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Xiao Yuan tapped the table and said, "We're only hiring for one season, so the clothes will only be for spring; as for the leather boots, I feel sorry for them who suffered the disaster, so I'll give them some too." Tian Da replied, "Young Madam, your kindness will surely be rewarded. Will you still provide the sorghum as before?" Xiao Yuan shook her head and said, "Have someone weave several bamboo baskets of the same size, fill them with bamboo shoots, weigh them, and then report back to me." Tian Da didn't understand her meaning, but still answered, "Our bamboo baskets are all the same size. We've weighed them before; one basket of bamboo shoots weighs roughly ten jin."

Xiao Yuan took out her abacus and said, "For every basket of sorghum a hired worker picks, we'll pay him one coin. If he's a farmer from our village, we'll pay him an extra coin." Tian Da laughed and said, "If the young mistress pays wages like this, they'll definitely be scrambling to do more work." Xiao Yuan nodded with a smile and ordered him to go and recruit workers.

The next day, Tian Da brought back several farmers. Because the mountain road was inconvenient to travel back and forth, Xiao Yuan ordered someone to clear out a thatched hut for them to stay in temporarily. She also hired a young girl to cook for them and deliver the food to them on the mountain every day.

Since the implementation of the new wage system, the efficiency of the bamboo shoot harvest doubled on the first day. Xiao Yuan was delighted and went to the kitchen to ask the cook for advice. She stir-fried a refreshing dish of bamboo shoots and brought it to reward Cheng Mutian, who was diligently studying agricultural books. Upon seeing the plate of bamboo shoots, Cheng Mutian got up and ran outside before even picking up his chopsticks, anxiously saying, "They're already harvesting bamboo shoots! Tell them not to sell them outside!" Xiao Yuan couldn't bear to see him so anxious, so she first sent someone to ask Tian Da to suspend the bamboo shoot transport rafts before asking why.

Cheng Mutian pulled her down to sit, took out a book called "Bamboo Shoot Manual," and showed it to her:

I. Storage Method: The Food Classic says: Place light bamboo in salt overnight, boil chaff and let it cool, then store it. Take it out again, boil chaff again, add salt and store it. It can be eaten after five days.

II. Raw Storage Method: Take a pottery vessel that can hold one stone (approximately 1.5 kg), select a plump bamboo shoot, cover it with mud, and seal it tightly to prevent air from entering. When there are no more bamboo shoots, uncover the vessel, rotate it inside, and cut off the weakest part of the bamboo shoot. Keep it away from air, blanch it in boiling water, and then peel off the skin. Alternatively, cut off the sharp end of the bamboo shoot, boil it in salt water, let it cool, put it in a bottle, seal the bottle with the previously cooled salt water, and sink it to the bottom of a well. In September, when the well water warms, take it out early in the morning; it will be as if it were still alive. Prepare it with five flavors and eat it.

III. Drying Method: Remove the sharp ends of large bamboo shoots, fold them in half, soak them in plenty of salt, and then sun-dry them for a long time. When using, soak them for a while, then rinse them with water. When making soup, they taste like fresh bamboo shoots. Dried Bamboo Shoot Method: Make them into dried bamboo shoots, pound them, marinate them with ginger and vinegar, then dry them over a fire. Store them in a container, away from wind. Kuaiji Arrow Bamboo Shoots Dried Method: Small bamboo shoots are often steamed and then dried with salt and vinegar. All bamboo shoots are best steamed to retain their flavor; the best way to enjoy them is to dry them like arrow bamboo shoots.

IV. Bamboo Shoot Drying Method: Since the Tailong period, bamboo shoots have been slender and long. The locals use local salt to dry them and sell them in Shandong. They are then soaked and made into a dish called "Huo Cai" (藿菜), which is very delicious.

V. Method of Obtaining Hemp Bamboo: In the south, for making silk, fans, and shoes, bamboo and hemp bamboo are selected. In the first month of the lunar calendar, when the new bamboo shoots are on the surface, only the bamboo below the shoots has already matured. Each section is cut and reassembled, and then boiled in water. The resulting bamboo is flexible and pliable for making silk, and fine and loose bamboo for making shoes, whichever is more suitable.

There were actually five different storage methods. Xiaoyuan understood. The saying goes, scarcity drives up prices. With spring bamboo shoots plentiful, they naturally wouldn't fetch a high price. But if the bamboo shoots were preserved and sold during the off-season, they would definitely sell for a high price. This was similar to the principle of off-season vegetables. Even without modern agricultural knowledge, it didn't matter; the wisdom of the ancients was beyond imagination. She enthusiastically took a piece of paper, copied down the five methods, and gathered with Cheng Mutian to discuss them carefully. Cheng Mutian pointed to the "storage method" and said, "Soak the bamboo shoots in salt water overnight, then soak them in cooled boiled water, squeeze out the water, and then marinate them with salt. They can be eaten after five days. This method is good."

Xiao Yuan tapped the back of his hand with her pen and said, "We're selling it in five months, not five days."

Cheng Mutian withdrew his hand, then pointed to the "living storage method" and asked, "One method is to seal the bamboo shoots in a jar with mud, and then take them out after the shell falls off; the other method is to seal the bamboo shoots and salt water together and then sink them to the bottom of a well. Which one is better?"

