Extracting alcohol
If he had known that it was Miss Fu talking to Lord Zhao under the tree, he wouldn't have reminded the young master.
Zhao Junhui's figure was blocked by the tree trunk, and Wang Qianxin could only see Fu Zhiqiao from his angle at the time. It wasn't until they got closer that they realized there were actually two people standing under the tree.
The moment Xie Zhuo saw Zhao Junhui, it felt as if his feet were shackled with a thousand pounds of weight, and he could no longer take a single step forward.
He was surrounded by a chilling aura, his eyes swirling with a terrifying ferocity, and the veins on his forehead were bulging from suppressed emotions.
He struggled to suppress the urge to tear Zhao Junhui's heart apart.
The results of Wang Qianxin's previous investigation of Zhao Junhui in Yuzhou have already been delivered to him.
Fu Zhiqiao and Zhao Jun not only knew each other since childhood, but they were also engaged. It was arranged by their parents. If Fu Changyue hadn't had an accident, the two should be married by now.
Xie Zhuo clenched his fist tightly.
Fortunately, the engagement was canceled. The moment Xie Zhuo saw the secret letter, only one thought crossed his mind: thank goodness they canceled the engagement!
Xie Zhuo admitted that he was despicable, and that the engagement was canceled because Fu Zhi Qiao's father passed away, but he was actually glad about it.
If it weren't for that accident, she would have lived in Yuzhou forever, content as the eldest daughter of the Fu family, and waited for Zhao Jun to pass the imperial examination and become a third-ranked scholar before marrying her.
If it weren't for that accident, she would never have appeared in his world, and the two of them would never have had the chance to cross paths.
*
The carriage slowly made its way to the city gate, where officials placed a fence in the middle of the road, preventing anyone from passing.
Zhao Jun lifted the carriage curtain, revealing his head and holding the exit token given to him by Qin Zhao. "It's me."
"Lord Zhao has gone out of the city again!"
"Hmm." Zhao Junhui's expression remained unchanged. He used to often go in and out with the craftsmen who were repairing the dikes. After doing so many times, the officials guarding the city had become familiar with him.
However, Lord Zhao usually rides a horse, so the officer was a little surprised: "Why is Lord Zhao riding in a carriage today?"
Upon hearing this, Fu Zhi Qiao's brow twitched uncontrollably several times, and she even unconsciously held her breath. Could it be that they wouldn't let her out?
Zhao Jun gave her a reassuring look, then lifted the carriage curtain wider to reveal Fu Zhi Qiao, who was dressed as a servant. "I'm bringing back a lot of things today, so I brought an assistant with me."
"We have been ordered to thoroughly inspect all people and vehicles. Please forgive us, Lord Zhao." The officer, seeing that there were only two people inside, immediately let them pass.
Fu Zhi Qiao breathed a sigh of relief in the carriage; she hadn't expected the checks at the city gate to be so strict.
Once outside the city, the carriage was quiet, with only the sounds of horses' hooves and wheels.
Zhao Junhui stared intently at the carriage curtain, feeling uneasy. They were riding in the same carriage, and the thought that he could touch her if he stretched his legs out a little made Zhao Junhui feel a little uneasy.
After a long pause, he mustered his courage and said, "From now on, don't call me Lord Zhao anymore, just call me by my name."
Compared to Zhao Junhui's inner turmoil, Fu Zhiqiao appeared much calmer. "Alright, Zhao Junhui, you don't need to call me Miss Fu anymore."
"Yes, Ji-joo."
Zhao Jun thought to himself, "Zhi Qiao, I'll say her name again."
The two exchanged a smile, and the awkward atmosphere eased.
Upon arriving at the winery entrance, Zhao Junhui alighted from the carriage first, then reached out to help her down.
Fu Zhi Qiao didn't hesitate and took his arm as she got off the carriage.
Upon reaching the winery entrance, two guards blocked their way: "Outsiders are not allowed to enter the winery."
Fu Zhi Qiao took off her mask and said, "It's me."
"Miss?" Upon arriving at the winery, Wenjiang rushed over upon hearing the news. "Miss, what brings you here?"
Aren't people not allowed to leave the city? The young lady must have something important to discuss with the winery at this time.
"Summon Old Man Gao to see me," Fu Zhiqiao and Wen Jiang said as they walked ahead.
Zhao Jun walked behind, glancing up at Fu Zhiqiao's back and then at the vast winery, his expression a mixture of contemplation and obvious surprise.
Is this Taibai Winery?
The business she built from scratch—she was truly more capable than he had imagined.
A servant came and led him to the reception room, presenting him with a pot of hot tea. "Lord Zhao, our young lady has important business to attend to and cannot leave. Please wait here for a moment."
