In Longmen Town outside Luoyang City, Old Man Tang lay on the counter, looked at the people coming and going outside, sighed, and said to his wife who was sitting by the charcoal basin to make needles and threads: "This town is getting more and more lively every day, but unfortunately there are still no customers in our restaurant. Alas, by the end of the year, after counting the money, the restaurant was handed back. The two of us worked hard for a whole year, but we didn't make half a copper coin, and we also spent all our money in."

Mother Tang said without raising her head: "If you don't have money, just make money. People have two hands and can't open their mouths hungry. Although you are old and healthy, you are not unable to do your job. When the spring of the next year begins, you will find a garden in the city and continue to plant flowers. We Luoyang people love flowers, and we will never be hungry people who plant flowers."

"I have to do this. I have a wrong plan for a moment. So what if I don't do this?" Old Tang just sighed repeatedly.

While the two were talking, Zhong Gu shook his neck and put his hands in, and said to the old couple: "It's so cold today, I can't stay out anymore. Hello, my master, let's have a bowl of wine to warm up your body."

Old Tang suddenly stood up from the counter and shouted to the servant: "Go and bring wine to the little officials!"

After saying that, he stepped out from behind the counter and pulled out the stool beside the charcoal fire and said, "The little official sits here and warms up against the charcoal fire. Why? Will you come to Qi Dalang in such a cold weather?"

"Yes, I made an appointment with Qi Dalang to meet for a while today. Who knew that this kind of weather happened?"

As Zhong Gu said, he sat down on the stool and placed a wine gourd on the table.

When Mr. Tang saw it, he wanted to ask Zhonggu if he wanted to drink wine with the gourd. He was afraid that he would lose his etiquette and put his words back. After waiting for a while, he saw that Zhonggu had no intention of calling for the gourd to drink wine, so he secretly tried the gourd was full and silently turned back to the counter.

Tang's mother was straightforward. She put down the needle and thread in her hand, pointed to the wine gourd and asked the vermicelli: "Little official, do you want to get wine from our restaurant with you? In such cold weather, you have to drink some wine to get rid of the cold."

Zhong Gu was stunned for a moment and said embarrassedly: "The master is thinking badly. I brought the wine in this gourd to Qi Dalang from the city. He specially asked me. I am not as good as Qi Dalang's alcohol. Just drink some ordinary wine to drive away the cold."

Mother Tang said unhappily: "What good wine should be brought from the city? Does Qi Dalang also dislike the wine in our restaurant?"

Zhong Gu said: "This is the strong wine sold by Zhang Shierlang in the city. It is not much better, but the wine is strong. Qi Dalang is a good wine. He needs this kind of strong wine to satisfy his cravings. It is not that he dislikes the owner's poor wine."

Old Tang said "Who" behind the counter: "There are wine on both sides, where can it be strong? Our restaurants always sell wine based on conscience and do not mix water in it. Unlike the restaurants opposite, the price is too expensive, and you have to mix water in it!"

Zhong Gu smiled and said, "Drinking this strong wine is like burning, but it is different from the usual wine. If the owner doesn't believe it, he can come over and taste it, and you will know what I said is true."

Old Tang was not willing to believe it. He really came out from behind the cabinet, took a small bowl, and went to the table of Zhonggu and said, "Even if the little official poured the wine in the bowl, I want to taste it. What kind of wine is as great as you said!"

Zhong Gu smiled, removed the lid of the wine gourd, poured half a bowl of wine into Old Tang's bowl, and said, "This wine is really strong, the owner can taste it in a small mouthful."

The more Zhong Gu said this, the more old Tang didn't believe it. When he picked up the bowl, the strong smell of wine came to his nose. At this time, his stubbornness came up, and he ignored it. He raised his head and drank half a bowl of wine.

This sip of wine was like a fire ball, rolling straight into the stomach from the throat, and all the internal organs seemed to be burned.

Old Tang shouted "ah" and put the bowl on the table. After running back to the counter with his face, he kept stomping his feet.

Mother Tang looked at the chair monster and asked, "Old man, why are you so weird? Is this wine really strong?"

"Lie, Lie, Lie is like fire! Oh, I feel dizzy when I drink this, I am afraid I will be drunk!"

Mother Tang said angrily: "What are you talking about? You can't sell the wine at home. Usually you drink it. When will you get drunk after drinking such a small sip? Don't make excuses to be lazy and watch it honestly!"

Old Tang felt dizzy and his stomach was burning like a fire, and he was suffering behind the counter.

At this time, Qi Benji came in from outside and talked to Zong Gu. After sitting down at the table, he wanted to have some food and drinks. When he turned around, he saw the strange appearance of Mr. Tang, and said to him: "Master, you look unwell, how can you still work here? The weather is cold and it is not fun to be sick. It's better to go back and rest early."

Old Tang waved his hand: "It's okay. I just took a sip of your gourd wine, but I didn't expect it to be so intense. Don't worry about me, I'll stand for a while, the alcohol is about to pass."

