Back in the 1980s, hiking in the mountains was also a way of life

Seeing Wang An's confident expression, Feng Chengmin nodded, but his face still looked preoccupied.

After sending Mu Xueli and Wang Li, along with their newly purchased dogs, back home, Wang An then drove Feng Chengmin back home.

Wang An originally wanted to invite Feng Chengmin to stay for dinner, but Feng Chengmin refused to eat no matter what, so Wang An had to give up.

After the investigation by the vote-buying office, Feng Chengmin immediately lost interest in the large white cow that might have bezoar, or rather, he had long forgotten about it.

On the way to Linjiatun, Feng Chengmin repeatedly confirmed with Wang An whether Wang An could resolve the matter perfectly. If he couldn't, Feng Chengmin planned to run away that very night.

Wang Anlian kept persuading and reassuring her all the way, mentioning that Wu Dong was Wu Zhuangbubuzhang, who was on par with the county magistrate, and that Zhang Shuya was An Jujuju, the county's industrial director.

Finally, Wang An even revealed that Zhang Siyuan was Wang An's godfather, which completely dispelled Feng Chengmin's doubts and worries.

We have no choice but to speak up. If Wu Dong and Zhang Shuya can't resolve the situation, then with Zhang Siyuan's status and position, a single word from him could, if not shake the entire province, at least cause a stir.

Only someone like Zhang Siyuan could completely convince the old hunter Feng Chengmin.

After dropping Feng Chengmin off at home, Wang An declined the couple's invitation to stay for dinner and drove straight home.

When Wang An arrived home, it was almost noon, and Comrade Wang Dazhu was still cooking grain.

Upon seeing Wang An return, Wang Dazhu quickly greeted him:

"Xiao An, quickly take this basin of sorghum inside to drain."

Wang An agreed and picked up the large wooden tray containing sorghum, which weighed about seventy or eighty pounds, and walked into the house.

Although the grains used for brewing must be cooked before fermentation, they must be drained of water before fermentation.

So Wang Dazhu took all the cooked grains inside to drain.

There was no other way; the temperature outside was just too low. If the grain were left outside, it would freeze into small ice balls the moment it left the stove shed for even a few seconds.

If left any longer, all the grain in the basin will freeze together, forming a large block of ice that can't be broken even by tapping.

As for draining, that's absolutely impossible.

Therefore, draining grain must be done indoors, and it is very simple. Just lay a woven mat on the ground, then spread the grain on the mat, and the grain will drain perfectly.

After the grains have been drained of water, they can be fermented.

The method involves crushing the yeast into powder, mixing it with the grain, putting it into a vat, sealing the vat, and leaving it there to ferment naturally.

When Wang An returned to the stove shed carrying the wooden basin, he saw Wang Dazhu pouring grain into the pot. Turning to look at the bags of grain not far from the stove, he couldn't help but ask Wang Dazhu:

"Dad, how much liquor are you planning to brew? All those bags of grain are just waiting to be cooked!"

Upon hearing this, Wang Dazhu, without even looking up, said:

"Yes, they're all waiting to be cooked. I'm thinking of cooking over two thousand catties first, and then brewing six or seven hundred catties of liquor." Upon hearing this, Wang An's eyes widened, and he instinctively exclaimed in surprise:

"Oh my god! No, Dad, why are we burning so much liquor? Are we trying to drink someone to death?"

More than 2 kilograms of grain can easily be used to brew more than 7 kilograms of high-proof liquor with an alcohol content of over 65%.

While this kind of liquor is very suitable for making medicinal wine, it is not good for daily drinking because it is spicy and you can't taste any chicken feather flavor.

A sip of alcohol feels like swallowing a ball of fire, burning from the mouth to the throat and then to the stomach. The only sensation is a burning or scorching feeling, which completely ruins the pleasure of drinking.

The key issue is that drinking this kind of alcohol can easily lead to illnesses such as esophageal erosion, gastric erosion, and even esophageal and stomach cancer, which is quite unfriendly to the body.

So Wang An's statement, "Who do you think you're going to drink to death?" wasn't entirely unfounded, but it just sounded very unpleasant.

Wang Dazhu turned his head and glared at Wang An, saying with a look of annoyance:

"Get out of here. If you can't speak properly, then shut up."

Wang An smiled slightly, unconcerned, and said to Wang Dazhu earnestly:

"Dad, let me tell you, our family's circumstances have improved, but we have to be careful about drinking. From now on, when we drink, we should distill the grains several times, make sure it's low in alcohol, and most importantly, drink less."

So Wang An went on and on, mainly explaining to Wang Dazhu how excessive drinking was harmful to health, and listing many examples, which finally convinced Comrade Wang Dazhu.

The main problem was that he couldn't keep quiet about it anymore, because Wang An discovered that Wang Dazhu now drank a cup with almost every meal, at least two ounces, and if he was in a good mood, half a pound was normal.

Although the Wang family members are naturally good at drinking and can drink as much as they want without getting drunk, Wang An still felt that if his father continued to drink like this, he would eventually develop health problems.

Wang An only wanted Wang Dazhu and his wife to live long and healthy lives, and also to make up for the filial piety he owed in his previous life. He didn't want any health problems to arise for them.

Time flew by, and it was around 4 p.m. By then, it was already dark in Heilongjiang Province. Huang Zhong, who had been out chasing Song Ping since morning, returned on horseback.

As soon as Huang Zhong dismounted, Wang An, who was helping Wang Dazhu cook the last pot of grain, came forward to greet him, took the reins, and said very kindly:
"It must have been freezing today!"

Having run around all day in temperatures nearing -30 degrees Celsius, Wang Anke knows all too well what it's like.

Although Huang Zhong was dressed thickly and covered up well, to be frank, while such attire would certainly not be a problem for a short time, if one were outdoors for more than two or three hours without moving, one would still feel unbearably cold.

Only by wearing thick clothes and constantly moving around can one withstand such a low-temperature environment.

Huang Zhong spent most of the day on horseback, and Wang An could practically feel the experience firsthand.

Upon hearing this, Huang Zhong chuckled and said:

"Without my older brother, I didn't feel cold at all. I've been warm all day, even my toes weren't cold. I think it must be from those few sips of deer blood I drank this morning, hehehehehe."

It's clear that helping Wang An was a great honor for Huang Zhong, and he was willing to endure hunger and cold for it. (End of Chapter)