Chapter 101: Jin Prefecture’s Two Pillar Industries
How can a transmigrator not make wine?
This is a divine artifact for making money!
Although the mainstream in this era is yellow wine and rice wine, the Western Regions prefer grape wine, fruit wine, and horse milk wine.
But facts have proven that strong liquor also has a great market demand in this era.
In places like the Northern Frontier, where it’s bitterly cold, a sip of strong liquor in winter makes one feel warm all over, which is very comfortable.
It is simply a divine artifact for warming up and getting through the winter.
Especially the men in the army, they prefer this kind of strong liquor.
To them, women should be spicier, and wine should be stronger.
Strong liquor can help them quickly forget the fear and pain brought by war, numb their nerves, and make them bold and unrestrained, fearless on the battlefield.
As for the rule in the army that prohibits drinking, it has never applied to nomadic peoples, and drinking is not forbidden in the Western Liao army.
Even in the Central Plains, it is not soldiers who are forbidden to drink, but generals.
After all, in the history of the Central Plains, only generals are heard to have made mistakes due to drinking, and it has never been heard that a war was lost because of soldiers drinking.
Or, on the other hand, prohibiting soldiers from drinking is simply because of grain shortages, making it impossible to produce and supply large quantities of wine to the army.
However, in this regard, there is no problem with the “Western Wind Fierce” brewed by Li Xiao.
Because the cost of Western Wind Fierce is lower than other types of wine.
Horse milk wine requires a large amount of animal milk, fruit wine requires a large amount of fruit, and yellow wine requires grains like millet and glutinous rice, and the quality of the grains cannot be poor.
But strong liquor does not have these troubles.
Coarse grains such as sorghum, sweet potatoes, and highland barley can all be used for brewing wine.
Even bran can be a source for its brewing, as long as it can ferment and produce alcohol.
These coarse grains are produced in large quantities and do not require meticulous care, so their price is naturally much lower.
Therefore, the cost of Western Wind Fierce brewed from coarse grains is bound to be much lower than that of yellow wine, fruit wine, etc., which have strict requirements for various conditions.
As a transmigrator, Li Xiao would definitely not forget about winemaking, this divine artifact for making money.
Since he already knows that white liquor has market demand in the Northern Frontier, the grasslands, and among soldiers, Li Xiao will definitely get this industry going.
Develop commerce in Jin Prefecture, making white liquor one of Jin Prefecture’s pillar industries.
Seeing Xiao Tula Duo’s face flushed and steam rising from his head, Li Xiao chuckled and said:
“This is the latest strong liquor brewed in my Jin Prefecture, it has never been sold to the outside world, so it’s normal that Old Xiao you haven’t heard of it.”
“When you leave, I can even give you two carts.”
After a cup of wine, Li Xiao directly put his arm around Xiao Tula Duo’s shoulders, and they started calling each other Old Xiao and Old Li.
Hearing that Li Xiao was going to give him two carts of Western Wind Fierce, Xiao Tula Duo’s expression immediately showed excitement.
He chuckled and said, “That would be great.”
“I knew it, you Li Xiao are the most generous.”
“You’re a good fellow.”
Xiao Tula Duo gave him a thumbs-up.
Li Xiao laughed and, seizing the opportunity, asked, “Old Xiao, based on your experience, can my Western Wind Fierce be sold?”
Xiao Tula Duo nodded repeatedly, “It can be sold, of course it can be sold.”
“It will definitely sell well.”
Although the temperature in the Northern Frontier feels quite comfortable now, once autumn passes, the temperature in the Northern Frontier will suddenly drop, freezing people to death.
Heavy snow will block the mountains, and it won’t thaw for several months.
Therefore, people in the Northern Frontier like to drink a little wine to warm their bodies.
Once Li Xiao’s Western Wind Fierce comes out, it will inevitably and quickly replace the low-concentration horse milk wine and fruit wine.
It will become the most fashionable drink for the middle and upper classes in the Northern Frontier.
It will definitely sell very well.
Li Xiao smiled happily, patted Xiao Tula Duo on the shoulder, and said with great pride: “Alright.”
“Based on your word, Old Xiao, from now on, the wine you drink, I, Li Xiao, will provide.”
Hearing Li Xiao’s words, Xiao Tula Duo’s heart immediately became vigilant, and most of his drunkenness dissipated.
As the saying goes, unsolicited kindness is not without motive.
Li Xiao’s generosity towards him was definitely not because of their close relationship, but because there was something he needed Xiao Tula Duo to do.
“No, no, no~”
“This Western Wind Fierce is so potent, its brewing must require a lot, and it’s very valuable.”
“One does not receive rewards without merit, brother, I am not worthy.”
Xiao Tula Duo quickly waved his hands to refuse, fearing that Li Xiao would make any excessive demands.
Li Xiao, seeing this, pretended to be displeased and said, “Old Xiao, are you being distant with your brother?”
“It’s just some alcoholic beverage, not worth much money.”
“It’s just my brother’s intention.”
Xiao Tula Duo continued to decline, and after a round of polite refusals, Li Xiao pretended to be annoyed and said:
“How about this, Old Xiao, if you really feel embarrassed, just do me a small favor.”
