I Have a Secret Recipe (Alliance Leader 'Mafan de Kacha' Extra Chapter)

Chapter 24: I Have a Secret Recipe (For Alliance Leader 'Mafan de Kacha')

A few days later, Jiang Hao returned to Shibali Slope.

The helpers greeted him as he came back. "Elder Brother Zhan'ao is back. Did the trip go smoothly?"

"Pretty smoothly," Jiang Hao said with a smile.

When he left, he'd told Jiu'er he was going on business, so naturally the helpers assumed that was what he'd been up to.

Hearing Jiang Hao's voice outside, Jiu'er ran out happily. "You're back."

"Yeah, I'm back."

She took the cloth bundle from his shoulder and heated water for him to bathe. Jiang Hao stood in the main room while Jiu'er carefully wiped him down with a towel.

"Lift your arms."

Jiang Hao obediently raised his arms.

As she wiped him thoroughly, Jiu'er said casually, "I heard from the helpers that the police chief in Gaomi got himself killed—bandits broke into his home and strangled him to death." She glanced at Jiang Hao meaningfully as she spoke.

Jiu'er's hand froze. "It really was you. When I first heard the news, my gut told me you did it."

A cold glint flashed in Jiang Hao's eyes. "He made you suffer back then, so he deserved to die. I told you—I won't let you be wronged."

Jiu'er's heart swelled full, a mist forming in her eyes. She pressed her face against the man's chest, thinking only one thing: she would take good care of him from now on.

For the rest of her life.

Half a month passed in a flash. Luohan came to say the grain had finished fermenting and they'd be distilling the liquor today, inviting the boss lady and Jiang Hao to come watch.

Finally, the liquor was coming out. Jiang Hao had been waiting for this day.

Jiang Hao and Jiu'er hurried excitedly to the Distillery. Inside, the workers were bustling about. Luohan explained the steps of liquor-making to them.

"First comes selecting the ingredients—picking the best grain and mixing the right proportions. Every family has its own Secret Recipe. Then you add the starter culture. Our distillery uses an aged starter. After mixing, it's time for fermentation, which takes the longest—usually ten to twenty days. Once the grain is fully fermented, you put it in the still to steam, and that's when the liquor comes out."

"Boss, you two watch from here. I'll take the men to start steaming." Luohan nodded and headed to the stove, barking orders.

"Er Ga, Da Leng, load the ingredients!"

"Dazhuang, Er Zhuang, crank up the fire!"

"Lao Zhong, Chengzi, add cold water!"

The distillery buzzed with activity. Before long, bright red liquor began flowing from the still.

The first run couldn't be used—they dumped it straight out. After half a bucket had flowed, that was the real liquor. Watching the sorghum liquor gush out in a steady stream, Jiang Hao felt a surge of excitement. This mission was finally about to be completed.

As the liquor came out, Luohan took a bowl, filled it with trembling hands, and walked to the statue of the Wine God. Holding the bowl with both hands, he murmured a prayer: "New liquor offered to the Wine God. May the Wine God bless this batch with fine flavor." He then poured the bowl of liquor onto the ground.

The others stood solemnly, observing the ritual.

Luohan went back and filled another bowl. This time he brought it slowly to his lips and took a sip. After swallowing, his brow furrowed.

Er Dan's Father asked beside him, "Brother Luohan, how's the liquor?"

Luohan smacked his lips and handed the bowl over. Er Dan's Father took a sip and immediately frowned too. "It's a bit astringent."

The others stepped up to taste it as well.

"It really is astringent."

"Much worse than the last batch. What happened?"

"Yeah, with this flavor, nobody's going to buy it."

"This batch is probably ruined. Damn."

Hearing the helpers say this, Jiu'er's face clouded with worry. Jiang Hao walked over, took a bowl, filled it, and drank. It still tasted like sorghum liquor, but with a bitter edge.

The previous sorghum liquor hadn't been great, but this batch was even worse—not fragrant, not mellow, just bitter. Most people wouldn't want to drink it.

Luohan looked at Jiu'er and asked, "Boss, this batch is probably a loss. No liquor shop will take this. Should we stop and figure out what went wrong?"

Jiu'er didn't know much about this. She was about to agree and say stop, but then Jiang Hao spoke up. "Brother Luohan, don't stop. Finish the whole batch."

"But if we do, it'll all be wasted. We could wait a day or two, find the problem, and then start the still again," Luohan said.

"I don't mind the loss. If this batch is ruined, it's on me. Since the grain is already fermented, let's finish it. If we can't sell it, no matter—I'll put up the money for the next batch."

"Besides, I have a Secret Recipe that might change the flavor. I'm not sure if it'll work, but I'll try it tonight."

Luohan looked at Jiu'er. She trusted Jiang Hao completely now. "Brother Luohan, do as he says. Finish the whole batch."

Luohan thought it over. Jiang Hao was the one putting up the money, so if he wanted to distill it, fine. Sometimes liquor-making came down to luck. If this batch had a fermentation problem, it was probably all ruined anyway. Even if they waited a day or two, he might not find a fix.

Jars of liquor came off the still and were carried to the cellar. Jiang Hao called out to Dazhuang and Er Zhuang. "Move four jars to Jiu'er's room. I'm going to test my Secret Recipe."

Dazhuang and Er Zhuang obediently carried four jars up the slope.

After a long day's work, over a hundred jars of liquor had been produced. Two men stayed behind to watch the furnace—once the fire was lit, it couldn't go out until the whole batch was done. That was the rule.

Exhausted, everyone washed up quickly and lay down on the kang. A few helpers started chatting.

"I think this distillery might be done for. We finally got the still going, and this batch is ruined. Who knows if we'll even get to start another one."

"Elder Brother Zhan'ao said he has a Secret Recipe—maybe it'll work out."

"What the hell do you know? What Secret Recipe could he have? If he had one, he'd have made it big at some distillery long ago, not come to this dump of ours."

"If you ask me, that cursed streak hasn't passed yet. Cursed, I tell you."

The mood was low. After a few more words, everyone turned in.

Up the slope in Jiu'er's room, four jars of wine sat in the main hall. Jiu'er looked at them and asked, "Do you really have a Secret Recipe to make the wine taste better?"

Jiang Hao chuckled, opened the lids of all four jars, and started pissing into them—fair and square, not missing a single one.

"Hey, why are you ruining good stuff?" Jiu'er scolded with a pout.

"Heh, this is my Secret Recipe. Don't you tell a soul." He pulled her close and said, "Come on, let's sleep. We'll see the results tomorrow."

"You!"

She only got out two words before stopping. She couldn't bring herself to curse him. It was already done, so she let it be.

Chapter 22 was censored and is being salvaged. It should be back soon.