May is ugly, the third year of the new year.

Xu Ping had already bought a horse, which was a liquor shop that was opened by the Jinshui River, and his father rewarded him with a considerable income, spending nearly fifty yuan.

Xu Ping rode this horse, along the embankment of the Jinshui River, and slowly walked into Baisha Town.

Now that it has officially entered summer, the weeping willows on the river embankment have become emerald green, like two green belts holding the clear Jinshui River all the way to Jingshi. The water quality of the Jinshui River is sweet, it is the source of drinking water for the imperial palace and the princes and ministers in the city of Tokyo, and it is also the brewing water of the Xu family.

In the past fifty or sixty years, the imperial court has planted elm willows to protect the river every year, so that this canal that leads to Beijing has become a green corridor on the land of the Central Plains, and this ravaged land has added a lot of vitality.

The newly opened liquor shop is next to the Xujia Restaurant, on the edge of the Jinshui River. It is a huge shed, covered only with reed mats and thatch, ventilated on all sides, and a row of counters in the innermost part with several huge wine vats. The long benches and wooden tables in the shed are all simple, which is completely different from the luxury style in the restaurant, and the dishes sold are mostly pickles and lo-mei, which can be simple.

This was Xu Ping's idea.

The positioning of the strong low-end liquor is the boatman on the Jinshui River, and the forbidden army camp in Wansheng Town, what they drink is not the artistic conception, what they want is that kind of refreshing.

When he came to the shed, the little guy saw it with sharp eyes, and hurriedly came up to help Xu Ping dismount, and led him to the side and tied it up.

Xu Ping entered the shed, and there were already many guests inside.

This shop is different from the business of the restaurant, which mainly does business during the day, and the restaurant is to enrich the local nightlife. In the evening, only the coolies of the docks would come to buy a bowl of wine, take a sip of it, and go home in a daze.

Xu Zheng was sitting behind the counter with a bitter face.

Xu Ping came up to greet him and asked his father, "Daddy, why are you here again?" Recruit a supervisor to take care of it, how good it is to save worry and effort. ”

Xu Zhengdao: "In this ghost place, where are there outstanding people in three or two households?" How to recruit it? ”

Xu Ping looked at his father's face and asked him, "Daddy, I look very unhappy when I see you." With so many customers in the shed, isn't business good? ”

Xu Zheng sighed: "I negotiated with the prison town yesterday, and there is a lot less interest!" That's all money! Huang Chengcheng took out a pile of them, just like cutting my flesh, how could he be happy? ”

This father loves money like his life, and when he heard him, Xu Ping also laughed: "What do you say about taxes?" We make our own koji, so it should be cheaper. ”

Xu Zheng shook his head: "Hell! Zhou Jianzhen said that this shop is not small, and the annual qu money is the same as that of the restaurant, and there is also tax money? Is this what people do? ”

Xu Pingqi said: "Where does he still have a song to sell to us?" It's the Duqu Courtyard in the capital, and there is no ready-made song to pull down, right? ”

Xu Zhengdao: "You are young, and you still can't understand the affairs of this official family. What if you don't have a song? Entrust it to us to make it for the official family! Zhou Jianzhen said, although we made this song ourselves, but it is still sold to us by the official family, just read our hard work, and published the song, he only charged half of the price is grace! ”

Xu Ping pondered for a while. It's not that he's too stupid to understand, it's that the logic is very different from his previous life. In the end, I realized that the government selling koji is not only about the profit from selling koji, but also about another part of the excess profit that is counted as a liquor tax. Let the wine merchants make their own music, although there is no way, but this excess profit as a tax is indispensable, whether it is a white wolf with empty gloves, he must be honestly handed over.

After figuring it out, Xu Ping could only shake his head. The wine law of the Song Dynasty was extremely strict, except in the years of war and chaos, the sale of illicit liquor was a serious incident that challenged the authority of the government, and it was a matter of decades to be killed at every turn.

Looking at the wine tank, Xu Ping asked his father: "This wine sells well, I'm afraid I can't make so many bars with only sake lees?" ”

Xu Zhengdao: "Where is the lees enough?" It's not that they have listened to your words, and they are all steamed out of bad wine! Now that the wine is gone, I'm worried, will I use good wine to steam it in the future? That's a bit of a misnomer. ”

Xu Ping leaned in front of Xu Zheng and said in a low voice: "Daddy, I have a way to make this kind of wine without glutinous rice, do you want to listen?" ”

Xu Zheng looked at his son and said with a slight smile: "I said earlier, you are a natural wine family!" Tell me, what do you use without glutinous rice? How much can I save? ”

Xu Ping said: "In the fields in our village, there are a lot of reeds growing in the barren places, do you know?" ”

