Chapter 117

For the next two weeks, Yingxiang spent most of her time looking for shops in the neighborhood. She would look around first, and once she found one, she would discuss it with Granny Yang and then rent it.

Since it's a small business selling alcohol, with a few extra snacks to go with it, it doesn't require a large shop. Customers don't eat in the shop; they take the food home.

Therefore, the shops Yingxiang looked at were not very big, especially the front hall, which would inevitably need to be renovated.

The most important thing is to have enough space to put several large vats in the future.

Last winter, Granny Yang led some people to the riverbank to break off a lot of ice, and now the teahouse's cellar is overflowing with ice.

She wanted to build a small ice cellar, which would be useful. Firstly, it could be used in the summer to preserve food and other items. Secondly, she wanted to make iced tea this year, and since the cellar temperature was already low, the ice would be well preserved and wouldn't melt easily.

There are also vacant shops nearby, but those that are too far from residential areas are definitely not an option.

Yingxiang looked around and finally chose a small shop with only one floor, which was enough. Brewing wine required wine vats, so after showing them to Granny Yang, she ordered six: three large and three small. These would definitely be enough for the beginning.

The signboard at the entrance also needs to be replaced. Fortunately, the shop has been vacant for quite some time, so the price can be reduced when negotiating with the landlord.

The monthly rent is nineteen taels of silver. There is a hall in the front, two rooms in the back, a well, and a not-so-small cellar.

A cellar is now essential and will definitely be used to store fine wines.

She will have to take some time to register with the government afterward, since she is selling alcohol.

Yingxiang doesn't plan to sell strong alcoholic beverages; its main focus is on a sweet and refreshing taste, perfect for everyday consumption and ideally suitable for all ages.

There are indeed many things to do, but she has plenty of energy and isn't worried about anything.

"Keep an eye on the shop over there these next few days. I need to come here to get some wine first."

"good."

Granny Yang and Yingxiang made several trips to the market, their hands always full of goods. After several trips, they had almost finished their shopping, and the wine jar had already been delivered. Granny Yang worked hard without complaint, trusting Yingxiang and believing that she could make money by following her.

"After that, we'll need to hire someone who can do the accounting and bookkeeping."

"That's how it should be, shopkeeper, don't overwork yourself."

"Don't worry, I want to try making the wine, and then pick two people from over there to sell it. I can teach them how to make the snacks to go with the wine."

"Don't worry, shopkeeper, it will definitely work out."

After the two finished shopping, Yingxiang closed the door and told Granny Yang to go over there. She took out the brewing recipe from the system and started looking at it. Since she had already made up her mind, she was determined to do it.

As the weather gradually warmed up, she bought everything she needed and had all the necessary conditions for brewing wine. She first cleaned out the small vat to ensure it was dry, and then began brewing wine according to the steps.

Soak the rice first, then prepare it for steaming and fermentation.

Seeing that the recipe said spring water was best, she thought about it and realized that it was a bit difficult at the moment, so she ended up using well water and decided to try making it first.

When conditions allow, she will have someone fetch water from the nearby mountains and forests. Right now, she's all alone, so she won't run away. She'll try it out with a few small tanks first, and she'll know in a few days whether it works.

Yingxiang closed the door and busied herself inside. She was full of enthusiasm, and she had to make it herself first to taste it before selling it.

Making money is important, but it certainly can't be done against one's conscience. She's still very careful and not in a hurry to succeed.

Grandma Yang trusted her and wouldn't ask too many questions. Everything at the teahouse was also in good order. For the next ten days, she planned to come here and work hard. As long as she followed the recipe and didn't make any major changes, she believed she could definitely make it.

Hundreds of miles away, Old Man Wen and his group set off again.

There have been no holidays for nearly a month, so they are not worried that the caravan will suddenly stop for a long time. They travel slowly during the day and rest at night, and the group is full of expectations.

This caravan was escorting a batch of high-quality, freshly fired porcelain to the capital, so they were being extra careful and moving very slowly.

Inside the Hanlin Academy, Wen Shi was also busy. There were no major events, but a lot of minor ones to deal with.

Before we knew it, it was March.

Over the past ten days, Yingxiang has done a good job. The rice wine is ready, and the shop can open for business. Before that, she took a jar of the finished wine to the teahouse and let everyone in the shop taste it.

"Delicious, delicious, shopkeeper, you're so capable."

Rice wine is actually the easiest to make. Yingxiang smiled, and everyone else gave it a good review after tasting it. Two days later, the wine shop officially opened.