Xiao Yuan thought for a moment, then said, "The latter one won't work. Our mountain is short of water, where would we get a well? The first one is worth a try." Cheng Mutian then took out a pen and made a mark after this one, saying, "The 'bamboo shoot drying method' and the 'hemp extraction method' are fine, but the first method in the 'drying method' is worth a try. What do you think?" Seeing Xiao Yuan nod, he took out his pen and made another mark.

After discussing the matter, fearing that following the instructions might cause problems, they did not immediately take action. Instead, they first called Tian Da's wife over and asked, "We want to make salted bamboo shoots. Should we first peel the bamboo shoots, cut them in half, add salt and marinate them for a few days, then take them out and sun-dry them, and then soak them in water when we want to eat them?" Tian Da's wife smiled and said, "I've heard of the method for making bamboo shoots. There's no need for such trouble. Just peel the bamboo shoots, boil them in salt water, and then sun-dry them."

Xiao Yuan smiled and said, "This method is indeed simple. Let someone make some to try first." Cheng Mutian then asked her about the method of sealing the bamboo shoots in a jar, but she didn't know it. The couple discussed it for a while, then called over a cook, taught her the method, and sealed a jar as an experiment.

Cheng Mutian had been engrossed in his research these past few days, and although he hadn't yet seen any results, he had made some progress. He was delighted, so he discussed with Xiaoyuan the possibility of giving the children a day off and taking them to the city for a stroll. Xiaoyuan was both surprised and delighted by her husband's invitation, and naturally nodded repeatedly. She personally went to the school to tell Teacher Yuan, brought back Wu Ge, and asked him where he wanted to play.

Cheng Mutian laughed and said, "No need to ask. The government is brewing new wine right now. Let's go and see the excitement of the 'presentation'."

Xiao Yuan and Wu Ge asked in unison, "What does 'diancheng' mean?" Cheng Mutian deliberately kept them in suspense, "You'll find out when you get there."

The next day, Xiaoyuan got up very early, dressed herself up, changed the two children into new clothes, and asked someone to invite Cheng Si Niang. The whole family got into a big cart and headed to Lin'an City.

In front of the official wine cellar, a large crowd craned their necks to look towards the entrance. There stood a long line of courtesans, each holding a flower-decorated drum or a zither, their attire and instruments perfectly complementing each other, their graceful figures a harmonious sight. Seeing the large crowd, Cheng Mutian pulled Xiao Yuan closer and pointed to several courtesans dressed in bright red with extra-large buns, explaining, "Those dressed like that are the head courtesans, the best among the official courtesans." Xiao Yuan looked more closely and indeed, although there were many courtesans, they were divided into three categories: those in bright red head courtesans, those adorned with pearls and jade and wearing gold-embroidered shirts and skirts, and those with flower-shaped crowns and wearing blouses and trousers. Presumably, different colors indicated different ranks and statuses.

Beside those courtesans were women, including sisters-in-law, who were also disguised as common street performers, leading their embroidered saddles and fine horses. There were also many sons of officials, carrying various fruits and candied fruits, personally holding cups and frequently urging them to drink, hoping to win a smile from the beauties.

Xiao Yuan gently nudged Cheng Mutian and asked, "Did you also come to persuade him to drink?" Cheng Mutian retorted angrily, "I knew you were being silly, so I didn't bring you along. Those courtesans are hired to sell wine; naturally, people pay to eat." Still so easily teased, Xiao Yuan pouted, about to coax him, when she saw the procession of courtesans begin to move. They were led by officials from various departments and their households, and followed by idle men carrying silk fans and books, marching grandly down the street, attracting thousands of people who lined the streets to watch. Seeing Xiao Yuan so engrossed, Cheng Mutian laughed, "It's just a publicity stunt for the government to sell wine; we're just watching the show." So they were the face of fine wine, Xiao Yuan chuckled, "Judging by how eager those gentlemen are, business must be good. I wonder what kind of wine they're selling."

Cheng Mutian didn't answer. Instead, he pulled a list from his sleeve and handed it to her to look at. Xiao Yuan took it and realized why he hadn't answered directly. There were just too many names of wines on it, densely packed—Jade Chain Hammer, Sitang Spring, Imperial Capital Spring, Zhonghe Hall, Pearl Spring, Youmei Hall, Snow Dew, Taichang, He Wine, Jiahe, Busi Small Trough, Xuanci Bixiang, Neiku Liuxiang, Diansi Fengquan, Supply Wine, Qionghua Dew, Penglai Spring, Huanghua Hall, Liuke Hall, Jiangshan First, Lanling, Longyou, Qingyuan Hall, Qingbai Hall, Lanqiao Fengyue, Rose Dew, Qiyun Qinglu…

Some of the wines were marked with cinnabar ink. Xiao Yuan asked Cheng Mutian what this was for, but he kept her in suspense, saying that they would find out in the future.

After watching the spectacle, fearing they wouldn't be able to get back before dark, they skipped lunch, bought some cakes and pastries, and set off again. Before they even left Lin'an City, Brother Wu pointed outside the curtain and called out, "Master Yuan and A-Yun!" Xiao Yuan went over to look and, sure enough, it was the two of them heading towards a restaurant. They must have just finished watching the courtesans selling wine and were going to eat. Brother Wu was about to call them back when Xiao Yuan quickly stopped him, saying, "Children are blind and deaf; just pretend you didn't see them."

