Chapter 55: Jade Gentleman’s Immortal Brew, Fragrance Wafting for Ten Miles (Part Two)

So it was Su Shuang! The very merchant who, together with my father, had once aided my uncle Liu Bei! Zhang Yu had always known that the two were close friends, but just how deep did their friendship run? Perhaps this act of generosity was proof enough.

At that time, what did Liu Bei possess that was worth another’s faith? He was little more than a maker of straw mats and sandals, with only two sworn brothers and a handful of strong men at his side—nothing more. Was such a man truly worth fifty fine horses, five hundred taels of gold and silver, and a thousand jin of the best wrought iron?

Let’s not even mention the rest—just those fifty good horses were a fortune. For comparison, the Records of the Three Kingdoms notes that even during the Battle of Guandu, Cao Cao’s cavalry numbered only six hundred.

Zhang Shiping’s support could be explained by the fact that Liu Bei was his wife’s younger brother; when a brother-in-law wishes to join the army, and you are wealthy and influential, it would be unseemly not to help. But why would Su Shuang also choose to give so generously? It was for the sake of friendship, nothing more.

In later years, they even brought the Zhen family into the fold, arranging childhood betrothals for their children and going into the horse-breeding business together. The two families had always been as close as kin.

There is a saying: “Never do business with your brothers.” Yet the two of them, after years of dominating the Hebei trade route side by side, never once betrayed doubt or selfishness, and their bond never changed. Such was the depth of their friendship.

When Su Shuang saw the young man before him, it was as though the entire room brightened the moment he stepped across the threshold. The warmth in Su Shuang’s eyes was that of an uncle gazing upon his own beloved nephew.

“Your parents have suffered much for your sake these years. Though you have now made something of yourself, Yu, do not forget that filial piety is the foundation of all virtue—treat them well.”

“Thank you for your guidance, Uncle. I will remember it always.”

“Good, worthy of your reputation as the Jade Gentleman of Hebei, and worthy to be the son of my old friend! Your recovery is a great joy for both our families. I have little of value to give, but please accept this as a token of my affection.”

As he spoke, Su Shuang drew a large bronze key from his robe and placed it in Zhang Yu’s hand.

“Is this a house for me?” Zhang Yu was puzzled, looking at the three-spring lock key, but Su Shuang explained, “I know your talent for verse, how fond you are of composing poems in both five and seven characters. That seven-character farewell poem of yours, in particular, is refreshingly free from the crudeness that marks most contemporary verse—truly the work of a master. Were you to write a few more, you might well spark a new fashion.”

Only now did Zhang Yu begin to understand why the development of seven-character poetry had been so sluggish, and why most men of letters still preferred five-character lines.

Su Shuang continued, “This is the deed to a paper-making estate I own south of Lunü City. I am giving it to you. It is fully equipped, with excellent materials and abundant reserves. In future, whenever you produce new works, you may draw all the paper you need from there, which will only help your renown to spread.”

“Is this—have you given me a paper mill?” Zhang Yu was both delighted and astonished. Zhang Shiping, standing nearby, quickly objected, “Brother Su, that estate is too valuable. How can Yu accept such a gift?”

“Come now, Brother Shiping,” Su Shuang’s voice dropped to a whisper. “When you wanted to help your penniless brother-in-law all those years ago, did I ever hesitate? How can I be stingy with my own nephew now?”

To have a friend like this is a treasure indeed! Zhang Yu’s heart was full of joy, and he could not help but marvel at the friendship between his father and Su Shuang.

It was like the fabled friendship between Bo Ya and Zhong Ziqi, the mountain and the flowing water—perhaps such pure and sincere bonds could only be found in ancient times.

Zhang Shiping could only give a wry smile and no longer protest. Zhang Yu, holding the key, gave Su Shuang a deep bow. “Thank you, Uncle. I, too, have a gift for you today!”

“Oh? What might that be?” Su Shuang returned to his wooden chair, smiling.

“This!” Tucking away the key, Zhang Yu lifted a wine jar from the side table.

“Wine? Haha, Yu, you are not even of age yet—it’s rather early to be dabbling in such things.”

