grow grain

With the Yao family's matter resolved, Fu Zhi Qiao felt a weight lifted from her heart. Xie Zhuo was injured while saving her, and she couldn't leave without showing her gratitude.

Xie Zhuo's house was not particularly luxurious. It was a two-courtyard house with many bamboo trees planted at the entrance. It didn't look like the courtyard of a wealthy family, but more like the residence of a famous hermit. The courtyard was filled with insect-repelling herbs, which didn't smell pungent but rather had a comforting aroma.

A gray-clad servant led the way down the corridor, with Fu Zhi Qiao, dressed in a peach-pink corset-style dress and a light pink shawl draped over her arms, following slowly behind.

After walking through the corridor and then through a bluestone path, you will arrive at the front gate of the courtyard.

The servants only allowed Fu Zhi Qiao to enter the courtyard, while Yin Xing was kept outside. She didn't say anything, but her face clearly showed her displeasure. She was terrified that her young mistress would go to see another man alone, and if someone with ulterior motives found out, who knew how many unpleasant things would be said? She was afraid of what Yao Cheng Fang had done to her.

Fu Zhiqiao gave Yinxing a reassuring look.

The courtyard wasn't very big, but Fu Zhi Qiao spotted Xie Zhuo sitting in the pavilion at a glance. He was wearing a jade-colored robe, and since he was at home, he didn't have any purses or jade belts to decorate his clothes. He simply tied his black hair with a jade crown, and his eyebrows were like distant mountains. He had a straight nose and the air of a handsome young master.

Xie Zhuo smiled as he saw Fu Zhi Qiao arrive.

Seeing him smile, Fu Zhi Qiao's lips couldn't help but curve upwards as well. "Is your hand feeling better?"

"It's alright." Xie Zhuo raised his hand in a gesture of invitation.

Fu Zhiqiao placed the box on the table, her eyes sparkling with laughter, and drawled, "Young Master Xie, thank you for saving my life. This jar of Taibai wine is the first batch I brewed; it's unique in the world, and none of the wines sold in shops can compare."

Xie Zhuo's lips curled up slightly. "In that case, I shall accept your offer."

The two sat down, and a maid came over to serve hot tea and some exquisitely presented pastries, placing them in front of Fu Zhi Qiao.

"Have some tea first." Xie Zhuo, unaware of Fu Zhi Qiao's tastes, had his servants buy the best pastries sold at Xinghualou.

The refreshing aroma of tea filled the pavilion.

Although the people of the Great Wei were relatively open-minded, it wasn't appropriate for a lone man and woman to stay together all the time. After eating two pastries and delivering the thank-you gift, Fu Zhi Qiao took her leave and went home.

Watching Fu Zhiqiao's retreating figure, Xie Zhuo hesitated, wanting to say something but holding back. The imperial examination was imminent, and many of the students favored by his grandfather were preparing to take the exam this year. He had rushed to Qingzhou right after the New Year to deal with this matter.

After Fu Zhiqiao left, Xie Zhuo remained sitting upright without moving.

A few breaths later, he leaned back in his chair, as if her faint fragrance still lingered in his nostrils, his heart pounding. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

The list of students has been collected, and he will soon be returning to the capital. He doesn't know when they will meet again. He wished he could stay in Qingzhou a little longer. Xie Zhuo sighed inwardly.

*

During the period from the Lunar New Year to the first month of the lunar calendar, Peng Gaofei led his caravan to bring back another batch of wine to the capital.

According to him, Taibai wine caused a sensation as soon as it appeared in the capital. Some people tasted it and were amazed by its flavor. Word spread and Taibai wine became a hot seller.

Peng Gaofei recounted amusing anecdotes about his experience selling alcohol to Fu Zhiqiao, his face beaming with joy.

Currently, the business of Taibai Wine Shop under Peng Gaofei's management is basically stable. He orders wine every three or four months, which makes Fu Zhiqiao very happy. This means that Taibai Wine is one step closer to its goal of being sold nationwide.

What pleased her even more was the sales volume at the liquor store.

Who would have thought that in just two months before and after the Lunar New Year, the sales volume of the liquor store would double?

Fu Zhiqiao glanced at the ledger in her hand. Based on the sales volume in the first month of the lunar calendar, after deducting costs and labor, the winery's actual profit should be around 63%, which is a net profit of more than 17,000 taels.

