CHAPTER 17: CHAPTER 16: ONE OF A KIND

The drinker’s voice was very loud, and with such a shout, there was no need for the shopkeeper to go over and help pass the message, Zhu Yu and Lu Qing heard everything clearly.

The shopkeeper was in a tough spot. He knew that once drunk, drinkers easily get spirited, and seeing that the drinker would not be satisfied without more wine, he was afraid things might escalate badly. Looking over at the three on Lu Qing’s side, two of them looked handsome and of gentle demeanor, seemingly negotiable.

But the remaining one...

He glanced at the steward and felt that he looked like a reincarnation of the Vajra. Not to mention going up to negotiate, even looking at him a few more times made the shopkeeper’s heart skip a beat.

Furthermore, when those esteemed guests bought wine just now, they gave him a silver coin. Having accepted the reward, there’s no way he could open his mouth to ask them to give up the wine now.

Just as he was in an impossible dilemma, intensely conflicted, the drinker who was shouting earlier suddenly swayed and collapsed to the ground without any movement.

This startled the one drinking with him, whose face turned from red to white in an instant as he jumped up from his seat: "What happened? Could there be something wrong with the wine? Is it poisoned?!"

The shopkeeper was also taken aback, and before he could regain his composure, he heard these words, making him even more frightened, his face changing color, and he frantically waved his hand: "You can’t say such things! How could there be something wrong with the wine!"

"Something must be wrong, Brother Wang has always been able to drink a lot, even if he isn’t invincible with a thousand cups, he certainly wouldn’t be knocked out by just a little bit of wine!

I said, how come today we suddenly didn’t have wine from Lu’s, and it’s been replaced with this, sure enough, there’s a pro..."

The word "blem" hadn’t even made it out when he suddenly went limp and also collapsed.

The shopkeeper was utterly terrified at this point, instinctively backing away a few steps, hands raised in the air, his voice trembling uncontrollably: "What... what is going on... how could this happen out of the blue..."

Zhu Yu stood up and walked towards the two fallen patrons.

In an ordinary situation, she would never array herself such a delicate task, but now it was different. There was a seductive fragrance on the wine jar, and she had to see what was going on with these two patrons.

"Madam, you... what are you..." The shopkeeper saw her squat down in front of the two drinkers and stammered.

Zhu Yu ignored him, grabbed the wrist of the first collapsed patron, and skillfully placed two fingers on it.

Lu Qing and the steward watched her quietly, waiting for her to speak.

After a while, Zhu Yu released the man’s wrist, lifted his eyelids to check his pupils, and then checked the other patron in the same way. She let out a long breath and stood up.

"No need to panic, the shopkeeper, these two are just drunk, nothing serious." She took out a handkerchief from her bosom, wiped her fingertips, and returned to her seat at the table.

"Drunk?!" The shopkeeper was a bit bewildered yet simultaneously reassured, holding his chest and sitting down on a nearby bench. It seemed that he was so frightened earlier that his legs were now weak. "That’s strange! These two have been regulars at our shop, and ordinarily, with such a small jar of wine, they wouldn’t be satisfied even after two or three jars!

No one would have thought that today, just this little jar, would knock both of them out!"

"This wine has never caused anyone to pass out before?"

"Sigh!" The shopkeeper, still a bit scared, couldn’t help but speak a bit more, especially after Zhu Yu had just helped check on the two drinkers, which was a big help for him. "Truth be told, if it weren’t for Lu’s Winery not delivering on time, I wouldn’t even know there were these two jars of wine in the shop!

It was just coincidental! Lu’s wine was sold out, and these regulars wanted wine, so I rummaged around in the back, only to find these two jars tucked in a corner, looking like they hadn’t been touched for a long time.

If not for the business, I wouldn’t have taken them out!

Thank goodness you helped me check their condition, or I would have never been able to explain myself today.

When the helper comes back, I’ll quickly have him go to the medical center to find a doctor. We can’t afford this one jar of wine to be blamed on us!"

While he was speaking, the young helper he sent out returned, sweating profusely, evidently having run in a hurry. He was panting heavily, struggling to catch his breath while leaning on a table by the door, unable to speak.

Seeing this, the shopkeeper quickly called out to him: "Back just in time, quickly go to the medical center to find a doctor, someone in our shop drank themselves unconscious!"

"Shopkeeper, if they’re drunk, just let them sleep it off!" the young helper caught his breath and waved his hand, "Who knows when we’ll be able to drink like that again!"

"What nonsense are you spouting, you little monkey!" The shopkeeper hastened to scold.

"Shopkeeper, it looks like we will not be receiving any more wine; something happened at Lu’s!"

"What happened at Lu’s?" The shopkeeper was surprised and quickly asked.

"I just went to their winery and found no one there except two crestfallen assistants.

After asking around, I found out that all the wine in their cellar somehow turned sour and foul!

One of the assistants who regularly delivers to us told me that he heard from the steward’s son of the Lu Family that their wine yeast and even the mother yeast have gone bad!"

The shopkeeper was startled, having suspected something happened at Lu’s Winery due to their unusual delay in delivery but never imagined it to be so severe.

"Moreover, I heard that the head of the Lu Family has not shown up for many days!" The young helper, regaining some strength, leaned closer to the shopkeeper, "They say he’s disappeared without a trace, neither found alive nor dead!

People outside are saying he, like the old shopkeeper before, went to that ghost—"

"Alright, alright! Stop spouting nonsense!" The shopkeeper feared his loose-lipped helper might invite trouble, quickly cutting him off and shooing him away, "Go, go, quickly find the doctor!"

The young helper, in high spirits just moments earlier, was now begrudgingly ushered away, pouting as he ran off.

However, he was indeed efficient, and before long, he returned with a doctor and, following the shopkeeper’s instructions, went to the back to bring a pot of hot tea for Zhu Yu and the others.

When the young helper returned with the teapot, Lu Qing waved him over: "You mentioned something happened at Lu’s Winery, and in the future, who knows when we’ll be able to get drunk again, what did you mean by that?"

"Aren’t you our regular customer? How could you not know?" The young helper was surprised, but quickly came up with an explanation himself, "Oh, I get it, you’re passing merchants often passing through Qingshui County, right?"

Lu Qing nodded in agreement with him.

"No wonder, you know our old shopkeeper but not the ways of Lu’s!" The young helper glanced sneakily at the shopkeeper tending to the doctor, "This Lu’s is the only winery in Qingshui County and surrounding areas. The food establishments and taverns here can only sell wine from Lu’s; no other place is allowed to brew and sell wine!"

"Oh? Why is that? I don’t recall the court banning people from privately brewing and opening wineries." Lu Qing raised an eyebrow, his tone full of suspicion.

The young helper, being fifteen or sixteen, couldn’t stand being questioned, and immediately responded: "It’s true! I gain nothing from lying to you!

The court may not have said so, but here in Qingshui County, that’s how it is. If you don’t believe me, go out and ask if there’s anyone other than Lu’s who can brew and sell wine!"