Although she spoke of the child this way, she herself was filled with curiosity. Upon returning home, she went to ask A-Cai, but A-Cai was extremely tight-lipped and wouldn't utter a word no matter how she questioned her. Embarrassed to inquire with Master Yuan, she had to suppress her curiosity for the time being, planning to ask A-Yun again when she returned to collect her monthly allowance. A few days later, Tian Da's wife brought a plate of dried bamboo shoots, boiled in salt water, to show Xiao Yuan. She then soaked and stir-fried the dried bamboo shoots, making a dish of stir-fried bamboo shoots with meat. Xiao Yuan and Cheng Mutian tasted it and found it acceptable. After asking Tian Da's wife, they learned that these dried bamboo shoots wouldn't spoil if sold even when bamboo shoots were scarce. The two were overjoyed and immediately summoned Tian Da, ordering him to hire more people to plant sorghum and to spare twenty wives to peel bamboo shoots and make dried bamboo shoots.

For several days in a row, Xiao Yuan held Chen Ge's hand and strolled around the drying ground, muttering to herself, "Deep processing, it must be deep processing." A woman saw her talking to herself and thought she was complaining about the dried bamboo shoots, so she said, "People in Lin'an love pickled vegetables, why don't you make some pickled bamboo shoots, young mistress?" Xiao Yuan hurriedly asked, "Do you know how to make them?" The woman smiled and said, "I do know how, but I don't know if they'll taste good. How about I pickle a jar first for you to try, young mistress?" Xiao Yuan nodded happily, asked her what ingredients she needed, and ordered someone to fetch them and send them to her home.

A few days later, the woman's pickled bamboo shoots were ready and delivered. The cooks all came to see them, and Xiaoyuan let each of them take a pair of chopsticks to taste them, asking how they tasted. The head cook said, "I reckon she only added salt. If she added some fennel and dried ginger, the taste would definitely be better." Xiaoyuan said, "We have all of those at home, so you can make them." The cook did as she was told and pickled a jar. Everyone tasted them again, and indeed, the taste was even better. Moreover, these pickled bamboo shoots had a completely different flavor from fresh bamboo shoots, so they didn't have to wait until there were no bamboo shoots left to sell; they could be sold immediately.

Xiao Yuan fetched an abacus and ordered A Cai to bring the ledger and report the prices of the seasonings. After a quick tap of the abacus, she happily exclaimed, "Perfect!" At her command, Cheng Fu led several servants to bring back half a cart of seasonings from the city. They also moved twenty wives from the sorghum field, along with the cooks from the household, to pickle bamboo shoots together.

After a month, Tian Da came to report his earnings. If he had sold fresh bamboo shoots directly, he would have earned 700 coins. This month, he sold more than a dozen jars of pickled bamboo shoots, earning 400 coins. Tian Da was a little disappointed, but Xiao Yuan comforted him, saying, "Don't just look at the present. We still have dried bamboo shoots. When fresh bamboo shoots are no longer in season, we will definitely earn more."

Tian Da hesitated for a long time before saying, "It's not that I don't believe we can make money, it's just that the villagers are all clamoring to go and collect bamboo shoots." Xiao Yuan was taken aback, then understood, and smiled, "Tell the wives who make pickled and dried bamboo shoots to be patient; I have my own arrangements. As for the villagers who grow sorghum, that's their own food supply. If they don't get paid, they won't grow it, and I won't care. As for the hired laborers, pay them according to the plaintiff's price, but you have to set a deadline. If they're late, you'll have to deduct their wages." Tian Da said, "Okay, I'll try my best to have each household choose one of the various trades. That way, I think there won't be any objections." Xiao Yuan nodded approvingly and ordered him to make the arrangements quickly. Cheng Mutian came out from the inner room and asked with a smile, "What good arrangements can you possibly make?" Xiao Yuan smiled and said, "If Third Sister can open a workshop, why can't I?"

A few days later, two new thatched huts were built. One hut was used to make dried bamboo shoots, and the other to make pickled bamboo shoots. They were paid by piecework, just like the bamboo shoot pickling. The wife who made dried bamboo shoots was not very motivated because she could not see cash immediately. But after she started working in the workshop, she could earn some money for salt every month. Everyone was so eager to stay up all night and dry bamboo shoots.

Cheng Mutian accompanied Xiaoyuan to the workshop. Seeing the worry still lingering on her brow, he asked, puzzled, "Your workshop is so easy to run, why are you still unhappy?" Xiaoyuan sighed and said, "It's easy to run, but that's because I don't earn much. The money I earn from this isn't enough to support the whole village, let alone save money for our son." Cheng Mutian smiled mysteriously and said, "Do you know why I took you to see the 'report card'?"

Chapter 169 Who Said I Was Going to Brew Wine?

After so many years of marriage, how could Xiao Yuan not guess her husband's thoughts? But to appease him, she deliberately smiled mischievously and said, "Do you want to buy a beautiful courtesan to bring home?" Cheng Mutian glared at her fiercely and said, "Nonsense." Xiao Yuan continued to tease him, gesturing towards the thatched huts, "In our Great Song Dynasty, families who can afford grain like to brew their own wine. The farmers had a good harvest last year and brewed several jars of sorghum wine. Would you like to scoop out a bowl and try it?"

