People in Yanzhao are strong-willed and even like strong-willed wine. However, strong-willed wine is very difficult to obtain. In order to improve the taste of rice wine, brewers need to use secret methods to process it many times to remove most of the water in the wine so that the wine is so strong that it makes three bowls of wine. Therefore, a jar of old wine is often five times the cost of ordinary turbid wine. Such a valuable gift, even if it is in a good year, young people cannot bear to plunder it from their uncle's house, not to mention that Zhang Baosheng's inn is on the verge of bankruptcy.

"Hold it, Xu Guan, otherwise I won't give my uncle a face!" Zhang Baosheng patted his nephew's face with his hands lovingly and whispered a low order. This child was born during the Kaihuang period. He was well-raised in his womb, and obviously had Zhang Fuqi's face. After the New Year, he had to tie his hair (Note 4), but he, as his uncle, could not even give him a decent gift to tie his hair. Thinking of this, he felt a little desolate, and sighed complainingly, lowered his head, and slowly walked towards the wine cellar in the backyard.

Seeing his uncle sighing, Li Xu knew that his actions had made the old man sad again, so he had to stay in the inn silently. After a while, Zhang Baosheng turned back, holding more than a large jar of wine. On the willow basket of the jar of wine, two dried deer-de-de-de-de-square-de-square-de-square-de-square-de-square-de-square-de-square-de-square-de-square-de-square-de-square-de-square-de-square-de-square-de-square-de-square-de-square-de-square-de-square-de-square-de-square-de-square-de-square-de-square-de-square-de-square-de-square-de-square-de-square-de-square-de-square-de-square-de-square-de-square-de-square-de-square-de-square-de-square-de-square-de-square-de-square-de-square-de-square-de-square-de-square-de-square-de-square-de-square-de-square-de-square-de-square-de-square-de-square-de-square-de-square-de-square-de-square-de-square-de-square-de-square-de-square-de-square-de-square-de-square-de-square-de-square-de-square-de-square-de-square-de-square-de-square-de-square-de-squa

"How can this happen? I'll search for you like this. When I go back, my mother must act on the family law!" Li Xu shrunk his hands, his face full of embarrassment.

"Why are you going to give wine or food? My uncle won't give it for free. When your father comes back from outside, you ask him to help my uncle ask who has the skin of a big animal like raw cowhide, donkey, horse, etc. in his hand. The yamen is anxious and I am willing to buy it at a suitable price." Zhang Baosheng smiled honestly, and was happy that he finally found a suitable excuse to give gifts. The young man refused to hang the willow basket on the mule's back. When he was about to come, he took off a skin bag from his back like a play and stuffed it into Li Xu's hands.

"This is the 18th year of Kaihuang. Several military officials who went to Liaodong to seek credit were drunk and fell into my inn. No one came back to look for it for more than ten years, and I am afraid no one would ask for it. My uncle was looking for it. He should have a good bow, so he will take care of it every year. Take it for fun. You will be on the fifteenth next year. Your Li family is concerned about finding wealth immediately, and you have a good bow at your fingertips!"

The young man knew that this was a hair tie gift from his uncle to him, so he didn't dare to refuse, so he took it with both hands. The moment he started, a warm feeling came from the uncle's body temperature or the inconspicuous black bow itself. After untied the leather rope on the bow bag and looked carefully, he saw a two and a half feet long horn bow lying among the thin hairs, and the color was as warm as black jade (Note 5).

Shanggu County is close to the border and was once the place where the flying general Li Guang was stationed. Therefore, the people are good at martial arts. As long as they are not particularly poor, they usually ask their children to learn swords, bows, horses, and fists to defend themselves. So Li Xu glanced with his eyes and knew that his uncle gave him a special bow. If he got it on the market, he would probably not be able to get back at all. At this time, he could not be polite, so he could only bow again and thank his uncle for his good intentions.

Zhang Baosheng was more happy than earning dozens of dollars when he saw the gift. While locking the doors and windows to close the stall, he reminded him, "This bow has not been used for a long time, and it is very hard. You should be careful when playing, don't hurt your body. After all, this thing is just a toy. You are both good at character and academic performance. In the future, you will be promoted to a scholar, a Jinshi, and a county magistrate, and a bright family lintel. No one dares to underestimate me, who is my uncle..."

Until the door of his home, the family affection between uncle and nephew still warmed Li Xu. The uncle's family is similar to his family, and they belong to the third branch in their own tribes. There is very little land under their own names, and the rent collected from the tenants every year is barely enough for the family to chew. As for other expenses that deal with the government and daily delivery in the tribe, they have to rely on some nearby businesses. The Li and Zhang families are both large families that have been through a hundred years and are known as the family's inheritance of etiquette, so doing business is the most despised and cheap business in the tribe. Although many elders in the tribe take filial piety from the children of business every year.

Compared to the father of my uncle, the Li family is slightly better. This is due to Li Xu's father, Li Mao, who is strong and can say a few Turkic words. He can follow the caravans to travel one or two every year. The cattle and sheep are cheap, and tea leaves and linen are scarce. You can earn a lot of copper coins when you travel. However, in recent years, the trade routes to the crane have become increasingly uneven, and there are bad news about both people and money that are lost every month. Fortunately, Li Mao has been running on the trade route for some years and is full of big caravans. He is also a straight-minded person and can also get some friendship with the Hu tribe along the way, so the transaction can be maintained, and he can spend some money to support his son to go to the official school to study.

