Siheyuan: A master brewer starts with a jar of bone-strengthening wine!

"Liu Dong, come here! Have some water. Look how hot you are, your face is all red." Chen Xueru felt sorry for him and brought him a bowl of cool boiled water.

Liu Dong didn't stand on ceremony. He took the bowl, tilted his head back, and gulped it down in one go.

At this moment, Old Gu walked around from the front of the shop and whispered something in Chen Xueru's ear.

Chen Xueru's face fell: "Hey Lao Gu, Liu Dong isn't an outsider, just say what you want to say!"

Old Gu said with a bitter face, "Boss, the Hou family has sent someone to propose marriage. They want you to date their eldest son."

Chen Xueru glanced at Liu Dong and laughed heartily, "I'm going back! Go back and tell that guy surnamed Hou that I'm too busy and don't care!"

"Hey, hey, hey..." Old Gu retreated sheepishly.

As soon as he left, Chen Xueru turned to him and asked, "Liu Dong, why don't you come work for me from now on? I'll pay you a high salary!"

Liu Dong grinned: "I'm not going."

He uttered two words, turned around, and rode away without looking back.

He returned to his family's little tavern and continued working.

I glanced at the head markers in the store.

Two red hearts floated above Xu Huizhen's head.

Old Man He also had two on his head.

It seems these two still consider him one of their own.

The tavern is usually quiet in the mornings, but these past two days the aroma of the wine has spread, and the neighbors are curious and have come to try it.

Many of the people were unfamiliar faces; he had never seen them before.

A quick glance revealed some items with a little heart icon, while others showed nothing at all, remaining rather ordinary.

normal.

He didn't expect everyone to like him.

"Old Man He—" someone asked casually, "Where's Yongqiang been these past few days?"

Old Man He's face immediately darkened: "He's dead."

Upon hearing this, the man shut up and didn't ask any more questions.

As they were talking, Fan Jinyou walked in, dressed in a smart Zhongshan suit with the collar buttoned up tightly.

"Old man He, give me two ounces."

As Old Man He handed him the wine, he glanced at him and said, "Cadre Fan, it's almost scorching hot here, and you're still dressed so formally. Aren't you stuffy?"

Fan Jinyou casually tidied his hair: "It's boring, but there are rules in the neighborhood, and we have to maintain a good image!"

Liu Dong glanced at him.

Huh?

This sight was alarming; I almost choked!

Fan Jinyou had two gleaming little axes sticking out of his forehead!

what is this?

"Ding-dong—" A system notification popped up: A red heart means I like you, and an axe means I hate you to the bone.

Holy shit! !

Liu Dong almost couldn't catch his breath.

I rely on!

Fan Jinyou, you haven't even exchanged a few words with me, you won't even order a drink, and yet you've secretly stabbed me in the back?!

That's really something!

Fine, you win. This kind of person is ruthless; you'll get your comeuppance sooner or later.

"Old He, two ounces of pure brew!"

A chubby middle-aged man squeezed through and ordered two ounces of expensive liquor in one gulp.

"Me too, four ounces!"

Some people even bought a whole pound to take away.

Those who can afford this amount of money are doing so because of the reputation.

Fan Jinyou could only sip his cheap, watered-down product, his eyes fixed on Liu Dong out of the corner of his eye, his gaze as gloomy as the sky before a rainstorm.

He used to be a "cadre" at this tavern, a respectable person. He would come every day to sit and have a drink, showing off his status and feeling quite prestigious.

Now that the new wine is out, its quality has skyrocketed, and he can't afford it anymore; he can't pretend to be a big shot.

Liu Dong watched coldly, and just by looking at his face, he knew that the man was already furious.

"Little Liu—" Old Man He pulled him aside and asked in a low voice, "Do you still have any of your pure brew?"

"This jar is almost empty; it'll last until tomorrow at the latest."

It turns out that the inventory was running low.

Liu Dong smiled and said, "Yes! There are still quite a few in the countryside; we'll have to make a trip to get them."

Old Man He slapped his thigh: "That's easy! Don't come tomorrow, just go to the countryside to transport wine. You'll still get paid, consider it work!"

"Huh?" Liu Dong was overjoyed.

That suits me perfectly! He had originally planned to go to Niulanshan to get another batch of stock.

……

As soon as it got dark, a queue formed outside the tavern.

The aroma of wine was irresistible, filling the room with its rich, mellow scent.

Old Niu, his face flushed from drinking, raised his cup and shouted, "This jin of wine is almost empty!"

Liu Dong chuckled and replied, "Don't worry, Uncle Niu, I'll get you another pound later!"

"That won't do!" Old Niu waved his hand. "It's fine to freeload for one meal, but if I keep doing that, I'll lose my class!"

Chen Xueru leaned closer: "Oh, Uncle Niu, why don't you just take any of those rosewood tables and chairs in your room and exchange them for some wine?"

"Hey!" Boss Niu pointed at her, laughing and scolding, "Chen Xueru, whose side are you on? Why are you taking sides with outsiders?"

Chen Xueru's eyes flickered, and she scoffed, "Outsider? Liu Dong is my own brother now. If I don't help him, who will I help?"

"Hahaha!" The room was filled with laughter.

Only one glance, cold as ice, flashed by in the corner.

Liu Dong glanced up and saw that the two small axes on Fan Jinyou's head had somehow multiplied into four!

Pah!

That bastard, he's got a mental problem!

"Squeak—" The door was pushed open.

A middle-aged man in his forties helped an elderly man with white hair and beard, who was not tall but full of energy, into the room.

All eyes in the room immediately turned to that direction.

Old Niu's eyes widened, and he almost jumped up: "Mr. Qi... Mr. Qi Baishi?! Is it really you?"

"Why have you condescended to come here?"

He quickly went to meet him.

Qi Baishi looked up at him, shook his head, and looked blank.

Old Niu chuckled, "You may not recognize me, but I know you! Your paintings are priceless these days!"

"Come, come! Please have a seat!" "Mr. Shiraishi, would you like something?"

Old Man He approached Qi Baishi with a broad smile.

He never expected that this legendary figure would actually step into his tiny tavern.

It seems that jar of "pure brew" really does have some magic.

Qi Baishi tapped his cane lightly on the ground, raised his head, and said slowly, "I've heard that you have a wine here called 'Pure Brew,' which is a rare and wonderful taste."

"I don't usually drink much, but I love novelty. Since it's so amazing, how could I miss it?"

"Oh my!" Old Man He rubbed his hands together with delight. "Please have a seat, I'll bring you two ounces of hot water right away!"

"Go ahead," Qi Baishi waved his hand.

Old Man He, like a child who had received candy, skipped over to the counter, scooped out two ounces of wine, and then grabbed a plate of small sausages and some homemade pickled vegetable shreds, bringing them over together.

Qi Baishi took the wine cup, but instead of drinking it, he sniffed it slightly and nodded, saying:

"It smells amazing... This flavor alone is more potent than any aged liquor I've ever tasted in my life!"

But he still didn't move. He picked up two pieces of pickled vegetables and put them in his mouth, chewing them slowly.

"Um……"

"There's a trick to this dish!"

The He family's pickled vegetables have a unique recipe, which even Liu Dong secretly admires. The tavern's success is half due to personal connections and the other half entirely due to these pickled vegetables that have captivated its customers.

"Slurp slurp..."

After chewing a few times, Qi Baishi picked up the wine cup and downed it in one gulp.

"ha--"

He closed his eyes, opened his mouth as if he were holding the entire aroma inside, and lingered there for a long time, unwilling to swallow.