In the barracks of the Beicheng Gate, Tan Erlang said to a small officer: "Brother, today the army is in office, and the barracks will enjoy the wine." In the past, when you enjoyed wine, your forbidden army was always the best, and we sent it like water. Brother, if you feel sorry for your brother, take a bowl out and relieve my hunger. ”

The little officer looked at Tan Erlang's salivating appearance, and said disdainfully: "It's just wine, as for you like this?" If you are hungry, buy a bowl at the wine store next to you, and how much money will it cost? ”

Tan Erlang rubbed his hands and said, "My brother said it so easily! We have a small amount of money in our hands a month, so how can we have spare money to buy wine! ”

The little officer couldn't be entangled, so he had to turn around and go back to the barracks, and handed a wine gourd to Tan Erlang: "Take it and drink it, lie down on the corpse!" Today, the officers and men are enjoying the wine, and the brothers in the camp are about to have a lively time, and there is no time to mess around with you! ”

Tan Erlang took the gourd and thanked him a thousand times. When he arrived at a place where no one was around, he opened the gourd and took a small sip, smacked his lips, shook his head and whispered to himself: "Isn't this the usual liquor?" It's not as good as the wine that our army has. Isn't it an official who has changed sex? Or did you send it wrong? ”

As he spoke, he walked through the city with a gourd and returned to the barracks of the Xiang Army in the south of the city.

Pang Xun took the gourd handed over, tasted it, and frowned: "Isn't this the liquor that is usually sold?" In normal times, it is also very good wine. But compared to the wine we distribute today, it is much worse. ”

After thinking about it, he said happily: "Yes, the new Zhijun is from Jinshi, the Central Plains clan, and he must be devoted to us Central Plains soldiers." ”

After speaking, I remembered that Wu Wenzuo was arrogant today, and I went up to give him some ugly looks, but it was not in vain to know the hard work of the officers.

After the ya, Du Zhongxiao listened to the bitterness of the crowd and said: "When I was an official in the Central Plains, I used to Tuntian, and one county was abundant in two years. I think that there is a lot of flat land on both sides of the Yellow River in our army, and if the measures are taken properly, it will be better than at that time. Don't talk about this, I just arrived today, and I got drunk with you. ”

After speaking, Thirteen Lang came over with two small wine jars and said to everyone: "This is the good wine I brought from home when I came to Hedong Road, and now there is only so much left." This wine has been aged for many years, and the mellow aroma is incomparable, but it is not comparable to ordinary liquor. ”

After he had finished ordering the servants on one side, he took the jar of wine and filled it for the people. As soon as the wine jar was opened, I smelled a refreshing aroma of wine, which was a taste that I had never smelled before. The wine is poured into the glass, slightly yellowish and has a sticky feeling.

Du Zhongxiao raised his glass in his hand and said loudly: "Today's first meeting, everyone should have a drink." ”

After saying that, drink it all. The crowd drank the wine, and one by one they looked strange.

After a while, Cheng Wenli looked at everyone's faces before he said, "This wine has never been drunk by the officials, so is this a good wine?" The entrance of the wine is not as strong as that of liquor, neither choking nor punching, and it is soft and smooth. It's just that as soon as the wine enters the stomach, I don't feel that there is a hot breath rising from my body, it is definitely not water wine, it should still be white wine. ”

Du Zhongxiao smiled: "Of course it's liquor." However, this wine is not steamed from sake lees, but originally brewed as white wine, and after being brewed, it has been aged for several years, and the strong gas in the wine has such a good taste. In my hometown, this wine is several times more expensive than bad liquor. ”

Cheng Wenli laughed with him, and when Du Zhongxiao finished speaking, he said with a somewhat strange expression: "I see." However, don't hide it from the army, most of the people we buy wine here are soldiers, and they don't pay attention to the softness and sweetness of their drinking, as long as they are strong. As soon as the best wine is in its mouth, it will be like a fire in the stomach, like a knife, rolling from the throat to the stomach, so that people can't sit or stand, that is good wine. ”

Du Zhongxiao was stunned when he heard this, listening to Cheng Wenli's words, isn't that the characteristic of the worst liquor? In my previous life, when there was a shortage of food, some small local wineries used sweet potatoes and the like to make wine, which had this characteristic. Because sweet potatoes can't actually make liquor, they are made into alcohol, and then steamed the lees like making liquor from water, and then distilled into liquor. If the lees of good sake are good wine, it is good wine, and the lees of bad sake is bad wine. Some small distilleries have not changed the lees for a long time, and there is no flavor in it, which is directly the same as mixing alcohol with water, which is the taste of burning knives as Cheng Wenli said.

