Chapter 552: Old Wine's Lingering Fragrance

Back courtyard, Yang Qing's small residence.

The dishes have already been laid out on the table.

Three Eight Immortals tables were pushed together, and Liu Guangtian and Xu Damao were accompanying the guests.

At this table sat Li Long, Mao Ying, Zhongye Liangzi, Xiao Juan, Xiao Baihe, the Little Daily Team Leader, the Beiying Three Flowers, and Dean Lu.

On either side were two more Eight Immortals tables, where the attendants sat together with Liu Guang Fu, Li Da Xiong, and a few others.

Liu Guang Fu's wife, and Li Da Xiong's wife and children, were not present in this courtyard.

Yang Qing's small courtyard wasn't big enough to hold so many people.

As soon as He Yushui entered, Mao Ying and the others ushered her to the main table.

Liu Guangtian, meanwhile, sent Huaihua to Section Chief Qian's table to guard the Moon Gate entrance.

Section Chief Qian glanced at Huaihua but said nothing.

Li Long and the others gazed at the mountain delicacies and seafood on the table, inhaled the refreshing aroma, and couldn't help but drool.

Only when He Yuzhu and Nan Yi brought up the final dishes...

... did the banquet truly begin.

By now, dozens of dishes filled the table, the masterpiece of He Yuzhu and Nan Yi.

"This is the final 'Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea' dish."

"Our dishes are all served now."

"Please, enjoy your meal."

He Yuzhu, eager to show off, brought out all the chef's etiquette he had learned at the restaurant.

Li Long watched Nan Yi and He Yuzhu, standing to the side with a hint of confusion.

"You two, hurry up and sit down—why are you standing?"

Xu Damao glanced at He Yuzhu and explained.

"This is the old rule: chefs don't sit at the table."

Dean Lu also wasn't sure whether to let He Yuzhu and Nan Yi join the table.

Mao Ying spoke up.

"Since it's an old rule, we don't need to follow it anymore."

"Nobody does that sort of thing these days."

"Hurry up and sit, you two—we're practically starving."

Li Long also nodded.

"Yes, yes, I'd also like to ask how this dish is made."

Zhongye Liangzi and the others also chimed in agreement.

Xu Damao timely said.

"He Yuzhu, Nan Yi, we've saved you seats—hurry up and sit, everyone's waiting to eat."

Only then did He Yuzhu and Nan Yi, with embarrassed smiles, take their seats.

Seeing everyone seated, Liu Guangtian brought out his treasured collection.

"This is the osmanthus-aged wine that Qing Ge'er had hidden away."

"The ladies should drink this."

"We men will drink the liquor that Section Chief Qian brought."

The Moutai that Xu Damao brought back had no use now, while the special liquor sent by Section Chief Qian was far superior to what he had bought.

As soon as the food and wine were served, everyone's chatterbox opened again.

Zhongye Liangzi and her companions were novelly experiencing the banquet culture of China.

He Yushui, too, was a well-read person and a descendant of a great chef, deeply knowledgeable about all kinds of dishes.

While eating, she introduced each dish to them.

Mao Ying and the others listened with great relish.

A bite of dish, a sip of osmanthus brew—mouth full of lingering fragrance, hearing of a cultural heritage that runs deep and far.

Even Liu Xiaoqing and the others ate with great enjoyment, a meal like this they rarely get to have more than a few times a year.

Who would have thought that a modest compound would hide two master chefs?

After eating and drinking to her heart's content, Zhongye Liangzi's reserve melted away.

"Yu Shui, is this osmanthus-aged wine easy to buy?"

"I'd like to bring some back; it's really delicious."

He Yushui hadn't expected the foreign guests to take a liking to the osmanthus-aged wine.

"There are still a few bottles at home; take them when you leave."

Zhongye Liangzi waved her hand.

"No, no—I want to buy some, bring it back as gifts, so my friends can also taste the fine liquor of Daxia."

This put He Yushui in a bind, because buying liquor requires liquor coupons.

Dean Lu interjected.

"No problem—I'll coordinate it for you when I get back."

Zhongye Liangzi felt a surge of delight.

