The Cold Food Festival falls on the 15th day of the second month of the first year of Yuanyou.
The government has begun a holiday, and all officials will have a seven-day holiday starting today.
Even many workshops and merchants in Bianjing City are giving holidays today.
Those with a good conscience can be given three to five days, and even those with a bad heart can be given one day.
Both inside and outside Bianjing are also full of festive atmosphere.
Brand-new swings have appeared in the yards of every household.
The children were so happy. They were sitting on the swing, and the brothers and sisters were playing and having fun.
Adults put wicker sticks at their doorsteps.
At the same time, various sacrifices for ancestor worship began to be prepared.
All major restaurants start to get busy on this day.
Sun Ci personally took his confidants and stood at the entrance of Sun Jiazheng Store.
Jars of newly brewed liquor have been placed on the stall in front of the main store.
At the same time, Sun Ci also invited a theater troupe who was good at puppetry from Sang's Wazi.
The puppet's performance soon attracted a crowd.
Seeing that the time was almost ripe, Sun Ci immediately greeted the people around him.
So, a wine flag that had been made was opened at the door of Sun Jiazheng Store.
The wine flag was waving, and the letter was written in five big words: Three bowls are not enough!
At the same time, the wine jars placed at the door were opened one by one.
The rich aroma of wine immediately spreads out.
Countless wine bugs, like fireflies on a summer night, all their eyes lit up.
Not long after, someone was attracted by the smell of wine.
"Shopkeeper, is there new wine in the store?"
The wine doctor, who had been prepared long ago, immediately came forward and said: "It is indeed new wine, and it is made from the secret recipe of the palace given by the Emperor!"
When the man heard this, he became interested and asked, "How much is a dime?"
The horn is the most popular wine container in the Song Dynasty and is also a common container in all major stores.
Generally speaking, one jiao of wine weighs about one pound.
This is because the epigraphers who studied the cultural relics unearthed in the Song Dynasty recognized the unearthed bronze jue as a horn.
Dr. Jiu smiled slightly and replied: "Sir, the wine sold in my Sunjiazheng store is of great origin!"
"It is brewed by the secret recipe given to my master by the current official family. Just buying the music from the Guanqu Yuan costs a thousand yuan per catty!"
"And now the Guanquyuan only has tens of thousands of kilograms of koji that can make this fine wine..."
The man listened and became a little impatient. He grabbed a large bunch of copper coins hanging from his belt and asked, "Just tell me, how much is a dime?"
Dr. Jiu smiled slightly: "Three hundred coins for one dime!"
The man's eyes widened: "Three hundred cents?"
"This wine from your family is almost as good as the lamb wine from Yuxian Zhengdian!"
The lamb wine of Yuxian Zhengdian is the most famous wine in Bianjing City.
Even a dime usually sells for several hundred coins, and is often priced at a high price but with no market.
Dr. Jiu chuckled: "My master, since he dares to sell it at this price, he has a reason!"
He raised his head, looked at the wine flag, pointed at it and said: "My lord, please take a look at the name of my new wine!"
The man looked up and muttered to himself: "Three bowls of bowls are not enough for the post?"
Dr. Jiu smiled proudly: "Even that good man can only drink three bowls of this wine in my house. After three bowls, he will not be able to walk. Hence the name: Three bowls will not last long!"
When the man heard this, he immediately became interested.
He is a notorious drinker.
However, after trying restaurants in and outside Bianjing, I am always disappointed.
The taste is too bland!
If the wine was really good, he would be willing to spend money on it.
He directly said to the wine doctor: "Give me a dime of wine to try!"
"Well done!" Dr. Jiu suddenly laughed: "Please come in, sir..."
As the first person entered the store, more and more drinkers were attracted by Sun Ci's wine flag.
Soon, Sunjiazheng store was full.
Even the door of the store started to be filled with people.
There was even a drunkard who came directly to the shop, drank wine, cut the meat, and then went straight home.
This is not only true for Sun Jiazheng store, but also for the other five stores.
Busy business!
If that's all it is, then that's fine.
After all, the influence and scope of a genuine store are limited.
However, the Song Dynasty's unique wine tasting system made every official store actually a large chain group.
Below them, there are dozens to hundreds of foot shops, which serve as lower-level retailers and are spread throughout the cities inside and outside Bianjing City.
Although these foot shops mainly sell the cheapest and cheapest liquor (the kind of liquor that the heroes in Water Margin often drink).
But they are an indispensable part of the store's ecology.
During this Cold Food Festival, the main store in Bianjing City ushered in a revolution.
First, the white wine with a jade-like color, mellow and spicy taste was born.
It may be called three bowls of wine, but it may not be enough, or it may be called Da Nei Yu Ye Liquor.
When these wines appeared in and outside Bianjing through the network of six main stores.
Almost all other foot shops felt the pressure immediately.
Of course, in the beginning, this pressure was very small.
On the first day, the business of most foot shops was not affected at all.
But the foot shop owners have heard about it, and it seems that there are one or several foot shops nearby, and business is particularly booming.
I heard that the real shop behind these foot shops has launched a new wine.
It is said that everyone who drank it praised it.
Many regular customers of the store also complained to them: "Shopkeeper, why don't you have that kind of jade-colored, mellow and spicy wine in your store?"
"That's what a real hero should drink!"
There are even occasional disturbances.
They say that the wine they sell is as bland as water and not as strong as the wine from a certain brand.
However, not many people take it to heart.
Just think that these men are drunk and drunk, looking for reasons to cause trouble.
But on the second day, these foot shops began to panic.
Because the passenger flow has dropped significantly.
Especially at night, there are obviously fewer guests.
On this day, many foot shops discovered that the snacks and various food items that should have been sold out long ago were not sold out even after a day and night!