In just one month during the Lunar New Year, sales almost caught up with the total sales of the previous two or three months. This result was too unexpected. Fu Zhiqiao exclaimed that Qingzhou City truly lived up to its reputation as the provincial capital, with astonishing purchasing power.

Especially after Taibai Wine Shop launched a 1-jin (500ml) bottle of Taibai wine, the increase in sales was obvious.

Everyone in Qingzhou City knows that Taibai wine is expensive. People are reluctant to buy wine that costs ten taels of silver, but they can buy a pound for two or three taels of silver and bring it home to serve guests during the first month of the lunar year. This way, the host can save face and gain respect.

Guests are naturally delighted to be treated to such fine wine by their hosts, and the banquet is a great success. As a result, the 1 jin (500ml) bottle of Taibai wine is the best-selling wine this month.

After the first month of the lunar calendar, the sales of alcohol will gradually return to their original level, but in this month or so, Fu Zhiqiao has already made a fortune.

With the wine shop's business booming, Fu Zhiqiao had the idea of ​​further expansion.

She had already bought the two shops on either side of Taibai Wine Shop before the Lunar New Year. The shop on the right was temporarily kept as a backup, while the shop on the left was combined with the Taibai Wine Shop and converted into several VIP reception rooms, in an effort to raise the service level to a new level.

When Old Man Gao learned of her plans, he couldn't help but admire his employer's foresight. What started as a small Gao family wine shop had grown into a large store with three storefronts.

*

Spring seems to have arrived exceptionally early this year. As soon as the first month of the lunar calendar was over, the spring rain began to fall incessantly, and the damp rain enveloped the earth like mist.

As the spring breeze blows, the roadsides are already lush and green.

As the weather gradually warmed up, Fu Zhiqiao took Yu Roulan to stay at the estate for a while. Accompanying them were Yinxing and servants such as Granny Cui and Granny Huang to take care of their daily lives.

The carriage moved slowly, and after several hours it arrived at the manor.

Fu Zhiqiao led Yu Roulan around the courtyard and introduced her to the place.

The farm serves only the freshest ingredients for every meal.

The pork, in particular, was incredibly fresh. The cut pork was still steaming when it was delivered to the yard, and the entire process, from ingredient to dish, took no more than an hour.

Seeing the fresh pork, Fu Zhi Qiao decided to make some braised pork to satisfy her craving, but the cook had no idea what braised pork was, so Fu Zhi Qiao had to stand aside and teach her how to make it.

Wash the pork and put it in a pot. Add spices such as Sichuan peppercorns, cinnamon, bay leaves, fennel seeds, and galangal that you bought from a pharmacy or grocery store, and stew them together.

An hour later, the fat had melted in the stew, and the aroma of braised meat filled the courtyard, attracting Yu Roulan.

The mother and daughter ate heartily, and the remaining braised meat was shared by the servants in the kitchen.

Away from the hustle and bustle, close to nature, life at the farm was so comfortable that Yu Roulan almost forgot about home.

But Fu Zhiqiao still had important things to do.

The wine shop business has stabilized and she no longer needs to oversee it every day. Since buying the estate, she has been busy building the winery and hasn't had a chance to properly manage it.

Spring plowing is the most important activity of the year.

Although the villagers work at the winery, they still make a living by farming.

To address this, the winery made special personnel adjustments, scheduling shifts according to a timetable. During off-duty hours, everyone was allowed to return home to farm, as food is the guarantee that the villagers would not go hungry.

Fu Zhiqiao found Liu Pinggu and asked him to bring along some skilled farmers from the village to check on the condition of the nearby fields.

She changed into a neat set of casual clothes and walked through the fields. Along the way, she saw villagers wearing raincoats and straw hats weeding and turning the soil in the fields, and others diverting water from the irrigation ditches to the fields...

All the villagers are preparing for planting.

Liu Pinggu recruited mostly older tenant farmers with years of planting experience. They were all honest farmers and were extremely reserved in front of Fu Zhiqiao.

They answered every question Fu Zhiqiao asked, but no one else dared to make a sound.

Fu Zhiqiao listened carefully to the tenants' conversation, nodding in agreement from time to time. Gradually, seeing how approachable the estate owner was, the tenants became less reserved and boldly introduced themselves to her. The group chatted about the estate's situation along the way.

