Chapter 287: Insights on Winemaking
While the kitchen over there was bustling with noise and laughter, Ning Xiyue was also so busy her feet barely touched the ground.
She had originally thought that, just like in the TV dramas she’d seen in later generations, apprentices would start by doing chores — fetching water, washing tools — and only much later would they be taught even a bit of the craft.
But upon arriving, she discovered things were completely different from what she imagined. The moment she came, she was directly taught how to brew sorghum liquor.
Coincidentally, there was already a batch of fermented sorghum mash ready to use. So while teaching her, the old man could simultaneously brew and explain the entire process to her, weaving knowledge into practice.
This old master was truly earnest in his teaching.
From the tools needed for brewing, to the precise methods of operation; from the fermentation of sorghum to the distillation process — he explained everything to her word by word, in full detail.
He held nothing back, carefully explaining every step, essentially imparting to her the essence of his secret recipe for brewing fine sorghum liquor.
Ning Xiyue took notes diligently, pen scratching rapidly across the page. Whenever the old man mentioned a special ingredient or one of his exclusive techniques, she perked up, paid full attention, and marked those points in red.
Those key details were exactly what made Master Zhang’s liquor taste better than anyone else’s.
Seeing her pen glide so fast it made a swish-swish sound against the paper, the old man nodded with satisfaction. He went to a nearby cabinet and pulled out an old, worn ledger-like notebook.
Holding the thick book, he walked over to where Ning Xiyue was taking notes and handed it to her, motioning for her to open it.
Ning Xiyue paused her writing, accepted the book, and flipped open the first page.
As she began to read, the old master started to explain.
“Doctor Ning,” he said, “this old book holds my life’s work. Inside are my personal reflections and experiences on winemaking — the methods, procedures, and formulas for brewing all kinds of grain wines: glutinous rice wine, sorghum wine, and more. I’ve also written in the improvements I’ve made over the years.”
Realizing how precious this book was, Ning Xiyue immediately stopped flipping through it. She closed the cover gently and looked at him questioningly. “Master Zhang, you mean…?”
The old man laughed heartily. “Don’t be so nervous! I’m just lending it to you. Copy it all down, and once you’re done, return it to me. This is my treasure — I can’t bear to part with it forever.”
“Alright, thank you, Grandpa Zhang,” Ning Xiyue replied warmly.
She didn’t refuse — this was exactly what she needed most right now. Since he was offering it so sincerely, turning him down would seem hypocritical. Better to accept it frankly and repay his kindness later.
Seeing her continue to read attentively, the old man smiled again. “If you can memorize everything in this notebook, you’ll have learned half of winemaking. After that, once you’ve gone through the brewing process with me a couple of times, you’ll be close to mastering it.”
“I’ll make sure to memorize it carefully,” Ning Xiyue said, patting her notebook playfully. “I’ll finish it in the next day or two, and soon you’ll get to drink the wine I make myself, Grandpa Zhang.”
Though she said it jokingly, she meant every word. She planned to memorize the entire notebook tonight — imprint every diagram and note into her mind until it was impossible to forget. Her memory worked like a living archive — faster and safer than any computer.
Computers could lose data, but her brain couldn’t. Once she stored something, it stayed there, unerasable and secure. And when she needed it, the images would surface instantly — far more convenient than any digital device.
“You’ve got quite the sharp mind,” the old man chuckled. “I believe you’ll learn fast — faster than my grandson Jianguo here,” he said, pointing at the young man who was tending the distiller, then tapping his own head. “Much sharper up here!”
“Grandpa, that’s not fair!” Zhang Jianguo protested immediately. “How can you praise one and stomp on the other? I may not be as clever as Sister Yue, but I’m no fool either! In our whole team, apart from the educated youths, only Zhang Jianjun — the one who went to the Workers’ and Peasants’ University — can compare with me. And he only got in by luck, with one extra vote! Otherwise, I would’ve gone!”
He tossed his head proudly. He wasn’t bragging — in their production team, only he and Zhang Jianjun had ever made it to high school.
