Records of Strange People and Strange Events in the Old Mansion

Chapter 143 Wine

Uncle Liu and Lu Bo returned to the big camphor tree and continued drinking until the moon rose from the top of Dongshan Mountain.

Today is the 16th day of the fifth lunar month. The moon on the 15th day is 16 rounds. Today’s moon is extra round. It is as round as a big jade plate. It hangs on the top of Dongshan Mountain and on the big camphor tree. You can pick it off with your hand.

The summer solstice is coming in two days, which means that the hot summer has really arrived. Apart from the occasional thunderstorm in the afternoon, Lvbuo Village will be basically clear and dry, which is the best time to repair the old house.

Zhu Badger sat on the authentic stone mill in the main house with a bowl of rice wine in his hand, looking at the full moon with tears glistening in his eyes, and choked with sobs: "Grandma Taizu, the renovation work of the old house will officially begin in two days. , you have spirit in heaven to protect the old house and make it shine again as soon as possible.”

"My child, Grandma Taizu should thank you for paying so much for the old house." Through tears and under the moonlight, Grandma Taizu sat beside the stone mill, spinning thread and talking to Zhu Badger.

Zhu Badger put down the wine bowl, went over and snuggled into Grandma Taizu's arms, raised his head and asked Grandma Taizu: "Aren't you tired from spinning every day?"

"Working is always tiring, but being able to clothe the world is the most tiring and comfortable thing. Just like you, aren't you tired like a dog every day for the sake of the old house?" Grandma Taizu said with a kind face.

Zhu Badger smiled and asked: "Grandma Taizu, do you also know the saying that you become a dog when you are tired?"

"Oh, it's my fault that Grandma Taizu said something about your dog? Grandma Taizu knows that your dog is smarter, more loyal, and able to distinguish between love and hate than some people." Grandma Taizu stopped shaking the spinning wheel and stroked the red badger lovingly. A head of beautiful hair.

Zhu Badger reached out and gently touched the cranking handle of the spinning wheel and asked, "Grandma Taizu, can I crank the spinning wheel?"

"Of course. In the past, this was a skill that the hostess of the old house must possess." Grandma Taizu taught Zhu Badger how to spin thread.

The spinning wheel rotated rapidly, and the cotton wool in Zhu Badger's hand stretched with the string to the spindle and turned into white cotton thread. She was so excited that she blurted out and asked: "Grandma Taizu, are you the legendary Huang Dao Po?"

Grandma Taizu smiled and said: "My child, how can I be Grandma Huang? She is the mother of textiles, the real person in the world of clothing and quilts. It is God's grace that I can learn textile technology from her face to face."

"Oh, Grandma Taizu, are you the apprentice of Mother Huang? Then how did you learn the textile technology from her? Has Mother Huang ever been to our village? Has she lived in the old house?" Zhu Badger Ask Grandma Taizu.

Grandma Taizu kindly replied: "When Mother Huang came to our village, we didn't even have an old house. She only had a bamboo shed of mine, and she taught me how to spin in the bamboo shed. Alas, time flies. It’s been hundreds of years.”

"Grandma Taizu, wouldn't the location of your bamboo shed be where the old owner's house is now?" What did Zhu Badger think of?
Grandma Taizu looked at the house of the old owner and replied quietly: "Exactly, but it is better to use a bamboo shed. If it is still a bamboo shed, can it cause grievances and hatreds and killings from generation to generation?"

"Grandma Taizu, in the old house generation after generation, grievances and resentments are inevitable, but how can there be killings of love and hatred?" Zhu Badger was puzzled.

Grandma Taizu sighed and said: "People die for wealth and birds die for food, isn't it for the treasure of the old house?"

"For the treasure of the old house? Grandma Taizu, those objects couldn't be called treasures at that time, right?" Zhu Badger asked.

Grandma Taizu replied: "The things you mentioned were not considered treasures at that time, but Chongba Yu gave me many treasures. Later, Chongba's descendants would give me some treasures during every year and festival. And that Lan Yu, there are many treasures hidden here.”

"Lanyu? Is the old house really related to Lan Yu?" Zhu Badger sat upright and asked Grandma Taizu.

Grandma Taizu's face was full of worry: "Of course it's related. It was Chongba Minglan Yu who came to supervise the construction of the old house. Although he didn't intend to rebel as the legend said, he took a fancy to the geographical location of Donkey Buo Village and thought that the old house was built. The house was very safe, so he transported all his treasures here and hid them, which led to a series of killings until now. "

"Until now? Are there still killings now?" Zhu Badger asked.