At the same time, Yingxiang also took off her heavy cotton-padded clothes and put on light spring clothes, making her move more freely.

A gentle breeze was blowing. She selected two honest and capable slaves from the teahouse to go over first, and then began to teach them how to make snacks to go with the wine.

This isn't difficult; people who like to drink alcohol generally also like to eat meat.

At this time of year, people may not prefer strong liquor, but this sweet rice wine is quite nice.

She also took some back for Wen Shi to try, and it received positive feedback.

Besides stewed meat, she also prepared a kind of cold dish similar to modern salad, consisting of vegetables that can be eaten raw: cucumber, cabbage, and radish shredded, seasoned with salt, vinegar, chili oil, and sesame oil. It tasted pretty good, and since it was prepared in advance, it was very refreshing to eat.

It was very simple, and she taught the two of them in no time.

Roasted pork is even easier to make. Just put in the prepared stewing ingredients, add soy sauce for color, and stew until cooked. In hot weather, you can't make too much every day, but the meat will still taste good. There is a prerequisite for stewing meat: blanch it first, which can remove some of the fishy smell.

"Shopkeeper, how much is this ounce of wine? And these dishes too?"

"I'll write a menu and post it right at the door. A serving of cold dishes is 20 coins, a tael of wine is 70 coins, and half a jin of stewed meat is 35 coins."

After Yingxiang finished speaking, she started teaching them how to use the scale. Fortunately, the two learned quickly. The scale was easy to use, and since the weight of coins was standardized at the time, she would keep an eye on it first. However, she would inevitably have to teach them how to collect debts in the future.

On its first day of opening, Yingxiang promoted itself by offering free samples. Soon, local residents heard the news and most of them brought their own earthenware pots. They didn't need much; each person was given a free wooden spoon to taste the flavor before buying.

People buy roast pork and ready-made cold dishes as soon as they see them. Some people buy three or five ounces immediately after drinking the wine. The roast pork is wrapped in oil paper after it is made. As for the cold dishes, Yingxiang added a line to the menu at the entrance: it is best to bring your own bowls and chopsticks.

This will definitely sell even faster once summer arrives.

Of course, it's impossible to sell only one type of wine; people will eventually get tired of it. She wants to try to produce several other types as well, as more varieties would definitely be better.

People will have more and more choices; if they like a particular type of alcohol, they can buy this one today and that one tomorrow.

The capital city has an even greater advantage than other places: it has a richer variety of produce. She even saw red chili peppers for sale.

She bought it without hesitation, then dry-fried it in an iron wok, ground it into powder, added some sesame seeds and salt, and poured hot oil over it. The flavor immediately came out. Soy sauce and vinegar are available here, so it's even easier to buy them.

The cost of opening a wine shop isn't that high, so she doesn't need to worry too much. The initial investment isn't much either, and it's much better than when she opened a teahouse. She doesn't feel much pressure at all.

This is one of the advantages of having money in hand.

Yingxiang now devotes most of her energy to this, and she has also started making other wines according to the recipe, and has added several large vats.

Baijiu (Chinese white liquor) is not as easy to make as rice wine, but after some effort, she gradually managed to make it.

That evening, Yingxiang finished work and was on her way home. She stopped at a market and bought two pounds of pork ribs. She chose spare ribs and chopped them up to stew when she got home.

She had just arrived at her doorstep, taken out her keys, and heard that Shi and her child hadn't returned yet. Before she could open the door, she suddenly caught a glimpse of a black sedan chair approaching from the alleyway.

This is quite unusual. They've lived here for quite some time, and none of their neighbors use sedan chairs. Moreover, judging from the sedan chair, it seems to be the kind that can be rented at the gates of the capital.

Of course, she had never ridden it before, so she didn't know exactly what it felt like.

"Third sister-in-law."

A familiar, loud voice rang out, and Yingxiang subconsciously turned her head. She was sure she wasn't hallucinating from being too busy. She knew perfectly well who would call her that. Sure enough, Xiuyu followed behind the sedan chair with a big smile on her face.

Yingxiang paused for a moment, but she wasn't seeing things; she saw the Wen family members one by one after that.

Yingxiang opened the door quickly, but didn't rush inside.

The sedan chair stopped beside her, and the next second she saw Liu Shi coming out from inside. She called out "Mother" without much surprise.

Liu glanced at her and hummed in agreement.

"Father, eldest brother, second brother, eldest sister-in-law, second sister-in-law, fifth brother, fourth sister-in-law."

