Immortal Travel of Longevity

A new wine shop had recently opened in Qingshan City.

Or rather, an old one had reopened.

Notably, the shopkeeper was a young girl. She couldn't have been very old, yet she spoke with the tone of a grown adult. When someone finally asked her about it to her face, she had a ready answer.

"Your Grand Aunt here is old enough to be your grandmother!"

That single sentence left the man utterly speechless.

"What an affront to decency!"

The man flicked his sleeves and left in a huff.

After that, everyone in the city learned of the little shopkeeper's foul temper.

People eventually reasoned that she must actually be quite old—just a dwarf—which made her behavior a little more acceptable.

Everyone who tried it praised the flavor.

Business was brisk, drawing countless people to buy wine every day.

But later on, the little shopkeeper seemed to grow annoyed with it all. Originally open every day, the shop began opening just once every couple of days. Getting a drink depended entirely on luck. Once, she kept the doors shut for half a month straight, leaving the drunks of Qingshan City faint with craving.

As night fell, the wine shop finally quieted down.

Yu Hongjin was just about to tidy up and close the doors.

Then a voice drifted over from the entrance.

"Are you still selling wine?"

Without looking back, Yu Hongjin answered, "Not selling. We're closed. Come back another time, your Grand Aunt isn't in the mood today."

"How did Auntie's temper get so bad?"

Yu Hongjin froze, then looked back.

Xuanji was standing in the doorway of the Wine Tavern, smiling brightly at her.

"Ah! Xuanji!"

Yu Hongjin hurried over and looked her up and down. "You've grown so tall?"

"Auntie hasn't grown at all."

"You just had to bring that up."

Yu Hongjin pulled her over to sit down and hurriedly fetched a jug of wine.

"When did you get to Qingshan City?"

"Just got back."

Xuanji said, "The peaches at the Peach Orchard are delicious at the start of summer. I came back to eat some, but I didn't expect to hear about a wine shop the moment I entered the city. I guessed right away that it was you."

"Peaches?" Yu Hongjin blinked. "What peaches?"

"Sister Aqing is back. The Peach Orchard has someone tending to it now."

Yu Hongjin asked, "Aqing?"

Then it clicked. "Wait, you call her sister? But you call me aunt?"

Xuanji blinked. "Is that wrong?"

Yu Hongjin said, "I have to call her sister, too."

Xuanji waved it off. "Whatever, it's all the same. Let me taste your wine first, Auntie. It's been so long."

Yu Hongjin didn't press the matter. They shut the doors and started drinking inside the shop.

Yu Hongjin said, "You said Aqing came back, but how come I haven't seen her around?"

"I didn't see her when I got back today, either."

Xuanji pursed her lips. "The Peach Orchard was a bit messy, too, like no one was taking care of it."

Yu Hongjin couldn't make sense of it either, and neither of them could figure out why.

But they did share one unspoken understanding: both were avid drinkers. In fact, Xuanji's love for wine was a habit Yu Hongjin had taught her years ago.

Once the wine bowls were lifted, there was no stopping them.

As Xuanji's childhood playmate, Yu Hongjin was especially close to her. In their early years, they had even shared a bed, and it was Yu Hongjin who led her to do all the mischievous things she had wanted to do but hadn't dared.

It was safe to say that Xuanji's boldness today was partly due to Ruyi, and partly due to Yu Hongjin. As for her second mother's gentle virtues, she had completely failed to inherit them.

As night deepened, both of them got drunk.

They simply fell fast asleep right across the wine shop's table.

To Xuanji, it felt like a long-lost comfort. Ever since she began walking the world alone, she rarely had opportunities to fool around like this.

It wasn't until noon the next day that the two slowly sobered up.

They went out for a bowl of Hundred-Fragrance Noodles, then visited the tea house to listen to the storytelling. They were having a delightfully carefree day.

The storyteller on the stage spoke eloquently and with great humor.

Popping beans into her mouth, Yu Hongjin said, "This storyteller falls a bit short."

"Isn't he pretty good?"

"That's because you never heard Mister Cao's storytelling. Back then, Master Jin San wrote the stories, and Mister Cao told them. His storytelling reached all the way from Qingshan City to the emperor's court."

"Never heard of him. That must have been a long time ago, right?"

"Yeah."

Yu Hongjin said, "A very long time ago. You hadn't even been born yet. Plus, both of them were taught by Mister Chen. Their skills were incredible. Have you heard of Strange Tales from the Mountains and Wilds? Master Jin San wrote it, as a successor to Strange Tales. And Strange Tales was spoken word for word by Mister Chen himself."

"Mister Chen? Which Mister Chen?" Xuanji was slightly dazed. "Auntie, you don't mean Granduncle Chen, do you?"

Yu Hongjin did the math in her head. "Ah, right, your granduncle. You've got the family titles down pretty well."

"My granduncle knows how to tell stories?"

"I've never heard him either, but according to Mister Cao, he's amazing."

"Then I'll have to make Granduncle tell me a story sometime."

Hearing this, Yu Hongjin blinked. "Keep dreaming. When that man leaves, it's often for decades at a time. Catching sight of him is as lucky as burning high incense at your ancestors' graves."

Xuanji blinked. "No, he comes back every three years. The Peach Orchard is huge, and Sister Aqing can't manage it alone, so Granduncle helps her tend to it."

Yu Hongjin didn't believe it. "Don't try to trick your auntie like a child. Your granduncle is someone who only eats peaches. How could he possibly know how to grow them?"

"It's true!"

Xuanji insisted, "It's been like this all these years."

Yu Hongjin froze for a moment, thought about it, but still waved her hand.

"Impossible."

Xuanji said, "If you calculate the time, Granduncle should be coming back this year. What will you say if he does?"

Yu Hongjin glanced at her. "I'm not betting with you. You're a clever little girl; you might just be scheming against me."

"Auntie, what are you talking about? How could your own niece scheme against you?"

"Just tell me what you want."

"I heard from Sister Nianyi that you have a Brocade Pouch filled with your treasured fine wine!"

"!!"

Yu Hongjin was startled. "How did she know?"

She paused, then immediately realized what had happened. Slapping the table, she said, "Ruyi must have told her! Oh no!"

Yu Hongjin turned to look at Xuanji, her gaze growing wary.

"No way!"

"Auntie, didn't you tell me when we were little that we should share our blessings?"

"When did I ever say we should share our blessings?"

Refusing to own up to it, Yu Hongjin said, "I only said we should share our hardships."

Coveting her wine? Not a chance!

Seeing this, Xuanji said, "Fine, but I can at least take a look, right?"

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