The osmanthus-aged wine is indeed delicious.

Mao Ying was not to be outdone.

"I also want a few cases."

Dean Lu readily agreed.

Li Long, not used to drinking sorghum liquor, turned to Liu Guangtian beside him and asked.

"Are there any other good liquors? I'm not used to this Moutai."

Liu Guangtian fished out a bottle of Lotus Flower White.

"This is also what Yang Qing hid."

"Osmanthus Aged is for women, while Lotus Flower White is for men."

"Try it, do you like it?"

"This is brewed using ancient methods, and it even contains herbal ingredients. It's nothing like modern liquor."

"It's a pity, it's been discontinued now."

"This is a rare gem; drink a bottle and there's one less."

"When you leave, take two bottles; the rest must be kept hidden for Yang Qing."

Upon hearing that, Li Long realized he'd stumbled upon something good.

He immediately picked it up and opened it.

A fresh fragrance wafted over, instantly stealing the spotlight from the Moutai.

Xu Damao smelled the aroma and recalled the days when he and Yang Qing would sit around the stove drinking together.

Who would have thought that the Lotus Flower White of old would now have vanished completely?

Li Long poured himself a cup and took a light sip.

The fresh fragrance refreshed his heart and lungs.

He felt as if he were standing in the middle of a lotus pond.

"Good liquor, good liquor."

Dean Lu also had his memories stirred, and Xu Damao, being perceptive, poured a full cup for Li Long and each of the others.

Mao Ying also couldn't help but be curious.

"Can I also have a cup?"

Xu Damao looked at the faces of the few curious women, they were so pretty he couldn't bear to refuse.

Then he gave each of them a full cup as well.

Mao Ying took a sip.

"Mmm, truly fragrant, good liquor."

Nakano Ryoko and the others lightly took a sip.

"Truly good liquor, it's just a shame it's been lost."

Dean Lu saw that so many people liked it.

"I'll go back and report to my superiors to see if production can be resumed."

The people at the table were delighted.

"That's wonderful; when the time comes, we'll definitely show our support."

As for brewing liquor, Xu Damao still knows a bit about it.

"I'm just afraid the ancient brewing technique has been lost."

"Most of the liquor we drink now is produced via the liquid-state method, which simply can't replicate the effect of the ancient method."

"I fear that even if we managed to brew it, it would be only in form, lacking the essence."

(The liquid-state method of brewing liquor was introduced from the Soviet Union; the reason is that it yields a high output and can use any ingredient for brewing. Meanwhile, the ancient method requires grain and also needs a long fermentation period. For us, who were previously dirt poor, the liquid-state method was naturally the most economical. But it is precisely this economy that caused countless secret recipes to be lost, so that later we ended up just blending liquor, and historically famous liquors have virtually disappeared.)

"Don't believe me? Just have everyone recall the taste of Lotus Flower White and Moutai and you'll understand."

"Even Moutai liquor like this is blended, and there's still a certain gap between it and pure-brewed Lotus Flower White."

"In recent years we've regressed in liquor brewing."

"If we want to take up Lotus Flower White again, we must recover the ancient brewing technique of the past."

"With today's technology, we cannot brew genuine Lotus Flower White."

Dean Lu's face stiffened.

How can this guy, as soon as he drinks, lose all decorum? Doesn't he see there are foreign guests present?

You're doing this is damaging our image.

Xu Damao lacks such self-awareness; he's still nostalgic for the old Lotus Flower White, just as he and Yang Qing felt content and happy when they drank together back then.

Li Long felt a pang of regret.

"Alas, that's really a pity."

After hearing Li Long's words, Dean Lu and Section Chief Qian both took them to heart.

People outside like Lotus Flower White, so they produce it; that's how they earn foreign exchange.

As for the ancient brewing technique, formulas, and such, they're no big deal.

In their eyes, these are trivial matters; is it harder than building an atomic bomb?

As long as they want to do it, they can certainly achieve it.

Lotus Flower White was also a famous export product back then.

There must be records preserved.

It's just that over these years it hasn't been valued, and no one knows where it got lost.