Chapter 23 — Deer Blood Paste
Fang Yurou injured her body while giving birth on a snowy night and spent more than half a year recuperating. Although she rarely appeared in public, the Fang family of Heihe provided a lot of help with the construction of the winery.
No one in business is immune to greed, but the Fang family’s relationship with him was also deeply intertwined with their love and friendship.
Master Fang was already related to the Bai family of Qinghe by marriage, and with Bai Rongjiu having saved Master Fang’s only daughter and grandson, he was even more supportive this time. Master Fang had studied abroad in his early years and was very worldly-wise, so he strongly agreed with the purchase of the machinery. He himself invested 100,000 silver in the distillery, giving his son-in-law Bai Mingzhe a strong boost in purchasing alcohol brewing equipment and developing the distillery.
The Bai family of Qinghe received over 100,000 silver, while Master Bai Jiu invested 600,000 silver.
The distillery hired German experts to plan and build the facility. The factory area is extremely large, resembling a European castle. It features a tall chimney made of red bricks, dozens of meters high, and high walls built on all four sides according to the terrain. There are seven-tiered watchtowers at the four corners of the walls to prevent bandits from looting.
Rumors circulated that the Bai family had indeed hidden several cannons in that tall “blockhouse”.
When Lord Bai Jiu heard this, he just smiled and didn’t say anything.
Xie Jing went to see it with Lord Bai Jiu. There were no cannons inside, or rather, apart from cannons, everything else was complete.
The Bai family, a century-old wealthy merchant family in the north, naturally has its own ways of doing things; aside from anything else, they are more than capable of protecting themselves.
A few months later, the factory was completed, and a large number of machines were continuously delivered. The towering five-story distillation room, several gas tanks and machine rooms stood side by side, with the saccharification room and kerosene tank room on the right, and the distillery’s most important laboratory in the center. In addition to these, guardhouses, dormitories, warehouses, and distillation workshops were neatly arranged within the compound walls. The back yard contained stables, a mill, an oil mill and a canteen, as well as a repair workshop, which could accommodate more than a hundred people, so there was no need to worry about insufficient supplies.
Because of the large number of machines purchased, the brewing capacity is not limited to sorghum and wheat, but also includes potatoes and other raw materials, and can even produce a considerable amount of beer.
Besides spirits, the brewed alcohol includes various types of alcohol for industrial and medical use.
Lord Bai Jiu had a long-term vision; from the beginning, he never intended to only do the liquor business.
Xie Jing followed Lord Bai Jiu to the Heihe Winery for a while, and when he returned to Qinghe County, it was already early summer.
“When I went there, the leaves were just sprouting new buds; when I came back, the locust flowers along the roadside had all formed buds, and the locust flowers had not yet opened. They hung in clusters on the high treetops, and you could smell their rich fragrance in the wind.”
People were already waiting to visit the East Courtyard with gifts in hand. Ever since Lord Bai Jiu started building his factory in Heihe, waves of people have been coming to visit him.
Some wanted to join the group, while others were gathering information, trying to guess how much stake Lord Bai Jiu was placing here, and how to respond.
A giant crocodile suddenly appeared in a shallow pond. Those who were weak trembled and dared not move, while those who were strong would splash around in the water.
Lord Bai Jiu had them invited to the flower hall, while he went to his bedroom to change his clothes.
Xie Jing followed him over, helped him take off his coat, and then took out a new set of clothes from the closet: “Master, would you like to wear this today?”
“Either is fine.”
Lord Bai Jiu’s clothes are mostly light-colored, and those who are new to serving him are often overwhelmed at first glance, thinking that they all look pretty much the same. But if you look closely, you can see the subtle differences. Xie Jing is good at recognizing them, and Lord Bai Jiu likes to use him. Gradually, these trivial matters fell on Xie Jing’s shoulders.
The people in the East Courtyard all came from the provincial government to serve him. Having served Lord Bai Jiu for a long time, they are all very shrewd and capable of handling things independently outside.
But these people used to be too scared to utter a sound when they saw Lord Bai Jiu get angry. Now they are a little better. They have found that Little Xie is very effective. When Lord Bai Jiu gets angry, they go to invite Little Xie. Often, after bringing him in and having a cup of tea served, the master’s temper will have subsided.
Some people were curious and secretly watched from a distance, wanting to know what kind of magic tricks Little Xie had.
After watching for half a day, all they saw was Little Xie standing there serving tea and water as usual, occasionally saying a word. The two of them didn’t need to communicate much, and my temper gradually calmed down.
Everyone in the East Courtyard could see how much Lord Bai Jiu doted on Little Xie. They were loyal to Lord Bai Jiu and naturally treated Little Xie the same way.
Xie Jing helped Lord Bai Jiu change his clothes, then asked, “Shall I go with you?”
Lord Bai Jiu’s head ached at the thought of those people: “No need. They keep asking about the same thing over and over again. I can go by myself. You rarely come back, so go see Grandma. I’ll give you half a day off. Remember to come back tonight.”
Xie Jing responded and waited until Lord Bai Jiu left before returning home.
