He was a super drinker, a top-level sommelier, carrying a bellyful of wine culture and both ancient and modern brewing techniques, who had traveled back to the Great Tang Dynasty. These past two days, the entanglement of two lifetimes felt like a dream. By instinct, he vaguely sensed that his journey through the Tang was destined to be inseparable from wine. Perhaps, his future path in life would still revolve around wine.

Making a living by brewing, finding joy in tasting, to be a carefree wine lover in this flourishing Tang era must surely be a wonderful thing.

Grace Carter's husband was named Paul Wright, born into a wealthy merchant family in Luoyang. The Wang family’s tavern had been passed down from their ancestors, starting from the Zhenguan era and now in its third generation.

If the Xiao family hadn’t been convicted and fallen from grace, a merchant’s son like Paul Wright would never have had the chance to marry the daughter of the current prime minister. Grace Carter’s mother valued Paul Wright’s honesty and sincerity, and the Wang family’s simple, upright ways, so she gritted her teeth and married her daughter off. Grace Carter herself had no real choice and could only accept her fate. The saying “a fallen phoenix is not as good as a chicken” was exactly this situation.

It was already late. Perhaps because business at the tavern wasn’t great and there were no more customers, the Wang family’s tavern closed early. The couple sat across from each other at the table, eating dinner with polite respect. Paul Wright would occasionally look up at his beautiful wife, feeling blissful inside.

Suddenly, there was a gentle knock at the door. Next, the old yellow dog from the neighbor Wang Er’s house started barking in alarm, only to be met with Wang Er’s wife’s rough scolding, “Beast, shut up for your old lady! So old and still going into heat every now and then!”

Grace Carter frowned as she opened the door. She was very satisfied with her current peaceful life; the only discomfort came from the neighbors. The man was all right—simple and honest, barely saying a few words a day—but the woman was something else, famously rough and domineering, known far and wide as the “Lioness of Luoyang.”

“Zichang?!” By the moonlight, seeing the young and handsome face outside the door, Grace Carter was stunned for a moment, then her eyes filled with tears. “My dear brother Rui!”

“Jie.” Ryan Carter, who had been preparing his emotions outside for a long time, was moved by Grace Carter’s heartfelt outpouring, and couldn’t help but call out “Sister.”

The siblings hugged each other and wept bitterly. Of course, it was mainly Grace Carter who was crying, while Ryan Carter seemed more like he was comforting her.

The customs of the Tang people were as open as those of modern society, and their clothing was quite “minimal.” Plus, it was summer, so Grace Carter’s full, faintly fragrant body pressed tightly against him, especially her ample breasts squashing against his chest. He could clearly feel the presence of two buds, and couldn’t help but feel a bit awkward.

“Zichang is here, Ayue—don’t cry, come inside quickly.” Paul Wright stood by with a simple, honest smile.

……

The outer courtyard of the Wang family’s backyard was actually a small brewing workshop. On the left side of the yard was a drying hall, and next to it, an earthen pit served as the wine cellar. On the right were the stove and some brewing tools, with scattered distiller’s grains and baskets of grain waiting to be steamed piled on the ground.

The air was thick with the aroma of wine. Ryan Carter took a deep breath and couldn’t help but sigh: the fragrance was diffuse and not concentrated, with a faint sour stench, indicating that the Wang family’s brewing technique was very backward and primitive. What they produced was probably low-alcohol, flavorless “li.”

Upon hearing that her brother had finally left the Liu residence and was preparing to strike out on his own, Grace Carter was overjoyed. She had already tidied up the room next door for Ryan Carter to move into, with all the furniture and necessities in place, cleaned spotlessly.

The couple, smiling, settled Ryan Carter in and prepared to leave. Ryan Carter stood up and bowed deeply to Paul Wright, “Ryan Carter is troubling you, brother-in-law!”

Paul Wright waved it off indifferently, “Why say such things between family? It’s just the two of us here anyway. Stay with peace of mind, study hard, and next year you can take the imperial exam and bring honor to your father- and mother-in-law.”

“Ryan Carter will remember brother-in-law’s words.” Ryan Carter bowed again.

When did Zichang become so polite? Grace Carter clearly remembered that Ryan Carter had rarely come to their house before, precisely because he looked down on Paul Wright’s status. But now, the calm and courteous young man standing before her was indeed her own brother.

Tears welled up in Grace Carter’s eyes again.

As soon as she stepped out the door, she threw herself into Paul Wright’s arms, sobbing.

Paul Wright gently patted Grace Carter’s shoulder and said softly, “Ayue, don’t cry. Zichang seems different from before… Don’t worry, I’ll treat him like my own brother. If we eat meat, we’ll never let him have only soup… As long as he works hard and passes the imperial exam, he’ll surely bring glory to the Xiao family…”

Grace Carter cried for a while before gradually stopping. She looked up at her not-so-capable but endlessly gentle and caring husband with tearful gratitude, and thought of her brother’s apparent change for the better, almost fainting from happiness.

“It’s late, Ayue, let’s go rest.” Paul Wright tugged at Grace Carter’s sleeve.

A blush rose on Grace Carter’s face, so vivid even in the night.

“Silly, let’s go!” Grace Carter laughed softly, leaving behind a waft of fragrance.

Chapter 008: Improving the Ancient Recipe