Moma Liangshan

Chapter 2: The mountain roads are treacherous, and the waterways are dangerous.

Wang Hao was filled with fear and dared not fall asleep for a long time, but drowsiness overcame him and his eyes closed involuntarily. The night passed uneventfully until the rooster crowed three times. Wang Hao, dressed neatly, went to pay his respects to Wang Lun. Stepping out of the house, he saw his henchmen walking in twos and threes towards the training ground in the center of the camp. Looking into the distance, Wang Hao saw Du Qian and Song Wan already standing in the center of the training ground. The henchmen's training was rather casual; some practiced boxing, some practiced with knives, some wielded sticks, and some swung stone weights to hone their strength. At this moment, Wang Lun's voice rang out: "Son caught a chill yesterday, why not rest a little longer today?" Wang Hao was surprised by Wang Lun's sudden appearance and said, "Son drank rice porridge last night and is mostly better now, without any discomfort at all." Wang Lun laughed and said, "If you weren't still the same in appearance and manner, I would really doubt whether you're a fake. You used to only know how to climb on roofs and fish in the water, where was there even a trace of my elegant demeanor as a white-robed scholar? It's a pity your mother died young, and for the past fourteen years you've followed me through countless battles and suffered a lot. It would be best if our family business could be passed down to you, but if not, I will definitely buy you several hundred acres of fertile land in the rice-producing region of Jiangnan, ensuring you have no worries about food and clothing."

Wang Hao finally learned his current age and understood his father better. As the saying goes, "A scholar's rebellion will never succeed in ten years." Wang Lun had neither great talent nor broad-mindedness; he only wanted to protect the family business he had. However, fate had other plans. Unable to go with the flow, he could only be forced by circumstances, ultimately leading to the destruction of his family and his own death. Wang Hao asked, "Father, have you been corresponding with Master Chai?" Wang Lun was taken aback and said, "Yes. If it weren't for Master Chai's help back then, how could I have achieved my current prestige? You'd probably have frozen to death some winter by now!" Wang Hao said, "I've heard that Master Chai enjoys making friends with heroes from all over the world. I'd like to visit him next spring to broaden my horizons!" Wang Lun was greatly surprised, but secretly delighted, and said, "If you have such a wish, I will certainly give you my full support." Wang Hao then asked, "Why didn't we see Leader Zhu at the training ground?" Wang Lun replied, "He was responsible for gathering intelligence down the mountain. He returned to the tavern down the mountain late last night." Wang Hao said, "It's boring up here. I'd like to go down the mountain to play." Wang Lun nodded and said, "Be careful on the road, and don't row the boat alone." Wang Hao replied, "I understand!"

After breakfast and taking his fur coat, Wang Hao gathered two henchmen and headed straight for Golden Beach. It was still early, so the three walked and stopped, surveying the mountains and passes of Liangshan stronghold. At this time, Liangshan was still a small, insignificant place, completely unlike the grand scale of the eight heroes during Song Jiang's era. From the stronghold gate to Golden Beach, there were three passes in between, but of the five strategic points, only the stronghold gate and the main pass at the foot of the mountain were guarded by three to five henchmen each; the rest were deserted. Wang Hao thought to himself, "My father truly lacks any heroic qualities. He guards this strategically important place, yet he's managed to turn it into a bandit's den." Half an hour later, Golden Beach was at their feet. Wang Hao had two henchmen row a boat into Liangshan Marsh. On the boat, Wang Hao had expected a vast, shimmering expanse of magnificent open space, but the reality was quite the opposite. Mountains and rivers intertwined, water and sky met, and rapids and shoals cascaded down in layers. The reed marshes were gloomy and treacherous, hiding venomous snakes and giant crocodiles; the strange trees were menacing and spooky, as if torn apart by vengeful ghosts. As far as the eye could see, waterways meandered, and vegetation blocked out the sky. After traveling seven or eight miles by water, passing through the last barrier of vegetation, the view suddenly opened up, and the scenery on the shore could be vaguely seen.

The hotel at the foot of the mountain was built over the lake, with a pavilion extending more than ten steps into the lake to the east, serving as a mooring place for wooden boats. Once the boats were docked, Wang Hao climbed onto the pavilion and entered the hotel. At that moment, Zhu Gui was standing behind the counter, diligently working on an abacus. An elderly man stood before the counter, his posture very respectful, seemingly waiting for a response. After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Zhu Gui closed the ledger, put away the abacus, and said, "Ten jars of small wine, eighty coins per jar; six jars of large wine, one hundred and eighty coins per jar; thirty catties of beef, seventy coins per catty; twenty catties of mutton, sixty coins per catty; five fat geese, sixty coins each; five tender chickens, thirty coins each; a total of seven strings and two hundred and forty coins. Is that correct?" Wang Hao silently calculated in his mind: "Eight hundred plus one thousand and eighty, plus two thousand one hundred, plus one thousand two hundred, plus three hundred, plus one hundred and fifty, totaling five thousand six hundred and thirty, which equals seven strings and two hundred and forty coins. So one string is seven hundred and seventy coins." The old man replied, "What Manager Zhu says is certainly true."

