Book 9 Chapter 7 – Strange Encounter At The Back of The Mountain

An elegant room does not need to be big, fragrance does not require a lot of flowers.

As the two boys stepped over the main gate, where a sign board carved with the characters ‘An Le Wo’ [Comfort Zone; lit. still/calm happy nest] was hanging over it, a feeling of serene, peaceful harmony welled up in their hearts.

Opposite the entrance, on the beam supported by two pillars, there was another wooden board with this couplet written on it: ‘Mornings are suitable to make qin [zither] music, evenings are suitable to strike the se [standing harp with 5-25 strings]; old friends have arrived, new rains are starting to fall’. The calligraphic style was elegant yet simple, bold and powerful.

This hall was shaped in a four-sided living room style, with all four sides have ‘wooden pot’-style windows. On the far end the plant in the pot drooped down, covering the view of the dangerous precipice beyond. The gentle sound of the bamboo grove dancing in the wind faintly penetrating the inner hall, adding a more relaxed, natural feeling to the simple, plain, rustic mahogany furnishing of the room. On the corner, there was a cedar wood stairs leading to the upper floor.

The old-sounding voice came again, “Gentlemen, please come upstairs!”

Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling exchanged a glance, then walked slowly up the flight of stairs.

The room upstairs was divided into two sections by a standing screen. The front section had a round table and several chairs; presumably the rear section was where the host slept.

This moment a man was standing at the window, facing out. He spoke in soft voice, “Two Xiao Xiongdi, please sit down, try the Six-fruit Brew Laofu personally made.”

It was only then did the two boys notice the wine bottle and wine cups on the table. The aroma of the wine permeated the whole place.

Under the illumination of two palace-style lanterns hanging from the beam, they saw that other than the table and chairs, there was only a few necessary furniture, all made of rosewood, displaying its stylish, quaint grandeur.

The old man dressed in formal intellectual attire. Although because his back was facing the two boys that they were unable to see his face, he looked slightly taller than Xu Ziling. Furthermore, because of the oversized long robe he was wearing, he exuded some kind of loftiness that commanded other people to look up in respect.

Recalling their own low rank, the two boys looked at the wine on the table, but were unsure of what to do.

The old man sighed and said, “Drink! There’s wine to enjoy, life is short!”

His voice carried a profound helplessness, giving the impression that he must have a sad past.

Kou Zhong pushed Xu Ziling and sat down first.

They were both moving very cautiously, not willing to make any noise to disturb the sacred quietness of the small room upstairs.

They could still hear the faint sound of waterfall from the distance.

Kou Zhong lifted up the wine bottle and poured three cups. Seeing the old man has not made any movement, he picked one cup, and handed the other one to Xu Ziling.

The fruit brew entered his throat. The aroma was mellow and rich, soft and fresh. The most amazing thing was that the fragrance was thick, but in congruence, so that the aftertaste lingered long.

Tranquil and calm, the old man said, “This wine is brewed from a collection of pomegranate, grape, tangerine, crabapple, green plum, and pineapple, six types of fresh fruits. The manufacturing method involves picking the fruits, washing in water, bleaching in water, crushing, pits removal, soaking, juice extraction, fermentation, blending, filtering, and aging process, before loading it in barrels and burying it for three whole years. And it tastes good!”

Kou Zhong praised wholeheartedly, “Laozhang [Sir/gentleman] is adept in wine brewing, and is very creative.”

The old man was silent for half a day before speaking softly, “Laofu has lived here for nearly thirty years. Other than Xiuxun, nobody ever dared to barge in here. You must be newcomers.”

Hearing that, Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling knew that they had violated a taboo; the latter apologetically said, “Liang Fu Guanjia [deputy housekeeper] has never mentioned this