Do you know why we chose the three of you?
As Sun Jian spoke, he added firewood to the stove.
The three of them shook their heads, looking completely bewildered.
"That's because the three of you are all close to me, reliable, and I trust you. Remember, what I'm teaching you today must not be passed on! You must keep it in your hearts."
"You all need to watch carefully today. I will only teach you the brewing process once. From now on, you and the workers will be responsible for these things."
While busy with his work, Sun Jian broke down the brewing process into three main parts and assigned them to three different people.
Er Gou was in charge of soaking and steaming.
Old Cao was in charge of fermentation and drying.
Old Jiang is in charge of distillation and producing the liquor.
The process is divided among three people, each mastering only one step. Only when all three come together can the entire brewing process be completed in a closed loop; none of them can be missing.
As the old saying goes, one should not have the heart to harm others, but one must have the heart to guard against others.
Sun Jian chose them entirely out of trust, but trust can't put food on the table, and precautions still need to be taken.
The brewing techniques of that era were quite backward.
The general consensus is that only good grains can produce good wine.
In the end, not only was a lot of grain wasted, but the brewed wine was bitter, astringent, cloudy, had an unpleasant taste, and a low alcohol content. Even so, the wine was always in short supply.
Sun Jian's brewing process was completely different; he went against the grain and used only coarse grains.
Not only does it reduce the cost of grain, but the brewed wine is also more authentic, with a mellow taste, rich aroma, and most importantly, a very high alcohol content.
Sun Jian believed that once his highly distilled liquor was released, it would spread to various places in a very short time, and the demand would exceed the supply.
High-proof distilled spirits are just the first step in his plan. He will continue to develop other practical items in this small workshop and amass wealth. Of course, everything must be done gradually and with a cautious approach.
Time flew by, and the three of them quickly mastered the knowledge that Sun Jian had taught them.
"Ergou, remember this: you must keep washing these millet grains with water to remove all other impurities, including broken grains and insect grains! The soaking time should be at least 2-3 days, and the spring water should be changed every 12 hours."
"clear!"
"Before steaming, pay attention to the water level. Lay a layer of gauze on the steamer rack, and spread the grain evenly on it. Do not spread it too thickly, no more than three centimeters high."
After instructing Er Gou, Sun Jian went to another place.
"Old Cao, this fermentation is a delicate process. The temperature must be kept warm, not too hot to touch. The yeast must be mixed well, and the fermentation tank must be boiled in boiling water before each use to sterilize it."
"Don't ask me what sterilization means; simply put, it means ensuring cleanliness!"
"OK!"
"Old Jiang, repeat the process I just taught you!"
After arranging Cao Cao's work, Sun Jian went to Jiang's shack.
Old Jiang thought for a moment before answering: "You have to be careful with the temperature, it can't be too hot to handle, which is what you mean by 60%. You have to wrap it in cotton cloth to cool it down, and you also have to keep distilling it in a continuous cycle, and then cool it down..."
"Also, when collecting the distillate, discard the first and last distillates. After that, continue filtering and triple distillation. Right, Sun Jian?"
"Hmm, I remember correctly."
Sun Jian nodded, expressing his satisfaction with the three men's performance.
Having mastered the theoretical skills, the next step is practice.
Sun Jian estimated that the first batch of strong liquor would be released the next morning, so there was no point in him staying. He simply gave the three of them a few instructions and then turned around and went home.
No one can teach you experience; you just have to try it out yourself.
Fortunately, the people Sun Jian chose were quite good.
Old Jiang is bold and meticulous. Although he is a bit poor, the most important thing is that he is down-to-earth, hardworking, and quick-witted.
Old Cao was a hunter by trade. He was physically strong and had a calm mind. Although he had never formally trained in martial arts, his archery skills were extraordinary.
Although Er Gou doesn't have any particular strengths, he is indeed extremely loyal to me.
Sun Jian was quite satisfied that he could find three people like these to help him run his small workshop in a small place like Sunjiazhuang.
After returning home, the three women were still awake, with the lamp lit in the cellar, helping Sun Jian cultivate potato seedlings.
Chu Qingcheng and Gu Zijian were overjoyed to see their husbands return, but Zhou Wan'er remained somewhat absent-minded.
After dinner, Sun Jian wanted to have a heart-to-heart talk with Zhou Wan'er to see what was wrong with the girl, but she didn't give him the chance and went to rest in the side room early.
With communication proving fruitless, Sun Jian decided not to dwell on it any longer and went to sleep early with Gu Zijian and Chu Qingcheng in his arms.
...
Three days passed in the blink of an eye.
Sun Jian was extremely busy for the past three days.
First, all the able-bodied men in the four villages were rectified.
Those without land could sign a labor contract with Sun Jian and join the reclamation teams, grain-planting teams, and patrol teams in various villages to work for him.
In some places, by finding a guarantor and signing a cooperation agreement with Sun Jian, one could bring potato seedlings back to the village and receive a share of Sun Jian's potatoes every month. Of course, one could also exchange them for grain or copper coins.
If you are physically strong and skilled, you can join the guard team to protect the normal operation of everything.
Sun Jian gave his guards a powerful and resounding name: "Security Guards!"
As for the remaining group of the elderly, weak, sick, and disabled, Sun Jian used them selectively. Those who knew how to hunt and fish could be put in charge of logistics and managing the food for everyone.
Those who know how to build walls and houses can help construct a new workshop.
As for those who know nothing but want to freeload, Sun Jian slapped them across the face and told them to get lost.
Whether they stayed at the brewery or participated in building the new workshop, each of these people received a monthly allowance of copper coins, with food provided but no lodging.
Seeing everything so orderly, Sun Jian couldn't help but beam with joy.
"Haha, I never thought that in my previous life I was a complete corporate slave, working 996 to deliver food and eventually dying from exhaustion, but after transmigrating I became a wealthy landlord."
It feels so good to see so many people working for me every day, busy helping me get rich, and having to bow and scrape to me!
As the saying goes, fortune is the harbinger of misfortune, and misfortune is the harbinger of fortune
Before Sun Jian could even finish enjoying himself, something that would give him a huge headache happened.
On the morning of the fourth day, Sun Jian was still asleep, embracing his two wives.
The sound of gongs rang out from the village alleys as a warning.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
Thump! Thump! Thump!
Having experienced a bandit attack on the village, the villagers were all very sensitive to the sound of gongs, and Sun Jian was no exception.
Hearing the sound was like a bolt from the blue.
Could they be bandits from Tiger Mountain?
Impossible, the bandits have long been terrified of being beaten!
Who could it be?
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