A big man in "Qixiangju" slapped the table and said loudly: "I have been a good wine since I was a child, and I have been drinking in this restaurant for decades. It's just that other restaurants have sold spirits recently, but there is no one here, which is a pity! Today, I heard that the little staff made spirits from outside, so I came early to try it. Xiao Er, quickly hit the strongest wine, I drank it to get rid of the cold. ”

The little guy next to him shouted loudly, and after a while, he brought a pot of wine, put it on the table, and poured it full for the big man.

The big man shouted hello, picked up the wine bowl and drank it all. As soon as the wine was in his mouth, he spit it out with a "poof".

Glaring, the big man said to the little guy: "Straight lady thief, haven't you ever drunk strong wine for me!" You don't have the slightest taste of wine in this wine, and you dare to learn from others to call it spirits! The wine in the 'Drunken Immortal Residence' is more powerful and powerful, where is it like you to fade out of the birds! ”

Wu Kejiu, who was worried behind the counter, coughed and came out and said, "Li Sanlang, this wine is the first time we have made it, and it is always inevitable that the taste will be poor." I've heard people say that this wine needs to be made several times before it can be strengthened. If you come to drink it tomorrow and the day after tomorrow, it will be fine. ”

Li Sanlang listened and said: "What did the little staff say, I drank too much of the spirits made by the Du family, where is this." Outside of the little staff, you don't know where to learn the method, I'm afraid that you haven't been deceived, and the wine made from sake lees is not like this. ”

Wu Kejiu had no choice but to accompany the smiling face: "Don't hide it from San Lang, we made this wine for the first time, and we need to practice more." ”

Originally, Wu Kejiu also thought that Teng Dalang's method was wrong, but he didn't expect that after steaming for a long time, the bamboo pipe really came out of the spirits, which was the same as the one made by Du Zhongxiao. It's just that the efficiency is too low, and a hundred catties of sake lees can't produce a few catties of wine, which is not much more cost-effective than exchanging it from "Drunken Immortal Residence".

If there is no condensation, the lees will not pile up well in the pot, which will affect the efficiency of the wine. Du Zhongxiao knew the principle and tried many times before finding the right process. Wu Kejiu wanted to steam the wine as efficiently as the "Drunken Immortal Residence", and he didn't know how long it would take.

"Qixiangju" is an old restaurant, today the liquor was made out, the news spread quickly, from time to time people come in to buy wine. It's a pity that Wu Kejiu didn't divide the steamed wine into jars, and the good wine that came out in the end was mixed with the water wine in front of him, which caused dissatisfaction among the guests.

In the backyard of "Drunken Immortal Residence", a small servant carried a small altar, flashed in gently, and saluted Du Zhongxiao who was standing in the courtyard: "Little official, 'Qixiangju' really made his own spirits and sold them. It's just that their wine doesn't have strength, the smell of wine is not strong, and the guests are complaining. The small one bought two catties and came back, and the little officials tasted it, where is the difference with ours. ”

Du Zhongxiao took out a handful of copper coins, gave it to the little servant, took the jar, and said, "You have worked hard, go to the front to do things." ”

Putting the jar on a small table in the courtyard, Du Zhongxiao poured a bowl, tasted it, and couldn't help frowning.

When Han Lian heard the news, he hurriedly entered the backyard and asked Du Zhongxiao, "How is it?" I heard that the wine of 'Qixiangju' is not strong. ”

Du Zhongxiao shook his head: "It's not just not strong, there is not much wine smell at all." This wine can't be put down, and it is soured faster than water wine. Strange to say, since they sent someone to see how we make wine, how do we make such a thing? ”

When Han Lian heard this, he hurriedly stepped forward and poured another bowl, tasted it, and couldn't help laughing: "No matter how simple it is to make wine, it is not something that can be learned by looking at it." What is this made by 'Qixiangju', and they dare to sell it. Da Lang was relieved, the method of steaming wine was not so easy to learn. We just have to do business with peace of mind, and slowly think about how to deal with 'its fragrant residence'. ”

Du Zhongxiao is not so optimistic. "Qixiangju" makes the wine like this, nine times out of ten it is that there is a problem with the process, and the basic principle is correct. As long as the principle is right and the process is slowly improved, one day they will still be able to succeed.

