Chapter 38

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In fact, Xiaoliang was overly worried. The people of the county, when they saw the Chen family living in a three-courtyard quadrangle, only thought that this family was too low-key. Moreover, they had only hired a nanny recently, which even made the crippled Wang, who sold fruit at the street corner, feel indignant: "To say that the Chen scholar's family is a good family, but they just don't know how to enjoy life! If I had a son who was a god of wealth, I would have hired a gatekeeper, a cook, servants... and even a dozen pretty maids long ago!"

"Damn, they are a proper scholarly family, emphasizing warmth, goodness, respect, frugality, and yieldingness! Do you think they are those hypocritical families who pretend to be moral but are actually beasts in secret!" The old woman Liu, who sold popular storybooks, scolded upon hearing this: "Moreover, who in the county doesn't know that the Chen family is generous? Whenever a bridge is built or a road is paved, isn't it always their family that contributes the most?"

"Heh, you old hag, how can you take things out of context like that." In this era, Sichuan was experiencing a flourishing of culture and education, with a trend that was about to surpass the entire Song Dynasty. Not only were there many scholars, but even the common people spoke with a literary flair. Wang, the cripple, was at a loss whether to laugh or cry: "I just said that the Chen scholar's family doesn't know how to enjoy life. When did I say they were stingy?"

"Right, only you know how to enjoy life," the old woman Liu said with disdain: "Wait until you see your own wife, and see if she doesn't expose your dozen pretty maids!"

"Liu Auntie, if he wants to hire pretty maids, what kind of jealousy is that?" The vendors around them started to tease: "Look, look, there's definitely something going on!" This made the old woman Liu's face turn as red as a piece of cloth.

"How lively is this?" As everyone was laughing, a tall and slender young man appeared. He was dressed in a tight-fitting fur-lined robe, his hair tied into a topknot with a blue silk ribbon embedded with gems, and he wore a pair of plain leather boots, making him look strong and agile. Who else could it be but the beloved third son of the Chen family?

Beside him were the towering fifth son, Chen Wulang, and the sixth son, Chen Liulang, who looked like a child god of wealth. The three of them had just eaten their cold food and were out for a stroll on the street.

Although the Cold Food Festival was a holiday with a tragic tone, the pleasure-loving people of the Song Dynasty would not miss any opportunity to eat, drink, and have fun. Since no fire was allowed on this day, the Song people would prepare cold food porridge, cold noodles, cold drinks, green rice, and maltose syrup in advance. The Song people loved sweet food, and 'maltose syrup' was made from malt or sprouted grains.

In addition to food, they would prepare over a dozen types of beverages, such as spring wine, new tea, and clear spring water. Of course, the three famous local wines, 'Qingshen Huangjiao,' 'Gan Hong,' and 'Gan Bai,' were indispensable. These three wines, especially 'Huangjiao,' had only appeared two or three years ago but were already renowned throughout Sichuan, known to everyone. Even the previously obscure Qingshen County had become famous because of them.

Due to the widespread belief in Buddhism, the Song society generally favored vegetarianism, and meat was rarely seen on the table during the Cold Food Festival. However, the Chen family was an exception. Chen Ke, following modern dietary standards, had designed a menu that included meat, especially for himself and his brothers, who were in their teenage years and growing. Therefore, meat was a regular part of their meals.

Even on a day when no fire was allowed, the table was still laden with poached chicken, squab, pig's head, smoked deer legs, and even a plate of braised beef... In this era, beef was hard to come by, even if you had money, as every cow was registered with the government. Only if a cow died of illness, fell to its death, or died of old age, and the government inspector confirmed it, could it be slaughtered and cut into pieces.

Because of its rarity, beef was expensive and not affordable for the average person. But even if you found it expensive, the Song people were not short of money and would snatch it up no matter the price. If you arrived late, you wouldn't be able to buy it even if you had money.

However, the Chen family never lacked for beef. Many people wanted to curry favor with them and knew of their fondness for meat. Whenever there was any rare meat, they would send it to the Chen family... Besides the rare wild game, sending beef was the most prestigious.

So many people sent beef that the Chen family could even be picky, refusing any beef that died of illness or old age, and only accepting young, healthy cows that died by accident. This made them seem incredibly impressive. But they had the means to be so, and others found it perfectly reasonable.

It wasn't just in terms of food. The Chen family's clothing, housing, and transportation were all taken care of and flattered by others. This clearly couldn't be explained by wealth alone.

Moreover, compared to the nouveau riche in Qingshen County, the Chen family was not particularly extravagant in their lifestyle. But what could be done? Who could blame them for having a good son?

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A son should be like Chen Sanlang!

This was a phrase that had been circulating in Qingshen County, and even in the neighboring counties of Pengshan, Leshan, and Meishan, for the past two years.

