Chapter 40: The Challenging First Pot of Gold - Ah? The Wives I Abandoned Turned Out to Be Real

**Chapter 40: The Challenging First Fortune** **[Under the cover of night, you weave a bamboo basket to hold the herbs you'll collect tomorrow.]** **[The next day, you rise early. After preparing food for Guo Lin, you begin searching the valley for the herbs you spotted before.]** **[You manage to gather a basket full of medicinal herbs.]** **[Among them are valuable herbs like single-footed gold, golden thread lotus, star anise lotus, rock golden thread, chicken blood vine, and hook vine.]** **[After bidding farewell to Guo Lin, you head towards Qinglin County. Burdened by the heavy load, you take a full three hours to arrive there just as the sun is high in the sky.]** **[You find a pharmacy, and the owner is astonished by the variety and rarity of the herbs you've brought.]** **[Given their age, the owner buys them at a price slightly above market value.]** **[You earn six taels and three qian of silver.]** **[You are grateful that the pharmacy owner doesn't swindle you.]** **[This marks the first significant money you've earned since escaping the bandit camp.]** **[You resolve to harvest all the herbs from the valley.]** **[Passing a jewelry shop, you spend one tael to buy a silver hairpin for Guo Lin, and another on a soap cake—an early form of soap used for washing the body and hair.]** **[Using only water to clean doesn't seem sufficient.]** **[With your tasks complete, you prepare to return to the valley.]** **[As you pass through an alley, two stunning courtesans come up to you, inviting you to their establishment.]** **[They claim that for just one tael, you can have the company of two talented and beautiful women.]** **[At this moment, what do you choose?]** **[Option one: Postpone your return to the valley and follow the courtesans to the brothel.]** **[Option two: Righteously refuse their advances and walk away without hesitation.]** **[Option three: To show loyalty to Guo Lin, burn down the brothel under the cover of night.]** ... Upon realizing the brothel is operated by a millennia-old tree spirit, Su Mo doesn't hesitate and immediately chooses the second option. As for burning down the brothel at night—that’s simply absurd. If he did, wouldn’t the tree spirit end up devouring him alive? ... **[You righteously refuse the courtesans’ advances and, with more than five taels remaining, leave Qinglin County before the gates close.]** **[Two hours later, you return to the valley.]** **[Seeing your return, Guo Lin is overjoyed.]** **[After handing over the soap and remaining silver, you gently place the silver hairpin in her hair, giving her hope for your future together.]** **[However, Guo Lin suddenly smells the scent of powder on you and demands an explanation.]** "Why do you have the scent of another woman on you?" **[You quickly recount your escapades in Qinglin County. Upon hearing your righteous refusal, Guo Lin beams with joy.]** "You're honest, I'll give you that." **[Despite this, Guo Lin's face shows a trace of concern.]** "But even though having multiple wives is common, will you treat me poorly once you marry another woman?" **[Hearing her worry, you hold her tenderly.]** **"No woman could ever compare to you."** **"In this world, my heart belongs to you and you alone."** **[Guo Lin, comforted by your sweet words, smiles happily after dinner as you two share intimate moments into the night.]** ... **[In the following days, you gather herbs to sell in Qinglin County, occasionally bringing animal pelts to the tailor shop.]** **[The pharmacy owner frequently comments that thanks to you, he doesn’t need to order high-quality herbs elsewhere.]** **[He mentions that if sold in Hangzhou, he could earn at least 50% more profit.]** **[Though he never inquires about the source of your herbs, you consider him a good man.]** **[Yet, you stay vigilant.]** **[If you sense anyone following you, you take alternate routes to lose them.]** **[Luckily, this scenario never unfolds.]** **[Your coffers only continue to grow.]** **[After three months, when you’ve harvested all herbs in the valley,]** **[You earn between one to ten taels daily, and after expenses, you save over five hundred silver taels.]** **[Each time you save a hundred taels, you exchange it for a silver note at the bank. The honest folks of Qinglin County save you many worries.]** **[With winter approaching in a few months, you start searching for a suitable location for a tavern.]** **[You cannot possibly spend winter in the valley with Guo Lin.]** **[In the end, you purchase a three-story building near Qinglin County’s west gate for 310 taels.]** **[It's near the west market, where foot traffic is less than the other gates, but the competition is less, with only one tavern, "Spring Guests," and several inns nearby.]** **[You believe your culinary skills and brewing talent will attract plenty of customers.]** **[Besides, it's far from the brothel at the east gate.]** **[You sense the brothel is no place to be, so you’re content with the west market location.]** **[After getting the deed, you spend 80 taels renovating the three-story building.]** **[The front courtyard hosts the entrance, screen wall, main hall, seats, counter, and register.]** **[The backyard has the brewery, kitchen, separate quarters for male and female staff, storerooms, and a cellar.]** **[You specifically ask for a hot water stove for baths in the yard.]** **[There are nine private rooms on the second floor.]** **[The third top floor has six rooms, the finest and largest for you and Guo Lin, with others for guests.** **[Guest rooms have basic furniture like beds, tables, chairs, and wardrobes, catering to lodging needs.]** **[Your room with Guo Lin is luxuriously decorated with a bed, wardrobe, vanity, chairs, screen, bath, and various ornaments.]** **[Crucially, you invest over ten taels into making the room soundproof.]** **[Finally, you name your tavern the "Yuelai Inn," spending three taels to commission a scholar, Li, to write the sign, costing four taels with the plaque included.]** **[Hanging the "Yuelai Inn" sign marks the fruition of months of effort.]** **[It's the first step in a long journey.]** **[Bringing Guo Lin from the valley, she can’t believe the sight of Yuelai Inn.]** **[This is the result of your efforts over the past months.]** **[At night, she enjoys her first hot bath in months, and you both bask in a romantic bath together.]** ... Su Mo continuously notes aspects of starting a tavern in his mind. In his simulations, there were pitfalls he stumbled upon. He must remember them. This way, he can avoid many troubles. ... **[You haven’t opened Yuelai Inn yet; the sign remains covered by red cloth.]** **[You want to first brew a batch of liquor, hire staff and helpers, and then open Yuelai Inn.]** **[You realize a tavern requires three types of liquor to captivate guests.]** **[With your culinary skills, you quickly devise brewing methods.]** **[For the lowest tier, you brew sweet-scented osmanthus liquor from coarse rice, mildly sweet with moderate alcohol content, named Osmi, ideal for those seeking a refreshing, affordable drink.]** **[The mid-tier liquor is malt-based with hops, you call it "Malt Brew." It’s amber with a clear hue, foam as white as snow, with a rich entry and lasting malt aroma.]** Su Mo watches, amazed at his screen experimentations on liquor. He never imagined accidentally creating beer. If successful. He could serve this beer at the opening of the tavern. Its unique taste and hue should be a hit. It could definitely become a signature feature! However, for the high-quality liquor, my in-picture self was struggling to perfect it. After all, it needs to be a showstopper. Everything from naming, theme, taste, to the finish needs to be top-notch! (End of Chapter)