Spoiled and mad critic of powerful ministers

"You!" Zhao Qiyan was furious. "Pei Zhihui, stop with your sarcastic remarks! If it weren't for my token that day, would you have been able to bring that person out?"

"The token is inanimate, but people are alive." Pei Zhihui stood his ground. "If I hadn't taken that blow, the young marquis would be here offering incense to his sister-in-law right now."

The two engaged in a heated exchange, their words clashing like invisible swords flashing across the dinner table.

Shen Qiongju was caught in the middle, feeling like her head was about to explode.

This isn't eating; it's like eating explosives.

Just as the two were locked in a fierce battle, a dignified female voice came from the doorway.

"What's all this noise about? What kind of behavior is this!"

Everyone turned around and saw Pei Junlan, dressed in a plain-colored jacket, walking in with the help of her maid. Her face was serious, and her eyes were sharp as she swept over the mess on the dining table.

"Aunt." Pei Zhihui and Shen Qiongju quickly stood up and bowed.

Zhao Qiyan also stood up and cupped her hands in greeting: "Greetings, Aunt Pei."

Pei Junlan ignored Pei Zhihui and nodded to Zhao Qiyan first, her tone softening: "Young Marquis is a benefactor of the Pei family and a colleague of Zhi Chao in his lifetime. It is an honor for the Pei family to grace us with your presence at dinner today."

After saying that, she turned to look at Pei Zhihui, and her face instantly darkened.

"Erlang, where have you learned all that from your studies? The young marquis is a guest, and also a benefactor in Qiongju's business. How can you be so aggressive and ignorant of manners?"

Pei Zhihui: "..."

He opened his mouth, wanting to explain, but Pei Junlan glared at him, shutting him down.

"Although our Pei family has fallen on hard times, we cannot abandon our rules. The silver brought by the young marquis has relieved Qionghua Pavilion of its urgent crisis, and instead of being grateful, you are making sarcastic remarks at the dinner table?"

Zhao Qiyan laughed when she heard this.

He raised an eyebrow at Pei Zhihui with a smug look, his expression clearly saying: See, Aunt is the most sensible one.

Pei Zhihui looked at Zhao Qiyan's smug face, then at Shen Qiongju who was pretending to be dead with her head down, and felt a lump in his throat, unable to swallow it.

"My aunt is right."

Pei Zhihui squeezed out those words through gritted teeth. He lowered his eyes to hide the surging anger within them, picked up the already cold tea in front of him, and drank it all in one gulp.

He remembered this insult.

Pei Zhihui found the meal utterly unpalatable.

Zhao Qiyan, on the other hand, had a hearty appetite. While eating, she discussed the packaging of the new wine with Shen Qiongju. The two chatted happily, completely ignoring Pei Zhihui.

Pei Zhihui's hand, gripping the chopsticks, showed prominent veins on the back.

You, Zhao Qiyan, are something else.

Since you enjoy giving money so much, I'll let you give as much as you want.

And my sister-in-law...

Pei Zhihui's gaze lingered on Shen Qiongju's smiling face, as if he were brewing something.

.

Despite the deep darkness of night, the distillery in Chenjia Village was brightly lit and steaming with heat.

The huge still was making a "glug-glug" sound, and the air was filled with a strong, almost pungent smell of fermented grains, mixed with the sweetness of crushed fresh fruit.

Zhao Qiyan rolled up his sleeves; his priceless fox fur coat had long since been tossed aside on a haystack.

This young nobleman, who usually never lifts a finger, is now sweating profusely as he helps add firewood to the stove.

"Manager Shen, is this done?" Zhao Qiyan wiped the ash off his face, his once dashing face now covered in soot.

"This has already been steamed three times. If it's steamed any longer, the liquor will be so strong it'll burn your throat."

Shen Qiongju stood at the wine spout, intently watching the flowing wine. She dipped her finger in and tasted it carefully.

Spicy, pure, without a trace of impurity.

"This is the base liquor I wanted." Shen Qiongju's eyes shone brightly as she turned and took a basket of freshly washed pears from the basket beside her.

