Chapter 156: The Second Pot (Second Update)

Zhao Jin and his group all perked up as well, their eyes fixed on those copper pipes. A strong smell of alcohol spread through the air — it was pungent and harsh, not fragrant in the slightest. Zhao Jin's expression remained fairly normal, but everyone else furrowed their brows.

Lu Xiangjiu saw their expressions and hurriedly explained, "Masters, the head of the liquor is always like this. This liquor isn't meant to be jarred right away. We have to wait until this whole pot has been distilled, then mix the liquor together and let it sit for a few days before it can be sold."

Wang Zhaojing was already slowly shaking his head. Though he hadn't drunk much himself, he had seen and smelled enough to know — good liquor would never have such a harsh, pungent bite. How could liquor like this possibly be sold to restaurants and wine shops? This distillery was probably going to lose money.

Even those among them with little experience could quickly figure this much out. Disappointment showed on everyone's faces, and they couldn't help glancing at Zhao Jin. His companions knew him well — Zhao Jin did things openly and honestly, calling a spade a spade, never equivocating or putting on a brave face to save his pride. If something failed, he would admit it at once. A few of the quicker-minded ones were already preparing words of consolation.

To everyone's surprise, Zhao Jin's expression remained as calm and composed as ever, without the slightest hint of disappointment. The more observant among them even noticed what seemed to be a look of delight in his eyes and brow.

What on earth could make him so happy? Everyone was baffled. Lu Xiangjiu and Su Da, however, weren't paying attention to this side — they were busy shouting orders: "Stir harder up there!"

The apprentice standing on the wooden ladder stirred the water in the overhead pot vigorously with a wooden pole. The liquor trickled steadily from the copper pipes into the wine jar below.

The distillery grew hotter and hotter, and the liquor dripping from the copper pipes grew sparser. The apprentice on the wooden ladder shouted out, "The overhead pot's steaming!"

"Stop the bellows! Change the water, quickly!" Lu Xiangjiu yelled.

The apprentices, already well-drilled, moved with practiced efficiency. Another person pushed a different wooden ladder forward, bailing the hot water out of the overhead pot, while someone below carried in well water to replace it.

Soon the overhead pot was filled to the brim again. Su Da shouted out, "Work the bellows! Add more firewood!"

The bellows heaved, the fire gradually swelled, and the steam seeping from the seams of the steaming barrel thickened once more. The liquor dripping from the copper pipes began to increase.

"Master, the liquor's flowing faster now," Lu Xiangjiu explained.

"Aren't we changing the jar that's catching the liquor?" Zhao Jin suddenly spoke up. He had been watching the scene in silence the whole time, and his sudden words startled everyone.

Lu Xiangjiu, a bit confused, replied, "No, we don't change it. The first run doesn't yield much — it won't even fill a third of the jar."

Zhao Jin suddenly smiled. His companions, who had been watching him closely, were startled again. They saw that Zhao Jin's smile was one of pure, unrestrained delight, as if he had encountered something that pleased him immensely.

"Get a fresh jar to catch the liquor!" Zhao Jin suddenly commanded.

Lu Xiangjiu froze. From start to finish, this young master hadn't offered any real opinions — and now he just said "get a fresh jar"? He reflexively began, "Master, the jars aren't exactly convenient—"

"Change it, now!" Zhao Jin barked, his voice brooking no argument.

It could already be called an angry shout. Everyone in the room flinched. Lu Xiangjiu didn't dare say another word and hurriedly ordered the apprentices to swap the jar and catch the liquor.

During this, Lu Xiangjiu and Su Da exchanged a glance, each reading the helplessness in the other's eyes. They were both thinking the same thing: this distillery truly wouldn't last. This young master really was just fooling around — it was all just for his own amusement.

"This smell is too pungent. Take the liquor from the first pot outside!" Zhao Jin ordered again.

His presence was commanding, and the apprentices in the distillery certainly knew whom to obey. Several more men hurried over and carried out the liquor produced from the first pot.

Zhao Jin's companions behind him were also exchanging glances, wondering if their big brother had lost his mind. What was the point of fixating on these trivial little details? Could it be that he was just trying to salvage some face?

Wang Zhaojing was drenched from head to toe. The combined effect of sweat and steam made him unbearably uncomfortable, but he paid it no mind. He was busy signaling to his companions with his eyes, telling them to act as if nothing was wrong. The more they questioned and discussed things now, the more face Zhao Jin would lose.

Suddenly, Wang Zhaojing noticed Ji Xiang twitching his nose. Ji Xiang's family ran a cooked-meat business, so his sense of smell was keener than the others'. But Wang Zhaojing immediately understood the reason — the smell permeating the distillery was no longer that harsh, pungent alcohol stench. It was the fragrance of fine liquor.

This was a true, genuine fragrance. Not a floral perfume, of course, but it made you feel unmistakably that this was liquor — and good liquor at that. The aroma was fierce and intense, yet carried a certain crisp clarity, and the combination somehow felt mellow and smooth.

Everyone in the distillery was flaring their nostrils, sniffing at the air, their faces full of disbelief. Even the men working the bellows had slowed their movements.

Zhao Jin's face was brimming with delight. Smiling, he said, "Don't hold up the run. Get on with what you're supposed to be doing!"

His words were spoken quietly, but everyone who heard them jolted and hurriedly busied themselves again. Lu Xiangjiu stood stunned for a moment, then rushed over to the steaming vat, scooped up a handful of the liquor with his hand, and drank it straight like that.