Sure, he had only studied for a few months and never graduated, but even so, he was considered one of the most educated in the team — the kind of person who’d take over as accountant once Uncle Anguo retired. He was smart and he knew it.
“Comrade Jianguo is quite clever,” Ning Xiyue said with a light smile, humoring him. “Quick-minded too. I’m sure you’ll have a bright future ahead.”
She’d caught the faint envy in his eyes when he mentioned Zhang Jianjun going to university. The boy was smart, lively, and grateful — and she knew exactly how she could repay this family for teaching her how to brew wine.
Going to university? That was something she could help with.
“See? Sister Yue is the best!” Zhang Jianguo grinned. “I’ll definitely make something of myself one day — you’ll see! Grandpa, you should praise me more often!”
The old man glared at him. “You little rascal — getting cocky again? Go tend the fire!”
After scolding his grandson, he turned back to Ning Xiyue and led her to the steaming pot of sorghum, explaining each step of the distillation and the critical points to watch out for.
One taught with complete dedication; the other learned with total focus.
Two hours passed quickly, and today’s lesson came to an end.
“Go home and review what we covered today,” the old man said kindly. “Everything’s in that notebook. Tomorrow, when you come back to brew, I’ll quiz you on what we went over.”
Then, raising his voice toward his dawdling grandson, he added sharply, “Zhang Jianguo, you’ll be memorizing it too! I’ll test you both!”
Jianguo muttered under his breath, “Fine, fine. If Sister Yue can memorize it, I can too. As her little brother, I can’t fall behind.”
Ning Xiyue chuckled. “Grandpa Zhang, I’ll come again tomorrow afternoon.”
“Good,” he nodded. Then he called, “Jianguo, go see your Sister Yue off.”
“Okay, coming!” Jianguo dropped what he was doing, handed the work over to his mother, and ran over eagerly to lead the way.
When they reached the gate, Ning Xiyue suddenly turned to him and asked, “Do you still have your high school textbooks?”
“Huh?” Jianguo blinked, caught off guard.
She repeated calmly, “The books you used in high school — do you still have them?”
“I’ve only got one or two left,” he said sheepishly, scratching his head. “My mom used most of them as fire starters…”
Inside, he was panicking. Great, now Sister Yue probably thinks I don’t care about studying or books… what if she thinks I’m dumb and doesn’t want me as her little brother anymore?
“Then find time to go to the recycling station in town and buy the missing ones,” Ning Xiyue said evenly. “Get the full two years of high school books — it won’t cost much.”
She didn’t mock or scold him; her tone remained calm and steady.
“The more you know, the better you can reason,” she continued. “My brother and I never stopped learning for even a single day. And anyone who wants to be my brother must also be someone who keeps learning — knowledgeable, cultured, always improving. You have to keep up with me. Otherwise, if I start talking about something complex and you can’t understand, how are we supposed to communicate? How can we even be on the same wavelength?”
Hearing that, Jianguo’s eyes lit up. He caught the key phrase instantly. “Sister Yue — does that mean you accept me as your brother? I’ll go get those books tomorrow! I promise I’ll study hard — you can quiz me anytime!”
Ning Xiyue nodded. “Good. Once you have the books, you must study them seriously. If there’s something you don’t understand, ask me or my brother. When you’ve mastered high school knowledge, it’ll mean we think on the same level — and then we can become sworn siblings.”
With that, she turned to leave.
Overjoyed, Zhang Jianguo shouted after her, “Sister Yue! Just wait — I’ll make sure we become sworn siblings!”
Hearing his excited voice echo behind her, Ning Xiyue smiled brightly.
Whether he could seize this chance to change his fate — that was up to Zhang Jianguo himself. She would only open the door once.
As she walked along the road, she saw smoke rising from every household’s chimney. In her mind’s eye, she could almost see the garlic-scented spicy crayfish, the richly flavored drunken duck, the savory clams, the spicy snails, and the tender drunken shrimp all waving to her invitingly.
She quickened her pace, heading eagerly back toward the educated youth courtyard.
