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

Zhao Yali pushed the ledger forward: "Take a look for yourself. After deducting expenses, the monthly earnings are only enough to pay the wages of three people." Fan Jinyou was immediately worried.

Even if Chen Xueru and Xu Huizhen were kicked out, there would still be five people working in the shop. But the income was limited, and after deducting profit sharing, it was just enough to support three people.

What should we do?

"Boss, what should we do?" Zhao Yali whispered, "If we don't hire more, nobody will get paid at the end of the month!"

Fan Jinyou's head scrunched up in a frown.

He knew exactly how many people came to drink each day.

Because he used to be a regular customer here.

Zhao Yali couldn't possibly have miscalculated.

Suddenly, his eyes flashed, as if he had remembered something: "Old Ma... add water! One hundred catties of liquor, dilute with ten catties of tap water!"

"what?"

Everyone was stunned when they heard this.

What? Water was added to the wine?

That's absolutely outrageous!

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Fan Jinyou scoffed. "Listen to me, old man He used to sell wine the same way, didn't he? I didn't invent this method! Back then, people drank it even though he diluted it with water. Now that it's my turn to dilute it, how can they not drink it?"

"add!"

With just one word from the boss, the matter was settled.

Old Ma accepted the order and went to carry it out.

The tavern served stir-fried dishes at noon, but it was sparsely populated with only a few customers.

But things are different at night. Starting at five o'clock, the neighbors gradually make their way inside.

Elementary school teacher Xu Hesheng hadn't come in for several days. School let out early today, so he strolled in. "Oh, where's Huizhen?"

He was a little puzzled when he didn't see Xu Huizhen.

Zhao Yali replied, "I quit! From now on, Manager Fan will be in charge here!"

"Oh..." Xu Hesheng's heart skipped a beat. He was indeed somewhat interested in Xu Hui, but he didn't want to ask too much, so he simply said, "Give me two ounces of wine!"

"I'll take two ounces too!"

Old Niu strolled in: "A plate of pork belly, and another plate of pickled vegetable shreds... Accountant Zhao, it's my old taste, you know?"

"I know!" Zhao Yali replied with a smile. "Sister Huizhen already told us that when you come, Master Niu, you absolutely must order the small sausage with pickled vegetables, and a complimentary dish of peanuts!"

Master Niu nodded in satisfaction: "What else?"

Zhao Yali said, "And also—you're the only customer in our store who can buy on credit!"

"Hahaha!" Old Niu laughed, slapping his thigh. "The entire Zhao family isn't as reasonable as you!"

At this point, more and more people gradually arrived.

Pian'erye, Qiangzi, and the others also came over.

Zhao Yali deftly poured and served the wine glass by glass.

Niu Ye picked up a piece of pickled vegetable with his chopsticks, chewed it a couple of times, and immediately frowned: "This doesn't taste right. Huizhen definitely isn't in the kitchen, is she?"

"Yes..." Zhao Yali replied with a bowed head.

Old Niu took another sip of his drink—"Pfft!"

She spat it all out: "Zhao Yali! What is this thing?"

"This wine has been tampered with!" Old Niu jumped up. "Did you add water to it?"

"Bring Xu Huizhen out here! Bring her out here!"

Hey hey hey—

Several people nearby also vomited.

For a while, the wine wasn't diluted with water; instead, a little bit of the original liquor was secretly added, giving it a mellow and fragrant taste, which made everyone happy to come.

Now look what's happened, they're just pumping in tap water?

At this moment, Fan Jinyou came out.

"Stop calling Huizhen." He put his hands on his hips. "I'm in charge of this tavern now!"

"Hey!" Old Niu pointed a finger at his nose, "I knew the wine tasted off, turns out it was you who messed with it!"

"Cadre Fan, Cadre Fan, what you did was unethical! Everyone in the neighborhood knows each other, how could you do such a thing?"

"Yes!" Master Pian stood up, his face full of anger. "Watering down the wine? You've resorted to such a despicable trick? How shameless!"

Xu Hesheng had long lost his appetite and pushed the cup away.

Fan Jinyou waved his hand: "Alright, alright, stop arguing!"

"That's right! I had someone add water to the wine, what do you think?"

"Which of you has never drunk watered-down liquor in your life?"

"Back when Lao He was selling liquor, he didn't mix any?"

He stiffened his neck and glared at everyone present.

Master Niu sneered, "Fan Jinyou, you're not like Lao He!"

Fan Jinyou raised an eyebrow: "What's the difference?"

Old Niu listed them off one by one: "First, Old He also added water, but he added very little, at most three-tenths water! And you? This wine is so weak you could wash your feet in it!"

"Secondly, although Old He watered it down, he still lowered the price! It was 300 yuan per tael, a clear and fair price! You bought it for 450 yuan per tael!"

"What gives you the right? Have you lost your conscience?"

"Exactly! What kind of wine is this? Even pigs wouldn't drink it!"

"Fan Jinyou, you've gone too far! Change the wine!"

"Change the wine!"

A group of people started shouting all at once.

Fan Jinyou's face flushed red, and he retorted angrily, "What are you yelling about?"

"Did I buy you drinks?"

"Let me make this clear—it's now a joint public-private enterprise! From now on, we're the only tavern left in this area around Qianmen! Drink if you want, get out if you don't! There's nowhere else to go!"

"I'm quitting!"

"I, Fan Jinyou, refuse to believe in such superstitions. Do you think this tavern can't stay open without you bunch of thugs?"

"Heh..." Old Niu gave a thumbs up and sneered, "Cadre Fan, you're tough, you're tough, I won't bother with you."

"Okay, well done."

"I've lost today. From now on, I, Uncle Niu, will never set foot on this wretched land again!"

Snapped!

The wine glass slammed onto the table, making the dishes bounce around. The figure flicked his sleeve and walked away without looking back.

"Goodbye!" Pian'erye sneered, "Fan Jinyou, Fan the big cadre, look at your serious face with thick eyebrows and big eyes, who would have thought you would do such a despicable thing? You dare to compare yourself to Old He? You're not even worthy to mention Old He!"

"How many years have we known each other, Old He?"

"They added water when they were forced to, but what about you? Did you just pour tap water into the liquor and add saccharin?"

"hehe……"

Qiangzi stood up, patted his pants, and said, "Officer Fan, from now on, no matter who comes to our door, I, Qiangzi, will never take another step here!"

Xu Hesheng didn't say anything. He just glanced at Fan Jinyou briefly, then lowered his head and walked away.

Actually, he didn't like drinking at all. He went to the tavern just to catch a glimpse of Xu Huizhen. Now that Xu Huizhen had been kicked out, what was there left for him to gain?

"Zhao Yali, go and clean up the table!" Fan Jinyou sat down with a dark face and gritted his teeth.

"Fine, don't come if you don't want to. Do you think no one will come in?" He said defiantly, but he really wasn't afraid.

In his eyes, at least a hundred or so people come and go from this little tavern every day.

You're just a bunch of shady characters—a cowherd, a thief, and Qiangzi—what are you anyway? Even if you lose a few, will the sky fall?

No one else is coming to drink?

Impossible! In the entire Qianmen area, this is the only storefront selling liquor!

If you don't come to my place, are you going to go home and drink cold water?

Now that private businesses are not allowed to open shops, the government is unlikely to set up another liquor store next door to compete with him for business.

Therefore, Fan Jinyou was certain: people will come back sooner or later.

But reality slapped him in the face.