Chapter 366 Extra Three

Sui Yu had no idea how Lu Yaer and Yang Erlang had discussed the matter. After that, Mrs. Song never came to her to ask for Song Xian's opinion. She privately thought that Yang Erlang must have brought back Lu Yaer's attitude, and the Yang family might be in a tangle again.

However, when the caravan set out, Sui Yu saw Yang Erlang, who had been waiting for a long time, outside the city gate. He was alone, carrying a large bag, without a mount and without parents to see him off.

"Captain Yang approached Huang Ancheng, hoping to persuade him, but he bluntly said he couldn't make the decision. However, he heard Yang Erlang wanted to join the caravan, so he suggested that Lu Yaer take Yang Erlang to Chang'an. This would give the two children a chance to assess each other and change their minds." On the way back to the city, Song Xian explained to Sui Yu, "After the caravan returns from Chang'an, if Yang Erlang still insists on joining the caravan, and Lu Yaer is satisfied with his performance, then neither family will object to the marriage."

"This is a good suggestion." Sui Yu said.

Song Xian nodded, "That's right, Huang Ancheng has considered Lu Yaer for once."

Sui Yu didn't respond and she didn't comment.

A camel caravan was approaching behind them, so Sui Yu pulled Song Xian to the side. There was a vendor steaming red date buns nearby, and the hot steam coming out of the steamer was filled with the sweet fragrance of red dates.

"How long will it take to steam this pot of steamed buns?" Sui Yu asked.

"It's almost done, just a couple of pies." The vendor saw her taking out a copper coin, so he waved his hand and said, "Shopkeeper Yu, you don't need to pay. I'll give you two pieces to try."

"How can I not ask for money? Your noodles and firewood are not picked up for free."

"Shopkeeper Yu? Is that the Shopkeeper Yu from Changgui Guesthouse?" A slender woman following behind the caravan spoke.

A clear and cool voice reached his ears, and Sui Yu turned around unconsciously and said, "It's me."

"Shopkeeper Yu, the six of us were introduced by Kurban. My name is Baimei, and I used to be an actor." Baimei pointed at the other five and said, "We all came from a theatre troupe. They got into trouble, and we have nowhere to go. Kurban said you might be willing to take us in."

"Did Kurban recommend you? Sure, sure. Have you had breakfast? Big brother, I want eight steamed buns with red dates, one for each of us." Sui Yu took out the money. "Five cents each, right? Here, forty copper coins."

The steamed buns were hot right out of the oven, so the vendor used clean sorghum leaves as pads before handing them out. He smiled and said to the entertainers, "You've got great luck following Shopkeeper Yu. Stay in Dunhuang from now on. When you perform on stage, I'll bring people to support you."

Bai Mei nodded slightly. She glanced at Sui Yu inconspicuously, then loosened her hand that was holding down the headscarf, revealing the hideous scar hidden under the headscarf.

The vendor's expression changed, but he did not lose his composure. He continued to work on his business.

Sui Yu's eyes moved slightly and asked, "Is this a burn?"

Bai Mei said "hmm", "If you find it scary..."

"Not really. Once you're settled in, come and stroll around the city often. This is the border, and we fought the Xiongnu a few years ago. There are many veterans with missing limbs, and there are also many with scars on their faces. We don't find scars scary, so you don't have to think too much about it." Sui Yu said calmly, "As long as your background is clean and you haven't committed any crime, Dunhuang City and Changgui Guesthouse will accommodate you."

"We haven't done anything wrong. If we had done anything wrong, we wouldn't be able to enter Dunhuang City at all." A man who was estimated to be only four feet tall hurriedly explained.

Sui Yu nodded, "Let's go, follow the caravan ahead. This caravan is heading to Changgui Inn."

Passing by Nanshui Street, Sui Yu met Supervisor Hu, who was walking in the market with twenty or thirty skinny slaves.

"Madam, I was just about to come find you." Supervisor Hu pointed to the slaves behind him and said, "I heard from the letter that your family is looking to hire some slaves. I've screened these people, and they all performed well in their previous labor. Take them back and choose some more."

Sui Yu took a look around. Each of these slaves looked nervous. They had clearly been groomed. Their thin, dry hair was tied with straw ropes, and their sunken faces were washed clean, clearly trying to make a good impression on their masters. However, their clothing was inadequate. Their ragged garments barely covered their waists and fell below their knees, revealing the bones of their bare arms and calves. Scars, old and new, were alarming. Their deformed fingers and feet, like those of wild beasts, betrayed the hardships they had endured. A closer look revealed the nails on their hands and feet, thick and curved like hoof nails, with dirt and dirt growing through them.

Sui Yu couldn't bear to watch any longer, so she said, "I trust Supervisor Hu's judgment. I won't be picky about these. I want them all. Please help me find ten female slaves with good cooking skills."

Supervisor Hu nodded with a smile. "Then come with me. We'll discuss the details and sign a contract."

Sui Yu asked Song Xian to take these people back to the guesthouse, and she went to the government office with Supervisor Hu.

On the way, Sui Yu greeted him, "You guys have been busy lately, haven't you?"