Cheng Mutian scoffed, "It's just some village wine brewed by country folk. It tastes sour the moment you taste it. I wouldn't even eat it if it were given to me for free." Xiao Yuan chuckled inwardly. He just wanted to brew wine, so why was he acting all mysterious? Every family brews a few jars. Did he have some secret recipe?

Fearing she would spout some more nonsense, Cheng Mutian dared not play the "guess" game with her anymore. He took her home directly, brought out a copy of "Beishan Wine Classic," and said, "I found a few recipes in here. Take a look." Xiao Yuan was skeptical, but took the book somewhat casually and flipped through it. Unexpectedly, she exclaimed "Treasure book!" after reading only one page.

This was actually a "wine manual," containing not only the winemaking process and various methods for making yeast, but also many detailed recipes. She sat down at the desk and carefully examined several winemaking methods: White Sheep Wine required 30 catties of mutton mixed with rice; Rehmannia Wine required 1 dou of rice and 1 catty of raw rehmannia; Chrysanthemum Wine required dried chrysanthemums from September; Grape Wine required 5 liang of almonds and 2.5 catties of grapes; Immortal Wine required 1 dou of glutinous rice and 20 liang of divine yeast; "True Man Transforms Beard and Hair" required 2 dou of glutinous rice, 2 dou of rehmannia, 4 catties of ginger, and 2 catties of yeast; Cold Spring Wine Method required 5 dou of glutinous rice and 5 liang of yeast…

She read through the entire book in one go and shook her head repeatedly: "White sheep wine is too expensive; every household can brew rehmannia wine and chrysanthemum wine; not many people like to drink wine; the remaining methods are too complicated, and we are in a remote and impoverished area with only a group of mountain people, so I'm afraid we can't make them."

Cheng Mutian asked curiously, "Why are you looking at the wine recipe? Who said I want to brew wine? Although private individuals are allowed to sell wine in the city, they are not allowed to brew wine themselves. This goes without saying for the official wine shops, but even the wine sold in those 'casual wine shops' and 'side shops' is purchased from the official wine cellars."

So, homemade wine is only for personal consumption and cannot be sold to others. Then why go to all the trouble of reviewing the "presentation" and painstakingly poring over the "Beishan Wine Classic"? Could it be that they want to brew a few jars themselves to save on household expenses? Xiao Yuan wondered.

Seeing that his wife couldn't guess his plan, Cheng Mutian smiled smugly and placed a list copied from the *Beishan Wine Classic* in front of her. Xiao Yuan looked down and saw it was a list of wine yeasts—

Yanqu: Dundi Temple Sacrifice Song, Xiangquan Song, Xianggui Song, Xingren Song;

Wind music: Yaoquan Melody, Jinbo Melody, Huatai Melody, Douhua Melody;

Awakening Songs: Jade Friend Song, White Wine Song, Small Wine Song, True One Song, Lotus Seed Song.

Cheng Mutian stood behind her and pointed to the list, explaining each item one by one: "Dun Di Ci Sacrifice requires one shi of wheat, sixty jin of white flour, seven sheng of hops and flower water, two and a half liang of atractylodes macrocephala, one liang of chuanxiong, half a liang of aconite, one and a half qian of melon stalk, sixteen jin of Taoist head, and eight jin of hops; Xiang Quan Qu: one hundred jin of white flour, seven liang of chuanxiong, half a liang of aconite, three and a half liang of atractylodes macrocephala, and one qian of melon stalk; Xiang Gui Qu: one hundred jin of white flour, one liang of costus root, one liang of cinnamon bark, one liang of saposhnikovia root, one liang of Taoist head, one liang of atractylodes macrocephala, and one liang of apricot kernel; Apricot kernel Qu: one hundred jin of white flour and twelve liang of apricot kernel."

Xiao Yuan shook her head and said, "We have all those medicinal herbs in our family's pharmacy, but wheat and flour are expensive in Lin'an, so it's not worth it."

Cheng Mutian remained noncommittal, then proceeded to explain the various ingredients of the "Feng Qu" to her: "Yao Quan Qu: 60 catties of wheat flour, 40 catties of glutinous rice flour, 1 liang of Atractylodes macrocephala, 0.5 liang of Saposhnikovia divaricata, 0.5 liang of Aconitum carmichaelii, 2 liang of Cinnamomum cassia, 1 qian of Cucurbita stalk, 1 liang of pepper, 0.5 liang of Osmanthus fragrans, 0.5 liang of cloves, 1 liang of ginseng, 1 liang of Arisaema heterophyllum, 1 liang of Poria cocos, 1 liang of Angelica dahurica, 1 liang of Ligusticum chuanxiong, 3 catties of apricot kernels; Jin Bo Qu: 300 catties of glutinous rice flour and wheat flour, 3 liang of Aucklandia lappa, 6 liang of Ligusticum chuanxiong, 9 liang of Atractylodes macrocephala, Aconitum carmichaelii." Half a catty, 7 taels of cinnamon, 2 taels of saposhnikovia root, 2 taels of black aconite root, half a tael of melon stalk, 2 catties of apricot kernel, 1 catty of water pepper, half a catty of Taoist head, 1 catty of hops; Huataiqu: 100 catties of wheat flour, 100 catties of glutinous rice flour, 4 taels of atractylodes macrocephala, 2 taels of cinnamon, 2 taels of pepper, 2 taels of chuanxiong rhizome, 2 taels of angelica root, 1 tael of arisaema rhizome, half a tael of melon stalk, 2 catties of apricot kernel; Douhuaqu: 5 dou of wheat flour, 7 sheng of red beans, 3 taels of apricot kernel, 3 taels of chuanxiong head, 2 taels of cinnamon, a handful each of cocklebur, water pepper, and twig of vine.

