Chapter 29: The Best of the Best! (Please keep reading!)

The urban village of Xiaoshahe is home to tens of thousands of migrant workers who have come to the city to seek their fortunes. It is a melting pot of people from all walks of life, with every imaginable profession represented. Here, one can find small-scale wholesale market owners pulling in millions a year, as well as struggling laborers earning a meager four or five thousand a month. Then there are drivers like Jiang Tao and Zhang Chao, who either own their own trucks to haul cargo or work as fruit vendors.

Three years ago, Zhang Chao was introduced to the fruit business by his classmate, Liu Zhiyuan. By selling fruit at local open-air markets, he managed an annual income of around 80,000 to 90,000 yuan. Compared to many factory workers or those in the service industry, his earnings were quite decent. Moreover, his work offered far more freedom. However, he had a penchant for foot massages, spending a significant portion of his income on them each year. Despite having similar jobs and incomes, while Liu Zhiyuan and Shan Yufei could save 60,000 to 70,000 yuan a year, Zhang Chao could barely manage to save 30,000. When Jiang Tao invited the group to pool their funds for a new project, Liu and Shan were both able to contribute 50,000 yuan each. Zhang Chao, however, had no money to invest and could only offer his labor to help out.

Zhang Chao had been lucky the previous day; after playing cards with Liu and Shan until past eleven at night, he had won over 700 yuan, so he decided to treat himself. He was greeted by a woman in her forties, wearing heavy makeup and sporting a somewhat out-of-shape figure. Just as Zhang Chao was about to follow her into a small room, his phone rang. Seeing the name "Brother Jiang" on the caller ID, he was taken aback. It was past midnight, and he couldn't imagine why Jiang Tao would be calling him. Puzzled, he signaled the woman to be quiet and answered the call.

"Hey Zhang Chao, someone in our trucking group just mentioned that the anti-prostitution unit is sweeping through Xiaoshahe."

"You like to play around, so I’m giving you a heads-up: don’t get caught in the crossfire."

"Huh? I... I’m at home. Let them sweep, it’s got nothing to do with me."

Though Zhang Chao claimed it was none of his business, his heart was racing with anxiety. When it comes to police raids, it’s better to be safe than sorry. As much as he enjoyed his vices, he didn't want to get arrested for this. If word of such an arrest got back to his village, his reputation would be ruined for life. For an unmarried man like him, it would be a major blow to any future prospects of finding a wife.

"Alright, as long as you're home, we're good. I'm hanging up." Jiang Tao ended the call after fulfilling his duty to warn him.

After the call, Zhang Chao’s heart pounded, and his expression turned tense. After hesitating for three seconds, common sense finally triumphed over desire.

"Listen, sister, my buddy says there’s some trouble in the area tonight, so I’m going to head out. You should be careful, too!"

Before leaving, Zhang Chao didn't forget to warn the woman who had greeted him. With that, he turned and jogged out of the massage parlor without looking back. Sure enough, he hadn't walked even 200 meters when he saw a squad of police officers in uniform, flashlights in hand, heading his way. A cold sweat broke out over him, and he felt a lingering sense of fear. If it hadn't been for Jiang Tao’s phone call, he might have been in the middle of the act with that woman, potentially getting caught red-handed.

One of the officers glanced at him and advised, "Young man, it’s late. You should head home early."

"Yes, yes, of course. I just finished a night shift and am on my way home now," Zhang Chao replied with a sheepish smile, quickly picking up his pace toward his residence. At the same time, he silently noted that he owed Jiang Tao a favor and planned to treat him to a meal another day.

...

At 6:00 a.m. the next morning, Jiang Tao, Liu Zhiyuan, Shan Yufei, and Zhang Chao had breakfast at "Old Guo's Shop." Their convoy of four trucks then headed toward the Huilongguan fruit wholesale market. They began loading goods early in the morning, only pausing briefly at noon to eat some *jianbing guozi* (savory crepes) before getting back to work. They didn't finish loading the 10,606 boxes of sugar mandarin oranges ordered from Liu Yue until after 4:00 p.m. Everything was moved into the small courtyard they had rented. After unloading, Jiang Tao took the guys to a small restaurant in the urban village for a hearty meal. By the time they finished, it was just past 5:00 p.m. Liu Zhiyuan invited Shan Yufei and Zhang Chao to his place to play cards, but Jiang Tao declined. His mind was occupied with the ten jars of *Nü’er Hong* (Daughter’s Red wine) he had unearthed the day before. To him, the wine was just wine if it stayed in his hands—it only became money once it was sold.

It was only 5:30 p.m. when he returned home. Since his rented unit was on the shaded side of the building, the room was already dim. He turned on the light, knelt down, and pulled one of the jars from under his bed.

"Before I sell them, I should check the quality," he thought. "If it’s truly good, I’ll keep two jars to give to my dad and my father-in-law for the New Year."

He placed the jar on the floor of his rented room and began following the method he had researched online to remove the mud seal. By now, his family’s debts had been cleared, and he was debt-free. With the mandarin orange project expected to bring in hundreds of thousands in the coming week, rewarding himself with a bit of fine *Nü’er Hong* was no big deal. Besides, he had dug the wine out of the ground himself; he hadn't spent a dime on it. With that in mind, Jiang Tao felt even more justified in keeping a few jars to treat himself. After a year of hard work, didn't he deserve a taste of good wine?

*Crack, crack, crack—*

Using a small wooden mallet, Jiang Tao quickly chipped away the mud seal. The moment he lifted the lid, a rich, intoxicating aroma drifted out of the jar.

"So fragrant!"

Jiang Tao sniffed the air, his eyes lighting up at the heady scent. The aroma of this *Nü’er Hong* was different from the clear or sauce-like fragrance of ordinary *baijiu*. It was a complex scent, composed of esters, alcohols, aldehydes, acids, and carbonyl compounds. It wasn't a single note, but a fusion of many elements—the sweetness of glutinous rice and longan, the mellow fragrance of nuts, and a faint hint of fruit and flowers. It felt as if the gentleness of the Jiangnan water towns and the passage of time had all been distilled into it.

The *Nü’er Hong* in Jiang Tao's hands had been aged for over twenty years. Its fragrance was rich, mellow, and layered—truly the best of the best. He picked up the jar and poured half a basin into his usual enamel eating bowl. The original yellow wine had taken on a deep, red hue, resembling a fine vintage, looking like nothing less than nectar.

Jiang Tao took a small sip from the enamel basin, and his eyes instantly brightened. As the wine touched his lips, its mellow body bloomed in his mouth. It wasn't thin like standard *baijiu*; it had a rich, velvety texture, much like a carefully crafted milkshake—intense yet delicate. Every sip felt like a perfect harmony, bringing a sense of ultimate comfort. The smoothness was like fine silk brushing against his skin—no roughness, no harshness, only pure, exquisite softness.

Although Jiang Tao wasn't a wine expert, he knew this was a rare find. Twenty-year-old aged wine—surely selling it for 20,000 yuan a jar wasn't too expensive? When drinking this, one wasn't just drinking wine; one was tasting history itself.