Chapter 65

Innkeeper Zhou and Zhou Daqing were surprised and excited to see it was indeed Young Lady Xu. Ever since Zhou Daqing had escorted Young Lady Xu’s family to Yuanbao Town, they knew she lived there but didn’t want to disturb her by visiting.

“Young Lady Xu, what brings you here?” Innkeeper Zhou greeted her with a smile.

Hearing the voice, Xu Qinyu turned around and saw Innkeeper Zhou. She stood up and said, “Innkeeper Zhou, Chef Zhou, I hope you’ve been well. I’ve come today to discuss something with you.”

She explained her purpose directly, saying that she had brewed a lot of wine recently, but it wasn’t selling well in the town. So, she came to Raozhou City to see if she could find a market here. She wanted to ask Innkeeper Zhou for his opinion on whether the wine would sell well and how to sell it.

After speaking, she opened a bottle of wine.

The small wine bottles used for the wine had cork stoppers, which also cost some money. The cork was wrapped in wine paper and tied with silk ribbons. After untying the silk ribbon, there was a circle of hemp rope. Cutting the hemp rope and tearing off the wine paper, she pulled out the cork, releasing a sweet, light fruity aroma.

Tieniu, being very attentive, had already washed a few wine cups and brought them over.

The washed wine cups were wiped clean and handed over. The cups were small and also made of white porcelain. One bottle of wine could fill about four or five cups. Xu Qinyu poured the wine into the cups. The wine she brewed had only the natural color of the fruit, so it appeared as a light pink color, very beautiful and pleasing to the eye in the white porcelain cups.

Xu Qinyu invited Innkeeper Zhou and the others to taste it, even giving Tieniu a cup.

He carefully took a sip, tasting the fruity and sweet-sour flavor, followed by a light wine taste. The wine had no bitterness, only a fragrant aroma, with three distinct layers: fruitiness, sweetness, and wine aroma. Tieniu, not understanding the layers of wine, simply exclaimed, “It’s delicious!” and couldn’t resist drinking the entire cup.

After tasting it, Innkeeper Zhou couldn’t help but praise, “It’s good.”

Actually, there are fruit wines here, such as plum wine and osmanthus wine. Both types of wine are not cheap, and their flavors are pretty strong, with a slightly astringent taste that is characteristic of the wine.

However, Innkeeper Zhou noticed that Young Lady Xu’s grape wine didn’t have that astringent taste, and the wine flavor was not strong. Only at the end did a slight wine taste emerge. He couldn’t quite describe it, but he found it delicious. Unlike plum wine and osmanthus wine, this fruit wine seemed more suitable for the elderly, women, children, or those who didn’t like strong liquor.

Innkeeper Zhou preferred strong liquor but found this grape wine more like a beverage. He liked it a lot and thought that no one would dislike its taste, though those who preferred strong liquor might only consider it a drink.

Chef Zhou didn’t drink alcohol, but he found the taste of this grape wine just right, not astringent at all, and very delicious.

Xu Qinyu knew that plum wine and osmanthus wine existed in this era, but grape wine had not yet appeared in the Great Sheng Dynasty. Grapes had only recently been introduced, and their high price deterred people from using them to make wine. No one had thought of using wild grapes for wine-making before.

She said, “I plan to sell this grape wine for one tael of silver per bottle.”

Each bottle contained about one jin (500 grams) of wine.

Innkeeper Zhou nodded, “The price is not low, but it’s not too expensive either.”

The price was similar to that of plum wine and osmanthus wine, but the taste was better. He thought that if they found the right market, it should sell well. These fruit wines were not meant for ordinary people.

Xu Qinyu smiled and said, “I just don’t know how to open up the market, so I thought I could start by consigning it here at your inn. For each bottle sold, I’ll give you a commission of fifty wen. What do you think, Innkeeper Zhou?”

Innkeeper Zhou quickly waved his hand, “Young Lady Xu, there’s no need to give me any money. This grape wine tastes great, and people will definitely buy it. It will also bring more customers to my inn, so there’s no need for a commission.”

Xu Qinyu insisted, “This is business, and even close friends should keep clear accounts. I must give you a commission.”

After some discussion, Innkeeper Zhou finally agreed but only wanted a commission of forty wen per bottle.

After settling this, Xu Qinyu noticed that the inn’s guests still went out for breakfast. It was breakfast time, and she, Cheng Ge’er, and Xu Feng had left the town early in the morning, arriving in Raozhou City just in time for breakfast. She had previously made breakfast and dinner at the inn and taught Chef Zhou how to make them. Hadn’t Chef Zhou improved the inn’s food business over the past year?