Zhao Jun nodded, and the servant withdrew.
*
Inside the distillery, Old Gao was already waiting for Fu Zhi Qiao.
Let's begin!
To extract alcohol, Taibai liquor needs to be distilled and purified again.
Water has a different boiling point than alcohol. By heating the liquor again, alcohol can be extracted from it. After multiple extractions, a high concentration of alcohol is finally obtained.
However, theory is theory, and she dared not make any guarantees until the final results were in.
What is the boiling point of alcohol? Seventy or eighty degrees Celsius? The boiling point of water is one hundred degrees Celsius. What temperature should be maintained during distillation?
Fu Zhiqiao tried hard to recall the knowledge in her mind.
If the purity is not high enough, steam it again.
No, no, the purity is still not enough; it needs to be refined again.
Without precise temperature measuring instruments, she relied solely on Old Man Gao's experience with controlling the heat.
Distilled slowly over a low flame, four catties of Taibai wine only yielded five or six ounces of alcohol after two distillations, a loss rate that was far too high.
It would be a lie to say I wasn't heartbroken, but the alcohol concentration at this point is quite high and cannot be used on the human body. If I wanted to use it directly, I would need to dilute it with distilled water to lower the alcohol content.
After numerous experiments, Fu Zhiqiao finally mastered the approximate proportions.
The ratio of alcohol to distilled water should be around 20% to 30%. The newly mixed alcohol tastes very similar to what she remembers, and the concentration is estimated to be around 60% to 70%, which has a bactericidal and disinfecting effect.
Fu Zhiqiao was satisfied and divided the distilled alcohol into two small bottles.
She instructed Old Man Gao to continue extracting more alcohol using her method.
It was already dark when we left the distillery.
"What time is it?"
It's the hour of You (5-7 PM).
"The hour of You (5-7 PM)?" It turned out that she had been in the distillery for almost a day. Only then did Fu Zhiqiao feel hungry and ordered the kitchen to prepare some food and send it over.
Wenjiang followed behind her, seemingly wanting to say something but then stopping himself.
Young lady, have you forgotten about Lord Zhao?
Fu Zhiqiao was so engrossed in the joy of extracting alcohol that she didn't notice Wen Jiang's unease at all.
Looking at the back of Fu Zhiqiao's head, Wen Jiang decided to remind her, "Miss, Lord Zhao is still waiting for you."
Oh no, she forgot about Zhao Junhui! Fu Zhiqiao stood there stunned, as if struck by lightning.
She was so busy she was completely disoriented. After regaining her senses, she quickened her pace and ran to the living room.
Zhao Jun was holding her collection of supernatural tales in his hands, and there was no displeasure on his face. He heard hurried footsteps, slowly looked up, and saw Fu Zhi Qiao's slightly apologetic face.
"Zhi Qiao, are you done with your work?" Zhao Junhui wasn't angry about the long wait; instead, there was a faint smile on his face.
Fu Zhiqiao felt ashamed when she saw Zhao Junhui. "I'm so sorry, I forgot about other things when I got busy."
"Have you had a meal?" Zhao Jun returned to his seat in the reception room. People kept coming in to bring tea and snacks, but Fu Zhi Qiao was busy and definitely didn't have time to eat.
Fu Zhiqiao glanced at the sky. "It's getting late. I'll take some snacks with me to eat on the way. If we don't leave soon, we might not be able to get into the city."
Zhao Jun shook his head, a hint of heartache and concern in his eyes, "It's not a big deal to waste a little time. We can go back after we finish our meal."
Just then, a bowl of chicken noodle soup was brought out from the kitchen. Fu Zhi Qiao glanced at the steaming chicken noodle soup. Her stomach was empty, so she did not refuse Zhao Jun Hui's suggestion and said, "Then you can eat with me."
"good."
Soon, the servant brought over another bowl of noodles. The two of them each had a bowl of chicken soup noodles, and they only set off after finishing their meal.
The coachman cracked his whip, and the carriage rumbled forward.
Looking at Zhao Junhui's gentle profile, Fu Zhiqiao sighed inwardly at how gentle and refined he was. He had taken her out of the city and waited for her for so long in vain. Fu Zhiqiao felt a little guilty and took out a bottle of alcohol and handed it to him.
"For me?" Zhao Jun replied, his voice brimming with barely suppressed joy.
Zhao Junhui held the small porcelain bottle, touching it with obvious affection. A faint smell of wine emanated from the bottle. He asked, "What is this? Is this what you've been busy with today?"
