Reborn in a small mountain village in 1991

Chapter 116: Learned Something New

Xu San took a deep sniff, but didn't move. He scratched the back of his head and said, "Brother, how about I go with you for a quick look before we leave? It won't take long, and we won't be late for school."

Xu Chunsheng glanced at him and gently pushed his back: "Studying is the most important thing. What's so interesting about the winery? I'll just take a look and then come back. You should hurry back to school or you'll miss your afternoon classes."

Seeing his second brother's firm attitude, Xu Sandi nodded reluctantly and walked towards the county's No. 1 Middle School, turning back every few steps. Even after he had walked quite a distance, he called out again, "Brother, go home early after you finish reading, there are fewer cars this afternoon!"

Xu Chunsheng raised his hand and replied, "I know, you're starting to nag me now. Hurry up and go to school, eat what you need to eat and don't think about saving money—"

"Oh—I understand."

Xu Chunsheng turned and walked towards the direction from which the aroma of wine was coming. Some green vegetables were planted in the field beside the ridge. When the wind blew, the damp and cold smell brought the aroma of wine to the foreground.

There was a bamboo grove ahead, and after going around it, you would see a large courtyard made of adobe bricks. The gate was ajar, and you could hear the soft clattering of things and the sound of people talking coming from inside.

Xu Chunsheng stepped forward and gently pushed open the half-closed door. He could see the scene in the courtyard at a glance. The processes of steaming grain, fermentation, and distillation were all carried out without fail, and he could even see the rising steam in the air. Xu Chunsheng stood at the door and quietly observed, pondering something in his mind.

The courtyard is not large, but the marks on the surrounding walls show that it has been around for many years.

Several fermentation pits were lined up against the wall, their openings covered with thick cotton cloth for insulation, the edges blackened by dampness. Near the main room, a large wooden steamer sat on the stove, where an elderly cook was skillfully scooping out steamed corn, spreading it out deftly.

Another, younger master craftsman stood guard at the spout, his gaze fixed intently on the flowing wine. The clear stream of wine fell into the earthenware jar with a crisp, thumping sound.

The older craftsman glanced over and nodded: "This batch of red sorghum is of good quality. The temperature is usually well controlled, and the first and last distillations are separated clearly, so the alcohol content is definitely correct."

This year, the autumn rains were incessant, and the air became frighteningly humid after winter set in, causing Xu Chunsheng to reduce the frequency of brewing wine.

The young foreman nodded and said, "Fortunately, we sealed the fermentation pit tightly and kept the temperature stable by adding firewood day and night, which ensured good fermentation."

.

The master craftsman nodded: "That's the problem. There's been a lot of rain lately, and the fog is even thicker. The air is full of moisture. Once the mash in the cellar absorbs enough moisture, the fermentation process becomes unstable, and the resulting wine is bland and sour. It's only because our old mud cellars have thick walls that the mud can buffer the moisture. Small workshops wouldn't dare to brew large quantities of wine at all."

Xu Chunsheng overheard their conversation, but he didn't interrupt. He simply stood quietly by the wooden door and listened attentively.

Inside the courtyard, the stove was burning brightly, filling the air with the aroma of wine, while outside, the cold wind was damp and chilly, creating a stark contrast.

Xu Chunsheng slowly swept his gaze across the entire courtyard: piles of raw materials, steaming stoves, mud cellars, distillation racks. The whole set of old-fashioned manual processes was simple and unpretentious, but every method of covering, sealing, and heat preservation was the experience accumulated by the older generation of craftsmen to combat the high humidity of early winter in southern Sichuan.

The old distillery had long since achieved constant temperature control, so there was no need to worry about dampness in the rainy and foggy winter.

However, in the rural workshops of the 1990s, these conditions were simply not available. The technology relied entirely on the experience of the master craftsmen, and the equipment consisted of cloth curtains and firewood for temperature control. It was precisely these old methods of dealing with the climate that gave the brewed liquor a kind of "earthly quality," something that mass-produced liquor lacked as technology advanced later on.

In winter, many small distilleries dare not increase production, fearing that the high humidity will ruin the lees. They steam less grain each day and supply the brewed wine to individual farmers, not daring to brew more.

Throughout the rural market, the early winter was characterized by persistent damp fog, making it difficult for any pure grain distillery to maintain stable liquor quality. As a result, there was a significant shortage of high-quality liquor on the market.

"Young man, what's wrong? Aren't you cold standing in the doorway in the wind?"

Only then did the master craftsman notice Xu Chunsheng by the door, stopping his work to look him over.

Seeing that Xu Chunsheng was neatly dressed and had a calm demeanor, he didn't think he was just there to join in the fun, so his tone became more questioning.

Xu Chunsheng pulled himself out of his thoughts, put on a humble and calm expression, and stepped into the warm courtyard.

He cupped his hands in greeting and replied softly, "Master, I'm from Tuanjie Town. I was just hanging out with my brother here when I passed by and smelled the aroma of wine, so I couldn't resist coming over to check. I hope I haven't kept you from your work?"

