Chapter 5: Immortal Wine Purification Succeeds (The story is a lighthearted fantasy with elements of farming life, not a strict historical novel.)

Just at that moment, Old Master Du’s son and daughter-in-law emerged from the house, evidently having heard the commotion outside. Seeing them come out, Du Chengfeng quickly greeted them, “Hello, Uncle. Hello, Aunt.” In his memory, Old Master Du’s son and daughter-in-law had always treated him kindly; now that he had a chance to reciprocate their kindness, he ought to repay them even more in the future.

Standing to the side, Du Wen was utterly bewildered. His younger brother had dragged him over, and then, without so much as a blink, had handed all their family’s possessions to Old Master Du. Seeing Du Chengfeng greet his uncle and aunt, Du Wen could only follow suit, grinning stupidly as he greeted them as well.

Old Master Du waved his son and daughter-in-law over, calling out, “Dazhu, Chunhua, come here for a moment.”

“Father, what is it?” His son hurried over at the call.

Old Master Du solemnly handed the seven hundred copper coins that Du Chengfeng had given him to his son. “Dazhu, you and Chunhua take this money and help Chengfeng buy some murky rice wine from the village. Once you’ve bought it, deliver it to his house—he has a use for it.”

“Yes, Father.” Uncle Dazhu took the money and immediately called for Aunt Chunhua to help him pull a cart from their yard before heading toward the village. He was also quite curious what use Chengfeng had for so much murky wine.

“Thank you, Uncle and Aunt. Thank you, Grandpa Du.” Du Chengfeng was deeply grateful and hastened to express his thanks.

After bidding farewell to Old Master Du and returning to his own room, Du Chengfeng began preparing to distill and purify the murky wine. Fortunately, there was still an old iron pot in the house—large enough for his needs—and after cleaning it, it was ready for use. In the courtyard, he rebuilt a large stove, set the iron pot atop it, then found a steamer basket to cover it. He made a small opening at the top to connect a length of bamboo tube, placed a basin of cold water midway along the tube for condensation, and at the end of the tube, set a clay jar—thus assembling a simple distillation apparatus.

With preparations complete, all that was left was to wait for Uncle Dazhu and Aunt Chunhua to bring the wine. Once it arrived, he would pour it into the pot and begin distillation.

“What are you doing, little brother?” Du Wen watched, completely at a loss, as Du Chengfeng busied himself alone in the courtyard, unable to make sense of it all.

“Big brother, do you trust me?” Du Chengfeng looked at Du Wen and asked earnestly.

“I… Of course I trust you. I don’t know what you’re planning, but I support you!” Seeing the confidence and resolve flickering in Du Chengfeng’s eyes, Du Wen’s mind went blank for a moment, but after a brief hesitation, he blurted out his answer.

Before long, Uncle Dazhu arrived with a cart piled high with murky wine. However, seeing the freshly built stove and the strange contraption attached to it, he was utterly baffled.

“Chengfeng, what’s all this peculiar equipment for? Do you need me to stay and help?” Uncle Dazhu asked, curiosity written all over his face.

Seeing Uncle Dazhu’s eagerness and anticipation, Du Chengfeng’s mind turned quickly. He had originally planned to purify some high-proof spirits himself, but since the distilling process would eventually need to be expanded and improved—and they would need help from the villagers—he figured it was best to involve Uncle Dazhu from the start, especially since Old Master Du’s family had always treated him well.

Du Chengfeng pointed to the large iron pot and said, “If you wouldn’t mind, Uncle, please help me pour all the murky wine into this pot. Brother, you help too.” With that, he hoisted a jar of murky wine and poured it in.

“We’re neighbors—of course I don’t mind.” Uncle Dazhu replied politely, and together with Du Chengfeng, poured all the wine from the cart into the pot, jar by jar. Then he watched as Du Chengfeng built a large fire with a heap of wood. He still had no idea what Du Chengfeng was up to, so he simply stood by and observed quietly.

After about half an hour, a strong aroma of wine began to waft from the pot. At the end of the bamboo tube, clear liquor began to drip steadily into the jar below. Theoretically, this was the first distillate, or “heads”—too strong to drink, but in this era, since there was no concept of alcohol, it could be used for disinfecting wounds. It was best to collect it separately.

Although it wasn’t fit for drinking, Uncle Dazhu was nonetheless astounded. The intense fragrance and the crystal-clear liquid flowing from the bamboo tube were nothing like the cloudy, faintly sweet wine they were used to drinking. Uncle Dazhu found it hard to believe his own senses. Just the aroma alone was enough to make him feel slightly tipsy. If he hadn’t fetched the wine himself, he’d have doubted Du Chengfeng.

“Chengfeng, is this really wine? It’s so fragrant and clear. Is this really from the wine I brought just now?” Uncle Dazhu couldn’t contain his curiosity and finally had to ask.

“Yes, Uncle Dazhu. As for what kind of wine, you can call it Immortal’s Brew,” Du Chengfeng replied with an air of mystery. He chuckled inwardly, pleased with the grand name he’d just given the liquor.

Immortal’s Brew? Uncle Dazhu was baffled, unable to comprehend. Yet the alcohol bug in his belly started to stir. He rubbed his hands together, a little embarrassed, and asked, “Chengfeng, do you think I could have a taste, just a sip or two?” As he spoke, his face turned red like a bashful young lad—whether from embarrassment or the heat of the steamer was hard to say. His mouth smacked with anticipation, and his eyes kept darting toward the liquor dripping from the bamboo tube.

Du Chengfeng chuckled to himself. It seemed that strong liquor held an irresistible appeal for men, regardless of the era!

Seeing Uncle Dazhu’s impatience, Du Chengfeng patiently explained, “Not yet, Uncle. This first part is called the ‘heads’—it’s poisonous and undrinkable. Wait another half hour for the main distillate, then it’ll be ready.”

“Hehe, alright, I’ll listen to you.” Uncle Dazhu scratched his head sheepishly.

Another half hour passed, and when the main body of the liquor began to flow, Du Chengfeng filled a jar for Uncle Dazhu and handed it to him. To be safe, he warned, “Uncle Dazhu, you’ve worked hard today. Take this jar home, but remember—don’t drink too much. This liquor is very strong and goes straight to the head. For those not accustomed to it, a single bowl will get you drunk—be careful!”

“Yes, yes, I’ll remember. Well then, I’ll head home. If you need anything else, just call for me.” Hugging the jar tightly, Uncle Dazhu bid farewell and ran back home like the wind, clearly eager to sample the fine brew.

After Uncle Dazhu left, Du Chengfeng distilled the rest of the liquor, filled and sealed the jars, and stored them in his system space, already planning to visit Chang’an City the next day. He was confident that the allure of Immortal’s Brew would make a sensation among the city’s connoisseurs.

All this had been done without Du Wen’s knowledge; if his brother saw the wine vanish into thin air, he’d have to come up with yet another explanation, and for now, Du Chengfeng didn’t want his brother to know, especially not the secret of the system—it was a card he could never reveal, not even to his closest kin.

What Du Chengfeng didn’t know was that as soon as Uncle Dazhu got home with the wine, he called his father and a group of friends from the village, lavishly praised Immortal’s Brew, and proudly showed off the jar. Predictably, the entire jar was quickly emptied by the crowd, leaving Uncle Dazhu hopping mad. But that was none of Du Chengfeng’s concern. Thanks to Uncle Dazhu’s enthusiastic boasting, however, word quickly spread throughout Du Family Village—young and old alike soon knew that Du Chengfeng had crafted a divine and delicious Immortal’s Brew.