A basin of charcoal fire was placed in the middle of the study, and the red firelight looked warm.

Xu Ping leaned against the brazier and held a copy of "Mencius" in his hand and was already immersed in his mind.

On the other side of the brazier, Xiuxiu was making needles and threads to sew new clothes for Xu Ping.

Today is November 11th, and the thirteenth is the winter solstice. At this time, the winter solstice is a major festival, which is more than half a year away from the previous festival. The court and the country attach great importance to it, and the scale is not much different from the New Year. Even the poorest families have to wear new clothes on this festival. On the contrary, because the New Year is too close to the Winter Solstice, they often stop doing it. The so-called fat winter and thin year.

Xu Ping's new clothes were originally made by Zhang Sanniang and sent to the village, and used the best silk cotton. However, there were cotton growing around Xu Ping's village, but the number was not large. The seeds were collected by Xu Ping and left to expand the planting scale in the future. The cotton harvested was distributed to the people in the village to make winter clothes. Xiuxiu was careful and put away the best cotton by herself. After packing up, she made a cotton coat for Xu Ping.

Originally, Xu Ping thought cotton was a good thing, so he gave it to Zhang Sanniang, asking her to make a cotton jacket for the family of three. Unexpectedly, Zhang Sanniang looked down on it at all, and all assigned it to the two supervisors of the restaurant. Xu Ping thought about it and realized that in the era when cotton was popular, when did it become popular in the upper class popular? It was thick and heavy, and it was not convenient to move at all. They were all silk, duck down, and fur on their bodies, which were warm and light. Only poor families would be treasures. Cotton was much better than the rags and crumbs and crumbs of reeds and grass they used before, and could easily withstand the severe cold of winter. Xu Ping also specially assigned some to Xiuxiu's family so that their family could also have a warm winter. For this reason, Xiuxiu's parents came to the village to thank Xu Ping.

The greatest value of cotton in this era is weaving. Fujian roads have been growing cotton for many years, and the cotton fabrics weaving are still very famous. They are light and thin, close to the body, and are considered a treasure. However, Xu Ping has not started to weave cotton. First, there is not much cotton around the village, and the Kaifeng geography is not suitable for planting at this time.

After a long movement remained unchanged, Xu Ping felt that the hand leaning against the fire was being baked so much that it was roasted, so he changed his posture. So Xiuxiu stopped the needle and thread in her hand and saw it, and asked Xu Ping: "Official, are we going to set out early tomorrow? I always feel like I forgot to bring something."

Xu Ping smiled and said, "You have never gone far away. This is how you look forward and careless. It will be great if you go to more places in the future."

Xiuxiu felt a little embarrassed: "No, I grew up so old, but my father took me to Zhongmu County a few years ago, but never went far away. We are going to the capital tomorrow. It is said that the capital is as prosperous as the place where gods live. I wonder what it looks like?"

After saying that, he looked a little yearning.

Xu Ping looked at her expression and found it funny, and said to her: "When I go tomorrow, you can just go and see it yourself. It's nothing important anyway, I'll take you around Tokyo."

After hearing this, Xiuxiu sat there holding her head, fantasizing about the prosperity of the capital.

Li Duanyi finally completed all the procedures and opened the sugar shop. The store hired three supervisors to be responsible for daily operations, but the Xu family and the Li family had to send one person to supervise each. Xu Zheng wanted to go back to Tokyo Bianliang every day, and with this reason, he immediately decided to go and see the shop himself. A restaurant and a wine shop in Baisha Town were entrusted to Tan Bennian and Lu Pan. Because Xu Ping wanted to make sugar in the farm, he did not stay in the capital forever, and looked at the industries in Baisha Town.

As for the storm caused by burning the silver of refining medicine, Zhang Yuan and Wu Jiuxia had already escaped and disappeared. Ma's family's small clan, Ma Zhifang, was very lucky. He was not beaten to death by Zhang Yuan's iron flute and was saved by his family. However, although his life was worry-free, he was beaten to dementia by Zhang Yuan and Yi Dizi, and he could no longer harm others. It was a crime. Because Ma Zhifang had too deep affair with Zhang Yuan and the two of them in the past few months, he set up a private farm in the place of the group's maids, and his whole body was not clean. The Ma family did not make any statement, but secretly asked someone to inquire about the whereabouts of Zhang Yuan and Wu Jiuxia. Some of his close relatives and friends in his family also became officials in Guanzhong, so Zhang Yuan and the two of them would not be safe.

After Zhang Yuan and the others escaped, Qin Huailiang knew that the incident happened and did not know where he fled. Grandma Hong was shocked and frightened, and a rope tied up her life. After Qin Huailiang escaped, Zhou Jian Town in Baisha was also implicated, dismissed from his post, and was charged to the Xiang army. The concubine he married was bought by a nearby official because he had served officials and was said to be very fond of him.

After this matter was settled, there was peace around Xupingzhuangzi and business was prosperous. The Xu family could be said to be in a good time.

The five tricycles ordered by Li Duanyi helped others have already delivered. Xu Ping followed him to see them because of curiosity. When he saw Li Duanyi's car, he knew why these people were willing to spend a lot of money. The car was given to his mother, Princess, and it was completely modified. It was painted with dragons and phoenixes, and it was carved carefully everywhere, both grand and not ostentatious. The roads in the capital were good, and the car was driven just right, driven by manpower, and the control system was in place. It was not as bumpy and difficult as a carriage and ox carriage, and it happened to be suitable for women and the elderly to ride. As soon as the carriage went out, the car attracted the jealousy of several noble people of similar status. Because they were all bought to respect the elderly, no one carriages and no one cared about spending more money. However, their cars only had the chassis and Xu Ping's original design, and the structure and decoration had long been modified according to people's aesthetics at this time.

