Xu Mingzhu waved her hand and pushed the ten taels of silver back into his hands. “No need to repay me. Consider it compensation for the money I ‘borrowed’ from you before. From now on, we’re even. Just give me the divorce agreement.”
As she said this, excitement was written all over her face.
Under normal circumstances, Song Ci would have happily signed the divorce papers immediately. But now, for some reason, he couldn’t bring himself to feel happy about it. “Wait a little longer. We agreed on half a month before.”
Hearing this, Xu Mingzhu looked disappointed. Still, she didn’t dare push the male lead too hard. His father had only just escaped death’s door, and discussing divorce at a time like this really wasn’t appropriate. Only a few days remained anyway. She could wait. As long as Song Ci agreed, the divorce was only a matter of time.
“Fine. Half a month it is. Nine days left. I’ll come find you then. If you decide sooner, you can give it to me earlier.”
“Mm. I know.” Watching her expression change, Song Ci urged, “You should head back. Mother is still waiting for you at home.”
Xu Mingzhu felt that Song Ci was acting a little strangely today. It seemed yesterday’s trip had been worth it after all.
The male lead now felt grateful toward her. Her life should finally be secure.
When Xu Mingzhu returned home, she found Xu Daya bent over in the courtyard, sweeping the ground.
“Daya, are your injuries feeling any better?”
Xu Daya’s voice trembled. “Little Aunt, I… I’m much better now. I can still work. Please don’t sell me.”
Xu Mingzhu: “…”
Even though she had already promised never to sell her again, the little girl clearly didn’t believe her. She couldn’t really blame her. The original Xu Mingzhu had gone too far.
Xu Mingzhu stepped forward to take the broom from Xu Daya’s hands.
But before she could get close, Xu Daya dropped to her knees in fright, her entire body shaking. “Little Aunt, please don’t hit me. I’ll be good. I’ll listen to everything you say.”
Xu Mingzhu stood there, looking at the trembling child kneeling on the ground. It felt as though someone had seized her heart and squeezed hard. Squatting down, she softened her voice as much as possible. “Daya, I swear that from now on, your little aunt will never sell you and will never hit you again.”
Xu Daya only trembled harder.
Xu Mingzhu sighed. The little girl had been afraid of her since childhood. This would take time. “You’re injured. Go back inside and lie down. Your little aunt will do this.”
Xu Daya’s eyes widened in shock.
Yesterday, when her mother said that her little aunt had changed, she hadn’t believed it. But now her little aunt was actually trying to sweep the yard for her.
Hearing the commotion, Madam Zhou walked out. “Mingzhu, just let her sweep.”
A faint light immediately appeared on Xu Daya’s face. She looked up timidly and said in a trembling voice: “Little Aunt, as long as you don’t sell me, I can do anything.”
Xu Mingzhu felt a pang of sadness. The child was so young, yet she had been tormented into this state. Whatever had happened before, now that Xu Mingzhu was here, she would never allow this family’s suffering to continue.
She forced a gentle smile. “Alright, you two should rest. One of you is injured, and the other is pregnant. I’ll do it.”
“You child.” Madam Zhou scolded affectionately, her heart warmed. She went into the kitchen and brought each of them a bowl of warm water. “Here, have some water. You spent all night looking after Uncle Song. You must be tired.”
“Not really. I didn’t do much. The doctor was the one doing all the hard work.”
“No matter what, you saved Song Ci’s father’s life this time. He’s someone who knows how to repay a kindness. Your lives together will only get better from now on.”
Madam Zhou was genuinely happy for her. In her eyes, no matter how much money a woman earned, having a husband who cared for her and looked after her was worth more than anything else.
Xu Mingzhu swept even faster. Then she changed the subject. “Sister-in-law, how’s that batch of barley from before?”
“The sprouts have come out already. I’ll take you to see them.”
“Great.” Xu Mingzhu followed Madam Zhou into the backyard.
Madam Zhou lifted the straw mat covering a wooden barrel, and a moist, grainy fragrance immediately drifted out.
The barley inside had already sprouted. Countless pale-yellow shoots had emerged in dense clusters.
“I checked yesterday. The sprouts still needed a little more time to grow, but today should be just right.” Madam Zhou stirred the barley with her hand. “Take a look and see if it’s ready.”
Xu Mingzhu crouched down and carefully examined the sprouted barley. “Sister-in-law, they’re just right.”
At some point, Xu Ming’an wandered into the yard. “Can malt really be used to make alcohol?”