Grandma Taizu asked Zhu Badger: "No?"

"You mean Blue Jade Willow?" Zhu Badger asked again.

Grandma Taizu replied: "It's not just her, everyone is still on the way."

"Are they still on their way? There will be many more people coming? No way? The old house has been emptied out and will be fully repaired in two days. What are they doing here one by one? I won't let them come even if they come. You succeeded." Zhu Badger clenched his fists unconsciously.

Grandma Taizu said: "Children, don't take it lightly. They will appear with different faces and identities. You may not be able to recognize them or deal with them."

"Grandma Taizu, please rest assured, even if it means losing my life, I will protect the old house." Zhu Badger was determined.

Grandma Taizu smiled and said: "My child, how can you protect the old house if your life is gone? Remember, your own safety is the first priority. What's more, they are not coming for the old house, but for Lan Yu hiding in the old house. Don’t pay too much attention to the treasures that come from you. Money is outside your body, so let them fight for each other, so as to avoid killing. "

"Grandma Taizu, are you old and confused? The old house is your old house, my old house. As long as it concerns the old house, I must intervene. I will never stand by and watch, and I will never let them do it. The old man is doing something wrong." Zhu Badger blurted out, and then quickly added: "I'm sorry, Grandma Taizu, I shouldn't have called you an old fool, please forgive me."

Grandma Taizu smiled and said: "My child, grandma likes your frankness. Well, since Lan Yu hides the treasures in the old house, then these treasures should belong to the old house. You wait until daybreak to call Uncle Liu and Ruburt, come over and take out the jars of old wine under the stone mill and let them drink, and they will better help you protect the old house."

"Grandma Taizu, these two old kids are just too greedy, and that's why those people took advantage of them. I think it's better to forget about inviting them to drink, right?" After Zhu Badger finished speaking, he waited for a long time before Grandma Taizu responded. , I opened my eyes and saw that there was no one in front of me. Only the moonlight shone on the Bagua pattern in the middle of the tunnel, like a dream, making people wonder what night it is?
Was it a dream just now? Zhu Badger looked up at the sky. The full moon was already slanting, and it was expected to be dawn soon. She got up from the stone mill and went to get the bowl full of rice wine. She saw that the bowl was there but there was no drop of wine in the bowl.

"I didn't drink it or pour it out. Where did the wine in the bowl go? Could it be that I knocked over the wine in the bowl while dreaming?" Zhu Badger reached out to touch the stone mill, but there was only dew on it. Zhu Badger lowered his head and sniffed. There was no smell of alcohol on the stone mill.

I wonder where the wine in this bowl went? Could it be that two old kids came in and drank secretly? Impossible. Although they are as naughty as children, they are not so naughty. Zhu Badger looked around and saw a corner of clothes floating at the end of the screen wall. He understood who was responsible? She didn't show any abnormality, picked up the wine bowl and went back to the house.

Back in the house, Zhu Badger fell asleep. During this time, she had to get enough sleep at night so that she could be full of energy during the day and sit on the porch at the back door of the old house to monitor everything.

When he got up early the next morning, Zhu Badger did not open the back door of the old house first as usual. Instead, he jumped on the half persimmon tree in front of the squinting mother-in-law's house and shouted in the direction of the big camphor tree: "There is good wine in the old house, you can drink it if you want." Come in."

As soon as he finished speaking, Liu Shu and Lu Bo stood in front of Zhu Badger. Zhu Badger jumped off the tree stump and asked the two old children: "Do you really want to drink good wine that much?" "Really." "It's true. Change." Uncle Liu and Lu Bo swallowed a few times, completely confused.

"Okay, come here." Zhu Badger waved to Uncle Liu and Uncle Lu. Uncle Liu and Uncle Lu hesitated at first and whispered to each other: "You are not going to punish us, are you?" "No way, didn't you let us go last night? Yet?"

"Do you two want to drink good wine?" Zhu Badger stamped his feet. Uncle Liu and Uncle Lu hurriedly replied in unison: "Yes." "Come here." Zhu Badger waved again, and now Uncle Liu and Uncle Lu didn't dare to hesitate. He stretched his two big heads in front of the red badger, but kept his body at a distance from the red badger.

Zhu Badger lowered his voice and said to Uncle Liu and Lu Bo: "Go and move the stone mill, there is good wine underneath." "Really or not?" Uncle Liu and Lu Bo looked at Zhu Badger with their eyes shining. Stone mill, doubtful.

