Chapter 120: Since Ancient Times, Cliches Win Hearts

The proprietress and Su Youcai stood at the entrance, all smiles, greeting the guests as they arrived.

After showing their invitations, the guests were ushered into the hall by attendants to be seated. Once inside, they were struck by the interior decoration and layout, becoming noticeably reserved in their words and actions, fearing they might not match such an elegant environment.

On the eight-immortal tables were arrangements of dried fruits, fresh fruits, and four types of tea snacks. Once seated, young women served fragrant tea and warm, soft cotton towels.

"Tsk, tsk, it feels like I've stepped into the home of a wealthy family," the merchants remarked while copying others in wiping their hands and faces. "When the boss and proprietress came to deliver the wine earlier, I never imagined they were running such a massive operation."

"Indeed, to manage such a grand enterprise while handling every detail personally—they deserve their success!" everyone nodded in agreement.

This was the power of setting the stage; it made people hold you in higher regard.

Just then, someone recognized Su Daji, who was sitting at a front table, and greeted him with a smile: "Hey, Master Su, what brings you here?"

"This wine is produced by our Su Family Distillery!" Su Daji replied proudly. "It is simply being sold on consignment by Sweetwater House."

The merchants had an epiphany. "No wonder this wine tastes so familiar—it's from your Su Family Distillery!"

"You can still taste a difference, though," someone commented. "The Erlang Wine is smoother on the palate, and the initial notes are better, though the finish is slightly inferior to the original. Each has its own merits."

"Brother Ji is absolutely right," Su Daji nodded. "This wine carries on the secret recipe of the He brothers from back in the day, refined by the master craftsmen at our distillery and blended with ten-year-old aged stock."

"That explains it," the crowd nodded collectively. "A performance this mature—you can tell at a glance it's the work of a major distillery."

The Su Family Distillery had been around for decades, and the merchants respected them. However, the local high-end white spirit market was small, and with the superior Cheng Family Distillery already established, no one would buy from the Su Family at a similar price. The Su Family had been forced to lower their prices to the mid-range to move product, but losing money on every bottle sold was unsustainable.

"This wine must cost sixty or seventy wen, right?" someone asked tentatively, referencing the Su Family's previous wholesale price.

"Hard to say, they set the price," Su Daji said, playing coy and complaining, "That proprietress, she’s quite the domineering one!"

"Master, it hasn't been easy for you..." the others looked at Su Daji with sympathy, knowing the plight of the Su family business. When business is hard to come by, one is easily pushed around.

~~

Nearing midday, all the merchants had arrived. A loud announcement rang out at the entrance: "The Chiliarch has arrived!"

Everyone stood up in a hurry to welcome him. Chiliarch Ma, dressed as a wealthy gentleman and surrounded by Centurion Li and others, appeared at the entrance of the grand hall.

"Greetings, Chiliarch."

"Good day, Chiliarch!" The merchants bowed and scraped, offering their respects. Although most of them were traveling merchants from the Salt or Tea-Horse guilds and did not depend on Chiliarch Ma for their livelihood, one still had to show proper respect to the local authority.

"Good, good," Chiliarch Ma was in a fine mood today; the spectacle outside had given him great face. He had expected nothing more than some lion dances or folk performances, but the proprietress had done something unique, making it high-end, trendy, and sophisticated. It had truly opened the eyes of the townsfolk. With this "Erlang Gala," who would dare call him a culturally illiterate brute from now on?

He was happy to reveal his connection to the Erlang Wine. He smiled and cupped his hands to the crowd: "You are all honored guests of mine. No need for excessive ceremony today, please, sit comfortably."

"So, the Chiliarch is one of the hosts?" the merchants realized. In truth, they had guessed as much from the flags all over town and the time Ma had ordered the "Song of the Wine God" performed for Magistrate Lu. They just hadn't expected him to admit it so openly.

He nodded and smiled. "Indeed, I am one of the hosts. I wonder, for the sake of my reputation, could you order a few more jars?"

"Of course, of course," the merchants nodded with forced smiles, realizing there would be no escaping an expense today.