One mouthful went down, and Lu Xiangjiu stood there frozen. He stayed like that for a while, then couldn't help but lick his palm, scooped up another handful, drank a few more mouthfuls, and stood frozen again.

Su Da gave a few quick instructions to the workers tending the fire and adding wood, then hurried over at a run. He at least had the presence of mind to grab a wine bowl. He caught some liquor, took a sip, and then he too stood frozen. He took another sip, and the wine bowl dropped to the floor. He stared at the steaming barrel, his face full of utter disbelief.

The distillery was now filled entirely with the fragrance of fine liquor. Having smelled those earlier pungent odors, the contrast made the current aroma seem exceptionally rich and mellow. Everyone was unconsciously taking deep breaths.

After a moment, every pair of eyes turned to Zhao Jin. Zhao Jin stood there, stripped to the waist, sweat streaming down his body, yet his face bore a smile of absolute confidence. No one thought he was putting on airs anymore. No one thought he was pretending to know what he didn't. And certainly no one thought he was just fooling around. Every single person was awestruck.

"Brother Zhao, it's true — a capable man can do anything. Brother Zhao really does know how to make liquor, and he knows how to make good liquor at that!" Wang Zhaojing paused, stunned, then spoke with a smile.

"Big brother, you're incredible!" "This liquor is no worse than the fine stuff my family drinks — no, it's even better!" His companions vied with one another to voice their opinions, everyone praising Zhao Jin. Yet none of them felt the praise was excessive. The facts were right before their eyes, and everyone felt Zhao Jin deserved it.

"Ah!" Lu Xiangjiu, who had been standing there in a daze, suddenly let out a great cry, startling everyone. They all looked over. Lu Xiangjiu stood there murmuring to himself, "How come I never thought of this? How come none of us ever thought of this? My master taught me — when the liquor comes out, it comes out, and then you just mix the first and last runs together and sell it. How come I never thought that the first pot's liquor couldn't be drunk, that the second pot was the good stuff? How come I never thought to taste it before..."

Over on the other side, Su Da slammed his hand heavily onto the stove ledge and shouted, "So that's how it is! So that's how it is! How come no one ever figured this out!"

Tears suddenly streamed down Lu Xiangjiu's face. His voice heart-wrenching, he said, "To be able to make this liquor — from now on, I'll be able to leave my name in the liquor-making trade! To be able to make this liquor — the whole Southern Metropolitan Region, no, counting Henan, Shandong, even the Northern Metropolitan Region and places farther still — they'll all buy this liquor!"

Su Da clapped his hands and laughed heartily. "We're going to get rich! We're going to get rich!"

The others, of course, couldn't fully understand the wild ecstasy and madness of these two men in the liquor trade, but they were still shaken by the sheer wonder of it. Just by discarding the first pot's liquor, the second pot could produce fine liquor like this — it was truly remarkable.

Zhao Jin watched the scene with a smile. The apprentices were still working methodically. The second pot was yielding far more liquor than the first, and someone had already brought in fresh jars, ready to replace the ones that were full. Zhao Jin, however, turned his head and said, "What happened here is of the utmost importance to us. None of you are to speak of it to anyone — including your own parents and brothers. Understood?"

Hearing how solemnly Zhao Jin spoke, everyone nodded. They also knew that the distillery's profits were closely tied to their own interests. Seeing the two distillery masters' mad ecstasy, the companions understood just how extraordinary this method was, and they naturally grasped the importance of keeping it secret. Their agreement, therefore, was resolute.

Zhao Jin then said to Ji Xiang, "Go back and bring thirty household guards here. From this moment on, no one enters or leaves this distillery without my order!"

Ji Xiang quickly acknowledged the order, threw on his clothes, and hurried out the door. Wang Zhaojing thought for a moment, then said in a low voice to Zhao Jin, "Brother Zhao, we also need to sign another contract with the workers here. If this method is leaked, they'll have to pay a heavy penalty and their families will serve as slaves for generations."

Zhao Jin nodded and raised his voice: "No more standing around in a daze. The day has only just begun — get to work!"

At his words, every person in the distillery snapped out of their dazed, distracted state and immediately began bustling about. After what had just happened, they now regarded Zhao Jin with something approaching reverence.

Even Lu Xiangjiu and Su Da ceased their mad antics and threw themselves into the work with a hundredfold energy. Zhao Jin watched with a smile, then raised his voice again: "The liquor from every single pot must be stored in its own separate jar, and each jar must be individually marked. No one is to mix them up!"

From behind him, Wang Zhaojing chimed in with a smile, "I'll go write the marks."

His companions were all brimming with excitement. Zhao Jin, however, turned to Shi Manqiang and said, "Shitou, have your father forge a batch of spears and blades and axes. If you don't have enough hands, hire outside help — pay whatever it costs, but it has to be fast. Go take care of this now."

Shi Manqiang also acknowledged the order and hurried out. Zhao Jin then said to the rest of his companions, "I'm enough here on my own. You've all been roasted by the heat — go get some rest."

After watching that brilliant scene unfold, everyone was indeed drenched in sweat and thoroughly uncomfortable. Hearing Zhao Jin's words, they all said their goodbyes and headed out. Liu Yong was the last to leave, but Zhao Jin grabbed his arm and said in a low voice, "Send some of your men over to keep watch too. The household guards do everything too much by the book — they're bound to get fooled. Have your people come and keep an eye on things as well. From now on, no one here is allowed to leave — they can only stay inside the distillery. And we need to find out where their families are. The roster is with Erhong. Go handle this now, and be quick about it!"