When I returned from the mountains, it was already dusk.
The old man did not delay and opened the cellar to let Xu Jiang taste the wine.
Xu Jiang couldn't wait to taste the peach wine the old man had mentioned. It was indeed soft and mellow. The liquor was pure, not muddy or mixed. It was obvious that a lot of effort had been put into cleaning the utensils and peaches when the wine was first brewed.
"How many jars of peach wine are there?"
"Eight altars."
"What's the price?"
"This jar of mine is worth two dou. Because it's homemade, it's cheaper than in the city. If you two like it, I'll sell it to you for five hundred coins a jar. If you want them all, it'll be four hundred and fifty-one jars."
A dou of Chengzhong fruit wine costs three hundred coins, and it is common for high-quality wine to cost five or six hundred coins per dou. The price given by the old man is considered affordable.
We're going to have a book appreciation party soon, and these wines are just right.
"I'll take this wine, and I'll look at the others later."
The old man also asked her to taste pear wine, green apricot wine, and cherry wine. These wines were relatively light in taste, so Xu Jiang only asked for two jars of each to drink in her spare time.
Finally, Xu Jiang looked at the dozen or so jars of wine with some worry, so she discussed with the old man, "Old man, I'm afraid it's difficult to get this wine today. Do you have a cart? If you do, I'll deliver it to Zhanchun Bookstore in Huailiu Lane, Yonghefang, in the city tomorrow. If not, I'll come and get it myself another day."
"I don't have a car, but I can borrow it. If you decide, I'll send it to you tomorrow."
"Okay, that's settled then." Xu Jiang looked at the two baskets of flowers and asked, "How much are these saplings and flowers?"
The old man said readily, "The flowers, plants, and saplings were all dug from the mountains. Since you bought so much wine from me, I'll consider it as payment for your labor. I'll charge you a hundred coins in total."
"Okay." Xu Jiang didn't hesitate and said it was a done deal. She paid for the flowers and plants, and gave another 1,000 coins as a deposit for the fruit wine. The rest would be paid when the wine was delivered tomorrow.
"It's getting late, we should leave."
"Okay." The old man helped Xu Jiang load the two baskets of flowers and saplings onto the donkey's back, and then took them to the stream head. As they walked away, he weighed the silver in his hand and thought to himself that doing business really requires shouting.
I thought they were just buying flowers, but unexpectedly they made a big deal.
His wine was privately brewed, barred from the market, and could only be sold in small quantities. He had originally planned to sell it at street corners during the Qingming Festival, but the sheer number of tourists made it difficult to taste it, so he gave up the idea. Furthermore, among the tourists were officials, and while most would ignore such trivial matters, there was always the possibility of encountering a fussy person or someone who might take advantage of the situation. Even if his wine wasn't confiscated, he would inevitably have to pay tribute, which was not worth the effort.
I had been thinking of visiting old customers in the city to do some sales when I had some free time in a few days, but I didn't expect to meet these two people who were knowledgeable and generous today, which saved me a lot of effort.
The farmer looked back at his hut and thought to himself that after settling the money tomorrow, he could buy some green tiles to replace the roof.
The yellow dog wagged its tail and barked twice beside him. The farmer patted its head and said with a smile, "We've walked to Wangshan, and now we're going home."
The stubborn donkey, laden with two baskets of flowers, was no longer able to carry anyone, so Xu Jiang and Lou Yunchun rode together, hurrying towards the city in the twilight. Not daring to delay, they made no pause, finally entering the city just as the closing drums sounded.
After entering the city, it took nearly two hours before returning to Huailiu Lane.
The night was as dark as ink. The two men groped their way into the courtyard, lighting the way with lanterns, unloading the cargo, and tying up the donkey. Lou Yunchun then gave the horses and donkeys water and food, while Xu Jiang went into the kitchen to boil water for tea, picking up some snacks to go with the tea.
By the time they both settled down, it was already midnight. After a long day of running around, they were both a little tired. After finishing their snack, they leaned against each other, staring into space in a daze.
After a long while, Xu Jiang rubbed Lou Yunchun's shoulder and sighed, "It's better to go back to your own nest."
Peace of mind, stability.
Lou Yunchun held her hand and responded with warm affection.
"I asked Uncle Cao to come and help me survey the backyard tomorrow, paint the walls, replace the bricks, and add some decorations to facilitate receiving guests."
"Okay, I happen to be on vacation these few days, so I can come and help."
"Will it delay other things?"
"No, if something happens and I can't come, I'll tell you in advance."
Xu Jiang couldn't help but sigh.
Lou Yunchun lifted her face and asked, "What's wrong?"
Xu Jiang stared at him for a long while before saying, "Sometimes I feel sorry for you."
Lou Yunchun was startled for a moment, then leaned over and kissed her forehead, whispering, "You haven't let me down, I did everything on my own accord." He then placed another kiss on her lips, "Besides, I should thank you."
"Thank me?" Mrs. Lou had said she wanted to thank her last time. "It's a consensual thing, why should I thank you?"
"Yes, it's a mutual agreement, so how can you say you're sorry?" Lou Yunchun looked at her with a chuckle.
The tenderness in his eyes was intoxicating. Xu Jiang felt that her heart was becoming softer and softer, and she was falling deeper and deeper.
She raised her hand and pinched his face, then said with a smile, "Don't use my words to stop me. Tell the truth quickly."
Lou Yunchun grabbed her hand and kissed it, then asked, "Have you ever thought about why I haven't gotten married yet?"
Xu Jiang nodded, "I have thought about it."
"What do you think?"
"Too fierce?" Seeing Lou Yunchun's sullen expression again, she smiled and said, "But this reason has been ruled out."
Lou Yunchun laughed again, "Anything else?"
Xu Jiang coughed lightly and asked hesitantly and embarrassedly, "Are you... having a hidden illness?"
There was silence in the room for a moment, and Lou Yunchun's expression was a little stiff.
Xu Jiang was worried. Could it be that what she said was right?
After a long while, Lou Yunchun squeezed out two words from between his teeth, "No."
Xu Jiang breathed a sigh of relief, then asked curiously, "Why is that?"
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