Surely, after a year, Chef Zhou should have mastered the dishes she taught him?

Xu Qinyu couldn’t help but ask, “Innkeeper Zhou, didn’t I teach Chef Zhou a few dishes before? Why is the inn’s breakfast business still…”

Chef Zhou, standing behind Innkeeper Zhou, scratched his head and said, “Young Lady Xu, the dishes you taught me, I consider you my master. Without my master’s approval, I couldn’t use those dishes to profit for myself, so I never made them at the inn…”

He had been making the dishes he knew before, which were average in taste and not new or exciting, so customers naturally didn’t want to stay at the inn to eat.

Xu Qinyu was taken aback, not expecting the Zhou father and son to be so honest. She couldn’t help but say, “Actually, when I taught you those dishes, it was so you could make them for the customers. Innkeeper Zhou and Chef Zhou, don’t worry. Since you know how to make them, start serving them at the inn. This way, more customers will come, and perhaps more people will buy the wine.”

Innkeeper Zhou and Zhou Daqing thanked her repeatedly.

Xu Qinyu, Cheng Ge’er, and Xu Feng hadn’t had breakfast yet, so Zhou Daqing went to the kitchen to make some fish slice congee. Although he hadn’t sold these dishes at the inn, he often made them for his family.

When the fish slice congee was served, Xu Qinyu found it quite good. It looked and smelled appetizing. She tasted it and found the fish slices tender and free of any fishy smell, and the congee was thick. However, the cooking time and seasoning were slightly off.

Xu Qinyu smiled and said, “Not bad. Just pay a bit more attention to the cooking time and seasoning, and it will be even better.”

Zhou Daqing promised to work harder, but he felt that this was already his limit. He followed her instructions exactly, but the taste still couldn’t compare to hers. It was clear that Young Lady Xu had an extraordinary talent for cooking.

After breakfast, Xu Qinyu brought down the remaining thirty bottles of wine from the carriage and left them at the inn. She didn’t know if she could secure cooperation, so she didn’t bring much wine. She planned to have Cheng Ge’er deliver the first batch of wine once the deal was finalized.

After leaving the wine, Xu Qinyu spoke a few words with Innkeeper Zhou and Chef Zhou and prepared to return to Yuanbao Town.

Innkeeper Zhou suddenly remembered something and said to Xu Qinyu, “Miss Xu, could you wait a moment? I recall that Madam Lu will be hosting a family banquet in half a month, inviting the ladies of Raozhou City to her residence for a flower viewing and wine tasting. I’ll send these bottles of wine to Madam Lu’s residence. If she likes them, the wine will sell well.”

He believed that Madam Lu would surely love such delicious wine.

Madam Lu?

Xu Qinyu didn’t know her and couldn’t help but ask, “Who is Madam Lu?”

Innkeeper Zhou explained that Madam Lu was a widow and a distant relative of the royal family, a descendant of the founding emperor’s wife’s family.

The founding emperor who established the dynasty lived almost three hundred years ago. Madam Lu is a descendant of the emperor’s wife’s family, which has passed down through several generations. Although the Lu family was prominent three hundred years ago, they are now just an ordinary noble family.

Madam Lu’s father inherited the title of Duke Lu, along with a fiefdom, which is not in the southwest but quite far away.

Madam Lu is the eldest daughter of the current Duke Lu. She fell in love with Shi Ling, the son of a merchant leader who traded in the fiefdom. Shi Ling was twenty years old and handsome, and Madam Lu was smitten with him at first sight.

Initially, Duke Lu did not want his daughter to marry Shi Ling, but she insisted, and he eventually agreed. However, Shi Ling turned out to be ungrateful. His family was originally a small merchant team, but with the Lu family’s connections, their business grew significantly. Shi Ling then decided to take a concubine.

Madam Lu initially refused, but Shi Ling persuaded her to agree. Unfortunately, the concubine was malicious and tampered with Madam Lu’s pregnancy, nearly causing her death and resulting in the baby’s death. Madam Lu was left unable to have more children.

Later, Madam Lu discovered that her difficult childbirth was not an accident but caused by the concubine. She also found out that Shi Ling and the concubine had known each other long before and had planned to marry.

Madam Lu had never used her status to force Shi Ling. She had asked him if he had any wives or fiancées and expressed her willingness to marry him if he was unattached.

Shi Ling, seeking the Lu family’s status, married Madam Lu but later brought his former lover into the house as a concubine.

The concubine resented Madam Lu, believing she had used her family’s influence to force Shi Ling into marriage. She tampered with Madam Lu’s pregnancy out of spite. After discovering this, Madam Lu reported the concubine to the authorities, and she was exiled, dying on the way.

