Chapter 205
Despite making some tough words, Fan Xiaoxiao's first attempt at drinking failed.
Pale beer has a cloudy color, but tastes sour and astringent.
"Sister, is this...is the wine not brewed properly?"
Fan Xiaoxiao had been standing in the kitchen for about half an hour without moving, staring blankly at the things in front of her.
Everyone was a little worried about her appearance, so they sent Madam Fan over to ask her about it.
"Sister?"
She had called her name earlier, but Fan Xiaoxiao didn't respond, so Fan patted her on the shoulder.
"ah?"
Fan Xiaoxiao was jolted awake, as if from a dream. She then realized that everyone had gathered outside the kitchen without her noticing.
"Ah, I'm fine. Sister, you all go about your business. I was just thinking about how I was missing something from the storyteller's story."
Fan Xiaoxiao smiled and waved her hand, pushing Fan Shi out of the kitchen.
"Sister, are you really alright? Don't you need my help?"
"Hai, what could possibly be wrong with me?"
Fan Xiaoxiao smiled. In the past, failure was a common occurrence for her when creating videos. This was just one failure, so what was the big deal?
It's just that when she's thinking about a problem, she prefers to be alone first, as this helps her to clear her mind.
“Sister, there are indeed some things that need you and Aunt Wang to do. I taught you how to cultivate seeds a couple of days ago. You two need to help me cultivate all the seeds that we plan to plant in the spring.”
"But……"
"No buts. Time waits for no one. You've all seen how crazy that Princess Renle is. We need to speed up our grain and vegetable planting this year!"
Renle's arrival provided Fan Xiaoxiao with a convenient opportunity to bring up the matter of stockpiling food. They still had a winter ahead, and with a stream nearby in the spring, they weren't worried about running out of water when the ice and snow melted. Their only concern was the summer.
Taking advantage of the current period, they frantically accumulated and stockpiled goods, hoping that after planting the seeds and plants, they could harvest more than others. Both Madam Fan and Granny Wang understood this principle.
Seeing that Fan Xiaoxiao was indeed alright, the two of them were relieved.
After dropping them off, the rest of the group was much easier to deal with. Grandpa Lu and Xiaoyu went to the tool shed to continue their work. Uncle Wang and Xiaohei went up the mountain to see if there was any game.
And the Ghost Doctor and Xiao Bao...
"Hey kid, what's wrong with you?"
The Ghost Doctor and Xiao Bao didn't leave. Instead, they went into the kitchen, leaned over the stove, and took a deep sniff of the air.
As a result, a sour malt smell assaulted their senses, making them dizzy and disoriented.
Fan Xiaoxiao smiled helplessly and quickly stood up to pull the two of them aside.
“There seems to be one wrong ingredient in this recipe; I need to try mixing it all together again.”
"Auntie, what are the ingredients?"
Speaking of that ingredient, Fan Xiaoxiao couldn't help but sigh. Her earlier spirits lifted, but she instantly became listless again.
"Yeast flower..."
Yeast flowers are also known as hops. She had described this to Xiao Hei before, and after hearing it, he said that he could bring her back a lot of them.
"Didn't Brother Xiao Hei bring you back this flower?"
Fan Xiaoxiao shook her head. Xiao Hei was always reliable; how could he not have brought her these things?
However, although the hops were brought back, many of them were infested with insects.
She originally thought that as long as she selected some good ones, she would be able to brew wine, but she didn't expect that.
A small error can lead to a huge difference.
"I'll pour out this wine and try again. If that doesn't work..."
Fan Xiaoxiao frowned. Could it be that she was going to make osmanthus wine?
While osmanthus wine is nice, its aroma is a bit too strong. If you drink too much, it can become overly cloying.
Let's try again.
Fan Xiaoxiao sighed inwardly, picked up the failed beer bottles from the stove and walked out of the kitchen. She walked quickly and didn't notice the Ghost Doctor behind her smacking his lips, looking thoughtful.
Xiao Bao wanted to go out with Fan Xiaoxiao, but when he turned around, he saw the Ghost Doctor scratching his head and stopped in his tracks.
"Grandpa Fatty, what's wrong?"
"Tsk, your aunt just mentioned yeast flowers... I feel like I've heard that somewhere before... tsk, where? I just can't remember..."
The more the Ghost Doctor thought about it, the more agitated he became, and he scratched his white hair into a mess.
When Fan Xiaoxiao returned, she brought over another bowl of sprouted malt.
These were dried beforehand, but hadn't been ground yet.
"Huh? What's wrong with the old man? Why is his hair all messy?"
"Grandpa Fatty said he felt like he'd heard Auntie mention yeast flowers somewhere before."
"What!?"
Fan Xiaoxiao was overjoyed and quickly put the things in her hands aside.
"Grandpa! You said you've heard of yeast flowers!? Where are they!?"
Although it's snowing now, it's actually still autumn. If we can find hops, it might be harvest time right now.
Only if the raw materials are secured can her pale beer have any hope. After all, of all the ingredients, hops are the hardest to obtain.
"Um...yes...old man, I have indeed heard of it...but...but..."
"But what? Tell me quickly!"
Fan Xiaoxiao was extremely anxious and shook the old doctor. The old man's hesitant speech made her feel very uncomfortable.
"Oh dear, I forgot! I can't remember..."
Upon hearing this, Fan Xiaoxiao's previously hopeful movements froze, and she immediately lowered her head and sighed.
"Sigh, it seems that if this trial doesn't work, then I'll just stick with osmanthus wine..."
After saying that, Fan Xiaoxiao, feeling a dark cloud hanging over her head, went to get something to prepare for grinding the malt.
Xiao Bao couldn't stand Fan Xiaoxiao's appearance. The little dumpling's two short eyebrows stood up, and his cheeks puffed out. He grabbed the Ghost Doctor and shook him violently, his meaning clear as day.
Grandpa Fatty, you need to think of something! Auntie's head is about to rain!
Oh dear, let me think of something! I can't remember where I heard that name before!
Have you ever seen it? Like the flower that Auntie was talking about.
Fan Xiaoxiao didn't notice the father and son exchanging glances. Her mind was full of thoughts about which alternative alcohol to use if there were no hops. Just as she was getting more and more confused, she heard the Ghost Doctor shout behind her.
Fan Xiaoxiao almost dropped the mortar and it hit her foot, but luckily she grabbed it in a second and avoided a disaster.
"Phew—you scared me to death, old man, what's wrong with you? Why are you so easily startled?"
Fan Xiaoxiao turned around and looked at the Ghost Doctor, who was staring blankly at her, with some confusion. The latter suddenly grinned at Fan Xiaoxiao and said, "Baby, I remember hearing the name of this flower before."
"What?! What did you say! Grandpa! Where have you heard of this flower before!?"
Fan Xiaoxiao excitedly stepped forward and grabbed the Ghost Doctor, who grinned slyly at her.
"Old man, Celestial Venerable."
(End of this chapter)
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