Instead, there was a lot left.
This is not good!
Because what the foot shop does is that it has a sign of selling wine, but in fact it sells all kinds of food and drinks.
The bulk of their profits come from food.
Drinks?
The main thing is that it is of high quality and low price.
Nowadays, unsaleable food can cost them their lives.
Please note that the weather is getting hotter now.
For example, pork, mutton and various pig offal and haggon offal are mostly stale as long as they are left out overnight.
By the third day, business continued to decline and the number of customers dropped further.
But not far from these foot shops, business is booming.
The owners of the foot shop and the wine doctors are so busy that their feet never touch the ground.
The cook in the kitchen didn't even have time to rest.
Looking at other people's businesses, and then looking at my own foot shop, there are only three or five tables of customers, deserted, and there is no longer the cluttered, noisy scene in the past.
Every foot shop owner became anxious.
So, on Bingwu day (18th) of the second leap month in the first year of Yuanyou.
The dignitaries in Bianjing City were shocked to discover that their main stores were laying golden eggs.
It seems like we are in trouble now?
…
Gao Huai held the wine glass in his hand and turned it gently.
He opened his mouth and tasted the taste. It was spicy and mellow. After taking it, his body felt noticeably warmer.
"It's good wine!" Gao Huai praised.
"My lord..." The merchant kneeling in front of him kowtowed and said, "Nowadays, all the big foot shops are saying that they really can't sell any more!"
"They said that if our main store can't find a solution, they will switch to other stores..."
The foot shop is an indispensable part of the store ecology.
Because they bear the important responsibility of distributing the inferior wine brewed by the real store.
It is a key part of ensuring the profitability of the main store.
At the same time, it is also a place that continuously supplies talents to the main store.
At the same time, every foot shop is an extension of the main store.
It’s a living advertisement!
You can't have a main store without a foot shop, just like you can't eat meat without sauces.
Gao Huai frowned slightly as he listened.
His surname is Gao, but unfortunately he is not Gao, the Empress Dowager.
His ancestor was Taizu, and Gao Huaide, the general of Emperor Taizong, was also a relative of the emperor - Gao Huaide married Taizu's sister and was related to the two generations of emperors who founded the country.
His branch is even more of a princess bloodline.
However, more than a hundred years have passed since the era of Taizu and Taizong.
In the Gao family, there is no longer Princess Shang, or a daughter to marry into the royal family.
Starting from Gao Huai's father's generation, the Gao family has been in peace.
I just want to live a prosperous life in this capital city relying on the shadow of my ancestors.
"Why can't you brew such good wine?" Gao Huai asked softly.
The merchant raised his head and said, "How can a villain have such courage?"
"Not to mention, this wine requires going to Guanquyuan to buy special wine!"
"Even the utensils and techniques for making wine, the little people really don't know anything about it!"
Gao Huai sneered: "There is no distiller's yeast, why not buy it?"
"As for utensils and technology? Don't you know how to use your brain? Isn't it difficult to spend some money and steal from others?"
The merchant lay on the ground, kowtowed and said, "Your Majesty, Guanquyuan refuses to sell!"
"As for the utensils and techniques, without the distiller's yeast, even if the villain steals the recipe, he still won't be able to brew it..."
In fact, I don’t dare to sell it.
Kaifeng Mansion is watching over there.
Except for those six main stores, even if the other stores make wine, who would dare to sell it?
Is it true that the government can’t kill people with a slap in the face?
"The Guanquyuan is not for sale?" Gao Huai stood up: "Rebellion against them?"
"Go and write a note right now. Take it to the Guanqu Courtyard and find the official..." Gao Huai said angrily: "If he doesn't sell it, don't blame me for going to the palace to complain!"
This was Gao Huai's most effective threat to the petty officials in Bianjing in the past.
The merchant lay on the ground and said tremblingly: "Your Majesty, you don't know something. Now it is being spread in Bianjing City that the special wine koji in Guanquyuan will only be sold to six official stores. This is the order of the current officials...
…”
"Many people are saying that this is the official reward for the six main stores..."
"Reward?" Gao Huai asked, "Why do officials want to reward them?"
"Because they paid back the money they owed to the market!"
Gao Huai thought about it, and it seemed that something like this had happened not long ago. At that time, he had laughed at Cao, Liu, Yang, Li and other families, saying that they were too timid and could not stand being scared, so they spent their money in vain.
, and sent it to the palace.
It's just that some time passed and he actually forgot about this matter.
Now it seems that those companies have already gotten the news.
Gao Huai thought, stood up and walked around the hall.
He thought for a long time, then turned around and asked, "Have you heard that some of the other families who owe money to the city's business have paid back the money?"
The merchant replied: "Report to your lord, I have never heard of this..."
"However, people below are spreading the word. It seems that someone is already raising money."
"Lord, should my family also start raising money?"
Gao Huai pursed his lips, and then asked: "How much does my family owe?"
"The glutinous rice money is about 8,000 guan, the white waste money is about 1,000 guan, and there are several hundred guan for business taxes!"
This is almost ten thousand guan.
At least 20% of it is interest.
Gao Huai felt extremely painful when he thought about it.
What about ten thousand guan?
The Gao family can't make thousands of dollars a year now.
Besides, the money is still free.
Asking him to take it out was as uncomfortable as cutting his flesh.
"Wait a little longer!" Gao Huai thought for a long time and finally made a decision: "Wait for other families and see what those royal relatives do!"
"Especially the situation of the Guo family!"
The Guo family is a relative married to the eldest princess of Wei (Princess Baoshou), the only living princess of Renmiao.
In addition, the Guo family is also a foreign clan of Queen Zhang Mu, and their ancestors are also Taizu and Taizong's generals.
This chapter has been completed!