How did I, a mere son-in-law lying down, become a "Fenglang Juxu" (a legendary martial art

The days that followed were relatively uneventful.

Song Bowen's period of self-reflection ended, but to the Wei family's surprise, he did not do anything drastic. He remained secluded and did not even mention marrying Wei Xiuying again.

Although Song Bowen's outward calmness reassured the people in the Wei family, deep down they still harbored doubts about him.

Thus, the Wei family lived in constant fear for several days until Song Bowen sent someone to annul the engagement, at which point they finally breathed a sigh of relief.

On the day the engagement was called off, an indescribable atmosphere permeated the Wei household.

Although the annulment of the engagement was a good thing for the Wei family, no one in the family was happy at all.

Wei Chu was adept at social etiquette, and it is said that the very next day he carried a thick stack of silver notes and visited Song Bowen alone.

However, for some reason, Song Bowen seemed determined to sever ties with the Wei family, and directly refused to let Wei Chu in.

This puzzled Wei Chu greatly, because Song Bowen not only did not take back the betrothal gifts he had given, but he also did not intend to ask for any compensation money from him.

However, Wei Chu was quite happy with this arrangement, since no one dislikes money, and the money saved could make Wei Xiuying's dowry more substantial.

Mentioning this, Wei Chu couldn't help but shake his head. Although the crisis was over, Wei Xiuying's reputation was ruined. Every family with a bit of power in Cangzhou City kept their distance from her.

Consequently, the Wei family's business was also affected, and their future became uncertain.

Left with no other choice, Wei Chu even considered marrying Wei Xiuying off to a poor scholar, so that at least Wei Xiuying would have a place to belong and wouldn't be left all alone.

What if I could find a son-in-law like Liu Shan?

As he thought this, he couldn't help but sigh again.

With the Wei family's crisis resolved, Li Wanqing finally felt relieved.

She began her happy life as the daughter of a military family once again.

Every now and then, she would either go hunting or attend small poetry gatherings. Several women of similar status, family background, and position would gather together and chatter about private matters. When they got excited, their faces would turn rosy and they would look exceptionally alluring.

Li Wanqing's cheerful personality has also made her quite popular in the industry.

Liu Shan finally had some free time, but he was still thinking about the families of the officers who had sacrificed their lives, and he kept trying to find a way to fulfill his promise to support them.

Twenty-five officials and twenty-five families—if Liu Shan were to give them silver directly, it wouldn't be impossible, but the total annual amount was less than a thousand taels, which wasn't much at all.

However, Liu Shan understood the principle that a small favor can breed resentment, and moreover, it was better to teach someone how to fish than to give them a fish. Earning money with one's own hands to support one's family was the only long-term solution.

This wasn't because Liu Shan was stingy; he had the idea of ​​giving out a thousand taels of silver as year-end bonuses and dividends.

However, although the Sanqi medicine shop has opened branches and the bookstore is making money quickly, neither of these industries has the capacity to provide employment for dozens of people.

Liu Shan scratched his head; it seemed he would have to plan for a new industry again.

However, new industries are not so easy to start. Liu Shan lacked the relevant professional knowledge and was unable to run many particularly lucrative businesses.

At present, the only industry that seems to have some clues is the catering industry.

After all, people always need to eat. As long as the taste is right and the service quality is excellent, there's no need to worry about not having customers.

Liu Shan's original idea was to invent Mala Tang (a spicy hot pot dish), and with its unique flavor and simple way of eating, quickly seize the snack market in Cangzhou City.

However, Amber's shout of "pig slop!" immediately ruined Liu Shan's plan.

This made him realize that differences in food culture can make certain foods difficult to accept.

However, Liu Shan has not been idle these past few days. He hired several brewing masters and they worked day and night in the backyard of the Li residence, and he actually managed to produce a high-proof liquor.

After tasting it, Liu Shan was filled with emotion. For those who know how, collecting high-proof liquor through distillation and condensation is nothing special, just so-so.

However, for a novice, it is difficult to master the distillation method without several years of dedicated research, and it is very likely that not even a single drop of high-proof liquor can be obtained.

After signing indentures with these brewing masters, Liu Shan naturally kept them temporarily in the Li residence so that they could concentrate on researching and perfecting distillation techniques.

Moreover, before high-proof liquor is mass-produced, these people are absolutely not allowed to leave the Li residence.

Now, Liu Shan faces two sales strategies.

One approach is to take the high-end route, build a brand, and create limited-edition premium liquors to attract dignitaries and wealthy individuals with high prices; the other approach is to take the mass-market route, allowing ordinary people to enjoy the deliciousness of this distilled liquor at a relatively low price. Both approaches have their advantages and disadvantages, and a decision should be made after careful consideration.

Let's talk about the second route first. The most direct and brutal way is to open a large number of taverns. He is confident that he can drive all the taverns in Cangzhou into bankruptcy by using high-proof liquor.

However, Liu Shan knew clearly that even if he became the only tavern in the city, he wouldn't earn much money.

Because the tavern's positioning was fixed, its customer base consisted of ordinary people and literati, and these two groups had limited spending power, making it impossible for Liu Shan to accumulate wealth quickly.

The first approach is to take the high-end route, which involves turning high-proof liquor into a luxury item, exclusively for the enjoyment of high-ranking officials and dignitaries.

In this way, not only are the profit margins huge, but wealth can also be accumulated rapidly.

However, Liu Shan also realized that if he wanted to take the high-end route, he not only needed to plan carefully, but also had the ability to quickly build brand awareness and seize the high-end market.

Between these two approaches, Liu Shan prefers the high-end route, since once the high-end market is opened up, it can not only bring substantial profits but also enhance his social status.

However, another problem arose. The high-end route inevitably required cooperation with high-end restaurants, but Liu Shan did not have any familiar connections with high-end restaurants. If he rashly cooperated with strangers, the risk would be too great. If he was not careful, the secret recipe would be stolen, resulting in a complete loss.

Just as Liu Shan was caught in a dilemma, Zhang Tienan arrived again.

This time, Zhang Tienan was sullen and dragged Liu Shan along, insisting on going out for drinks with him.

Liu Shanxin was preoccupied with the future of distilled liquor, so naturally he had no desire to go out for drinks.

He stood still, letting Zhang Tienan pull him along, saying, "You know I don't usually drink."

Zhang Tienan was stunned for a moment, and, not believing it, used all his strength to pull a few times, only to find that Liu Shan did not budge.

Zhang Tienan reluctantly let go, sighing repeatedly.

Looking at Zhang Tienan's dejected face, Liu Shan couldn't help but laugh and said, "Give me a reason to drink."

Zhang Tienan said in a deep voice, "Are we brothers? If we are, don't ask so many questions, just drink with me."

Liu Shan hadn't expected Zhang Tienan to be so stubborn, so he tentatively asked, "Heartbroken? Did your wife run off with someone else?"