"Second Young Master, you are back. The master has come to the door to ask several times?" From afar, the butler Li Zhong greeted him. While helping Li Xu pull the mount, he complained quietly. He has followed Li Mao since he was a child. Now he has all the positions of butler, hospital guard, and easy-going account room alone, so he is not very polite to the little master.

"My father is back? When did he arrive? I just came back from my uncle's house today. Please take it to the kitchen and let Aunt Zhong heat it up. I will be the dust-washing banquet I held for my father!" Li Xu patted the mule behind the mule and gave a smile. Aunt Zhong is the wife of the old housekeeper. Like Uncle Zhong, he also serves as the cook in the "Li Mansion", the wife's personal maid, and Li Xu's nanny. Li Mao is usually wandering outside, and there are only two Li Xuniang and the housekeeper couple in the whole family. In addition to etiquette, there is more family affection between the master and the servant.

"Have you gone to search for your uncle again? The wife knew that she would have to quit again! Alas! I told you a young master that it is not easy for your uncle. This world is worse and worse day by day. People can't even fill their stomachs. Where can I get the spare money to go to his place to drink and eat meat..."

Uncle Zhong, the housekeeper, took the wine and meat off the mule's back and went to the yard. Li Xu stuck out his tongue at the old housekeeper's back, took the blue and white mule to the backyard stable, tied the reins, added fodder to all the animals, and replenished the well water. After cleaning everything up, he changed into a short robe that he wore at home and came to the main room to meet his father.

The dried deer meat and miscellaneous vegetables that Li Xu gave to the housekeeper have been cleaned up by Aunt Zhong and his mother, and have been put into four side dishes on the table. Li Xu's mother doesn't like drinking, not the New Year and the Housekeeper Zhong is not good at going to the owner's table. Li Mao drinks alone, and is drinking so boring. Seeing that his son finally entered the door, he raised his glass and shouted loudly, "Xiao Xuzi, come here and have a cup with his father. You kid knows how to love others, so he will knock on your uncle's robbery on the day his father is back!"

"Not serious!" Li Zhang spat in dissatisfaction and put down the needlework in his hand.

"No, the gentleman in the official school said, wine can injure people's character and character!" Li Xu looked at his mother's face and found an excuse to evade his father's invitation. However, the Adam's apple that had just grown on his neck rolled involuntarily, making a clear "gurgle" sound.

"Forget it, stop pretending. The wine bug that has been held in the arms of the old man since he was a child, sucking chopsticks is difficult for you to drink. Just don't drink too much, so as not to delay the memorization of the evening!" Zhang's lady heard this, looked at the child lovingly and whispered.

"Hey! Thank you mother! Thank you dad!" Li Xu waited for his mother's promise. He rushed to his seat in two steps, took the wine jar and sifted it all, raised it up, touched his father's wine cup, and then continued to raise it high between his eyebrows to pay tribute to his father, and then drank it all in one go.

"Good boy, just drinking is the seed of our Li family!" Li Mao praised with a smile, his face full of love. He followed the caravan north in the late spring and rushed home in the early autumn. He worked hard along the way to sit at the table with his wife and children and have a stable meal. After three months of not seeing each other, his son's size rose a lot, but his wife looked even more haggard, and the wrinkles between the corners of his eyes and cheeks confirmed the hardships of a man's life when he was not at home.

"Dad is exhausted all the way, so I would like to express my feelings to Dad with this cup. I wish Dad a long life in Jiankang and better business!" Li Xu picked up the wine jar and filled his father with his father. The wine made by his uncle's secret method looked very thick, and under the glimmer of the oil lamp, it swayed like a piece of warm amber. This made him involuntarily remember what happened in the afternoon. When his father put down the pottery cup, he said while sifting the wine: "I passed by my uncle's inn today and helped him clean up. His business there was very deserted!"

"That's right, now the people have little money in their hands, the government collects a lot, and the business roads are in decline, so naturally no one visits the inn. Occasionally, two people who go to order food and drink are all the people who dare not ask for money from them. And ordinary families, who has the money to go to his food and drink?" Father Li Mao sighed, not knowing whether it is for his wife and brother-in-law or for himself.

Life is getting harder, and business people always feel the changes in the world most keenly. During the Kaihuang and Renshou periods, the emperor was not so wise and could not write good articles, but the fur and livestock he got back from the frontier were always able to take off soon. Now is the year of Daye, and it is said that his family is big and his business is big, but he has to spend three times the effort in handling goods from the market. The goods transported back from the frontier also took three times the effort and time to take action without losing the money.

"Then you are still shameless and get food from your uncle's house. When you go to the official school next month, remember to bring a long gown for your uncle. My mother just made it this spring, and I originally thought that she would wear it for you in winter. Anyway, looking at your long-wearing style, I can't wear it anymore!" Li Zhang heard her husband and son talk about her parents' home, put down her chopsticks and whispered.
Chapter completed!