"Ordinary fruit wines take too long to ferment and are prone to turning sour. Soaking the fruit pulp in this high-proof spirit, and then adding honey and spices, can lock in the fruit aroma in the shortest amount of time."

"Come, seal the jar!"

Shen Huaifeng, along with several experienced craftsmen, deftly poured the prepared liquor into the jars.

No one slept that night.

As dawn broke, the first batch of thirty jars of newly brewed wine was finally ready.

Shen Qiongju eagerly opened the clay seal on the first jar.

However, instead of the expected rich fruity aroma, an indescribable sour and astringent taste hit me.

Shen Huaifeng took a bite, and his brows furrowed instantly: "No, this tastes wrong. It's like...like spoiled swill."

"How could this be?" Shen Qiongju felt a chill in her heart and quickly went to open the second jar.

It's still sour.

The third jar, the fourth jar... more than a dozen jars were opened in succession, with all sorts of strange tastes. Some were unbearably bitter, while others were sour and pungent. Not a single jar was palatable.

Zhao Qiyan also took a sip and immediately spat it out: "Ptooey! What is this rubbish? Manager Shen, are you sure this is for human consumption?"

Shen Qiongju's face was deathly pale, her fingers gripping the rim of the jar tightly. She had personally overseen every step, and rehearsed the recipe countless times in her mind. How could it all have failed?

"This jar..." Shen Huaifeng, who had been pondering in the corner, suddenly spoke up.

He was holding a smaller wine jar in his arms. It was a jar that Shen Qiongju had casually mixed. Instead of the newly bought large jar, he used an old earthenware pot that he had brought from home.

Shen Qiongju walked over and removed the seal.

A refreshing and sweet aroma of pear blossoms instantly filled the winery, which was filled with the smell of sour fermentation.

The fragrance was not strong, but lingering, like a gentle spring rain, nourishing things silently.

Shen Qiongju poured out a bowl of wine with trembling hands. The liquid was clear and transparent, with a faint amber hue. It was smooth on the palate, with an endless aftertaste, possessing both the strength of strong liquor and the delicate sweetness of fresh fruit.

"It's done!" Shen Huaifeng exclaimed excitedly, his beard trembling. "This is it! It deserves the name 'Drunken Beauty'!"

Zhao Qiyan snatched the bowl and took a big gulp, her eyes widening instantly: "Excellent wine! Even better than the previous batch! The pear juice flavor is rich, yet the alcohol is still strong. The ladies in the palace love sweets, this wine will definitely please them!"

But he turned his head and looked at the waste wine scattered all over the ground, then at the only successful jar, and sighed.

"But Manager Shen, out of hundreds of jars, only this one turned out to be successful. The odds are too low. There are less than ten days left until we go to the capital. If you take another gamble, what if it's the same again..."

Zhao Qiyan put away her playful smile and said seriously, "How about this? The Imperial Concubine is my cousin. I'll write a letter saying that there was an accident with the tribute wine and that it should be replaced with another family's aged wine. Although we'll lose the credit, at least we can keep our heads."

This is the safest approach.

Shen Qiongju stared at the lonely jar of wine and remained silent for a long time.

"No." She raised her head, her eyes filled with a chilling determination. "I won't change."

"Are you crazy?" Zhao Qiyan exclaimed, "This is a matter of life and death!"

"Young Master, you were born with a silver spoon in your mouth, you don't understand the difficulties of merchants like us." Shen Qiongju's voice was soft, but every word carried immense weight.

"Wen Xiujie destroyed my distillery just to see the Shen family die. If I back down this time, without the 'Imperial Merchant' title as a get-out-of-jail-free card, the Shen family will be like meat on a chopping board, at his mercy."

She turned around, looked at the mess on the ground, and a resolute smile appeared on her lips.

"If this wine can be made into one jar, it can be made into a hundred jars. There must be something wrong with it, and I must find out."

Zhao Qiyan looked at her stubborn profile, opened his mouth, and finally only managed to utter, "Fine, I'll go crazy with you. At worst, I'll beg my aunt to save your life."