Grandma Kou tidied up the east wing room, making it cozy and tidy . After living there for a few months, she ended up buying more things for the house than she had in the previous few years.
In addition to the furniture that Zhang Huwei had given them, Grandma Kou also added two thin quilts. The quilt covers were a deep blue, and the linings were made of homespun cloth, which was starched until it was snow-white and slightly stiff. They looked clean and comfortable.
Xie Jing and Grandma Kou shared a room, while the single room next door was still given to Li Yuan. He didn’t come back often, and Grandma Kou took care of everything. She saw the new quilt and reached out to touch it. The quilt was soft and warm, and it had just been sunned.
“Although it’s early summer, the nights are still cool. It won’t get really hot until July or August.” Grandma Kou brought in a small basket of locust flowers, smiling as she said, “We’ve left two thinner blankets at home so you can use them when you come back. Do you have any bedding over there?”
Xie Jing nodded: “We have them all.” Lord Bai Jiu is sensitive to the cold, so he never lacks these things.
Moreover, he is not afraid of the cold and can sleep soundly even when wrapped in a thick coat.
The locust flowers in the basket were fresh, and Xie Jing couldn’t resist picking two and chewing them.
Grandma Kou slapped his hand to stop him from eating more: “These haven’t been washed yet. Go to the small table in the yard outside. There are some that were just picked and washed this morning. Go eat those.”
Xie Jing agreed and went to the courtyard.
The yard was neat and tidy. He walked around and, finding nothing he could do, sat down at the small table and ate a handful of locust flowers.
The locust flowers had just bloomed in May, tender and fresh, with petals as white as ivory. The unopened locust buds were green and slightly crunchy. Xie Jing found them sweeter than the flowers and quickly devoured a handful, then grabbed another handful of locust buds to eat.
Grandma Kou went to cook. Today she made several light side dishes, and the main dishes were locust flower pancakes and locust flower wheat rice.
Huang Mingyou, who lives in the courtyard across the street, is from Northwest China and loves this kind of wheat porridge the most. Especially in the early summer, a delicious meal of locust flower wheat porridge is more satisfying than any gift.
After learning that Mr. Huang was teaching Xie Jing, Grandma Kou put a lot of effort into cooking. Now, Mr. Huang was second only to the emperor in the East Courtyard, but when he came to Grandma Kou’s residence, he would greet her with a smile and often buy chicken, duck, fish and meat to send over—half for the grandmother and grandson to eat, and half for Grandma Kou to cook for him. At first, he ordered two dishes, but later he found that the old lady’s cooking skills were really good, so he was happy to wait in his own courtyard. Without fail, Li Yuan would send over all three meals.
Xie Jing is not picky about food, but he especially likes raw locust flowers. He had already eaten half a bowl of them while Grandma Kou was cooking.
When his grandmother came out, she stopped him from eating anymore, saying, “Be careful not to eat too much and get indigestion. You’ll have to eat again later.”
Xie Jing checked the time and asked, “Grandma, where is Li Yuan?”
“He’s gone to deliver the embroidery for me. It’s a bit far this time. He brought two cakes with him, saying that we don’t need to wait for him for lunch.” Grandma Kou was quick and efficient. She quickly prepared the meal and filled a three-tiered wooden box with food, handing it to Xie Jing and saying, “This is for Mr. Huang. Li Yuan usually delivers it, but he’s not here today, so you can deliver it instead.”
Xie Jing stood up to take it and casually asked, “How has Li Yuan been at home lately?”
“He’s much better than before. I asked him yesterday, and he’s probably a year younger than you. It’s not easy for anyone who’s fled famine; he was sold when he was little.” Xie Jing was about to speak when Grandma Kou stepped forward, straightened his collar, and said with a smile, “I know what you’re worried about. Don’t worry about me. I’ve lived most of my life, and I have a good eye for people. He’s not a bad person at heart. He’ll be fine after a couple of years of discipline. By then, our Jing’er will be older, and we’ll have saved up some money. We can open a small shop for you, and Li Yuan can be your shop assistant. After all, I’ve watched him grow up all these years; I know him inside and out. I can rest assured…”
Xie Jing didn’t let her finish speaking, and picked up the things, saying, “I’m going to deliver food to Mr. Huang.”
Grandma Kou stood there watching him. She had her own selfish reasons for keeping Li Yuan with her.
She is 68 years old this year, and in two more years she will be considered very old.
The only hope for a person buried up to her ankles is that her grandson, Jing’er, will live out his life peacefully. She is getting old and can’t stay with her grandson for much longer, so she needs to find someone to help him before she can feel at ease.
Xie Jing delivered a meal to Huang Mingyou. When he saw a large bowl of locust flower and wheat porridge in the food box, Mr. Huang was very happy. Before leaving, he gave Xie Jing a book and told him to study hard.
Xie Jing opened the book on the way and flipped through it. There were many markings on it, as if he had circled all the content that would be tested.
He tucked the book into his coat and put it away.
