After the maid filled the three of them with fruit wine, she stood aside. Madam Liu called to the two sisters, picked up her wine glass, took a sip, and sighed, "It's still the same taste, light and sweet. If you weren't here, this old woman wouldn't be in the mood to drink it."
"Madam, we don't drink alcohol," Xiang Wan declined. She didn't know what Madam Liu was up to, and if they got drunk here, things would get complicated. Besides, under the supervision of the Queen Mother, the two sisters basically didn't touch alcohol.
"Hehe, I knew you'd say that," Madam Liu chuckled. "It's called fruit wine, but it's actually more like flower wine. It's made by collecting peach petals that have just bloomed in early spring, soaking them in aged snow water for several months, and then picking the petals in summer when the pomegranates bloom to distill the juice. This juice is then mixed with the snow water, buried underground, and left to ferment the following year. It's then steamed in a pot, and the wine is made from the distilled water. It has a floral fragrance and tastes as good as pomegranate juice, and it won't make you drunk."
"So rare?" Xiang Wan was intrigued when she heard Madam Liu's words. She picked up the wine glass and smelled it; it was indeed fragrant. She took a small sip; it was sweet but not cloying, with a hint of minty coolness. After swallowing, the fragrance lingered in her mouth.
"It really is a good product," Xiang Wan exclaimed. "Since it tastes so good, why doesn't Madam run a winery? With the aroma of this fruit wine, she could make a fortune."
“Hahaha, young lady, you’ve hit the nail on the head,” Madam Liu laughed. “It’s just that the winemaking process is quite complicated, and I’m too old to handle it.”
"In that case, let's raise a toast to Madam Liu as a token of our gratitude for her help." Xiang Xia tugged at Xiang Wan's sleeve, signaling her to raise her glass and offer a toast to Madam Liu.
"It was just a small favor, but it's also fate that brought us together." Madam Liu smiled, clinked glasses with the two sisters, and took a small sip.
Xiang Xia was more straightforward, and she finished her glass of wine without hesitation. Xiang Wan, however, had something on her mind, and no matter how delicious the fruit wine was, she had no appetite for it and only took a small sip before putting it down.
During the meal, Madam Liu chatted with the two sisters, occasionally urging them to have a glass of fruit wine. Xiang Xia initially declined a few times, but seeing Madam Liu's displeasure and finding the fruit wine quite delicious, she ended up drinking quite a few glasses after one. Xiang Wan secretly gave Xiang Xia a wink, but Xiang Xia became engrossed in drinking and paid no attention to Xiang Wan's hints. Before she knew it, more than half of the jar of wine had been consumed.
Seeing that Xiang Xia's face was gradually turning red, and that Madam Liu was still urging her to drink, Xiang Wan pretended to wipe her mouth, but actually spat all the wine onto her handkerchief.
After the meal, Xiang Xia became excited and laughed heartily with Madam Liu and Xiang Wan.
After the guards removed the table, Xiang Wan took the opportunity to feel sleepy and wanted to rest. Madam Liu instructed a maid to take the two of them to a guest room next door to rest.
"Mother, we only have a few jars of fruit wine left. Why should we let them benefit from it?"
After Xiang Wan and Xiang Xia rested in the guest room, Madam Liu's maid changed her previous attitude and casually sat on the chair next to Madam Liu, saying with dissatisfaction.
At this moment, Madam Liu no longer had the kind face that Xiang Wan and Xiang Xia had seen. Her eyes were sharp, and she scolded the maid. She looked around and whispered, "Ruyi, be careful, the walls may have ears."
"Why are you being so careful? Those two girls are already so drunk they don't know which way is up," the woman called Ruyi by Madam Liu retorted disdainfully.
"Better safe than sorry. In our line of work, we can't afford to make even the slightest mistake," Madam Liu said sternly.
Ruyi pursed her lips, unconcerned.
Seeing this, Madam Liu shook her head, sighed, and said:
"What are a few jars of wine? You can't catch a wolf without risking your cub. Once this deal is done, will we still have to worry about not having wine to drink?"
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