Chapter 78

Chapter 78: Brewing Wine

Meng Yang knew this was the perfect chance. She reported at the right moment, “Madam, these past few days, Hotpot Shop has been doing extremely well. After I calculated carefully, the net profit in a day was nearly a hundred taels.”

“What?” Madam Cui froze. “It earned a hundred taels in a single day?”

Qi Shu Xian and Duke Qi also looked at her in surprise.

Meng Yang continued, “Also, recently I learned a bit about the different wines in the capital city. There are many types, but the flavors aren’t rich enough. I have another method that can brew a finer, purer wine…”

Madam Cui was not interested in that at all. She waved it off. “Since Hotpot Shop is doing well, then manage it properly. Don’t go stirring up other things…”

Qi Shu Xian caught the scent of profit in it. He said, “Mother, you are a woman. You don’t know how much the word ‘wine’ attracts men. Take the Third Prince, for example. He loved wine so much that just to win a jar, he offered several hundred taels not long ago.”

Duke Qi agreed. “That’s true. Some noble families in the Southern Lands built their fortunes by running wine businesses.”

Madam Cui still looked doubtful. “But isn’t wine a secret art passed down within each family? Can you really brew it?”

She was not ignorant. She just did not believe Meng Yang. In her heart, Meng Yang was still only a farm girl, and she looked down on her.

Meng Yang said quickly, “I’ve already brewed some. I just can’t produce it in large amounts yet. Duke, Heir Apparent, and Madam, would you like to taste it first?”

As she spoke, she immediately sent Qing Xing to fetch it.

In only a moment, a small jar of clear wine was placed before them.

Duke Qi leaned in and smelled it. The scent seemed good, but he did not know how it tasted. Something of unknown origin was not something he would casually drink, and he would not let Qi Shu Xian take a risk either.

He poured out half a cup and gave it to Sun Feng.

Sun Feng was a servant, but he followed Duke Qi outside and had seen plenty of things. He took a small sip, then lifted his eyes in shock. “Th-this… what wine is this? This one has never drunk it before, but this taste is even better than the best Dong Lao Wine being sold right now!”

“Really?” Duke Qi was surprised. He had not expected Meng Yang, a farm girl, to truly have this kind of skill.

When he saw Sun Feng showed no sign of anything wrong, he finally lifted his cup and took a small sip himself. After only that one sip, he praised it at once. “Not bad! The flavor is rich, the aroma is mellow, and it’s clean and crisp!”

Hearing that, Qi Shu Xian also poured half a cup and drank it.

It really was as his father said. Not only that, even the color was much clearer than the wine currently sold on the market.

“Good! Good!” Duke Qi could not hide his excitement. He usually did not bother with the residence’s affairs, but now, the way he looked at Meng Yang held more appreciation. “Keep studying your brewing method. If you need anything, just tell Shu Xian.”

If Meng Yang truly could brew an even richer wine, then the silver earned would be far more than a mere hundred taels. By then, their Duke Residence might not be unable to grow into the next great clan.

Duke Qi was in an excellent mood.

Qi Shu Xian also felt his gloomy thoughts from the Huan Zhu matter ease a little. Recently, he had been selling off properties, but perhaps people saw he urgently needed money, so they offered extremely low prices. He refused to accept that.

If Meng Yang really could brew good wine, he would not need to worry over this bit of silver. A man’s strength should be spent on his official career.

It was a pity Sheng Zhi Wan, as the Principal Wife, did not understand this. Over a little money, she had fought with him and with Mother until things reached this point. In the end, it was just women’s jealousy.

[Fine. If that’s how it was, then let her see it. Without her, Meng Yang, a farm girl, still handled everything in the Duke Residence properly. She even did better than Sheng Zhi Wan had when she managed the household.]

But thinking of Meng Yang carrying a child, he still reminded her, “You’re pregnant. Don’t work yourself too hard.”

Meng Yang’s eyes reddened at once. “This concubine understood. Just hearing the Heir Apparent show this concern was enough for this concubine.”

Qi Shu Xian nodded and once again felt how gentle and considerate Meng Yang was. She truly was a good match.

[If only Sheng Zhi Wan had even half of that.]

With the support of the masters of the Duke Residence, Meng Yang spent the next few days focusing on brewing wine inside the residence.

Qi Shu Xian found an opportunity and sent the wine she brewed into the Third Prince’s hands.

The Third Prince truly loved wine. With only a shallow taste, he recognized what was different about it.

In Sheng Kingdom, most wine was made by roughly brewing grain. It took a long time, and the finished product carried many impurities. The flavor also varied depending on the brewing environment.

But the jar Qi Shu Xian brought over poured out a liquid that was clear and white, almost like plain water. Yet the taste was not weaker than wine that had been fermented for a long time. It even had a hint of heat that burned the throat.

When he learned this kind of wine was made by “Lady Meng” from Cang Nan – the woman Qi Shu Xian had brought back – the Third Prince grew intrigued. “I didn’t expect a woman to have this kind of ability. Not long ago, I heard about what she did on the battlefield. Now she even had research in brewing wine. I also heard that the Hotpot Shop that recently rose to fame was created by her?”

“Yes,” Qi Shu Xian replied.

“A remarkable woman like that,” the Third Prince said with interest, “I truly want to meet her.”

He smiled as he went on, “Instead of picking another day, why not today? I’ll invite everyone to Hotpot Shop to try it. Shu Xian, can you have your Lady Meng come out and let her meet me?”