Chapter 55

Chu Huan openly defied Manager Yuan in front of everyone, but surprisingly, he was allowed to stay. This news quickly spread among the workers in the distillery, and within just a few days, almost everyone knew about it. However, no one dared to mention it openly. Baidu Search: %%

Since then, the workers at Heshengquan looked at Chu Huan differently, showing a mixture of respect and fear. Even Niu Jin and Huang Fu, who shared a room with Chu Huan, spoke to him more cautiously.

However, Chu Huan's attitude towards them was very gentle, and as they joked and laughed together, Niu Jin and Huang Fu's tension gradually eased, though their respect for him increased.

Abbot Liang and Manager Yuan had been very subdued these past few days. Manager Yuan, who usually liked to walk around the various rooms with his hands behind his back to show off his authority, had not been to the drying hall for several days after that incident.

What Chu Huan heard the most these past two days was the workers talking about opening the cellars. He didn't understand this, so he asked Huang Fu and Niu Jin about it one night. Huang Fu explained, "Opening the cellars is a term used in the industry. To put it simply, it means fetching the wine!"

"Fetching wine from the cellars?" Chu Huan asked.

Since he was temporarily staying at Heshengquan, he knew it was good to understand more about the place. Besides, although Chu Huan had long left the profession of a mixologist, he still had a deep affection for wine culture and was quite interested in it.

"Of course!" Huang Fu, who was more talkative than Niu Jin, said, "Have you seen the wine storage area?"

Chu Huan nodded. On his first day at Heshengquan, he had seen the wine storage area, which was quite large.

Huang Fu smiled and said, "What you saw was just the outer cellar."

"Outer cellar?"

"Exactly," Huang Fu said. "Below the wine storage area, there is an inner cellar... The difference between the outer and inner cellars is like heaven and earth!"

Chu Huan became interested and leaned forward, glancing at the wooden bed beside him. The bearded man was, as usual, wrapped in his blanket, seemingly oblivious to the outside world.

"Brother Chu, have you heard of Zhuqing wine?" Huang Fu asked.

Chu Huan nodded.

"What do you think of its taste?"

"Sweet and refreshing, with a rich and fragrant aroma. It is indeed a top-quality wine!" Chu Huan said sincerely.

Huang Fu nodded and said, "Zhuqing wine comes from the inner cellar... It is the best wine we have at Heshengquan... and probably the best in the entire Yunshan Prefecture!"

"What's the difference between the inner and outer cellars?" Chu Huan asked curiously.

Huang Fu thought for a moment and said, "In the entire Yunshan Prefecture, perhaps only Heshengquan has an inner cellar. All other distilleries only have outer cellars... Our inner cellar was built by the old master."

Chu Huan was puzzled. "If the inner cellar can produce such good wine, why don't other distilleries have one?"

Niu Jin, who couldn't hold back, interrupted, "Brother Chu, the inner cellar isn't just a pit. It requires golden soil...!" Realizing he wasn't explaining clearly, he added, "Golden soil isn't made of real gold. It's a type of yellow soil that is different from ordinary soil... It has a fragrant aroma...!" Feeling his explanation was still inadequate, he looked at Huang Fu and said, "You explain it!"

Huang Fu chuckled and continued, "The old master obtained the golden soil from somewhere. At the time, people just thought it was something new, but few knew its true purpose. The old master had the inner cellar dug underground, and the walls and floor were lined with golden soil. For the first half year, water was poured on the golden soil every few days. Strangely, each time water was poured, the fragrance of the golden soil became stronger. Isn't that strange, Brother Chu?"

Chu Huan stroked his chin, frowning. Although he didn't know much about "golden soil," he understood that the world was full of wonders, and this golden soil was certainly more than just soil.

"Later, the old master decreed that only rice wine, which is Zhuqing wine, could be stored in the inner cellar. The inner cellar is opened only once every six months, and each time, the oldest wine is fetched... A new batch of wine is then added to replace it. The wine that comes out, although stored for only two years, is even more fragrant and better than wine stored for decades!" Huang Fu said.

Chu Huan nodded slightly. It seemed that the Zhuqing wine from the inner cellar was the foundation of Heshengquan's reputation.