After exchanging pleasantries with the merchants, Chiliarch Ma walked over to Su Dacheng, his smile growing even brighter. "Brother Su!"

The old man felt embarrassed and was about to bow, but Ma caught him by the arm. "Haha, brother, don't belittle your brother like that!"

"You are an official, I am a commoner," Su Dacheng said sheepishly. "The rites cannot be ignored." His sons were still working under the man's command, so no matter how reluctant he was, he had to show deference.

"Why should we brothers care about such things?" Ma gripped his shoulder affectionately and introduced him to the crowd in a loud voice: "This is my life-and-death brother who fought the Duzhang barbarians with me in the Chenghua era!"

"Does the old master still remember this little brother?!" Centurion Li exclaimed excitedly. "I was Li Datou, the banner officer under your command back then!"

The other centurions and town guards also bowed to the old man as juniors, giving him plenty of face.

"Good, good, you are all doing well," the old man replied, feeling slightly awkward but inwardly warmed. He was a man who valued his reputation all his life, fearing nothing more than being looked down upon.

After the greetings, Ma and Su walked arm-in-arm to their seats. Ma sighed with emotion, "It's been ten years, hasn't it? Brother, you've aged quite a bit."

"The Chiliarch hasn't changed at all," Su Dacheng said with a bitter smile. This wasn't flattery; the two looked like they had more than a ten-year gap between them.

"Alas, I'm getting on in years too," Ma shook his head, sighing. "The older one gets, the more one reminisces. I've often thought of you, brother, but I sent Youjin to invite you several times and you never came."

"I'm old and don't want to go out," Su Dacheng sighed. "And I had no face to go out."

"Don't say that!" Ma shook his head firmly and declared loudly, "I'll say this right here: within ten years, the Su family will be the most prominent family in our Chiliarchate!"

"You're joking, Chiliarch," the old man said quickly. "The most prominent family will always be the Ma family; no one can catch up!" The Ma family was a hereditary Chiliarchate, after all—even if the rank were lowered, their starting point was still far higher than anyone else's.

"Your family will surely surpass mine; just wait and see," Ma shook his head with conviction, sighing with a touch of melancholy. "The times have changed. Your family's path is the true way."

"Isn't your grandson studying as well?" the old man asked, puzzled.

"Studying takes too much talent; my grandson cannot compare to yours," Ma said faintly. The unusual regard Magistrate Lu and Principal Zhu had for Su Lu made him understand this truth. He didn't want to chat about it in front of so many people, so he lowered his voice. "It's about to begin; let's not steal the spotlight. Stay at my place for a few days, brother, so we can properly reminisce..."

Just then, music began to play on the stage, but it was no longer the impassioned "Song of the Wine God." It had changed to the melodious sounds of the pipa and zither. A singer sang with a beautiful, clear voice:

*"Red Water’s raging waves pass the treacherous shoals,*
*Spring brew chills at the head of the Erlang rapids.*
*Red mountain dew condenses into cloud essence,*
*Steamed red sorghum seals the ancient jar.*
*Opening the lid, a sip of sweet, crisp spirit,*
*Aged in the cellar, a lingering fragrance spreads.*
*Merchants pause their saddles, fully satisfied,*
*Beauties sip lightly, faces aglow with smiles.*
*Do you not see, the wine flags fly at the head of the Red Water River,*
*A single drop can wash away ten thousand years of sorrow,*
*Erlang's fine brew is renowned in all four corners..."*

~~

On the second floor, the Su brothers—Su Man, Su Lu, Su Dan, and Su Lang—sat at a table.

The brothers were also shaken by the scene below. Watching the singer, Su Man whispered worriedly, "How much did all this cost today? Don't let it turn out that we end up losing money."

"It costs quite a bit, but it’s a necessary expense," Su Lu said softly. "The hardest part of selling white spirits is opening the market. We aren't doing this for the forty thousand catties of wine we have now, but for the long-term business."

"Yes, big brother's method is effective," Su Dan, who never argued with Su Lu, nodded. "I even feel that our family's wine is so high-end now that ordinary goods can't compare at all!"

