Of course, its reputation was limited to the mortal common folk. Occasionally, a few down-and-out immortals would come here to obtain a jar or two of fine wine. Good wine needed no bush, and as time went by, although the distillery looked run-down, it had still made quite a name for itself among the neighboring residents.
"Uncle Beard, Uncle Beard, someone's come to buy wine." At that moment, a six- or seven-year-old girl in ordinary clothes and a thick cotton-padded jacket happily crossed the distillery's not-very-high threshold. Two boys of about the same age scampered in right behind her. They were children from nearby households in the alley, and together they shouted for Uncle Beard.
A little farther away, several sturdy young men in blue constable uniforms rode tall horses through the snow. A carriage behind them was loaded entirely with wine jars, secured in woven baskets.
"Dongfang, hurry up and bring out all your good wine. This time, we're clearing out your entire stock." They were all constables from the town. One of them, Constable Yuan, was a regular customer of the distillery. From some distance away, he already shouted at the top of his lungs.
"Today's wine is sold out. If you want some, come back after the next batch is brewed." A lazy voice followed by a drunken belch drifted out from inside the distillery.
"Could it be that your distillery doesn't have even a little stock left?" Constable Wang, the leader, said with a frown.
"Chief, this one-armed fellow is a drunk himself. The wine he brews really does taste pretty good, but aside from what he sells, most of it ends up in his own belly. On top of that, he's lazy by nature. Once he settles down here, he stays for several years, so