After hearing his long explanation, Xiao Yuan became anxious: "Why does it all have to be wheat flour? We only grow sorghum in our fields, don't we have any yeast made from sorghum?"

Cheng Mutian comforted her, saying, "Don't worry, here are some more 'wake-up' ingredients. Jade Friend's Fermented Rice ...

Xiao Yuan took the book, looked at the list again, and said, "I think Xingqu is good. The ingredients are mainly herbs and rice. We can buy a few acres of paddy fields over there and grow our own glutinous rice and japonica rice." Cheng Mutian said, "Do you think everyone else is a fool? Rice is easy to get in Lin'an, but flour is hard to come by. The yeast shops on the street almost exclusively sell Xingqu. If we could make some low-cost Yanqu and Fengqu to sell, that would be profitable." Xiao Yuan said dejectedly, "You said it yourself, it has to be low-cost, but where are we going to buy low-cost white flour?"

Cheng Mutian laughed, "There are no paddy fields on this mountain, so it's perfect for planting wheat. Let's buy a few more acres of paddy fields, and with our medicine shop and all kinds of yeast, once everything is settled next year, all the major yeast shops in Lin'an City will be buying from us." Xiao Yuan was delighted to hear this and said, "The farmers don't need to cultivate the paddy fields; we can just hire people from that village." Cheng Mutian nodded and said, "After living in the village for these past few days, I've finally figured it out. Farming alone isn't enough to fill our stomachs. Next year, when we plant wheat, we might as well hire people, and have all the farmers from our own farms go to the workshop to make yeast."

Xiao Yuan laughed. This was exactly what "deep processing" was all about. The only difference was that she came up with the concept, but the method was something an ancient person had found in an ancient book. It was truly both delightful and shameful.

Although the plan had been made, the planting season had already passed, so they could only buy paddy fields first. If they wanted to open a workshop, they would have to wait until next year. However, Xiao Yuan had a breakthrough because of the yeast. During the off-season, she organized the villagers to make brooms from the sorghum ears and bamboo branches after removing the grains, and split the bamboo into strips to sell in baskets and shops in the city.

That day, A-Yun returned to collect her monthly wages and saw the bustling scene all over the mountain. She asked in surprise, "Young Madam, why are our farmers always busy all year round?" Xiao Yuan laughed and said, "They're not like you. They'd love to be busy, because only when they're busy can they earn money and have enough to eat." A-Yun quickly said, "I haven't been slacking off. Madam and I have a small argument every three days and a fight every five days. It's exhausting." Xiao Yuan exclaimed in surprise, "How dare you fight with Madam?"

Ayun said aggrievedly, "What can I do? She always takes advantage of Sister-in-law Yu's inattention to instigate Zhonglang to curse and hit people. I'm afraid she'll corrupt Zhonglang." Xiaoyuan was silent for a while, then instructed, "Don't tell your young master."

Ayun nodded and said, "I think it's better to wait until Zhonglang is three years old, then the young mistress can bring him back to the mountains to study." Xiaoyuan smiled bitterly, "We'll see."

Tian Da's wife brought over a plate of dates and said to A-Yun in a serious tone, "The other day, Master Yuan said he wanted to see 'Persian dates' from the Arab world. I finally found some. Would you like to take them to him?" A-Yun took the plate and turned away, saying, "I'll go, I'll go." After she left, Tian Da's wife smiled at Xiao Yuan and said, "In a few days, the young mistress will probably be getting married. Yesterday, when I brought Master Yuan some food, he secretly asked me if he wanted to redeem A-Yun from her servitude. He wondered if the young mistress would allow it." Xiao Yuan happily said, "You should also secretly tell him. I'll wait for him to come."

Tian Da's wife smiled and agreed, then turned to leave. Xiao Yuan stopped her and asked, "Didn't we tell your husband to buy paddy fields? Why hasn't anything happened yet?" Tian Da's wife hesitated, "Tian Da is lying at home. He told me not to tell the young mistress." Xiao Yuan thought he was ill and said, "The doctor lives on the mountain. Take one to see him. We can't keep putting it off." Tian Da's wife shook her head, "He got into a fight and injured his arm. He doesn't dare to come see the young mistress." Xiao Yuan frowned and asked, "Who did he fight with?" Tian Da's wife lowered her head and said, "He went to buy paddy fields and had already agreed on a price with the village chief. But then a Mr. Yang suddenly appeared and insisted on offering a higher price. For some reason, the two of them got into a fight." Seeing Xiao Yuan's sullen face and silence, she panicked and said, "That Mr. Yang wanted to buy all the paddy fields. Tian Da is afraid he won't be able to buy any and open his yeast brewing workshop."

