Wu Zhanggui burst into hearty laughter and, gesturing towards an elderly man with snow-white hair beside him, said, "May I ask Master Lian to help taste and verify if it’s genuine!"
Master Lian was a somewhat recognized figure in Lian’an Town. He was a wine-tasting master who had recently returned from the capital city, where he was a frequent guest of the nobility. For wine, there’s no one more authoritative than him.
Everyone naturally held a lot of respect for him.
Master Lian stroked his beard and exclaimed with enthusiasm, "I can personally vouch that this is indeed grape wine! Such a fine brew is truly rare!"
This statement caused an uproar: "For real!?"
"Indeed, for real!"
Shopkeeper Wu, filled with pride, said: "You think I dare tarnish the hundred-year-old reputation of Gui Lin Residence? If this wine was a fake, it would mean shooting myself in the foot. Therefore, if Gui Lin Residence took it out, then this wine is definitely genuine!"
Master Gao, seated upstairs, immediately called out, "Bring me a pot quickly!"
The others hurriedly followed suit.
However, Shopkeeper Wu leisurely shook his head in amusement: "Don’t rush, don’t rush. Due to the rarity of grape wine, as you all must know, it wasn’t easy for Gui Lin Residence to acquire it. Therefore, we only offer ten catties of grape wine per day, a catty for ten taels of silver!"
Master Gao waved his hand dismissively, "I don’t care if a catty costs twenty taels, bring me a pot right away!"
"Exactly! If it’s real, no matter the price, hurry up and serve it!"
As everyone shouted and clamored, the Gui Lin Residence’s workers ran around taking orders from the excited guests.
News of the Gui Lin Residence acquiring grape wine spread throughout Lian’an Town in an instant.
Virtually the entire town, including the prefecture city, was buzzing. The atmosphere was electric, with Wanxing Tower temporarily losing its status as the number one tavern in Lian’an Town.
In Wu Zhanggui’s view, earning a mere two taels of silver profit per catty wasn’t a big deal. Especially considering Ji Xinhe had promised to provide him with only three hundred catties for the month, amounting to merely six hundred taels as profit.
Therefore, the crucial point was that Gui Lin Residence being the only tavern in the city offering grape wine would attract guests and boost its reputation.
"Hey, did you hear? Gui Lin Residence miraculously got ahold of grape wine! It’s such a rare sight. It’s almost being seized madly; it’s a shame they only sell ten catties per day. Several Grand Elders, desperate to snatch this wine, don’t hesitate to spend a lot of money. It’s really incredible. I just don’t understand, what is so special about this grape wine?"
"You don’t understand? This is the charm of rarity! Remember, in the past, only the Emperor could afford this by way of offerings. Who wouldn’t want a taste of it now? The only puzzle is where Gui Lin Residence got this grape wine from. Did they make it themselves?"
"I heard it was acquired from someone else, but who that was, the people at Gui Lin Residence keep their lips sealed. They obviously fear others will steal their business. Nowadays, Gui Lin Residence is packed with guests all day, entirely because of this grape wine. It’s truly overshadowed Wanxing Tower!"
Ji Xinhe was out inspecting shops, and all along the way, she heard people discussing this grape wine. It seemed that Shopkeeper Wu was very shrewd. In just a few days, the popularity of grape wine had skyrocketed.
As Mu Houchu was steering the bullock cart, he asked, "Where do you plan to set up the shop?"
They had just finished their pickle business, so before returning, they first planned to look around town for shops. 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂
Ji Xinhe, resting her chin on her hand, pondered, "As for the shop location, it’s better to choose the most central location in town. Although good wine needs no bush, we’re not lacking in funds now. Besides, it should be located a bit farther from Gui Lin Residence so that they don’t influence each other too much."
Mu Houchu pointed with his chin and said, "I think the vacant shops over there are not bad. Let’s take a look first."
"Okay."
The bullock cart stopped in front of a shop. Just then, a handyman appeared, sweeping the floor and asked, "Are you here to inspect the property?"
Ji Xinhe, leading Xiao Bei, jumped off the bullock cart. While raising her head to size up the shop, she asked, "Yes, how much is the rent for this shop?"
The handyman replied, "I’m just responsible for sweeping. My master told me, if anyone comes to inquire, tell them it’s five taels of silver a month. If you find it suitable, I can call my master to negotiate directly with you."
Ji Xinhe nodded and stepped inside to inspect the shop. Xiao Bei, also blinking his large eyes, looked around curiously.
Mu Houchu had no intention of going in. Judging a matter as small as this was enough for her alone to handle. There were four jars of pickles and some unsold pickles still on the bullock cart. He would stay outside to keep an eye on them.
Because they had been vending on the streets for a long period, they encountered several regular customers who often bought pickles from their house. Just then, an auntie noticed Mu Houchu and smiled, "Why haven’t you gone back to the village yet? Where’s your wife?"
Upon hearing the word "wife," a smile brushed against Mu Houchu’s lips: "She’s inside inspecting the shop. We’re planning to open a store."
"My oh my, you two are so affectionate. Planning to open a shop? I must come to patronize when it opens." The auntie laughing, walked away, whispering to the granny beside her about this young couple’s affection: "The young couple from the village below, they’re so affectionate usually. The man does all the heavy lifting. Look, even for a stroll, he lets his wife go in while he keeps guard outside. He is really fond of his wife!"
Even though the woman had already walked far away, it wasn’t difficult for Mu Houchu, with his cultivation, to overhear. A smile crept onto his face as he listened to the conversation.
Just then, Ji Xinhe came out. Seeing him inexplicably smile, she furrowed her brows and asked, "What are you laughing at?"
Mu Houchu turned to look at her, the smile on his lips deepening: "Nothing. How’s the shop?"
"It’s alright, I guess. The space is a bit small, though, and the price is a bit steep. Let’s look elsewhere and explore more." Ji Xinhe got back on the cart, and with her attention quickly being diverted, naturally, she never learned about the deeper meaning behind Mu Houchu’s smile.
—
Not only had she started preparing to select a shop, even the preparation for constructing a new house had commenced, with Ji Dong already busy gathering people from the village to help out.
The sudden prosperity of the Ji family had quickly become the talk of the town.
"How did the Ji family become wealthy so abruptly? They’re planning to open a store and build a new house. They must have made quite a fortune! Where on earth did all this money come from out of the blue?"
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