Love Lock

Chapter 80 Talent!
For men, alcohol is the most captivating thing.

Which of these young masters and noblemen, immersed in the world of wealth and luxury, doesn't know how to appreciate wine?
They have always looked down on street vendors. In the eyes of these rich kids, street vendors are like beggars; what good stuff could they possibly sell?

Those two thieves were not only good at stealing, but they were also very good at reading people.

One of the vendors put on a smiling face and said, "Sir, my brother and I have a small shop in town. This wine is newly acquired from Taoyuan County and hasn't been sold here before. We thought that only the gentleman from Hengshan Academy in the whole town would be a connoisseur of wine, so we brought a cart to the academy first for you gentlemen to taste. Sure enough, the gentleman from Hengshan Academy is more discerning than others; just by smelling the aroma, you gentlemen came over."

The flattering words pleased the wealthy young men.

They pretended to wave their fans, and although they hadn't tasted it yet, their hearts were already itching for it.

Seeing that they were wavering, the shrewd vendor immediately took out an exquisite porcelain cup, carefully wiped it with his hand, and filled it with wine.

They dared not sell the stolen wine in Taoyuan County, so they could only come to this remote town.

If we can win over these wealthy young masters from Hengshan Academy, we're sure to sell like hotcakes in town.

Therefore, the two thieves went to great lengths to steal the wine, transporting it from Taoyuan County to Songyang Town in a handcart, and even delivering it to the entrance of the academy to await the young masters' enjoyment.

Han Lei, who was secretly observing from a distance, nodded secretly and couldn't help but whisper to Da Wu beside her, "I didn't expect to run into two talented people who know how to find the right audience. Not bad."

"Hehe, Brother Tao said that rats have their ways and snakes have their paths. These two thieves might bring us a big surprise." Da Wu also covered his mouth and chuckled.

The aroma of the wine in the glass wafted over on the breeze, and Wei Chengchao, standing behind Han Lei, couldn't help but sniff.

"Hiss, hiss. Mmm! What a fragrant wine!"

Han Lei glanced back at him, gave a meaningful smile, and then continued to stare at the two thieves.

The thief poured the wine and invited the wealthy students to taste it.

Wine tasting is nothing more than three steps: observe the color, seek the aroma, and taste.

First, observe the color; it should be smooth and free of impurities.

If you swirl the glass and see the wine cling to it, then the wine is sure to be rich, full-bodied, and long-lasting.

Secondly, you can smell the aroma by gently fanning the air with your hand.

Good wine is mellow and elegant, neither too strong nor too weak. Even after the glass has been filled with wine overnight, the aroma will linger for a long time, leaving a lasting impression.

When tasting wine, you must first take a small sip, savor it slowly, and fully appreciate the flavor of the wine.

The fat man's eyes lit up as soon as the vendor poured out the wine.

This wine is clear and transparent, unlike the cloudy wines they usually drink. Moreover, when swirled in the glass, it leaves a nice trail.

The wealthy young man leading the group must be this fat guy. The peddler, with his keen eye, respectfully raised his wine glass with both hands.

"This humble servant offers this cup of wine to you, sir, wishing you success in your studies and a place on the honor roll!"

"Heh, you're quite the smooth talker. Looks like I have no choice but to drink this."

The fat man shook his fan, and the aroma of the wine wafted towards him; it was indeed of superior quality.

Han Lei watched secretly and let out a cold snort. She clearly wanted to drink, but she made up so many excuses, as if drinking a glass of wine would be beneath her dignity.

The fat man in the lead leisurely took the wine glass, lowered his head to smell it, and took a small sip.

The rich, smooth liquor has a slightly harsh sensation on the throat upon first sip, but after that initial kick, you can experience its mellow and elegant aroma, leaving a lingering and unforgettable aftertaste! Compared to this liquor, other wines are practically like water!
"Yes! It is indeed good wine!"

The fat man couldn't help but exclaim in amazement. Just as the vendor had said, this wine was so good that even immortals would turn back after drinking it!

How is this wine?

The other rich kids smacked their lips, their mouths practically watering.

The fat man shook his head dramatically, his eyes bright.

"Hmm! This wine is so fragrant that one would dismount their horse upon smelling it, and stop their carriage upon tasting it."

Overwhelmed with such acclaim, Da Wu was so excited that he forgot Han Lei was a woman.

He grabbed Han Lei's hand, his eyes gleaming as he looked at her.

"Ha, did you hear that? Did you hear that?"

"I heard that," Han Lei said with a smile. "I never expected that something so unintentional would turn out so well."

At this moment, the fat man put away his folding fan and waved his sleeve, saying, "Send all these wines to my house! I'll take them all."

The two vendors exchanged a glance and nodded repeatedly in delight.

When they smelled the aroma, they were greatly surprised, thinking that even the tribute wine in the imperial palace was probably no better than this!
Now that it has gained the approval of the students at Hengshan Academy, they are even more convinced that this wine will sell very well!

A small jar of ordinary wine, about half a catty, can be sold for fifteen coins, while a large jar of wine costs five taels of silver.

The two brothers had originally agreed to sell each of the dozens of jars of wine for ten taels of silver. However, seeing how much the students liked it, one of the vendors had a sudden idea. Suppressing his excitement, he cautiously said, "Sir, this wine is rare, and we didn't have much trouble obtaining it. It'll cost twenty taels of silver per jar, what do you think?"

Twenty taels of silver isn't much for a wealthy young man, but compared to other wines on the market, it's an astronomical price.

One of the wealthy students stepped forward and shouted angrily, "You're not a fair person! You start raising prices just because we like something?"

“Exactly, they don’t even know where they are.” Another student snorted.

The two vendors panicked and were about to explain when the fat man waved his hand dismissively.

"Alright, this wine is indeed worth it. You should all try it! One jar is twenty taels, I'll take it all! Send it to my house now!"

After saying that, the fat man asked the vendor to bring a few more cups and personally poured a glass of wine for each of them.

The leader personally poured the wine, so the students who thought it was too expensive couldn't refuse and took a small sip.

The fat man asked with delight and anticipation, "What do you guys think?"

"It's really a good wine!"

"Yes! It's definitely worth it."

"Absolutely amazing!"

"Send some to my home too."

As soon as the wine entered their mouths, everyone smacked their lips and praised it highly.

"Hey, I'm treating everyone to all the drinks today. How about we all come to my place and have a good drink?" the fat leader said heartily.

"Okay, let's go together."

"We would be honored to comply," the crowd readily agreed.

The fat man, beaming with pride, counted the wine jars on the cart and tossed a few silver notes to the two vendors. The vendors counted the notes with ecstatic joy and bowed repeatedly.

We're rich! We've struck it rich!

The fat man led the students ahead and walked away with a flick of his sleeve, while the two peddlers followed behind, pulling their carts and scurrying about, delivering the wine to the fat man's house.

This wine, equivalent to a certain modern liquor, was like a divine elixir to these ancient people who had never tasted anything before.

The entire wine-selling process was witnessed by Han Lei and the others from a distance, who were all astonished.

The wine hadn't even been named yet when the two thieves set a price for it.

Twenty taels for a jar!
This is already four times the price of a regular bottle of wine, and this is only the first time it's being sold in a small town. Who knows how high the price will be in the future!

Talent!
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(End of this chapter)