Chapter 64

【Mutter the Saitu website three times, do you remember? If you don't remember, I'll ask again in the next chapter. It's best to share it on Facebook.】

Compared to the surrounding villages, Xihan Ridge was much more backward, but at this moment, the strong festive atmosphere could be felt here. Du Gang's words also made Du Yongchang and the others think of the past, when life was ordinary but everyone was happy during the New Year. Thinking about this, they couldn't help but sigh, wondering where the New Year had gone.

Fireworks burst continuously, and laughter echoed throughout the courtyard. When the fireworks finally faded, the Du family returned to their room, but the courtyard still echoed with the sounds of gongs and drums. Not only the villagers of Xihan Ridge, but even the nearby city dwellers were infected and unwilling to leave.

Zhao Xinyu didn't go out, but he listened in his room. In the end, he didn't even know when the villagers went to bed.

The next day, Zhao Xinyu got up early as usual. When he went outside, he found that the debris from the fireworks and firecrackers from the night before had been cleaned up neatly.

The courtyard was also spotless, with almost no traces of sunflower seeds or other debris on the ground, which deeply touched Zhao Xinyu.

Around nine o'clock, Han Li, Han Jun, and others came to Zhao Xinyu's place, followed by Zheng Min and her mother, but they didn't see anyone else.

"Han Li, where are Grandpa Han and the others?"

Han Li turned to look at the living room, "Grandpa said that since you have guests, and the villagers don't know how to speak properly, they won't come over."

Zhao Xinyu shook his head, "The Du family is just trying to make it lively. I'll call Brother Jiang and his group, and you notify the others."

"Zhao Xinyu, you should take a look, your place is on the front page," Du Mengnan rushed into the kitchen while Zhao Xinyu and Zheng Min were busy preparing lunch.

As Du Mengnan said, the video of the New Year's Eve celebration, fireworks, and the lively scene in the courtyard, which the villagers spontaneously created, had been uploaded to the internet and then re-posted, eventually becoming a hot topic.

Countless netizens gave thumbs up, believing that this was the true New Year, and such a New Year had the flavor of the holiday, allowing people to fully enjoy themselves.

More people commented on why a village could have such a strong festive atmosphere, while in the concrete jungles of big cities, the New Year had lost its traditional flavor.

Watching the video circulating on the internet, Zhao Xinyu was a bit stunned. He hadn't expected that something he considered trivial would be so widely discussed by netizens.

"Grandpa just said that in the future, we'll come to your place for the New Year and other holidays."

Zhao Xinyu laughed, "It looks like I'll have to start charging in the future."

Du Mengnan gave him a big eye roll, "Yu Mo is so envious. They've been busy with New Year's greetings and said they would definitely come before the Lantern Festival. I just checked, and there are still rooms available. Should I reserve one for them?"

"Sure, I'll find someone to clean it up. By the way, why aren't you and Yu Mo going to pay New Year's greetings?"

"Tomorrow, we'll all go, but Grandpa will stay behind. Can you take care of him?"

Zhao Xinyu was slightly taken aback. He looked at Zheng Min, who was busy tidying up, and chuckled, "It looks like only Grandpa and I will be here tomorrow."

Zheng Min sighed softly. After her husband's incident, due to the family's situation, she couldn't remember the last time she had returned to her hometown. Now that Zhao Xinyu mentioned it, she felt a mix of emotions.

Seeing Zheng Min holding a few wild mushrooms and lost in thought, Zhao Xinyu was moved. "Mengmeng, how are the black fungus and wild mushrooms selling at the hotel?"

Du Mengnan smiled mysteriously, "I launched the wild mushrooms and black fungus yesterday. Everyone who ordered the New Year's Eve dinner at the hotel said they were unique. We'll know more in a few days."

In the following days, as every household was busy with New Year's greetings and visiting relatives, the courtyard was indeed left with only Zhao Xinyu and Du Gang.

One day, Zhao Xinyu received a call from Du Mengnan, asking him to pay attention to the online trends, especially the situation at Pengcheng Hotel.

Zhao Xinyu saw that almost everyone in his social circle was discussing Pengcheng Hotel. The black fungus and wild mushrooms had become a hit at Pengcheng Hotel, and the hotel was packed every day, with reservations extending beyond the Lantern Festival.

The reason for Pengcheng Hotel's booming business, besides the black fungus and wild mushrooms, was mainly due to the introduction of the wine he had brewed. Customers who spent a certain amount could order a bottle of a wine called Purple Emperor.

Although Purple Emperor was an unknown brand, its price was shockingly high, with a bottle costing 38,800 yuan, equivalent to the annual salary of an average salaried worker.

