Upon hearing the noise, the handsome man immediately reassured them, “Find a place to hide. I’ll go check it out. The sound of the horse hooves is orderly, suggesting the newcomers are well-trained soldiers. We’re not far from the Cangshan military camp, so it’s possible that Zhao Liu and Tietou couldn’t find us and went to bring reinforcements.”

Lin Dan nodded and watched him leave. To prevent any mishaps, she found a concealed spot with the two girls to hide. Moments later, the gates of the mountain stronghold slowly opened, and the man walked in with a tall, bearded general, followed by Zhao Liu and Luo Tietou.

“Damn it, being dragged out to this desolate mountain in the middle of the night to save people, only to find it was all for nothing! These soldiers I brought are my personal troops. Losing even one feels like a knife to my heart. Even though there was no fight today, we were prepared for a tough battle. You all better remember this favor!” The bearded general complained bitterly.

“General, these are the people we rescued from the woodshed. They’re unharmed.” Reported a soldier, running over with Xiao Zhu and the others trailing behind, who were thanking him profusely.

“Where’s the shopkeeper? Didn’t you say there was a Shopkeeper Lin who must be rescued no matter what?” The bearded general impatiently looked around.

“I’m here. Thank you all for coming to our aid. I express my deepest gratitude!” Lin Dan immediately stepped out from the shadows and bowed deeply, with Shaoyao and Dujuan nervously following suit.

The bearded general scrutinized Lin Dan closely, noticing that although she had a graceful figure, she wasn’t particularly beautiful, and he felt somewhat disappointed. He had assumed from Zhao Liu and Luo Tietou’s repeated emphasis that this Shopkeeper Lin, who must be rescued intact, would be an extraordinarily beautiful woman, but she was nothing special.

“Forget it, forget it, stand up.” The bearded general said, growing more impatient. “My brothers train hard during the day and had to trek here in the middle of the night. Who knows how many will need to rest tomorrow? If I had known this was just a small bandit’s den, we wouldn’t have come at all!”

Zhao Liu and Luo Teituo looked embarrassed. If they had also known earlier that these bandits were not yet a real threat, they wouldn’t have rushed down the mountain for reinforcements. Their leader was highly skilled in martial arts and could certainly protect himself, but Shopkeeper Lin and the two maidservants were in danger. Bandits were always ruthless. They would defile the women they captured and cut out the tongues of the men before selling them to the Xishan coal mines. They didn’t dare delay and immediately gathered reinforcement to storm the mountain.

“And the bandits? Did you take care of them all?” The bearded general asked the handsome man, not doubting his capabilities.

“Shopkeeper Lin dealt with them.” The man replied, pointing to the main hall. The group hurried inside to check and was stunned by what they saw.

“Motherf*cker.” The bearded general muttered, pacing back and forth among the bodies, then rushed to the now-empty wine vat. Sniffing it deeply, his face grew darker. “What kind of wine is this? It smells incredible!”

Xiao Zhu proudly answered, “That’s Thousand-Day Wine, brewed by our shopkeeper herself.”

“Thousand-Day Wine? The same kind Liu Xuanshi drank?” The bearded general’s voice rose in surprise. He didn’t care about the mess and grabbed a wine cup used by one of the bandits, pouring the remaining drops into his mouth. He savored it and exaggeratedly smacked his lips.

“What excellent wine! Truly rare and exquisite! It’s fragrant, rich, and strong. It’s smooth and warms the stomach, and had a lingering sweetness…… This is the best wine I’ve ever tasted, worthy of its legendary name!” The bearded general exclaimed as he picked up each cup on the table, draining every last drop, not wasting even a single one.

His personal troops, just as fond of drinking as he was, eagerly checked the wine cups as well, hoping to find any leftover wine. Unfortunately, the greedy bandits had already consumed everything, leaving nothing behind.

“It’s all gone, damn it, all gone. Couldn’t you have saved a little?” The bearded general grumbled, venting his frustration on the unconscious bandits. Then, he suddenly remembered that the wine was brewed by Shopkeeper Lin and quickly turned to look at her, his eyes shining brighter than the torches.

Lin Dan regretfully cupped her hands and said, “General, that wine is incredibly difficult to brew. It took me three years to make just one vat, and there’s no more left.”

The brightness in the bearded general’s eyes instantly dimmed. He grabbed the large vat and shook it vigorously, then exclaimed in surprise, “There’s still a thin layer of wine at the bottom! Quick, get me an empty jar!”

The handsome man showed a helpless expression but quickly fetched an empty jar to hold the wine. The bearded general patted the bottom of the vat repeatedly, but only a small amount of wine trickled out. The palm-sized jar was barely half full when it ran out, an utterly pitiful amount.

The bearded general looked at the small jar cradled in his palm, then at the once-full vat, and finally at the bandits who had drunk themselves into a stupor. His anger surged and he kicked one of the bandits hard, cursing loudly, “Damn you! Robbing on my turf! When you wake up, see if I don’t kill you all!”

The bandit was kicked by him so hard that he vomited blood, yet still didn’t wake up, showing just how strong the alcohol’s effect was.