"Busy. Ever since the imperial court issued the pardon decree, I have been busy until late at night every day. Thanks to your cousin who can read, she helped me select the list of pardoned slaves, which saved me a lot of trouble." Since there were no outsiders around, Supervisor Hu changed his tone to be more intimate.

"When you are free next time, I will ask Xiping to treat you to a drink. I recently got a batch of good wine." Sui Yu said.

"I should treat him to a drink. An Ge'er has just entered the officialdom, thanks to the support of his uncle. Most of those slaves just now are children of officials, and are the side branches of the main culprit's family. They have not committed serious crimes, but they have abilities and meet your requirements." Supervisor Hu said implicitly.

Sui Yu now understood that Supervisor Hu was doing this to repay a favor.

After that, the two did not talk anymore. They went to the government office. Supervisor Hu hired a clerk to entertain Sui Yu, and he plunged into the busy official duties.

The Supervisory Office was packed with people, rushing in and out. If you walked slowly, your shoes would fall off. Sui Yu followed the clerk into a large room piled high with bamboo slips. As soon as he entered, he heard a junior supervisor shout at the top of his lungs, "I have ninety-one slaves who want to rent land to grow cotton. Do you have any spots left? Give me a clear answer! I've already made two trips."

"There is no more. There is not much land in Dunhuang that can be used to grow cotton. The slaves who were pardoned are enough. Those who were not pardoned will wait for now. We will add more people when there is vacant land." The clerk who was busy and sweating said impatiently.

The clerk brought twenty-eight slave contracts and handed them to Sui Yu, along with a parchment scroll. "Madam, please take a look at this first. If you have no problem with it, please sign your name and put your fingerprint on it."

Sui Yu nodded, "I'll take it out and take a look, you go ahead and do your thing."

Nineteen of the twenty-eight slaves were implicated in the coinage case. Their ancestors had been confiscated and exiled for illegally minting coins; no wonder they hadn't been pardoned. The contract on the parchment stated that during the period of employment, and until the slaves were redeemed, all proceeds from their employment must be turned over directly to the government. Sui Yu read it carefully, confirming it was correct. She then went in, signed her name, and placed her fingerprints on it. From then on, these twenty-eight slaves were under her control.

After leaving the Supervisory Office, Sui Yu went to the Agricultural Department. Inspector Ma was busy collecting cotton taxes. Zhao Xiping was not there, so he went out to patrol the fields again.

"Ma Nongjian, the cotton harvest season is about to end. What are you going to do with the cotton seedlings that you owe on credit?" Sui Yu asked.

"I have reported this to the Minister of Agriculture, but the court has not replied yet.

People need to be patient and wait." said Ma Nongjian.

Sui Yu was skeptical, but had no choice but to wait.

After returning to the guesthouse, Sui Yu arranged accommodation for the new slaves. These twenty-eight slaves also moved into the second guesthouse. She asked Erhei to take them to work in the fields first. After the autumn harvest, they would follow Sui Liang and A Shui to manage the guesthouse business. After the spring planting next year, she would arrange for people to go out and open a guesthouse or a food shop.

"Take them to a barber and have him shave their heads and trim their beards and nails," Sui Yu instructed Erhei. He then told the slave, "We also serve food in our guesthouse. If their beards and nails grow long, they should be trimmed. Except in winter, their clothes should be changed every two days or every day, and they must not smell bad."

"Master, how much are our wages?" Tu Qu asked what he was most concerned about. After all, they had gone to great lengths to use their connections to apply and find ways to work and earn money in order to redeem themselves.

"You won't be paid for the next six months, but food, clothing, housing, and transportation are provided. When you leave Dunhuang and start building a house outside to manage the guesthouse business, you'll be paid 20 coins a month. At the end of the year, if the guesthouse makes a profit of 30,000 coins, the manager can earn 500 coins in interest. And so on and so forth. The better the business, the more money you'll earn. How much you earn depends entirely on your personal ability." Sui Yu said, "Two years ago, I opened a guesthouse in Zhangye County. The managers are a young couple. In addition to running the guesthouse business, they also raise a large flock of teal. It was the female manager's idea, so I only take half the money from the ducks, which is considered the money for the ducks' leftovers. The rest goes to the couple, which means they can earn at least 1,000 coins a year. I'll treat you the same way I treat them."

The slaves were delighted to hear this. Even before they had even started to manage the guesthouse, they were already thinking about ways to make money.

"But I'm not a philanthropist. Your means of making money must benefit my inn. If you try to exploit my business and only think about making some personal money, I won't hesitate to send you back," Sui Yuxian declared. "By the way, I don't know if Supervisor Hu has told you that I will hand over all the money you earn to the government until you redeem yourself."

"I know, we all know it." Tu Qu nodded.

"It's good to understand. I'm not a mean person and won't embezzle your money. You should also be dedicated to me and don't be clever. Be nice to everyone. I see you have quite a bit of money to redeem your bodies. The nineteen people surnamed Tu each paid a hundred thousand coins, and the rest paid seventy or eighty thousand coins. If there's no opportunity, we'll have to deal with you for twenty or thirty years. It's in your best interest to be loyal to me." Sui Yu gave them a few words of advice and said, "Let's do this for now. Erhei, go buy them twenty-eight sets of ready-made clothes, and then go to the barber's shop."

