, this one was richer than the others.

Take another sip, the sweetness is mixed with the unique elegant fragrance of citrus. The aroma of the wine is mellow but not overbearing, soothing the throat and warming the heart.

She couldn't help but close her eyes slightly, indulging in the taste of this rare wine.

She licked her lips, feeling a little unsatisfied. This kind of flavor could only be made into wine made from the citrus fruits of Dongting Lake.

The "Wu Jun Zhi" mentions: "Genuine tangerines come from the East and West Mountains of Dongting Lake. Although tangerines are a type of orange, their quality is exceptional, their fragrance is exceptional, and they are the best in the world... The Prince of Anding County brewed a wine called Dongting Chunse."

If the wine was Dongting Spring, it wouldn't be surprising, but the Dongting oranges were tribute, so she had doubts. Just as she was about to ask, someone next to her asked, "Shopkeeper Song, does this free wine thing happen every day?"

Song Jinyi showed a hint of just the right amount of regret, as if waiting for someone to ask this question, "I only got one can of this Huanggan fermented rice. Not to mention tomorrow, at most... I can only enjoy it today."

Some people who were originally hesitant were energized after hearing this - if you miss this opportunity, you will never get it again!

It’s free wine, you’d be wasting your time if you don’t drink it!

For a while, the sound of ordering came one after another, and everyone wanted to quickly collect the thirty cents so that they could taste this special yellow tangerine wine.

In stark contrast to this joyous and lively scene was Wang Zhi, who was fiddling with abacus beads at the counter. He felt that he was old and useless, and it was Song Jinyi who kindly kept him in Juxing Tower.

He regarded Song Jinyi as his benefactor and Juxinglou as his home, so when it came to running the restaurant, he sometimes cared more about it than Song Jinyi. He would count every penny several times to ensure it was accurate.

He was clacking away on his abacus, his brow furrowed. Finally, when no one was around Song Jinyi, he pulled her over to the counter, handed her the account book, and said urgently in a low voice, "Boss! This method may boost sales, but the cost of brewing wine... is really not low! I'm afraid you'll lose money!"

When Song Jinyi saw him hurriedly pulling her over, she thought something had happened.

She glanced at the account book, smiled calmly, patted the accountant on the shoulder, and said soothingly, "I know what I'm doing. This wine was my personal idea. It won't be counted as part of the building's expenses. Just deduct it from my account."

Seeing that she was confident, Wang Zhi thought that she had other intentions that a mortal like him could not see through, so he suppressed his doubts and said no more.

Just as everyone was toasting each other, feeling slightly tipsy and laughing loudly—

"Bang, bang!" A series of loud noises came from the first floor. Before the diners on the second floor could react, they saw a group of soldiers in official uniforms and swords on their waists rushing in like wolves and tigers.

The leader looked around with hawk-like eyes, a ferocious look on his face, and said in a booming voice, "How dare the Song family! How dare you secretly brew and sell wine without the official "liquor monopoly" certificate! Come, arrest them!"