Lin Dan promptly cupped her hands and offered, “Thank you all, soldiers, for coming to our rescue in the middle of the night. There’s some food left in the kitchen. How about I bring it out for everyone to have a bite? The journey must have been exhausting. It’s a good time to rest and replenish your energy.”

Zhao Liu and Luo Tietou, who were already drooling over the leftovers on the table, had their eyes light up at Lin Dan’s words. Even the handsome man quietly swallowed a gulp of saliva. The bearded man, who had never tasted Shopkeeper Lin’s cooking, was less impressed, but the soldiers he brought along nodded indifferently before taking out ropes to tie up the bandits.

Lin Dan smiled lightly and led the two girls to the kitchen. The bandits had been too focused on drinking to eat much, so most of the food was still warming on the stove.

A short while later, the dishes were served— a large pot of beef stew with rice wine, a large pot of bone broth and beef meatballs, a plate of braised beef tendon, a plate of stir-fried beef with scallions, and a bucket of rice. The portions were generous, enough to feed twenty to thirty people. The food was hot, steaming with a white mist, and the rich aroma of meat mixed with the mellow scent of wine slowly spread throughout the hall.

Gulp. The bearded man swallowed hard.

Gulp, gulp…… The soldiers who came with him stood up one after another, swallowing saliva and clutching their stomachs. They felt wild cravings.

“Thank you all for coming to our aid. I have nothing of value, only some modest cooking skills. Please accept this meal as a token of my gratitude. I hope you won’t find it lacking.” Lin Dan thanked them again, her tone sincere. Her servants had already cleaned up the tables and were serving the food.

The bearded man stretched his neck and swallowed another mouthful of saliva before waving his hand repeatedly, “Not at all, not at all, it’s only right, only right.” He grinned broadly, his previous impatience completely gone. His soldiers also gathered around, eager to begin.

“Let’s eat.” As soon as the handsome man spoke, everyone hurriedly picked up their bowls and chopsticks.

“This beef was stewed in Thousand-Day Wine?” The bearded man exclaimed after eating a piece of the beef stew, his eyes, already large like bronze bells, widening even more. He then sped up, scooping up food into his bowl like a whirlwind. The others were no less voracious, their mouths glistening with oil and their faces full of amazement.

The beef stew was made from prime beef, with lean meat interspersed with snow-white fat, cooked until tender and soft which melts in the mouth. The beef meatballs were made from shoulder and neck cuts, repeatedly pounded and kneaded into shape, with a texture that was springy and smooth. Inside the meatballs, a natural cavity had formed, filled with beef oil and bone broth that burst forth with a light bite, filling the mouth with rich, savory juices that were nothing short of extraordinary. The beef tendons were first deep-fried, then steamed for a quarter of an hour, and finally stir-fried. Each piece was coated in a red, glossy sauce, offering a unique blend of softness and slight chewiness that was simply delightful.

This table full of dishes was rich in aroma, tender, thick, and fresh. Shopkeeper Lin’s cooking had truly reached perfection! Despite their ravenous eating, the group only managed to fill themselves halfway, their resentment about being dispatched late at night entirely dissipated, leaving only a lingering sense of satisfaction. The trip had been worth it, truly worth it!

Knowing everyone weren’t completely full, Lin Dan then broke open the beef bones she had simmered for two hours, making a pot of marrow soup. The stewed marrow, hidden within the bones, slid into the mouth with a gentle suck, its taste so delicious it not only cleansed the palate but seemed to refresh every pore in the body.

The bearded general held a beef bone in both hands, sucking happily as he praised, “Shopkeeper Lin, how is your cooking so good? I heard from Zhao Liu that you plan to open a shop in the capital? When the shop is up and running, you must let me know. I’ll bring my brothers to support your business.”

Lin Dan ladled a spoonful of soup for the handsome man and picked up another beef bone, modestly replying, “My cooking is hardly worthy of praise. You flatter me, General. If you ever come to the capital, you’re always welcome……”

Before Lin Dan could finish, the handsome man spoke in a deep voice, “Support is one thing, but the meal must be paid for. Running a shop isn’t easy for Shopkeeper Lin.” His words were followed by a cold glance at the bearded general, who involuntarily shivered and quickly assured them that he would certainly pay, not a single cent less.

Lin Dan noticed the subtle exchange between the two and realized that the handsome man’s status was likely not simple, but she didn’t ask further. When traveling, it was best to speak less, see less, and do less to avoid trouble. Besides, once they reached the capital, they would no longer have any contact, so there was no need to delve deeper.

After everyone finished eating, Lin Dan led them to find her carriages and also seized the bandits’ stolen goods. The handsome man, unsure of how she had discovered the location of the loot, was nevertheless impressed by her cleverness.

The bearded general carefully inspected the goods while helping Lin Dan, confirming that she indeed had no extra wine before reluctantly returning to camp. That night, he took the jar of Thousand-Day Wine and entered the capital, heading straight for his superior, Marquis Weiyuan. Though the bearded general loved his wine, he was nothing compared to the Marquis, who, along with Marquis Yongding, guarded the southeastern and northwestern regions of the Great Chu Kingdom. Both were highly influential figures, and a single word from them could elevate someone to great heights.