Chapter Fifty-Seven: Borrowing a Chicken to Lay an Egg!

Page 1 of 3 – Li Family Residence, Wuan County.

It was midday. Li De and Lady Zheng paced restlessly about the sitting room, like ants on a hot pan, their faces tense with anxiety. The brothers Li Chong and Li Fei stood awkwardly to the side, rubbing their joints from time to time. The weather had been poor these past few days, and their “joint ailments” had flared up again—aching and itching so badly that they could hardly eat or sleep, and even lost several pounds of fat.

“It’s been five days already. Why is there still no word? Could that Sun fellow be playing us for fools?”

“Hmph! I doubt he has the nerve. Husband, be patient a while longer. We must wait,” Lady Zheng replied.

A few days prior, Li De and Lady Zheng had dispatched their chief steward, Hou Si, to secretly bribe and threaten Steward Sun, hoping to obtain the secret recipe for Erguotou.

Steward Sun had replied that he could get his hands on it, but demanded a hefty bribe of five thousand strings of cash. That was no small sum, but compared to a secret recipe like Erguotou’s, it was worth the risk. Gritting their teeth, the couple handed over their savings and sent Hou Si to deliver the payment. Yet, five days had passed with no news from Steward Sun. Was he unable to find an opportunity, or had he simply taken the money and decided not to act?

Just as their impatience peaked, Hou Si came running in. “Master, Mistress—Steward Sun has arrived!”

“Good. Bring him in at once.”

“Yes, sir!”

Hou Si turned and left, soon returning with Steward Sun, who entered the sitting room with arms folded, as if cradling a treasure.

“Well, Steward Sun, did you succeed?”

“I have not failed you, Master. The deed is done!”

“Excellent! Where is it?”

“Right here!”

With that, Steward Sun produced a small wooden box from his breast, offering it with both hands. Li De hurriedly took the box and opened it, revealing a thick stack of papers. The top sheet detailed the original recipe for Erguotou: primarily sorghum, supplemented with several other grains and ingredients, with precise proportions and fermentation methods all clearly written.

The rest were diagrams for brewing tools—complete with measurements, internal structures, assembly instructions, and even explanatory notes.

Li De and Lady Zheng had run their distillery for years and had a discerning eye. After a thorough inspection, they found no fault with the documents, and their trust grew.

Still, the couple was naturally cunning. They pressed further: “Steward Sun, something so valuable as this—Li Zhao must have hidden it well. How did you manage to obtain it?”

“If I may, Master and Mistress,” Steward Sun replied, “Li Zhao is competent, but still young and lacking in judgment. Not long ago, for some reason, he took on a pickpocket known as ‘White Mouse’ as his personal attendant. Once a thief, always a thief. Though White Mouse pretended to turn over a new leaf, his old habits remained. I bribed him handsomely, and when Li Zhao was away one day, he quietly stole the recipe. Once in my hands, I immediately copied it and had White Mouse return the original, so everything went off without a hitch.

“But the theft will not go unnoticed for long. Li Zhao will inevitably discover it. I dared not linger with him, so I feigned illness and resigned my post. Now, with nowhere else to go, I beg you, Master, to take me in!”

Page 2 of 3

“No problem. You can stay here. Once the new distillery opens, you’ll be chief steward, with double the wages and the best treatment!”

“Thank you, Master!” Steward Sun bowed gratefully.

Pleased by his explanation, Li De and Lady Zheng nodded in satisfaction, their confidence growing stronger.

Now, with the secret recipe in hand, they could brew Erguotou themselves. Wealth beyond imagining was just within reach. Li De even pondered: once the new liquor was made, he would name it Sanguotou—Three-Pot Head—determined to surpass Li Zhao’s Erguotou in every way!

The couple then began discussing the opening of a new distillery: buying land, constructing buildings, hiring workers, procuring raw materials, crafting brewing tools… All told, the process would take at least a year and require seven or eight thousand strings of cash.

As they calculated, Steward Sun interjected, “Master and Mistress, if I may speak freely?”

“Speak.”

