Meeting Xie Zhuo again

Defu immediately took a dish of fennel beans from the food box and placed it on his table. Fu Zhiqiao gestured for Zhang the butcher to continue.

With the help of snacks to accompany his drinks, Butcher Zhang enjoyed his wine even more. He would take a sip of wine and a bite of peanuts, and soon he would finish a bowl of Taibai wine.

"Great!" Butcher Zhang exclaimed with his eyes closed, his first impression of Taibai wine was that it was spicy, hot, and strong. After the bitterness, he could feel the fragrance spreading. After drinking it, he felt a slight burning sensation in his stomach.

Seeing that Butcher Zhang had finished his wine, Ginkgo, who was standing behind Fu Zhiqiao, took out an hourglass and placed it on the table to keep track of time.

Seeing that someone was actually taking the challenge, more and more people gathered around. Some people thought Fu Zhi Qiao was lying, but they still couldn't help but come and join in the fun.

Gradually, the effects of the alcohol kicked in, and Butcher Zhang's face turned red, his body became hot, and he unconsciously started burping, his breath reeking of alcohol.

How can I not get drunk?

After distillation, Taibai liquor can reach an alcohol content of around 30 to 40 degrees. She specifically controlled the number of distillations for this batch of Taibai liquor, ensuring it has at least 40 degrees. A white porcelain bowl can hold seven or eight ounces of liquor. Taibai liquor has a high alcohol content and a strong aftereffect; it's difficult for someone who has never drunk strong liquor before to handle it.

The people of Dawei don't have the concept of alcohol content; they only know that the most stimulating thing is good wine and strong liquor!

Old Gao smiled as he saw Butcher Zhang's face turn red; they were sure to win this challenge.

Half an hour passed, and the crowd still hadn't dispersed, while Butcher Zhang was already feeling a bit dizzy.

"Time's up, challenge begins!" Defu helped Zhang the butcher to the starting line. Before the challenge started, he had laid out two ropes along the gaps between the floor tiles. Zhang the butcher only needed to walk through the middle of the ropes to succeed.

“Alright, I’ll take the challenge!” Butcher Zhang struggled to sit up.

The crowd made way for Butcher Zhang, who staggered two steps before his third step went astray.

The onlookers also became anxious for him.

"It's off! It's off! Move it a little to the left!"

"Oops! We've gone astray!"

Butcher Zhang could hear the sounds, but his body was out of control. He barely managed to steady himself and continued walking, then staggered two more steps before collapsing to the ground with a thud.

Someone quickly stepped forward and patted the butcher's face to confirm that he was drunk.

The onlookers were taken aback. "Is this wine really that potent?"

Defu brought over some hangover soup and had someone feed it to Butcher Zhang. Then he helped Zhang to the side to rest.

When everyone saw that Butcher Zhang had failed his challenge, they all shook their heads in regret.

Having learned from Butcher Zhang's example, no one dared to challenge him for a while. Seeing this, the onlookers became even more excited and surrounded Old Man Gao, asking him what kind of wine it was.

The wine stall was incredibly popular, attracting other passersby who squeezed in to take a look.

"No way? He got drunk after just one bowl?"

"Yes, Butcher Zhang is known for his drinking prowess, how did he get so drunk?"

"How would I know? I just got here!"

"Is the shopkeeper putting on an act to fool us?" Some people around raised objections, while others chimed in, suspecting that Fu Zhi Qiao was colluding with Butcher Zhang to put on a show.

Fu Zhi Qiao didn't argue. She simply asked Yin Xing to bring a few small wine cups and place them on the table. She then randomly selected a few passersby who suspected her of faking it, filled them with baijiu (Chinese liquor), and handed them to them to drink.

After she finished drinking, the voices that doubted her authenticity immediately disappeared.

Soon, news spread that there was a wine shop in the market where a single bowl of wine could knock out a strong man, and more and more people came to see the spectacle, surrounding the wine stall in layers.

Everyone wanted to squeeze to the front to see, and the stall became more and more lively. Old Gao, with a big smile on his face, shouted at everyone not to push.

