Outside, Wu Dalang saw that Jia Rui and Pan Jinlian were hiding from Ximen Qing, and he didn't pay attention at all.

Ximen Qing exchanged a few pleasantries and said: "I ate the wine that Dalang sent to my house a few days ago, and also sent a jar to the county magistrate and my father-in-law Wu Qianhu. They all praised it after eating it.

!”

Wu Dalang said: "Since the high official and several other officials like to eat this, just tell me when it's gone and I'll send it to your house."

Ximen Qing said: "Are these wines made by Dalang?"

Wu Dalang became alert and said: "That's right, it's the recipe handed down from our ancestors."

Ximen Qing nodded and said: "It turns out it's passed down from our ancestors, no wonder.

But I heard from Brother Yun that you can only make a few jars of wine every day, so how can that be enough? Why not build a bigger winery?"

Wu Dalang scratched his head and said with a smile: "I have only been in Yanggu County for a few months, I don't know anyone, and I don't have that much money. Where can I get a big winery?"

Ximen Qing clapped his hands and said with a smile: "To be honest, this is exactly why I came!

Dalang thought he had heard that my family has quite a lot of money. Wu Qianhu in the county is my father-in-law. I have a relationship with the county magistrate and have dealings with other gentry in the county. Why don't we work together to do this?

How is business?

You don't have to worry about anything else, just tell me your ancestral brewing method, and then count the money at home!

As long as I am in charge of the winery and sales, I wonder what Dalang thinks?"

Wu Dalang shook his head and said: "My brother said, there is no rush to brew a lot of wine first, just make some money to eat and drink."

Ximen Qing laughed after hearing this and said: "Speaking of Da Lang, how can anyone in this world dislike having too much money?

You only have two jars of wine every day, which is not enough for my family! How can you make money from this?

Oh! I see, it was Dalang who was reluctant to give the ancestral recipe to others, wasn't it?

You can rest assured about this, I, the great man of Ximen Qing, can also go to the county to inquire, who knows that I am an honest person?"

Although Wu Dalang was honest and honest, he was not stupid. He knew that the shochu was only in the distillation step, and Jia Rui had repeatedly warned him about it, so he did not say it was Jia Rui's recipe, nor did he say he was willing to hand it over. He just laughed stupidly with Ximen Qing.

Ximen Qing also knew that ancestral secret recipes were generally not allowed to be passed on to others, so he settled for the next best thing and discussed with Wu Dalang how he would fund the establishment of a winery, Wu Dalang would be responsible for making wine, Ximen Qing would be responsible for sales, and then the two families would split the accounts.

However, Wu Dalang still just smiled and refused to agree.

Wu Dalang refused to let go after talking for a while, Ximen Qing had no choice but to sigh:

"Da Lang will also discuss it with his family, and I will come back in a few days.

As long as you are willing to cooperate with me, the wine in the entire Yanggu County will become our business."

Ximen Qing tried his best to deceive Wu Dalang but refused to let go.

Helpless, Ximen Qing could only sigh and said: "That's all, I won't bother you anymore today. Da Lang should consider what I said again and discuss it with your wife. If it really comes true, it will be of great benefit."

.”

Then he said goodbye and left.

After Ximen Qing left, Jia Rui and Jin Lian came out.

Dalang said: "Sure enough, my dear brother guessed it right. As soon as we started our soju business, people started to take notice of it."

Jia Rui sighed: "Brother, even if our method of making wine is spread to outsiders, Ximen Qing won't be able to do it.

He also has a bad rap and is a greedy person. If he gets the recipe, he will definitely kick us away."

Wu Dalang nodded and said: "I know!"

Ximen Qing was unhappy after leaving Wu Dalang's house.

Naturally, he wanted to get Wu Dalang's recipe for soju, but it was not just to make money.

As a second-generation rich man who has official contacts with Yanggu County, Ximen Qing knows the importance of power.

He wanted to use this method of brewing strong liquor to gain traction with the state capital, and even high-ranking people like Gao Qiu, the grand master of Zhongliang in Bianjing.

