Chapter 99

Mr. Mu seemed to know Tu Shou, Yang Yijun, and Mother Yi. He had a high opinion of Tu Shou, saying that although this guy was a stubborn old man, his character was absolutely impeccable. If Zhang Tianyuan could get along well with Tu Shou, it would be a great fortune.

However, when it came to Yang Yijun and Mother Yi, his expression turned sour.

"Hmph, these two are nothing but scoundrels in the antiques world. Yang Yijun is still tolerable, just dealing with some underground black markets and selling a few items that can't be openly auctioned. But Mother Yi, he's simply despicable! Any person with a bit of conscience wouldn't sell national treasures abroad, but he eagerly does it. I think this guy will end up in jail sooner or later. Don't get involved with him," Mr. Mu said coldly.

"Um, I understand that," Zhang Tianyuan nodded, not wanting to talk much about the Nandu black market. Instead, he took out his gift and handed it to Mr. Mu.

Mr. Mu Ying, standing nearby, said, "Old classmate, you're really polite. Why bring a gift to my house? These days, no one lacks anything."

But Mr. Mu rolled his eyes and glared at Mr. Mu Ying, saying, "Little Zhang is giving me something. Stop talking nonsense. And I think what Little Zhang has brought is definitely special. We might not even have it."

"Really? Then I want to see it too," Mr. Mu Ying came over and, without waiting for Mr. Mu to open it, tore open the two beautifully wrapped gift boxes.

"Oh, this gourd is well-made. It contains alcohol, but unfortunately, my grandfather is in poor health and can't drink at all. This is a waste. The other item... Hmm? This jade Buddha is quite good!" Mr. Mu Ying, who was also involved in antiques, naturally recognized the value of the jade Buddha and was surprised.

At this moment, Mr. Mu's eyes were fixed on the jade Buddha, as if he were stunned.

"A work by the Master Sculptor Yang Hui? Hmm, that's not right. The carving looks new, but the technique is definitely Yang Hui's. It can't be imitated so well. Little Zhang, tell me, where did you get this?" Mr. Mu, who had spent his life dealing with antiques, immediately recognized Yang Hui's carving style and couldn't help but ask in surprise.

Zhang Tianyuan wanted to be modest, but Xu Gang beat him to it, saying, "Old man, to be honest, this thing is still fresh. The person who carved it is sitting right in front of you."

"You?"

"No, no, of course not me."

"Then it must be Little Zhang! How is this possible... Ah, I remember now. A few days ago, that old guy Tu Shou called me to brag. He said he got two treasures at an auction: one is Mi Fu's 'Farewell to Dongpo,' and the other is Zhu Sansong's 'Peach Garden Alliance' bamboo carving. He even sent me photos, saying he spent over a million in total. But he blocked the signatures, so I thought they were fakes. But the photos looked exactly like the real thing. I wanted to go to Nandu to take a look. Later, he told me that these were imitations, and he wouldn't say who did them. Could it be Little Zhang?"

"Hehe, you got it right, old man. Those two items from Old Tu were bought from my buddy. How's the craftsmanship? Not bad, right?" Xu Gang said proudly.

"Not just not bad, this imitation technique is truly remarkable. Being able to mimic carving or painting techniques to the point of being indistinguishable from the real thing is already very rare. But Little Zhang's technique can even capture the spirit of the masters. This is truly astonishing. Thank you, Little Zhang. This gift is excellent. I really like it," Mr. Mu said with a broad smile, clearly thinking of showing off the jade Buddha to Tu Shou.

"If you like it, that's great. Try this alcohol too," Zhang Tianyuan said with a smile.

"Old classmate, I already told you, my grandfather can't drink," Mr. Mu Ying reiterated.

"Yingzi, how could you forget? This alcohol is different from ordinary alcohol. Drinking it not only has no bad effects but also many benefits," Xu Gang said with a smile.

Mr. Mu Ying suddenly remembered the alcohol they drank in Shenluo Valley and said in surprise, "Is this monkey wine?"

"Yep, that's right, monkey wine," Xu Gang nodded.

When Mr. Mu heard it was monkey wine, he uncorked the gourd, poured a little into a teacup, took a sip, and his eyes suddenly lit up. He then drank the entire cup.

"Good! Very good! It's rich, clear, and fragrant, and it doesn't make you feel uncomfortable. This is definitely the best wine for us old men who like to drink but have poor health. Where did you get this wine?" Mr. Mu said, pouring another cup and drinking it while asking.

"This can't be bought. It was passed down to me by an old Taoist on Fengluan Mountain. I still have a bit left," Zhang Tianyuan explained.

"Ah, what a pity. Such good wine, but it can't be bought. That's a real shame," Mr. Mu sighed.

"What's the problem? My buddy has learned the brewing method from the Taoist. If you want to drink it, I can brew it for you. The brewing cycle isn't that long, just a few months. The only issue is the materials and the complex brewing process, but there's no problem brewing it for you," Xu Gang said, trying to curry favor with his future wife's grandfather, even at the cost of his friend.

Mr. Mu, hearing Xu Gang's words, asked Zhang Tianyuan, "What materials are needed to brew this monkey wine?"

"Actually, it's not much. Monkey wine comes in two types: one is called 'Hundred Fruit Brew,' and the other is 'Hundred Flower Brew.' As the names suggest, they require some fruits and flowers as materials. The key is the brewing method," Zhang Tianyuan explained.

"That's easy to handle. Shangpu receives fruits and flowers from all over the country and even the world every day. If you want to brew this monkey wine, you can set up a winery in Shangpu. We don't need to produce it on a large scale like a certain cool tea. We can position it as a high-end product. Such a good thing, if it can't be tasted by the world, it would be a waste," Mr. Mu said.

"But the land in Shangpu is too expensive, and we don't have that much money. Besides, we don't know much about the winery business. Brewing isn't a problem, and we can hire experts for promotion. The main issues are the land and money," Zhang Tianyuan said, frowning. He had thought about this before. Although he dealt with antiques, monkey wine could be considered a vintage of the wine world. If he could bring it back to the public, it would be a great deed.

"These are not problems, not problems at all. I have many friends in this business. I can handle the land and funding. I've been thinking about finding something to do recently, but I haven't found anything suitable. I think this is worth doing. You should know that many of my friends like to drink but can't because of their health. If your monkey wine really hits the market, even if this gourd costs ten thousand, they will buy it. For rich people, this is nothing," Mr. Mu took over the matter.

"If that's the case, what's there to talk about? Let's do it!" Since the land and money were no longer issues, Zhang Tianyuan naturally wouldn't be coy. He knew that once the monkey wine winery was built, it would be a very stable source of income, unlike antiques.