The estate, spanning several hundred acres, is equivalent to a large farm, but the lack of professional management has led to the abandonment of many fields.

Although Fu Zhi Qiao is a complete novice when it comes to farming, she's the one who comes up with the business strategies.

Fu Zhiqiao integrated the information he obtained from the tenants and replanned the estate. In addition to the winery that had already been built, the other fields were divided into rice areas, glutinous rice areas, and so on, according to the soil type.

To show his appreciation for farming, Fu Zhiqiao specially ordered three oxen to be bought to plow the fields.

Having oxen greatly improved the efficiency of plowing and reduced the burden on tenant farmers. However, oxen were not cheap at this time; a strong adult ox cost more than ten taels of silver.

This price is very expensive for tenant farmers, and the cost of raising oxen is even more unaffordable for them, as each ox costs about half a string of cash worth of feed per month.

Oxen rely on their strength to plow the fields, and grass alone is not enough. They also need to be fed beans and medicinal feed. Each oxen means an extra half string of cash per month, so the more oxen you raise, the more money you spend.

Liu Pinggu was so moved by Fu Zhiqiao that he couldn't speak. He had lived in Liujia Village since he was a child and his family had been tenants there for generations. Fu Zhiqiao was the third owner of the manor. Before this, he had never met such a good employer.

While the rice was still in the seedling stage, the tenants, encouraged by Liu Pinggu, worked even harder to till the land and plant vegetables.

Every day, as she wandered through the fields, Fu Zhiqiao couldn't resist the urge to try her hand at planting vegetables, so she excitedly followed behind several women to learn their techniques.

After all, we must not forget the traditional skills of our nation.

After learning for two days, she believed she had mastered the knack of growing vegetables and organized people to cultivate a small vegetable garden in the yard.

Fu Zhiqiao wanted to experience firsthand the joy of planting crops, but she was stopped as soon as she dug a small hole with a hoe. Granny Cui was afraid she would hurt herself, so she just let her watch from the side.

The servants worked extremely efficiently, and in no time the weeds were cleared away and the soil was loosened.

In the end, she didn't dig the land or weed the fields... all she had to do was scatter the vegetable seeds.

Fu Zhiqiao chuckled and said, "That works too."

After sowing the seeds, she would come to the vegetable garden every morning to check if the seeds had sprouted, and also water and turn the soil.

Fu Zhiqiao puts herself in the role of a farmer and has a great time every day.

Yu Roulan was speechless at her daughter's hobby of growing vegetables. Other girls planted flowers and admired them, but her daughter had turned to growing vegetables. She said she was disgusted, but she was smiling on the surface.

Fu Zhi Qiao's visit to the manor wasn't purely for leisure; she had important matters to attend to.

Rice is an important raw material for brewing. Not only is rice cheaper when grown at home than rice bought from outside, but it also saves the manpower and resources of transportation. It's a win-win situation!

“Mother, we are in the business of brewing wine. Brewing wine requires a lot of grain. The grain market price is very unstable. We are very passive in purchasing grain and can only let the grain merchants set the price. Therefore, I must build our own granary.”

Fu Zhiqiao then shared her next steps.

Yu Roulan was stunned for a moment, then reached out and rubbed Fu Zhiqiao's head, her eyes full of tenderness: "Okay, Mother will listen to you. Do whatever you want, Mother will support you."

Although Yu Roulan didn't understand the intricacies of business, she fully supported her daughter.

Ever since Fu Zhi Qiao demonstrated his abilities to Yu Rou Lan, she has always put Fu Zhi Qiao first and has never been constrained by anything Fu Zhi Qiao does.

Fu Zhiqiao immediately began to renovate the manor.

Following her instructions, a large reservoir was dug on the estate, along with two additional irrigation canals, thus solving the irrigation water problem for the arid areas.

Fu Zhiqiao made bold and decisive moves, and the tenants obeyed her commands. Soon, the fields took on a completely new look.

Compared to paddy fields and farmland, orchards are not so particular, and are planted mainly with fruit trees such as peaches and plums.

Because the orchard doesn't have many varieties of fruit trees and there's no one to take care of it, the fruit doesn't look very good, but it tastes quite good.

Thinking of the jars of plum wine that had been made at home, Fu Zhiqiao asked Liu Pinggu, "Do you grow plums in the orchard?"