CHAPTER 64: CHAPTER 64 BREWING GREEN PLUM WINE

In the main room, Lin Wanyi was browsing through a miscellany on wine making.

It not only clearly recorded how to brew green plum wine, but also had recipes for making other fruit wines.

Anyway, being in the palace with plenty of time, she could slowly research these.

Just as she was almost finished, Chunqi and Xia An happened to enter the room.

"Mistress, have a look. These are green plums that Xiao Luzi just brought from the Imperial Kitchen. They look very nice and fresh,"

said Xia An, taking some green plums out of the basket.

Lin Wanyi took a close look. Indeed, they were lush and green, all of similar size, clearly carefully selected.

The people from the Imperial Kitchen certainly did their work meticulously.

"Not bad, not bad. Go fetch some salt and ginger sugar cubes, oh, and also white wine and porcelain jars,"

"Mistress, why did you suddenly think of brewing green plum wine?"

Lin Wanyi smiled, recalling a playful remark from her brother.

"If I could ever taste the green plum wine made by Qianqian herself, I would have no regrets in this life!"

It was because of this remark that Lin Wanyi thought of making this wine. Perhaps when her brother returned from the Imperial Armor Army next time, she could give it to him to taste!

"Isn’t brother going to join the army? By the time this wine is brewed and ready to drink, perhaps he will be home visiting, and I can send it out of the palace for him to taste. It’s a little token of my affection as his sister."

So that’s how it is.

"Since it’s being brewed for the young master, it must use the best ingredients,"

Chunqi said with a mischievous smile before continuing,

"Last time, the Imperial Kitchen sent over a jar of good wine that Your Majesty didn’t drink, so I kept it aside. It’s perfect to use for this!"

Then she turned and went to prepare the items.

Summer Xia An laughed as she handed over some silk threads, and Lin Wanyi, upon seeing them, was filled with joy.

"Every time Nanny Fan sends silk threads, they are just to my liking. Indeed, she was taught well by my grandmother,"

she said, then instructed Xia An to sort them by color before placing them into a box for future use.

Chunqi quickly brought everything to the pavilion in the courtyard, where Xiao Luzi cleaned daily, keeping it pristine.

Lin Wanyi and Xia An both came out to help organize.

The grape vines in the backyard, carefully watered daily by Chunqi and Xiao Luzi, had already grown to be the height of two palms. Although they were far from climbing up the trellis, the vigorous growth made everyone happy.

In this harem, if one doesn’t find something to do, the days would drag on like years.

If one only focuses on vying for favor and waiting for attention, one would surely go mad.

Lin Wanyi feared becoming someone like Lin Guifei, who schemed all day, so she occupied her free time with handicrafts to calm her mind.

The green plums were washed twice with clean water, then rubbed thoroughly with salt.

Chunqi and Xia An feared Lin Wanyi’s hands could not withstand the brine, so they rubbed diligently,

asking as they did.

"Mistress, what is this for?"

"To remove the astringency."

"Oh."

"Once you’ve rubbed them enough, let them soak. Half an hour later, remove the stems and wash them clean."

"Alright."

Having given instructions to the two, Lin Wanyi didn’t stay idle. She carefully washed the porcelain jars again and wiped them dry with a clean cloth until not a drop of water was visible.

These green plums would probably need three jars to hold them all.

It was Lin Wanyi’s first attempt, and she thought it would be wise, in case one jar spoiled, to have made three. Thus, she separated the ingredients,

such as adding ginger sugar cubes to one jar, rock sugar cubes to another, and prepared sugar water with a few dry perilla leaves to the third jar.

The book mentioned that perilla leaves could enhance flavor, but Lin Wanyi wasn’t sure, so she only added them to one jar.

Time flew by during the busy work.

Soon, half an hour had passed, and Chunqi took a bamboo sieve to let the green plums drain,

while Lin Wanyi wiped each one dry with a cloth until their fine hairs were visible in the sunlight before placing them into the jars.

Then she added the imperial wine.

The jars for the plums were small, so after filling three of them, there was still half a cup of imperial wine left.

Lin Wanyi lifted it for a sniff, found it rich and aromatic, and drank it in one gulp.

Though unknown to others, Chunqi and Xia An knew well Lin Wanyi’s capacity for alcohol.

The father and son of the Lin Family together probably couldn’t outdrink her alone.

Lin Wanyi’s grandfather loved drinking and was quite capable.

The household always kept good wine, and he would occasionally drink with Lin Wanyi.

Over time, Lin Wanyi developed her capacity for alcohol.

"Indeed, it’s good wine—no wonder the Emperor, being the Emperor, even his wine is extraordinary!"

Seeing this, Chunqi smiled and sealed the jars with wax paper to allow fermentation.

"Store it in a cool place, and in half a month, add some more sugar,"

and then personally took a brush, using red stationery, wrote the character "green plum," then affixed it to the jar.

White jar with black ink characters, how delightful.

Once everything was tidied up, the sun gradually set.

Lin Wanyi looked up at the sky, tinted orange-red by the evening glow, and felt infinite emotion.

"If only I could watch the sunset from the city tower."

"You want to see the sunset?"

Unexpectedly, a voice sounded from behind, startling Lin Wanyi.

Turning around, she saw the Emperor, in casual attire, standing in the backyard, hands behind his back.

The two were just two steps apart, yet she hadn’t noticed anyone behind her.

The Emperor had arrived, why had no one informed her?

Seeing Qiu Ming and Xiao Luzi standing behind Dong Yuzhong with heads bowed, and Chunqi and Xia An half-squatting in the veranda of the backyard, she understood roughly.

"I apologize for my discourtesy; I ask for Your Majesty’s forgiveness."

"Rise. I only came to take a look, so I didn’t let them report."

Lin Wanyi stood up, feeling somewhat uneasy about the "aftermath" of their green plum wine making scattered in the pavilion.

So she spoke to the Emperor:

"Your Majesty, please move to the main room, as it’s quite messy here."

"What are you making?"

"Green plum wine. I thought that since it’s the season for delicious plums, brewing them into fruit wine could preserve them longer."

"You have refined interests. I remember last time you served fruit tea in your palace."

Lin Wanyi smiled, her face blooming like the peach blossoms in March.

"Your Majesty has a very good memory."

"Hmm, when the green plum wine is ready, bring some for me to taste. Fruit wine is quite rare."

Lin Wanyi sighed deeply in her heart. Clearly, it was meant for her brother, but now the Emperor had intercepted it.

Even if she was unwilling, she couldn’t openly refuse him, could she?

Fortunately, she had the foresight to make three jars; otherwise, if the Emperor took a liking to this wine, how would she give any to her brother?