Moma Liangshan

Chapter 3 Song Dynasty People Loved Wine, Liangshan Opened Cellars

Wang Hao asked, "How long have you known Manager Zhu, sir?" The old man replied, "A little over a year." Wang Hao nodded and said, "My ancestral home is Penglai. We come from a family of farmers and scholars, and we are considered quite wealthy in the area. However, last summer a typhoon struck, and seawater flooded the land, rendering hundreds of acres of fertile land uncultivable for the next ten years. My father had no choice but to abandon farming and go into business, and Manager Zhu is his right-hand man." The old man began to understand Wang Hao's intentions and said, "Young master, do you intend to buy this Xu family winery?" Before Wang Hao could speak, the old man continued, "To be honest, young master, this winery is the property of the Xu family clan, not just my family's." "It's my private property." Wang Hao shook his head and said, "This junior has no intention of buying Xu's winery, but I want to build my own winery on Liangshan." The old man was surprised and said, "Liangshan is full of bandits and has no place for good people." Zhang Sangou and Ma Decao were instantly furious upon hearing this and said, "Old man, you're asking for a beating." Wang Hao shouted, "Don't be rude." After calming the old man down, he continued, "There are indeed bandits on Liangshan, and my father even saved the life of that bandit leader. The lakeside inn was a gift from that leader to my father." Wang Hao had his back to Zhang and Ma, so he naturally couldn't see the surprise on their faces.

Ordinary people fear bandits even more than officials. The old man pondered, "Liangshan Marsh is only a few miles from Xu Family Village. If I anger Wang Hao, the bandits on the mountain will most likely retaliate." Taking a deep breath, he said, "This old man is willing to help you build a winery, young master, but please inform the heroes on the mountain to spare the people of Xu Family Village." Wang Hao smiled helplessly and said, "Of course. I will pay you ten strings of cash a month as payment, is that alright?" The old man was incredulous and said, "Young master, are you serious?" Wang Hao didn't say much, but said, "My Wang family has its own integrity. After the winery is built, you will be the head chef, in charge of all brewing. How much silver is needed to build a Xu Family Winery?" The old man thought for a moment and replied, "Around seventy strings of cash." Wang Hao nodded and said, "I will take my leave and will definitely come to bother you within three days."

Knowing that Wang Hao was backed by the Liangshan Water Stronghold, the old man, just in case, prevented Wang Hao from lingering and instead returned directly to the lakeside inn. Of the four current leaders of Liangshan, Wang Lun was a failed scholar, Du Qian and Song Wan possessed some martial prowess, and Zhu Gui was more like a businessman. Regardless of the success or failure of the plan to open the cellar for brewing wine, Zhu Gui's support was essential. Therefore, upon arriving at the inn and meeting Zhu Gui, Wang Hao said, "Chief Zhu, do you know why I'm visiting Old Man Xu's winery today?" Zhu Gui was surprised and said, "Could it be that the young chieftain has noticed the Xu family's wealth and wants to take some valuables to prepare for the year-end?" Wang Hao was initially surprised, but then understood: "Liangshan Water Stronghold is known for its murder and robbery, so Zhu Gui's speculation is understandable. And Old Man Xu's panic upon learning my identity suggests he's already heard of Liangshan's infamous reputation." He shook his head and said, "I want to build a winery in the stronghold." Zhu Gui had originally thought, "A rabbit doesn't eat the grass near its burrow. If the young chieftain insists on plundering Xu Family Village, I must find a way to dissuade him. As for opening a winery in the stronghold, although there's no precedent, it's not impossible. Even if the brewing fails, it's just a loss of some money." He said, "Brewing wine isn't difficult; I know a thing or two. When the time comes, young master, just give the order, and as long as the chieftain agrees, I will certainly serve you."

Wang Hao, filled with doubt, asked, "Does Chief Zhu think Father will definitely agree to let me brew wine in the stronghold?" Zhu Gui, slightly surprised, replied, "The chief almost never refuses any request from the young master. Building a winery is just a matter of spending some money. With the year-end approaching, there will be many merchants passing through. Brothers, just be a little ruthless." Wang Hao finally understood the advantages of being a bandit—it was all risk-free business. He said, "Please prepare a meal for three people, Chief Zhu. After the meal, I need to return to the stronghold." Zhu Gui was taken aback and said, "Why do you need to eat at noon, young master?" Wang Hao suddenly remembered that people in ancient times seemed to eat two meals a day, so he could only say, "I've traveled more than ten miles round trip and I'm a little hungry." After saying that, he looked at Zhang Ergou and Ma Decao and asked, "Are you two hungry?" The two looked at each other and replied, "Yes!" Helpless, Zhu Gui had no choice but to order the kitchen to prepare steamed buns, wine, and meat. It turns out that although wealthy families in the Song Dynasty did have the custom of eating three meals a day, the timing of these meals differed greatly from later generations. Instead, they had two main meals, one in the morning and one in the evening, plus a late-night snack. Wang Hao frankly stated that he was hungry after walking more than ten miles, and Zhu Gui, as his subordinate, should naturally prepare food and drink.