Upon hearing Li Xiao’s words, Xiao Tula Duo immediately understood that the real business was about to begin.
Pretending to be drunk, he said, “Brother, you say it, as long as it’s something brother can do, there will be no objections.”
Although he was generous, he left a lot of room for maneuver in his words, with the premise being that he could do it.
“For Old Xiao, it’s just a casual matter,” Li Xiao said with a laugh.
“Although I have brewed Western Wind Fierce, to turn it into money, I must sell it.”
“So, brother plans to open a few shops in the Great Desert to sell alcoholic beverages.”
“Then I will have to trouble you, brother, to take care of things.”
“I won’t let you help for free. Those few wine shops, I’ll give you a 20% stake as your hard work fee.”
Among the Four Prefectures of the Northern Frontier, Yin Mountains has the largest population, the North Sea has the largest area, and Jin Prefecture has the most fierce folk customs.
But if you were to ask who is the richest, it would undoubtedly be the Great Desert.
After leaving Yang Pass, the Silk Road has two path choices.
They are the corridors on the southern and northern foothills of the Tianshan Mountains.
The core part of the Great Desert is located in the northern foothills of the Yin Mountains.
North from the foot of the Tianshan Mountains, all the way to the edge of the Gurbantünggüt Desert.
This is an oasis corridor that is over a thousand li long and more than two hundred li wide.
Because of the existence of the Silk Road, this oasis corridor north of the Tianshan Mountains has become very prosperous.
Famous Western Regions cities such as Changbalyk, Bieshibao, and Yangjiba Li were born here.
The commercial atmosphere of the Great Desert has also become particularly strong.
Therefore, when Li Xiao chose to sell Western Wind Fierce, his first choice was definitely the Great Desert.
With the help of the Silk Road, Western Wind Fierce will be sold to the Central Plains and the West.
In this era, doing business also requires a background.
If your backing is not strong, you will only be bullied.
So, in the Great Desert, Li Xiao decided to cooperate with Xiao Tula Duo, the Great Desert Governor, and give him a 20% stake as protection money.
After all, the profit of Western Wind Fierce is huge, and even after deducting the 20% stake, Li Xiao can still make a huge profit.
After listening to Li Xiao’s words, Xiao Tula Duo felt a heavy sigh of relief in his heart.
He thought Li Xiao had some troublesome matter to ask of him and was already thinking about how to refuse.
He didn’t expect it to be such a simple matter.
“Hey, brother, isn’t it just about taking care of your business?”
“This is not a problem at all? For brother, it’s just a casual thing.”
“And giving away a 20% stake, isn’t that slapping my Old Xiao’s face!”
“No, no, hurry up and take it back, I don’t want it,” Xiao Tula Duo said righteously and refused.
Li Xiao desperately tried to stuff it into his pocket. In the end, unable to resist Li Xiao’s persistence, Xiao Tula Duo reluctantly accepted it.
He also guaranteed that as long as he was the governor of the Great Desert, no one would dare to cause trouble for Li Xiao’s business.
In this way, it was a situation where everyone was happy.
The two sides continued to clink glasses and toast each other.
Xiao Tula Duo also drank Western Wind Fierce, accepting every offer, and was getting quite drunk.
Although Li Xiao’s request was indeed a casual matter for Xiao Tula Duo, accounts cannot be settled like this.
Relationships maintained by sentiment are not reliable.
It doesn’t matter if Western Wind Fierce makes less money, but once it starts making a lot of money, and Xiao Tula Duo sees carts and carts of money being pulled to Jin Prefecture.
Would he feel comfortable?
Therefore, it is the relationship of interest that is the most stable.
Li Xiao only paid a 20% stake, but gained several times the amount of money.
“With Xiao Tula Duo in the Great Desert, the protection fee for Yin Mountains will go to Xiao Yanyan, after all, it’s family money.”
“She, a dignified princess and the sister of Xiao Simo, will definitely be able to cover Yin Mountains.”
Li Xiao thought to himself.
Currently, because the production of Western Wind Fierce is not large, it can only be distributed in Yin Mountains and the Great Desert.
As for other places, he can only find local strongmen candidates later.
And besides alcoholic beverages, Li Xiao has another business to cooperate with Xiao Tula Duo.
“Open a cloth store and a fur store?”
“No problem,” Xiao Tula Duo patted his chest and guaranteed.
At this time, he was already quite drunk, his eyes were red, and he said to Li Xiao with a chuckle, “Let alone a cloth store, even if you open a gold shop, brother, I can definitely cover it.”
“Good, Brother Xiao, you are truly generous,” Li Xiao said, clapping his hands.
“Just like with Western Wind Fierce, I’ll give you a 20% stake, Old Brother.”
“No, no~” Xiao Tula Duo shook his head and swayed.
“You’re slapping brother’s face again.”
In the end, under Li Xiao’s insistence, Xiao Tula Duo had to reluctantly accept the 20% stake.
He was still chuckling inwardly, that becoming the governor of the Great Desert was truly an incredibly correct decision.
It’s too convenient to make money.
Xiao Tula Duo fought battles his whole life. Now that he’s getting old, what’s wrong with making some money and enjoying himself?
