Night fell. The moon was not so round today, so the stars in the sky seemed to be brighter.
Tian Mancang and Xu Lin moved a jug of wine, five jins of it, and made a few dishes. They stayed under one of the racks in Changping Granary's granary.
It was hot, so there was no need to heat the wine. They lit a few ropes made of wormwood. As the smoke lingered, there were fewer mosquitoes. However, they had to pay attention to the fire. They could not let the wormwood rope catch fire, let alone stick it to the grain pile.
In fact, it was not a problem to stick it to the grain pile. As long as they did not drink too much, it was difficult for a small fire to burn the whole grain pile.
If they were to burn it, they would first burn the mat on the outside. Once the mat was burned, the food inside would continuously flow out. They would directly put the fire under the mat and then let out smoke. If this pile of food was just smoking, it would not be finished in half a month unless oil was poured on it and then flames were lit in different places around it at the same time.
Because the grain was not so dry, if they did not believe it, they could find a pile of wheat or rice with shells, and then use a match to see how long it would take to light the pile of grain into a bonfire.
In addition, there were people patrolling, so Xu Lin and Tian Mancang were not worried at all. There was no wind tonight, so the fragrance of the wine and dishes rose straight into their noses.
"It smells good. Come on, Brother Tian, drink a cup first." Xu Lin picked up a wine cup and said to Tian Mancang.
Tian Mancang also picked up the cup, touched it gently, and the two raised their heads and drank.
Tian Mancang smacked his lips and slowly exhaled. He felt that his stomach immediately became warm. A part of the smell of wine came out of his nostrils, and his whole body was comfortable.
"Good wine, but it is a pity that it is not easy to buy. Maorong, where did you buy it?" Tian Mancang praised, picked up a piece of deer penis, threw it into his mouth and chewed slowly.
Xu Lin picked up a cucumber, dipped it in the sauce, and replied, "Of course it's good wine. Xiao Bao and Cuckoo wouldn't sell bad wine. They don't sell wine that is less than two years old. Drinking new wine is bad for the body. Drinking a small cup of this kind of wine a day is not bad, especially when it's soaked in medicine.
They only sell hard liquor, and they don't sell anything less than 50% alcohol content. Moreover, they distribute their goods throughout the Great Tang. A portion is given to the restaurants and a portion is given to the merchants. Otherwise, if they focus on selling in one place, the local people won't need to make wine anymore. Benevolence, righteousness, kindness. "
"Alright, don't say that they're kind. We all know that they'll only be kind if you don't make any mistakes. Tell me, did you buy your wine from a wine merchant? There wasn't any when I went there this year. " Tian Mancang refilled the wine cups of the two people. When the wine was about to overflow, he stopped pouring wine and urged Xu Lin to tell him where the wine came from.
Xu Lin drank another cup and then said, "This year, they didn't distribute the goods at all. When the soldiers in front were transporting the wine, I happened to be strolling on the side of the road with my brothers. I saw that their carriage was hard to move. It was raining, so I went over to help. I worked for the whole afternoon. Where did you buy the wine that they gave you?"
"You said that you bought it before." Tian Mancang found fault with him.
"The people in the broker house were different from the people who worked last time. We all agreed that if someone asked, we would say that we bought it. Otherwise, wouldn't it all be taken away by others? Drink. "
Xu Lin didn't feel embarrassed. He calmly expressed his thoughts and grabbed another braised pig to kick and gnaw on.
Tian Mancang drank the wine in the cup and refilled it again. At this time, he couldn't continue drinking. He had to eat. Otherwise, he wouldn't want to eat in the end and would feel uncomfortable with a stomach full of wine.
Moreover, when pouring the wine, it had to be very full, especially when drinking from a small cup. Otherwise, when drinking, it would be disgusting. Drinking wine was different from drinking tea. There was no problem with inhaling when drinking tea, but when drinking wine, one had to hold his breath and exhale after drinking. Of course, this was excluding those who ate rice mixed with white wine.
"No wonder. Speaking of giving wine to the soldiers, the news from the front line hasn't been coming back recently. It's not like before, when there were new things in the newspaper every day. Let's talk about the situation in front. I read the newspaper today. There's no latest news at all. Just based on what happened last time, the advertisements have changed a lot."
Tian Mancang said leisurely. He didn't seem to be in a good mood.
Xu Lin sighed. "I'm also very worried about the soldiers in front. I guess they've pushed too deep and can't connect with the telegraph. Think about it, the environment there is so complicated. There's thunder and rain, the signal is bad, and the person in charge of the relay has to hide.
I'm already very satisfied with my life. I just hope that our Tang Empire can become more powerful. Just like what happened to Zhenla a few days ago. Those who dared to bully us, what happened in the end? Our Tang Empire's Meteor Battle Team has been mobilized. If the newspaper didn't report it, I wouldn't have known that there was such a team in Tang Empire.
When there's a chance in the future, when our family has more money, I'll take my family out to see the whales and places with koalas. It's a pity that people live their whole life only in front of their own home. "
As Xu Lin spoke, he thought of a childhood friend of his. In the end, that kid ran to the boat and came back three times. Each time, he brought back something from the outside and showed it off in front of him. Fortunately, he still remembered to give it to him after showing off. Otherwise, he would have cut ties with him.
But as long as he listened to him talk about the outside world, he yearned for it. Different sceneries, different animals and plants, and the local aboriginals over there. They sailed the boat while fishing. Life was indeed colorful.
