: Time Travel and Brewing are Essential; Chao Gai's Battle at Lingguan Temple

At dawn the next day, Song Jiang woke up. It wasn't that he didn't want to sleep more, but he woke up naturally and couldn't fall back asleep!

After getting up and stretching his body, Song Jiang looked out the window at the dark night.

Yesterday, I learned from Song Qing that it is now the third year of Emperor Huizong's Daguan reign! There are still about two to three years left until the year of Zhenghe! (That is, the time when Shi Jin appears. Of course, it is not clear whether it is the first or second year of Zhenghe, but it is calculated backwards from the second year of Xuanhe at the end.)

Although there is plenty of time, we shouldn't waste it too much!

Song Jiang first went to the granary, which still contained a considerable amount of grain, mainly wheat, with some rice as well!

Song Jiang shook his head. Wheat can be used to brew wine, but it is rarely used as a starter culture. Instead, it is more common to use wheat to brew beer in later generations!

Song Jiang soaked some wheat, intending to conduct experiments first. As for sorghum, he could only ask Song Qing to buy some!

Soon after, Song Qing also woke up. Looking at the busy Song Jiang, Song Qing was a little puzzled!

Song Jiang smiled and said to Song Qing, "Let's go to the village together!"

The morning sun rises slowly alongside the majestic mountains! A peaceful golden light shines on the magnificent land, bringing forth hope!

The hardworking people have already gotten up and started busying themselves with their lives. Everything is the simplest and most primitive agricultural life, but the villagers' eyes are still full of expectations for life!

Song Qing led Song Jiang to a blacksmith shop. When the blacksmith saw that a customer had arrived, he quickly came forward!

Song Jiang took out a few sheets of paper, which were drawings he had made last night of woks, hot pots, and barbecue grills used in later generations!

It wasn't that Song Jiang was greedy for food, but rather that the restaurant was an indispensable part of his plan!

Song the blacksmith naturally knew Song Jiang and his brothers. In their words, Song Jiang was a government official, so his status was different!

"Clerk!" Song the blacksmith greeted him warmly as he stepped forward.

Without further ado, Song Jiang took out the blueprints and handed them to the blacksmith, Song, saying, "Master Song, could you forge these items?"

Song the blacksmith took the blueprints and looked at them, then exclaimed in surprise, "Are these pots?"

Song Jiang nodded and said, "Yes, please have one copy of each style made in both copper and iron! How much silver will it cost?"

After calculating for a moment, the blacksmith Song said, "I'll give you two taels of silver!"

Song Jiang took out two taels of silver and said with a smile, "If the master's skills are good, we'll need your help in the future!"

Two taels of silver was a considerable income for the village blacksmith! Especially since he only made a little extra work on hoes and sleds on weekdays, and didn't earn much at all!

After leaving the blacksmith's shop, Song Qing led Song Jiang to the only breakfast stall in the village! The stall was run by an old lady named Song Aying!

Song Aying was also a woman with a tragic fate. When she was young, her husband joined the army, leaving her with two newborn sons who were crying for milk!

Unfortunately, her husband was killed in battle, leaving her to raise her two sons with great difficulty!

Song Aying took out her meager savings and begged a matchmaker to arrange a marriage for her brother.

After getting married, the eldest son and his wife were a perfect match, and they lived happily together. It seemed that their hard times were coming to an end and the family was slowly able to live a good life. Although they were not rich, they were able to make ends meet.

However, this period of good fortune was short-lived. The Northern Song Dynasty soon launched another campaign against the Western Xia, namely the Battle of Pingxia City.

When the two brothers found out, in order to save some money for their younger brother to get married, they applied for jobs as porters!

I thought that being a porter wouldn't be too dangerous, but unfortunately, things don't always go as planned!

The two brothers followed a team deep into the desert, but they were ambushed. All the horses and porters in the group were caught in the trap and were wiped out, with no survivors!

When the two brothers were found, they were tightly embracing each other, their bodies riddled with arrows, a truly gruesome sight!

The war ultimately ended with the victory of the Northern Song Dynasty and the suing for peace by the Western Xia Dynasty. It was also one of the few bright spots in Emperor Zhezong's short reign!

However, the deceased are gone, and the two brothers were not soldiers in the army, so the compensation they received was minimal!

As if things weren't bad enough, Song Aying's daughter-in-law heard that her husband had died on the battlefield in Western Xia. She fell ill with grief and soon followed him in death, leaving behind a newborn baby girl!

Song Aying lost her husband in middle age and her son in old age, suffering a lifetime of hardship. But looking at her granddaughter, she couldn't just give up like this!

Gritting his teeth, he took the meager relief funds allocated by the imperial court and opened a small breakfast stall to make a living!

The villagers of Songjia Village saw that she only had her elderly parents and young children left at home, and since they were all neighbors, they took extra care of her.

However, since none of them were wealthy, the amount of help they could offer was very limited. Song Aying could naturally feel their concern, and although she didn't say it, she was very grateful in her heart!

Arriving at Song Aying's stall, Song Qing smiled and nodded at her, saying, "Grandma, two bowls of porridge and four steamed buns, please!"

Song Jiang looked at Song Aying, a typical commoner. In her sixties, she was still working hard to make a living. There seemed to be endless things to do, but she was happy. There was no disappointment or resentment on her face. Instead, she had a kind smile. Her greatest wish was for her granddaughter to be happy and healthy. This was her only expectation!

