Wanjin Lady

Chapter 111 Fermentation
Ma Changshun smiled and said, "Young Master is right."

He also thought of the pile of grapes in the backyard that had been washed with salt water and dried in the sun, as well as the sugar that Feng Shuigen had gone out to buy early this morning. Although the quantity was not large, the price was attractive.

Master Ma had never made wine before, so he was unsure. He could only grab Wen Wan and ask, "Young Master, the wine should start fermenting today, right? How much sugar should be added? How to ferment it? Do you have any idea?"

This is filled with both sugar and salt, and Master Ma is both anxious and distressed.

Wen Wan smiled and said, "I've seen someone do it once before, so I have some impression of it. Let's start fermenting it today."

After lunch, Ma Changshun called Feng Shuigen and another trusted apprentice like a thief. They had crushed all the wild grapes and put them into cans according to Wen Wan's instructions. Wen Wan couldn't figure out the proportions, so she had to divide the grapes into five wine jars, and put different proportions of white sugar into each jar to test the taste.

Feng Shuigen poured sugar into the wine jar with a white porcelain bowl. Ma Changshun felt very distressed and said, "Sugar is expensive. I hope we can succeed in one try! If we succeed, we won't have to buy wine yeast, and we won't have to endure the Cheng family's bullying."

Feng Shuigen also stood there muttering, "Buddha bless you, Buddha bless you! The young master is extremely poor now. Please bless this damn wine to be a success, otherwise the young master and I will have to go out to beg for food!"

Wen Wan was angry: "Feng Shuigen, shut up!"

Feng Shuigen touched his head and laughed.

Ever since the young master went to the back mountain with them for training, none of the guys in the winery treated the young master as a woman anymore.

People call her Wen Yasha behind her back.

"Leave one-third to one-quarter of the wine jar empty! Don't fill it too full!"

Master Ma is indeed a veteran winemaker with many years of experience. He immediately responded to Wen Wan's suggestion, "Don't cover the jar with a lid. Cover it with linen. If the fermentation is too intense, the raw liquor will burst out."

Wen Wan smiled and said, "Master Ma has a keen eye."

"There are still grape skins and grains in this. Will it need a second fermentation and then clarification to get the supernatant?"

Wen Wan nodded, "That's right."

Ma Changshun was now confident. He had been making wine for many years and had quite a bit of experience. He thought that this wine sounded new, but after all, the wine-making process remained essentially the same.

"Young Master, I feel... fruit fermentation isn't much different from grain fermentation, the only difference being the fermentation time and process. Furthermore, fruit fermentation is actually simpler, eliminating the eight steps of brewing: soaking rice, steaming, and cooling. There's no need to shovel out the mash, spread it evenly, or constantly monitor the temperature of the mash to prevent it from becoming sour and astringent due to alternating temperatures."

Feng Shuigen also said, "I think making this wine is pretty simple. It's just that the fermentation time is hard to control, but that's easy too. We have five wine jars. We can open them every once in a while and taste the sourness, sweetness, and flavor. That'll give us a rough idea of ​​the time, right?"

Wen Wan smiled and said, "Don't worry, it still needs a second fermentation. And there's time to wait."

"That's right. Whether it's fruit or grain fermentation, it takes time. At least two or three months." Ma Changshun said to the other two with a rare serious look on his face, "This wine-making method is simple, but extremely important. It's also the boss's method. You are not allowed to mention it to anyone else. Keep your mouths shut."

Wen Wan was not worried. Although wine may seem simple, it actually has many complexities.

For example, you cannot use ordinary water to rinse grapes, you have to use salt water, otherwise a white film will form on the surface during fermentation and affect the taste.

These seemingly insignificant details determine the quality of the wine.

Especially since the fermentation time is different from that of grain wine, and although the process is similar, there are changes. She guessed that even if someone sold the so-called wine recipe, she would not be able to make delicious wine by copying it.

Wen Wan thought for a moment, but still had a hunch, and said to Master Ma, "Master Ma, you should add a little yeast into it, grind it into powder, and add it yourself. You must not let anyone else do it. I only trust you." Ma Changshun frowned slightly and pursed his lips, but when he saw Wen Wan winking at him, he suppressed his suspicions and didn't ask.

After finally moving several wine jars into the wine cellar to wait for fermentation, Master Ma finally found Wen Wan alone and said, "Young Master, didn't you say before... that fruit fermentation doesn't require yeast at all? Why are you..."

So what's the point of them doing all this?
Wen Wan thought that Ma Changshun couldn't hide this matter, so she simply told the truth, "The situation is complicated now. If the news that we brewed new wine without using koji gets out, the court will lose the revenue from the liquor monopoly. I wonder if they will cause trouble for us. Besides, the fact that we brewed new wine in the backyard can't be concealed for long. Let's just unify our statements and tell everyone that wine uses koji. Wouldn't it be more interesting to confuse people with the truth and falsehood?"

Ma Changshun truly admired him, "Young Master is the one who thinks long-term."

The two were talking when they suddenly heard a commotion coming from the front yard.

This was followed by a burst of hurried and chaotic footsteps.

——Bang.

There was a loud bang.

The door of the backyard was kicked open from the outside, and Zhao Heng, wearing a silver mask, came towards them. He was holding a long sword and was full of murderous intent. As soon as he saw Wen Wan, he walked over quickly and suddenly hugged her tightly in his arms, as if he wanted to hold her in his chest.

The force was so great that it caused Wen Wan to feel a pain in her heart.

Ma Changshun looked at the dozen or so guys following Zhao Heng with a confused look on his face, and then he dared not look around.

This...what's going on?
Why is my son-in-law acting so abnormal?

Wen Wan let the man hold her, but for some reason, she felt a little uneasy.

Zhao Heng had never been one to like being intimate with her in public, but today he came with a sword in hand, full of murderous intent.

Something happened to the Wen family!
Zhao Heng's rapid breathing was beside her ear. After finally calming down, he said, "Half an hour ago, a rumor suddenly spread in Ping County. It said that you went to Lingshan Temple to pray for a child, and on the way back, you were kidnapped by a group of bandits. You have disappeared without a trace, and your life or death is unknown."

"The Wen family is in chaos right now. My father has already sent several waves of people to look for you, so I came to the winery first."

Zhao Heng's heart was in turmoil on the way here, and his mind was full of Wen Wan's safety. But when he saw Ren, he calmed down and immediately grasped the key to today's farce.

"Today's incident is directed at you."

"Within half an hour, the news spread throughout Ping County. This matter...someone is behind it."

"They...want to ruin your reputation." Zhao Heng's voice was cold, as if hiding endless murderous intent, but then he felt relieved, "Fortunately, all this is fake."

Wen Wan, however, looked up and asked word by word, "Where's Lu Ping?"

Zhao Heng's hand loosened slightly.

Wenwan's tone became urgent. "Today I want her to wear my clothes and pretend to be me to go to Lingshan Temple."

(End of this chapter)