The poisoning incident involving Jiang Hong had distanced the Chaoyang Brigade villagers from Shen Jianan’s group, but it had also brought them profit, keeping everyone in relatively high spirits.
The very next morning, the team arrived at the brigade on time. They immediately had Zhao Gang select a group of nimble and diligent villagers to make hawthorn cakes in the courtyard. They had picked over a thousand jin of fruit; if they didn't process it soon, it would spoil. Zhao Gang understood the urgency and immediately handpicked twenty people who were efficient and quiet. He also assigned Cheng Qianmin and Zhao Quan to supervise the work to ensure no issues disrupted their progress.
Shen Jianan was satisfied with the arrangement, though he didn't show it. "Then we’ll go start on the fruit wine," he said. He pointed out three of the villagers who had signed non-disclosure agreements and led them into the house to begin brewing. Truth be told, high-quality, medicinal fruit wine requires at least a year of aging and involves a complex process. However, since they were looking for a quick turnover and couldn't wait that long, Shen Jianan taught them the simplest soaking method.
Chapter 60