Chapter 4: Refining Cloudy Wine into Immortal Elixir

Chang’an was situated in the north, where the main grain crops of the period were wheat and millet. Both wheat and millet were relatively drought-resistant, making them well-suited to the region’s arid climate. Rice, for now, was still mostly confined to the southern areas of Jiangsu and Zhejiang. If one wished to plant rice in Du Family Village, proper irrigation was essential.

Fortunately, a clear river ran through the heart of Du Family Village, providing excellent conditions for rice cultivation. In Du Chengfeng’s memories, growing rice was not a difficult task; it was simply that the northerners favored wheat, and the villagers had little experience with rice farming. It seemed he would have to teach them himself.

But Du Chengfeng’s immediate concern was survival, both for himself and his elder brother. The money within the system could not be exchanged for the current currency. Their grandfather had just passed away, and after asking his brother Du Wen, he learned their entire fortune amounted to only seven hundred coins, painstakingly accumulated over many years.

Though, given the prices of the Tang Dynasty, those seven hundred coins could last for a while, Du Chengfeng was now accompanied by a system, destined to achieve greatness. Wealth was a resource; without a steady stream of it, grand ambitions would remain nothing but idle talk. As the saying goes, a single coin can fell a hero—money isn’t everything, but without it, nothing is possible. This was a truth universally acknowledged.

With the reputation system not yet activated and the system store still closed, he could earn money only through his own ingenuity. How, then, to obtain his first pot of gold? Du Chengfeng began to ponder.

Suddenly, inspiration struck him and he exclaimed, “That’s it—I can brew liquor! It’s simple and easy to implement, and the profit margins are enormous. Most importantly, it’s a sustainable business, the perfect way to make money.” He slapped his thigh, reveling in the idea.

At this period, the alcohol content of liquor was actually quite low, even less than modern beer, only a few degrees. Hence the verse: “One must drink three hundred cups at a sitting, never tire of mad songs and a hundred cups of wine.” Though poetry exaggerates, it reveals a truth: Tang Dynasty liquor was very weak.

The so-called liquor was merely made by using fermenting agents mixed with grain, left to naturally ferment. The result was a cloudy brew, similar in color to modern yellow wine, commonly referred to as turbid liquor. It wasn’t until the Song Dynasty, with the advent of distillation techniques, that turbid liquor was replaced.

As a modern man who had traversed time, Du Chengfeng was accustomed to strong spirits of fifty or sixty degrees; he found this weak turbid liquor oddly unpalatable.

Driven by his idea, Du Chengfeng, a man of action, wasted no time. His previous self had been reserved, interacting little with the villagers, so he knew he’d need help. With this in mind, he quickly called his brother Du Wen and hurried to the neighboring house of Old Man Du.

Old Man Du was shuffling through his courtyard when he saw Du Chengfeng and Du Wen approaching in haste, his kindly face filled with puzzlement.

With concern, Old Man Du asked, “Chengfeng, what’s happened? You look anxious—has something gone wrong?”

“No, nothing’s wrong, Old Man Du, please don’t worry. We just wanted to discuss something with you,” Du Chengfeng replied calmly.

“Oh? What is it? Tell me. I’m old, but if there’s anything I can help with, just say the word. No need to stand on ceremony,” Old Man Du said, pausing and smiling with gratification.

The warmth of Old Man Du made Du Chengfeng, newly arrived in the Tang Dynasty, feel a little out of place. “Old Man Du, is there anyone in the village who brews liquor? Or even just ready-made turbid liquor, as much as possible—I need it urgently,” Du Chengfeng asked tentatively.

“Liquor! What do you need so much liquor for?” Old Man Du’s wrinkled face creased further with concern.

Seeing his anxiety, Du Chengfeng realized he’d misunderstood. He quickly explained, “Please don’t worry, Old Man Du. I simply want to buy liquor to do business. Now that my grandfather’s gone, I need to learn to stand on my own. I can’t just sit idle in that shabby house, can I? Don’t you agree?”

Old Man Du paused, feeling Du Chengfeng made good sense. After such a loss, Chengfeng seemed to have matured. After a moment’s thought, he said, “Chengfeng, if that’s what you want, I’m at ease. But no one brews liquor here. If you really need it, your uncle and aunt can go around the village and purchase some for you.”

“That’s fine. Please ask uncle and aunt to help buy as much as possible, and deliver it to my house as soon as they can,” Du Chengfeng said calmly, handing over his entire fortune of seven hundred coins to Old Man Du. “Old Man Du, this is all I have. Please use it all to buy turbid liquor.”

Handing over everything his grandfather had left him, Du Chengfeng was making a bold gamble.

Yet he felt no anxiety. With his knowledge of history, he was confident he could quickly accumulate capital in the Tang Dynasty.

“Chengfeng, what are you planning?” Seeing him hand over all his money, Old Man Du hesitated, glancing at Du Chengfeng and then at Du Wen, clearly worried.

Sensing the concern in Old Man Du’s eyes, Du Chengfeng sighed inwardly. He knew Old Man Du was worried about him, afraid he was too young and inexperienced.

He simply didn’t know that Du Chengfeng’s soul was now that of a modern special forces soldier.

Du Chengfeng remembered the distillation process perfectly. If he could purify the turbid liquor and promote it in Chang’an, the profits would be immense. His resolve to refine the turbid liquor grew even stronger.

But to reassure Old Man Du, Du Chengfeng patted his chest and said, “Please don’t worry, Old Man Du. I’m just going to brew liquor, and I’m confident I can do it.” Determination flashed in his eyes.

Though Old Man Du had no idea what Du Chengfeng intended, the confidence and conviction in his gaze convinced him at last to trust Chengfeng.

The old Du Chengfeng had been reserved, quiet, and seldom interacted with others. It seemed that the shock of his grandfather’s passing had changed him—he was now more cheerful, even showing a hint of rebellious spirit.

To Old Man Du, this sudden change meant Chengfeng had grown up, and that made him feel gratified. His gaze toward Chengfeng softened considerably.

“In that case, I’ll call your uncle and aunt to help you right away,” Old Man Du said, then led Du Chengfeng slowly into the house.