Chapter 51: Incident

Chapter 51: Incident

The Confucian ceremony is held at the Confucius Temple and includes welcoming the deity, making initial, secondary, and final offerings, removing the offerings, and sending off the deity. There will also be people performing sacrificial dances and playing Xuanxuan-style music. This is a big deal, and Zheng Shanci has to take it seriously.

Jiaoyu Liu hurriedly greeted Zheng Shanci upon his arrival. "Lord Zheng, the Confucian ceremony is in three days. Please come to the Confucius Temple that day and lead the county school students in the ceremony."

"Alright, I accept this task."

Jiaoyu Liu is a diligent official who sticks to his duties. Zheng Shanci has always been amiable toward such quiet and non-troublesome officials. Moreover, Jiaoyu Liu has done a commendable job in the cultural education of Xinfeng County.

In three days, he’ll attend the Confucian ceremony and needs to buy a new outfit.

Yu Lanyi was hanging out with Xu Geer, trying to figure out what to do. Xu Geer suggested making some money through business, which brightened Yu Lanyi's eyes.

"I have capital, but I don’t know what business to start."

Xu Geer advises, "Look for items that people can't do without, and you can trade in those. Although the profit may not be high, it’s stable."

Salt and iron are strictly regulated; dealing with them could cost one's life, so it’s not worth it.

Yu Lanyi remembered Zheng Shanci’s idea to send wine to Second Master Yu and said, "I could open a wine shop, and even a tavern when I return to the capital."

Xu Geer: "Selling wine can be a real money-maker. It’s even more so in Xinfeng County, where grain is scarce, so wine production requires grain from outside, making the price higher than elsewhere. A small measure of sorghum wine costs twelve wen, and with two more wen, you can buy a pound of pork."

Yu Lanyi got an idea. Xu Geer tells him that if he’s serious, there’s a good location in Xinfeng County that he can reserve for Yu Lanyi.

"Alright, I'll go back and discuss it with Zheng Shanci. I’m not just about spending; I can make money too."

Yu Lanyi thought of the surprised expression Zheng Shanci will have and couldn’t help but feel delighted. He got up to return home. Today, he didn’t take the carriage but walked through the streets of Xinfeng County. He grabbed a grilled sausage and munched on it as he walked to Zheng Shancheng’s snack shop.

The snack shop sells cold noodles, tofu pudding, green dumplings, hand-pulled pancakes, and spicy pot chicken. Lin Geer spotted Yu Lanyi and quickly waved him in, having the chef make him a hand-pulled pancake.

"Take a seat, we’ve got fresh tea," Lin Geer said as she sat down.

The snack shop is pretty big, with plenty of tables and chairs inside. At this time, there were three or four tables of people eating cold noodles, tofu pudding, and spicy pot chicken. Those who wanted green dumplings had them wrapped in oil paper and took them away, eating as they walked.

The smell of spicy pot chicken was making Yu Lanyi’s mouth water. Lin Geer, seeing his craving, brought over a few skewers on a plate.

"Shan Ci told you to cut back on the food."

Yu Lanyi: "He just can’t eat it himself and wants to restrict me. I can eat all I want and never gain a pound."

He can eat all he wants and never gain a pound.

The snack shop was a hit when it first opened. Anyone who caught a whiff had to check it out. With the Zheng family’s reputation, they tried it and couldn’t stop.

The spicy pot chicken here has a very fragrant seasoning. Other merchants have tried it several times but still haven’t figured out the seasoning, only liking it more. The two eateries opened by Lord Zheng have whetted the appetite of the people of Xinfeng County. A skewer of meat costs three wen, and a skewer of vegetables costs one wen. People buy a few skewers to eat while walking, enjoying the fragrant aroma, and some even eat them with rice, managing to finish two big bowls of white rice.

The seasoning of spicy pot chicken is the most important; the sauce is the soul. The key seasonings are chili oil, Sichuan pepper, sesame paste, and minced ginger and garlic, mixed evenly. Then, the vegetables to be eaten are cooked and skewered for customers to choose. The chicken used is fresh three-yellow chicken, shredded into thin strips and skewered for customers to select.

Yu Lanyi’s crazy about this dish.

Lin Geer says, "Business is still booming. It’s not even mealtime yet, but it gets packed when it is, and even more so in the evening. Luckily, we’ve got help now; otherwise, my husband and I would be swamped."

