In the middle of the study, there is a pot of charcoal, and the red light of the fire looks like a warm feeling.

Xu Ping leaned against the brazier, holding a copy of "Mencius" in his hand and looking at it, already in a trance.

On the other side of the brazier, Xiuxiu was doing needlework and sewing new clothes for Xu Ping.

Today is November 11, and the 13th is the winter solstice. At this time, the winter solstice is a big festival, and the last big festival is separated by more than half a year, and the government and the opposition are extremely important, and the scale is not much different from the New Year. No matter how poor the family is, they have to make a new dress on this festival, but the New Year is too close to the winter solstice, so they often don't do it, the so-called fat winter and thin year.

Xu Ping's new clothes were originally made by Zhang Sanniang and sent to the village, using a winter robe made of fine silk cotton. However, there is cotton around Xu Ping's Zhuangzi, but the quantity is not much, and the seeds are collected by Xu Ping, and the planting scale is left to expand in the future, and the cotton harvested is distributed to the people in Zhuangzi to make winter clothes to wear. Xiuxiu was careful, put away the best cotton by herself, and packed it up to make cotton clothes for Xu Ping.

Originally, Xu Ping also thought that cotton was a good thing, so he gave it to Zhang Sanniang and asked her to make a cotton jacket for a family of three. Who knew that Zhang Sanniang couldn't look down on it at all, and they were all assigned to the two directors of the restaurant. Xu Ping thought about it and realized that in the era of cotton, when did the upper class wear cotton jackets become popular? It's thick and heavy, and it's not easy to move at all. They are all silk, duck down, and fur worn on their bodies, warm and light. Only the poor will be treasured, and cotton is much better than the rags and reeds and grass they used to use, and can easily withstand the bitter cold of winter. Xu Ping also specially gave some to Xiuxiu's family, so that their family could also have a warm winter, for this matter, Xiuxiu's parents also came to the village to thank Xu Ping.

The greatest value of cotton in this era is weaving, Fujian Road has planted cotton for many years, and the cotton cloth woven is still very famous, light and thin, close to the body and soft, it is a treasure. However, Xu Ping has not yet started to weave cotton cloth, first, there is not much cotton around Zhuangzi, and secondly, the geography of Kaifeng at this time is not suitable for planting.

After a long time of unchanged movements, Xu Ping felt that his hand leaning towards the fire was roasted painfully, so he changed his posture. It happened that Xiuxiu stopped the needlework in her hand and saw it, so she asked Xu Ping: "Official, will we leave early tomorrow?" I always felt like I had forgotten something. ”

Xu Ping smiled: "You haven't been far away, it's like this, looking forward and backward, suspicious." It will be good to go to more places in the future. ”

Xiuxiu was a little embarrassed: "No, I'm so big, my father took me to Zhongmu County many years ago, and I haven't been far away." Tomorrow we are going to the capital, and it is said that the capital is as prosperous as the place where the gods live, I don't know what it looks like? ”

After speaking, there was some yearning in his expression.

Xu Ping looked at her expression, felt funny, and said to her: "When you go tomorrow, you can go and see it yourself." Anyway, it doesn't matter, I'll take you all around Tokyo City. ”

When Xiuxiu heard this, she sat there holding her head and fantasized about the prosperity of Jingshi.

Li Duanyi finally completed all the formalities and opened the sugar shop. The store hired three supervisors to be responsible for the day-to-day operation, but the Xu family and the Li family each had to send one person to supervise. Xu Zheng wanted to go back to Bianliang, Tokyo, day and night, and with this reason, he immediately decided to go to see the shop in person, and a restaurant and a wine shop in Baisha Town were all entrusted to Tan Bennian and Lu Pan. Because Xu Ping wanted to refine white sugar in Zhuangzi, he did not stay in the capital, and by the way, he looked at the industry in Baisha Town.

As for the turmoil caused by the smelting of medicinal silver, Zhang Yuan and Wu Jiuxia had long since fled and disappeared. Ma Zhifang, the small housekeeper of the Ma family, had a big fate, but was not killed by Zhang Yuanyi's iron flute, but was saved by his family. However, although his life was worry-free, he was beaten to dementia by Zhang Yuanyi, and he could no longer harm others, which was considered a crime. Because Ma Zhifang was too deeply involved with Zhang Yuan and the two a few months ago, and set up a private grange in the place of the group pastor, his whole body was not clean, and the Ma family did not make a noise, but secretly asked someone to inquire about the whereabouts of Zhang Yuan and Wu Jiuxia. His family's closest relatives and friends also have officials in Guanzhong, and they will not let Zhang Yuan and the two live in peace.

After Zhang Yuan and the two fled, Qin Huailiang knew where he had fled to. Granny Hong was frightened and frightened, and a rope ended her life. After Qin Huailiang fled, Zhou Jian Zhen in Baisha was also implicated, was removed from his post, and was charged to the Xiang army. The concubine he married was bought by a nearby outsider, because he had served as an official eunuch, and it is said that the outsider was still very favored.

After this matter is over, it can be said that there is peace around Xu Ping Zhuangzi, and business is also thriving, and the Xu family can be said to be in a good time.

