Chapter 5: The Heartfelt Gratitude and Complete Filial Piety (Part 2)

Han Gang nodded with a smile. Han Qianliu and Han Ali are both good parents, giving their son what they cannot bear to eat themselves and allowing him to use what they cannot bear to use. Encountering such considerate parents, Han Gang inexplicably overlaps their image with that of his parents who remain in another time and space

"What nonsense!" Han A Li turned around and shouted again, "When it comes to treating illness and saving lives, no amount of money is too much to spend!"

At this time, ordinary families are no different from the Han family. Originally, the Han family was relatively well-off; at least every ten to fifteen days, after selling vegetables in the city, they could buy some wine and meat to reward themselves. However, now the family has suddenly fallen into poverty, and even if they could buy meat, it would be for Han Gang to nourish his body. Han Qianliu wanted to spend a dime on some wine to indulge himself, but he was reluctant to part with that amount of money

Han Qianliu was unaware of Han Gang's thoughts; he always hoped that his son would achieve success. While drinking, he sighed: "If only you could become an official, Third Brother. With an official title, no one would bother us about brewing our own wine. Today, when I went to deliver vegetables to the Huide Building in the city, I happened to see an old soldier running errands for the pacification minister, who took some brewing materials from the back of the building, saying that the household was going to brew their own wine..." Today, when I went to deliver vegetables to the Huide Building in the city, I happened to see an old soldier running errands for the pacification minister, who took some brewing materials from the back of the building, saying that the household was going to brew their own wine...

Note: During the Northern Song Dynasty, the sale of alcoholic beverages was controlled by the government. Without a strong backing, it would be difficult to expand a tavern. If one were to truly travel back in time, this is something to be cautious about. By the way, salt, tea, alcohol, and alum were all state monopolies during the Song Dynasty. Many well-known restaurants and taverns were also state-owned. As long as there was profit to be made, the Northern Song court would intervene, and there was no notion of not competing with the people for profits.

"Bah! His heart is crazy!" Han Ali slammed the chopsticks on the table, his face stern, "When he needed money for his life, he haggled and even recommended some quack doctors, causing our family to spend money like water. Now that we are not short of money, let him dream on! Once San Ge'er recovers from his illness, we will go to redeem all the land mortgaged to Li Laizi. If we have enough money for one mu, we will redeem one mu; if we have enough for two mu, we will redeem two mu!" Once San Ge'er recovers from his illness, we will go to redeem all the land mortgaged to Li Laizi. If we have enough money for one mu, we will redeem one mu; if we have enough for two mu, we will redeem two mu!

Note 1: Mu, jiao, and bu are traditional Chinese units of land area measurement. One mu is equivalent to four jiao, and one jiao is equivalent to sixty bu

"Drink your wine dregs, why are you making such a fuss?" Han Ali scolded Han Qianliu a few times, then turned to Han Gang and said, "On the day when you were seriously ill, your father and I made a wish at General Li's temple and donated twenty jin of sesame oil. Since that day, you have been getting better every day. This is the blessing of General Li. Your father and I have discussed that in another twenty days, it will be an auspicious day. By then, all the wheat in the village will have been sown, and there won't be much to do. This is the blessing of General Li. Your father and I have discussed that in another twenty days, it will be an auspicious day. By then, all the wheat in the village will have been sown, and there won't be much to do. It will be just right to hold a few banquets at General Li's temple, one to repay the deity, and the other to wash away your misfortunes..."

Han Qianliu sipped the wine lees, lost in thought, and after putting down the bowl, he sighed: "Alas, when a person becomes greedy, they even lose their sense of shame. Third Brother has recovered from his illness and is planning to redeem the land. Yet, Li Laizi is even thinking of changing the mortgage sale to a forced sale!"

It seems that opening a distillery to make money is not feasible! However, it could cost one their head. Han Gang secretly shook his head; privately operating a distillery would certainly lead to beheading or exile. Even if one could manage to secure a government distillery, as soon as some improvements were made and business picked up, it would either be reclaimed by the authorities or taken away by envious individuals. Such a path is clearly not viable.

