Chapter 102: Buying Wine

The monkey grinned from ear to ear, delighted to have encountered such a major client today.

Before long, the payment was settled, and the transaction came to a close.

Suddenly, Xiaowei Guo realized that high-proof white spirits were not easy to purchase in large quantities outside. While it was possible to buy a little, what he needed was a bulk supply. Perhaps he should ask the black market owner if such quantities were available.

Moreover, those selling tickets on the black market generally knew the people behind the scenes.

So, he turned to the monkey and said, “Buddy, do you know if we can buy large quantities of high-proof grain liquor here on the black market?”

“High-proof grain liquor? Why do you want that? It won’t fill your stomach,” the monkey asked, puzzled.

“Oh, I have some elders at home who like to drink. I’m thinking of stocking up,” Xiaowei Guo offered as an excuse.

“I’ve heard that stuff is pretty tightly controlled. We definitely don’t have large quantities here, but I can get you more liquor tickets—Xifeng, Maotai, that kind of thing,” the monkey said after a moment’s thought.

Xiaowei Guo was just asking on a whim, so he inquired briefly.

Upon confirming that the large quantities weren’t available, he said to the monkey, “Alright, brother, then get me as many liquor tickets as you can. Next time I come, I’ll buy them all from you.”

“Got it. I’m called Monkey, and I’m basically here every day. Next time you come, just ask for me,” Monkey introduced himself as Xiaowei Guo was about to leave, knowing well to hold on to a major client.

Xiaowei Guo continued to wander the black market and noticed some jade ornaments for sale, though the craftsmanship was quite poor. He picked up a few larger pieces, mainly to nourish his space. Since they weren’t top-grade jade and the carving was rough, the price was very low.

At that moment, a burly man entered, carrying two large jars of some unknown substance. He found an empty spot, placed down the jars, and opened the lids.

Instantly, a rich aroma of liquor filled the air.

Xiaowei Guo wandered around casually, scanning for anything that caught his eye, but was immediately drawn by the intoxicating scent and hurried over to the stall.

By now, a group of men had gathered, all asking how the liquor was sold.

Xiaowei Guo squeezed in and asked the vendor, “Uncle, where did this liquor come from? How much are you selling it for?”

The vendor glanced nervously around at the crowd. After ensuring there was no immediate danger, he addressed everyone: “This is a ten-year aged, pure grain strong liquor, over 60 degrees proof. It’s smooth going down, and you won’t get a headache the next day. I’m in urgent need of money, so I brought it here. Time is tight—I’m selling only in bulk, no single bottles. Two jars total 60 jin, asking 100 yuan, no haggling.”

The connoisseurs sniffed the air and knew it was good liquor. However, hearing the sky-high price of 100 yuan, they all shook their heads and dispersed, though they kept inhaling the lingering scent as they left.

Xiaowei Guo calculated the price himself. Normally, loose liquor sells for 0.6 to 0.8 yuan per jin, but this uncle’s price came to about 1.7 yuan per jin—quite expensive indeed.

He then said to the uncle, “Uncle, could I try some?”

The uncle handed over a wooden spoon. Xiaowei Guo didn’t hesitate, scooped some up, and drank it. A warm sensation flowed directly from his mouth to his stomach—extremely pleasant.

As expected, it was truly fine liquor, a rare find.

Xiaowei Guo continued chatting with the uncle, hoping to negotiate a slight price reduction. “Uncle, did you brew this yourself? What grain did you use? How long does it take to make this liquor?”

The uncle saw the sincerity in Xiaowei Guo’s eyes and chatted casually but his mind was on his seriously ill mother in the hospital, waiting for money for treatment. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be selling these two precious jars.

“This is a family heirloom brewing technique. I can say it’s definitely not inferior to any liquor on the market. Young man, you won’t regret buying this.”

Suddenly, Xiaowei Guo remembered the vast amount of grain in his space. With a good brewing technique, he could brew liquor himself—no need to buy it at all.

Thinking this through, he quickly said to the uncle, “Uncle, I can buy this liquor now, but as you know, it’s quite expensive. I have a request.”

The uncle knew he was selling only in bulk and at a high price, so it might be hard to sell. Seeing Xiaowei Guo’s strong intent, he gestured for him to continue if his request was reasonable.

Seeing the uncle’s nod, Xiaowei Guo said, “My request is that you give me your brewing technique. Don’t worry, it’s just for my personal use.”

The uncle pondered for a moment.

Since his father died, nobody in the family had brewed liquor. Keeping the technique to himself was a waste.

Seeing the young man’s eager expression, he thought he might be able to get some money, and said, “Alright, I’ll give you the brewing technique too. Add 20 yuan and I’ll give you both the liquor and the technique. I just happened to bring the family heirloom manual today.”

“Add 10 more yuan, 110 in total, and I’ll pay right now. Also, the jars and the carrying poles have to be included,” Xiaowei Guo bargained.

“Deal!” The uncle agreed, pulling the family heirloom booklet from his chest pocket. He kept it on him to prove to the market that this was genuine family-brewed liquor.

Xiaowei Guo happily pulled out eleven big black tens from his pocket—actually taken directly from his space—and handed them to the uncle.

He also took the black booklet, flipped through it briefly. Indeed, it contained various brewing knowledge. Satisfied, he closed it carefully.

He then hoisted the two jars of liquor, carrying a bag containing the large jade pieces he had just bought, and headed out of the market.

Near the exit, he spotted Zhou Xiaoming energetically selling chickens and rabbits.

Xiaowei Guo glanced over briefly and continued walking out.

Fortunately, there was no official raid today, or with his bulky load, it would have been hard to hide.

Outside, he found a secluded grove, ensured no one was around, and with a thought, everything in his hands vanished into his space.

The jade pieces he had bought were placed on the altar and instantly liquefied, absorbed by the space. The spring water in the well on the small hill visibly rose by quite a bit.

Xiaowei Guo estimated this would be enough for a while.

He knew he would need to keep searching for jade resources, preferably raw jade ore, as that was the cheapest.

He pondered whether he should make a trip to some jade-rich areas soon.