Chapter 9: Hooking a Large Turtle

The news of Li Qingyun returning to the village to recuperate quickly spread. Wearing the hat of the top university student in Qinglong Town, he received a lot of attention. However, people only felt sorry that he had lost his job due to a car accident, and it became a topic of conversation for a few days. There was no real malice.

Villagers discussing the affairs of their neighbors is a common habit. In the countryside, there aren't many interesting things to talk about. Catching a big fish or hunting a wild boar can quickly become news.

Today, the weather was nice, with a clear sky and a gentle breeze. Li Qingyun took his fishing rod and a small bucket, preparing to go fishing at the Xian Dai River outside the village. He could have put his fishing gear in the small space, but he was afraid of being sliced and studied, so he only put small tools like a net bag in the space, not daring to put the rattan chair from home inside.

Two golden little puppies followed behind him. They were only a little over a month old, but after drinking the spring water from the space for a few days, their small bodies grew rapidly, and they were full of energy, already able to bark clearly.

"Woof woof! Woof woof..." Gold Coin and Copper Coin, plump and lively like two small whirlwinds, followed Li Qingyun, occasionally biting his pants, complaining that he was walking too fast.

"If you keep causing trouble, I'll lock you in a cage! No food, no water!" Li Qingyun, annoyed by their interference, sternly threatened.

Surprisingly, the two puppies immediately became obedient upon hearing his scolding, whimpering and obediently following behind.

As he passed through the village, he encountered several aunts and grandmothers, and had to stop to chat. The more he wanted to go fishing, the more he couldn't leave. These people were very热情 to Li Qingyun, asking about his life in the city, why he got injured, how his ex-girlfriend was, and when he would get married.

When asked, he couldn't avoid answering, but he didn't want to answer some questions. If he said he had broken up with his girlfriend, they might start matchmaking for him the next day. This kindness was hard to refuse.

Just as he was sweating with anxiety, he heard an old man's voice from the alley entrance: "Fuwazi, when did you come back? Why didn't you come to see Grandpa Wu?"

"Oh, Grandpa Wu, I was just on my way to see you. I just chatted a bit more with Auntie Er," Li Qingyun replied with a smile, escaping from Auntie Er, who was still eager to chat.

Gold Coin and Copper Coin were also impatient, barking wildly and running ahead of Li Qingyun, their speed even faster than his.

As soon as he entered the alley, he smelled the pure aroma of grain wine. Grandpa Wu was Li Qingyun's great-uncle, a close relative, and an expert in brewing. He made a living from this skill. In the eleven villages of Qinglong Town, other villages also brewed wine, but their skills were far inferior to Grandpa Wu's. One sip of his wine could distinguish the quality.

Grandpa Wu was a bit hunched but very robust, bare-chested even in the spring, sweating profusely. He had just taken the steamed sorghum out of the pot, cooled it down, sprinkled the big qu powder, and let it ferment for a certain time before distilling it to make the wine. The steps were simple, but each step was the result of years of experience. Any mistake in any step would affect the taste of the original liquor.

"Grandpa Wu, you look good, but don't overwork yourself. With your skills, you should take on more apprentices so you don't have to work so hard," Li Qingyun said, putting down his things and preparing to look around.

"The business has been bad these past two years. Even if I wanted to take on apprentices, no one is willing to do it. Now, only my nephew's family helps me. I can only pass my skills to him," the old man said, puffing on his pipe, looking a bit worried.

"How can the business be bad? Grandpa Wu's skills are the best in Qinglong Town. My grandfather, who is very picky about his taste, only likes the small five-grain and pure sorghum wine you brew. Especially the old wine buried underground for a few years. My grandfather says he wouldn't trade it for Maotai."

Hearing the praise, the old man immediately brightened up: "Ha, if my brother likes it, that's good. I'll send a few jars of ten-year-old wine to your grandfather. The house is so small, and it's getting harder to store the wine. The town's wine shops have learned to blend, using low-quality wine and flavorings to sell at low prices, squeezing out the genuine old wine I brew. If it weren't for the taste of old friends, I wouldn't bother storing the wine. I'd just sell the new wine, which is easier and doesn't tie up capital."

Hearing Grandpa Wu's words, Li Qingyun had a sudden idea. No place to store the wine? Accumulating costs? He had a space, where he could grow things on top and dig a wine cellar underneath to store the wine. If he stored it in the space for a year, it would be equivalent to ten years of aging. Even if he didn't sell it, it would be a pleasure to drink.

"Um... good idea... Grandpa will definitely like the taste of aged wine!" Li Qingyun's face lit up with a smile.

"Fuwazi, did the car accident damage your brain? Why are you smiling like an idiot?" the old man asked, a bit worried.

