Chapter 2: Monkey Wine

Good wine, such good wine...

Fang Yi knows his childhood friend, who grew up wearing open-crotch pants, very well. The moment he sees the expression on the chubby guy's face, he understands that he has never actually drunk Maotai. As for Wuliangye and the like, it is likely that the chubby guy has only ever caught a whiff of its aroma.

Fang Yi's master was afraid that the monkey group would harm Fang Yi, and rarely allowed him to come into contact with them. However, children around the age of seven or eight are generally quite mischievous. One moment of inattention from the old Taoist, and Fang Yi secretly slipped away to the place where the monkeys were, playing with them.

However, the good times did not last long. With the transformation of the city below the mountain, this pristine land of Fangshan was also affected. The monkey troop that originally inhabited this area disappeared without a trace within five years, and along with them, the monkey wine was also gone. The last remaining bit was consumed by Fang Yi's master, the old Taoist priest, before he passed away.

Brother Yi, I... I was wrong, isn't that enough?

Brewing wine requires fermentation. The monkey wine brewed by the previous monkey group, I do not know how many years of fermentation it underwent to leave behind such a small foundation. However, Fang Yi is brewing it anew. Just this one gourd of wine, one cannot imagine how much effort it cost him, so naturally, he is reluctant to let the fat man drink too much.

As the saying goes, a half-grown boy can impoverish his father. For the Fatty and Fang Yi, a single rabbit is merely enough to fill a gap between their teeth. Within a few minutes, both of them were left with only a few bones devoid of any trace of meat. If it weren't for the fact that the Fatty had brought along five or six steamed buns, the two of them might not have even been able to satisfy their hunger.

Such wild brewing is truly a matter of chance; the genuine monkey wine is invaluable. The old Taoist has traveled extensively throughout his life, yet he has only tasted the authentic monkey wine on Mount Emei, never expecting to encounter it on Fang Mountain.

The old Taoist was born during the Tongzhi period of the Qing Dynasty and is already over a hundred years old. In this world, there is almost nothing he has not seen. After a moment of contemplation, he understood that this group of monkeys had actually brewed monkey wine.

However, one day, Fang Yi went to play with the monkeys but did not return until late at night. The worried old Taoist forcibly broke in and dispersed the monkey group, only to find that the eight or nine-year-old Fang Yi had fainted under a large tree and was surprisingly reeking of alcohol

The so-called monkey wine refers to the practice of monkeys in the mountains collecting various fruits from tree hollows. Initially, this was done to store food for the winter. However, if there is an abundance of winter food that season, the monkeys may forget about the fruits they had stored in the hollow. Consequently, the fruits gradually ferment, eventually resulting in a hollow filled with fruit wine.

While carrying Fang Yi back to the Taoist temple, the old Taoist priest also had a pot of monkey wine in his hand. He understood the principle of fishing in a dried-up pond, so he only took a gourd of wine and then covered up the tree hole.

The alcohol content of the monkey wine is not very high, and since it is a fruit wine, Fang Yi and the胖子 would occasionally sneak some to drink. The old Taoist would turn a blind eye, as even the monkey wine he drank later was also stolen back by Fang Yi.

Although the fat man's weight is a full 200 jin, it is still not enough in front of Fang Yi. Without even seeing Fang Yi make a move, or even standing up, he managed to twist one of the fat man's hands behind his back, causing the fat man to cry out in pain.

Hey, are you going to be tough? When have you ever beaten me from childhood to now

I have smelled it, but I have never drunk it

"Just drinking is enough, how come you have learned to smoke as well?" Fang Yi said irritably as he slapped the chubby guy. He liked alcohol but never smoked, and Fang Yi remembered that the chubby guy used to not smoke.

The eyes reluctantly shifted from the wine gourd in Fang Yi's hand to the side. The chubby man took out a pack of Hongmei cigarettes from his pocket, skillfully stuffed one into his mouth, lit it, and then lay back in Fang Yi's rocking chair, taking a satisfying puff.

The chubby man, well aware of Fang Yi's temperament, made a great effort to smile broadly, transforming his round face into a flower shape, and said: "From now on, you are my brother. If you say to go east, I will never go west. If you say to chase the dog, I will never chase the chicken. Is that acceptable?"

Fang Yi did not mind the heat, tearing off a piece of rabbit meat and stuffing it into his mouth. He jumped up and walked into the room, and when he came out, his left hand was already holding a gourd slightly larger than a palm, the aroma of the wine wafting out through the lid.

Speaking of which, the fat man is quite a peculiar character. When he was fifteen years old, his father, who was the village secretary, used connections to get him into the army through the back door. Originally, there were hopes that he would achieve great things in the military and bring glory to the family, but unexpectedly, the fat man ended up working as a cook in the army

The stout man smacked his lips, still wanting to drink more when Fang Yi snatched the wine gourd away from him. Annoyed, he said: "I have only brewed this little bit in three years. Today, everyone gets three sips, and no one is allowed to drink more..."

The cook did not consider body shape; in fact, the overweight individual originally had the opportunity to become a volunteer soldier. However, after he secretly stewed the old hen belonging to the newly assigned regiment's political commissar's family for soup, this wish was completely dashed, and he could only reluctantly return home after being discharged from the military

Isn't it just Moutai? What's so great about it? When I, Fat Master, have money in the future, I'll buy two bottles at once, drink one and pour out the other... Fatty's face revealed an expression of indignation, clearly troubled by the fact that he was dismissed for accidentally spilling two bottles of wine due to a book.

