Chapter 7: The Discontented One

The alcohol’s strength is closely tied to drinking habits. In the previous life, distilled liquor first appeared during the Yuan Dynasty because the Mongols lived in cold regions and naturally preferred high-proof spirits to ward off the chill. Over time, they grew accustomed to strong liquor. After establishing the Yuan Dynasty, they found it hard to adjust to the lower-proof fermented wines of the Song Dynasty, which led to the invention of distilled spirits. Later, as the Yuan armies campaigned across Eurasia, they spread the technology of distillation to the world.

I wonder if distilled liquor existed at this point in time?

The wine Lin Feng was drinking now, resembling yellow wine in flavor, could be distilled once using proper equipment to raise its proof to over twenty degrees, making its taste similar to sake from the Eastern islands.

“Young master… Brother, none of those who spend their days drinking, gambling, and betting on cockfights with you are reliable. No one will see you off when you leave Chu Capital,” Xiao Die said as she sipped her wine, her thoughts drifting back to events in Chu Capital.

“I never counted on them anyway. Besides, I left in such a hurry that even if they wanted to see me off, it would have been too late!” Lin Feng replied.

“There are people in Chu Capital who are unhappy about your departure,” Xiao Die smiled.

“Who?” Lin Feng asked.

“I know!” Liu Xi grinned. “It must be the girls from the red-light district or those on the Chu Huai River! Young master… Brother leaving means no one will be tipping them anymore!”

“Get out of here!” Xiao Die rolled her eyes.

Liu Xi continued, “Then it must be the owners of a few taverns in Chu Capital. Brother often runs up tabs with them when he drinks. They’re probably frustrated because they can’t collect the debts.”

“Brother always pays off his debts the next time, and usually more than owed. They’re the ones who benefit more from him. What do they have to be frustrated about!?”

“Then who do you think it is?” Liu Xi was puzzled.

“The young lady from the Liu family!” Xiao Die laughed. “Don’t you remember two months ago when the master told you about a marriage arrangement? The master wanted you to settle down and rein in your behavior. The head of the Liu family, afraid of the Lin family’s influence, agreed to this match. The bride price was paid, the government marriage contract approved, but because of brother’s infamous reputation, the young lady from the Liu family refused to go through with it and demanded to annul the engagement. As a result, brother was kicked out of the Lin household shortly after, but the engagement remains binding. The young lady has nowhere to cry.”

Xiao Die’s reminder brought back the memory. Lin Feng’s father and mistress had mentioned more than one marriage arrangement, but his reputation was so bad that no respectable family in Chu Capital wanted to marry their daughters to him. The Liu family was a common merchant household, and their head was weak-willed and seldom feared the Lin family’s power, so he reluctantly accepted. However, his daughter was fiery and demanded to break the contract with tears, tantrums, and threats.

Lin Feng himself wasn’t eager to marry so soon. If the Liu girl had politely come to ask for the engagement to be canceled, he would have agreed. But she openly made a scene, making it known throughout the city. Lin Feng’s stubborn streak flared: "You want to break it off? I refuse! Take that!"

“Young master… now that you’ve left Chu Capital, the engagement should be nullified, right?” Liu Xi asked.

Xiao Die rolled her eyes again. “You don’t understand. To annul an engagement, both parties must sign a written agreement which is then confirmed by the government. So right now, brother is still bound by that engagement.”

“Now that I’ve been kicked out of the Lin family, she must want to annul it even more, right?” Lin Feng chuckled. “To be honest, I don’t even know what the Liu girl looks like.”

“No one knows exactly, but I’ve heard she’s a fierce woman. Many men dare not provoke her, let alone marry her. The master wasn’t just trying to find a bride for you; he wanted a tigress to keep you in line!” Xiao Die said.

Lin Feng thought to himself that a tigress wouldn’t do. If he married one, she’d be nagging him all day, making it hard to realize his grand ambitions with his three beauties.

At that moment, there was a knock at the door.

“Who is it?” Liu Xi asked.

“I’m from next door,” came a clear, youthful female voice.

Liu Xi opened the door to find a young girl standing there. She had a graceful figure, fair skin, delicate eyebrows, and large bright eyes—a pretty face. She looked a bit shy, with the simple charm unique to rural girls.

This was a truly natural, unspoiled beauty, unlike the women Lin Feng had known in his previous life, who either displayed harsh technological alterations or were so heavily made-up that you couldn’t recognize their true faces without makeup.

She was the same girl Lin Feng had seen earlier that day playing with a little girl in the courtyard.

She hesitantly said, “My… my mother asked me to bring you some shelled peanuts for you to look at, to see if the size is… satisfactory?”

“Come inside and talk,” Lin Feng said.

She lowered her head and entered the room, opening the cloth she held to reveal a dozen or so shelled peanuts.

Lin Feng picked one and tasted it; it was fragrant, sweet, and crisp.

He was very pleased. “The peanuts your family grows are very fragrant and sweet, with uniform, plump kernels. Let’s use these peanuts as the standard.”

“My… my mother asked if you want to… pay a deposit?” she said timidly.

So the main reason for her visit was to ask for a deposit.

It was only right to give one.

“Xiao Die, go get a hundred wen and give it to her.”

“Alright.”

Xiao Die immediately got up and went to her room.

“Can you write?” Lin Feng asked.

“Yes…” the girl replied.

Unexpectedly, she could write?

“My second brother taught me,” she said.

“Then write me a receipt.”

“Receipt… how do I write that?” The girl asked shyly.

“You just write: 'Received a deposit of one hundred wen from Lin Feng for purchasing Tian family peanuts.'”

The girl nodded, then went to a small table and wrote it down. Her handwriting was quite good.

Surprisingly, there were literate girls even in this mountain village.

She signed her name: Tian Xi’er.

A rather elegant name; just by hearing it, one wouldn’t guess she was a simple village girl.

It seemed the head of the Tian family might have hired someone to pick a good name for his daughter.

Xiao Die returned with the money. “Sister Xi’er, please count it. This is one hundred wen.”

Tian Xi’er was slightly older than Xiao Die and Liu Xi, so both addressed her as sister.

Tian Xi’er carefully counted the money—exactly one hundred wen. She nodded quietly and said softly, “Then… I’ll be going now,” and left the room, clutching the money.

“She’s quite shy,” Lin Feng chuckled. “Come on, let’s keep drinking!”

They finished a jar of wine quickly, but Lin Feng still felt unsatisfied. However, it was too late to buy more. Night was falling, and he felt a strong drowsiness. Xiao Die helped him lie down, and he soon fell asleep.

The next morning, after the rooster crowed hysterically, Lin Feng opened his eyes, dressed, and stepped outside.