“It can.” Xu Mingzhu stood up and dusted off her skirt. “Not only can it, but it’s also more economical than rice wine. Brewing rice wine consumes a lot of rice, while barley beer only requires sprouted barley. It produces quite a lot of drink as well.”
Imagining the greenish liquid, Xu Ming’an shook his head with a look of disgust. “What kind of taste could that possibly have?”
Xu Mingzhu smiled. As expected, he didn’t understand. Patiently, she explained: “Alcohol brewed from malt isn’t like the rice wine or yellow wine we’re used to. It’s refreshing to drink and has a slight bitterness to it, but the more you drink, the more flavorful it becomes.”
The moment Xu Ming’an heard the word “bitter,” he completely lost any desire to try it. Still, he didn’t want to dampen his sister’s enthusiasm.
“Little Sister, whatever you want to do, just do it. If you need any help from your second brother, just say the word.”
“Actually, I do need your help.” Xu Mingzhu began counting on her fingers. “A large clean cooking pot, several small ceramic jars, and some fine gauze cloth. Please help me gather all of those for me.”
Xu Ming’an immediately agreed. “Got it.” Then he turned around and hurried off to make the preparations.
“What about me? What should I do?” Madam Zhou asked eagerly, afraid she wouldn’t be able to help.
Xu Mingzhu thought for a moment. “Then, Sister-in-law, could you boil some warm water for me? About the same temperature as the water we usually use for bathing.”
“Alright! I’ll do it right away.”
Seeing how happy Madam Zhou looked, Xu Mingzhu couldn’t help reminding her, “Sister-in-law, take it slow. Be careful of your health.”
In response, she received a burst of cheerful laughter.
“Little Aunt…” A timid voice sounded behind her. “What should I do?”
Xu Mingzhu pointed toward the main room. “Then help me bring over the bowl from the desk in my room. The one with the rice and bran in it.”
Xu Daya didn’t say a word. She simply turned around and ran off.
Xu Mingzhu crouched back down in front of the ceramic vat and carefully examined the malt.
From mashing to fermentation… In her previous life, she had researched traditional brewing methods to reduce costs. Who could have imagined that those skills would one day come in handy in a remote corner of the Great Jin Dynasty?
Truthfully, she wasn’t entirely sure whether it would succeed. In modern times, there were thermometers, sugar meters, stainless-steel tanks of every size, and precisely controlled fermentation systems. Now she had none of those things. She could only rely on experience and intuition.
Steeling herself, she spread the sprouted barley onto a bamboo tray and placed it near the stove, letting the residual warmth dry it slowly. Once the malt felt slightly dry to the touch and the surface was no longer sticky, she crushed it with a stone mortar.
Xu Ming’an worked quickly and efficiently. He crushed the malt into coarse grains and, under Xu Mingzhu’s direction, poured it into an empty vat.
Xu Mingzhu carried over a basin of hot water and poured it in. As she poured, she had him stir continuously with a wooden stick.
The malt and water mixed thoroughly, forming a cloudy, creamy-yellow liquid. A rich grain aroma instantly filled the air.
“It smells so good,” Madam Zhou said, leaning closer to sniff, her eyes lighting up.
“In another two or three hours, it’ll become as sweet as honey water,” Xu Mingzhu said. She covered the vat, secured the opening with a straw mat, and wrapped an old quilt around it to keep it warm.
The three of them worked together to strain the malt liquid.
Looking at the golden liquid, Madam Zhou couldn’t help but ask, “Is it finished already?”
“Not even close,” Xu Mingzhu replied with a smile. “We’re only halfway there.” As she spoke, she poured the filtered malt liquid into a large pot and set it over a fierce fire.
Standing beside the stove, Xu Mingzhu continuously stirred with a long-handled wooden spoon. Steam carrying the sweet fragrance of malt rose through the kitchen, filling the room with a sugary aroma.
Xu Daya was squatting by the kitchen doorway, timidly peeking inside. She didn’t dare enter. Instead, she lingered outside the threshold, her eyes glued to the small ceramic pot while her throat bobbed unconsciously.
Out of the corner of her eye, Xu Mingzhu noticed the little girl’s longing gaze and her hesitation to come closer. Her heart softened. With a chuckle, she laughed.
Taking a small bowl of the saccharified malt paste, she set it over a low flame and simmered it slowly.
The color gradually deepened from a light honey shade to a rich amber. In the end, it reduced into a thick, glossy syrup that stretched into fine threads when lifted with a wooden spoon.
“Daya, come here,” Xu Mingzhu called gently. “Come see what your little aunt has made for you.”