Since the founding of the Song Dynasty, in order to supplement the national resources, the old practices from the Five Dynasties period were continued. Most of the breweries were state-run, either directly operated by the government or contracted out through public bidding—this practice was referred to at the time as "buying a bid." Not only alcohol, but also salt and iron were state-operated. Furthermore, tea, alum, and medicinal herbs were all managed by the government.

Han Gang is not thinking much at present; he wants to relieve his parents from the hardships of labor and to live a life of ease and comfort himself. All of this requires his own hard work. However, wealth alone is not a reliable foundation; only power can serve as a guarantee. From any perspective, Han Gang has ample reason to seek an official position for himself.

Han A Li ate very quickly, while Han Qian Liu held the bowl, slowly sipping the diluted wine lees in small mouthfuls. Han Gang's eyes had not become nearsighted from years of hard study; he could clearly see the two lines of small characters inscribed on the back of Han Qian Liu's left hand. The small characters had become quite blurred due to the many wrinkles, but Han Gang could barely make out the fragmented words "bow ... ... hand ... ... four".

"Truly a sage!" Han Qianliu was very pleased as his son took a photo of him. He tilted his head back and downed a bowl of murky wine dregs. Smacking his lips, he picked up the wine jug and shook it, then sighed, "It's no different from the wine in the official taverns. The wine in the official taverns, year after year, becomes more diluted. What they sell is the price of wine, but what you get is the taste of water. For every dou of grain put in, only a few liters of wine come out, and that is diluted three to five times."

Han Qianliu and Han Ali may be somewhat unclear, but Han Gang, who has the memory of studying abroad for two years, knows that his two elder brothers died in battle and must have received compensation, which should amount to five or six guan in cash and seven or eight bolts of silk. However, this compensation in the government office is like water flowing through a desert; after passing through several hands, it disappears without a trace. If this compensation could be fully disbursed, the Han family's household finances would certainly be more ample, and redeeming an acre or half an acre of vegetable fields would be entirely feasible

Two meals a day, barely enough to fill the stomach, constantly having to go to the battlefield, and after death, not even receiving a pension; this is the life of an ordinary family in Shaanxi during the Song Dynasty

Han Qianliu shook his head and sighed: "Who says otherwise? But who in Qinzhou dares to brew privately?! Beyond Qinzhou, three thousand miles away, who knows where the exiles have been sent!"

The tree wishes to be still, but the wind does not cease; the child wishes to care for their parents, but the parents do not wait

This type of steamed bun is the same as that sold by Wu Dalang, originally called "steamed bun." Decades ago, in order to avoid the taboo of Emperor Renzong Zhao Zhen, it was renamed "cooked bun." In fact, it is essentially the same as the later steamed buns. As for the current steamed buns, those filled with meat are known as meat buns, while vegetable buns are referred to as vegetarian steamed buns.

What Father said is indeed correct. Han Gang lowered his head in acknowledgment. Although Han Qianliu could not read a single character, his understanding was not lacking. He raised his head and smiled again, saying: "The sage also said, 'Be diligent in action and cautious in speech,' which means to do more and speak less. Father's words already contain half the wisdom of the sage."

The flour used for making soup pancakes and steamed pancakes is derived from grinding 9.5 liters of coarse flour from a dou of wheat, with the husk included, rather than the kind that grinds the wheat down to only half of the fine white flour. Such a meal can fill the stomach, yet it lacks any real flavor, especially considering it is consumed twice a day, leaving half the day with a grumbling stomach.

Han Gang was taken aback, as a previously untouched memory suddenly surfaced—indeed, the alcoholic beverages in the Song Dynasty were exclusively sold by the government

Then why did you drink so happily in the past? Han Ali shouted again, and Han Qianliu felt bored, so he took it upon himself to sip the dregs of the wine. His wife was quite fierce, and in the family garden, he would yield whenever necessary

Han Gang felt fortunate for himself, as he still had the opportunity to fulfill his filial duties to his parents after being reborn, making up for the regrets he harbored in his heart. However, farming was not a good livelihood, and he did not wish to return home every day smelling of manure like Han Qianliu.