“My humble opinion is that the new distillery must be built quickly and on a grand scale. Li Zhao has made a fortune from Erguotou and is already planning to expand his operations and open branch shops in neighboring counties. If we wait another year and let him cement his position, even if our new distillery opens, we may not be able to compete and will be at his mercy!”

“Steward Sun speaks true. We cannot allow that boy to grow unchecked, or the consequences will be dire,” Li De said, exchanging a knowing glance with his wife. They both agreed: the new distillery must open as soon as possible.

To accelerate the process, there was only one way: purchase one or several existing distilleries, with ready-made buildings and workers, only needing to add new brewing tools. If all went well, they could open in a month or two.

But it was midwinter, and every distillery was doing excellent business. Who would willingly sell unless offered an exorbitant price—perhaps several times the market value?

Li De and Lady Zheng began their calculations anew. Li Zhao’s Renyichang Distillery was the largest in all Wuan County. To compete, they would need to acquire at least three or four medium-sized distilleries and merge them, plus renovation and miscellaneous costs—at least seventy or eighty thousand strings of cash.

Yet all their assets combined totaled less than thirty thousand. The gap was far too great.

What to do? Borrow money? The couple had few friends and no real connections—there was simply nowhere to turn.

“Husband, why not borrow from Father? He’s wealthier than the gods themselves—a few thousand strings is nothing to him.”

“Your father is busy battling Magistrate Cao and shouldn’t be distracted by mere business affairs. We’ll think of something else. I’m sure we can raise the money ourselves,” Li De replied tactfully, though his mind held different intentions.

His father-in-law was ruthless and miserly. If he became a shareholder in the new distillery, it wouldn’t be long before the business bore the Zheng name instead of Li. All their efforts would be for nothing.

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Even if it meant borrowing at usurious rates, Li De would not ask his father-in-law for help.

“Master need not worry,” Steward Sun stepped forward, offering another “brilliant plan.” “I know a way to raise a large sum in a short time. At Laoshui Wharf, water traffic is bustling, and wealthy merchants from Chang’an often come to do business. If you reach out and sign a supply contract with them—collecting deposits up front—on the reputation of distilled liquor, those merchants will compete for the opportunity. In this way, raising sixty or seventy thousand strings will be no trouble. This is what’s called ‘borrowing a hen to lay an egg!’”

“Borrowing a hen to lay an egg—excellent! We’ll borrow their old hen and let it lay us a golden egg!” Li De laughed, satisfied with the plan. It would solve both their capital shortage and secure sales channels—a true two birds with one stone.

But before moving forward, there was one thing left to do: test whether the recipe was genuine.

They spent handsomely to hire skilled craftsmen to build a distilling pot according to the diagrams, and brought in experienced brewers to conduct the first trial right in their own courtyard. Li De and Lady Zheng personally supervised, while Steward Sun directed the process, experienced as he was.

The results were excellent—the distilled liquor was clear and mellow, every bit as good as the Erguotou sold on the market.

Still cautious, they conducted two more trials, both of which succeeded.

Finally, their worries were put to rest.

Next: raising capital.

Li De and Lady Zheng mortgaged their silk shop, inn, grain store, and two general stores, adding their life’s savings to gather a total of thirty thousand strings of cash.

Then, armed with their new liquor and persuasive words, they convinced several wealthy merchants from Chang’an, signing contracts and collecting eighty thousand strings in deposits.

However, the contracts stipulated that if Li De could not deliver the liquor on time, he would owe triple in penalties—twenty-four thousand strings!

With funds in hand, they began acquiring distilleries.

If the owners refused to sell, they raised the price. If still refused, they raised it again and enlisted Deputy Magistrate Zheng’s help to pressure them.

Astonishingly, within half a month, using a mix of threats and enticements, Li De and Lady Zheng acquired four neighboring distilleries in one fell swoop.

In another half month, they merged them into one, achieving a scale even greater than Li Zhao’s Renyichang Distillery, with more than two hundred workers.

At the same time, they hired top craftsmen at high wages to work day and night, turning out thirty brewing tools in quick succession.

Now, all was in readiness—only the selection of an auspicious day for the grand opening remained.