Originally, Jiang Tao only planned to take a tiny sip to taste the flavor.
But in just a few gulps, he drained the enamel basin of Daughter Red wine and even refilled it with another half basin.
Just like those sleazy guys who trick girls into hotel rooms claiming they'll "just cuddle," it's all talk and no sincerity!
Of course, the main culprit was how ridiculously delicious this Daughter Red was.
After the first sip, he couldn't help but want a second. It was simply irresistible!
In no time, Jiang Tao had downed over three taels of wine, his face slightly flushed, and a warm, cozy feeling spreading through his body.
"No more drinking, really, no more. Gotta save some."
"If it's true what the system said—that one jar is worth 20,000—didn't I just drink six or seven thousand yuan's worth?"
Thinking about the intelligence system's valuation of the Daughter Red, Jiang Tao suddenly felt a pang of heartache.
He hurriedly put the lid back on the jar, cutting off any temptation to have another glass.
Suddenly, Jiang Tao's ears perked up as he heard the landlord grandpa's voice coming from the corridor outside.
"Xiao Chen, when you and your girlfriend are… busy at night, keep it down a bit."
"It's not just one or two people complaining that you're too loud and disturbing their sleep."
"Young folks have strong needs, and I get it, but you've gotta be considerate of the other tenants, right?"
"Pay a bit more attention to the noise…"
Listening to the conversation between the landlord grandpa and this Xiao Chen, Jiang Tao shook his head with a chuckle.
Living in a tenement building with several married couples, Jiang Tao often stayed up late and frequently overheard sounds that weren't exactly kid-friendly.
"Right, the landlord grandpa loves his liquor and has some money. I wonder if he'd be interested in this fine wine?"
After enjoying the tenants' gossip, an idea sparked in Jiang Tao's mind, and he marked the landlord grandpa as a potential customer.
"Let's give him a little taste first."
With that thought, Jiang Tao reached to pick up the wine jar to pour some into the enamel basin he used for meals.
But the moment he lifted the jar, he changed his mind.
"This jar has a vintage look to it. Showing it to the landlord grandpa will make it more convincing!"
With that, Jiang Tao set the jar back on the table and pushed open the door to step outside.
As he stepped out, he caught sight of the landlord finishing his conversation with the tenant named Chen, about to head downstairs.
"Landlord grandpa, wait up! Don't rush off, I've got something to talk to you about."
Jiang Tao quickened his pace to catch up, greeting him with a smile.
"Huh? Xiao Jiang, what's up?"
Lü Qian turned to Jiang Tao with a smile, asking casually.
"Here, have a cigarette, grandpa. Come to my place, I've got something good to show you."
Jiang Tao pulled a Liqun cigarette from his pack and handed it to the landlord, grinning as he invited him inside.
"Oh? Something good?"
Lü Qian's curiosity was piqued by Jiang Tao's mention of "something good."
The old man lit the cigarette Jiang Tao gave him and followed him toward his room.
"Please, grandpa, come in. You'll see what it is—it's definitely your favorite."
Jiang Tao stood at the door, gesturing for the landlord to enter first.
"My favorite?"
The old man glanced inside but didn't spot any young ladies!
Muttering to himself, he wondered what kind of trick Xiao Jiang was pulling.
After the landlord grandpa stepped inside, Jiang Tao followed and closed the door behind them.
"Landlord grandpa, my dad had a friend from our hometown bring me a few jars of Daughter Red that's been aged for 20 years. I was wondering if you might be interested."
Jiang Tao didn't beat around the bush and got straight to the point.
"Twenty-year-old Daughter Red? For real?"
Lü Qian exhaled a puff of smoke and chuckled lightly.
Hearing Jiang Tao mention 20 years, Lü Qian's first thought was that there was probably a lot of exaggeration in that claim.
As a seasoned liquor enthusiast, Lü Qian knew all too well the tricks of the wine trade.
At most, they'd age it five or six years, distress the jar a bit, and then claim it's been cellared for 20 or 30 years.
Wasn't it just a gimmick to jack up the price?
"Real or not, you'll know once you take a look."
Jiang Tao smiled and pointed to the already-opened wine jar on the table.
Following Jiang Tao's gesture, Lü Qian's eyes caught a faint glimmer of intrigue as he spotted the jar.
"These jars were buried under our family's courtyard for a full 20 years. My dad only dug them up this year when we renovated the yard."
"You've been drinking your whole life, so you must know a thing or two about aged wine, right? This jar isn't something you can just fake."
Jiang Tao's words, a mix of truth and embellishment, were delivered flawlessly.
"This jar does look like it's got some age to it."
The landlord grandpa walked over to the table, running his hand over the jar, his skepticism easing slightly.
From his experience, this jar didn't look like a recent production.
From the style of the jar to the oxidized marks on its surface, it really did seem like something from over 20 years ago!
"Let me open the lid for you. Take a whiff of this wine's aroma—I guarantee you've never smelled anything this good."
As he spoke, Jiang Tao stubbed out his cigarette and stepped forward to lift the lid off the jar.
The moment the lid came off, a rich, complex wine fragrance instantly wafted into the landlord grandpa's nose.
"Whoa, this wine—this smell is incredible!"
The moment he caught the scent of the Daughter Red, Lü Qian couldn't help but exclaim, his nose twitching as he eagerly inhaled a few more times.
Fragrant—unbelievably fragrant!
Lü Qian drank often, and he only drank good stuff, costing hundreds or even thousands of yuan.
But he had never encountered a wine as aromatic as this one in the jar!
Gulp!
Lü Qian swallowed hard, his eyes locking onto Jiang Tao with an eager expression. "Xiao Jiang, can I have a taste? This wine smells amazing, and it does seem aged. I just wonder about the flavor…"
"If anyone else asked, I'd say no way. But since it's you, landlord grandpa, I've gotta give you face."
As he spoke, Jiang Tao picked up the jar and poured a small amount into the enamel basin he'd used earlier.
This time, he poured far less than before.
Not that Jiang Tao was being stingy—it's just that this Daughter Red was too precious!
One sip was worth tens or hundreds of yuan!
Watching Jiang Tao pour the deep red liquid, reminiscent of wine, into the basin, and smelling the fragrance that kept teasing his nose, Lü Qian's vast experience told him this was absolutely a rare gem of a wine!
"Landlord grandpa, give it a try. This wine is definitely 20 years old. If it's even a month short, I'll let you drink for free."
Jiang Tao handed the enamel basin to the landlord grandpa as he spoke.
"I'll taste it first before I say anything."
The landlord grandpa chuckled, taking the basin from Jiang Tao's hands and sipping a small amount.
The moment the Daughter Red hit his mouth, the rich, smooth, and velvety wine exploded with flavor on his tongue.
The landlord grandpa's eyebrows shot up, his eyes gleaming. Today, he had truly tasted a fine wine!
Holding the sip in his mouth, he savored it for over ten seconds before swallowing with a gulp.
"Good wine! Delicious! Xiao Jiang, you said this was 20-year-old Daughter Red, and I didn't believe you at first, but now I'm convinced!"
"If this wine hasn't been aged and fermented for over 20 years, there's no way it could have such a refined taste!"
Lü Qian had been drinking since he was 14 or 15, and now in his 70s, he had over 50 years of experience with liquor.
With just one sip, he could tell the quality of a wine!
The Daughter Red that Jiang Tao brought out today was, without a doubt, an exceptionally rare gem!
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