Seeing more and more people gathering, she naturally couldn't miss such a good opportunity for promotion. Fu Zhi Qiao had De Fu carry the Tai Bai wine around the crowd so that people in the front row could see the wine and smell its aroma.

Two other people who thought they had a high alcohol tolerance came up to challenge them, but both of them failed.

Xie Zhuo stood in the crowd, his eyes fixed on the wine in Defu's hand.

Even he had never seen such clear wine before.

“Young master, this wine smells very spicy. I wonder what it tastes like? Why don’t I go and try it?” Seeing that his young master was interested in the wine, Wang Qianxin volunteered to go and take on the challenge.

Wang Qianxin was a man who loved wine, and he had an exceptional capacity for it.

Xie Zhuo nodded, and just as he was about to look away, he saw Fu Zhi Qiao standing on the left side of the stall. Even though she was dressed in men's clothing, he recognized her at a glance as the woman from the teahouse that day.

This marks their third meeting today.

Xie Zhuo couldn't explain why he noticed her at first glance among a group of people, nor could he explain why he remembered her so clearly. Today was the third time they had met.

At this moment, Fu Zhi Qiao was dressed in somewhat loose men's clothing, her eyebrows were deliberately drawn thicker, and she had no makeup on her face. Because of her young age, her boyish attire gave her an androgynous beauty.

Realizing he had been staring at her for a while, Xie Zhuo's eyes flickered slightly, and he awkwardly looked away.

Just then, Defu walked over with a wine glass in his hand. Xie Zhuo took the opportunity to pick up a glass of wine from the tray, swirled it around to his nose, and the rich aroma of the wine gradually spread out. It was indeed a good wine.

Seemingly sensing something, Fu Zhiqiao turned to look at Xie Zhuo.

It's him!

Their eyes met briefly, and Fu Zhiqiao recognized Xie Zhuo. He was the brave warrior who had helped her fight off the rich young master last time.

Fu Zhi Qiao was unaware that Xie Zhuo had seen through her. She walked over, looked at Xie Zhuo, and deliberately asked in a rough voice, "Does Young Master wish to challenge me?"

“It’s me, I’ll take the challenge!” Wang Qianxin stood beside the two, sensing that the atmosphere was a bit strange, and spoke up to break the awkward silence.

Fu Zhiqiao looked at the man standing next to Xie Zhuo.

Wang Qianxin looked significantly older than Xie Zhuo. He had practiced martial arts for many years and possessed an unusually strong physique, giving him an imposing presence just by standing there.

Xie Zhuo succinctly stated, "He has a very high alcohol tolerance."

Having learned from Zhang the Butcher's mistake, the people were somewhat hesitant about the challenge. Most just watched from the sidelines and did not participate. When they heard that someone else wanted to participate, they immediately started to jeer.

Defu took out a new bowl and poured Wang Qianxin a full glass of Taibai wine.

Fu Zhiqiao gestured for him to enter, and Wang Qianxin took a deep breath of the wine aroma, then tilted his head back and drank about half of the wine in his bowl.

The strong smell of alcohol stimulated his nerves. Wang Qianxin smacked his lips. This wine was even more flavorful than he had imagined. It was rich in aroma and mellow in taste. After catching his breath, he finished the rest of the wine and let out a big burp.

"Hahaha...Good wine!"

After downing a bowl of Taibai wine, Wang Qianxin stood there with his eyes closed and said nothing, as if savoring the memory.

Fu Zhiqiao, still worried, stepped forward and asked, "Sir, are you alright?"

"That was wonderful, so wonderful!" After drinking a bowl of wine, Wang Qianxin felt lightheaded and still wanted more.

Ginkgo took out the hourglass again to keep track of time.

Meanwhile, while Wang Qianxin was taking on the challenge, Fu Zhiqiao and Xie Zhuo chatted casually.

During their conversation, the two learned each other's names.

"When did you recognize me?" Fu Zhi Qiao thought there was nothing wrong with her attire. Xie Zhuo had only seen her a few times, so how could her male disguise be so easily detected?

I recognized you the moment I saw you.

Xie Zhuo smiled faintly and remained silent, then asked in return, "Is this wine from your family?"

