Chapter 25 Dionysus 03
It was almost noon when Zhu Yu arrived at the winery.
The sunshine in the suburbs is stronger than in the town. The early summer wind makes the leaves of the grape vines rustle, and the air is mixed with the fresh scent of grass and soil.
As soon as they stepped into the gate of the manor, their eyes were attracted by the neatly spread out vineyards not far away.
The vines are full of greenery, and bunches of unripe green grapes are faintly visible in the shadows of the leaves. It will take some time before they can be brewed into fine wine.
At this time, a woman in plain clothes and with a noticeable scar on her face put down the pruning shears in her hands and quickly walked out from between the vines.
The first time he saw this woman, some relevant information about her immediately came to Zhu Yu's mind:
[Nora was once an exiled apprentice wizard. Many years ago, she was accused of being a wizard at the northern border and almost died in the witch-hunting burning by villagers. It was Elena who arrived in time and rescued her. Since she had worked in grape management at the noble winery, she is now the manager of this vineyard.]
"Miss?" Noila obviously didn't expect Zhu Yu to show up at this time. She walked over quickly with a surprised look on her face, wiped the sweat from her forehead, and said apologetically: "You usually come at night. We didn't receive any notice today, and everyone else was still working in the fields. We didn't have time to arrange a reception. I'm really sorry."
"It's okay, I just came here on a whim to take a look."
Just as Zhu Yu finished speaking, another woman came running over from a distance. She had a slender figure, her sleeves rolled up, and she held a curved sickle in her hand.
There were still bits of grass and leaves on the corners of her clothes, obviously she had just come from the fields.
Zhu Yu's eyes fell on the sickle. The other party immediately noticed her gaze and took the initiative to explain:
"Miss, the wheat sown in winter has just matured these few days, and everyone is rushing to harvest it in the wheat field. Otherwise, if it rains later, the yield will be affected."
"I see."
Zhu Yu nodded and followed them along the path to the backyard of the manor.
Passing through a row of low fences, the backyard suddenly opens up and a large wheat field is bathed in sunshine.
As the wind blows, the golden wheat waves undulate layer by layer, extending to the edge of the forest in the distance, looking like a flowing golden carpet.
Several women in coarse clothes were bending over to harvest in the wheat field. Some simply knelt on the edge of the field, quickly tying the wheat ears into bundles with their hands.
Zhu Yu raised his eyebrows slightly, quite surprised by the scene in front of him.
She originally thought that this winery was just a place for growing grapes and storing wine, but she didn't expect that there was such a large wheat field hidden inside.
But she quickly realized that this was the main brewing place for the Golden Cup Tavern's drinks.
In addition to grapes, wheat can of course also be used.
Whether it is brewing beer, preparing base wine, or using it as an auxiliary ingredient for flavoring, growing wheat is actually the most reasonable thing to do.
While she was thinking, Nora, who was standing beside her, suddenly clapped her hands and shouted towards the field: "Take a break, the lady is here."
Soon, figures began to stand up one after another in the wheat field.
Some women who were still wearing straw hats raised their heads, smoothed their hair, wiped their sweat, or brushed off the wheat crumbs on their bodies, and walked in twos and threes towards the path where Zhu Yu was.
Zhu Yu looked at them and felt a slight shock in his heart.
The ages of these women varied, some were only thirteen or fourteen years old, with clear eyes; some had silver hair at the temples, with a toughness between their brows that came from going through hardships.
As her eyes swept over these women, a series of names and information involuntarily emerged in her mind again.
[Andrene, once the daughter of a pharmacist, was framed as a witch because her family hid alchemical fragments. When the Inquisition arrested people in the village, she and her mother were taken away together. Her mother was not spared, and she was intercepted and rescued by the Secret Society during transportation. Now, she is responsible for the selection of seeds and pest control in the wheat field. She uses the knowledge she learned in the pharmacy to manage the wheat field in an orderly manner.]
【Marcie, an ordinary tailor apprentice, was forcibly taken away by the local church for interrogation just because her biological mother was a witch. Later, she was wrongly convicted and sent to prison. The rescue operation was planned by Mrs. Janet herself. After rescuing her, she entrusted her to Elena, who settled her in the winery. Now, she has become the best accountant in the winery, specializing in managing the material accounts and shipping processes for winemaking.】
【……】
In Zhu Yu's recollection, most of these people came from villages and towns around Arce, and were reported by their neighbors for "weird behavior" or being related to wizards or possibly being wizards.
Although they were eventually able to escape thanks to the intervention of the secret society, subsequent tests showed that they had not truly awakened any witchcraft power and were "ordinary people who were wrongly accused."
If the Secret Society had not come to their rescue, many of them would have died at the stake in the Inquisition.
Now, they were settled in this manor, doing farming, brewing wine, or managing accounts, and they made a living again with their skills.
Like Nora, some people already have experience working on farms and wineries; while some young girls were taught from the beginning to literacy and are now "half-managers" responsible for wine cellar inventory and account book management.
Zhu Yu looked at their faces and suddenly felt a complex emotion in his heart.
She originally thought that the Golden Cup Tavern was just one of her many businesses, but now she truly understands that this tavern and this manor are more like a "safe haven", sheltering ordinary people whose fate has been changed but who still want to survive on their own.
At this time, several women came up and asked Zhu Yu about his recent situation with concern.