"The outer cellar stores barley wine, wheat wine, and sorghum wine," Huang Fu said. "These wines, while not as fragrant and sweet as Zhuqing wine, are still excellent. Many places in Yunshan Prefecture come here to buy large quantities of wine... and every time the inner cellar is opened, the owners of wine shops and taverns from all over come to buy our Zhuqing wine...!"

Chu Huan finally understood the difference between the inner and outer cellars and smiled. "Thank you, Brother Huang. I never knew Heshengquan had such a treasure cellar!"

"It is indeed a treasure cellar!" Huang Fu nodded and sighed. "Everyone knows that the inner cellar of Heshengquan is like a money tree. With the inner cellar, we never have to worry about money. However, everyone wants a treasure. Heshengquan's inner cellar has made our business flourish, but it has also attracted the envy of many. Brother Chu, you may not know, but since the old master's death, many people have tried to take over our distillery. Several times, the distillery almost fell into the hands of others. Fortunately, the current master fought hard to keep this treasure cellar...!"

At this point, the sound of a gong came from outside, calling everyone to rest.

Huang Fu didn't dare to continue and blew out the oil lamp, going to bed. As usual, it wasn't long before the room was filled with the snoring of Huang Fu and Niu Jin.

Chu Huan, like the previous two nights, wrapped himself in the blanket but left a small gap. In the dim light, he could see the bearded man on the adjacent bed.

After a short while, when everything was quiet, the bearded man indeed lifted the blanket again and quietly walked to the door, closing it gently behind him as he had done before.

Chu Huan was full of doubts. This strange scene had been happening every night since the first night.

Over the past few nights, the bearded man had left the room at this time every night and stayed out for a long time, returning just before dawn to continue sleeping.

Chu Huan didn't think the bearded man was sleepwalking.

Originally, the bearded man had nothing to do with Chu Huan, and although his behavior was strange, Chu Huan didn't want to cause trouble. However, the signs over the past few nights had made Chu Huan's doubts grow stronger.

He had observed the bearded man's appearance, which, while not obvious, was distinctly different from that of the people of the Central Plains. Chu Huan even suspected that the bearded man's thick beard was to conceal his true appearance, so as not to be recognized.

In the Great Qin Empire, to the northwest was Xiliang, and to the northeast was Goryeo. The people of Xiliang and Goryeo looked very similar to the Qin people, but Chu Huan was certain that the bearded man was neither from Xiliang nor Goryeo.

When the bearded man left the room, Chu Huan also quietly lifted the blanket and followed him out, closing the door gently behind him.

Under the cover of night, he could faintly see the bearded man's figure heading west.

Chu Huan's figure blended into the darkness, his steps light and agile. Using the shadows of the buildings, he quickly followed the bearded man.

The moon was hidden behind the clouds, casting only a faint light, making the world extremely dark. Fortunately, Chu Huan had excellent eyesight, and what would be difficult for an ordinary person to see in such darkness was clear to him.

He could see that the bearded man's movements were very agile, almost ghostlike, despite his robust build.

Chu Huan knew that the bearded man was no ordinary person and didn't dare to follow too closely. After a while, he saw the bearded man reach the western wall of the courtyard, where he didn't hesitate and climbed up the high wall like a gecko, disappearing over the top in an instant.

Chu Huan was quite surprised by the bearded man's agility, even thinking that his skills were not inferior to his own.

How could such a skilled person be in a small county distillery?

Although surprised, Chu Huan didn't stop. He quickly reached the wall and, like a gecko, stuck to it, his fingers gripping the cracks in the wall. His fingers were very strong, like steel, and he climbed to the top of the wall in a moment, then lightly landed outside.

Landing at the base of the wall, Chu Huan looked around and could faintly see the bearded man's figure to the west. He immediately followed, his body slightly bent, and the two of them, like ghosts in the night, moved westward.

Heshengquan was located in the western corner of Qingliu City, where the houses were sparse, mostly residential alleys. Chu Huan kept his distance and followed the bearded man down a quiet street. After a short while, the bearded man suddenly stopped, turned around, and looked back.

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