"Believe it or not, it's up to you." Zhu Badger flew up to the roof of the main house.

Uncle Liu and Lu Bo stood there and looked at each other for a while, then rolled up their sleeves and walked to the stone mill.

Just as he was about to take action, Ma Yasha's voice came from outside the house: "You two old kids can't poop for a long time? I have to come and spank you."

Uncle Liu and Lu Bo hurriedly put down their rolled-up sleeves and ran towards the latrine. Unfortunately, the latrine had been demolished. The two old children were holding their pants belts and running around in circles.

Zhu Badger saw it funny and wanted to take the opportunity to tease them. Unfortunately, time waits for no one. After a while, everyone will get up. After breakfast, they will go into the old house to clean up the remnants of the illegal buildings, so he loudly responded to Ma Yasha : "Two old kids went to Dongshan to take a morning bath. Could it be that you went to Dongshan to spank them?"

Hearing what Zhu Badger said, Uncle Liu and Lu Bo immediately rolled up their sleeves and ran back to the stone mill. The two old boys didn't care about anything at this time. , I just straightened up and wanted to go over and see if there was any good wine under the stone mill? A man stood where the stone mill had been.

"Hmph, you dare to move my stone mill without permission? I'm going to hit you!" Ma Yaksha opened his bow from left to right with a broom and a bucket and hit Uncle Liu and Lu Bo on the head respectively.

Uncle Liu and Lu Bo hurriedly dodged aside and kept explaining: "We didn't move the stone mill without authorization, it was the fairy who asked us to move it." "Yes, yes, the fairy said that there is good wine hidden under the stone mill. There is good wine hidden under it." Woolen cloth."

"There is good wine hidden under the stone mill? Nonsense, how many years has this stone mill been left here? You two old kids don't know it? I'm afraid it was placed here when your grandfather's grandfather was a child. Can there be good wine hidden under it? ? I only heard my father-in-law say that you must not move the stone mill unless you have to, otherwise it will ruin the feng shui of the main house and the old house. " Ma Yasha was not ordinary angry.

"What are you shouting about? Are you afraid that others won't hear you? Do you want me to stand here with a loudspeaker and shout for you?" Zhu Badger sat on the main ridge of the roof of the main house and teased Mayaksha.

Ma Yasha raised his head and asked Zhu Badger softly: "Did you really ask them to move?"

"If it's true, go away quickly. Trampling on the fine wine given by the emperor is a crime of beheading." Zhu Badger responded in a low voice.

"Kill you Badger Eight Immortals, you bean sprouts head." Ma Yasha shouted at Zhu Badger, and his feet jumped out of the place where the stone mill had left him, as if he was electrocuted.

Uncle Liu and Lu Bo came closer and carefully looked at the round mark left by the stone mill. They nodded and walked to Ma Yasha together and asked: "Can your father-in-law tell me that there is something hidden under the stone mill?" "Is there anything?" "Why did he say that the stone mill cannot be moved unless it is absolutely necessary?"

"You ask me, who should I ask? He didn't tell me directly at that time, but he was talking to himself in his sleep before leaving. How about you go to Xishan and ask him? Maybe he will tell you whether there is anything hidden under the stone mill. ? Why can't you move unless it's absolutely necessary?" Ma Yasha responded angrily to Uncle Liu and Lu Bo.

Uncle Liu and Lu Bo raised their heads and asked Zhu Badger: "Fairy, how did you know that there is good wine hidden under the stone mill?" "Is it now the last resort?"

"What are you two old boys talking about? If you want to drink good wine, just open the cellar door and go down to get the wine yourself. If you don't dare, move the stone grinder back to me and get out of the way immediately. Someone over the shed has gotten up and washed up." Zhu Badger was a little impatient.

Uncle Liu and Lu Bo looked at each other for a while and then looked at Ma Yaksha. Ma Yaksha nodded to them. Then the two old children rolled up their sleeves again and squatted beside the circle. They stretched out their hands to carefully brush off the circle. Floating dust.

The floating dust was brushed away, revealing a stone cover. Open the stone cover to reveal the cellar entrance.

Seeing that there was indeed a cellar below, Ma Yasha looked at Zhu Badger suspiciously.

Zhu Badger turned his head away from Ma Yasha and sang loudly: "I am the Nine Immortals, I am the Nine Immortals..."

Uncle Liu and Lu Bo listened to Zhu Badger singing "I am the Nine Immortals" and went down to the cellar confidently.