Xiao Yuan asked, "Where is that Master Yang?" Tian's wife shook her head, saying she didn't know. Cheng Mutian returned from outside and, hearing their conversation, replied, "No need to ask anymore, he's already our neighbor." Xiao Yuan was taken aback, "How is that possible? Both of our neighboring villages belong to my third brother."

Cheng Mutian waved for Tian Da's wife to leave before saying, "Don't be angry when I tell you, but do you remember when your third brother bought another concubine after your third sister-in-law gave birth to a daughter?" Xiao Yuan said indignantly, "How could I not remember? He bought one when she was pregnant, and then bought another after she gave birth. I thought that since he had established his own household, he would treat his third sister-in-law better. But what does that have to do with him selling the estate? Surely he wouldn't have spent all his money on those two concubines and have to sell off his property?"

Chapter 170 Cockfighting

Just as Cheng Mutian was about to have a good talk with Xiaoyuan about He Yaohong's sordid deeds, a maid came to report that the newly moved-in Master Yang was having a housewarming party today and had invited them to be guests. Xiaoyuan asked, "No one moved in yesterday, why is there a housewarming party today?" The maid replied, "The Yang family has many servants, and they finished preparing the house in just half a day. Master Yang and Madam Yang said that since the young master and young mistress are their only neighbors, they should be especially close to them, so they sent someone to invite them as soon as they arrived." Xiaoyuan asked again, "Besides us, who else did they invite?" The maid shook her head and said, "I heard they only invited the young master and young mistress, and no one else." Cheng Mutian said, "They must know that we are the family that is competing with them for the paddy fields, so they are in a hurry to meet us." Buying paddy fields is a big deal, and a stalemate is not good for anyone, so Xiaoyuan had to put aside the matter of He Yaohong for the time being and got up to change her clothes.

Since the maid mentioned that the Yang family also had two children, the couple invited Wu Ge and Chen Ge over as well, and took them to visit their new neighbors.

Upon reaching the Yang family's gate, Cheng Mutian instructed Xiaoyuan, "When you meet the Yang family, do not mention that you are He Yaohong's sister." Xiaoyuan was about to ask why when Master Yang and his wife arrived at the door to greet them. She had no choice but to stop talking and go forward to exchange pleasantries and offer some auspicious words of congratulations on moving to their new home.

Master Yang is thirty-five years old this year, a native of Quanzhou. His parents have passed away, and he has just been promoted to "Master." He probably offended his elder brother during the struggle for the family property, which is why he hurriedly moved to Lin'an with his family. Xiao Yuan was thinking about He Yaohong's matter, so while recalling the information that Tian's wife had given her earlier, she casually inquired, "We lost money in our business and bought this poor manor. The land on that mountain is much better. Why didn't Master Yang and Madam Yang buy property there?"

"We got this estate for free, it would be a loss if we didn't live here..." Madam Yang had only spoken halfway when she was glared at fiercely by Master Yang, which frightened her so much that she shrank back and dared not open her mouth again.

Master Yang probably realized that his glare was too obvious, so he immediately put on a smiling face and said, "This small estate was specially given to us by a friend who saw that our family was poor."

Xiao Yuan naturally didn't believe his words, but she pretended to believe them. While looking around his yard, she exclaimed, "Master Yang's yard is so well-maintained. It doesn't look like a poor family's house at all. I think you're just being too modest."

Master Yang led them into the hall, where they were seated according to their status as host and guest. A maid brought out Longjing tea, but it was seasoned with ginger, salt, cinnamon, and pepper. Xiao Yuan made a brief gesture before putting it down.

Madam Yang was very curious when she saw that Xiao Yuan didn't drink tea. She looked her over carefully and noticed that her clothes were made of inferior fabric and that she only had a few glass hairpins in her hair. She didn't know that Xiao Yuan was dressed like this because she was in mourning, and she thought she was a villager from the mountains. She secretly sneered and looked down on her.

This was the first time the family had met, so they didn't have much to say. After a few pleasantries, they steered the conversation towards buying paddy fields. Master Yang bowed to Cheng Mutian and Xiaoyuan, apologizing first, "It was my recklessness. I didn't know the field belonged to our neighbor, which is why I hit him." Cheng Mutian told him he didn't mind, but Xiaoyuan thought to herself, "According to you, if they weren't neighbors, they deserved to be beaten by you?"

After offering his apologies, Master Yang did not mention the word "paddy field" again. Instead, he said, "Sitting here is boring, and there are no songs or dances to entertain us in the mountains. I happen to have two good fighting roosters. Why don't we play and sell them for fun?" As the saying goes, guests should follow the host's lead. Although Cheng Mutian and his wife were not very interested, they nodded.

Wu Ge was playing outside when he heard there was cockfighting going on, so he rushed in and grabbed a seat. A little girl about his age followed him in and sat down next to him. Xiao Yuan asked Madam Yang with a smile, "Don't you have another child? Why didn't you call him out to watch the fun?" Madam Yang's bracelet tapped on her teacup with a crisp sound: "That one is my child, not fit for the table."