“Yu, is this the new kind of wine you’ve been experimenting with?”

As always, if you wish for the whole world to know something, tell a woman first.

Zhang Yu nodded at his father, blushing with pride. “Exactly so!” He turned to Su Shuang. “Uncle, this is no ordinary wine.”

“Oh? Since it was brewed by the Jade Gentleman himself—”

Pop!

With a soft sound as the lid was opened, the fragrance of the wine slowly began to fill the room, and Su Shuang’s words broke off abruptly.

Someone audibly swallowed.

“Yu, what is the name of this wine?”

“It doesn’t have a name yet; it’s just a small experiment I finished yesterday.”

Zhang Shiping was first to rise from his seat, with Su Shuang close behind. The two placed the wine jar on the table and, as though paying homage, closed their eyes and inhaled the aroma at the rim.

“These two old foxes of the marketplace probably haven’t lost their composure like this in years—though perhaps it’s not so nice to think of my own father that way…”

Zhang Yu stepped out to fetch two elegant wine cups from the servants, then filled them for the men. To his surprise, Zhang Shiping objected, impatience written all over his face:

“Yu, where are the bowls from home?”

Bowls—he still wanted to use bowls! For liquor this strong, even a few sips would leave a lasting impression. The wine cups were for their own good—if they drank too much all at once, they’d get drunk and make a scene, which would be awkward for a junior like me.

“Father, though this wine is fragrant and mellow on the palate, with a sweet and refreshing taste, it also brings a burning heat, and its strength is far greater than other wines. It must not be consumed to excess.”

“Is it really so remarkable?” Su Shuang could wait no longer. Raising his cup, he clinked it with Zhang Shiping’s and took a quick sip.

As the fine liquor slid down their throats, it was as if the very stars themselves ignited in brilliance. Both men closed their eyes, lost in bliss, and only after a long moment did they return to their senses.

“Ah—superb!”

“This wine, this wine is no product of the mortal world—it must surely be a gift from the heavens! They say, Yu, that you are an immortal exiled to earth. Today I finally believe it!”

Zhang Shiping, taken aback by the initial heat, savored his second sip more slowly. The exquisite brew warmed him to the core, leaving a lingering fragrance on his lips and tongue, and a gentle heat spreading through his body. Compared to this, all the wine he had drunk in his life seemed as tasteless as water.

“Yu, why not call this wine ‘Exiled Immortal’s Brew’?”

“Exiled Immortal’s Brew?” Zhang Yu’s eyes shone. “A fine name!”

Su Shuang chimed in as well, “It’s perfect! First, it matches your name and lets the world know it was crafted by the Jade Gentleman of Zhongshan. Second, it proclaims its excellence—a wine so wondrous that even the immortals of the Ninth Heaven would gladly suffer exile to earth for a single taste!

To my mind, this jar of wine is worth far more than the estate I gave you!”

Even after a few rounds, the two elders felt unsated. They carried the wine jar out to the pavilion in the courtyard and ordered the servants to bring pork and dog meat for the feast. With their closest friend beside them and fine wine in hand, there was no greater joy in life.

After some time, Zhang Yu finished off the plate of pork with a piece of flatbread, when Zhang Shiping asked, “Yu, can you brew more of this wine?”

“Certainly—but the method is a closely guarded secret. It will require a place that is extremely safe and secluded, preferably one with good soundproofing…”

“Naturally.” Both Zhang and Su nodded in agreement. As seasoned businessmen, they knew all too well the value of this wine.

“Father, with your permission, once we can produce this wine in quantity, why not open a distillery and sell it together with Uncle Su?”

“This—” Su Shuang was taken aback, then immediately moved.

“That was my thought exactly, and, Brother Su, please do not refuse. In this world, outside of my own flesh and blood, there is no one I trust more than you.”

“Haha, excellent!” The two men clinked their cups once more, and Su Shuang poured another for Zhang Yu. “This cup, from your uncle, is for you.

When this wine becomes known, the name of the Jade Gentleman, the Exiled Immortal, will be famed throughout the land!”