I am sure it won't be long before the He family finds out.

Li Zhengyi could not help but feel a secret sense of relief, glad that he had listened to his third younger sister and gotten all one thousand bottles of wine packaged in advance.

Soon after, the other shopkeepers sought out Li Zhengping one after another.

Shopkeeper Jia smiled warmly and said, "Miss Li, would it be possible for your family to supply a bit more wine to my shop in the future?"

Having missed the opportunity this time, he was determined not to let the next one slip away.

Li Zhengping said indifferently, "How much does Shopkeeper Jia have in mind?"

By now, they were well aware of how popular the Li family's wine had become and how fiercely contested it was.

According to the inquiries they had made, not only was every bottled wine impossible to find, but even the jar-aged wine had completely sold out.

It all started when a captivating tale drew in numerous patrons, followed shortly by a chaotic scramble for the bottled wine—an incident that had spread like wildfire across Ningxin County.

People naturally loved to follow the crowd. The bottled wine was undeniably expensive, and common folk certainly would not purchase it.

However, almost everyone could afford the jar-aged wine, and people were eager to taste the legendary Li wine that everyone had been fighting over.

Consequently, even the jar-aged wine was snatched up instantly.

Any shop that still had Li wine in stock was currently experiencing a massive surge in business.

The shopkeepers who had taken only a small quantity earlier were now filled with deep regret.

Given the current momentum of Li wine, whoever managed to secure stock from the Li family was guaranteed to turn a profit.

Being businessmen, they naturally swarmed toward the scent of profit.

The shopkeepers all clamored for their desired quantities, declaring that they would take whatever was available, whether in jars or bottles.

Yet Li Zhengping replied, "Although our winery is currently expanding, I believe you all know just how popular Li wine is at the moment."

"We truly do not have the massive quantities you are asking for."

Li Zhengping was not speaking falsely. Currently, Jiang Yan's side used Li wine exclusively, and Wei Shi'an's demand was even greater.

Aside from these shopkeepers, there were others who had always maintained a friendly attitude toward her, people she had notified to collect their wine who had arrived the very same day.

Moreover, some buyers were not selling within the county; they were taking the wine to distant places to sell elsewhere.

Those individuals had approached her days ago to negotiate, securing substantial amounts that were already locked in.

Their own family shops also required a large inventory.

As for Shopkeeper Jia, Shopkeeper Chen, and the others, it was not that Li Zhengping refused to sell to them; rather, they would only receive whatever remained after all those prior commitments were fulfilled.

Shopkeeper Jia froze slightly. He knew their past attitude toward Jiang Yan and Li Zhengping had been less than stellar, and in their hearts, they had even looked down upon them.

Even now, they did not hold Li Zhengping in high regard; they were simply approaching her because they had spotted a path to greater wealth.

Shopkeeper Jia forced a difficult smile. "Then how much can Miss Li spare for us?"

Li Zhengping named a figure—roughly the same amount as their very first order.

The shopkeepers were speechless.

Shopkeeper Chen could not help but ask, "Miss Li, is there truly no way to increase the amount?"

"Please forgive me, gentlemen, but our supply is indeed stretched quite thin."

"To be frank with you all, a friend of my younger brother has claimed the lion's share, taking a very large quantity."

"The contract is already signed, and since it is my younger brother's friend, we must prioritize that side first." Li Zhengping said this deliberately.

Xiao Si had warned her that if their wine sold too well, it would inevitably provoke many people.

However, invoking the existence of a buyer who commanded the majority of their stock would make people think twice.

Knowing that someone could command such a massive volume, cautious individuals would naturally investigate.

If they failed to uncover a specific identity, their apprehension would only deepen, deterring them from acting rashly against the family.

Although Xiao Si had not explicitly detailed the background of his sworn father, she could easily guess that it was by no means ordinary.

True to expectations, the shopkeepers instantly fell silent.

Miss Li's younger brother was that prominent young scholar who had swept the top three examinations, and he was currently studying at the academy.

Anyone who could be on such good terms with him and command such a vast quantity of wine was certainly not someone they could afford to cross.

Shopkeeper Jia's eyes flickered. He had originally intended to quietly leak the news about Li wine to the He family, but it now seemed wiser for him to stay out of it.

Besides, the He family had their own channels for gathering information.

He believed it would not be long before the He family found out.

If the He family learned of it and decided to act, they would naturally suppress Li wine on their own. If they chose not to act, running to leak the news to them would merely be courting disaster by offending powerful people.

With various thoughts churning in their minds, the shopkeepers ultimately accepted the quota Li Zhengping had offered.

Having a little was better than nothing at all.

Who could they blame except themselves for not asking for a larger share in the beginning?

After the shopkeepers left, Shopkeeper Wang asked, "Do you think what Li Zhengping said was true?"

"Nine times out of ten, it is true. Her younger brother is a top scholar, so the likelihood of him befriending influential figures is very high."

"Scholars like him are quite different from us merchants."

After a brief exchange, the shopkeepers looked at one another, and each formed their own plans.

At any rate, the Li family was not someone they could afford to cross.

Looking back, they had not done anything overly egregious thus far, so they could afford to sit back and observe for a while.

If the He family moved against the Li family, they could simply source their Li wine from the He family later on.

If the He family did not make a move, they would try their best to extract a larger allocation directly from Li Zhengping.

If that proved impossible, there was nothing they could do except watch with envy as the other shopkeepers made their fortunes.

In truth, what they envied most right now were not even the shopkeepers who had successfully secured the wine, but Qin Datian.

With Li wine currently in such fierce demand, Qin Datian had merely provided a few tracts of farmland, yet he was entitled to a share of the profits.

It was the textbook definition of sitting at home while silver coins rained down from the skies.

Not long ago, they had sat together mocking him for harboring fanciful delusions, but now they could only gaze upon Qin Datian with envy and jealousy.

The other person who sparked immense envy was Jiang Yan, whose establishment undoubtedly held the largest stock of Li wine outside of the Li family itself.

...

As soon as the second month's examinations concluded, the three young scholars headed straight down the mountain, eager to get their newspaper underway.

Yun Qin and Song Sheng also brought along the wine Li Su had given them.

The wine Li Su had given Yun Qin and Song Sheng came in a deluxe edition; the bottles belonged to the initial batch manufactured, which Wei Shi'an had brought back for Li Su to inspect for any necessary modifications.

Li Su had simply used them to hold the wine for Yun Qin and Song Sheng.

As the three of them strolled down the street, someone suddenly cried out in utter astonishment, "Young scholars, is the wine in your hands by any chance Li wine?"

The speaker had hair as white as snow and a long beard, his gaze locked intently on the flasks held by Yun Qin and Song Sheng.

Warily, Yun Qin and Song Sheng tucked the wine behind their backs.

The white-haired old man licked his lips. "It has to be Li wine! Only Li wine comes in bottles this unique—it looks identical to the one my son sent me!"

"Would you gentlemen be willing to part with it? Name your price!" Ever since tasting it once, he had fallen hopelessly in love with the flavor. Now, drinking any other wine felt utterly tasteless, always lacking a certain something.

Yet a single bottle held so little; no matter how sparingly he tried to sip it, it had eventually run out.

He wanted to buy more, but there was nowhere to be found. His son had told him that the wine was exceptionally rare, and that he had gone to great lengths just to secure a single bottle to send to him.