The arrival was indeed from the Wen family; judging by the timing, it wasn't too far off.

Everyone was carrying large bags and small packages, and they were all dressed quite well. Some were holding children, and everyone greeted her with smiles and great enthusiasm.

Wen Chuanzong paid the sedan chair bearers, and they quickly carried the sedan chair away. Liu stood there, and without saying a word, went into the house.

When they arrived at the city gate and got out of the carriage, the whole family was amazed. Looking at the towering city walls and the people coming and going, everyone was very happy. After entering the city, Liu saw the sedan chair at a glance and insisted on riding in it.

Old Man Wen cursed a few times, but it was no use; he didn't want to pay. In the end, Wen Chuanzong gave him the money.

She sat in the sedan chair the whole way, and it was clear that she was very happy.

"My husband and the child will be back in a little while."

The courtyard was really small. After the group went in, they all started to look around. There really were only three rooms. How could so many people live there?

The children could clearly see the ribs in Yingxiang's hand.

"Third Aunt, please stew the ribs tonight, I want to eat them."

"Second brother, what are you saying? Third sister-in-law, don't take it to heart with the child. Your sister-in-law will take care of things later, so you can rest."

"It's alright, sister-in-law, you should rest."

Yingxiang would naturally use polite words as well.

Fortunately, the weather was warm, and she had finished tidying up. Everyone took a walk around the yard and sat down. Of course, Yingxiang wouldn't say anything about building a house outside; she would let Wenshi tell her about that when he got back.

She quickly boiled water, brewed tea, and handed it out bowl by bowl.

"This is exhausting, Third Brother's wife. Which room should your father and I stay in? I don't think these three rooms are enough."

"We can't let your brothers sleep on the floor, can we?"

There are three rooms: one for the child, one for Wen Shi and Ying Xiang, and the other is Wen Shi's study.

"Father, Mother, we'll talk about this when my husband comes back. Are you hungry? I'll start cooking."

Upon hearing this, Liu pouted in dissatisfaction, but no one said anything to her.

Upon entering the capital, she adopted the demeanor of an official's wife, carrying a handkerchief in her hand as she strolled around the courtyard, looking at this and touching that.

Everyone else was tired and sat down to rest under the eaves. She had been traveling in a sedan chair the whole way and had rested enough, so she wasn't tired at all.

"Sister-in-law, let me help you."

Xiuyu didn't rest for long before sitting up, and Yuqin did the same. Madam Ma put the child in Lao Si's arms and followed him inside.

"Old man, I think this middle room is nice. Let's stay here sometime."

"You should rest first."

After Old Man Wen finished speaking, he couldn't help but look at Xiao Wu. Originally, he was half-believing and half-doubting. The third brother had become an official, so he wouldn't do such a thing. He might have already been living in a big mansion. But he didn't expect that Xiao Wu's words were not false at all.

With so many people, three rooms aren't enough. He must be worried. We'll have to wait for the third brother to come back and discuss it with him.

If it were just the family eating, a few ribs would definitely be enough, and there would be no need to add any other dishes. But now that the whole family is here, with so many children and adults, we'll definitely need to add a lot of side dishes to make sure everyone is full.

Xiuyu was quick and efficient at washing rice and vegetables, and she kept talking.

Yingxiang listened without saying anything. It seemed that their journey had been relatively smooth overall, which was good. Although they had spent a lot of time in the prefectural city, their journey to the capital had been relatively successful.

They couldn't take the official road either, as the road wasn't very smooth. Wen Xiaowu was thinking of her family, and she wasn't unaware of this.

After the ribs were put into the pot, Xiuyu started talking about the capital again. Of course, the family had just arrived in the capital, and Liu insisted on riding in a sedan chair, saying that she was an official's wife and that her son was an official. In the end, she got her wish.

Xiuyu actually wanted to sit down too, but of course she didn't dare to make a fuss, so in the end she could only follow along. Just kidding, even Old Man Wen didn't ask her to.

Yingxiang smiled upon hearing this. There was plenty of firewood at home, so the food would be ready quickly once it was in the pot, and she wasn't worried about running out. She had made some pickles last year, and there was still a lot left. She could just chop them up and put them on a plate to eat directly.

She added a lot of cabbage, potatoes, and eggplant to the ribs, which meant that everyone could get a bowl or two and be full, not to mention there was a big pot of rice.

At this moment, she desperately hoped that Wen Shi would come back soon.

Fortunately, the timing was right.