“Yes, this wine was brewed by my own hands, and it’s unique in the entire Great Wei!” Fu Zhi Qiao said with pride. Perhaps because Xie Zhuo had saved her once before, she unconsciously became closer to Xie Zhuo.

Xie Zhuo couldn't help but chuckle at her proud little expression. He even began to wonder if the sharp-tongued and domineering woman he had seen in the teahouse a while ago was really the same person as this somewhat simple-minded woman in front of him.

The half-hour countdown ended quickly. Although Wang Qianxin was a little dizzy, he was clear-headed and successfully walked out of the straight line. Everyone applauded and cheered.

Fu Zhiqiao clicked her tongue in amazement, "This brave man certainly has a good capacity for alcohol!"

He drank nearly a pound of baijiu (Chinese liquor) and still looked perfectly normal. No wonder he's a martial artist; his physical fitness is a hundred times stronger than that of an ordinary person.

Fu Zhiqiao handed Wang Qianxin a reward of ten taels of silver, but Wang Qianxin said, "Boss, I don't need the reward. Could you give me two jars of Taibai wine instead?"

Although I don't know the price of this wine, ten taels of silver should be more than enough to buy two jars!

I should be able to buy it, right?

Seeing that Fu Zhiqiao remained silent, Wang Qianxin felt somewhat insecure.

Sake is already expensive, and this Taibai sake, as clear as spring water, will probably be even more pricey. He quickly added, "If you don't have enough silver, I can make up the difference."

What is the price of the wine?

This reminded Fu Zhiqiao that the price of Taibai wine had not yet been set. After deducting the costs of grain, labor, and shops, there were also the costs of aging, transportation, and spoilage. She still needed to carefully consider the price of the wine.

When Wang Qianxin looked at her questioningly, Fu Zhiqiao said that there was no stock available at the moment and that if she wanted to buy wine, she would have to wait for the wine shop to open.

Xie Zhuo frowned upon hearing this. He was on his way back to the capital to celebrate his grandfather's birthday. He had heard that there was a clear and transparent wine for sale on the street, so he came to take a look out of curiosity. Wang Qianxin also participated in the challenge to try out the taste of this wine.

My grandfather was a wine lover, and this kind of unusual wine would surely suit his taste.

"It won't do if we can't buy wine. They came specifically to buy wine," Wang Qianxin quickly asked. "When will the wine shop open?"

"Two months later."

Wang Qianxin and Xie Zhuo exchanged a glance. They were to set off for the capital tomorrow, as Xie Heshan's birthday was next month, and there wasn't enough time.

Xie Zhuo bowed to Fu Zhiqiao and said, "Next month is the birthday of an elder in my family, and I would like to buy this wine to celebrate his birthday. I would be grateful if Mr. Fu could make an exception for me." After saying this, Xie Zhuo realized that he was the one who needed the help, and added, "Price is not a problem."

Buy some wine to celebrate a birthday!

Fu Zhiqiao seemed to be deep in thought. She glanced at Xie Zhuo from head to toe. He was handsome and had an extraordinary temperament. He was obviously a young master from a wealthy family. He had also done her a favor by helping her. She might as well go with the flow and use Taibai wine to make a good relationship with him.

Fu Zhi Qiao's smile softened even more. "In that case, I must grant Young Master Xie's request to show his filial piety."

However, it wouldn't work today, as the stall didn't have enough wine. She also had to host a drinking challenge and other related events at the market. The two agreed to meet at the wine shop tomorrow to get more wine.

"Please leave your address, Miss Fu."

Fu Zhiqiao smiled awkwardly. Her liquor store was still under renovation and hadn't opened yet, so she couldn't very well give Xie Zhuo the address of the Fu residence!

"Uh, that shop at the crossroads that's still under renovation is it."

Xie Zhuo nodded, indicating that Zi would go to the shop to pick up the wine the next day.

The next day, Fu Zhiqiao specially instructed the workers who came to carve the counter to come back to work in the afternoon. She personally received Xie Zhuo in the wine shop, gave him two jars of newly brewed Taibai wine, and explained to him in detail how to preserve Taibai wine. She also specifically instructed him that the wine should not be opened until later, as the longer it is stored, the better it will taste.