Shi Ling distanced himself from the incident, and Madam Lu continued to live with him. He had no children and didn’t dare mention taking another concubine. Less than six months later, Shi Ling was killed by bandits while trading.

Although Shi Ling had a father and brothers, the merchant team should have returned to the Shi family. However, Madam Lu managed to gain the merchant team’s loyalty, and they followed her instead.

The Shi family caused some trouble but eventually left Raozhou, and their whereabouts are unknown.

Madam Lu didn’t want to return to her family. She decided to remain single, using her connections and money to establish her own household. She had no children but managed the merchant team, earning a good income and living comfortably. The feud between Madam Lu and the Shi family happened over ten years ago.

Madam Lu is now around thirty-eight or thirty-nine years old.

Xu Qinyu was a bit stunned by the story, finding it more captivating than any book. Madam Lu must have some skills to have gained the loyalty of the merchant team and kept them with her.

Since Innkeeper Zhou offered to take the wine to Madam Lu’s residence, Xu Qinyu decided to wait. Innkeeper Zhou had his son prepare two of the best guest rooms. Xu Qinyu stayed in one to rest, while Cheng Ge’er and Xu Feng stayed in the other.

Innkeeper Zhou took the wine and drove the carriage to Madam Lu’s residence.

Madam Lu’s residence was a large five-courtyard house, where she lived with some servants.

When Innkeeper Zhou arrived, he stopped the carriage and knocked on the door. An old maid opened the door and asked what he wanted.

Innkeeper Zhou introduced himself and explained that he had some grape wine and knew that Madam Lu would be hosting a banquet for the ladies of the city soon. He offered the wine as a gift and brought ten bottles from the carriage for the maid.

The maid took the wine and told Innkeeper Zhou to wait for news.

The servants who served Madam Lu were her trusted aides and would never hide anything from her. Even if they received the ten bottles of wine, they wouldn’t keep them for themselves because Innkeeper Zhou was just a small innkeeper and couldn’t reach Madam Lu without their help. Even if the servants kept the wine, neither Innkeeper Zhou nor Madam Lu would know. But the maid didn’t dare to do that. Despite Madam Lu’s usual easy-going demeanor, she was strict with disobedient servants.

So, the maid immediately took the ten bottles of wine to Madam Lu’s courtyard.

Madam Lu was wealthy, with a noble father and no husband or in-laws. She had people managing the merchant team for her, so she spent her days leisurely enjoying food, drinks, and flowers. She looked like she was in her early thirties, with fair skin and a graceful presence. After breakfast, she was resting on a rattan chair in the courtyard, with a maid fanning her and another gently massaging her legs.

Although it was early autumn, the weather was still hot and stuffy in the mornings.

As Madam Lu was resting, the maid guarding the courtyard quietly told the two maids, “Someone at the gate said they brought some grape wine as a gift for Madam. Is Madam asleep? Should I bring the wine in?”

Madam Lu was not asleep and heard the maid’s words. She opened her eyes and said, “Let the gatekeeper bring the wine in.”

She usually drank plum and osmanthus wine, which she also served to the ladies who visited her residence. This was the first time she had heard of grape wine.

The gatekeeper quickly brought the wine in.

Without needing Madam Lu’s instructions, one of the maids had already fetched the wine cups.

Madam Lu’s wine cups were made of white jade. They were cool to the touch and perfect for drinking wine in hot weather.

Madam Lu took the wine from the maid. The bottle was made of ordinary white porcelain with a few characters engraved on it, “Xu’s.” It seemed Xu made this grape wine. The bottle looked ordinary, and she wondered about the taste. Without needing to open it herself, a maid had already removed the cork, releasing a light fruity and wine aroma.

Madam Lu couldn’t help but straighten up, finding the scent pleasant and quickly spreading.

When the maid poured the wine into the white jade cup, the wine was a beautiful pink color, blending nicely with the white jade.

Madam Lu took a sip and couldn’t help but raise her eyebrows.

She was accustomed to fine food and wine and had tasted many excellent wines. With one sip, she could tell this grape wine was extraordinary. It started with a fruity aroma, followed by a sweet and sour taste, and ended with a lingering wine fragrance, without any astringency. She immediately asked, “Who sent this grape wine?”

The gatekeeper’s maid replied, “It was the innkeeper from Bafang Inn, who said his surname is Zhou. He mentioned that there isn’t much of this grape wine and thought to offer it to you, knowing you would be hosting guests soon.”

Madam Lu immediately said, “Invite the innkeeper from Bafang Inn to come.”