I am in a hurry to make liquor today, because there is more water and wine, and there is less lees, isn't that the liquor made? At that time, Du Zhongxiao also tasted a small bite, and was choked with tears, feeling unable to swallow. If I hadn't been in a hurry, I wouldn't have sent those drinks to the army. Could it be that those wines are still the best wines in the eyes of the soldiers? It's a big joke.

Seeing that everyone's expressions were a little weird, Du Zhongxiao said to Sun Dan: "Inspection, you send two subordinates to inspect the military camp in the city." Today, everyone has alcohol, one is to ask them how the wine is, and the other is to prevent people from getting drunk and making trouble. ”

Sun Dan crossed his hands and agreed, got up and went to make arrangements. He is a patrol inspector and is in charge of the security of the Volcano Army.

There were only two small jars of wine that Du Zhongxiao brought, and he drank it after a short time, so he had to serve today's newly brewed liquor. Du Zhongxiao couldn't drink this wine, so he had to change the water and wine and accompany everyone.

This wine that Du Zhongxiao couldn't drink, but the officials drank happily, and within two glasses, their faces turned red and they were excited. The wine was strong, and his voice rose unconsciously, shouting and screaming, and gradually lost his scruples.

Not long after, the people sent by Sun Dan came back and whispered something in his ear. Sun Dan stood up and crossed his hand to Du Zhongxiao: "Zhijun, the lower officials sent someone out to inspect it, and there was no accident in the city." Today, it is unprecedented to ban all armies and distribute a jar of wine to each team. The army drank to their heart's content, but no one made trouble. However, there are rumors in the city that because Wu Wenzuo has hated the Zhijun today, it is the wine of the Xiang Army that is good, and the wine of the forbidden army is evil. ”

Du Zhongxiao almost laughed when he heard it. The conscience of heaven and earth, I don't have any of this mind. Because of the high status of the forbidden army, the liquor stored in the city was given priority to the forbidden army, and the newly steamed liquor was issued to the Xiang army. Where did I think that the people here have such unique tastes, but I think that the wine I don't like is good wine. It doesn't have to be explained, it can't be explained, it's up to them to think about it.

Seeing everyone looking at him, Du Zhongxiao said: "Today's wine, because there are many soldiers in the box, the wine is given to the forbidden army, and the wine issued by the army is freshly steamed with water. There are no likes or dislikes in wine, but it is just the mood of the drinker. - By the way, do you like to drink spirits, is the local wine popular? If the wine is not popular, there will be no customs. Wine is a pleasant thing, and it does not blindly pursue strange tastes. ”

Cheng Wenli said: "The border land is bitter cold, the winter is long, and there is nothing to do, so naturally everyone is good at wine." It's not just us, there are no nearby state troops who are not bad for alcohol. Even in the Khitan territory in the north, both soldiers and civilians love to drink. There are ravines in this area, and there are often people smuggling liquor to the Khitan, which is impossible to prevent and makes people have a headache. Fortunately, there are only a few companies in the army that can make liquor, and they are not allowed to sell it outside the city, otherwise it will be even more difficult to prevent. ”

Du Zhongxiao's eyes lit up: "There are still people who smuggle wine to Khitan?" Alcohol is not easy to carry, and someone does it? ”

"There are so many people doing it! If it weren't for the fact that liquor was not easy to buy in the Volcano Army, I don't know how much it would have to be shipped out in a year! They used water bags, wooden buckets, carried on their shoulders, or used pack animals to climb mountains and mountains, and it was difficult for non-natives to know their traces. ”

Du Zhongxiao said: "Wine is not iron, gold and silver, what about selling it to the Khitan?" It's also good to make some money. ”

Cheng Wenli shook his head again and again: "Rice and wheat are used to make wine, and they are all grain. Smuggling liquor is like trafficking in military rations, and it is not a trivial matter. ”