At this moment, a small servant came in from outside and bowed to Du Zhongxiao: "Little official, there is an official outside who asks to see you." said that the governor of Benzhou was his uncle, who passed by this county because he went to Xuzhou to visit relatives. ”

Du Zhongxiao took the famous thorn and saw that it turned out to be Mei Yaochen, the nephew of Zhizhou Mei Xun. He changed from Zhixiangcheng County to supervise the Huzhou liquor tax, came to see his uncle, and passed by Lin Ying. This man has never known him in his life, and he is an official, but he doesn't know why he came to visit him.

After receiving the famous thorn, Du Zhongxiao followed the servant to the door of the restaurant, but saw a young official about thirty years old standing next to the horse.

No need to ask, this is Mei Yaochen.

Du Zhongxiao stepped forward and saluted, arching his hand and said: "In the lower Du Zhongxiao, dare to ask if it is Meizhi County?" ”

Mei Yaochen nodded, looked Du Zhongxiao up and down, and then said, "Not bad." A few days ago, I saw an autumn fu written by you, which is quite ancient, and several friends are amazed. I'm going to Xuzhou City, and when I pass by here, I'll come to visit. ——I was taking the exam in the capital a few years ago, and I had a relationship with your father Du Xun. At that time, everyone was a fallen person at the end of the world, and he drank a wine, but he didn't want to go through many hardships afterwards. ”

Mei Yaochen was born because of his uncle Mei Xun's grace and has always been a low-level petty official. Without a Jinshi background, there is no future in the officialdom, Mei Yaochen has participated in the imperial examination many times, but he has failed again and again. A year ago, he did not pass the provincial test again, and he had a relationship with Du Xun, who failed the list together. However, at that time, they were all Luodi Jinshi looking for someone to drink and vent, and there was no deep friendship, if it weren't for Du Zhongxiao, the two would never have crossed paths again in their lives.

The Jinshi exam is not a pure examination of literary style, and the endowment and discussion strategies have the effect of testing the understanding of current affairs and classics, if the rhythm is not right, how to pass the test. Mei Yaochen is an example, he became famous at a young age, and by this time he was already a well-known poet in the world, and he was quite famous in the literary world. Uncle is a Shiwen family at this time, and he is a high-ranking official, Mei Yaochen, who grew up with Mei Xun, is also a natural Jinshi Miaozi. But things are so weird, as an adult, Mei Yaochen did not fall in every imperial examination, not to mention high school, and he failed in the provincial examination several times.

Mei Yaochen was an official in Luoyang a few years ago, and he was good friends with Ouyang Xiu and others, and happened to see Du Zhongxiao's copy of "Autumn Shengfu", which was appreciated by several people, and they also wrote a letter to discuss. This was originally Ouyang Xiu's work in his later years, and naturally he admired Du Zhongxiao's taste for these people.

Before I saw it, Du Zhongxiao in Mei Yaochen's imagination should be a Confucian student. I saw it today, but it was just an ordinary teenager, and I couldn't help but be a little disappointed. When I think about it, people can't look good, and those who can write that kind of article must be people with exquisite words.

Du Zhongxiao was a little inexplicable about Mei Yaochen's visit and didn't know how to socialize. However, he was originally an official, and his uncle was the current governor of Benzhou, so he couldn't be offended, so he hurriedly stepped forward and let him go to the restaurant.

Entering the "Drunken Immortal Building", Mei Yaochen looked left and right, looked at the layout of the store, although it was not luxurious, but it was neat and orderly, and said: "A few days ago, your father returned to his hometown from the capital and was in trouble, and we also heard about it. At that time, a few people were still trying to scrape together some money to send it over, but they didn't know his whereabouts. I didn't expect that after a few months, your family would run such a restaurant. ”

Du Zhongxiao replied cautiously: "When I was young, a Taoist priest taught a secret method to make wine from wine lees. With this method, the family business is stable. I also learned that the county officials were promoted and opened this restaurant. I collect the sake lees in the county to make wine, and give porridge to the poor, which is considered a penny for the government and the people. The sake made from sake lees is powerful, and only I can make it, so the business is okay. ”

Mei Yaochen nodded and didn't say anything. He is a scholar who is obsessed with poetry and books and has the world in mind, and he doesn't worry much about his daily livelihood. He came to see Du Zhongxiao, not to hear how he made money.