Master Yang's sharp gaze swept over her, and she quickly changed her mind, saying, "I'll call her over right away." After a while, the wet nurse brought over an extremely beautiful little girl, who looked about the same age as Wu Ge. Xiao Yuan asked, and sure enough, the three children were born in the same year. Madam Yang glared at her concubine's daughter and said hatefully, "Her birth mother climbed into Master's bed that year while I was pregnant with Zi Niang, trying to have a child like me, but unfortunately, she still gave birth to a money-losing child."

Xiao Yuan didn't want to gossip about the neighbors' affairs, so she turned and asked A Cai to fetch a purse to give to the two children as a greeting gift. When Madam Yang saw that the purses she gave were exactly the same, she was very dissatisfied with her for not distinguishing between legitimate and illegitimate children. She gave a barely audible snort and turned to watch the cockfighting.

Xiao Yuan sent the same gift because she was born out of wedlock. She meant well, but seeing Madam Yang's expression, she secretly regretted it. She had only thought of sharing the same fate and forgot about the plight of children born out of wedlock. If Madam Yang took her anger out on the child because of this purse, she would have done more harm than good.

Just as she was pondering whether to give Zi Niang an extra gift, she suddenly heard Master Yang ask her, "What does Madam Cheng think of my 'Iron General'?" She had been so focused on talking to Madam Yang that she hadn't paid attention to the center of the arena, so she didn't know which one he was referring to as "Iron General." She then asked him in return, "I don't know anything about cockfighting, so I'd like to ask Master Yang for some advice. Why have the combs of those two roosters been cut off, and their tail feathers clipped?"

Master Yang laughed and said, "This was done on purpose. Cutting off the comb will prevent the enemy chicken from using its beak effectively, and trimming the tail feathers will make it easier for the chicken to circle when pecking."

Xiao Yuan complimented, "Master Yang is indeed a man of great talent."

People in the Song Dynasty all considered cockfighting to be the best, and Master Yang was very pleased with such praise. He laughed and said, "Young Madam Cheng is really good at talking. Let's use these cocks to fight today. Whoever wins will get those few acres of paddy fields. What do you say?" Cheng Mutian was already unhappy that he had taken the initiative to talk to Xiaoyuan. When he heard that he wanted to use the paddy fields as a prize for the fight, he became even angrier and said in a deep voice, "Fighting is fine, but who gets to buy those paddy fields is up to the village chief. We can't decide that."

Master Yang didn't insist and laughed, "That's right. Let's not talk about paddy fields today, just cockfighting. Three strings of cash for a round, how about it?" Madam Yang glanced at Xiao Yuan's clothes and said "kindly," "Master is joking. They can't afford three strings of cash. Three coins would be more like it."

Xiao Yuan and Cheng Mutian exchanged a glance, both finding it amusing, and replied in unison, "Sure, three coins."

Once the arena was set up, the selection of roosters began. Master Yang, quite graciously, gestured for them to choose first. Cheng Mutian softly explained to Xiaoyuan, "Look at that 'Iron General' on the left. Its feathers are sparse and short, its claws are straight and large, its eyes are deep-set, and its skin is thick. A fighting rooster like that will win every fight." Xiaoyuan examined it closely. The so-called 'Iron General' was slowly pacing in the arena, observing its opponent without making a move, looking like a wooden sculpture. She gently tugged at Cheng Mutian's sleeve and smiled, "Although I don't know much about this, I can tell it has an extraordinary bearing. Let's choose it." Cheng Mutian shook his head and said to Master Yang, "Let's choose 'Overlord'."

A hint of surprise flashed in Master Yang's eyes as he asked, "Have you made your choice?" Cheng Mutian nodded, signaling him to begin.

Xiao Yuan didn't know why Cheng Mutian, knowing full well that "Overlord" was inferior to "Iron General," still chose it. However, since it was only a three-coin game, she didn't bother to investigate further. Seeing that "Iron General" had the upper hand from the start, Wu Ge was anxious and kept shouting, wishing he could rush up and help fight it. Chen Ge, however, wasn't interested in cockfighting. He moved closer to Xiao Yuan and said, "Mom, I'll recite a poem for you." Xiao Yuan, who also disliked watching the two roosters pecking at each other, laughed and said, "Recite it, but keep it down, don't disturb 'Iron General' and 'Overlord'." Encouraged by his mother, Chen Ge recited a long poem in one breath: "The boatman brings a rooster, which struts proudly on the high bank. It moves sideways to gain the upper hand, then pecks down to show its fearlessness. Its first crow invigorates its spirit, and its fierce attack is not to be underestimated. Its neck feathers bristle, and its eyes blaze with fury. What is the bloodshed for? It fights to the death for amusement. It should be fierce and resolute, not just for dawn. People are selfish when it comes to wine, but who calls for food? I think of the rise of Wei, and the decline of Han at dusk. It vainly thwarted the nation's people, and never saved the country from its difficulties. The heroes fought bitterly, and the Nine Bestowments were offered to quell the rebellion. The precious jade was given to the great villain, and the war was entrusted to a clever plan. From the beginning, the small capital has become great, so I can only sigh."

As he recited it, everyone's eyes turned to him. Madam Yang didn't understand and scoffed, "What kind of nonsense is this? He's still too old." But Master Yang exclaimed in surprise, "This is Yang Yaochen's 'Evening Anchorage and Cockfighting.' This child really knows how to be timely. You are all very fortunate."