Such a price was not something ordinary people could afford, but Pengcheng Hotel had its own circle of customers. Many were familiar with the hotel and knew it wouldn't overcharge. So, a regular customer bought a bottle of Purple Emperor after spending enough at the hotel.

When he received the Purple Emperor, the regular customer was stunned. The 38,800 yuan Purple Emperor was simply placed in a plain bamboo tube, with no special features.

The name sounded good, but the packaging was very ordinary, which disappointed the regular customer and made his friends mock him.

In a fit of anger, the regular customer threw the bamboo tube to the ground, deciding never to step foot in Pengcheng Hotel again.

But the moment the bamboo tube broke, the unique aroma of Purple Emperor caught his attention. He saw the Purple Emperor on the ground, crystal clear and unlike other wines, which seemed watery. Purple Emperor was dense and didn't disperse.

Anyone who could enter a star-rated hotel like Pengcheng Hotel was someone of status. The regular customer threw the Purple Emperor in the hall, and among the crowded hall, there were connoisseurs.

An older man, before the regular customer could react, picked up the broken bamboo tube and drank the remaining Purple Emperor in one gulp.

A moment later, his eyes lit up, "Friend, what a pity. How could you be so careless? This is Purple Emperor, right? The hotel is selling it cheaply."

He then looked at the waiter, "Waiter, bring me a bottle of Purple Emperor."

Everyone in the hall, all of whom had some status, could see the uniqueness of Purple Emperor and requested to order it with their meals.

After tasting Purple Emperor, those who bought it boasted about it, and through their spread, Purple Emperor became a sensation in Pengcheng.

The taste of Purple Emperor was too unique, but the quantity was extremely limited. Every day, those who bought Purple Emperor treasured it like a precious gem, driving those who wanted to taste it to desperation, with some even offering high prices to buy reserved seats.

The popularity of Purple Emperor also caught the attention of wine giants like Bordeaux and DRC. They managed to buy a bottle of Purple Emperor, and after tasting it, they were even more amazed.

These brands, which had been around for hundreds of years, had maintained their popularity for decades. But now, a previously unknown brand like Purple Emperor had emerged, and its taste was unmatched by even their top-tier wines that had been aged for centuries.

As wine industry tycoons, they knew the value of a brand like Purple Emperor and sent business spies to find out where it was produced.

However, the investigation showed that Purple Emperor was only sold in one place, and even the upper management of Pengcheng Hotel didn't know its origin.

Looking at the heated discussions about Purple Emperor on his phone, Zhao Xinyu couldn't help but shake his head. He hadn't expected his homemade wine to become so popular, even attracting the attention of wine giants.

"Xinyu, what's wrong?"

Zhao Xinyu smiled and handed his phone to Du Gang. After a few glances, Du Gang smiled faintly. They had always thought their wine was authentic, but they didn't know that thousands of years ago, there was a saying about "grape wine in a night light cup." They were the true ancestors of winemaking.

After saying this, Du Gang looked at Zhao Xinyu, "Xinyu, there's not much left of what our ancestors gave us. We must remain true to our roots."

Zhao Xinyu chuckled. The winemaking technique he used was indeed an ancient recipe. His grandfather had once made wine according to the recipe, but the taste was far inferior to the Purple Emperor he now produced.

He knew why the taste of Purple Emperor was so special. One reason was the grapes, but more importantly, it was the water from the space.

"Old Du, don't worry. Even if I give them this technique, they won't be able to produce the taste of Purple Emperor."

Du Gang sighed softly, and his eyes showed a hint of emotion. At this moment, he saw the shadow of his elder brother in Zhao Xinyu.

He was conflicted. He wasn't sure whether to tell Zhao Xinyu about that incident. The old leader had given no news, and he wasn't clear about what had happened back then. He was also worried that Zhao Xinyu's sudden appearance might cause unnecessary trouble.

"Xinyu, what do you plan to do with this courtyard this year? You have the winemaking skills, and I think you should promote them."

"Old Du, I've thought about it. We'll plant vegetables in the courtyard, and I'll temporarily only plant grapes here. The edges of the land are hard to reach with machinery, so I plan to plant some sour plums around the perimeter. Sour plums can help prevent soil erosion and can be used to make juice in the fall. They can also serve as a habitat for chickens and ducks."

"That's a good idea. Let me know if you need any help. By the way, you should try to get your Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) practitioner's license. If something had happened last time, I wouldn't know how to explain it to the Luo family."

Zhao Xinyu laughed, "I've already registered. Once things calm down here, I'll take the TCM exam."

【Do you remember the three times you were asked to mutter the Saitu website at the beginning of the chapter? Sharing on Facebook might bring a surprise.】