Entering the cellar, Uncle Liu and Lu Bo were completely shocked. What shocked them was not the ambush of various agencies in the cellar, but the various famous wines hidden in the cellar.

In fact, if Uncle Liu and Lu Bo hadn't been so skilled, it would have been impossible for ordinary people to move the big stone mill on which a banquet could be placed. Moving the big stone mill is just a simple first step. It is important to brush off the dust under the stone mill. If you are not careful, the dust can be a weapon and can be blown up and suffocate you. In addition, you need to know the tricks of the mechanism to open the stone cover of the cellar. If the force is uneven or the movement is not in place, the stone cover will automatically flip over. If it does not crush you, it will force you into the cellar, which is equivalent to entering the underworld.

Standing at the entrance of the cellar, Uncle Liu and Uncle Lu looked at the rows and jars of famous wines from the Ming Dynasty inside, and were respectful to the old house and Zhu Badger.

There are clear historical records that all seven famous wines of the Ming Dynasty were in the cellar, and all of them were marked with imperial seals.

According to the records of "Compendium of Materia Medica" and "Food Materia Medica", there were seven famous medicinal wines in the Ming Dynasty, namely [Wuzhou Jinhua Wine], [Kuocang Jinpenlu], [Jianchang Magu Wine], and [Taiping Quarry Wine] , [Shandong Qiulubai], [Huaian Mung Bean Wine], [Suzhou Small Bottle Wine].

Gu Qing (1460~1528) recorded in "Miscellaneous Notes of Pangqiuting": "The wine in the world comes from the inside out. If the autumn dew in Shandong is white, the mung beans in Huai'an, the golden plate dew in Kuocang, the golden flowers in Wuzhou, Jianhua Magu in Chang, Cai Shi in Taiping, and Xiao Ping in Suzhou are all famous.”

[Shandong Qiulubai] is ranked among the seven major wines of the Ming Dynasty because of its "pure color and sour taste". Some people also list [Wuzhou Jinhua Wine] as one of the seven major wines of the Ming Dynasty because of its "far-reaching fragrance, golden color, and drunkenness." head.

The seven major wines of the Ming Dynasty all have their own unique features. [Huaian Mung Bean Wine], also known as bean wine, is made from mung beans and has a rich taste. [Kuocang Jinpen Dew] Water and ginger juice are used to make koji, and floating rice is used to make brew. It is mellow and delicious. [Jianchang Magu Wine] Magu double-cooked wine, filled with roses and sugar, it is said that it was presented to the Queen Mother to celebrate her birthday. [Taiping Caishi Wine] is famous for "the moon is sine at the head of the Caishi River, and the boat is full of wine by the fishing platform." [Suzhou Xiaoping Wine] is the seventh of the seven major wines of the Ming Dynasty, with red bean and Sichuan Wu.

Uncle Liu and Lu Bo, who usually joked that "you don't have to eat food, but you have to be drunk with wine" looked at the cellar in front of them full of famous imperial wines, and they were a little at a loss. They stood at the entrance of the cellar, unable to move.

Ma Yasha waited until Uncle Liu and Lu Bo came out of the cellar, and waited until Uncle Liu and Lu Bo came out of the cellar. He was anxious in his heart and looked up at Zhu Badger with worry on his face.

Zhu Badger was sitting on the main ridge of the roof of the old house owner's house and felt the same way when he saw Mayaksha like this.

Zhu Badger himself is actually more anxious and wants to know if there is any good wine in the cellar?

In the dream, Grandma Taizu told Zhu Badger that there would be good wine after removing the stone mill, but she was doubtful. When Uncle Liu and Uncle Lu removed the stone mill, there was a cellar. She was even more surprised than Uncle Liu, Uncle Lu and Ma Yasha. Could it be that what Grandma Taizu said in the dream was true?
As for whether the wine hidden in the cellar is good? Zhu Badger was still in a state of confusion. The two old boys didn't come out for such a long time. Could it be that the cellar contained something harmful instead of good wine? Two old kids were slandered? Or maybe the hidden wine was indeed good wine, and the two old children were so happy that they couldn't control themselves, and drank to the point of drunkenness?
Thinking of this, Zhu Badger flew down from the roof, called a thin dog and a pig badger to squat at the entrance of the cellar, and then pulled Mayaksha into the cellar.

After entering the cellar, Zhu Badger and Ma Yasha, like Uncle Liu and Lu Bo, stood there blankly looking at the wine jars full of wine jars in the cellar, at a loss as to what to do.

"Go out and move the stone mill first." Zhu Badger responded.