…

Around noon, Xu Qinyu heard a knock on her door. It was Innkeeper Zhou, asking her to accompany him to Madam Lu’s residence.

It turned out that shortly after Innkeeper Zhou returned, a servant from Madam Lu’s residence came, saying that Madam Lu had invited them.

Innkeeper Zhou mentioned that the person who made the grape wine was also at the inn and asked if they could come along.

The servant naturally agreed.

Xu Qinyu knew that if Madam Lu liked the wine, it could be a big business opportunity.

She had a lot of grape wine. Over the past two months, Gong Ge’er and a few others have been picking wild grapes from the mountains whenever they have time. She had been brewing wine for two months, and there were still wild grapes left on the mountains. Despite limited manpower, she had already brewed about three hundred jars of wine. Each jar could be divided into seven or eight bottles, resulting in over two thousand bottles. She kept some for herself, placed some in the restaurant, and still had around two thousand bottles left.

Three hundred jars of wine couldn’t all fit in the restaurant’s backyard, so some were stored in Osmanthus Alley, and even Cheng Ge’er’s house had some.

Cheng Ge’er and Xu Feng insisted on going along, probably to protect her.

Finally, the four of them followed the servant’s carriage to Madam Lu’s residence.

Entering the residence with the old maid, Xu Qinyu saw the intricate carvings on the screen wall and the beautiful covered walkways. The courtyard was filled with blooming flowers and plants, creating a stunning scene.

Xu Qinyu couldn’t help but feel a bit envious, wishing for such a grand house.

After walking for a while, they reached Madam Lu’s main courtyard. Upon seeing Madam Lu, Xu Qinyu realized she was a woman who knew how to enjoy life and didn’t care much about others’ opinions.

In modern times, Madam Lu would be envied by many for having wealth, leisure, and no husband. Actually, Xu Qinyu believed that Madam Lu probably had a capable lover in the merchant team. Otherwise, as a former housewife, she wouldn’t have been able to gain the loyalty of the merchant team and have them follow her.

But for Xu Qinyu, these details didn’t matter. Madam Lu hadn’t remarried all these years, showing she was clear-headed.

People in this era thought differently from most modern women. They believed that no matter how wealthy Madam Lu was, without a husband and children, she had no one to rely on in the future.

Madam Lu was beautiful and well-maintained, with fair skin and an elegant demeanor.

When Madam Lu saw Xu Qinyu and Cheng Ge’er, she was curious why Innkeeper Zhou had brought his family. She thought Xu Qinyu and Cheng Ge’er were his children.

Innkeeper Zhou quickly explained, “Greetings, Madam. The grape wine I brought earlier was brewed by this young lady, Miss Xu. She is like a master to my son, who learned a few dishes from her.”

A young chef? Madam Lu was surprised but not overly concerned about Xu Qinyu’s culinary skills.

Madam Lu simply asked Xu Qinyu how many bottles of wine she had and the price.

Xu Qinyu answered honestly, saying she had about two thousand bottles left, priced at one tael of silver per bottle.

Without hesitation, Madam Lu said, “I’ll take all two thousand bottles. Have them delivered to my residence in the next few days.”

Xu Qinyu replied, “The last batch of wine is still undergoing its second fermentation and will need about ten more days. The rest can be delivered to your residence first.”

Madam Lu agreed.

The two chatted, and Madam Lu was curious about how the wine was made. She wanted to buy the recipe from Xu Qinyu. Xu Qinyu explained, “To be honest, the recipe is quite simple, but the final taste of the wine is something only I can achieve.”

She mentioned that while Cheng Ge’er and the others handled tasks like washing the grapes, she was responsible for the ratio of grapes to rock sugar and the timing of the first and second fermentations. The exact timing for the second fermentation was based on her sense of smell, which made the wine unique.

Madam Lu was intrigued and discussed the possibility of producing more wine. She suggested having her merchant team transport the wine to other wealthy cities for higher prices.

Madam Lu planned to keep the two thousand bottles for herself and for entertaining guests, as she found the grape wine much better than plum wine and osmanthus wine. She saw the potential for profit if they could produce it in large quantities.

Xu Qinyu explained that it would be difficult to produce large quantities due to limited space and manpower. They had worked hard to produce the two thousand bottles, and the wild grapes on the mountain were nearly gone. After selling these bottles, she wouldn’t be able to make more wine this year.

Madam Lu smiled and said, “If you lack space and manpower, I can provide them. Even if we can’t make more this year, we can start again next year. How about we partner up? I’ll provide the space and manpower, and you provide the recipe.”