Hearing this, Xu Zheng lost interest: "What can that be used for?" The sorghum rice produced can only be given to beggars, and there is not even a person to buy it! I heard that you have planted a lot of them in the village, and they all say that they are used to feed cattle and sheep, and I don't know if cattle and sheep like to eat or not! ”

Xu Ping smiled mysteriously: "I can use reeds to make wine, do you want to hear it?" ”

Xu Zhengdao: "Isn't this a joke? Don't say that if you use that kind of thing that no one eats, you can use ordinary rice and wheat to make wine, and it will save a lot of money! How can that kind of thing work? ”

Xu Ping couldn't say this kind of thing for a while, and when he saw that his father didn't believe it, he had to say: "Daddy doesn't believe it, then give me a few pieces of koji cake and bring it back later, and I'll brew it for you." ”

Xu Zheng just shook his head.

At this moment, two groups of guests came from the east and west outside the shed.

From the east came a Confucian scholar, dressed in a long robe, riding a black donkey, and with a long sword pinned to his waist. The special thing is that he carries a burden on his back, and an iron shovel is inserted next to the burden.

This man is of medium stature, inconspicuous, and even his face is the kind that makes people forget it.

On the west came a few sergeants, riding fast horses, though in civilian clothes, and carrying swords.

The one at the head seemed to be an officer, tall and burly, with a full strength and an arrogant expression at first glance.

Both sides went to the edge of the shed at the same time and bumped heads.

The officer shouted: "This man, don't you have long eyes? When I saw our officers and soldiers, I didn't shy away from it! ”

Confucian smiled and said nothing. He got off the donkey, handed the rope to the servant, and went into the shed.

Xu Zheng whispered behind the counter: "These red guys, every time they come, they have to cause trouble!" ”

Song Shanghuode, the military uniform and armor are all red, and the people of the capital jokingly call the soldiers red.

Seeing that Confucian looked a little contemptuous, the officer outside was on fire, dismounted, and led his men straight to the table where Confucius was sitting, and first picked up his waist knife.

Xu Ping also saw that something was wrong, and dared to openly ride out of the barracks, he must be arrogant. At this time, the management of the forbidden army was still very strict, and it was still rare to go out of the camp with weapons. Looking at that Confucian student, it is too ordinary, there is nothing outstanding about it, only an iron shovel will make people take a second look.

The officer said to Confucius, "Didn't you hear me talking to you!" ”

Confucian said slowly: "Tiha, we are all guests who have come to eat and drink, don't make trouble, it will ruin the master's business, and everyone's face will not look good!" ”

Seeing the appearance of the old god of Confucianism, the officer was a little vigilant in his heart and asked, "What is your name?" Where are the people? Around here, who doesn't know my Zhao Zi's name, dare to be so arrogant! ”

Confucian said: "It's Jinshi Sangyi in this mansion, but I haven't heard of you." If you want to make trouble, be careful that I don't spare people with an iron shovel in my hand! ”

At this time, the Jinshi of a certain state and a certain prefecture refers to the Xianggong Jinshi, that is, those who have passed the Liberation Examination and participated in the Jinshi examination, not that they have been enrolled, but actually raised their children.

Xu Ping has heard several times that the Kaifeng Mansion is wandering at this time, be careful if they cause trouble, and finally see one at this time. In Xu Ping's impression, scholars, as literati, although they are not powerless, are relatively weak, but they are also relatively weak, but I didn't expect this scholar to be so tough.

What surprised Xu Ping even more was that when he heard Sang Yi's name, the sergeants, including the officers, all changed color on their faces and took a few steps back together.

Officer Zhao Zi pressed his waist knife and said: "A certain family has also heard your name, and they all say that wherever you go, the thieves either run away, or they can't afford to hibernate, and they don't dare to pick you up!" I saw you today, but that's it, I didn't see anything outstanding, so I was disappointed! Do you dare to compete with me? ”

Sang Yi said: "I have an iron shovel in my hand, and if I go out, I will hurt people!" It's just a matter of tiring, fighting for the wind and fighting are all done by street idlers, why should we surrender our identity! Wouldn't it be nice to sit down and drink? I've heard people say that the wine sold here is really good, and if you have the heart, you might as well sit down and drink two bowls. ”

Zhao Zi looked at Sang Yi and didn't speak, and after a while, he smiled: "It's better to be famous than to meet, it's Sang Zhuangshi's bearing, a certain family has already lost to you!" That's it, the restaurant brings the wine! ”

took his subordinates and sat at a table with Sang Yi.

Xu Ping was stunned by the counter, he thought he was going to fight and see blood, so forget it? Could it be that this is the legendary chivalrous style?