Chapter 26: The Prodigal Son!

"Did you actually see monkeys brewing wine?" Zhao Yun's tone rose slightly, clearly conveying some disbelief.

"I didn't, actually."

Suming thought for a moment, then described the events that took place in the small valley behind the hill, but he left out a significant part of the truth. He didn't mention that the wine was brewed by the Monkey King from the zoo. Instead, he said he went out to the hills behind for a stroll and encountered several monkeys staggering around. Those monkeys, upon seeing someone coming, screeched and ran away. Out of curiosity, he followed them and discovered Monkey Wine in a valley.

Zhao Yun nodded. That made sense, as monkeys are not winemakers. How could they possibly brew wine in front of humans?

His interest piqued, he asked, "Is that wine-brewing tree still there?"

"Yes, it is," Suming nodded.

"In that case, follow me!"

After giving it some thought, Zhao Yun couldn't even wait to eat. He stood up and headed upstairs.

"Dinner's ready..." Zhaoqian, wearing an apron, ran out of the kitchen, only to see Zhao Yun leading Suming up to the second floor. Wiping her hands on her apron, she hurried a few steps and stood at the bottom of the stairs, calling out to the backs of Suming and Zhao Yun, "Old Zhao, what are you doing now, bring Su down to eat!"

"We'll be right there." Zhao Yun didn't turn his head as he waved his hand and led Suming into the second-floor study.

The study was not large, with a few paintings and calligraphy hanging on the walls. Suming didn't understand much about such art, but he could tell at a glance that these were definitely not the kind of junk that hung on the walls of Mingqing Residence.

An entire wall of the study had been converted into a large cabinet, filled with porcelain and similar objects, all securely locked behind tempered glass.

Squatting in front of a safe, Zhao Yun quickly twisted the combination and opened the door, taking out a wine cup and gently placing it on the table.

The wine cup was about the same size as the small cups people use for drinking nowadays, but it had a light blue hue. It was unclear what material it was made of, but fine, intricate patterns surrounded the body of the cup, dark red like blood.

The study was shaded from the light, dimly lit, and Zhao Yun hadn't turned on the light either. Yet in the dimness, the wine cup seemed to glow faintly, as if it were enveloped in a mist.

"This cup is a night-glowing cup. The ancients said, 'With grape wine and a night-glowing cup, drink the grape wine from a night-glowing cup.'"

Leaning back in a Taishi Chair, Zhao Yun played with the night-glowing cup, speaking unhurriedly, "Actually, that's not entirely accurate. Grape wine is a type of fruit wine, and for tasting any fruit wine, the night-glowing cup is the best vessel. Hundred-Fruit Wine is the king of fruit wines and, naturally, should be drunk from a night-glowing cup."

Having said this, Zhao Yun took the Monkey Wine gifted by Suming and carefully poured a full cup into the night-glowing cup.

A rich aroma of wine immediately filled the study.

Zhao Yun's eyes lit up as he lifted the cup to his nose for a deep sniff, then raised the cup to drink it all in one go. Closing his eyes, he fiddled with the night-glowing cup in his hand, seemingly savoring the rich flavor of the Monkey Wine. After a long while, he took a deep breath and reopened his eyes.

"Excellent wine! Indeed, it's not the fake Monkey Wine sold in the market," Zhao Yun gave Suming a thumbs up.

"I thought the wine had a unique taste, too, which is why I offered it to you," Suming said with a smile.

"The wine is excellent, no question about it! However, Su, I can't accept this bottle of wine," Zhao Yun said.

Suming was puzzled: "Why, is there something wrong with the wine, not sanitary?"

"That's not it. Since it has already fermented into wine, there won't be any bacteria. Even if it is somewhat unsanitary, it's no big deal. We're not doctors, after all; there's no need to be that picky."

Zhao Yun laughed and explained, waving his hand, "Alcohol is the best germ-killer. Some old wines, after being cellared in ancient tombs for hundreds of years, can still be drunk by people. At most, they get drunk, but there are no infections or anything like that. My point is, your bottle of Monkey Wine is quite valuable. I invited you over today to thank you for saving Chengcheng's life. If I were to accept your Monkey Wine too, it would be taking too much of an advantage. So I can't accept this gift."

"This can be sold for money?" Suming hadn't really thought about this. Although Monkey Wine was rumored to be miraculous, it was neither mass-produced nor known on the market for fetching high prices.

With no reputation and no backing, carrying a bizarre bottle of wine claiming it was brewed by monkeys and asking for a high price was bound to invite disbelief!

"Let me explain at length, I deal in antiques, and the value of this Monkey Wine bears some similarity to antiques. Take this, for example, why is it valuable? First, because it is rare. The rarer something is, the more valuable it becomes. Han Dynasty jade is valuable, right? I'll tell you, if within a month, a dozen pieces suddenly appeared on the market in Yangchuan City, no, just three or four in quick succession, the price would immediately drop;

Second, you have to find the right buyer. Say someone likes porcelain, if you insist on selling them calligraphy, they might buy it, but only to sell it on for a profit, so they are not willing to pay a high price. But if you find them a Tang Dynasty tri-colored glazed pottery, it's like placing a beauty before a lecher – they would borrow money to buy it, because it's a once in a lifetime chance – miss this village, and you'll miss the store."

Third, of course, it's the quality of the item itself. Although this is Monkey Wine, I can't be presumptuous about its condition. I'm a collector, but not a wine connoisseur."

"Monkey Wine has different levels of quality? Then tell me about them." Suming was also somewhat intrigued.