Qi Benji smiled and said, "How dare you drink this wine casually! Let me tell you, the wine in the gourd comes from Kaifeng Prefecture, the most powerful thing in the world! There were scattered places in Luoyang before, but the price was too expensive and ordinary people couldn't get into their mouths. Later, Sansi Shop opened, and this cheap spirit was sold, but it was all bought by the people in the city, and it couldn't get into our mouths. Recently, the Shierlang of Zhang Gonggong's Mansion in Fushanpo opened a stall by the Luo River. I don't know where to buy it. We who are good wines can have a good taste. Master, you can't drink this wine, you will get drunk as soon as you touch it."

After saying that, he said to the servant on the side: "The weather is cold, come and cut a plate of good mutton. I will drink with the Cai Dalang!"

The servant agreed and ran to the back quickly to cut the meat.

After a moment, the mutton was cut, and the wine called "花" was already hot, so the servant brought it on a plate.

The two sat there, drank a few glasses of wine, and ate meat for a while. Zhonggu said to Dalang: "I know where Zhang Shierlang's wine comes from. It turns out that this wine was brewed by the new Cao Envoy's home. It is usually sold to the Sansi Shop and then sold from the Sansi Shop. Zhang Xianggong was kind to the Cao Envoy during his lifetime. The Cao Envoy specially cared for him and specially sold wine to Shierlang, so he never lacked it. Speaking of which, with the Cao Envoy's care, Zhang Shierlang made a fortune and built a straw shed next to the Luohe Wharf. Every day he only sold this spirit wine to the people at the dock and the passengers coming and going, plus some valuable cattle and sheep and scattered batters, which was really good business."

The wine is a specialty. Xu Ping's family can make wine, but it cannot sell it by itself. At first, it was sold to restaurants in Kaifeng City according to the quota. Later, when the scale was larger, it was directly wholesale to Sansi's shops, and Sansi's shops were sold to outside. Of course, the cheapest liquor sold in the shops, and Xu Ping's family made it from sweet sorghum, which was extremely valuable.

Originally, Xu Ping didn't want to monopolize this business. The money for making wine this year was too eye-catching. Who would have thought of giving the prescription to Sansi and building a wine shop to make spirits, but the wine brewed was not cheaper than buying it from Xuping Village, and it was even more troublesome. Zheng Xiang, who was in charge of the warehouse department, took the initiative to scrap the wine shop, and bought cheaper spirits from Xuping Village.

Zhang Shierlang had no capital. He followed Xu Ping's advice and used the method of the Xu family in Baisha Town that year to sell liquor at the dock, accompanied by braised tofu and various pigs, cattle and sheep. They were all worthless dishes, but they were just a convenient and large amount of food, and were specially sold to dock workers who work as coolies and boaters. The business was very prosperous.

With Xu Ping's care, Sansi Shop never lacked wine to Zhang Shierlang, and gradually became famous. Drunkards in and outside the city went to his place to get wine, and there were a lot of more items.

Old Tang was struggling behind the counter for a while, and slowly he became drunk, and the talent seemed to be alive again. He was still a little drunk, but he was not used to drinking strong alcohol. He drank too quickly and was dizzy, and nothing happened.

After coming out from behind the counter and sitting on the tables of Zhonggu and Qi Benji, Old Tang listened for a while and suddenly said, "The Zhang Shierlang you mentioned made a lot of money by selling spirits and those worthless dishes?"

Zhong Gu said: "Isn't it? He earns money from coolies and poor people. Although there are not many people in one person, there are too many people. The restaurants are all staring at rich people, but how many rich people are? There are still many poor people in the world!"

"This is a way! Zhang Shierlang is so good, why can't I do my restaurant? Little official, go and tell me how about I sell strong wine here? Although Longmen Town is a small place, it is on the road to the south, and Yihe passes here, and there are many poor people! Moreover, a new dam is built outside. I heard that there will be several venues here next year, all of which are spinning and weaving, and there should be many people!"

Zhong Gu smiled and said, "You are right, but how did I tell Shi Erlang? I am not familiar with him."

Old Tang ordered the servant to put on another plate of good mutton and said to Zonggu: "Don't your adult in the Transportation Department be an official? If you have this kindness, you can always speak."

Qi Benji is the old customer here, and he couldn't bear to watch Tang Laoer's family break up for this restaurant. Besides, if he sells strong wine here, he would be convenient for him to drink it, so he persuaded Zhong Gu with Tang Laoer.

After drinking for a while, after half a plate of mutton, Zhonggu felt warm in his body. After eating someone's soft mouth, he said to Old Man Tang: "Since that's the case, I will try to say it, but it may happen. Master, don't rely on me."

"Tell me a word, it's a great kindness. How can you blame the little official?" Old Tang said, adding wine to Zhonggu. The servant warmed up some more wine, took a bowl of it himself, and drank with the two of them.

At this moment, the door was suddenly opened, and three big men came in from outside. One big man came in first and shouted: "Brother Du, Ling returned to Luoyang from Zhengzhou and came to see you specially!"
Chapter completed!