Li Qingyun quickly replied: "Ah, no, no, my head is fine. I just thought of a way. I have a friend in the big city who does bulk wine business. He has high standards for the quality of the wine. If he approves of this wine, the sales won't be a problem."

"What? A big city boss will like our local wine? This new wine costs only three to five yuan per pound and isn't even worth mentioning. Even the old wine stored for a few years only sells for twenty or thirty yuan in the town," Grandpa Wu was very surprised and a bit uncertain.

"Grandpa, don't worry. Businessmen are profit-driven. If there's no profit, they won't do it. People in the mountains are too conservative. They think making a yuan or two per pound is a lot. But in the big cities, unscrupulous wine merchants have turned white wine into a luxury. A well-packaged bottle of white wine can cost hundreds of yuan, and brands like Maotai and Wuliangye can cost thousands or even tens of thousands of yuan per bottle."

"Good, good. If this business works out, I'll make sure you never run out of wine. Huizi, stop fooling around in the wine cellar. Quickly pour a bottle of each type of wine as samples. Fuwazi is going to introduce big business to us!" Grandpa Wu, who had a quick temper, couldn't wait to start bottling the wine upon hearing the good news.

Li Qingyun wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, thinking that it was lucky Grandpa Wu's wine prices were very cheap. If they were a bit higher, his savings wouldn't be enough. He needed to earn money quickly, or he wouldn't be able to live in the mountain village.

Gold Coin and Copper Coin were playing with a big spotted dog at the entrance to the wine cellar. Since the big dog was tied up and couldn't move freely, it couldn't catch the two puppies, which made it roar in anger, feeling its dignity challenged.

"Fuwazi is back? Hehe..." Huizi poked his head out of the wine cellar and greeted Li Qingyun.

Huizi's real name was Li Qinghu, a tall, big man with a family genetic trait, dark and shiny skin, and a mouthful of white, even teeth when he smiled.

"Huizi, you keep working. This isn't urgent. After bottling the wine, label it so I can tell which price it is," Li Qingyun responded with a smile, picking up the two puppies to stop them from being naughty.

"Easy to distinguish. The small sorghum wine has three grades: low, medium, and high. The five-grain wine also has three grades. As for the corn wine, people in the city probably won't like it. It's too strong and burns the throat. There's not much of the aged wine left, so we won't bottle it," Huizi, who had stayed in the mountain village since graduating from middle school, was a bit straightforward.

Grandpa Wu, dissatisfied, scolded: "Stop talking so much. Just bottle it! The aged wine has two grades: five-year and ten-year. They are all made from the best high-grade wine. Other years don't have the same characteristics. Less than five years lacks the aroma, and less than ten years lacks the charm. Over ten years, there's no place to store it, and the storage cost is too high. We only have a little left, which we keep for ourselves."

Li Qingyun, eager to go fishing, said: "Alright, let's do it this way. After bottling, send it to my place. My left hand is still in a cast, so I can't carry it."

"Don't worry. You've done so much for us, we won't let you do the hard work. Go on, go on. If you catch a big fish, Grandpa Wu will make you a spicy fish with fermented beans to go with the wine. We'll drink the best wine, which has been aged for over ten years."

"Grandpa Wu, you said it. No backing out, ha ha..." Hearing about the good wine, Li Qingyun's mouth was almost watering.

It was already midday, and the villagers were all working in the fields, so no one was stopping Li Qingyun to chat.

Finding a place with a gentle riverbank, he sat down, skillfully testing the water depth, baiting the hook, and casting the line into the water.

The Xian Dai River, which wound around the village, was over thirty meters wide, varying in width at different bends and divided into many small tributaries. Li Qingyun didn't know the true source, but it was said to be in the deep mountains. There was a natural lake on Lotus Peak in the deep mountains, which was said to be related to this river.

"Woof woof! Woof woof..." The two puppies chased butterflies in the wildflowers by the riverbank, playing happily. Soon, their bodies and mouths were covered in grass and dirt, and they ran back to Li Qingyun, licking their tongues and rubbing against his legs affectionately.

"If you're not thirsty or hungry, play by yourself. If you want to drink the spring water, come and act cute. Damn, I'm raising not dogs but ingrates?" Despite his scolding, Li Qingyun flipped his hand and took out two dog bowls from the space, filled with spring water.

Without waiting for Li Qingyun to say anything, the two puppies pounced, gulping down the water and then licking the bowls clean, their little bellies already bulging.

Suddenly, the float in the river sank and disappeared. Li Qingyun, startled, quickly pulled the fishing rod. Something in the water was strong, trying to hide in the weeds.

Li Qingyun wouldn't let it get away. He controlled the rod, slowly making small circles, and in a few moments, he lured it to