The Mystery in the Wine

"Madam, today, I've come for Young Master. The two poems he wrote yesterday are like divine gifts, too precious to be buried. However, he hasn't had the guidance of a master, and the path of imperial examination is challenging. I, an unworthy person, am willing to give Young Master some guidance."

Lin's mother was overjoyed, nearly fainting with happiness. She knew her son had poetic talent, but she was also aware of the difficulties in the imperial examination. That's why she had pushed her second son so urgently, stating that if he didn't pass the provincial exam in three years, she would cut ties with him.

Although her second son had the help of her third son and had a better starting point than most people, he was still just a scholar. After pondering all night, she hoped to find a better teacher for her third son, someone like a Jinshi (highest imperial examination graduate).

Never did she expect that, upon opening the door, a renowned figure in the world would appear!

A true renowned figure!

Master Baoshan is a Jinshi!

Possessing literary talent!

Such a person, surpassing those who just held a Jinshi title by more than a hundred times!

With the current wealth and status of the Lin family, they were not even qualified to engage in conversation with someone possessing literary talent, let alone this Master Baoshan, who took the initiative to accept their Third Young Master.

Ancestors, look at this, the Lin family is truly experiencing a series of happy events...

"Third Young Master, come over and pay respects to your mentor!"

Lin Su stepped forward, reaching his mother's side, and respectfully said, "Mother, Master Baoshan is a renowned figure in the world, not bound by common etiquette. Master Baoshan, isn't that right?"

Master Baoshan smiled at him without confirming or denying.

Lin's mother became anxious. Why was this foolish son so unawakened? Why didn't he hurry and kneel down on one knee? Solve the problem at hand before doing anything else?

Lin Su directly reached out, saying, "Master Baoshan, I've made some fresh snacks. Please try them..."

This time, Baoshan finally lost his aloofness and was led away by Lin Su.

People who enjoy alcohol often also appreciate good food, a conclusion Lin Su brought from his previous world.

The conclusion was effective!

If Master Baoshan hadn't tasted a bun, he probably wouldn't have been attracted by his snacks. But now that he had, the taste was unparalleled. Moreover, fresh snacks? With just this sentence, his attention completely shifted...

He ate eight out of ten buns!

And all in one go, leaving Lin Su speechless. Was this man a genius in literature among the human race, or a glutton from the demon clan? His mouth was just too big!

He had three bowls of noodles!

He finally put down the last half bowl, unable to eat more, right?

No, he took out a wine jug.

Lin Su couldn't help but say, "Master Baoshan, are you drinking in the morning too?"

"With such delicious food, how can I not have wine?"

Baoshan picked up Lin Su's tea cup, poured out the tea with a "chirp," and filled it with wine from the jug. This jug didn't look big, but even after pouring three cups, the mouth of the jug maintained the same tilt as when he started pouring.

It was strange.

Baoshan noticed Lin Su's gaze, smiled slightly, and said, "A treasure of the literary path, containing a universe. The wine in this jug originally weighed three hundred catties. Now, there are only ten catties left. Ordinary people, don't even think about having half a cup!"

Drinking a sip of wine, taking a bite of noodles, seemed to enhance the experience.

"Mr. Baoshan, a toast to your fine wine!" Lin Jialiang raised his cup, took a sip, and exclaimed, "Great wine! The best I've ever tasted in my life!"

Baoshan gave him an unusual look and turned his gaze to Lin Su's face. "You also try!"

Imitating his elder brother, Lin Su raised his wine cup, took a gentle sip. His expression was strange; this was completely different from grape wine. It had a much higher alcohol content than grape wine, yet why didn't it have the mellow fragrance of wine? Instead, it had a weird taste. Was this good wine? Wasn't this like the fake alcohol blending in modern society? It had a cold and watery taste. Damn! You old man, impressive! Carrying around 300 catties of inferior fake wine, drinking until there are only ten catties left, and you're still alive?

"How is it?" Baoshan raised his wine cup, casually asking with an air of Versailles.