"Miss, does the area where you were injured last time still hurt?"
"I'm so sorry that we kept you so late that day. If we hadn't wanted you to taste the new wine, you wouldn't have set out so late and wouldn't have encountered that kind of thing..."
"Miss, has the murderer behind this been found? Is it because of us that you were targeted?"
“…”
Their questions came one after another, some were worried, some were self-blaming, and some even had red eyes. Listening to the worried questions from the other side, Zhu Yu couldn't help but feel warm in his heart.
She raised her hand and waved gently, signaling everyone to be quiet, with a gentle smile on her face.
"Don't worry, I'm fine now, and my wounds are almost healed."
"I don't blame anyone. Don't take it too seriously. I don't want you to feel guilty about it."
Zhu Yu responded to everyone's questions one by one. After listening to her, everyone's expressions gradually relaxed and the uneasy atmosphere eased.
At this moment, three low and long bell sounds were heard not far away, as if they came from the depths of the grape trellis, and were brought to every corner by the breeze.
"Hey, it's time for dinner!"
The crowd in the wheat field suddenly dispersed. A few older women patted their aprons and told others to wash their hands and prepare for dinner.
Nora stepped forward and said with a hint of apology in her tone:
"Miss, you came here unexpectedly today, and I was not prepared at the moment - I will ask the cook to make some separate meals for you right away."
"Don't bother," Zhu Yu waved his hand, "I'm hungry too. I'm not picky about food. I'll just eat with everyone else."
Nora hesitated for a moment, but nodded in agreement.
A moment later, everyone gathered under the wooden shed built in the backyard of the manor. Stoneware bowls and plates were placed on the long table, and several steaming dishes were soon served - stewed potatoes, bacon soup, garlic mushrooms, wheat bread, and a pot of sake.
The cook gave Zhu Yu an extra small bowl and even added a piece of meat to her bowl. Zhu Yu was not polite and ate happily.
While she was eating, she listened to Nora talking about some interesting things in the manor. The women sitting around her couldn't help but look up at her secretly and sighed softly:
"Miss, you are so nice..."
"She just smiled and said the rice smelled good. I heard it!"
“…”
Zhu Yu heard their whispers and couldn't help but raise the corners of his mouth slightly.
The sunlight shone through the grape vines on the wooden roof, falling in patches on her shoulders.
She suddenly realized that although this place was too simple to look like a nobleman's manor, among these fields full of secrets, she actually had a brief, real sense of security in this copy.
Zhu Yu had just finished taking a sip of bacon soup when he suddenly heard a burst of chattering coming from behind him.
She turned her head and saw a group of little kids about six or seven years old rushing in. They sat down at the shorter long table by the window, laughing and shoving each other, making a lot of noise. It was as lively as a sparrow's nest that has just sprouted in spring.
George was chewing potatoes slowly, but was stunned when he saw this.
He turned to look at Zhu Yu in surprise and asked in a low voice:
“Sister, why are you still employing child labor?
Zhu Yu almost choked on his soup because of his sudden words and raised his hand to pat his chest.
She was about to explain when Nora beside her smiled and spoke for her:
"How can this be possible? My Lord, you have misunderstood."
She pointed at the children who were already sitting quietly and said:
"These children are not old enough to work properly. Most of them are orphans rescued by the Secret Society and are now temporarily living in the manor. During the day, someone will teach them how to read and plant. Recently, they have also begun to learn the basics of winemaking."
George then said "Oh", touched his nose embarrassedly, and whispered: "I see."
Just as Zhu Yu was about to continue eating, he noticed a little girl quietly walking towards him from the other end, holding something tightly in her hand.
Her hair was tied into two pigtails, her cheeks were tanned red, and her bright big eyes stared at Zhu Yu without blinking.
"Miss," she said carefully, "this is a little flower I picked on the roadside. I'm giving it to you."
She opened her palm, revealing a small bunch of white and yellow daisies, the tiny flowers still smelling fresh like morning dew.
"Aunt Glenn said that if you see beautiful things, you can forget the pain."
The little girl said with an "I understand" look on her face, "You were injured last time, so I picked the most beautiful daisy for you."
Zhu Yu was stunned for a moment, then lowered his head and smiled.
She took the bouquet of flowers, ruffled the little girl's hair, and said softly:
"Thank you, the little flower is so pretty."
"I think so too! That young lady will definitely get better soon!"
When the little girl saw Zhu Yu accept the daisy, she turned around happily and ran back to her friends.
Zhu Yu looked at the blooming daisies in his hand and his heart moved.
She suddenly understood why Elena had invested so much energy in running the tavern.
It's not for the quality of the wine, nor for a good reputation, but to give those children and women who have been let down by this world a chance to start over - even if they have never awakened their witch powers, they can still live a dignified and warm life here.
So, the real reason behind her wanting to participate in the Dionysus Festival... could it be because of them?
What exactly does she want to achieve through this festival?
Zhu Yu suppressed her doubts, and after everyone had lunch, she went to the winery's cellar with Nora to check the fermentation of this year's main batch of wine.
Just as the group walked down the stone steps leading to the wine cellar and the temperature around them gradually dropped, a melodious and ethereal singing voice suddenly floated out from the depths of the deep corridor. It was vague, as if it penetrated from between the wine barrels and echoed in the cool air.
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