The older chef chuckled at this, his hands still stirring the corn in the steamer, steam obscuring his eyes and brows. "Tuanjie Town, is that in the upper part of the township? That's so far. What made you decide to come here for fun?"

"My younger brother is studying at the junior high school next door. It's been getting cold lately, so I brought him two coats."

Xu Chunsheng answered calmly and unhurriedly.

"Oh, I see. The No. 1 High School in the neighboring county is a good school. Your brother's grades must be very good. He'll definitely get into a good university in two days and get a good job. Then he'll have an easy life." The old man kept working and spoke simply to Xu Chunsheng, his tone full of praise.

"Just look around, there's nothing much to see, just don't touch it."

As Xu Chunsheng listened to others praising his younger brother, his smile deepened: "He really did study. He was the top student in the town when he came here, and the school specially recruited him."

"Then you guys go ahead with your work, I'll just take a look around, I definitely won't touch your things."

The experienced craftsman wasn't afraid of Xu Chunsheng stealing his skills. Others could easily remember the equipment and layout of the fermentation tanks after a few glances, but what truly mattered was the experience of observing the fermentation tanks:

When to seal the cellar, how to lay dry chaff to prevent moisture, how to properly ventilate the cellar, and how to control the temperature and prevent dampness in cold weather—these are the most important things. Other than looking at the decorations, even if you go back and build a set exactly the same way, it won't make a difference.

Therefore, the master craftsman only thought that Xu Chunsheng was just curious about brewing and did not take him seriously.

Xu Chunsheng took two more steps inside, his gaze falling on the steaming wooden still. He casually remarked, "Uncle, I see your family is still brewing so much wine even though it's winter. The wineries in our town are burning less in winter. Your skills are much better than theirs."

The master craftsman couldn't help but laugh as he listened to Xu Chunsheng's words, and he was happy to say a few more words, his tone filled with undisguised pride: "That's right, my skills may not be the best, but they are certainly among the best."

"Winter brewing is more troublesome than other times. In summer, as long as the ventilation and cooling are done well and the fermentation is not too vigorous and the flavors are mixed, it is fine. But in winter, you have to keep the tank warm and cover it with straw and cloth to keep it warm. In addition, the nights are cold in winter, and the fermentation time is a few days longer than in hot weather. If you don't manage it well on any day, the taste of the wine will be very different."

Xu Chunsheng listened quietly and kept these experiences in mind.

The reason we haven't built a fermentation tank at home is because we have other plans.

Currently, whether brewing baijiu or trying fruit wine, everyone is crammed into their own houses and on their homesteads. The space in front of and behind the house is so small that the space for distillation equipment, storage jars, and lees is already completely full.

Moreover, the scope of homestead land is limited. Although the land around the house belongs to the owner, it cannot be used arbitrarily to build factories.

If you really want to expand and strengthen the distillery, you need space to expand the cellars, store grains, and stack finished wine. Only by applying to the production brigade and getting a separate plot of land can you properly plan the cellar area, distillation area, and raw material storage area, and separate them to ensure moisture protection and cellar protection, so that you can brew wine in large quantities in the future.

The master craftsman in the courtyard, though skilled and experienced, only stayed in this small place, following the rules and slowly brewing and selling his craft, never thinking of expanding or strengthening it.

Seeing that Xu Chunsheng had stopped moving, the old master craftsman showed him off the old mud cellars in the yard: "Young man, do you see these cellars of mine? They are old pits that have been used for more than ten years. Some people just copy how to build distilling equipment and imitate the appearance of the cellars, but in the end they can't brew a mellow and fragrant wine. The reason lies in this pit."

"New pits need to be aged for at least three years, and even if you have connections to buy old pit mud, it will still take more than a year."

"That's why I'm not afraid of people coming to see. Who can afford to raise a cellar for three years without generating any revenue?"

Xu Chunsheng then flattered him, "Wow, just looking at this pool, it's quite old. I didn't expect it to be over ten years old."

The old master craftsman felt relieved to hear this and stopped working. He led Xu Chunsheng toward the fermentation pits, his smile widening. "Ten years is nothing. When we first dug these pits, I put so many things into them just to maintain them. For three whole years, we only put in the lees and didn't get any finished wine. We filled them with grains, yeast, and all sorts of things. Many people couldn't endure it and gave up long ago. Only I was able to hold on."

Xu Chunsheng nodded in agreement: "No wonder. If it were an ordinary person, they would probably be in a hurry to brew wine and sell it to recoup their costs. Only Uncle can keep such patience and cultivate such a good cellar."

Even if land was allocated and new fermentation pits were dug in the 1990s, rural people couldn't afford to buy inoculants and relied entirely on traditional methods to maintain the pits.

After the cellar is repaired, it is left to dry for half a month. After it is completely dry, the lees are used to seal the cellar in turn for maintenance. The wine brewed in the first year cannot be sold and can only be stored in jars as a base. To truly open up large-scale brewing and produce wine of a presentable quality, it must be at least three years.

If production is rushed and started early, the resulting wine will be dull and have an earthy, strange taste that customers can taste immediately, which will damage the reputation of the winery. This is why old craftsmen are reluctant to use new cellars, and why many people cannot afford such high costs.