After saying that, Sui Yu left. She heard Xiaohua's voice, saying that the little girl was ready to feed.

"Master, how do we arrange the six new entertainers?" Erhei followed and asked.

"Like Kurban and Anle, we only provide food and accommodation. After they go on stage, all the tips from the merchants belong to them." In order to attract talents, Sui Yu offered excellent conditions. Whether it was an opera troupe or an embroidery studio, outsiders who wanted to find work had to pay money to the troupe owner and the workshop owner. Sui Yu did not rely on the performers for a living.

Since she was not short of that little money, she simply refused to charge any money and provided food and accommodation, just to attract more capable people and make the guesthouse more lively in winter.

"Shopkeeper Yu, you have a new little girl? It's only been two years since we last met, and she's grown so big already." A merchant standing outside the warehouse greeted.

Sui Yu took a closer look and asked in surprise, "Master Hua? Why are you here this year? Why didn't you go to the coast again?"

"I heard Hexi is bustling with activity, so I came to join in the fun." Boss Hua pointed toward the warehouse and said, "Your business is growing bigger and bigger. No wonder I haven't seen your caravan in Chang'an."

Sui Yu chuckled twice and said, "Your Excellency is so forgetful. My caravan just left Dunhuang this morning. You must have run into me outside the city, but you just didn't recognize me."

"Oh? That caravan is yours? I was busy heading into the city this morning and didn't get a good look." Boss Hua suddenly realized, "By the way, when are you free? Let's talk business. I've brought over a batch of seafood. See if you're interested."

As he spoke, the head of the Hua family wrapped the red coral bracelet he had prepared in advance around Xiaohua's wrist twice and said, "Little girl, you are fair-skinned, and a red bracelet will look good on you."

Xiaohua briefly forgot about being hungry, and she raised her hand to pinch the beads curiously.

"Thank you, Boss. I'll accept it." Sui Yu shook Xiaohua's hand and waved, saying, "Thank you, uncle."

Xiaohua smiled at the boss Hua.

"She looks so much like her brother. Time is merciless. We have watched the little cub grow up. In the blink of an eye, he is almost as tall as me." Hua Dadang measured his chest and shook his head with a sigh.

"Dad." The youngest son of the Hua family came running over. "Is this Madam Xianhua? I've seen Madam Xianhua before. My dad has mentioned you a long time ago, but it's a pity we never got to meet."

"Even though we haven't met, I know you. Sui Liang told me that you took good care of him when he was in Chang'an." Sui Yu pointed towards the Fire Cocoon Shop and said, "That's his shop. Go find him. He's the host now. Ask him to treat you well."

Xiaohua was impatient and hungry. She covered her mother's mouth with her hand and cried for home.

"The child is sleepy. I'll take her home first." Sui Yu apologized and left.

After crossing the river, the door of home was right in front of them. Xiaohua was happy again. She grinned and held her mother's face and gave her a flattering kiss.

Sui Yu pretended to glare at her, but Xiaohua was not afraid. She pouted and kissed him again.

"You little troublemaker." Sui Yu patted her.

Before Sui Yu entered the door, she heard a noisy voice in the distance. She turned her head and saw the kid running over, so she was no longer worried.

The postman leading the way recognized the boy. He introduced him, saying, "These people are envoys from Dayuan and Parthia. They've heard about Lady Xihua and the Changgui Inn from the merchants, and they've heard about the bustle here, so they wanted to come and see. Are your parents home?"

"My father isn't home, but my mother is. You can entertain them first. My mother is taking care of my sister and will be out when she's done." The boy had seen many Hu merchants, so he wasn't curious or surprised by the appearance of the envoys from Dayuan and Parthia. Seeing them wearing silk produced in the Han Dynasty, he felt a little proud and took the initiative to ask, "Can you speak Chinese? Are you here for cotton?"

"Yes, the cotton-padded jacket is very warm, and the quilt is very soft," the bearded messenger said. "The combination of cotton-padded jacket and silk is better than fox fur and wolf fur. It is beautiful, warm, and easy to wash."

The wind from the northwest brought the melodious sound of camel bells, and another caravan was approaching Dunhuang City.

Aning came towards them with his servants driving a herd of camels. He saw that the group of foreigners looking into the cotton field were not Hu merchants. He winked at his brother but did not speak to them rashly.

"A caravan arrived an hour ago. Did you see it?" asked the kid.

"It's too late. Li Xiaowu snatched the business away."

"There should be another caravan entering the city later. Wait when you pass by the west gate." said the kid.

"Okay."

Aning drove the camels over, and Song Congzu came running over. He exchanged glances with the kid and asked tentatively, "Hey guys, do you want to buy camels? I have both large and small camels."

"Dunhuang is truly bustling," a Parthian merchant exclaimed. "Business, farming, animal husbandry... everything is flourishing. No wonder the Han Empire was so powerful."