As soon as he finished speaking, a child of around ten years old entered, holding a wine jug. The child was dressed in a neat white robe adorned with bck patterns, his demeanor calm and serene, with a gleam of wisdom in his eyes, giving off the impression that he was not like an ordinary child.

  Jiu Jue introduced the child to the two, saying, "This is my house servant, Lan Ting." Lan Ting gave a slight nod to the two of them, said nothing more, and pced the wine jug down before standing to the side.

  A rich and mellow fragrance wafted from the jug, making anyone who smelled it salivate. Despite his bruises, Su Qiuchi ignored his injuries and immediately opened the jug, eager to pour it into his mouth. However, there wasn't a drop. He was puzzled, shaking the jug vigorously, and he could clearly hear the sound of liquid sloshing inside. He closed one eye and peered into it—it was full. Yet, when he tried to pour it again, the jug was mysteriously empty. Li Huai snatched the jug from him and tried the same, but like Su Qiuchi, he could see the wine but couldn't drink it.

  “From now on, if you want to drink my good wine freely, there are rules,” Jiu Jue said slyly, taking the wine jug from them. “The wine I offered before was to thank you for saving me. But from this jug onward, it′s not something you can drink whenever you please.”

  “How much silver do you want?” Su Qiuchi reacted quickly. Ever since he tasted Jiu Jue′s craftsmanship, no other wine had sparked his interest. For such exquisite wine, he′d pay any amount. Li Huai pushed him aside, saying, “Whatever he offers, I′ll double it!”

  “You two really do share the same animosity,” Jiu Jue said, pretending to be difficult and spreading his hands. “The rule is simple: each of you must compose a poem. If I′m satisfied with it, you may drink the fine wine from now on.”

  Su Qiuchi and Li Huai exchanged a gnce and, in unison, said, “Is silver okay?”

  “No,” Jiu Jue shook his head. “Even if each of you says just one line, it will do.”

  Su Qiuchi was never good at composing poems, and judging by how Li Huai was scratching his head, he probably wasn′t any better. With fine wine in front of him, Su Qiuchi racked his brain for the little literary talent he had left and finally managed to come up with a line—“A thousand miles following the fragrance..."

  Li Huai, who had pulled out a handful of hair in frustration, responded with, “Smiling at the shadow in the wine.”

  "A thousand miles following the fragrance, smiling at the shadow in the wine." Jiu Jue paused for a moment, then raised an eyebrow and smiled. “Neither good nor bad, just middle of the road.”

  Su Qiuchi and Li Huai both turned red in the face, wishing they had listened more carefully to their teachers and learned a bit more literary skill.

  “Lan Ting, come and fill in the st two lines,” Jiu Jue waved to Lanting.

  Lan Ting took up the brush and ink from the side, id them on the table, and without a moment's hesitation wrote down—"A thousand miles following the fragrance, smiling at the shadow in the wine. Golden branches sway with jade leaves; women compete with men."

  Upon reading the st line, a fsh of panic briefly crossed Li Huai′s face.

  “Haha, this doggerel poem is barely acceptable,” Jiu Jue ughed as he lifted the piece of rice paper, patting Lan Ting's head. “Alright, I′ll consider this as passing.”

  Lanting grinned and nodded. Su Qiuchi gnced at the poem Lanting had written, and as someone with a keen eye for antique calligraphy and paintings, he was struck by the fact that these few short lines seemed to have depth. Every character had its own distinct movement—some were as light and graceful as drifting clouds, others sharp and energetic like a dragon in flight. The brushstrokes seemed to turn and twist in a composed and effortless manner. Had he not seen it with his own eyes, he would never have believed that this writing came from the hand of a mere ten-year-old child.

  "This... this... your handwriting is truly impressive!" Su Qiuchi, after much thought, finally managed to utter a single sentence. Lanting smiled at him without replying.

  Although Li Huai was not well-versed in calligraphy, he could also sense the extraordinary aura emanating from the piece, far from ordinary craftsmanship. He gave Lanting a thumbs-up and asked, "Lan Ting, this exceptional calligraphy of yours—was it taught by your master?"

  "How could I teach him?" Jiu Jue quickly crified. "Lan Ting's talent is entirely innate." Well, that made sense—wasn't Jiu Jue a celestial being from the heavens? A divine attendant to such a being could hardly be an ordinary person.

  After the flurry of activity, the group gathered around a table. Lan Ting served a few exquisite dishes, their fragrance mingling with the aroma of warm wine. As the golden sunlight snted through the window, accompanied by the song of homeward birds, they raised their chopsticks and clinked their cups, speaking freely and enjoying the moment.

  A thoroughly satisfied Su Qiuchi, after finishing three pots of wine, gazed at Jiu Jue with drunken, misty eyes and foolishly asked, "Are you really... some kind of celestial wine-brewing official?"

  "You′re such a fool! He already said he′s a celestial being, and you′re still asking!" Li Huai, who couldn′t hold his liquor, gave Su Qiuchi a wobbly shove. Slurring his words, he leaned against him, then slowly slid to the ground, using Su Qiuchi′s leg as a pillow.

  "Hey... I feel like Jiu Jue looks really familiar... and so do you... Did you guys owe me a lot of money before?" Su Qiuchi poked Li Huai′s head. "You′re a man... but you look prettier than a woman... stronger than me... I feel like we′re really alike!"

  "Rubbish! Who′s like you? You′re so ugly! Jiu Jue looks way better!" Li Huai punched him.

  Jiu Jue watched the two drunken fools with an amused smile. Shaking his head, he gently carried them one by one to the inner room, tucked them into the bed, pulled up the bnkets, extinguished the mps, and quietly closed the door behind him.