Zhao Yun tapped the table lightly with his slender fingers, saying in an unhurried tone, "Monkey Wine is a general term that encompasses several categories.

First, there's what's called 'Hundred-Fruit Liquid'. Monkeys collect a variety of fruits in one place, which ferment, and the initial drips are 'Hundred-Fruit Liquid.' A large collecction of this Hundred-Fruit Liquid then undergoes a second fermentation to become 'Hundred-Fruit Brew.' The value of the twice-fermented Hundred-Fruit Brew is naturally higher than the once-fermented Hundred-Fruit Liquid because monkeys are gluttonous and often, lured by the fragrance, they drink all the Hundred-Fruit Liquid before it can accumulate and ferment."

The second fermentation is not the end; there's a third fermentation. After all the fruit juice has dripped down and no more juice is produced, the collected Hundred-Fruit Brew is sealed in a place for a third fermentation, producing a strong liquor aroma, and only then can it be called true Monkey Wine."

Recalling what he had seen, Suming thought about how the Monkey King had discarded all the fruits that were no longer dripping liquid. So it seems that this would be considered three-time fermented Monkey Wine.

Zhao Yun was unaware of Suming's internal judgment and continued, "Second, it's known as 'Monkey Grade'. There is a hierarchy within monkey troops. Monkey King, female monkeys, male monkeys, strong ones, weak ones, the old and the young—the status of monkeys varies. The higher the status of the monkey, the better the raw material they can obtain for brewing, while lower-status monkeys struggle even to eat well, let alone brew wine. Also, the older the monkey, the better the 'skill' in brewing!

Hence, the value of Hundred-Fruit Brew also depends on the age of the monkey that brewed it and its status within the troop.

Third, it's about 'Regional Grade.' As the saying goes, a tangerine is a tangerine in the south of the Huai River but turns into a bitter orange in the north. Monkeys from different regions produce different wines, and some of the more famous ones include the Emei Macaque, the Huashan Monkey, the Mount Huang Monkey, and the Huang Monkey, among others."

"I've learned something new!" Suming said with heartfelt admiration.

"This is what friends told me."

Zhao Yun waved his hand and chuckled, "These are categorizations from ancient texts. But even in ancient times, Monkey Wine was extremely rare, and nowadays, with hardly any monkeys left, where can we find Monkey Wine? Perhaps, in some remote old forests, a fortuitous discovery might still be possible. Therefore, whether it's liquid, brew, or wine, or how the Monkey Grade or Regional Grade stacks up, anything brewed by monkeys is extremely precious.

A real bottle of Monkey Wine is priceless, and even high-quality imitations are quite valuable. During the Republican era, a family would place all kinds of fruits in a large vat, let them rot and ferment, add a little starter, filter it through asphalt, then distill, sun-dry, and bury it to artificially brew 'Monkey Wine.' After consuming it, one would not have palpitations or feverish brains, sleep soundly, and wake up extremely comfortable with a clear mind and refreshed body-mind; such benefits were extremely good for the health. One bottle could sell for over a hundred silver dollars, in high demand yet scarce, as it was expensive and troublesome to make, rarely done. As for today's Monkey Wine on the market, using your young people's words, that's just 'haha'."

"So how much do you estimate this wine to be worth?" Suming asked.

"I can't say for certain on that. While wine shares similarities with antiques, its quality is one aspect, and that requires appraisal by a professional; moreover, the price varies depending on the place. For instance, a piece of antique, if I collect it in the countryside, it might be a few hundred, but go to the Liuli Factory in the capital, and it might fetch tens of thousands. If it goes up for auction, with some interested experts and a few bidders to drive the price, selling it for several hundred thousand wouldn't be difficult. Monkey Wine, a hard-to-come-by item, could fetch a sky-high price with some luck."

After hearing Zhao Yun's systematic explanation, Suming's understanding of the value of Monkey Wine immediately broadened.

He pondered for a moment and said, "Mr. Zhao, I still have some Monkey Wine. This bottle is a gift for you, as it's utterly rude to take back a present once it has been brought into someone's home. Besides, if it weren't for you telling me this information today, I wouldn't have known the preciousness of Monkey Wine. Consider this bottle my thanks; you must accept it!"

Seeing Suming's sincerity, Zhao Yun hesitated slightly before relenting and burst into laughter, "If that's the case, I won't be coy. Honestly, although I'm not fond of alcohol, collecting is my hobby, and seeing this Monkey Wine, I was indeed quite envious."

Having said that, he carefully locked the remaining half bottle of Monkey Wine and the fluorescent cup in the safe, then turned to Suming, "You mentioned earlier that there is more Monkey Wine? If you trust me, I have connections with an auction house in Xiangjiang that could put it up for auction."

"That would be much appreciated." Suming nodded; Zhao Yun's offer was exactly what he needed.

Just as Zhao Yun had said, the same item in different hands and at different occasions can fetch an entirely different price.

Even if a young fellow without a penny to his name like himself were holding a treasure, he couldn't sell it at a high price, and might even become the target of envy.

"Let's go eat, Mrs. Zhao must be anxiously waiting!"

Zhao Yun pulled Suming to leave. As they passed the safe, he slapped his forehead with some annoyance and gave a wry smile, "Had I known this was genuine Monkey Wine, I wouldn't have drunk so much in one gulp, such waste!"

"Eh..." Suming was speechless, thinking to himself that if drinking this stuff daily made him the number one prodigal son, then what did that make him?