The steamed buns were served quickly, and Song Jiang noticed that Song Yunxia, ​​Song Aying's granddaughter, was staring at the steamed bun in his hand!

The little girl looked to be about nine years old, a time when she should be growing, but she looked very small, like she was only five years old. Her big, dark eyes were fixed on the steamed bun in Song Jiang's hand!

Song Jiang sighed, beckoned, and the little girl walked over nervously!

Song Jiang picked up a steamed bun and said softly to the little girl, "Every grain of rice on the plate is the result of hard work. I can't finish it, could you help me finish it?"

Song Aying hurriedly said, "Clerk, you mustn't!" She then told the maid, "Don't accept it!"

Song Jiang inwardly praised Song Aying for her strict upbringing, but he still forced the steamed bun into the little girl's hand and said with a smile, "Wasting food is shameful. Eat up! It's a freshly baked white steamed bun! Don't leave even a tiny bit!"

The little girl looked at Song Aying, then at Song Jiang, and without further hesitation, took a big bite of the steamed bun, chewed it twice, and swallowed it!

The little girl is young but has a big appetite; she finished a steamed bun in just a few bites!

Song Jiang gave his other steamed bun to the little girl! This time, however, the little girl waved her hand and refused!

Song Aying also spoke up, "Clerk, don't spoil her!"

Song Jiang felt a sense of respect for the old woman, Song Aying. Even though she was poor, she lived with dignity. Song Jiang wasn't a saint, but he didn't mind helping her out!

When it came time to pay, Song Aying insisted on charging less for two steamed buns. Song Jiang didn't insist, just smiled calmly, and led Song Jiang towards the wine shop!

The distillery is located at the east end of the village. It's not big, but it has all the necessary brewing equipment!

Song Jiang wasn't a big drinker, and seeing how crude their brewing skills were, he frowned.

The shop assistants were too busy to notice Song Jiang, but the manager was quite surprised to see him and went up to greet him, saying, "What brings you here, clerk!"

Song Jiang laughed and said, "I need some brewing and distilling equipment. I hope you can sell me some, shopkeeper!"

The shopkeeper asked doubtfully, "Does the clerk also want to make wine? Since the clerk needs it, just take some of it!"

Song Jiang didn't want to owe anyone a favor, so he took out three or four taels of silver and said, "I hope you can find some people to carry this to my house!"

The man couldn't refuse Song Jiang's offer, so he had no choice but to accept the silver!

After leaving the distillery, it was getting late. Song Jiang led Song Qing to the village entrance and said to Song Qing, "Fourth Brother, I may not be able to make it back from Dongxi Village today, but there are still some things I need you to buy for me!" He then took out a piece of paper and handed it to Song Qing.

When Song Qing opened it, he saw a list of seasonings including Sichuan peppercorns, fennel seeds, cinnamon, bay leaves, soy sauce, vinegar, scallions, ginger, and garlic. (The character "薤" is pronounced xie and is the same as garlic in later times.)

Song Qing was somewhat surprised, but did not ask further. Since Song Jiang wanted to buy it, he must have his reasons. However, there were some things that were not sold in the village.

Song Qing put the paper away and said, "I'll go to the market later."

The distance between Songjia Village and Dongxi Village is not short, but with cars available nowadays, a distance of several dozen kilometers is not a big deal!

But for Song Jiang to walk was really strenuous, not because his physical fitness was poor, but because his physical fitness was just too poor!

Let alone compare it to Wu Song fighting a tiger with his bare hands or Lu Zhishen uprooting a willow tree.

I'm afraid even Zheng Tianshou and Tao Zongwang are no match for me. I must improve my physical fitness and skills. Otherwise, in this chaotic world that is about to break out, even if I have extraordinary talent, I will not be able to keep up with the intensity of the battles in the north and south.

After walking for a long time, we finally arrived at Chao Gai Village in Dongxi!

Chao Gai was already waiting for Song Jiang at the manor. After exchanging a few pleasantries, Chao Gai took Song Jiang directly to Wu Yong's house!

After walking two or three miles, a temple appeared before us. However, it was a temple that had long been abandoned. The plaque above the temple bore three dim and faded characters: Lingguan Temple, which vaguely told of its former glory!

Chao Gai glanced at the Lingguan Temple and sighed, "This Lingguan Temple used to be quite prosperous, but today it's completely dilapidated. Times have changed. It's clear that believing in ghosts and gods is not as good as believing in yourself. Otherwise, how could Lingguan not even be able to keep his own incense burning?"

Song Jiang was surprised that Chao Gai could say such a thing, but considering that Chao Gai had never believed in ghosts or gods or fate, it was not surprising that he could say such a thing!

Just then, a faint snoring sound came from inside the Lingguan Temple! Upon closer inspection, the temple door, which was usually locked, was ajar today, as if someone had broken the lock.

Chao Gai frowned, pushed open the temple door, and strode inside, followed by Song Jiang!

A large man was sleeping on the offering table in the temple. The weather was still very cold, but the man seemed unafraid of the cold. He was sleeping soundly with his upper body bare, as if nothing around him mattered!

Chao Gai glanced at the burly man. He had a red birthmark on his face with some hair on it, so he was certain that the man was not a villager from Dongxi Village and that he had never seen him before! As the head of Dongxi Village, Chao Gai naturally had a responsibility to maintain the safety of the village, especially since this man looked fierce and was not a kind person!