RPAGF Chapter 454 Something went wrong
Chapter 454 Something went wrong
Ma Xiaolong's eyes instantly lit up like stars. His brother-in-law's action made him extremely happy. In fact, he knew that according to his family's situation, he probably wouldn't be able to eat the chicken drumstick, but his brother-in-law's initiative to give it to him still made him look forward to it.
However, as expected, Ma Caifeng was quick to take the chicken leg back, her face full of distress. "Aying, why are you giving it to Xiaolong? Eat it yourself. You've been running around outside, so you need to nourish yourself."
Seeing this, Zhuiying couldn't help but sneer at the corner of his mouth, and a nameless anger surged into his heart, but he finally forced himself to hold it back.
He cursed secretly in his heart: This crazy woman who doesn't know the seriousness of the matter, actually disregarded the feelings of her own brother just to please me, it's ridiculous!
Thinking of this, Zhuiying's face became more gloomy. He suddenly reached out and picked up the chicken leg, stuffed it into Ma Xiaolong's mouth without saying a word, and said in a tough tone with a bit of anger: "I said give it to him, so give it to him!" This sudden action stunned everyone present, and the atmosphere instantly became a little awkward.
When Wang Fuping saw that the atmosphere was not right, he immediately put on a smile and gently pulled Ma Ergun beside him without leaving any trace.
Ma Ergun understood what he meant and quickly tried to smooth things over with a smile on his face: "Come on, son-in-law, let's have a good drink together. You've been in our house for so long, but you've never had a proper drink with me." As he said this, he enthusiastically raised the coarse earthenware bowl in his hand.
Zhuiying glanced at the slightly murky sweet potato wine in the bowl, feeling reluctant. He couldn't help but think of Fusu's instructions. After hesitating for a moment, he slowly picked up the bowl.
If he were in the capital, with his status, he wouldn't even glance at such crude wine. After all, he had always been by the Crown Prince's side, and the wine he drank on a daily basis was the finest wine offered to the royal family. Its rich flavor and fragrant aroma were a world apart from the sweet potato wine in front of him.
Zhuiying subconsciously took a sip, and instantly, the unique aroma of the wine filled his mouth. He couldn't help but be slightly surprised. This wine... was unexpectedly delicious! It was sweet and mellow, in no way inferior to the fine wines presented as tribute to the royal family. Zhuiying's eyes flashed with surprise, and then he couldn't help but take another sip, carefully savoring the unique flavor. Ever since he left the capital with the prince and traveled around, he hadn't tasted such a pleasant wine in a long time.
Wang Fuping saw his beloved son-in-law drink three sips of the wine he brewed himself, and his face was full of smiles. He hurriedly and enthusiastically filled his son-in-law's glass.
Ma Caifeng, on the other hand, kept picking up food for Zhuiying, her eyes full of tenderness. Ma Ergun was also busy, vividly recounting various anecdotes from the village, such as the Zhang family's cow that got lost and then found itself, and the Li family's daughter's wedding that caused a huge joke.
In this warm and lively atmosphere, Zhuiying felt that living a simple and peaceful life might not be so bad after all. The intrigues and deceptions he had experienced in the capital seemed to have faded away, and a rare sense of peace emerged in his heart.
Zhuiying looked at Wang Fuping with a curious look and asked, "How did you figure out how to make this sweet potato wine?"
Wang Fuping smiled softly, a hint of nostalgia in his eyes, and said, "I learned this when I was at my mother's house. In the early years, I could also make corn wine, but grain was very precious, so I didn't dare to do it all these years. Now that the sweet potato harvest is great, I tried making sweet potato wine according to the method I used to make corn wine."
A glint flashed in Zhuiying's eyes. "Don't underestimate this wine. It tastes just as good as the wine in the capital. Have you ever thought about bringing this sweet potato wine to the city to sell?"
Wang Fuping was so shocked by this that her mouth dropped open, and she was speechless for a long time. After a long while, she stammered, "How could that be possible? The city is full of prominent figures, there's no place for us country folk. Besides, I'm just a country woman, how could I possibly have that kind of ability..." She said, waving her hands repeatedly.
Zhuiying patiently persuaded him, "Why don't you sell this sweet potato wine in Xiuying's sweet potato shop? Just give Xiuying a little money as rent every month, and it shouldn't be a big deal. Besides, think about it, the sweet potato shop already has a regular customer base, with a lot of people coming and going. A wine jar doesn't take up much space, so you can put it in a corner of the shop without getting in the way. That way, your sweet potato wine will have a market, right?"
Wang Fuping's heart was moved as she listened to Zhuiying's words. A hint of excitement gradually appeared in her eyes. She had learned the winemaking skill from her mother since she was a child. Her mother's family had been skilled winemakers for generations, and they had a unique brewing secret recipe.
However, since she married into Futian Village, she had never brewed wine due to the scarcity of food. Now, after finally waiting for the sweet potato harvest, she has the opportunity to pick up this craft again.
If it is true as Zhuiying said, sweet potato wine can be sold in the city, then it will undoubtedly be an additional reliable source of income for the family.
Wang Fuping asked with a slightly trembling voice, "Then...then how much is a reasonable price for this wine?"
She had a calculation in mind: before the famine, a pound of grain wine in the capital could be sold for thirty coins. She felt sorry for Ma Ergun and would occasionally walk to the city to buy him half a pound of wine to satisfy his craving.
She also knew that sweet potatoes were not as precious as grains after all, and the price of wine brewed from sweet potatoes naturally could not be compared with that of wine brewed from grains, but it had to be sold at least ten cents per pound to be cost-effective.
Zhuiying frowned slightly, pondered for a moment, and said, "Let's sell it at twenty wen per catty. This price is neither too high nor too low, just right. If it's sold too cheaply, the profit will be thin and we won't make much; but if it's sold too expensively, I'm afraid no one will be willing to buy it. After all, everyone cares about value for money. If it's too expensive, there will be no market."
"Okay, then I'll listen to you. Twenty cents per pound!" Wang Fuping slapped his thigh excitedly, "I'll go find Xiuying tomorrow and tell her to put a jar of wine for sale in the store." As she spoke, she smiled and picked up a piece of tender chicken for Zhuiying.
Ma Ergun, who was standing by, remained silent the entire time, just quietly listening to the conversation between the two and taking it all in. He knew in his heart that his beloved son-in-law was no ordinary person, and must be someone from a prominent background who had seen a lot of the world.
Moreover, his son-in-law's behavior today was truly unusual. He was usually calm and taciturn, but today, not only had he drunk, but he also talked a lot and even, for the first time ever, offered Xiaolong a chicken drumstick. Ma Ergun thought to himself that if something was out of the ordinary, there must be something fishy going on. There must be some unknown reason behind this.