"I used to think that handing the wine over to Sweetwater House for consignment was completely unnecessary. Now I know that this money has to be earned by them; we could never pull off such a grand event," Su Lang sighed.

"As long as we can open the market, everything is worth it," Su Lu said quietly.

Those sitting at the table were all scholars, so he didn't need to explain the details. In fact, this exhibition model was more time-saving, labor-saving, and cost-effective than negotiating with clients one by one, and it created a "bandwagon effect." When customers walked into the venue, they fell into the carefully crafted trap of the host, their defenses worn down step by step, their desire to purchase stoked. In the end, everyone would buy something—it was just a matter of how much.

~~

After the opening performance and amidst the applause, Su Youpeng, acting as the master of ceremonies, took the stage to announce the official start of the first "Double Ninth Chrysanthemum Viewing and Erlang Gala!"

First, he invited Su Daji, the master of the Su Family Distillery, to the stage to introduce the Erlang Wine. Having sold wine for years, the master had a silver tongue:

"Our Erlang Wine is made from the finest Red Tassel sorghum, every grain as plump as a pearl. We use our ancestral yeast and ferment it for a full hundred days! The red clay at the bottom of our cellar has been tended for thirty years, which is why the fragrance of the wine is so mellow..."

He didn't mention a single word about how long the wine had actually been aged.

Of course, no matter how flowery the words, nothing beats seeing and tasting for yourself. The next segment was the "Opening the Jar to Verify the Wine" ceremony.

Two young men who had sung the "Song of the Wine God" carried out a large black pottery jar. Su Daji personally broke the mud seal, and a rich, intoxicating aroma filled the hall.

"What a fragrance!" The guests twitched their noses, not knowing if it was psychological, but they all felt this wine smelled even better than the samples the proprietress had sent earlier.

Young women brought out celadon wine pots. The master scooped the wine with a long-handled wooden spoon with skilled, precise movements, filling all the pots in the blink of an eye.

The women then poured a cup for every guest. The proprietress, whom everyone adored, took the stage. She held up a cup, showing the Erlang Wine with its faint amber glow, and said:

"To taste the wine, you must follow three steps: look, smell, and taste. Besides looking at the color, you must observe the quality—it should 'cling to the glass like tears and fall slowly.' Only good wine without added water has this quality."

The guests nodded as they saw the wine clinging to the sides of their cups.

The proprietress continued: "The second step is the 'two sniffs.' First, gently swirl the glass to release the aroma. The initial sniff is crisp and sweet. Then, take a deep breath; you will catch the aged fragrance of many years in the cellar. Through the masterful blending of our veteran craftsmen, these two are perfectly combined. Inferior spirits could never achieve this layering."

The merchants copied the proprietress and truly caught a different sensation.

"Finally, the 'three sips.' First, take a small sip and hold it on the tip of your tongue; you will feel a sweet, crisp freshness. Then, swallow slowly; a warm, mellow sensation will rise in your throat like a warm current. Once the wine is gone, the fragrance still lingers on your lips and teeth. True, high-quality wine should not choke you upon entering, should not be harsh in the throat, and should not feel dry in the stomach. Taste it carefully, and you will understand."

"Excellent wine, excellent wine." Guided by the proprietress, the guests drank the most carefully savored cup of their lives, and their experience was naturally greatly enhanced. For a moment, they felt this wine was not inferior to the Cheng family's at all.

"So, how much does such good wine cost?" the uncle, who sat among the merchants looking quite the part, asked loudly.

"Yes, that is the most important thing!" the merchants echoed. The quality of the wine was important, but the price was key. If the wine was mediocre but cost ten or twenty wen, people would still scramble for it; if the wine was excellent but cost eighty or ninety wen, no one would bother.

"Very well, let's skip the small talk and invite the Chiliarch to reveal the price!" Su Youpeng invited Chiliarch Ma to the stage.

Two young women brought out a wooden sign covered in red silk. Amidst an increasingly intense drum roll, Chiliarch Ma reached out and pulled off the red silk—

The giant red characters "Fifty Wen" came into the merchants' view!

"So cheap?!" All the merchants widened their eyes. Those who had only planned to make a token purchase suddenly felt it was well worth it!