Xu Lin's words made Tian Mancang yearn for it as well, but he shook his head helplessly. "I can't. I'm an official. Unless I resign, I can't bear to."
"I can't bear to be an official either. Hey, Brother Tian, look, is there a snake over there? Two of them, "Xu Lin said as he realized that there were two long objects moving under the moonlight about ten meters away.
Tian Mancang looked over and nodded. "Yes, it's a grass snake. It's probably looking for mice to eat. They also need to eat, unlike winter where they can hibernate. I wonder, what if there's no winter? For example, on an island near Lu Zhou, I heard that it's very hot in winter. "
"It's not hibernating. It's not cold, just like bears. The bears in the north hibernate and their paws are delicious. The bear paws in the south are much worse. Brother Tian, are you sure you want to raise a snake? If you raise it well, can you apply for a few more months of leave? Take it as a reward. You can take your family out to play. Don't go too far, just a place where you can come back in two or three months. "
Speaking of the snake, Xu Lin began to give Tian Mancang ideas. As long as he made contributions, the imperial court would definitely reward him. There would be official positions, money, and holidays.
If the snake was raised well, other places could also learn from it. There were countless granaries in Great Tang. How much food could they save every year? Moreover, if they sold the snakes for money, they would not have to hand over the money. They would be left for Chang Pingcang. With an additional income, they would be in a good mood. The imperial court would also be happy to see this.
Tian Mancang's eyes were fixed on the moving snakes. When the two snakes turned and disappeared behind another granary, he retracted his gaze. He drank another cup of wine and said, "Raise."
"Brother Tian, you'll definitely succeed. I congratulate you in advance." Xu Lin congratulated him, but his eyes were fixed on Tian Mancang.
Tian Mancang, of course, knew what Xu Lin wanted. He said with a smile, "Mao Rong, raising snakes is not my problem alone. I need your help."
"Brother Tian, I'll do my best." Xu Lin smiled, knowing that his benefits were coming.
"We're not familiar with raising snakes in Chang Pingcang. Mao Rong, you'll have to help us find an expert. Also, there aren't enough snakes in the granary. I'm worried that I'll be cheated if I buy them from outside. I'll have to trouble you. I also remember that owls eat mice, so … "
"Brother Tian, that won't do. Owls eat mice, but they also eat snakes. The two of them can't be raised together." Xu Lin quickly reminded him. If these two things were raised together, only the owls would be left.
Tian Mancang suddenly understood and laughed, "Yes, yes, if we can't raise them together, we can raise them separately."
"Brother Tian, owls are different from snakes. They can fly, while snakes can crawl. If you raise snakes in the granary, there's a ditch outside. You can control it. How big of a net do you need to pull out to raise owls? It's okay to just eat mice, but it eats a lot. What if it eats other people's domestic poultry? "
Xu Lin had to continue to remind him.
"It's drunk, it's drunk. Look at me, I won't raise it. If I don't raise owls, I'll raise snakes. Brother, you're right. Snakes eat chickens too, but you can control them in one place and pull out the net. Brother, you have to pay attention to the matter of buying snakes. "
Tian Mancang smiled embarrassedly and made up his mind about raising snakes in Chang Pingcang's granary. If he really raised snakes, he would be promoted and earn money. He could also take more vacations and take his family out.
Not to mention going too far, even if he went to Lu Zhou's place, he could see the bright moon rising from the sea and the scenery from the horizon.
The more he thought about it, the more he felt it made sense. Coupled with the wine, Tian Mancang began to feel tipsy. However, he was not drunk, just comfortable. The food was more delicious, the wine was more mellow, and the moonlight was more charming.
After eating some more food, Tian Mancang asked Xu Lin, "Brother, where do you think there are more snakes here? If they're not poisonous, I don't want a snake to run out and bite the child. If that happens, not only will I be promoted, but I will also be punished. "
"Brother Tian, don't worry. I promise I'll find you all the snakes that are not poisonous, and I don't want the big ones. Otherwise, I'll be done for if the child dies. Brother Tian, if you want to talk about snakes that are not poisonous, it's Old Willow Village in Hongnong County. There are many willow trees, rivers, tree holes, and all kinds of small animals. It's also cool, so the snakes are willing to settle there. "
Xu Lin thought of a place and told Tian Mancang that if the other party agreed, he would arrange for someone to go there and collect the snakes. At the same time, he would ask if there were any willow mushrooms. If there were, he would buy them together and cook them for his child at home.
"I know this place, Old Willow Village. It's amazing. The little girl is only ten years old, but she's actually a seventh-grade official. Oh, a seventh-grade official. It's said to be under the control of the county, but who dares to? The willow weaver is famous, and she can grow her own doll. My family has several. My child likes it, and it's not expensive, so I buy it for them. "
Speaking of Old Willow Village, Tian Mancang had a deep impression of it. When he thought of the dolls at home, he smiled happily.
However, Xu Lin shook his head and said, "Brother Tian, you're talking about the past. Now, Old Willow Village is being bullied by the new county magistrate."
"Oh, why is that? That new county magistrate is called … called … "
"Liu Yan, he has the same surname as most of the people in Old Willow Village. Maybe they were from the same family 500 years ago."
"Yes, Liu Yan, I remember now. He's from Qianzhong Dao, the former county magistrate of Bajiang County. He rose from seventh-grade official to sixth-grade official, which is quite a fast jump. What happened to him? "
"It's a long story. Drink." Xu Lin raised his cup again.
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