Chapter 6: Homemade Wine (Part 2)
Seeing Master Su's smile, Zhang Xuanning also smiled faintly. He got more than three hundred taels of silver, one hundred taels of which were distributed on the spot, and one hundred taels of which were required for his brothers to settle trivial matters. The remaining one hundred taels of silver were all used to buy gifts. If they were still not satisfied, it would not be his fault.
When people live in the world, there are human rules and regulations. They may not be written down, but they can all be explained. So no matter what, once this attitude is taken, no one can say anything.
When the dishes were served, Zhang Xuanning was the first to serve them, pouring wine for the two of them, and said, "Come, I'll toast to father and brother."
Having said that, Zhang Xuanning picked up the cup and drank it down, but he found it tasted light at first, not as strong as the white liquor of later generations .
"Okay, I'll just have a drink today." Master Su also drank a glass of wine.
However, although he was smiling, after Su Ling drank a glass of wine and looked at Zhang Xuanning's smiling face, a feeling of irritability crawled over his heart like thorns. Reluctantly waving away the unhappiness in his heart, he drank the wine in one gulp: "This guy was still a servant half a year ago, but now he has really climbed up. If I hadn't been crippled, all of these would be mine, hum!"
Although he knew it was jealousy, he had trouble controlling his emotions and let the poison coursing through his veins. He also knew that he could not show this emotion, so he drank heartily, letting the frequent gulps and the power of alcohol conceal most of his true expression.
"What will my son do in the future?"
"Father, I just built the incense shop, and my brothers are far from competent. I want to let them practice first. After all, Yan Kuan is nothing in Yangzhou City, but other Taoist temples are not so easy to run." Zhang Xuanning whispered: "Look, is this the right way to do it?"
"Isn't that a bit too conservative?"
"My dear father, there are too few people who can do things. There is a hotel on the street that I control now. It was originally owned by Yan Kuan. You know that none of us know how to do business. I wonder if you can take charge of it? I would like to ask my brother to take it over so that my brothers will have a place to eat in the future." Zhang Xuanning did not want to discuss the issue of being conservative or not, and directly changed the subject.
Everyone present couldn't help but gasp. In Yangzhou city, a store and business like this could make a profit of more than ten taels of silver a day, let alone a fortune. This was Yan Kuan's most important industry, and it was also what supported his brothers. To hand it over now was truly a generous gift.
"That's not good. Even fragrant food costs money."
"What's wrong with that? We don't know how to do business, and we don't have enough status and prestige. Only father can keep us in check. No matter what, please take it over with reluctance!" Zhang Xuanning said pleadingly, "As for Xiangkou, four streets can earn two hundred taels of silver a month, which is enough to support the brothers. Besides, if the brothers want to become useful, they must hone themselves. I also want to ask father to negotiate with the hall and give the brothers some ways to run around!"
Master Su was a little hesitant. He knew the value of Yan Kuan's hotel in Nanmen Market. It was the core of Yan Kuan's industry. If he got it, although he would have to make some arrangements, it would be more than enough to earn two thousand taels of silver in a year. He couldn't help but be tempted.
However, precisely because of this, he felt a very difficult to grasp feeling when facing Zhang Xuan Ning's easy offering, and this feeling was very dangerous - although Zhang Xuan Ning usually behaved very respectfully, but out of the intuition of an old man in the world, he still felt the sharp edge behind him.
"Father, my brother is right. Since he doesn't know how to do business, then father will help him. After all, we are family." At this time, Su Ling also said that he was disabled and could not fight and kill, but he also wanted to do something. Now that he had this opportunity, how could he let it go?
Looking at his son's fiery eyes, Master Su couldn't help but sigh, and then said, "Since my son has such a request, as a father, how can I ignore it? Okay, I will take over this store."
"Father, I am so grateful for your help. If it weren't for you, I really don't know what to do!" Zhang Xuanning said gratefully.
Now that their positions had been made clear and their interests had become more closely linked, conversations naturally became much easier and more enthusiastic. They discussed some things and ate until the afternoon before the discussion ended.
Zhang Xuanning heaved a sigh of relief only after returning to his own residential area. This house originally belonged to Yan Kuan. It was still a mess, but it was his real home.
A little brother brought me hot water, wiped my face, washed it, and changed me into casual clothes, and I looked clean and refreshed.
The profits from the four streets were not that great, but the key point was that his own strength was not enough to even take over these four streets. Therefore, he had to give the biggest share to Master Su. Naturally, he would take on the various other matters of the halls. Although it seemed that he suffered a loss, in fact, he had gained his own foundation and development opportunities.
Besides, for him who is familiar with the history of The Twin Heroes of the Tang Dynasty, he would not care about such a small profit. He is not so stupid as to challenge the Shimen Dojo directly. His growth comes step by step.
Without the hotel, the protection money on the street can only be used to make a living. If you want to get rich, you must find other ways.
Selling illegal salt has become a viable option, but the time is not right yet.
Zhang Xuanning was lying on the bed, thinking carefully. Although most of the salt profits were controlled by the Haisha Gang and the Shuilong Gang, it did not mean that other gangs had no way out. It was just the difference between the main route and the branch route, and between getting a big share and a small share.
Since the hotel was given to Su Ye, it was only natural for Su Ye to introduce a salt road. The salt road was very dangerous, but it was what he wanted. Without these trials, how could he grow in a short time? He also needed the support of some confidants and desperate people - these were not something that could be obtained step by step in Yangzhou.
Thinking of this, he has decided to open a small salt road. Making money is secondary. The key is to hone and organize his core, eliminate the unqualified ones, and keep the qualified ones.
But all these have to be done slowly now. The cohesion, combination and running-in of personnel all take time. This is a truth that everyone knows. At this moment, Zhang Xuanning is making preparations on the one hand, and on the other hand, apart from the necessary food and drink, he is concentrating on practicing in the room.
In a blink of an eye, a month had passed, and Zhang Xuanning had been practicing diligently. Over the past year, he had made great progress. The true qi that had been shattered before was constantly being recycled and transformed. When he was practicing, a stream of true qi circulated in his body according to a certain pattern. He was not far from achieving the first level of success.
He practiced slowly, and suddenly he felt something in his mind and his breathing became long. He actually reached a state of forgetting both himself and the world, intentionally or unintentionally. Not long after, all the meridians in his body shook like thunder.
"The true Qi has been activated!" Zhang Xuan Ning thought silently. According to his memory, he had cultivated this body before. It was naturally quite easy for him to cultivate again now. Otherwise, it would be difficult to reach this level within a year. At that moment, Zhang Xuan Ning stopped thinking. He felt that the true Qi that had been falling apart in his body was constantly condensing. The Qi was like beads, flowing endlessly. The breakthrough to the first level was just around the corner.
You know, once you break through the first level, the original true energy can be completely recovered. Of course, due to the consumption between life and death, even if it is completely recovered, you will not directly jump to the original third level, and you may not even be able to break through the second level, but at least you can shorten the time to break through the second level.
More importantly, you need to completely sort out your body, eliminate all hidden dangers, and build a perfect mind-body foundation.