Following a drunken master, Fang Yi's skills are not to be discussed, but his capacity for alcohol has certainly been cultivated. On ordinary days, he drinks the grain liquor brewed by the master, which has an alcohol content of at least 50 degrees. Moreover, he has heard the master repeatedly proclaim that among the finest wines in the world, Moutai ranks first.

Upon hearing Fang Yi ask about the taste of Maotai, the chubby man's round face turned a rare shade of red. Over the past six months, he had been working in Shanghai as a security guard, earning only about 1,000 to 1,800 yuan a month. How could he possibly afford Maotai

The conditions for the formation of monkey wine are extremely stringent. The empty trees chosen by the monkeys for storing the hundred fruits must be those that can sufficiently ensure the fruits do not rot during winter. How many such trees are there? They must also be hollow and sealed, which makes monkey wine something that can be encountered but is fundamentally elusive.

However, during the years following the master's passing, Fang Yixian, having little to occupy his time, repurposed the tree hollow that had been abandoned by the monkey troop. Whenever the fruit trees bore ripe fruit, he would toss some into the hollow, and by a stroke of luck, he actually managed to brew a type of monkey wine that tasted quite similar.

Upon hearing Fang Yi's words, the stout man immediately stood up, his massive frame lunging towards Fang Yi, as he shouted in a face of indignation: "Three years ago, you told me that the wine was gone; it turns out you hid it, didn't you?"

Three mouths, just three mouths

Wait, I will go get it

Speaking of monkey wine, this is a secret between Fang Yi, the Fatty, and his master

After placing the rabbit over the fire pit, Fang Yi sat in his master's rocking chair, twitched his nose, and said contentedly: "If you call out nicely, I will bring out that fine monkey wine for you to taste; if your words lack sincerity, I might just enjoy it myself..."

"This really tastes like monkey wine..." The stout man revealed a look of surprise on his face, snatched the gourd of wine, removed the gourd's lid, and took a sip. His eyes, which were already small, immediately squinted.

"Hey, homemade is fine too. Brother Yi, please take a seat and rest for a moment. I'll roast this rabbit first..." Upon hearing about the monkey wine, the chubby man immediately wore a fawning smile, almost ready to help Fang Yi prop his legs and massage his back. He hurried into the house and came out holding oil, salt, soy sauce, and vinegar.

"Monkey wine? Fang Yi, you actually still have monkey wine?"

The chubby boy has loved to eat since childhood. Although families had little money back then, there were plenty of wild resources on Fang Mountain. Fang Yi was responsible for setting traps, while the chubby boy took charge of roasting. Every time, the two of them would eat until their mouths were greasy.

When Fang Yi was about seven or eight years old, the development of Fang Mountain in the surrounding cities was still in its primitive stage. Not far from the Taoist temple, there was a troop of monkeys, approximately fifty to sixty in number. Fang Yi had almost grown up watching these monkeys, which is why their wariness towards him was quite low.

Come, call him Yi Ge, and drop the character for 'son' at the end

You are right, from now on, the two of us will drink Maotai every day, and yes, we should also eat rabbit meat every day

The fat man tore off half a rabbit and took a bite, then reached out his hand towards Fang Yi, mumbling, "I, the fat master, have traveled far and wide and have drunk quite a bit of good wine. That Maotai and Wuliangye are nothing compared to this monkey wine, I don't know how many times worse it is..."

So, it turns out you were just bragging, huh

Although the old Taoist priest was aware of this matter, he did not inquire further upon seeing that the monkey group did not harm Fang Yi

Before long, the rabbit, weighing about four to five pounds, was roasted to perfection, and a rich aroma of meat filled the entire backyard. After tearing off the fattiest hind leg, the stout man presented it to Fang Yi with a fawning smile, saying: "Please have a taste and see if it suits your palate. If it does, then bring out that monkey wine..."

Feeling troubled, I just smoked...

Although it is said that revolutionary work does not distinguish between high and low status, it cannot be denied that the fat man loves to eat. Moreover, during these three years in the army, he made up for all the food he had eaten little of since childhood, resulting in his figure transforming from slightly overweight to extremely overweight, gaining a total of fifty to sixty pounds of flesh over the three years

However, the fat man indeed smelled the aroma of Moutai, and it was a recent occurrence, just three days ago. The fat man was being attentive and helped a homeowner in the community where he worked by carrying some items, but unexpectedly, he accidentally knocked two bottles of Moutai from that homeowner onto the ground. Although he caught a whiff of the liquor, he ended up losing his job as a result.

Moutai? Fang Yiwen said, "Have you ever drunk Moutai? My master says it is an exceptionally good liquor. What does it taste like? I want to try it after I come down from the mountain..."

"That's more like it..." Fang Yi loosened his grip and said, "That monkey wine is what I've brewed myself over the past few years. The old wine has long been gone. If you dare to wrong me again, you can forget about drinking this wine..."

The fat man sighed and said, "Fang Yi, for someone like me, apart from having served in the military, I have no other strengths. If I go to a big city, I can only work as a security guard. Do you know that others call us security boys? No one respects us..."

Fang Yi, it is not so easy to get by out there. I, Fat Master, have been struggling for several years now, and even now I can only afford to smoke cigarettes that cost 4 yuan a pack