Spoiled and mad critic of powerful ministers

Shen Qiongju's eyes lit up, and she immediately brought the oil lamp closer.

The wine in the jar had a translucent amber-gold color.

The dendrobium inside still retains its emerald green color, and the deer antler slices have not turned black or rotten. On the contrary, because they are soaked in wine, they appear crystal clear, like specimens sealed in amber.

"Amazing!"

Shen Song's eyes widened, forgetting to even cover his nose. "Sis! How come this jar isn't spoiled? And... and these herbs look like they were just picked!"

Shen Qiongju dipped her finger in the wine and sniffed it lightly.

There was no smell of decay.

It has only a concentrated aroma of medicine and wine.

She was right.

High-proof liquor not only kills bacteria, but also extracts the essence of medicinal herbs to the greatest extent, which is what ancient books call "locking the spirit".

This isn't wine; it's clearly liquid gold.

"Because it's strong enough."

Shen Qiongju wiped her fingers clean, her eyes sparkling with excitement—the keen insight of a businessman who had spotted a huge business opportunity.

"The previous liquors were too strong, but this one is different. It was brewed with the strongest liquor, like cooking oil over a high flame, which actually brought out the medicinal properties."

She turned and looked at the row of smelly jars, already having made up her mind.

The previous failures were not meaningless; at least they helped her figure out the bottom line.

"Shen Song, go and buy more jars."

Shen Qiongju's voice sounded exceptionally clear and powerful in the dimly lit wine cellar.

"Semicolons are needed: A, B, C, D."

"In Jar No. A, use strong liquor that has been distilled three times to soak fresh herbs."

"In Jar No. B, use strong liquor diluted with water to soak the dried medicine."

"For Jar No. C, first steam the medicinal herbs until cooked, then add the wine."

She spoke extremely fast, yet her logic was frighteningly clear: "Each medicinal herb has a different tolerance for alcohol; ginseng prefers strong flavors, while goji berries prefer mild ones. I need to test the proportions for each one."

"If we're going to do this, Qionghua Pavilion can't just sell those strong liquors that you drink for the sake of making a noise."

Shen Qiongju looked at the golden jar of medicinal wine in her hand, a confident smile curving her lips. "I want to make a 'Longevity Wine' that men can enjoy, that the elderly can prolong their lives, and that even nobles in the palace would covet."

Shen Song looked at his young mistress.

The dim light shone on her profile, and the ambition and wisdom burning in her eyes were more intoxicating than the full cellar of wine.

"Yes, sir!"

Shen Song shook off his previous dejection and pounded his chest loudly, "Sister, don't worry, try it! Even if you have to buy up every single wine vat in Liangzhou City, I'll bring it back for you!"

"As long as this wine is successful, our Qionghua Pavilion will be the best in the Northern Territory from now on!" He gave a thumbs up, looking very proud.

Shen Qiongju smiled and was about to speak.

Suddenly, a very light footstep came from the dark stairwell behind me.

It was as if someone stood there, listened for a long time, and then left silently.

Shen Qiongju looked back and saw only empty steps and a sliver of faint sunlight filtering down from them.

.

When I returned to the private room on the third floor, Zhao Qiyan had already left.

The leftover food on the table had been removed and replaced with a pot of tea.

Pei Zhihui sat by the window, holding a book he had pulled out from somewhere, his expression indifferent, as if he were not the one who had just been arguing over a name.

Hearing the noise, he lifted his eyelids and his gaze swept over Shen Qiongju's skirt, which was slightly dusty.

"Commander Zhao is busy with military affairs, so he will take his leave first."

He spoke calmly, his voice devoid of emotion, "He said he'd take care of the yeast issue and that you don't need to worry about it."

Shen Qiongju breathed a sigh of relief.

Good riddance. If those two troublemakers had stayed any longer, her Qionghua Pavilion might have been demolished.

"I've kept Uncle waiting."

Shen Qiongju washed her hands, sat down opposite him, and poured herself a cup of tea. "I was dealing with some trivial matters in the wine cellar just now, so I apologize for being a bit rude."

"trivia?"

Pei Zhihui put down his book, his fingertips tapping lightly on the table. "The 'trivial matters' my sister-in-law refers to are just throwing away those stinking swill and then figuring out a medicinal wine that can sell for an exorbitant price?"

Shen Qiongju paused, almost spilling her tea. She looked up and met Pei Zhihui's deep eyes, which seemed to see through everything.

"Did Uncle hear everything?" Shen Qiongju decided to stop hiding it, put down her teacup, and openly admitted, "Since Uncle heard it, then I won't hide it from you anymore."

"If this medicinal wine is successful, the profit will be at least three times that of strong liquor."

She held up three fingers, her eyes bright. "Moreover, medicinal wine is different from ordinary alcoholic beverages; it has a barrier to entry. As long as I have the formula, no one can take this business away from me."

Pei Zhihui looked at her.

Seeing her confident and composed demeanor when discussing business, the restlessness and irritability I felt because of Zhao Qiyan miraculously subsided.

.

On the 28th day of the twelfth lunar month, the festive atmosphere in the North was so strong it was almost palpable.

The streets were adorned with bright red lanterns, and the sounds of firecrackers filled the air. Shen Qiongju gave the shop assistants thick red envelopes, hung up a sign announcing the shop was closed early, and returned to Pei Family Village with a cart full of New Year's goods.

The village has been completely transformed.

Red ribbons tied into flower balls hung all over the corridor, and the window decorations were neatly pasted on.

The most surprising thing was the dragon there.

Since Shen Qiongju had the underfloor heating system repaired, this old house, which was originally cold and damp, is now as warm as a heated room in spring.

Pei Junlan, the aunt of the Pei family, sat on the daybed, peeling pine nuts in her hands. The headband on her head had been changed to a festive maroon color, and her face, which was always gloomy, relaxed for the first time in a long time.

"This earthworm is really well heated," Pei Junlan exclaimed. "In previous years, my headaches would flare up every December, and I felt like banging my head against the wall. This year, I haven't had a single headache."

"That's because Qiongju is clever," Liu said with a smile, wiping several memorial tablets in her hand.

Those were the ancestral tablets of the Pei family, and also the memorial tablets of her deceased husband.

Shen Qiongju had just entered the room when she heard these words, and her heart warmed slightly.

"Aunt's good health is the greatest blessing for our Pei family." Shen Qiongju took off her snow-covered cloak, revealing a face red from the cold. "I brought some pastries from 'Jubaozhai' in the city, and tiger-head shoes for Zhichun..."

Before he could finish speaking, a sudden commotion erupted in the yard, with chickens scattering and dogs barking.

"Second brother! Second brother, slow down! I'm going to fall!"

That was the cry of my younger sister, Pei Zhichun, choked with sobs.

Immediately afterwards, a teenager rushed in, covered in snow.

It was Pei Zhiyan, the second son of the Pei family.

He was wrapped in a large cloak, which was bulging inside, and on his back was Pei Zhichun, who was crying with snot and tears streaming down her face.

"Hahaha! Aunt, Mother, look what I've got!"