Wang Hao, who had been standing two steps behind Zhu Gui, suddenly spoke up, asking, "Do you want silver or copper coins?" Zhu Gui was surprised and quickly replied, "Greetings, young master!" Wang Hao was taken aback, wondering why he was addressed as "young master" today, but then he understood—there was an outsider present. The old man, knowing his employer was asking, dared not be negligent and said, "One tael of silver for two strings of cash. It's a small business, so copper coins will do." Wang Hao wanted exactly that "one tael of silver for two strings of cash," understanding the basic exchange rate, and then asked, "Is this wine brewed by you?" The old man looked surprised and angry, saying, "My winery is registered with the government; I'm absolutely innocent." It turned out that the Song people loved wine, and wine tax was always a significant part of the imperial revenue. Private brewing required registration with the government and paying taxes according to law. The old man assumed Wang Hao was trying to undercut the price under the pretext of "private brewing," hence his expression. Wang Hao nodded and said, "I'll pay you eight strings of cash today. Could you show me your winery?"

The old man, puzzled, said, "Young master, you're too kind. You may visit my humble winery; there's no need to pay extra." Winemaking was extremely common in the Song Dynasty, a skill almost every household possessed, though the quantity and quality of the wine varied greatly. Wang Hao, disliking refusals, looked at Zhu Gui. Zhu Gui said, "Old man, there's no need to refuse. Treat my young master well, and you'll be rewarded in the future." Wang Hao then asked, "What is your surname, sir, and where is your winery?" The old man replied, "My surname is Xu, and I live in Xu Family Village, eight li away. You can call me Old Man Xu." Wang Hao nodded, then looked at the two henchmen behind him and said, "Would you two come with me?" Before the two henchmen could speak, Zhu Gui said, "When a young master travels, he should naturally bring two attendants. Why don't you thank him?" Wang Lun was known for protecting his son in the mountain stronghold; otherwise, Zhu Gui wouldn't be so cautious around Wang Hao. Two henchmen said in turn, "We are Zhang San Gou and Ma Decao, greetings, young master." Wang Hao frowned unconsciously and asked, "Are these your two names?" The two henchmen replied in unison, "We only have one name." At this moment, an old man standing nearby said, "Poor children don't have proper names. As long as you can tell us who you are, that's enough." Wang Hao nodded. The old man took the money, led the oxcart, and headed towards the wine shop with Wang Hao and the other two.

Yesterday's banquet, though everyone enjoyed themselves immensely, left Wang Hao utterly bored. The reason? The wine in his cup was terribly cloudy and of poor quality. Aside from his inability to recall his origins, Wang Hao's memories were complete. Later generations' spirits were all distilled. The wine he drank yesterday was murky and tasted bland—definitely not distilled. If distillation technology didn't exist in the Song Dynasty, Wang Hao was confident he could fill that gap with his past life experience. He knew the Song Jiang uprising occurred at the end of the Northern Song Dynasty. He also understood his father Wang Lun's fate. With Wang Lun alive, he still had Liangshan Marsh as a foothold, and his livelihood was secure. But once Lin Chong, Chao Gai, and other powerful figures joined the bandits, it would be time for him and his father to be killed. Wang Lun was indeed incompetent and immoral, but his doting affection for his son Wang Hao was also undeniable. Reality didn't allow Wang Hao to sit idly by and await his fate; however, he had to carefully consider how to gradually integrate himself into society.

In later generations, many people brewed their own wine during festivals. The so-called distillation was simply a matter of placing the lees in a large pot, heating it over a low flame, placing a steamer on top, and then placing another large pot filled with cold water on top of that steamer to cool the rising steam. The steam condensed into droplets upon cooling and fell into a funnel directly below the iron pot. The funnel was connected to a guide trough, which channeled the collected liquid into a container. Although the principle was simple, the resulting liquor had an excellent taste. The Song people loved wine; one could see the wine from last night to this morning. If distilling liquor could be successfully done, one would surely gain a considerable fortune. With money in hand, if necessary, one could voluntarily leave Liangshan and become a wealthy man in Lingnan.

Wang Hao walked and stopped, surveying the landscape of the late Northern Song Dynasty. After about half an hour, a village came into view. The old man said, "Xu Family Village is just ahead." Wang Hao nodded and said, "Please lead the way, sir." After passing three willow trees and rounding a well, the group arrived at an open space. The old man pointed to the side and said, "Young master, look, this is the Xu Family Winery." The group entered the winery courtyard, and a strong man nearby called out, "Father, you're back!" The old man called back, "Second son, come quickly to greet our distinguished guests." The man put down his work and came over, asking, "And this young master is?" The old man said, "This is the young master of the lakeside inn. He's generous and has given us a full eight strings of cash for the goods today. Go tell your wife to prepare a feast of fish and meat for lunch to entertain our distinguished guests. Also, call your brother and sister-in-law's family to come and help." The man replied, "Son will go prepare right away."

Wang Hao did not refuse and began to wander around the winery. The old man beside him said, "Young master, have you ever brewed wine?" Wang Hao replied, "No." As expected, the old man said, "A wealthy family like yours naturally buys official wine." Wang Hao vaguely knew that there was a distinction between official wine and common wine in the Song Dynasty, but he did not know the difference. He asked, "What is the difference between official wine and common wine, and how can one distinguish them?" The old man said, "Wine brewed by the government is called official wine, and wine brewed by the common people is called common wine. Young master, do you think this Xu family winery is spacious enough?" Wang Hao replied, "The courtyard covers several acres, with more than ten thatched huts, so it is certainly spacious." The old man said, "The official wineries in Yuncheng County are ten times the size of the Xu family winery, and the Xu family winery is the best among the common wineries within a hundred miles."