Chapter 105 Merchants: I love unicycles!

As September approaches, the south is still as hot as midsummer, making people want to soak in the pool every day to cool off, but in the north it is almost winter.

The northern border of the Qin Dynasty, Yunzhong County, was originally the Xiongnu that the Zhao State had defended against for generations. After the unification of the six kingdoms, it became the border where Qin soldiers were stationed.

The Xiongnu lived near water and had abundant cattle and sheep. It sounded like they lived a carefree and rich life, but in fact, their living standards were far from comparable to those of the nobles in the Central Plains. The lower-class herdsmen, in particular, had a very difficult time surviving. Once something unexpected happened, they would face the desperate situation of large-scale death of cattle and sheep and being unable to survive.

At this point, they could only march south and plunder enough food to survive. But for the people living on the border, all this was a devastating disaster.

There is a small tribe near Yunzhong County. It has only a few dozen people and no one would notice it even if it did not catch up with the main force.

Tara is an ordinary herder in this tribe. If there is anything special about him, it is probably that he did a business with a caravan from the south a few months ago - selling wool to them at a 'high price'.

That was a really good deal. I only exchanged some wool that was so smelly that it was not even suitable for foot pads for a lot of salt and cloth, and also a kind of medicinal herb that can cure diseases when eaten. If I soak it in water and drink it every day, I will no longer have constipation like before.

Tara put on a fur coat, then lifted the felt and walked out of the tent, but even with the extra layer of clothes, she was still shivering in the cold wind outside.

"This weather is too cold. It's never been this cold at this time of year in previous years."

Tara complained about the damn weather and walked towards the sheep pen shivering.

The first thing they do when they get up is to check their property. It is their lifeblood and the means by which they, as herdsmen, make a living on the grassland.

He carefully counted the sheep in the sheepfold, one by one, from left to right, and then from right to left, back and forth three or four times, and only returned to the tent with peace of mind after making sure that there was no problem.

In the tent, his wife was wiping his knife back and forth with a piece of coarse cloth soaked in sheep fat.

"You're back. I left some mare's milk and steamed buns on the stove for you. Eat them quickly."

Tara walked over, grabbed the cake and goat milk, sat by the fire, and ate while warming herself.

"It's cold this year. When winter comes and snow falls from the sky, many cattle and sheep will freeze to death." He stared at his knife intently, unable to tell whether it was anticipation or pain. "Also, I need to prepare my horses and luggage. I wonder if the Chanyu will go south this year. If I don't bring back some supplies, life will be difficult."

It wasn't the first time his wife had done this, but this time she wasn't very willing. "We've just established a relationship with the southern merchant caravan, and we've earned more cloth and salt than we ever did with the Chanyu, and we don't have to risk our lives on the battlefield. If we get involved this time, they're definitely not going to want us back."

Tara sighed when he heard this, stuffed the cake into his mouth in a few bites, drank the mare's milk, stood up, took the bow from the wall and pulled it hard a few times, as if to vent his depression.

"The Chanyu wants someone, so how can I not go?"

He thought of the salt and clean, soft cloth hidden in the tent, slammed his bow hard on the table, and walked outside. "I'll go see Agu."

Agu was a friend who grew up with him. From the first time he shot arrows to the first time he rode a horse, and then to the first time he followed the Chanyu into the battlefield, they were each other's arms and never separated.

They are the best brothers and the ones who trust each other the most.

A few months ago, when doing business with merchants from the Central Plains, it was Agula who got close to him.

Agu's grandmother was a woman from the Central Plains. Because of this, when he went south to plunder, he only robbed and never killed. He also learned the southern dialect from his grandmother, and this time when he was doing business with the caravan, he was the translator between the two sides.

It was thanks to him that this deal was able to fall into the hands of their tribe.

Being able to exchange the cheapest wool for so many good things, Tara actually didn't want to go to war. The treasures they got from the south belonged to the nobles, and even the beautiful women they robbed were only enjoyed by the rich and powerful. They worked so hard, but most of the time they could only get enough food to survive.

Now there are more convenient and safer ways, who would be willing to live that kind of life?

Because of their close relationship, the two tents were set up very close to each other, so they didn't even need to ride a horse, they could just trot a few steps to get there. Before they even got there, Tara shouted at the top of her voice: "Agu, Agu, I'm coming."

He took a few steps, reached out to lift up the wool felt hanging down to block the wind, and crawled into the tent. His series of actions were so natural, just like returning home.

