The Great Song Dynasty's Soul-Forging in Progress

After a while, the laughter subsided. He picked up the note again, held it up to the candlelight, and repeatedly pondered the lines: "An easily angered heart makes a restless home. When faced with trouble, it's better to take a step back; when troubled, it's better to scratch your heart. A physical itch can be relieved, but a restless heart needs to be calmed." The pain of childlessness and the unrest in his home—aren't these the root of all his troubles? He murmured to himself, the playfulness on his face slowly turning into contemplation, finally culminating in a long, complex sigh.

"If one could truly be 'pure and free from desires,' where would all this turmoil come from?" He shook his head, carefully putting the note away in a small, locked drawer. "But this kid is right. When things get out of hand, it's your own gold and silver mountains that are burning. We need to find a way to calm Yulian and Xiaofen down... at least, before this 'white liquor' business is completed."

That night, unusually, Lü Sanjun did not visit any of the ladies' rooms, but rested alone in his study. Strangely enough, as he silently recited the four words "pure heart and few desires," the restlessness in his heart caused by family matters and his eagerness to make money actually calmed down considerably.

In the days that followed, Wang Zhonghua practically lived in the Lü family's brewery in Hulu Bay on the outskirts of the city. The brewery originally used ancient methods, steaming, fermenting, and pressing, with outdated equipment. What Wang Zhonghua had to do was, without disturbing too many people, secretly install a simple distillation device based on his knowledge as a "writer" and "generalist" from his previous life.

The drawings he produced left the old coppersmith hired by the Lü family scratching his head. "Young Master Wang, this...this winding copper pipe, this sealed steamer, and the connection to this cold water tank...what is this for?"

Wang Zhonghua patiently explained, "Sir, just follow the diagram to make it. This thing is called a 'distillation apparatus,' and it is the key to extracting the essence of wine." He personally supervised the making process, with extremely high requirements for the sealing of each joint, and tested it repeatedly.

At the same time, he selected two older, steady, and family-controlled master craftsmen from the workshop as his core assistants. He did not fully explain the principles, only saying that he was trying a new method of "extracting wine".

With the equipment installed, they chose a quiet time late at night. Wang Zhonghua personally directed and Lü Sanjun personally supervised the process of pouring the low-alcohol base liquor that had been brewed in the workshop into the modified steamer and heating it.

The furnace roared, and steam rose inside the sealed steamer, traveling along the winding copper pipe. After being cooled by the outer cold water tank, drops of clear, transparent liquid slowly flowed from the other end of the copper pipe and dripped into the prepared earthenware jar.

An extremely crisp and pure aroma of liquor instantly filled the workshop, unlike any other liquor aroma before!

The two master craftsmen stared wide-eyed at the clear, spring-like liquor, their nostrils flaring, their faces filled with disbelief. It's important to understand that liquor in that era was typically cloudy and extremely difficult to distinguish.

"Is...is this still wine?" An experienced chef surnamed Pan, his hands trembling, took the small cup handed to him by Wang Zhonghua, brought it to his nose and took a deep sniff. The strong aroma almost made him dizzy. He carefully took a sip.

The next moment, he shuddered violently, his eyes widened like saucers, his face flushed instantly, and he opened his mouth, exhaling a hot breath after a long while, hissing, "Strong! Too strong! So refreshing, so invigorating! This... this isn't just wine, it's like a little fireball!"

Another Master Sun couldn't wait to take a sip, and his reaction was even more intense. He coughed repeatedly, but was so excited that he was incoherent: "My God, I, Old Sun, have lived for over fifty years in vain! Only today do I know what real wine is! Master! Young Master Wang! Could this wine be the nectar of the Queen Mother of the West from heaven?!"

……

Wang Zhonghua watched as the clear wine gradually increased in the jar, and a great weight was lifted from his heart. He took a cup and handed it to Lü Sanjun.

Lu Sanjun had tasted baijiu before, but seeing his own homemade baijiu before his eyes, he was completely captivated by its aroma, his hand trembling slightly as he took the glass. He first imitated Wang Zhonghua, gently swirling the glass to observe the streaks of liquor clinging to the sides ("tears of liquor"). Then he took a deep breath, the powerful, invigorating aroma sending a shiver down his spine. Finally, he closed his eyes and slowly poured the small glass of liquor into his mouth.

As the liquor entered my throat, the fiery and soothing sensation transformed into an unprecedented mellowness and lingering sweetness. A surge of heat rose from my chest and abdomen, rushing straight to my limbs and bones. It felt as if all 86,000 pores on my body opened up, making me feel as if I had ascended to a celestial realm.

