“You are everywhere.”
Jin Feng said, “Remember to send someone to the smelting workshop this evening to collect the long sabres.”
“How many?”
Qing Mulam mumbled, her mouth still unclear.
The apprenticeship ceremony had taken up the whole morning, so Man Cang had not had time to make the training sabres. After the meal, Jin Feng had taken Man Cang and Zhou Jin straight to the iron smelting workshop.
Since he had accepted Zhou Jin as his disciple, the iron smelting workshop was no longer a forbidden area for her.
Although Zhou Jin could not forge iron, she could help with quenching and polishing.
The three master and disciples busied themselves for half the afternoon and finally completed all the training sabres that Qing Mulam had requested.
Since returning from the battlefield, Man Cang had barely rested, so Jin Feng gave him half an afternoon off and took Zhou Jin into a room next to the smelting workshop.
It was called a room, but it was more like a hall, over a hundred square metres in area, filled with all sorts of miscellaneous items.
There were not only two small furnaces but also various tools, as well as jars and iron blocks and wooden blocks of all sizes, and even several lumps of red clay.
This was Jin Feng’s laboratory.
Many of Jin Feng’s experiments had been carried out here, and its importance surpassed even that of the smelting workshop. The veteran guarding the smelting workshop also kept a constant watch on this place around the clock, and even the cleaning was done by Jin Feng himself.
But with Zhou Jin now, he could finally slack off a bit.
It was Zhou Jin’s first time inside, and she was endlessly curious about everything.
Jin Feng led her to a stop beside two strangely shaped jars.
These were the simple distillers that Jin Feng had spent several nights perfecting.
“Little Jin, do you remember the alcohol I told you about?” Jin Feng asked.
“Yes.” Zhou Jin nodded quickly.
“I will teach you how to make alcohol shortly,” Jin Feng said. “Without my permission, you must never pass this method on to anyone else, not even to your future husband or children, understood?”
“Sir, rest assured, even if it kills me, I will not tell a soul.”
Zhou Jin quickly raised her palm and swore: “If I break this oath, may I die a terrible death.”
Jin Feng nodded, fetched a jar of strong liquor from the corner, poured it into one of the jars, and placed the jar on the small stove.
In ancient romances or costume dramas, it was common to see characters who could drink a thousand cups without getting drunk, swigging whole jars at a time.
That was because brewing conditions in ancient times were limited, and the alcohol produced had very low proof.
The strongest liquor Liu Tie could find throughout Jinchuan County had an alcohol content of no more than twenty degrees, just a bit stronger than beer.
Forget those burly men, even a scholarly weakling like Jin Feng, as long as he was not prone to intoxication, could down two or three bowls without issue.
Distilling and purifying alcohol from baijiu was not difficult, the only trouble being that the baijiu used as raw material had such low proof that it required considerable time, with multiple rounds of distillation, to obtain high-purity alcohol.
While that was happening, Jin Feng took the opportunity to explain in detail to Zhou Jin the points to note in each step.
Zhou Jin truly had a talent for medicine, and she was very diligent; Jin Feng only needed to explain twice for her to master it completely.
By dusk, the two had successfully produced Da Kang’s first bottle of ultra-pure alcohol.
Though it was only a small jar, it was enough for the women’s soldier team and the veterans’ team to use for a while.
“Little Jin, alcohol evaporates very easily; after each use, you must quickly seal the bottle mouth with a wooden stopper, or it will all dissipate soon.”
Jin Feng picked up the prepared wooden stopper and sealed the jar tightly.
“Got it.”
Zhou Jin noted it down promptly.
“Alright then, it is getting late, let us go back for dinner.”
Jin Feng put away the small jar and led Zhou Jin out of the laboratory.
As soon as they stepped out, they saw Qing Mulam craning her neck and peering about.
She knew this was Jin Feng’s secret base too, so she only looked from outside without any intention of entering.
“What are you sneaking about for?”
Jin Feng knocked her on the head: “Why are you here instead of at the back hill?”
“Did you not tell me to bring people to collect the long sabres? I came straight from the back hill with them.”
Qing Mulam rubbed her head and asked curiously: “What have you master and disciple been fiddling with in there? It smells so good.”
When distilling alcohol, some aroma was inevitable, and at this time, baijiu was all pure grain brewed, with a very authentic fragrance.
Not only did Qing Mulam smell it, the two veterans guarding the smelting workshop entrance were also swallowing nonstop.
They had been smelling it for half the afternoon, and the scent grew stronger as time went on, which had them utterly tantalised.
“I nearly forgot if you had not mentioned it.”
Jin Feng dashed back into the laboratory and came out hugging half a jar of strong liquor.
The distiller had only been completed the day before, and Jin Feng had experimented with it in his spare time; this jar was what remained from then.
High-purity alcohol could not be drunk directly, or it would easily cause alcohol poisoning, but this jar had only been distilled twice, with a proof of around forty degrees, perfectly drinkable.
Without even opening the lid, the aroma of liquor filled the air around them.
This time, even Qing Mulam could not help it and swallowed very ungracefully.
“Sir, what kind of liquor is this? How is it so fragrant?”
“Mu Lan, you are from a noble family after all, show some composure, will you?”
Jin Feng teased, then suddenly had an idea.
In his previous life, he had not liked drinking, but he knew how vast the market for baijiu was.
The amount of baijiu consumed by the nation each year was incalculable, sustaining countless liquor companies.
Although Da Kang’s history differed from his previous world, its liquor culture was equally ancient and enduring.
And Da Kang had no high-proof baijiu, so could he not make use of that?
With that thought, Jin Feng took the initiative and asked: “Fancy a taste?”
“Yes!” Qing Mulam was already very familiar with Jin Feng and nodded without hesitation.
“Then let us go.”
Jin Feng hugged the liquor jar and returned to the courtyard from the side gate of the smelting workshop yard.
The two veterans wiped their mouths and watched Jin Feng leave with longing eyes.
“I was just about to go and call you, and here you are back.”
Guan Xiaorou said with a smile: “Dinner is ready, wash your hands and eat.”
Qing Mulam had been waited on hand and foot since childhood, and usually when she came over, she had no qualms about freeloading a meal, sitting calmly at the table each time waiting for others to serve it.
But today, she was unusually diligent, bustling back and forth to help carry rice and dishes, even faster than Run Niang.
“What is wrong with Miss Mu Lan?”
While she was out, Guan Xiaorou asked in confusion: “Has she caused trouble and is afraid of the master scolding her?”
“She is the daughter of the prefect, how could I dare to punish her?”
Jin Feng smiled and pointed at the liquor jar: “She has her eye on this.”
No sooner had he spoken than Qing Mulam came in with chopsticks and looked at Jin Feng expectantly: “Sir, everyone is here, can we start eating?”
“Alright, drink if you want to, but this liquor is quite strong, do not drink too quickly, and not too much either.”
Jin Feng smiled and took the chopsticks.
“That is just what I was waiting for.”
Qing Mulam rubbed her hands, opened the jar lid.
In an instant, the entire room was filled with the aroma of liquor.
A Mei and Tie Chui, guarding the door, both licked their lips and craned their necks to peer inside.
