Under each of those Kongming lanterns hung a long white silk ribbon.
In extremely large black characters on the silk ribbons were written, "The newly opened Moyou Tavern in the east of the city cordially invites you to sample our special red plum sake."
Beside the text was a painting of a five - petaled plum blossom, a wine jar, and the distinctive stone gate sign of the east of the city that was unique to the tavern.
These Kongming lanterns were like giant stones thrown into the otherwise calm lives of the people in Qinghe County, setting off towering waves.
The entire Qinghe County was instantly abuzz.
Bai Zheng was leisurely reclined in a chair by the window on the second - floor room of an inn opposite the tavern. She held a folding fan in one hand and idly tapped it against her other hand.
By now, she had changed into the attire of a young gentleman. Her long hair was neatly tied up on top of her head. The sky - blue robe made her look elegant and refined. As her eyes flitted about, it made Huang Ying, who was standing behind her, blush involuntarily.
"Miss, no matter how much wine you've brought, it won't be enough for all these people downstairs..."
Huang Ying looked worriedly at the crowded mass of people below. They stretched all the way from the tavern's entrance to the street corner.
Even though Bai Zheng had deliberately chosen a tavern with a very spacious small square in front of it, there were simply too many people coming.
This was the first time Huang Ying had realized that the city she had lived in since childhood was actually home to so many... foodies.
Looking back and stealing a glance at the few remaining wine skins in the corner, Huang Ying's worry deepened.
Most of the wine Bai Zheng had brought had been poured into the spring on top of Fuyu Mountain and into the mountain springs at key locations carefully selected by Bai Zheng. This had successfully spread the aroma of the red plum sake throughout Qinghe County in a short period of time.
But the little wine left now was far from enough for the people downstairs!
Bai Zheng looked at the crowd below. She casually placed the fan on her hand and the corners of her lips curled slightly. "Who said I'm going to let them drink it?"
"Then you..."
Then why did you say you're inviting people to sample it?
Huang Ying hesitated to speak. She saw Bai Zheng squinting and smiling slightly, looking like a sly fox that had dug a trap beside a rabbit hole and was waiting for the rabbits to jump in. It sent a chill down Huang Ying's spine.
With a "snap", Bai Zheng opened her fan gracefully and fanned herself. Her voice was clear as she said, "Our tavern will open at dawn tomorrow."
The number of people on the street was increasing. Perhaps it was because Bai Zheng had greeted the local magistrate through the influence of the Dingyuan Marquis Mansion, but no officers came to disperse the crowd.
Lan Xun was very reliable in his work. According to Bai Zheng's request, he had found a group of strong young men to act as temporary security guards to maintain order at the scene.
Therefore, although there were many people gathered at the tavern's entrance, there was no overcrowding or chaos. Everyone lined up in the order they arrived at the tavern.
The sun was setting, and the sky had turned a deep blue. The moon hung high in the sky. The day - long publicity campaign was finally showing results as the tavern entrance was bustling with people.
However, there was still a whole night until dawn the next day.
Hearing the news, the crowd became restless. Many people looked reluctant. They sniffed hard and then reluctantly left.
Nevertheless, there were still many people who remained in place, staring eagerly at the tavern's entrance, ready to wait all night.
Bai Zheng lazily leaned against the window frame. She propped her chin with one hand and held a teacup to her lips with the other, sipping the tea leisurely as she watched the crowd below.
Behind her, Huang Ying's head drooped lower and lower. Her eyelids were almost completely closed.
From time to time, after yawning, she would slap her own face hard to force herself to stay awake.
The "pa - pa" sound of Huang Ying slapping her face caught Bai Zheng's attention. She turned around and saw that the young girl in front of her was clearly on the verge of collapse. She couldn't help but smile and say, "You don't have to stay here. Go back and rest."
Hearing this, Huang Ying immediately shook her head. "I'm not sleepy! Miss hasn't rested since she came to Qinghe County. How could I be so embarrassed to feel sleepy..."
"Silly girl, if you're sleepy, go and rest. There's no need to force yourself." As Bai Zheng said this, she reached out her index finger and tapped Huang Ying's head. Then she turned to Lan Xun and Mo Li, who were standing beside them, and said, "I have more than just you to serve me here."
But this time, Huang Ying wasn't as obedient as she was yesterday. After taking a rest yesterday, she had felt extremely remorseful. Her mother had always admonished her that there was never a situation where the master stayed awake while the servant slept soundly.
Today, she was determined to stay by Bai Zheng's side no matter what.
"Miss is so noble and yet can stay up until now. I'm just a wild girl who grew up in the mountains. How could I not endure this little thing?"
Bai Zheng frowned slightly and was about to speak when suddenly she heard a faint groan from downstairs across the street.
"Ouch..."
Bai Zheng almost instantly turned her head and looked downstairs.
The position where Bai Zheng was located offered a great view, allowing her to see clearly what was happening at the tavern's entrance.
At the entrance of Moyou Tavern, almost all the people in the queue were either sitting or lying on the ground. None of them were standing. But from the winding direction of the crowd, one could still tell that these people were still following the queue order.
At the front of the queue, there was originally a young and strong man in his early twenties. Beside this young man, an old woman with white hair had somehow appeared.
The old woman was walking unsteadily with a walking stick. When she moved beside the young man, she seemed to be tripped by something and fell directly onto the young man who was dozing off while sitting on the ground.
The young man was at the very front of the queue. There were people from the tavern maintaining order beside him. Moreover, because he was dozing, he was completely off - guard. Suddenly being pressed down by the old woman, he flipped onto his back.
Both of them exclaimed in unison—"Ouch!"
The young man came to his senses. After seeing who was in front of him, he immediately shouted angrily, "You old hag! I was just sitting here sleeping peacefully. Why did you fall on me for no reason? Don't think you can extort money from me. Everyone at the tavern's entrance can testify that I didn't push you!"
However, the old woman didn't scold the young man as he had expected. Instead, she was tremblingly reaching for her walking stick while muttering, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. It's all my fault. I'm really useless in my old age..."
Seeing that the old woman had no intention of extorting money from him and instead was apologizing sincerely, the young man felt a bit ashamed of his malicious speculation just now.
Then he saw that although the old woman had found her walking stick, she couldn't get up at all. She looked so pitiful that he couldn't help but feel pity for her. He stepped forward and carefully helped her up, softening his tone as he said,
"Auntie, why are you here making a fuss instead of sleeping at home at this late hour?"
"I'm here to buy wine." The old woman hunched her back and struggled to look up at the tavern. Her cloudy eyes were filled with a smile. "I assume this tavern sells the wine that has filled the whole of Qinghe County with its aroma today, right?"
"You?"