The "Overlord" on the field had already been defeated, but Cheng Mutian was extremely proud because his son had brought him honor. He pretended to be indifferent, said a few words of humility, and carried the defeated "Overlord" off the field. Xiao Yuan followed and asked, "It's already defeated, why bring it out? Are you going to make soup?" Cheng Mutian laughed and said, "Fighting cocks have 'three leisures.' Except for the last leisure, the first two defeats can be used to rest for a while." As he spoke, he took the feather that Cheng Fu handed him, stirred it into the "Overlord's" throat to make it drool, and then brought a dish of water for it to drink.

Xiao Yuan glanced at its listless appearance and asked, "Er Lang, why did you choose this weak one? Do you perhaps want Master Yang to win more so that we'll get some points in the paddy field matter?" Cheng Mutian glared at her fiercely, then turned and went into the arena. Xiao Yuan was bewildered by his glare, and since there were too many people in the arena, she couldn't ask him directly. She could only sit down sullenly, hug Chen Ge, and ask him about some poems and songs.

"Overlord" was too weak, and in the blink of an eye, she was idle again. When the last idle began, she was preparing to say goodbye, but unexpectedly, with Wu Ge's shout, the situation on the field suddenly changed. When she came to her senses, "Iron General" had lost.

Master Yang carefully examined "Iron General's" expression, his face suddenly changed, he grabbed "Overlord" and rushed to Cheng Mutian, pointing at its wings and questioning, "You dared to sprinkle mustard on it to blind 'Iron General'? That's a truly dishonorable method." Cheng Mutian sneered, "Likewise, we had already agreed on the paddy fields with the village chief, but someone interfered. That method isn't exactly honorable either."

Just as Master Yang was about to retort, he suddenly seemed to remember something, and his face broke into a smile. He said, "It's all a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding. As for the paddy field matter, I'll invite you both to a banquet another day to discuss it in detail. How about that?"

"What's there to discuss? This isn't a gambling den where the winner gets to keep it," Cheng Mutian said coldly, yelling at Xiao Yuan, "Go home."

Xiao Yuan was bewildered again. She instructed the two children to bow to Master Yang and Madam Yang and inform them that they were going home. Cheng Mutian returned to his room and sat sullenly for a long time before suddenly saying, "That Master Yang isn't a good person. You shouldn't associate with his family too much." Xiao Yuan dismissed it, saying, "So what if he wanted to force us to buy the paddy fields? We haven't paid the deposit yet, so there's nothing wrong with him wanting to buy them." Cheng Mutian stood up abruptly, fuming, "He...he...sitting there, but his eyes kept glancing at you." Xiao Yuan thought and thought but couldn't recall anything. She honestly said, "I didn't think of that. Is it because I've been in the Second Gate for so many years, and this is the first time I've met a male guest? You can't accept it right away?"

Seeing that he couldn't reason with her, Cheng Mutian turned his face away in anger. Xiaoyuan quickly coaxed him, "I won't see him. Even if you're with me, I won't see him. I've only ever seen one man in my life, you." Wu Ge came in holding up something and shouted, "I'm a man too! Won't Mother see me?" Cheng Mutian was already worn down by this son's antics, and upon hearing such nonsense, he only glared at him. Xiaoyuan noticed that the thing Wu Ge was holding looked unfamiliar. She took it and saw that it was a "white glazed pomegranate-shaped doll," a cute little boy lying down with pomegranate-shaped lower limbs. She thought for a moment and asked, "Did Zi Niang give this to you?"

Wu Ge exclaimed in surprise, "Mother, you're like a goddess! You're incredibly insightful!"

Xiao Yuan said, "The pomegranate-shaped doll has many seeds, but Madam Yang has no sons. She must have bought this for good luck." Wu Ge didn't understand the connection between pomegranates and sons. He shook his head, grabbed the "white glazed pomegranate-shaped doll," and skipped off to play. He didn't understand, but Cheng Mutian did. He asked, "Even if it belongs to Madam Yang, how can you be so sure it's Zi Niang's? Isn't there another one?" Xiao Yuan sighed, "The other one is like me, born out of wedlock. I think that thing is quite expensive. Why would she let a concubine's daughter play with it?"

Cheng Mutian hadn't examined it closely earlier, but hearing her say the item was valuable, he quickly said, "Return it. Don't owe them a favor." Xiaoyuan nodded, called back Wu Ge, and tried to coax him into returning the "white glazed pomegranate-shaped doll." Unexpectedly, Wu Ge looked distressed and said, "It fell when I came in." Xiaoyuan went out to look and, sure enough, there was a pile of colorful porcelain shards on the steps. She raised her hand to hit it, but Cheng Mutian stopped her, saying, "What's the big deal? Hit it over something like this? Do you really think we can only afford a three-cent bet?" Xiaoyuan didn't understand why he was being so awkward, and was both amused and exasperated: "This isn't an ordinary thing. It's like the Goddess of Mercy who grants children. If you break someone's Goddess of Mercy who grants children, won't they be furious with you?"

Cheng Mutian glanced at his two sons in front of him, and a smile unconsciously crept onto his lips. He said, "I think I have too many sons. I don't understand this principle. Since you have such a desire for a son, you may go and find one of the same kind to return to me."