The rise of the poor

Chapter 2336 Come out, 5g Liquor

Finally, after Xu Wei had eaten three bowls of rice and a table full of dishes, he burped contentedly and slumped back in his chair.

"Brother Xu, have you finished eating?" Zhu Pingan asked with a smile.

"I'm full and satisfied. I can die without regrets." Fatty Xu patted his belly and entered a state of sage-like tranquility.

"You might overeat and die."

Liu Dadao rolled his eyes speechlessly. This guy is really like a pig. I don't know why the young master thinks so highly of him. It's best if this guy is really worthy of the young master's favor. Otherwise, I'll make him spit it out!

"Oh, right, Brother Zhu, Brother Da Dao, don't say I didn't think of you. I specially saved a gourd of those three jars of mixed grain wine from Old Man Chen in Yibin, just so you could try them when you came. Heaven knows how much willpower I had to resist drinking it."

Xu Wei remembered the gourd of mixed grain wine, and couldn't help but scramble up, move a chair over, step onto the chair, take down a gourd hanging from the roof beam, open the gourd stopper, and be instantly intoxicated by the aroma.

"Wow, you know what, this wine really smells amazing." Liu Dadao also smelled the aroma and couldn't help but praise it.

"Of course, otherwise would I have gone to such great lengths?!" Xu Wei said with a smug look on his face.

"Then you're a spendthrift too!" Liu Dadao really wanted to punch him when he thought about how much money Xu Wei spent on three jars of wine. "My young master is so frugal, he'd split every penny in half to spend it all, but what about you?"

"Cough cough." Xu Wei couldn't help but cough, and quickly poured two cups of wine for Zhu Ping'an and Liu Dadao. "Come on, have a taste. This wine is absolutely a rare find, without a doubt."

"Let me try it." Liu Dadao couldn't wait and gulped it down in one go.

After taking that sip of wine, his eyes widened immediately, and he smacked his lips. "Hmm, this is actually not bad!"

"Not bad, Brother Zhu, you should try some too." Xu Wei looked at Zhu Ping'an.

Zhu Pingan picked up his wine glass and took a sip. To be honest, he didn't like drinking. All wines tasted the same to him—not good. However, this wine was among the best he had ever tasted.

So, under Xu Wei's expectant gaze, Zhu Ping'an downed the wine in one gulp, then nodded and said through gritted teeth, "Very good."

"Hahaha, I knew this wine would be an eye-opener for you all." Xu Wei was very pleased, and then reluctantly put the stopper on the wine gourd and handed it to Zhu Ping'an, "It's yours."

Seeing Xu Wei's reluctant expression, Zhu Pingan couldn't help but laugh and returned the wine gourd to Xu Wei, saying, "Keep it for yourself. I'm not good at drinking, nor do I like it. It would be an insult for this wine to be in my hands."

Upon hearing this, Xu Wei immediately put away the wine, saying, "Hehe, I'll keep it and drink it slowly."

Then, Xu Wei said regretfully, "It's a pity that the name of this wine is so tasteless. Mixed grain wine is not worthy of this fine wine. Otherwise, I could write a hundred poems to praise it! I have thought of no less than a hundred names during this period of time, but none of them can satisfy me. Brother Zhu, you are a top scholar. Perhaps you can think of a suitable name for it, so that the name will not restrict this fine wine."

Zhu Pingan was speechless upon hearing this. You're about to take the spring exams, and you're wasting time thinking of a name for a wine?!

What are you doing?! Can't you get down to business?!

No wonder you always fail your exams. With your attitude towards exams, it's not surprising that you fail.

"Brother Zhu, don't rush, take your time. I've been thinking about it for over a month and still haven't come up with a good name."

Xu Wei comforted Zhu Ping'an with some regret, saying, "It's normal that you can't think of it right away. Don't worry, think about it slowly. After all, I've been thinking about it for over a month and still haven't been able to figure it out."

Zhu Pingan twitched the corner of his mouth. What do you mean by not being in a hurry? You're about to take the spring exam. Whether you pass or not is another matter, but at least you should prepare well so you won't have any regrets. It's just a name, so come out here, Wuliangye!

"Since it is a liquor brewed from five kinds of grains and extracts the essence of the five kinds of grains, why not call it Wuliangye?"

Zhu Pingan didn't know if this wine was the prototype of Wuliangye, but since it was brewed from five kinds of grains and had some connection with Wuliangye, then he was sorry to borrow the name for now.

As soon as Zhu Ping'an finished speaking, Xu Wei went berserk, slamming his fist on the table and praising him endlessly.

"Wuliangye?! Wuliangye!!! What a name! What a name! It's a fine liquor made from the essence of five grains, Wuliangye! Just hearing the name makes me think of fine wine, Wuliangye, it's truly breathtaking! This name is so beautiful, so elegant, so classy. No wonder you're Brother Zhu, no wonder you're a top scholar, I, Xu Wenchang, am impressed!"

Xu Wei slammed his fist on the table and cheered, praising him endlessly. Liu Dadao, who was standing next to him, was startled by his sudden outburst.

"When I meet Old Man Chen from Yibin again, he won't give me a hundred jars, and I certainly won't give him the name Wuliangye! I believe he'll cry and beg me to give him the name Wuliangye, which will definitely help his wine become famous for generations to come!" Xu Wei said with great confidence, full of faith in the name Wuliangye.

"Brother Xu, the spring examination is about to begin. How are your preparations going?" Zhu Ping'an asked with a wry smile.

We're getting off-topic! Can you please stop talking about alcohol?! Did you rent this place just to drink?! Isn't it for the imperial examinations?! The spring examinations are about to begin, are you ready?!

"Ahem, Brother Zhu, I'm well prepared. Thousands of brilliant essays are in my mind, and the teachings of Confucius and Mencius flow in my blood. This spring examination, I will give it my all!" Xu Wei coughed, patted his forehead lightly, and said confidently to Zhu Ping'an.

"It's good that you're ready. The spring examination is just around the corner, there aren't many days left. Brother Xu, you should stay home and study diligently these next few days. It won't be too late for you to enjoy wine and such after the spring examination," Zhu Ping'an advised Xu Wei.

"I know, I know, hehe, don't worry, Brother Zhu, I'll be studying at home in seclusion these few days before the spring examination to prepare well." Xu Wei blushed slightly.

Zhu Pingan took out a silver note and handed it to Xu Wei, saying, "Brother Xu, I will be returning to Shaoxing tomorrow. This hundred taels of silver is a gift for you to relieve your worries and allow you to focus on your studies. Please do not refuse."

"No, no, I have truly felt this during this period. A penny can bring down a hero. Without money, food, clothing, shelter, and transportation become extremely difficult. I am penniless right now and need money right now. I will not refuse Brother Zhu's kindness. I will repay him a hundredfold in the future, even if it means sacrificing my life."

Xu Wei, without any pretense, accepted the silver note from Zhu Ping'an with both hands and placed it on the table, saying with deep emotion. (End of Chapter)