Even if you manage to buy the bacterial culture through connections, it will still take at least half a year to cultivate it.

Moreover, the strains are only available from long-established state-owned wineries within the province. Private wineries can only purchase small quantities of strains by asking acquaintances or going through supply and sales channels, and even then, the prices are not cheap. A letter of introduction is also required, and individual wineries simply cannot buy them by visiting the wineries on their own.

Although the city's Light Industry Institute specializes in supplying brewing microbial strains, it only deals with collective and township-run wineries. It is very difficult to get approval for private breweries, and the procedures are also very complicated.

Therefore, the only way for ordinary people to do this is to spend money to buy mature old cellar mud from established wineries and use the mud to cultivate the cellars with the complete set of natural bacteria that come with it.

Xu Chunsheng pondered these matters, planning to consult Tang Yongnian about repairing the winery when he returned, to hear his opinion, and also because he should have connections to purchase the microbial culture.

For now, we still need to run our pig farms well, streamline the processes of slaughtering, disease prevention, and feed turnover, and save up capital and stabilize our customer base.

Once we have a solid financial foundation and the new distillery site approved by the brigade has been built, and the new cellars have been properly maintained, we can expand the scale of both operations simultaneously. With pig farming and winemaking supporting each other, the business can proceed steadily.

Xu Chunsheng chatted with the others for a few more minutes before making an excuse to leave: "Uncle, I'm sorry to bother you while you're working. I have to catch the bus. I'm going to be too late; there won't be any more buses back to town."

"Yes, yes, you can come again next time."

The old master craftsman took an empty bottle from inside the house, filled it with some wine, and handed it to Xu Chunsheng: "It's homemade, so it doesn't have much alcohol. We've been chatting for so long, and I can tell you're interested in this business. If you think my wine is good, come and patronize us more often in the next couple of days."

Xu Chunsheng felt a little guilty, realizing he might not be able to support their business anymore. He took the bottle and said sincerely, "Yes, I'll definitely come back to cooperate with you in the future. I heard that cement tanks can be used to brew small-batch liquor. You guys could set one up, that would increase the variety of products!"

After leaving the courtyard, Xu Chunsheng walked towards the station. On the way, he was attracted by the sound of an appliance store in the distance. He stood outside for a while. Inside, a row of color TVs were all lit up, playing the once-famous "GG" on a loop.

"It's time to get a TV for the house," Xu Chunsheng muttered to himself as he stood there.

The town's supply and marketing cooperative only had two dusty, unsold black-and-white televisions, and the cooperative couldn't bear to pay the electricity bill to turn them on.

Standing outside the store, Xu Chunsheng looked at the row of brightly colored televisions playing all day long and couldn't help but feel a sense of感慨 (gan3kai3, a feeling of mixed emotions, including sadness and reflection). The gap between urban and rural areas in terms of material possessions was enormous.

After expressing his feelings, Xu Chunsheng secretly made a note to come to the county town again the day after tomorrow with the meat processing plant's truck to order grain and buy a television. He couldn't forget anything before he left and boarded the "gas-powered bus" back to the town.

The car sputtered along the bumpy dirt road, and cold wind seeped in through the cracks in the windows. Xu Chunsheng looked out the window, lost in thought.

Last year, when I first came to the county, I was carrying dozens of kilograms of Ophiopogon japonicus, and everything was uncertain. Now, my home has electricity, the pig farm has been set up, and the winery business is doing well.

The next step is to renovate the house, tear down the adobe walls and rebuild them; find the brigade to approve the land to build a winery, which must be completed before my eldest sister gets married, this is all the confidence I'm preparing for my eldest sister; and then there's Qian Junwei's family, I won't feel at ease until this scourge is eliminated.

With a clang, the car finally came to a stop before Xu Chunsheng's brains could be shaken evenly.

Xu Chunsheng got out of the car, stretched vigorously, and felt his whole body relax. He raised his hand and rubbed his slightly throbbing temples.

Just now in the car, all sorts of thoughts were swirling in my mind: the children's studies at home, which mainly depend on Xu Yaomei; taking the family to the county town for a medical check-up; finding a place for the brigade to approve the winery; expanding the pig farm. Just as I was starting to get a sense of these little things, the car shook them all away.

He walked out of the station and found his tricycle parked at the grain station.

At that time, the security in towns and villages was generally poor. There was no one to watch over the streets, alleys, and secluded corners. There were many people who broke into cars, stole things, and removed tires. However, the grain station had a gatekeeper on duty all the time, and there were many people coming and going. Thieves were afraid of being caught, so it was much safer.

When I got home, my family gathered around and asked, "Did the meat processing plant really reopen? How did the negotiations go?"

Xu Chunsheng laughed: "It's open, it's open. We negotiated a price of 3.3 yuan. They even sent people to pick up the pigs, and they'll give us priority in buying our pigs the next day."

"Good, good, you're so capable. Someone offered 3.1 yuan today, but I didn't agree. I wanted to wait for you to come back and see how it went."

""