Chapter Ninety-Eight: Dreams

Acting at once, Chen Liang took one of those white plastic jugs with a wide mouth from the supermarket and filled it with ten jin of the medicinal brew.

After thinking it over, he filled another jug with ten jin as well. Yes, he would send one to Old Lu too and see how it went.

Carrying two jugs of wine, he spotted the deaf old lady, who was already out for her morning stroll. Chen Liang raised a hand to greet her, but the old woman did not even spare him a glance.

Well now, that old lady. Never mind—she was not someone to offend. He would have to rely on her to hold the line for the next ten years.

"Foolish Shao,"

After Chen Liang knocked on the door, Liu Siyuan opened it expressionlessly. Yet the ravenous look in her eyes seemed ready to devour Chen Liang alive.

This little charmer was getting prettier by the day. Especially after Shao Chu had nourished her with all that good food, she had been shaped into an A-plus beauty, forever flexing her arms and pretending to be some kind of big-shot heavyweight.

"Liangzi? What do you want with me?" Shao Chu, busy clearing away bowls and chopsticks, poked his head out from behind the little charmer.

"Here, brother won't say I don't look after you. This medicinal wine is ready. I'm giving you ten jin."

He handed over one of the jugs. Shao Chu immediately broke into a silly grin. How generous of him to bring so much.

After carefully wiping his hands on his apron, Shao Chu took out the cup he usually used for drinking and slowly poured himself a serving, about two qian or so.

He sniffed it carefully. Beneath the grain-wine aroma was the fragrance of Chinese herbs. The wine seemed all right. Satisfied, Shao Chu gulped it down in one go.

A searing heat sliced straight down his throat and into his stomach. He drew in a sharp breath, then let out a long, pleased sigh. Refreshing.

When the medicinal force began to spread, Shao Chu looked at his wife, whom he had once feared like a tigress, and suddenly found her gentle and lovely. The more he looked, the more beautiful she became, like a little fairy fallen from the heavens.

"Hehe, wife," Shao Chu said with red-rimmed eyes, the infatuated, uncanny laugh of a lovesick fool spilling from his mouth. He pulled Liu Siyuan into his arms and murmured into her ear, "Wife, let's both take the day off today."

Liu Siyuan wore a look of utter contempt. This weakling, supported only by the wall, actually wanted to rise up and become master of the house? Since he was courting death, she would grant his wish.

"Sure."

With that, Liu Siyuan slammed the door shut.

Back in his room, Chen Liang had not even waited for Xiaoyu to head out when he heard the familiar creaking of a rocking bed from next door. He and Xiaoyu both spat at once. It was barely morning and they were already at it like mad—did they have no regard for their own lives?

At the same time, Chen Liang, the culprit himself, was inwardly astonished. Damn it all—was this wine really that miraculous?

With a head full of thoughts, Chen Liang and Xiaoyu went off to work together.

When they reached the library, Chen Liang hurried over to Old Lu and set the jug on the table. "Old man, the medicinal wine is ready. Want to taste it?"

"Well I'll be damned. You actually brewed it?" Old Lu grew interested at once. He tipped a little out with the cap of the jug, sniffed it first, and, finding the aroma acceptable, nodded in satisfaction before drinking it in one gulp.

After savoring the aftertaste for a moment and feeling his body warm through, Old Lu gave a firm nod. "Not bad. That's the feeling."

Chen Liang quickly leaned in. "So? Is it drinkable?"

At that, Old Lu's face darkened. "You little brat, were you using me as a test taster? Don't run—I'll beat the life out of you, you rascal!"

Only a fool would not run. Since even Old Lu said it was good, the infusion should count as a success.

After Old Lu had chased him a full circle without catching him, and his anger had subsided, Chen Liang went over again. After lighting a cigarette for him, he asked, "Old man, how is this wine supposed to be drunk? Is there some rule to it?"

Old Lu, exhaling a cloud of smoke, waved the air away. "How else would one drink it? For ordinary health preservation, one qian three times a day—morning, noon, and night. If you and Xiaoyu are together, no more than half a liang. Any more than that, and you'll both suffer for it."

"Got it. Well then, old man, you get back to your business. I'm heading out."

"Wait. You brat, come back here. From now on, I want you to deliver ten jin of this wine to me every month. Hear me?"

Chen Liang blinked. "What are you planning to do with it? If you're going to go wild, I can't give it to you. I don't want Granny Sun pulling my ears."

"Get lost. This old man has already reformed himself, all right?" Old Lu nearly jumped to his feet.

Reformed? Just like that? And I’m still a pure innocent boy! What nonsense was this? Chen Liang did not believe a single word Old Lu said. He treated it all as hot air.

We’re all thousand-year-old foxes here, so there’s no need to put on an old ghost story, is there?

Seeing that Chen Liang still did not believe him, Old Lu took a deep breath and steadied himself. "I'm paving the way for Xiaoyu. Don't you want her to take my place sooner?"

"Of course I do. But what does that have to do with the wine?" Chen Liang was not falling for it. Unless it was made clear, he could forget about the wine.

"If I’m paving the way, don’t I need to give people gifts? The wine you made is excellent. The longer it sits, the more beneficial it is for the body. You get it now?"

"Got it. Then I'll send you an extra jug every month. You should retire sooner and help me collect more antiques and the like."

"You little scoundrel, how greedy can you get? You even want me to work for you for free? Nice dream..."

"I'll try. I'll make Xiaoyu take over for you within six months. But let's be clear: you pay for the antique collecting. The old man is out of money."

"Don't worry about money. As for my wallet, even if you spent a lifetime collecting antiques, it would still be enough."

Chen Liang was quite generous when it came to money. In just a little over a month since he returned, he had sold grain several more times, and now the supermarket's stack of large banknotes was piled up like a little mountain.

"Heh. Old Lu, I’ve always had a dream: to open a museum of my own someday. By then, I’ll take all those old books of yours and whatnot, and put them on display for people to see."

Chen Liang's words hit Old Lu right where it tickled, and he immediately took an interest. The two of them began chatting away, boasting freely and trading stories.

Chen Liang did not even go to work anymore. He simply sat down and spent the afternoon talking with Old Lu about the future. Whenever the conversation reached a joyful point, Old Lu would bring out his treasured century-old pu-erh tea.

Smoking, drinking tea, and talking nonsense—the hours slipped by in an instant. After finishing the last sip of tea, Chen Liang stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray and got to his feet.

Lunch was almost here, and eating with the old man was nowhere near as pleasant as eating with his wife. Especially since Xiaoyu still had post-meal fruit enough to fill him up. Chen Liang, heartless once the fun was over, did not give a damn about Old Lu and vanished in a flash.

He went to Xiaoyu's place to get his lunchbox. When he arrived at the cafeteria, he found that Shao Chu was not there, and his interest in today's food vanished at once. "Ma Hua, where's your master? Damn it, what is he doing? He still hasn't come to work?"