Returning to the mountain stronghold, the sun was already setting. Wang Hao arrived at Wang Lun's residence and saw his father sitting on a low stool by the stove, holding a scroll of books. Above the stove was a black earthenware kettle, bubbling softly. Wang Hao bowed and said, "Greetings, Father." Just then, the water in the kettle boiled. Wang Hao placed a towel on the kettle and removed it. Seeing this, Wang Lun picked up a teapot, removed the lid, added tea leaves, and took out two teacups. Wang Hao slowly poured boiling water into the teapot and then placed the kettle beside the stove. Wang Lun said, "Sit down and tell me what you saw and heard on your trip down the mountain." Wang Hao replied, "On my way down the mountain, I happened to come across the Xu family's winery delivering wine to a lakeside inn. On a whim, I went to visit the winery and witnessed the winemaking process." He paused slightly, his eyes hesitant yet pleading. Wang Lun was surprised, sat up straight, and said, "Just say what you have to say. When did you learn to stammer?" He then picked up the teapot and poured two cups of tea. Wang Hao gathered his thoughts and said, "My son wants to build a winery on the mountain. Is that alright?" Wang Lun frowned and said, "Building a winery is fine, but I'd like to know why you suddenly have this idea?"

Wang Hao picked up his teacup, glanced at the rising steam, and said, "Water rises when heated, becoming clouds in the sky; clouds shrink when cooled, becoming rain. I think if we heat the wine lees, causing the wine vapor to rise, and then place an iron pot filled with ice water above it, the vapor will condense into droplets. Perhaps this could yield an unprecedentedly fine wine." Wang Lun was confused, but understood the last sentence and asked, "What kind of support do you need from your father?" Wang Hao thought for a moment and said, "I need a large plot of land, three hundred strings of cash, five people, and a carpenter." Wang Lun looked at Wang Hao with interest, and after two breaths... Then he suddenly burst into laughter and said, "You can choose any land or manpower you want, and I'll also give you a thousand strings of cash." Wang Hao was incredulous and asked involuntarily, "Father, is that true?" Wang Lun frowned and said, "Liangshan Marsh is ours, and so are the hundreds of followers. We have all the land and manpower, and if we run out of money, we can just take more. You are the young master here, so you must act like one." Wang Hao was flattered and quickly said, "I understand, son." Wang Lun looked pleased and said, "A person should live life to the fullest. If you have a plan, then go ahead and do it. Of course, inform me before you do it." Wang Hao replied, "I will follow your instructions, Father."

Wang Hao took a sip of tea and said solemnly, "If my son succeeds in brewing wine, there may be great profits. Therefore, I must ask Father to make the decision regarding personnel selection." Wang Lun noticed his son's different demeanor today and said, "Half of the men in the stronghold are fellow villagers and relatives recruited by Father himself, and the other half are men recruited by Du Qian and Song Wan. I will allocate the men and money you need tomorrow. Zhu Gui is one of our men, a former shop assistant who dislikes killing, so I sent him down the mountain to gather information." Wang Hao nodded and asked, "Are Zhang Sangou and Ma Decao, who came down the mountain with me today, Father's direct subordinates?" Wang Lun nodded and said, "Yes. Also, it doesn't matter if I tell you, those responsible for guarding and sentry duty in the stronghold are all our direct subordinates." Wang Hao hadn't expected his father to make such an arrangement; was it caution or suspicion? He said, "These two are very clever; I'll take them." Wang Lun said decisively, "Good!" Wang Hao then bowed and said, "I take my leave!" After receiving permission, he left the courtyard.

The next morning, as soon as Wang Hao stepped out of his room, he saw six strong young men and a box of silver. Zhang Sangou and Ma Decao led the way, shouting, "Greetings, Young Master!" Wang Hao nodded and said, "From now on, you will be my close followers, each receiving five to ten strings of cash per month." The henchmen were dumbfounded, unable to believe what they were seeing. Ma Decao, his face full of flattery, asked, "Young Master, you mean five to ten strings of cash per month?" Wang Hao loudly replied, "Exactly! But who gets five strings and who gets ten depends on your performance." The six men looked at each other, then suddenly knelt on one knee after a moment, shouting, "We will follow the Young Master's lead!" It turned out that most of the Liangshan bandits were impoverished people who had lost their livelihoods; they had joined the outlaws only for a full meal. When they killed and robbed, the henchmen were mainly responsible for cheering for their leader and carrying the loot. Therefore, without a reward from their leader, the henchmen had no regular allowance.

Wang Hao stepped forward and said, “Rise, all of you! From today onward, you may lay down your weapons and focus on your work at the distillery. The carpenter will be responsible for the preservation and repair of the tools and equipment, Ma Decao will be in charge of shipping, and Zhang Sangou and the other three will assist Old Man Xu in brewing. Diligence will be rewarded, but if you try to slack off, don’t blame me for being ruthless.” Everyone nodded in agreement. Wang Hao then said, “Ma Decao, take two men with twenty strings of cash to Xu Family Village and invite Old Man Xu over. Tell him that the twenty strings are a resettlement fee, not part of his wages.” Ma Decao nodded in agreement and turned to ask, “What if Old Man Xu refuses to come?” Wang Hao thought for a moment and said, “Then tell him that eight hundred heroes will come to Xu Family Village for drinks within three days.” Ma Decao’s eyes lit up and he said, “Young Master is wise.” Wang Hao added, “From today onward, we will be frequently seen in the marketplace. You may call me ‘Young Master’.” Everyone agreed. Wang Hao called the carpenter into the house, took out the simple drawing of the steamer he had made the night before, and ordered him and the other three to prepare the wood. After everyone left, Wang Hao looked at the azure sky and sighed inwardly, "Finally, I'm taking the first step towards traveling back to the Song Dynasty!"