Chapter 10: Wild Game

The two daughters chatted idly until after the afternoon, when Xu Zhengcai and Xu Chang returned.

Xiuxiu is too small; standing there, she is hardly taller than the pot, and she has to stand on a stool to scrub the pot

Everything has been tidied up. Xiuxiu returned to the hall and said to Xu Ping: "My lord, it is getting late. You should rest now, as you need to get up early tomorrow, don't you?"

Xiu Xiu replied while holding the firewood, "As for anthracite, we don't have any nearby. I've heard that it's used a lot in Tokyo, perhaps there might be some in Zhongmou County."

Xu Ping said: "Read some miscellaneous books, spend more time in the fields, and you will naturally understand. These are all principles generated by heaven and earth, and there is nothing profound about them. As long as you think earnestly, there will always be a way.

Xu Zheng further stated: "Moreover, in previous years in Tokyo, when Da Lang got worked up, he would spend several hundred guan a year. This one hundred guan would be enough for him to manage for several years, saving me quite a bit!"

Xiu Xiu could not help but ask: "Is there a place nearby that sells coal—oh no, I mean anthracite?"

Xiu Xiu lowered her head and said softly, "That won't do, others will scold me if they see it"

Zhang San's mother certainly supported her son: "My son makes a valid point. There are a few new servants in the restaurant, who cannot compare to those brought from the capital. You are in your sixties, yet you are not as thoughtful as your son. In the future, pay more attention to the business."

A few guests were idly sitting in front of the door. Upon seeing Xu Ping return, they approached with laughter and cheer to help carry the wine.

The oil refers to sesame oil, which is indeed a premium product

As the time to leave approached, Zhang Sanniang suddenly remembered and called her son: "Dalang, when you return, do not let your mind dwell on these matters. Just instruct the servants to handle them. Focus on your studies and strive to present yourself before the Emperor to achieve the degree of Jinshi, so that you can bring back an official title for me"

Xu Ping smiled and accepted, thanking Sun Qilang. It must be said that there are advantages to a sparsely populated area; throughout the year, one does not have to worry about a lack of game to eat. In his previous life, he had never tasted authentic game. Sometimes when he went down to the countryside, everyone in the village knew where a wild rabbit was located, and a group of people would surround it every day to set nets, unlike now.

The taste of roasted duck is quite good, but in my previous life, it was made from specially raised fatty ducks. Wild ducks probably have very little fat on them, so it's hard to say how they would turn out when roasted. Unfortunately, I do not know how to make salted duck; otherwise, preparing a salted duck would also be quite nice

In fact, Xu Ping never considered the significance of doing these things, nor did he wish to think about it. This was merely the inertia of his previous life's work; his duty was to change the world. Although in his past life, he could only manage a small area and faced numerous constraints, engaging in work provided him with a sense of fulfillment. Upon arriving in this world, where the heavens and earth were even more vast, and the tasks at hand were more numerous, there was no one to criticize him anymore. He unexpectedly felt a joy as if happiness had suddenly descended upon him

Mr. and Mrs. Xu instructed a few more words before allowing Xu Ping and Xu Chang to return to the village. Originally, Zhang San Niang wanted to keep her son for the night, but Mr. Xu, concerned about the matter of the wine, kept urging them to leave

Once they had mounted the donkey, Zhang San Niang called out again and said to Xu Ping: "My child, in the future, make sure to visit your father and mother every three to five days, so that we do not worry about you"

The future work will focus on combating salinization and alkalization. He had witnessed this in his previous life; although he did not personally engage in it, he understood the basic principles. In his past life, when addressing salinization and alkalization, excluding those high-tech methods, there were mainly three approaches available in this era: the first is sediment irrigation, but since this area is not adjacent to the Yellow River or the Bian River, it cannot be accomplished without an official unified organization; the second is to plant salt-tolerant crops, such as the sorghum and alfalfa he mentioned, as well as commonly found species like tamarisk, white wax, stink tree, purple acacia, and even mulberry; the most effective method, however, is to combine irrigation and drainage. In his previous life, when addressing salinization and alkalization, excluding those high-tech methods, there were mainly three approaches available in this era: the first is sediment irrigation, but since this area is not adjacent to the Yellow River or the Bian River, it cannot be accomplished without an official unified organization; the second is to plant salt-tolerant crops, such as the sorghum and alfalfa he mentioned, as well as commonly found species like tamarisk, white wax, stink tree, purple acacia, and even mulberry; the most effective method, however, is to combine irrigation and drainage, where irrigation uses clean water to wash away the alkalinity, and drainage lowers the groundwater level; only through this combination can a fundamental solution be achieved.