He’s been busy at the Heihe Winery with Lord Bai Jiu all this time, and hasn’t even been to his study since he came back. The things circled in Huang Mingyou’s book must be the ones he’ll be testing tomorrow.
Xie Jing only had half a day off, so he spent half the day with Grandma Kou. While Grandma Kou did needlework, he read the books that Mr. Huang had given him.
As evening approached, Xie Jing returned to the East Courtyard.
Today, the small kitchen stewed fresh venison. Lord Bai Jiu invited Mr. Huang to have dinner with him, but Mr. Huang, who is in his fifties, has bad teeth and found the venison too tough to chew. He happily went back to eat his locust flower and wheat rice.
Lord Bai Jiu didn’t need anyone to serve him meals, so he asked Xie Jing to sit down and eat with him.
Xie Jing buried his head in his food, enjoying it immensely.
Lord Bai Jiu originally had little appetite, but seeing that he was eating with relish, he ate an extra half bowl of rice.
Venison isn’t as tender as pork or mutton because it’s mostly lean, making it a bit tough. The meat also darkens slightly after stewing, somewhat resembling rabbit meat. Xie Jing didn’t care about that; he just wanted meat. Having experienced hunger, he found everything delicious and wouldn’t waste a single grain.
After the meal, someone brought over a small white jade bowl containing half a cup of translucent, paste-like substance. It was slightly yellowish, crystal clear, and emitted a rich aroma.
Xie Jing, out of curiosity, took a look.
Lord Bai Jiu slowly ate a few spoonfuls, then deliberately teased him, “You can’t eat this, it’s spicy.”
Despite saying that, the last spoonful was still fed to Xie Jing. Xie Jing didn’t suspect anything and ate it. The stuff melted in his mouth and went down his throat. Immediately afterwards, a hot, spicy smell of alcohol rushed from his stomach to his head. Xie Jing’s face turned red and he coughed several times. “It’s so spicy!”
The person who brought over the white jade bowl also chuckled: “This is deer blood paste, made from the blood of newly harvested deer antlers this year. It’s soaked in the finest aged wine to extract the paste. A whole jar only yields a layer as thick as the tip of a thumb…” Before he could finish speaking, he saw Xie Jing staring in disbelief, pursing his lips and shaking his shoulders as he laughed.
Xie Jing’s nose itched, and when he raised his hand to wipe it, two tubes of blood came out. He quickly covered it with his hand, “Master…”
Lord Bai Jiu waved his hand with a smile: “Go wash up quickly. I wanted to give you something good to eat, but who knew you could take such good nourishment.”
Xie Jing washed his face, feeling somewhat embarrassed, his face burning. While keeping watch that night, he couldn’t help but lift the blanket and stick his feet out a couple of times before realizing that perhaps he wasn’t just shy and hot-skinned, but rather that the deer blood paste soaked in wine had made him feel hot all over.
Lord Bai Jiu was sleeping peacefully on the bed, and through the gauze curtains, you could see him placed beside the bed.
It feels like you could reach out and touch it.
Xie Jing was bewitched and couldn’t help but raise his hand and gently touch it. Even through the gauze, he could still feel the cool touch of the master’s fingertips, just like the feeling he had secretly touched when he was serving tea or taking documents.
Xie Jing placed his hand on top of his, their fingertips touching, but the next moment his hand was grasped.
“Master…”
“What mischief are you secretly plotting instead of sleeping in the middle of the night?”
Xie Jing’s face flushed, and he shook his head, saying, “I didn’t intend to do anything.”
Lord Bai Jiu sat up halfway, his hand still on his, pulling him close until their faces were only separated by a thin veil. He said in a hoarse voice, “Have you thought it through? You really don’t want to do anything?”
Xie Jing’s mouth was dry and his palms were burning hot. “I…I want to drink water.”
Lord Bai Jiu sipped some cool tea and fed it to Xie Jing. Xie Jing drank it and felt as if it were the same snow water he had fed his master in the snowdrift years ago—icy cold that went straight to his heart. His fever subsided a little, but he was reluctant to let go of Lord Bai Jiu’s hand. He dawdled, not knowing what he wanted to do, only anxious. When he was really anxious, he would rub his head against Lord Bai Jiu’s shoulder.
Lord Bai Jiu chuckled and said, “Little Jing’er has grown up. It’s alright. Your family can’t teach you these things, so I will teach you.”
One hand rested on the waist and slowly fell down.
Xie Jing opened his eyes wide.
…
Xie Jing experienced it firsthand.
He felt the mountain flowers in full bloom, and he was thrown into the soft, fragrant clouds, then fell back down.
When he woke up, he was clutching the corner of the blanket tightly with both hands, and his eyes were still wet.
It took Xie Jing a while to realize that it was all a dream.
The night was quiet. Lord Bai Jiu was still sleeping soundly on the bed just a step away from him. Xie Jing glanced at him, and his ears burned. He dared not look again.
He quietly got up, took the blanket and went out. When no one was around, he secretly washed the soiled part of the blanket. He didn’t dare to dry it in the east courtyard. He slept wrapped in it for two days, and managed to dry it with the warmth of his own body.
