Jing Zhe told Zhang Xiaoyu about his idea of ​​making strong liquor.

Zhang Xiaoyu behaved exactly like her father.

"You can really make strong liquor?"

Jing Zhe shrugged. "Of course I can, but I'm missing some tools. I need to go out and buy them."

"You're not familiar with Jingzhou, so just tell me what you want to buy and I'll go get it for you!"

Zhang Xiaoyu volunteered.

Jing Zhe smiled and shook his head. "There are too many things to buy. I'll just take Hanhan with me. It'll be a good opportunity for us to get familiar with Jingzhou City. I'll have to trouble Miss Zhang to help me carry these luggage inside."

After saying that, Jing Zhe took Hanhan out the door.

Almost immediately, Madam Zhang came out smiling, but when she saw that there was no one else in the courtyard except her daughter, her smile gradually froze.

"Where is Young Master Kun?"

"Just left."

"They've left?"

Madam Zhang's face turned angry: "You silly girl, didn't I tell you to have a nice chat with him? How come you've already run off after such a short time? What are you standing there for? Go and chase him back!"

Zhang Xiaoyu looked at her mother with some helplessness, wondering who was the real biological child?

She held up the luggage in her hand, "He went out to buy things, why are you chasing after him? Look, this is the luggage he left behind!"

Madam Zhang then turned her anger into a smile and took the luggage.

At the same time, he didn't forget to tell his daughter, "If you ask me, this young master Ah Kun is very good. You must seize the opportunity!"

"Mother, we're not in that kind of relationship!"

Zhang Xiaoyu blushed and stomped her feet.

"Yes, then you need to hurry up even more!"

"..."

...

Jing Zhe's purchases were actually quite simple: a large iron pot, large and small vats, and bamboo tubes. However, he knew that the Zhang family currently had far too much turbid liquor stored up. If they wanted to process it all into strong liquor in a short period of time, they would need to prepare a sufficient amount of processing equipment, and the required silver would be considerable.

The Zhang family is now penniless. He asked Zhang Xiaoyu, and she said that she had given all of her few dozen taels of private money to Qingyun Bodhisattva. Now she has no money left. If she were to go out and buy something, it would be like a skilled cook without rice, which would be even more embarrassing.

Jingzhou City is large and prosperous enough. Jing Zhe and Hanhan only walked one street and saw two or three shops selling iron pots and large vats. After comparing them, they bought them and found someone to transport them back to the Zhang family.

Perhaps because the Prince of Jin left the Zhang family in a huff, the shop assistants at the Zhang family's winery were marveling at this. They were standing at the door, looking at the Zhang family's gate, talking about something.

When Jing Zhe returned with his belongings, these people pointed and whispered even more. Some of them were bolder and came over to ask Jing Zhe what his relationship was with the Zhang family and what he needed these iron pots and vats for.

Jing Zhe was very polite and told them to get lost.

According to Zhang Xiaoyu, Zhang Xuexian had treated them well before, but they ran away when the distillery ran into trouble. However, after Su Xinping took over the Zhang family distillery, they all happily came back.

Zhang Xuexian was deeply hurt when he heard the news, which may be why he drank heavily during the day.

So Jing Zhe simply told them to "get lost".

He despises these kinds of opportunists the most.

The men were initially dissatisfied, but upon seeing Hanhan, they immediately fell silent, grumbling as they watched Jing Zhe enter the Zhang family's residence.

Seeing that Jing Zhe had returned so quickly, Madam Zhang was very pleased. She instructed Zhang Xiaoyu to serve tea and water, and then took Jing Zhe to see their room.

After thanking them, Jing Zhe asked Madam Zhang to find them a woodshed, where they unloaded the purchased equipment and set up a liquor-making facility that was about the same size as the one they had in Yongzhou.

Next, they let Hanhan get to work and start making strong liquor.

About an hour or two later, the sun began to set in the west.

By this time, more than two jars of strong liquor had been made. Jing Zhe tasted it and found it acceptable, which put his mind at ease.

"Nephew!"

At this moment, Zhang Xuexian, who had just woken up, pushed open the door and came in.

Now clear-headed, he was a completely different person from before; his eyes became bright, and after entering the room, he took a sniff and was overjoyed.

"What a strong smell of alcohol!"

He glanced at the strange device, pointed to the two jars of liquor below, and asked, "Is this what you called... strong liquor?"

"Exactly."

How does it taste?

Zhang Xuexian rubbed his hands together, his gaze never leaving the wine jar.

"Uncle, you'll know once you try it!"

Jing Zhe smiled and poured him a bowl, handing it to him.

"Good wine, cough cough, very strong wine!"

Zhang Xuexian was somewhat prepared, but he never expected the liquor to be so strong. He tilted his head back and drank it all in one gulp, and was even choked a little.

His cheeks flushed red, he coughed twice, and still spoke approvingly.

"Why are you drinking again?"

This scene was witnessed by Madam Zhang, who came in to call them for dinner. She rolled her eyes at Zhang Xuexian and scolded, "You've only been up for a short while, why are you drinking again? Aren't you afraid that Ah Kun will laugh at you?"

"This is strong liquor!"

Zhang Xuexian pointed excitedly at the wine bowl.

You can't drink alcohol like that!

"You... what do you know, you woman?"

Without paying her any attention, he pulled Jing Zhe aside and said, "Nephew, with your strong liquor, our Zhang family can be brought back to life! You are not only Xiaoyu's savior, but also the savior of the entire Zhang family!"

Being held by a grown man isn't very comfortable, so Jing Zhe seized the opportunity to pull his hand away, chuckled twice, and said, "Uncle, you're too kind. However, we still need to discuss this further!"

"Okay, let's eat and chat!"

After saying that, they arrived at the front hall under Madam Zhang's guidance.

Four very simple dishes were laid out on the table. Madam Zhang said apologetically, "Nephew, you have seen the state of things at home. I can't stay here any longer. I hope you won't take offense!"

Jing Zhe smiled and shook his head, "Ah Kun is already extremely grateful that Auntie allowed us to stay, how could he possibly complain?"

After saying that, he took out a hundred-tael silver note from his clothes and handed it to Madam Zhang.

"This is?"

“I’ve retrieved all the silver that Miss Zhang had previously offered at the Taoist temple.”

"Where are there so many?"

Zhang Xiaoyu knew perfectly well the amount of silver she had donated; it was at most fifty taels.

"Including the accommodation and food expenses for these days, that's about it."

"There's no need for these..."

Zhang Xiaoyu muttered to herself.

Finding a decent inn outside would cost less than ten taels of silver for food and lodging, so this resulted in an extra fifty taels.

"In that case, Auntie will accept it."

"mother--"

As soon as Zhang Xiaoyu called out, she was glared at by Madam Zhang. She was still thinking about this silly girl. He would feel more at ease staying here if he left some money. Besides, without money, there was no way to cook him any good meals.

With this money, he was able to establish contact with the Zhang family.

————