The five tricycles that Li Duanyi ordered for others had been delivered, and Xu Ping went to see them once because he was curious. After seeing the appearance of Li Duanyi's car, I knew why these people were willing to spend a lot of money. The car Li Duanyi gave to his mother, the eldest princess, and it was completely modified, with dragons and phoenixes painted on it, and carved everywhere, which was both atmospheric and not ostentatious. The roads in the capital are good, the car is just right, driven by manpower, and the control system is also in place, unlike the horse-drawn ox cart, which is both bumpy and difficult to navigate, just suitable for women and the elderly. As soon as the eldest princess's car went out, it attracted the covetousness of several nobles of similar status. Because they are all bought to honor the elderly, no one cares about spending a few more dollars. However, only the chassis of their car is still Xu Ping's original design, and the structure and decoration have already been modified according to the aesthetics of people at this time.

Everything went smoothly at home, and Xu Ping also calmed down, studied hard, and prepared for the next imperial examination. The time of the imperial examination is uncertain, and it is said that it should be held every year, so at the beginning of each year, the imperial court will issue an edict, and the right to stop the tribute this year will be held, and everyone will know that it will be pushed to the next year. Xu Ping didn't know when to open the course, so he had to make various preparations in advance.

Xiuxiu sat there and fantasized for a while, then came back to her senses and said to Xu Ping: "Official, it's still early this night, but it's a boil to sit down, I'll order a cup of tea for you." ”

Xu Ping couldn't drink the tea at this time, and said to Xiuxiu: "Forget about the tea, you go get some melon seeds and peanuts for us to pass the time." ”

Peanut was brought to Xu Ping by Xiuxiu when she first came, and after listening to this suggestion, she immediately went out happily.

This year, the village planted nearly 20 acres of peanuts, and the peanuts harvested were also five or six thousand catties. There are also a few hundred catties, all of which are picked and good, and they are kept for the usual fried snacks.

Since listening to Tian Sihai's words that night, Xu Ping has begun to pay attention to the events of more than a year. At this time, although there is a lot of wasteland in the Central Plains, it can't stand one of the two seasons when the government does not collect taxes, and this benefit is great. Among the two crops suitable for planting, Xu Ping preferred peanuts. The reason is very simple, at this time, it is not comparable to his previous life, there is no fertilizer industry, and the two crops must be paid attention to not competing for land, and high-yield corn, sweet potatoes, potatoes and the like are excluded first. Peanuts are leguminous crops, with rhizobia that fix nitrogen and increase the fertility of the land, which is just complementary to the food crop wheat, and the climate here is also suitable. The second choice is soybeans, the reason is similar to peanuts, the advantages of the two are similar, in addition to making edible oil, peanuts can be made into snacks, and soybeans can be used as tofu. However, soybeans are not as good as peanuts, that is, the harvest is too troublesome, unlike peanuts that can be turned out directly with a plow, which is easy to delay the agricultural time. Another alternative is that a lot of alfalfa has been planted in the village, as the saying goes, a season of alfalfa, three years of good fertilizer, but alfalfa can not form a rotation with winter crops, it is a little worse.

While Xu Ping was planning for next year's farming, Xiuxiu brought in a plate of fried peanuts and put it on the table, and an empty plate was placed next to it.

Xu Ping grabbed two grains casually, picked them up and threw them in his mouth, and put the peanut shell in his hand on the table.

But he didn't notice that Xiuxiu had been staring at him over there, and when he saw him put the peanut shell on the table again, he said unhappily: "Official, why are you putting the shells everywhere again?" I obviously put an empty plate next to it! ”

Xu Ping smiled embarrassedly, picked up the peanut shells and put them on the empty plate. It's not that Xu Ping doesn't pay attention to it, but because Xiuxiu has always been cleaning up at home, and Xu Ping can't develop those little habits. Although Xiuxiu said it several times, Xu Ping didn't take her little girl's words seriously.

The two ate peanuts for a while, and Xiuxiu asked, "Official, where is our shop in the capital?" Is there a lot of people there? ”

Xu Ping said proudly: "Next to the state bridge, on the bank of the Bianhe River!" ”

Xu Ping also admired Li Duanyi in his heart, and he was able to get a shop in that area. The north and south of the state bridge is the Heavenly Street, which is the most prosperous place in Kaifeng City, and it is also the most prosperous place in the Great Song Dynasty and even in the whole world. There is a shop there, not to mention selling scarce items such as sugar, even if you sell a spicy hot spicy hot, you can become one of the few people in the capital.

Xiuxiu had only heard of the Bianhe River, and she didn't know what the state bridge was, so she asked, "On the riverside, is it similar to the location of our restaurant in the town?" But there is a bridge, it is better. ”

Xu Ping smiled when he heard this: "What's better!" Heaven and earth! Do you know what road the state bridge is on? ”

Xiuxiu shook her head.

Xu Ping said: "The state bridge is on the royal street!" Standing on the bridge, you can see the gates of the palace at a glance! If you have the heart, you can see the big officials in the court every day, and you can see the emperor from time to time! Think about it, how many people gather around such a place every day! ”

Xiuxiu was a little dazed: "A bridge, you can still see the emperor?" ”

At this time, in people's hearts, the emperor is almost a figure similar to a god, and many times even more respectful and feared than a god. Although Xu Ping didn't have this kind of mentality, he could also understand the thoughts of people at this time.

Suddenly remembering that the winter solstice would be in a few days, Xu Ping said to Xiuxiu: "How mysterious do you think the emperor is?" Tomorrow I will go to the capital with me and stay near the store. On the day of the winter solstice, the emperor is going to carry out a suburban ceremony, and he is about to pass through the state bridge, you can also take a look! ”

The winter solstice sacrifices, the ministers have rewards, and they also add officials to the knights, and the descendants of the grace are more affordable than the New Year, and it is really the most lively festival in Kaifeng City.

Xiuxiu listened to Xu Ping's narration and was also fascinated.