Xu Ping saw Xiu Xiu standing aside and said to her, "You may just sit down."

Upon arriving at Tianzhuang, the sun had already begun to set in the west, and the heat of summer had diminished, making it much more comfortable.

After teaching Xiuxiu the upper, middle, and lower sections, Xu Ping felt a bit dizzy and asked Xiuxiu: "What kind of lamp is this? What kind of oil is burning inside? It's so dark that I can't see clearly!"

Sun Qilang hurried back to his residence, and after a short while, he emerged with a wild chicken in his left hand and a wild duck in his right hand, presenting them to Xu Ping: "Yesterday, I was greatly obliged by your kindness, and today I bring you a pair of game as a token of my appreciation"

Xu Zheng observed his son in silence and then spoke leisurely: "I will give you one hundred guan in full, just use it according to your own ideas. I do not ask for much interest, as long as the principal is not lost, this is the primary duty of us brokers"

Xu Ping was taken aback; this old man was indeed a businessman. He was asking about the start-up capital, and right from the outset, he had hit the nail on the head. However, this critical question was one he had not considered.

Zhang Sanniang was taken aback, and only then did she take a closer look at her husband, who indeed remained shrewd. Her son had spent a long time talking, but it was of no use at all, and instead, he was outmaneuvered by his father. Although Zhang Sanniang was strong-willed, she did not involve herself in any external business matters of the Xu family, and there was a reason for that.

Xiu Xiu insisted for a while, but could not resist Xu Ping. She sat down at the table, not daring to sit properly, merely perching on the edge.

Xu Ping's calligraphy in his previous life was quite good, especially as he drew with the old stationmaster. He was not accustomed to using a computer, and the stationmaster taught Xu Ping to practice a set of long, even, and straight regular script characters. However, he was not adept at using a brush; the strokes varied in thickness, and the places where he lifted the brush looked as if two puddles of ink had been spilled there

Xu Ping was carefully planning in his mind as he slowly followed Xu Chang and Liu Xiaoyi towards Tianzhuang

Xu Ping hurriedly agreed

Xiu Xiu placed the cleaned wild chicken into the pot to cook, and while holding the wild duck, she asked Xu Ping: "Sir, how should this duck be prepared? Should I put it in to cook together?"

Xu Ping sat for a while and also felt bored. He said to Xiu Xiu, "Let's find something to do. By the way, didn't I say during the day that I would teach you how to write? You go prepare the ink and brush."

Xu Ping nodded slightly and said nothing further

Xiu Xiu was momentarily taken aback, but ultimately felt pleased in her heart and happily went to the study

After finishing the meal, Xiuxiu tidied up and went to the kitchen to prepare duck soup, while Xu Ping sat in the living room to digest.

Xu Zheng was not concerned; once he resolved the issue with the sour wine, he was filled with joy

Xu Zhenghuan was overjoyed and exclaimed, "My son is indeed a natural connoisseur of wine. Adding lime water to the wine truly makes it not sour at all. And your method of distilling wine, please share it with me as well."

After sitting down and having a cup of tea, Zhang San Niang handed the drawing created by Xu Ping to her husband. Xu Ping then reiterated the plan, concluding: "Although the fields in the village are vast, they are plagued by saline-alkali soil. If we use them to grow wheat or millet, it will surely result in a loss, and we won't even be able to recover the cost of the seeds. In my opinion, to address the saline-alkali issue, we can only cultivate rice in areas where water is easily accessible. By flooding the fields, the saline-alkali can be washed away, resulting in fertile land. In areas where water is not easily accessible, we should only plant sorghum and alfalfa, gradually improving the soil. I believe that to tackle the saline-alkali problem, we can only cultivate rice in areas where water is easily accessible. By flooding the fields, the saline-alkali can be washed away, resulting in fertile land. In areas where water is not easily accessible, we should only plant sorghum and alfalfa, gradually improving the soil. Raising more cattle and sheep in the village is also a way to generate income."

Xu Ping thought for a moment and said: "That won't do, what will it taste like when cooked? Duck is better when roasted, isn't it? But then again, it's hard to say. You should put it aside for now, and after we finish eating, you can cook it into a pot of old duck soup."

Xu Ping, who has the habit of going to bed early, said to Xiu Xiu: "It is still early, no need to rush"

Xiu Xiu said: "How can you say such a thing, my lord? This is top-quality grease, already very shiny. Ordinary people cannot afford this at all"

Xiu Xiu was busy at the stove, while Xu Ping moved a stool to sit on the side and offered suggestions. After watching for a while, he couldn't help but furrow his brows.

