Chapter 680: Chapter 452: Strong Liquor
So where exactly are millet and Wei Ziang at this moment?
Actually not far away, just less than a mile from Anning Village.
Knowing that their parents are going to Lishi City, they very decisively, headed in the opposite direction.
Then they found the nearest small town, checked into an inn, and stayed for two or three days, while pondering their ship and fire-guns.
Not until the morning of the twenty-ninth day of the twelfth lunar month did the two check out, then they went to the carriage rental to rent several carriages, planning to return them around the sixth day of the first lunar month.
Neither of them wanted a coachman, so they drove their horses directly, pulling empty carriages back home.
Just as they were about to reach home, only then did they take out the New Year’s goods that had been prepared long beforehand.
Various candies, hard candies, milk candies, a big pile, with many flavors, and a large box of chocolates.
All the candy wrappers were changed to thin glutinous rice paper by Ling’er.
Apart from the chocolates meant for home consumption, the others were for everyone.
There were also several large baskets of fresh, juicy oranges and tangerines, the most common and ordinary varieties, but being space-grown, they were indeed top quality.
Additionally, there were plenty of peanuts, sunflower seeds, pine nuts, walnuts, and other nuts, along with raisins and candied fruits, all grown in space by Ling’er.
Ling’er would occasionally borrow Xiaoba’s body to taste the food, enhancing its interest in developing various food items.
After all, Ling’er had plenty of time and could do anything easily, and millet didn’t mind how it prepared things as long as it didn’t waste them.
Thus, the space was filled with an abundance of food and drink.
Also, there were several dozen jars of fine liquor, all ten-pound jars, including grain wine, fruit wine, grape wine, and sorghum-distilled spirits, particularly spicy.
Of course, the essentials were various meats: chicken, fish, duck, goose, pork, rabbit, with special attention to slaughtering a few sheep and a yak.
Eventually, when they had the chance, the two would venture outside the frontier to purchase more sheep and yak, ideally traveling further to buy some camels.
However, buying camels wasn’t heading in the same direction as the grasslands, so they might request leave from General Song to delay for a few more days.
Oh, and there were several hundred pounds of glutinous rice, perfect for making various pastries.
Glutinous rice had a low yield and was more expensive, a rarity for average households to purchase even once.
With such goods, they stuffed their rented carriages completely, making their return journey slower.
Fortunately, they weren’t far, and as they approached home, only then did they unpack the goods, leisurely driving the carriages at a slow pace, soon caught the attention of patrolling people.
Someone hurried back to inform the Marquis and Captain Yang, while the rest quickly came running.
"Third Young Lord and Fourth Miss, you’ve finally returned. Madam and the others just got home and asked if you two had returned yet."
Seeing that nobody was driving the carriages in the middle, people quickly stepped up to carefully control each one.
"We traveled slightly farther this time but bought a lot of things. Later, call more people to help move these and distribute them to everyone."
Seeing someone driving the carriages, Wei Ziang moved to the front.
"Alright, Third Young Lord, the New Year goods bought by the Marquis and Madam are also being distributed in the village now."
It was evident that everyone was excited; spending New Year in a foreign land wasn’t bad at all, and soon after New Year, they’d be able to go home, naturally happy.
As the caravan entered the village, it was soon noticed, prompting idle imperial guards nearby to come help without needing command.
One whole carriage, with thousands of pounds of alcohol, ordinary white wine, and fruit wine was given to the villagers, twenty-pound jars.
When asked, Captain Yang mentioned that the imperial guards could handle their alcohol, and hearing about spicier sorghum-distilled spirits, they expressed desire for them.
The difference between spirits and ordinary white wine was higher alcohol content; even those with excellent tolerance could only sip.
Though ordinary white wine too was grain-made, its alcohol content was lower, with a richer, less stimulating taste.
Understanding these characteristics, despite Captain Yang’s assurance, for safety, only two hundred pounds of spirits were provided, alongside two hundred pounds of white wine.
"Fourth Miss, could you exchange all of ours for those sorghum-distilled spirits? We haven’t tasted any alcohol for a year, just for fun, don’t worry, we’ll drink in batches, never all at once!"
As everyone moved goods, only Captain Yang seemed fixated on the spicier spirits, immediately requesting millet lightly.
Why not approach Wei Ziang?
After all, Wei Ziang was with millet buying things, logically Wei Ziang should also have a say.
Hehe, that’s how it seemed, but Captain Yang was well aware.
Knowing Fourth Miss agreed, Third Young Lord wouldn’t object!
But if only the Third Young Lord was okay, without Fourth Miss’s approval, no chance!
Millet got annoyed by his insistence, knowing full well that he was of the same age as her father and had two or three children already, with the youngest able to buy soy sauce, yet here he was whining?
With a thought, she slapped open the liquor jar, releasing a rich, spicy aroma.
Unable to hold back, millet immediately turned aside and sneezed multiple times.
Captain Yang also lit up: "Good wine!"
But soon he got surprised: "This wine sure is strong, even stronger than the strongest spirits I drank in the Capital City."
Millet handed the liquor jar to Captain Yang, startling him to tightly grab it, only relaxing and breathing a sigh of relief once settled.
"Fourth Miss, don’t be too reckless, this wine isn’t cheap, costing up to silver you might not even be able to buy it."
Seeing his nervousness, millet felt both speechless and amused.
"Captain Yang, this is just ordinary white wine, far less potent than the spicier spirits I mentioned. You claimed nobody drank for a year, so even more reason not to indulge in strong alcohol."
Captain Yang was shocked: "And this isn’t strong?"
"Captain Yang," Wei Ziang interjected: "Millet isn’t stingy, not denying you a drink. Try these wines and you’ll understand."
He too tried these wines, realizing modern Xu Yu dynasty wines were indeed lacking.
Even the finest in Lishi City, costing tens of taels per pound, paled in comparison to space’s offerings.
But considering that brewing requires grain and the populace barely has enough to eat, mass brewing was unlikely.
With less brewing, experience naturally lacked, leading to lesser quality wine.
Moreover, this wine was space-grown by Ling’er, thus superior.
After Wei Ziang explained, and realizing these spirits exceeded his estimation, Captain Yang stopped insisting, thanked them, then hurried off with the opened jar, fearing millet might reclaim it.