Cai Jing, in particular, has been in charge for these years, from the government's tax regulations to the appointment of officials. Who can't do it without Cai Jing's nod?

There is even a nursery rhyme circulating in Bianjing: Three hundred strings, and you can pass the judgment; five hundred strings, you can go straight to the secret pavilion.

Of course, this is a bit exaggerated, but Cai Jing lived an extremely luxurious life, and there were even rumors that Cai Jing hosted a banquet for his subordinates and ate soup dumplings at home. A meal, or to be precise, the dumplings alone cost 1,300 yuan.

If you want to please this kind of people, just giving money or giving too little will not do the trick. As soon as Ximen Qing tasted this wine, he thought that he could use wine to travel to and from Bianjing to curry favor with him!

But what should Wu Dalang do if he refuses to tell him the formula?

When Ximen Qing was bored, he went to Wang Po Teahouse next door to Wu Dalang.

This grandma is also an old householder on Zishi Street. She is around fifty years old and has been a widow for many years. She only has one son who is making a living outside.

Mrs. Wang was alone, running this tea shop on Zishi Street, and also worked as a matchmaker, a nanny, a pimp and a midwife to barely make ends meet.

At this moment, when Ximen Qing, the big benefactor, came, he greeted him with a smile and said:

"Ouch, isn't this the official from Ximen? But I haven't seen you for a few days. Why does the official have to come to my place to sit here today? What kind of tea do you want to have?"

Ximen Qing smiled and said, "How about my godmother come in? No matter what kind of tea, just order one."

Grandma Wang ordered a cup of ginger tea.

Ximen Qing asked: "Wang Ganniang, you have lived on Zishi Street for decades and are the most well-informed. Are you familiar with the Wu Dalang family next door?"

Wang Po knew very well that Ximen Qing was accustomed to working hard on women, and when she saw him coming out of Wu Dalang's house, she wondered if Ximen Qing had some evil thoughts after looking at Pan Jinlian's beauty.

Wu Dalang had no relatives or friends in Yanggu County, and he was cowardly by nature.

Here Ximen Qing is willing to spend money, and he has the support of the county magistrate.

If I can match them up, will I get any less benefits?

Yin smiled and said: "How come you don't know? Didn't he move here with his wife just three months ago? I even gave him a house to fill!"

Ximen Qing asked: "When did they move here? What kind of person is Wu Dalang? Does he have any preferences?"

Wang Po said: "Isn't it three months since you said this?

This Wu Dalang, despite his tall and thick appearance, is actually a thoughtful and easy-to-talk person. I have never heard of him blushing with anyone in such a long time.

After arriving, he made a living by selling cooking cakes. He was busy from dawn to dusk all day long, but he was willing to endure hardships.

People also praised him for making good pancakes, being big, and being a real person.

But for some reason, they don’t sell cooking cakes these days. I heard they sell fine wine instead?”

Ximen Qing nodded while listening.

When Po Wang saw her, she pretended to be casual and said, "Although Wu Dalang is ugly and cowardly, his wife is actually a first-class beauty!"

Ximen Qing was disturbed by Jia Rui because he didn't say a few words to Pan Jinlian. Seeing that Jia Rui was young and handsome, he thought that Jia Rui and Pan Jinlian were a couple, but he didn't expect that Pan Jinlian was actually Wu Dalang's roommate.

Yin stumbled and said: "That little lady is actually Wu Dalang's wife? What a pity, what a flower stuck in cow dung!"

Wang Po then said: "The high-ranking officials only saw Pan's stunning beauty, but they didn't know that she was the adopted daughter of a wealthy family. No one could match her as a knitting girl. She had also worked hard on playing chess, calligraphy and painting since she was a child. I

I heard that I can also play the pipa well..."

Wang Po praised Pan Jinlian from the inside out as if she were selling a product, so much so that Ximen Qing even forgot the purpose of coming to Wu Dalang.

Ximen Qing had always coveted the beauty of Golden Lotus, but hearing Mrs. Wang's compliments made him even more itchy.
Chapter completed!