"Different from... grape wine!"

"That's natural. My strong liquor, how can it be compared to the grape wine that Old Dinghai ordinary folks drink? Fruit wine is just women's drink. This wine, this is a man's strong liquor!"

"That's true. That grape wine, calling it a woman's drink would be giving it too much credit. It's basically sour plum soup..."

Hahaha...

Baoshan laughed heartily, full of vigor. Suddenly, his smile faded, "After drinking this wine, do you feel poetic?"

Yes! I want to write a poem about exposing fake products...

Of course, Lin Su couldn't say this aloud; his mother was still paying close attention to this side. If he upset this old man and he flipped the table, it wouldn't be good.

Lin Su hesitated for a moment. "Master Baoshan, do you really like poetic verses about wine?"

"That is natural! Everyone knows that Master Baoshan has always liked the contents of the cup. Naturally, he also likes poetic verses about wine." His second brother interjected, hoping his third brother would cater to Master Baoshan's preferences.

Master Baoshan said, "Jialiang's words are correct. I do like the contents of the cup and poetic verses about wine. But do you know why I like them?"

Why?

Does a wine lover need a reason?

Lin Su furrowed his brows...

Lin Jialiang didn't understand either.

"Do you know what my literary root is? It's quite interesting. My literary root looks like this..."

He picked up the wine jug.

Lin Su's eyes widened. C! His literary root is actually a wine jug?

My literary root is already strange enough, but yours is even stranger?

"My literary root is not of the top quality. Those without top-quality literary roots find it extremely difficult to reach the highest realm!" Baoshan said, "I have reached the pinnacle of literary sentiment for a full ten years, but I still can't grasp the secrets of the highest realm."

"Do you need enlightenment?" Lin Su admitted he didn't understand. He understood that poetry could create poetic sentiment, but using this ethereal sentiment to open the literary sentiment's highest realm? Why did it sound so unreliable?

While Lin Su was in contemplation, Baoshan sipped his wine, seemingly indifferent, but from the way he drank, it was apparent he cared a lot. Normally,

 when he drank, one could hear a "gudong" sound from three zhang away...

Lin Su slowly raised his head. "Master Baoshan, have you ever considered another possibility?"

"What?"

"Perhaps what you need is not wine poetry but genuinely good wine."

His literary root was too peculiar, a wine jug. To reach the literary sentiment's highest realm, perfect harmony must be achieved throughout the body, and having only a wine jug without good wine, how could it be complete?

Baoshan said, "I naturally know this. That's why, for these ten years, I've traveled the world. The wine in front of me flowed out from the Yao clan's holy land."

Lin Jialiang said, "Legend has it that in the Western Heaven's Yaochi holy land, there is real celestial nectar. I don't know if Master has tried to obtain it."

"I've been there three times, and each time I couldn't enter. But with the help of an old friend, I finally had the chance to taste it once. However, it was the wine of cultivators, filled with otherworldly treasures, more about enhancing a cultivator's cultivation than earthly wine."

Having truly tasted it, Lin Jialiang sighed in admiration. The path of a literary person was something he couldn't imagine; he couldn't see anything beyond it...

Lin Su said, "Give me some time. I will brew a wine for Master Baoshan to try."

Lin Jialiang was surprised. Just yesterday, he mentioned that a gentleman should stay away from the kitchen, and a gentleman should stay away from the wine cellar. Now, a scholar who had barely drunk any wine was going to brew it?

Baoshan's eyes lit up. "You can also brew wine?"

"A little."

"Can you brew better wine than this Yao clan fine wine?"

Lin Su raised his cup. "Master Baoshan, would you like to hear a very cruel truth?"

Cruel?

Baoshan laughed heartily. "Tell me!"

"Your Yao clan fine wine, to put it politely, is not good."

Baoshan's eyes bulged. "Is that putting it politely? What if you're not polite?"

"Impolitely, this wine... is worse than the tea you poured out just now. It's not just one level lower. I would rather drink ten catties of tea than this one cup of wine..."

This was the truth.