Damn it! Today, Li Laizi was still scolded away by me, and you just stood by and watched! He dares to come and bully you because he sees you as a fool! If it were me, I would have beaten him to the ground long ago! His father-in-law, Huang Daliu, is just as bad; the last time he saw Yunniang at the ferry, he almost drooled. If I had my rolling pin with me then, I would have knocked a bigger bump on his forehead!

Indeed, no matter how much money it takes, it must be spent to save a life. If the incense is extinguished, there will be no face to meet the ancestors of the Han family in the afterlife. Han Qianliu raised his bowl and drank it all in one go, wiping the remnants of wine from his beard with the back of his hand. "Third brother, do not overthink it. Back in the day, your grandfather traveled from his hometown in Mizhou, Jingdong to trade goods in the western regions, and he lost all his capital, leaving him with nothing. He had only one piece of clothing left and could not return home, so he settled in Qinzhou. However, by the time your grandfather passed away, he had already arranged for your father and me to acquire that piece of vegetable field measuring three acres, two decares, and fifteen steps. I spent twenty years and managed to acquire one hundred and ten acres of land.

At this moment, Han Gang realized that before encountering him, Li Laizi had already met with his parents and discussed the matter of the vegetable field. No wonder he turned hostile the moment he mentioned it. It seems that in the afternoon, while his parents were gathering enough mountain goods in the southern mountains, they ran into Li Laizi at the ferry while preparing to head north to the prefectural city.

Instead, they obtained some free wine dregs from the familiar winery, poured hot water into an old wine jug, and savored the taste to satisfy their craving for alcohol. Although they themselves were eating coarse food, seeing Han Gang eat heartily with great spirit, the couple was all smiles.

As a side dish to accompany rice, there are several plates of various pickled vegetables—fresh vegetables grown by the Han family that they are reluctant to eat themselves, all sold to wealthy households in the city in exchange for money

Even if everything is lost now, it is merely a return to the time when your grandfather first came to Kansai. In another twenty years, your father will still be able to accumulate land and will still be able to drink and eat meat. People in this world are not afraid of being poor, but they are afraid of being lazy. As long as one is diligent, anything can be accomplished. Third Brother, you are a scholar, with the teachings of sages filling your mind; there is not much I can teach you, so I can only impart to you the word 'diligence.' Study diligently, work diligently, and in the future, when you hold an official position, you must also be diligent.

Han Gang set down his chopsticks and lowered his head: "It is all the child's fault... causing father and mother to suffer the humiliation of Li Laizi."

Han Gang was aware of this. This is the designation of the militia organization in Qinzhou, to which Han Qianliu belongs, specifically the Fourth Command of Archers. Due to being part of the lowest military rank, which in Shaanxi is one out of three conscripted archers from the border, only the back of the hand was marked. If it were the Imperial Guard or the regular army, they would certainly have been marked on the face—Han Gang's deceased second brother had characters marked on his face—while those in the militia with higher military ranks, such as the Baoyi and Qiangren archers, would also have characters marked on their cheeks

If someone attempts to seize food from the government, the outcome may vary depending on whether the offender is from an official household or a commoner. In the case of an official household, they might be let off lightly; however, for a commoner, the lightest punishment would be exile, while the severest could result in execution. This is particularly true in Qinzhou, where many have fallen victim to such fates. Qinzhou is a border region, with numerous small fortresses and villages, many of which have established government-run distilleries to cater specifically to the needs of the nomadic tribes. These villages have also dispatched minor officials to oversee the taxation of liquor, solely to ensure that the government monopolizes the profits from the alcohol.

Han Gang chuckled and said, "It would be great if I could brew it myself; I would never dilute it when drinking it myself"

I also said the same to Li Laizi today. I am definitely going to redeem the He Wan vegetable fields