Chapter Eighteen: Rarity Breeds Value

Carrying a chest of medicinal herbs away from Tiger Head Mountain, Gu Jun secretly let out a sigh of relief. Although he had been prepared to sacrifice himself at any moment to cover Jiang Chen's retreat, there were hundreds of bandits on the mountain; if it truly came to blows, their chances of survival would have been slim.

Remembering the perilous situation they'd just endured together, Gu Jun suddenly spoke. "Jiang Chen, may I ask you a question?"

"Don't call me 'young master.' You're older than I am, Brother Gu. Just call me by my name," Jiang Chen replied warmly.

Jiang Chen's affable attitude made Gu Jun admire him even more. After all, Gu Jun was merely a servant; if not for Jiang Chen giving him a meal, he would still be a despised beggar. Yet Jiang Chen never put on airs, instead breaking the wall of master and servant himself by addressing him as Brother Gu. This instantly brought them closer.

Thinking of this, Gu Jun was genuinely moved. "Very well, if you don't mind calling me Brother Gu, I will also take the liberty of calling you Brother Jiang. However, in front of others, we must maintain the master-servant relationship. I can't presume too much and break the rules."

Jiang Chen laughed. "As you wish. Now, you said you had a question—what is it? Speak your mind."

Gu Jun asked, "Brother Jiang, did you once serve in the army?"

Jiang Chen's stride paused for the briefest moment, then fell naturally again. He hadn't expected such a sudden question.

"Brother Gu, you must be joking. I'm just a down-and-out scholar—how could I have joined the army? Is there anything about me that looks like a soldier?"

Naturally, Gu Jun knew the stories about the Jiang family. If Jiang Chen had ever been in the army, word would have spread. Yet Gu Jun couldn't shake the feeling that Jiang Chen possessed the bearing of a brave, fearless soldier—the kind of courage that laughs in the face of death. When confronted with those ruthless bandits, he showed the calm of a man who meets violence with a smile and a drawn blade.

He couldn't be wrong—how could an ordinary man remain so composed?

"Perhaps I'm overthinking," Gu Jun conceded, though suspicion lingered in his heart. Still, he did not press further. No matter the answer, it would not alter his respect for Jiang Chen. This young man had a limitless future ahead; perhaps one day he would leave this remote town and stride onto a broader stage.

The two of them carried the medicinal herbs to the distillery courtyard. Wu Qingshan was busy with the workers, sealing up jar after jar of freshly brewed River Moon White, stacking them neatly in a room cleaned out for the purpose.

"Brother-in-law, come look—there are nearly three hundred jars of River Moon White here. With our current manpower and equipment, we can only produce about five hundred jars a month. Isn't that too little?" Wu Qingshan was eager to make money, but Jiang Chen had never agreed to scale up production, which puzzled him greatly.

"Good," Jiang Chen said. "Tonight, send these three hundred jars in batches to the Drunken Immortal Tavern. Tell Lin Qingxuan that starting tomorrow, the wine may be sold openly. The price is set at twenty taels of silver per jar, with a maximum of five jars per customer."

"And from now on, keep production at this scale. We don’t need more people or equipment. Remember this: the more common something is in the marketplace, the less valuable it becomes."

Wu Qingshan nodded in agreement. Doing the math in his head, he was immediately filled with motivation. The Zhao family's Second Cut Spring sold for just eight taels a jar, already pricier than most, yet their River Moon White was set at twenty—and still in short supply.

At this rate, selling just fifty jars would cover the one thousand taels he owed Scarface.

Jiang Chen instructed Wu Qingshan and the others to hurry and load the carts. The three hundred jars of River Moon White had to reach the Drunken Immortal Tavern tonight. By dawn, news of the wine's availability would spread, and the wealthy merchants and nobles who had been waiting would likely trample the tavern's threshold.

Meanwhile, Jiang Chen summoned several master brewers to help him inventory the herbs. They spoke among themselves, discussing something in low voices. These brewers had been hired by Lin Qingxuan at great expense to assist Jiang Chen; their wages were far higher than those of ordinary laborers.

Gu Jun couldn't follow their conversation, so he stationed himself at the gate, keeping watch as dusk fell. Soon, the first convoy of carts, loaded with a hundred jars of River Moon White, departed.

Wu Qingshan waved his hand grandly. "Let's pick up the pace! Once the wine is delivered, we can count our silver!"

As the carts rolled away, the previously bustling courtyard fell quiet. Jiang Chen had warned that the place was important and might attract troublemakers.

Gu Jun remained vigilant. After an hour, the third batch of River Moon White was loaded and sent off to the Drunken Immortal Tavern.

At that moment, a shadowy figure appeared in Gu Jun's line of sight, moving stealthily toward the courtyard. He strode forward, blocking the entrance.

"Who goes there, peering into someone else's courtyard in the middle of the night?"

Under the moonlight, he could see it was a petite woman, but he kept his guard up until she drew close enough for him to make out her face.

"Ah? It's... madam!"

His greeting startled her, and for a moment, both were embarrassed, glancing awkwardly at each other.

"Brother Gu, I am not..."

It was Wu Yue, carrying a basket—its contents unknown. Gu Jun hadn't expected her to venture out alone at such an hour. Flustered, he had blurted out "madam" without thinking.

"Oh, well, even if you and Brother Jiang aren't officially married yet, everyone knows you're his wife," Gu Jun said, forcing a laugh, though it only made him feel more awkward.

Wu Yue blushed. "Don't tease me, Brother Gu. I haven't married Chen yet!"

"That's just a matter of time," he replied.

"Ay, I saw there were no lights at Chen's house and guessed he must still be here working, so I brought some dumplings for everyone."

Gu Jun chuckled. "Then hurry inside. It's windy out here—you'll catch a chill."

The neighboring girl, shy as she was, stepped inside, only to be met with a round of boisterous praise from everyone for being such a capable helpmate. Her cheeks flushed as red as apples.

At last, when their work was done and everyone was about to taste Wu Yue's dumplings, bad news arrived from outside...