Moma Liangshan

Chapter 22 Dongxi Village Builds a Winery, Wang Hao Views Hulu Slope

Chao Gai entered, and they exchanged greetings. The magistrate spoke first, "Lord Wang has a favor to ask of Chief Clerk Chao; please do not refuse!" Seeing the magistrate's arrogant tone, Wang Hao stood up and said, "I have missed you dearly since we parted at Wuliu Shazhou. Let me first offer you a cup of wine, Chief Clerk." Chao Gai was a man who responded better to gentleness than force. Seeing Wang Hao's politeness, he quickly stood up and said, "I have heard that Young Master Wang has entered Dongjing and spread the fame of Shandong. The elders of my hometown are all very proud. I am more than twenty years older than you, yet I have spent my days in a daze, which is truly shameful." Wang Hao smiled slightly and said, "Chief Clerk Chao has great talent and ambition; he will surely achieve great things later in life and surpass you." Chao Gai laughed heartily and said, "Thank you for your kind words, Young Master. Let me offer you a cup of wine!" They all drank together. Wang Hao asked, "Is the Eight Immortals Wine satisfactory, Chief Justice Chao?" Chao Gai was taken aback, then realized that Wang Hao's wine had been renamed "Eight Immortals Wine" in Dongjing (Kaifeng), no longer known as "Liangshan Fine Wine." He replied, "Unparalleled in the world, how could I not be satisfied?" Wang Hao said, "Liangshan Marsh is somewhat remote, surrounded by water, and sparsely populated. I'm thinking of building a winery outside Yuncheng County. After discussing it with the magistrate, we believe Dongxi Village is the most suitable." Seeing that Chao Gai was about to speak, Wang Hao stopped him, saying, "Brother Chief Justice, please let me finish. From a business perspective, Dongxi Village is suitable for two reasons: firstly, it's close to Yuncheng County, with a dense population, making it very convenient to recruit workers; secondly, it's adjacent to the Daxi River, providing abundant water. I will pay the villagers 10% more than the market price for the land used for the winery. What do you think, Brother Chief Justice?"

Chao Gai nodded and said, "It's a good thing that you've chosen to build your winery in Dongxi Village, sir. It will be easy for the villagers to find work during the off-season. However, the land you require is not yet determined; we don't know if it's cultivated land, wasteland, or unclaimed land. I would like to ask you to inspect the site first and confirm the location. Then, I will handle the negotiations with the villagers; it won't delay your important business!" Chao Gai's sincerity was evident, and Wang Hao said, "Then I'll trouble you, Brother Baozheng." At this moment, Chao Gai added, "If you don't mind, sir, you can stay at my estate tonight, and tomorrow I will personally take you to inspect Dongxi Village." Wang Hao knew that Chao Gai was hospitable and often had outlaws stay at his home, so he said, "In that case, at..." "I shall respectfully accept your offer," said the magistrate. "I shouldn't presume to do this, given Lord Chao's kind invitation," he replied. "But Lord Wang, you are of noble birth and may not be comfortable on a simple country bed. I will immediately order bedding and other necessities to be prepared and sent to Lord Chao's estate for you to stay in." Wang Hao quickly shook his head, saying, "I come from a poor family. How could I have become so pampered in just six months?" Chao Gai thought to himself, "My family has no women, and we only associate with rough men. Wang Hao is Wang Lun's only son, spoiled and pampered. What the magistrate says is indeed reasonable." He said, "It was indeed my oversight. I will immediately return to the estate and change your bedding and necessities." He then prepared to rise. The magistrate quickly pressed down on Chao Gai's arm, saying, "Lord Wang is here today to discuss matters with Chief Minister Chao. I am merely a guest; how can I allow Chief Minister Chao to leave halfway through? I should go to him." He then whispered in Chao Gai's ear, "Please, Chief Minister Chao, grant me this opportunity." Seeing the magistrate's resolute attitude, Chao Gai looked at Wang Hao, who smiled helplessly and said, "Do as the magistrate wishes!"

The magistrate smiled obsequiously and said, "Thank you, Lord Wang and Chief Clerk Chao." He then looked at Song Jiang and said, "Song Jiang, please come with me." Song Jiang disliked Wang Hao, but the magistrate had forced him to prepare bedding for Wang Hao. He was extremely resentful, and if it weren't for his dark complexion, he probably wouldn't have been able to hide his ugly expression. He reluctantly said, "Yes, sir." Wang Hao didn't want to provoke Song Jiang, so he said to the magistrate, "Song Jiang and my father have a long-standing relationship, so he's practically an elder. If my father finds out about this trivial matter, he'll surely scold me. Please understand, magistrate!" The magistrate's expression changed instantly, and he said, "If Lord Wang gives an order, I will certainly obey. The county office has plenty of free manpower; I'll go and fetch them." Wang Hao said, "In that case, I'll trouble you, magistrate." The magistrate quickly replied, "Of course, of course!"

After the magistrate left, the three feasted for another half hour before parting ways. It was still early, and Wang Hao said to Chao Gai, "How about you show me around Dongxi Village, Chao Tianwang?" Chao Gai nodded and said, "We've had our fill; it'll be good to digest. Please, young master!" Reaching a fork in the road, Chao Gai looked at Song Jiang and asked, "Brother Song, would you like to go home first, or come with us for a walk outside the city?" Although Song Jiang was reluctant to visit Wang Hao, he was also curious about him and said, "I haven't been to my brother's house for many days; I have nothing to do today." Before Song Jiang could finish speaking, Chao Gai interjected, "Then let's go together." Wang Hao ordered his men to bring the oxcart, and the three of them headed towards Dongxi Village. Dongxi Village had over 130 households and 780 people. Surrounded by farmland, it had abundant water resources; the villagers had dug irrigation ditches to bring water from the streams to the distant fields. It was late spring, and although the flowers were withered, the village was lush and verdant. Wang Hao looked north and saw two gentle slopes. He asked, "Is it possible to dig a well at the foot of these slopes?" Chao Gai looked in the same direction and said, "Those two slopes, one large and one small, are called Gourd Slopes. There's a pond at the foot of the slopes, about an acre in size, with a very strong current. As for whether a well can be dug there, I don't know!" Wang Hao said, "How about we take a look?" Chao Gai said, "Please, Young Master Wang!"