Xiu Xiu looked at the character, covered her mouth and chuckled softly, yet remained silent

Xiu Xiu stood silently to the side

Zhang San Niang said: "Then you should give Da Lang one hundred guan! Normally, it is as if you are cutting flesh when asked to take out a single wen, so there is no reason for such generosity!"

Xu Ping nodded foolishly

The road is still the same one that came in the morning, with reeds growing thickly on both sides, occasionally revealing salt marshes, yet Xu Ping found it much more pleasing to the eye. Occasionally, a wild duck would take flight in the distance, drawing his thoughts up to the sky

Yet I ponder, with such brightness, isn't it uncomfortable to read by lamplight at night? Thinking of the brewing wine outside, a thought arises, why not make an alcohol lamp?

Xu Zheng held the diagram in his hand, looking at it repeatedly, and slowly said: "How did you come up with these principles? Do they really work?"

Xiu Xiu recited: "It is the character 'shang', originally the character 'shang' looks like this."

Pour the sour wine into the pot to replace water, and the leftover wine dregs from yesterday should still be placed in the steamer. What is produced will be high-proof white liquor. However, after multiple uses, the wine dregs lose their fragrance, and the result is essentially low-quality white liquor from a previous life. Xu Ping has already informed his father not to sell it separately, but to mix it with lighter wine to enhance the flavor.

Xu Ping did not expect things to go so smoothly and hurriedly agreed

The crowd moved the wine into the courtyard, while Liu Xiaoyi drove the ox cart back to the town, and Xu Ping arranged for people to distill the wine

Xu Ping put down the pen and said to Xiu Xiu, "My eyes are a bit sore. You practice these few characters on your own; I will take a break for a while"

Upon entering the study, Xu Ping saw Xiu Xiu standing by the table, gazing at him with eager eyes, and he felt a sudden sense of stature. Approaching the table, he picked up the brush, but no matter how he held it, it felt awkward. He decided not to worry about it; as long as it felt comfortable to him, that was sufficient. Dipping the brush heavily in ink, he wrote the character "上" forcefully on the paper.

By the time the chicken soup was ready, it had already turned dark. Xiuxiu lit the lamp and brought the soup and rice into the hall

It was only after she could no longer see her son's figure that Zhang San Niang turned to her husband and asked, "Old man, do you understand what Da Lang said? I feel completely lost."

Xu Zheng further stated: "After Grandma Hong returns home, when she comes back to the village, she will certainly pass by the store. We will instruct her to hand over the keys to the various warehouses to you. You must be diligent when you return."

Xu Zhengdao: "How can I make sense of the matters in the fields!"

Xu Zheng remained silent, pondering for a long time, before finally speaking: "According to you, how much capital do we need to get this matter underway?"

Beside them, Liu Xiaoyi was driving an ox cart loaded with spoiled wine, accompanying Xu Ping as they returned to the village

Xu Zheng sighed: "How can our brokerage family never incur losses in a lifetime? This is my own son; isn't he worth at least one hundred guan as capital?"

Xu Ping laughed and said, "As long as I say it's good, who dares to meddle in my affairs"

Xu Chang hurriedly crossed his hands in agreement: "Xu Chang's province."

Xu Ping did not want his courtyard to be too messy, so he found a large pot to steam in the yard. As it was getting dark, he returned to his residence with wild chickens and ducks to prepare a private meal with Xiu Xiu

Xu Ping nodded with a wry smile, acknowledging that this matter is not so easy

Xu Ping said with a stern face: "This is the character '上', meaning 'up' or 'above'."

If there is coal, crush it to make coal balls, and then create a coal ball stove for Xiuxiu to cook, so she won't have to struggle with this large pot. To start a small stove, we need to prepare the necessary tools, and tomorrow let Xu Chang buy them.

Zhang San's mother thought for a moment and nodded in agreement

Xu Zheng said to Xu Chang: "You are an adult, and you have your own ideas. You must keep a tight hold on this money, as Da Lang is still young; be careful not to let him spend it recklessly"

Xu Ping has no mood to discuss these matters with him; his thoughts are entirely focused on transforming the fields in the village. Regarding Xu Zhengdao, he said: "There are many people in the restaurant, and it is easy for others to overhear. If someone sees us and spreads rumors, it could lead to legal troubles that are difficult to clarify. It is better to handle this back in the village."