"This is called alcohol. A little bit on your hands will disinfect them and prevent infection with plague." Seeing that Zhao Junhui didn't speak, Fu Zhiqiao added, "Don't you believe me? It really works!"
"No, I don't disbelieve."
The cold porcelain bottle slowly warmed up in his palm.
Fu Zhiqiao continued to explain the uses and storage methods of alcohol to him, "Alcohol can be used for skin disinfection. When you go outside the city or to crowded places, remember to wipe your hands with alcohol to prevent infection with the plague. However, alcohol dissipates very easily, so you must tighten the cap after each use. Also, never hold alcohol near a fire source..."
Zhao Jun nodded to indicate that he had written it down.
"I was too pressed for time today, so I only made this much. I'll give you more next time."
"good."
As darkness fell, the moonlight softened, and the streets and alleys gradually fell silent.
Zhao Jun escorted Fu Zhiqiao to Lingshui Lane. When she got off the carriage, he placed his hand under the carriage frame to prevent her from bumping her head.
"Thank you so much for being here today," Fu Zhi Qiao said sincerely.
Zhao Jun smiled gently, feeling a warm glow in his heart.
Xie Zhuo saw this scene just as he climbed over the wall from the Fu residence.
It's Zhao Junhui again!
Why is he always haunting her? They've already broken off their engagement, so why hasn't he given up on her yet?
He was very busy during this time, but little did he know that Fu Zhi Qiao was also very busy, busy chatting and laughing with other men.
Xie Zhuo sneered inwardly. No wonder the candles in the room were out; she wasn't even in the room at all, but had gone out with another man.
Xie Zhuo gritted his teeth, and a fire ignited in his heart.
Yinxing had been waiting at the door. When she saw Fu Zhiqiao return, her eyes widened. "Miss, why are you so late? Madam is waiting for you."
"Mother isn't asleep yet?"
"Madam can't sleep because she can't see the young lady."
Yinxing, carrying a lantern, accompanied Fu Zhiqiao to Yu Roulan's room.
Unable to sleep, Yu Roulan sat on the bed. Upon seeing Fu Zhiqiao, she hurriedly tried to get up, "Aqiao, where have you been? Why are you so late?"
Fu Zhiqiao sat on the edge of the bed. "Mother, I'm going to the winery." As she spoke, she took out another porcelain bottle. "Mother, look, this is called alcohol. Applying it to your hands can prevent you from getting the plague."
Yu Roulan's mouth dropped open in surprise, "Are you serious?"
"Of course, Mother, don't you trust me?" Fu Zhiqiao poured a little alcohol from the porcelain bottle and wiped it on Yu Roulan's hands.
“Just use a little each time.” The alcohol was cool and looked like water. Fu Zhiqiao added, “Although alcohol doesn’t smell good, it has many uses! It can not only prevent infection from plagues, but also be used to disinfect wounds and prevent the skin at the wound site from ulcerating.”
As Yu Roulan listened to Fu Zhiqiao's rambling, she felt increasingly proud.
As Fu Zhi Qiao emerged from Yu Rou Lan's room, she pulled her arms closer together; the night wind was still a bit chilly.
Back in her little courtyard, Yinxing fetched water for her to wash up.
Fu Zhi Qiao was in a great mood after successfully extracting alcohol today. However, she was also a little tired after a busy day at the winery and returned to her room with a yawn.
Xie Zhuo sat on the chaise longue where Fu Zhi Qiao often sat, his expression gloomy.
Fu Zhiqiao was startled when she saw someone suddenly appear in the room.
What are you doing here?
His tone was cold, showing none of the cheerful laughter he displayed when he was with Zhao Junhui, which made Xie Zhuo both angry and annoyed.
Where did you go?
"What business is it of yours where I go?" Xie Zhuo's questioning tone annoyed Fu Zhi Qiao. "You're not welcome here. Get out of here."
Xie Zhuo suddenly stood up and moved closer, his dark eyes fixed on her. "You don't welcome me? Then who do you welcome? Zhao Junhui? You've fallen for him?"
What's wrong with Guan Zhaojun? Not knowing what was wrong with him, Fu Zhiqiao rolled her eyes and ignored him.
Seeing that Fu Zhi Qiao remained silent, Xie Zhuo assumed that she had tacitly agreed.
He won't marry you.
"What business is it of yours whether he marries me or not?" Fu Zhi Qiao retorted without any politeness.
Xie Zhuo suddenly felt a tightness in his chest and couldn't breathe. Anger and jealousy surged to his head. "If he really wanted to marry you, he wouldn't have broken off the engagement in the first place."
Fu Zhiqiao suddenly turned around: "How did you know? Did you investigate me?"
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