If someone had visited Qingshen a few years ago and walked through the streets and alleys, they would have noticed that this small city had changed dramatically. Even the most careless person could see that the population had increased significantly. The main street, which used to be bustling only during market days, was now crowded year-round, except during the New Year and rainy or snowy days.

Naturally, the number of shops had also increased, with each storefront as grand as those in Chengdu, adorned with prominent signs, banners, and even colorful arches... known as 'huanmen.' Originally used by brothels, these arches later became a way for ordinary merchants to attract attention.

Looking down the main street, one could see countless colorful and vibrant huanmen, each competing for attention. Under these arches, the flow of people far exceeded the local population. These people came from Meishan, Pengshan, Leshan, Chengdu, and even distant Kuizhou, Luzhou, Bazhou, and Deyang... Some came to make a living, some to buy goods, and some simply out of admiration.

What made this small Qingshen County so magnetic, attracting travelers from all directions? The secret lay in the local specialty products, which had unparalleled competitiveness.

The name 'Qingshen' first became known to people far and wide in the fifth year of the Qingli era. At that time, a restaurant called Laifu emerged, and its owner possessed the divine skill of stir-frying, a technique known only to a few famous chefs in Bianjing. Gourmets and the wealthy flocked from all directions, all leaving satisfied and boasting about the best food they had ever tasted.

Especially in the sixth year of the Qingli era, Laifu was renovated and renamed Laifu Tower. The renovation and service were top-notch, and the dishes became light and elegant, with flavors that were even more enchanting. This attracted countless poets and literati to leave poems and inscriptions, even giving each dish a refined name. The restaurant was transformed into a cultural landmark, drawing people from all over Sichuan.

However, only a few could dine at 'Laifu Tower.' Most people could only visit the exterior and fantasize about the luxurious dishes inside, such as 'Flower Snow Silk,' 'Graceful Swallows Playing with Butterflies,' 'Maple Leaves and Red Flowers,' 'Pine Green Pearls,' and 'Peach Blossoms and Flowing Water'... They would wipe their mouths and go to nearby restaurants with names like 'Better than Laifu,' 'Little Laifu,' and 'East Laifu Tower' to try the imitation dishes.

What comforted them was that all the restaurants in Qingshen had dishes of high quality and mastered the stir-frying technique. This allowed those who couldn't enter Laifu Tower to still taste the legendary skill and naturally boast about it, even claiming they had eaten stir-fried dishes at Laifu Tower!

As a result, the reputation of Qingshen's stir-fried dishes grew, and people came from all seasons, in a steady stream. Qingshen became another culinary center in the Sichuan Basin, second only to Chengdu.

Where there is good food, there must be good wine. While enjoying the food, people discovered a local wine called 'Huangjiao.' It seemed to be a type of orange wine, but it was clear and bright, with a golden hue and a fragrant aroma. Drinking it was like sipping nectar... It completely dispelled the bad impression of fruit wine being bitter, cloudy, and even having a decaying taste.

This 'Huangjiao' wine almost met all the Song people's requirements for wine. It was fragrant and delicious, clear and appealing, not easy to get drunk from, and had an ambiguous name. Once tasted, it was unforgettable. People not only drank it in Qingshen but also bought several jars to take home and share with their families and neighbors.

The fame of Qingshen Huangjiao spread quickly, and merchants from other regions flocked to purchase it, then distributed it throughout Sichuan. In just two years, it became a household name, enjoyed by both men and women, with the saying that wherever there were Sichuan people, there was Huangjiao wine!

This was a miracle, as Sichuan was famous for its wines, with places like Jian'nan, Luzhou, and Yibin being traditional wine-producing areas. Under the combined pressure of famous wines like Jian'nan Chun, Yaozi Xuequ, and Luzhou Laojiao, there was almost no room for new wines to survive. However, Qingshen Huangjiao managed to carve out a niche, becoming a rising star alongside the famous wines. This was not only because it met all the Song people's requirements for wine but also due to the producer's superior marketing skills.

In simple terms, most wine merchants sold pre-mixed wine, but the producer of Huangjiao only sold the original wine, allowing each household to mix it themselves. This greatly reduced transportation costs... buying wine from other merchants required ten barrels, but buying Huangjiao only required two. It also gave a significant profit margin to the distributors. Since selling Huangjiao was more profitable than selling other wines, the wine merchants naturally promoted it enthusiastically, and with its high quality, its popularity was inevitable.

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While requesting recommendations, at the request of the readers in the book club, the author is issuing an announcement: We are planning to hold a book review contest. The topic and content are open, as long as it is an original work related to this book, with a minimum of 300 words (excluding poetry).

As long as you write it, I will publish it in the public version, making the book review a part of the book. There are also generous rewards provided by enthusiastic readers. What are you waiting for, dear reader?

Participants should start their titles with '【Book Review】' as proof of entry. We welcome your enthusiastic participation.

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