The closer they got to the hillside, the more stones appeared on the ground. Wang Hao kicked a small stone, but it wouldn't budge. Seeing this, Chao Gai said, "These are stones that grew from the ground. If you clear away the surface soil, you'll probably find slabs of stone underneath." Wang Hao asked, "Why is that?" Chao Gai replied, "The old folks in the village say that the Yellow River flooded a lot in the past, bringing a large amount of silt that buried these two hillsides. Because the soil layer is too shallow, crops can't grow here, and large trees can't grow either; only these wild grasses remain." Soon, a pool of water appeared before them. Wang Hao went to the water's edge and saw that the water was clear. The bottom of the pool, near the hillside, was all rocks covered with moss; the other side was all silt, covered with reeds and aquatic plants. Wang Hao squatted down, scooped up some water, and drank a mouthful, finding the water quality excellent. The three walked along the pond's edge to the hillside and continued forward. When they reached the area between two hills, Wang Hao noticed the ripples on the water and asked, "Is this the spring?" Chao Gai replied, "Six years ago, due to a drought, the pond's water level dropped by a foot, and I saw the spring gushing forth here. But the old man said there are five or six springs in this pond, and the deeper you go, the more turbulent the water becomes." Wang Hao was very satisfied and said, "Tomorrow I will ask Master Xu from the distillery to come and inspect the site. If there are no problems, the distillery will be built here."

Chao Gai said that the area within two miles was all wasteland, except for a dozen or so fruit trees on the mountain that were being looked after. Wang Hao said, "How about three hundred coins per fruit tree?" Chao Gai said, "No need for you to spend money, young master. The fruit trees on the mountain originally belonged to me. I don't like these trivial matters, so I asked my neighbors to look after them, and they will give me the harvest every year. I will let them know when the time comes, and no one will cause trouble." Wang Hao said, "King Chao doesn't care about money. If this matter is settled, I will give you twenty jars of Eight Immortals Wine a month later as a token of my appreciation." Chao Gai quickly said, "How can I let you spend so much, young master?" Wang Hao was very sincere and said, "King Chao, I hope you will accept this with a smile!" Chao Gai smiled awkwardly and said, "Then I will respectfully accept your offer. Thank you, young master Wang!" As evening approached, Wang Hao and Chao Gai returned to the manor. Just then, the county magistrate finished packing and was preparing to return to the county office. Seeing Wang Hao return, he asked, "Lord Wang, do you have a place in mind?" Wang Hao replied, "There is a large area of ​​wasteland at Hulu Slope, and the water source is plentiful. After the head chef of the distillery inspects the site tomorrow, if there are no unforeseen circumstances, this will be the place." The county magistrate said, "Congratulations, Lord Wang! When Eight Immortals Wine becomes famous throughout the country, it will likely be your day of promotion." Wang Hao smiled slightly and said, "If I am indeed promoted, I will certainly not forget the kindness shown to me by the county magistrate today." "I will certainly speak well of you before the Emperor." The magistrate quickly bowed and said, "This humble official thanks Lord Wang for his guidance." Wang Hao said, "Working together will bring mutual benefit!" The magistrate thanked him again, then looked at Song Jiang and said, "Would Clerk Song like to return to the county town with me?" Song Jiang looked at Chao Gai and said, "It's getting late, brother, I'll take my leave first." Chao Gai said, "Brother, I won't keep you any longer. We'll meet again another day." As the sun set, the magistrate and Song Jiang returned to Yuncheng County, while Wang Hao and Chao Gai entered the manor.

Chao Gai escorted Wang Hao to the side room, and both were astonished. Wang Hao asked, "Does Your Majesty Chao remember what the room used to look like?" Chao Gai replied, "A kang (heated brick bed), two quilts, a wooden table, two wooden chairs, a water vat, and a wooden basin. Now, it seems even the kang has been replaced, and the table, chairs, water vat, and basin have all been replaced with new ones." Wang Hao said, "The magistrate is truly talented to have decorated your side room like this in half a day!" Chao Gai thought to himself, "If officials could focus their efforts on maintaining order and improving people's lives, how much better the lives of ordinary people would be. Instead, they only know how to flatter and fawn." He sighed unconsciously. To prevent Wang Hao from noticing his unusual behavior, Chao Gai said, "Young Master Wang, please rest for a moment. I will have the servants prepare a meal." Wang Hao said, "Thank you for your trouble, Your Majesty Chao."

The next morning, Old Man Xu brought his two sons to Dongxi Village. Wang Hao led Old Man Xu straight to Hulu Slope. Upon arriving at the slope, Old Man Xu did not first taste the water in the pond, but instead went straight to the top. Wang Hao asked, "The pond is below, yet Master Xu goes straight to the top of the mountain. What is the meaning of this?" Old Man Xu replied, "Young master, you do not understand. Mountains and water are interdependent; good mountains naturally produce good water." Wang Hao said, "In that case, what we are standing on is just a hillside. How can it produce good water?" Old Man Xu replied, "Not so. A mountain is not valued for its height, but for its spirit. A mountain with spirit can produce good water even if it is just a rock."