"Ha—!" Lü Sanjun exhaled a long breath carrying a strong aroma of alcohol, suddenly opened his eyes, and his eyes shone with an unprecedented light. The fat on his face trembled with excitement. He gripped Wang Zhonghua's arm tightly, his voice distorted with excitement:

"It's done! It's really done! China! My good nephew! This is... this is the art of turning water into gold!"

He gazed around at the clear, jade-like liquor flowing from the humble workshop, as if he saw endless wealth, status, and glory beckoning to him. He gripped Wang Zhonghua's hand tightly, his plump face filled with sincerity and fervor, each word spoken as if making a vow:

"China! If we become rich and powerful, let us not forget each other! From this day forward, we will share both glory and ruin! This world of baijiu, we will... jointly control it!"

Inside the workshop, the aroma of wine filled the air, and the firelight illuminated Lü Sanjun's excitedly contorted face and Wang Zhonghua's calm, deep eyes. A new era for the brewing industry seemed to be quietly unfolding amidst the fragrant aroma and fervent vows.

Wang Zhonghua met his eager gaze, a slight smile playing on his lips, revealing a Louis Koo-esque smile that was both sincere and all-knowing. He gently raised his empty glass, as if to greet a new era, or as if to bid farewell to his past mediocrity.

My lord, it may be difficult to live a life of simplicity and abstinence, but wealth and prosperity seem to be just around the corner.

Don't believe me? This jar full of fine wine is proof enough.

The first batch of distilled high-proof liquor weighed about five jin (approximately 2.5 kg). Wang Zhonghua did not rush to mass-produce it. Instead, he called his family and, with the liquor, returned to the Qin family's blacksmith shop.

The furnace was blazing. Old Qin, Qin Tiedan, and Qin Tiehua, having just completed a failed ore mixing experiment, looked somewhat tired and dejected. Wang Zhonghua placed the wine jar on the chopping board and broke the clay seal.

That unique, crisp aroma of liquor wafted out once more, instantly attracting everyone's attention.

"Brother Zhonghua, what's this? It smells weird!" Qin Tiehua wrinkled his nose and curiously leaned closer.

Wang Zhonghua poured five small cups and handed them to his parents, Lao Qin, Qin Tiedan, and Qin Tiehua respectively. Wang Xiangjun could only peek at them with a pout.

"Dad, Mom, Uncle Qin, Brother Tiedan, Tiehua, let's try this, but don't drink too much or too fast."

Wang Zhuacai took a sip of his drink and coughed repeatedly.

Old Qin wasn't tall, but he was as sturdy as an old ox on the riverbank. Most striking was his left leg; his knee was noticeably stiff and unnatural, causing his body to lean slightly to one side when he walked—an old injury from his years guarding the frontier. His face was deeply lined, his skin a dark, glossy red from the wind and sand of the frontier and years of alcohol. A long, old scar, about an inch long, ran diagonally across his left brow, adding a rugged, menacing air to his otherwise handsome face. His eyes, however, were not cloudy; they squinted when he looked at people, occasionally flashing with a sharp light, like stars in the sky.

He took the glass, his large, calloused hands, covered in tiny scars and with white knuckles, surprisingly steady. He first observed the color, then smelled the aroma, his eyes widening in surprise. He took a small sip, closed his eyes to savor it, and after a long while, slowly opened his eyes and sighed deeply.

"Good heavens! This wine is like a knife on the palate, like fire in the stomach, with a mellow aftertaste and a lingering strength... Back in my military days, I also drank the imperial liquor bestowed upon me, but compared to this, the imperial liquor was utterly bland and tasteless! Excellent!!! Truly fine wine! Excellent wine!!!"

He looked at Wang Zhonghua with eager eyes: "What's the name of this wine?"

Wang Zhonghua smiled and said, "It hasn't been named yet. Please, Master Qin, bestow a name upon it."

Old Qin pondered for a moment, gazing at the clear liquid in his glass and feeling the rising heat within him. A hint of reminiscence and heroic spirit flashed in his eyes: "This wine is potent; it's easy to get drunk, yet it makes one feel like they're floating on air, forgetting all worries... In my opinion, let's call it 'Drunk Me'! Drink this cup, and even dying drunk will be blissful! What do you think? Is that a suitable name?"

Madam Yao smiled and said, "'I'm drunk' is too petty. The ancients had the Eight Immortals of the Wine Cup, so why not call it 'The Eight Drunken Immortals'?"

"Drunken Eight Immortals... What a wonderful name!" Wang Zhonghua clapped his hands in praise. "Mother, this name is perfect! It turns out my mother is literate."

A blush crept onto Yao's face as she secretly regretted her rashness.