With the eatery and snack shop at home, Yu Lanyi can enjoy free meals. He went home, and when Zheng Shanci came back for dinner, Yu Lanyi only had a small bowl and then just a bowl of cabbage and tofu soup before putting down his chopsticks.

He understands; it seems he had a good meal in the afternoon.

After dinner, the two went for a walk outside. Yu Lanyi saw a wine shop and walked over to call the owner. Zheng Shanci followed, curious about why Yu Lanyi was suddenly into wine.

"What kind of wine would you like, sir?" Noticing their fine clothes, the shopkeeper quickly came over to serve them. The wine shop was still open since the Great Yan Dynasty allowed night markets. Sometimes, business at night was even better than during the day. Staying open late could bring in some extra cash. With Yamen Runners on patrol, you could just yell for help if anything went wrong. Plus, those who ran wine shops at night knew how to handle themselves.

"What kinds of wine do you offer?"

The shopkeeper introduced: "We have green plum wine, rice wine, yellow wine, Nü'er Hong, sorghum wine, and lamb wine." He specifically mentioned: "Our lamb wine is made with tender lamb, fresh fruits, and rare herbs. We sell it by the jar or by the cup if you just want a taste."

Curious, Yu Lanyi ordered two cups. "That’ll be two taels of silver," the shopkeeper said.

Zheng Shanci thought it was pricey; his monthly salary was just seven taels, and two cups of wine cost two taels. He couldn’t help but feel like he was being robbed. But his husband didn’t seem to mind. He cheerfully took two taels from Zheng Shanci’s purse and gave it to the shopkeeper.

Zheng Shanci: '...' He felt utterly helpless.

Yu Lanyi passed a cup of lamb wine to Zheng Shanci. Zheng Shanci took a sip—it had a creamy, fruity aroma with a perfect balance of sweet and sour, and a unique flavor. It was actually quite good. He drank it all; even if it was awful, he’d have finished it since it cost a tael of silver.

Yu Lanyi downed it in one gulp. Though it tasted fine, Yu Lanyi wasn’t a fan. He then bought a peck each of sorghum wine, Nü'er Hong, and green plum wine. Just the gourds for the wine cost fifteen coins.

"Our liquor is the best. Gentlemen like you would enjoy green plum wine the most, and this rice wine is also top-notch, brewed from the finest rice. Many wealthy families come here to buy our liquor," the shopkeeper enthusiastically said.

"How many liquor stores are there in Xinfeng County?" Yu Lanyi asked.

"There are about four or five liquor stores. The price of grain is high, so the liquor is expensive. Generally, cheap wine sells well, mostly to villagers. Yellow wine is also good, better than cheap wine, with a stronger flavor. Wealthy gentlemen buy lamb wine. Last month, the steward of the Cheng family came and bought twenty jars. One jar costs fifty taels of silver."

Zheng Shanci frowned upon hearing this.

Yu Lanyi calculated; the Cheng family spent a thousand taels of silver on liquor, which was truly extravagant. They lived in the capital, where the Marquis of Changyang was a wine lover. He only drank strong liquor, and his monthly spending on wine was not this much. Yu Zhangxing often received rewards from the palace, such as fine wines from foreign lands, all of which ended up in the Marquis of Changyang's stomach.

Yu Zhangxing also drank, but only when socializing in the military camp, and he had a good tolerance for alcohol.

Zheng Shanci didn't seem to drink much; he wouldn't drink unless it was for socializing.

"What do you want to do?" Zheng Shanci asked softly, holding three gourds. He never thought of letting Yu Lanyi carry the wine gourds. He was usually lazy, preferring to do nothing and just follow Zheng Shanci empty-handed.

Yu Lanyi: "I want to start a business."

Zheng Shanci, as expected, thought about the method of making liquor and had an idea. He said: "Alright, if you want to open one, just keep Jin Yun by your side. I feel more at ease with him around you."

Yu Lanyi glanced at Zheng Shanci in surprise, genuinely happy: "I know."

He thought Zheng Shanci would not let him open a liquor store and would lecture him, but he didn't expect it to be agreed upon so easily.

Before they could return, a sudden exclamation came from afar, and the surrounding people immediately became chaotic, crowding towards one place like ants.

"What happened?"

"A young man from the Yun family jumped into the river and committed suicide," a woman said.

Zheng Shanci's face darkened, and he quickly led Yu Lanyi through the crowd. When they reached the bridge, they saw a young man wrapped in a black cloak, still shivering, water dripping from his chin, his face pale, and his whole body trembling.