Everything went smoothly at home, so Xu Ping calmed down and studied hard to prepare for the next imperial examination. The time for the imperial examination in the country is uncertain, and it should be held every year, so every year the imperial court would issue an edict. The tribute examination will be suspended this year, so everyone knows that it will be pushed to the next year. Xu Ping didn't know when the imperial examination would be held, so he had to make various preparations in advance.

Xiuxiu sat there and fantasized for a while before she came to her senses and said to Xu Ping: "Official, it's still early this night, but she's sitting withered. I'll order a cup of tea for you to eat."

Xu Ping couldn't drink the tea at this time and said to Xiuxiu: "Forget tea, go and get some melon seeds and peanuts to eat to pass the time."

The peanuts were brought to Xu Ping when Xiuxiu first came. After listening to this suggestion, she immediately went out happily.

This year, nearly twenty acres of peanuts were planted in the farm, and the peanuts collected were 50,000 kilograms. In addition to leaving seeds, Xu Ping mostly squeezed oil, which is used as the cooking oil for the next year in the farm. There are also a few hundred kilograms, which are all good, and they are kept for snacks.

Since hearing Tian Sihai's words that night, Xu Ping began to pay attention to more than a year. Although there are many wastelands in the Central Plains at this time, it is impossible to withstand that one of the two seasons of the government will not collect taxes, and this benefit is great. Among the two seasons of crops suitable for planting, Xu Ping first chose peanuts. The reason is very simple. At this time, there is no fertilizer industry. The two seasons of crops must be careful not to compete for land power. High-yield corn, sweet potatoes, etc. are first excluded. Peanuts belong to legume crops, and rhizobia can fix nitrogen and increase the fertility of the ground.

It just complements the grain crop wheat, and the climate here is also suitable. The next choice is soybean, which is similar to peanuts. The advantages of the two are similar. In addition to making cooking oil, peanuts can be made into snacks, and soybeans can be made into tofu. But soybeans are not as good as peanuts, but harvesting is too troublesome, unlike peanuts that can be turned out directly with plows, which can easily delay the farming time. Another alternative is that alfalfa has been planted in the farm. As the saying goes, alfalfa can be made into a season of alfalfa and three years of good fertilizer, but alfalfa cannot form a rotation with winter crops, which is a bit worse.

While Xu Ping was planning for next year's farming business, Xiuxiu brought in a plate of fried peanuts, placed it on the table, and an empty plate was placed next to it.

Xu Ping grabbed two of them casually, snatched them into his mouth, and placed them on the table with the peanut shell in his hand.

But she didn't notice that Xiuxiu kept staring at him. When she saw him put the peanut shells on the table again, she said unhappily: "Official, why are you putting the shells everywhere again? I obviously put the empty plate next to me!"

Xu Ping smiled embarrassedly, picked up the peanut shells and put them on an empty plate. This is not because Xu Ping is not particular, but because Xiuxiu has been cleaning up at home, and Xu Ping can't develop those little habits. Although Xiuxiu said it several times, Xu Ping didn't take her words seriously, a little girl.

After the two ate peanuts for a while, Xiuxiu asked, "Officialist, where is our shop in the capital? Are there many people there?"

Xu Ping said proudly: "Next to the Zhou Bridge, on the bank of the Bian River!"

Xu Ping also admired Li Duanyi for being able to buy a shop in that area. The north and south of Zhouqiao is Tianjie, which is the most prosperous place in Kaifeng City, and it is also the most prosperous place in the Song Dynasty and even the world. There is a shop there, let alone selling rare items such as sugar, even selling a spicy hot pot can become a great official in the capital.

Xiuxiu only heard about the Bian River and didn’t know where the Zhou Bridge was. She asked: “At the riverside, is it similar to the restaurant we had in the town? But it’s better to have a bridge."

Xu Ping smiled and said, "What's better! In the sky and the ground! Do you know what road Zhouqiao is on?"

Xiuxiu shook her head.

Xu Ping said: "Zhou Bridge is on the Imperial Street! Standing on the bridge, you can see the gate of the palace at a glance! If you are willing, you can see the high-ranking officials in the court every day, and you can also see the emperor from time to time! Think about it, in such a place, how many people are surrounded there every day!"

Xiuxiu was a little confused: "Can you still see the emperor on a bridge?"

At this time, the emperor is a person who is almost like a god, and often even more respectful and scary than a god. Although Xu Ping does not have this kind of mentality, he can understand the people's thoughts at this time.

Suddenly remembering that the winter solstice would be in a few days. Xu Ping said to Xiuxiu: "How mysterious do you think the emperor is? Tomorrow, follow me to the capital and stay near the store. When it comes to the winter solstice, the emperor is going to conduct a grand ceremony for the suburbs and celebrating it. Just as you are about to pass by Zhouqiao, you will take a look!"

The winter solstice sacrifices to the sky, and all the ministers are rewarded, and they are also promoted to the title, which is more favorable to the descendants, and is more affordable than during the Chinese New Year. It is really the most lively festival in Kaifeng City.
Chapter completed!