This was his usual action. According to his previous habits, Agu would come up and give him a hug with a big laugh.

Tara laughed heartily and opened her arms, ready for a hug, but she found nothing in her arms, as she was used to doing.

He opened his eyes curiously and looked for Agu's figure in the tent.

The tent was not big and there were no obvious partitions. He saw Agu with just a quick glance, but found that he seemed to be hiding something in the quilt.

Hiding something?

Tara was really surprised this time.

unicorn

Agu never hid anything from him.

"Agu?" He called out, and was surprised but not surprised to see the other person's panicked expression.

"What are you doing?" His face darkened.

Agu was startled by his voice and jumped up, and immediately denied it: "No, nothing."

When I turned around and saw it was him, I breathed a sigh of relief, "Tara, it's you, I thought..."

His still intimate behavior instantly made Tara feel better. She was in the mood to tease him, "Why do you think so? Do you have someone else in the other tent and are afraid that I will tell your wife?"

"Of course not. I am loyal to my wife." Agu frowned in dissatisfaction.

"Then what are you hiding? And what are you worried about?" Tara asked.

Agu first lifted the wool felt, poked his head out of the tent, looked around, and when he saw that there was no one around, he pulled them to sit in front of the stove.

He looked flustered and serious, as if he was about to tell something big, a big secret.

"Tara, I want to go to my grandmother's hometown. I heard that there is no war there now, and crops can be grown in the fields. There is no need to fight and there is always enough food to eat."

Tara didn't expect that he was going to say something so fatal.

He immediately jumped up, pointed at his nose and cursed: "Agu, you are crazy! You actually want to go to such a terrible place! Have you forgotten how they killed the warriors on our grassland? If you get there, they will tear you into pieces and feed you to the wolves!"

He was reluctant to use the word traitor to describe Agu, but he had to admit that his good brother's idea this time was too ridiculous.

Compared to his excited emotions, Agu was obviously much calmer.

You don't know how many times he has gone through this and thought it over carefully in countless lonely nights.

He looked up at Tara calmly, "I don't want to fight anymore."

"I heard from the caravan that came over last time that there's a shortage of people next door, people who can work. Their Chanyu, no, they call him Emperor. Their Emperor has built many factories across the country, and each factory needs to hire many people, and is willing to provide food and shelter. I'm willing to endure hardships and work, and I can survive there."

Tara thought he was being unreasonable and was so anxious that he paced around in the tent. "Have you forgotten how those people beat us before? If they recognize you as a boy from the grassland, they will definitely kill you!"

A Gu said: "I have secretly ridden on horseback to see it, and what they said is true."

Tara stopped suddenly and looked at him in disbelief.

"How dare you go to the Central Plains people's territory alone!"

Agu raised his hand and touched his face. Behind the messy beard was a young and handsome face.

He bore a passing resemblance to his late grandmother, looking more like someone from the southern Central Plains than someone from the steppes. However, having spent his childhood riding horses and herding livestock in the northern grasslands, he had acquired a certain nomadic ruggedness.

As long as he shaved off his beard, untied the pigtails on his head and tied them together, and changed into clothes from the Central Plains, he could blend in.

Tara heard that he had planned every step of the way. Knowing that she couldn't persuade him, she asked, "What about these cattle and sheep? And your horses, what are you going to do with them?"

Agu looked at him expectantly, "Tara, my friend, you will help me take care of them."

"I'll give you all my cattle and sheep. If one day I can't stay in the Central Plains anymore and return to the grasslands... I know you will definitely take me in."

Tara wanted to refute fiercely, but he didn't say a word.

Yes, he would take him in.

…

On a misty and cold morning, Tara said goodbye to his best friend.

He watched the figure riding away on horseback, gradually disappearing from his sight.

May the Wolf God bless you, my friend.

…

"Oh? Is this really what the Hun said?"

Meng Tian raised his eyebrows in surprise when he heard the news handed over by his personal guards.

The guards were also surprised when they heard the news for the first time, but after repeated confirmation, they found that it was indeed a Hun.

"The Xiongnu Chanyu wants to organize people to march south..."

The Qin Dynasty had anticipated this incident, and that was why Meng Tian was sent to resist the Huns.

The nomadic people have an old relationship with them. It was already chilly in the north in early September, and a cold winter was foreseeable.

According to past habits, the Huns would definitely take the place and plunder it to survive the winter.

In the past, there was no other way, and we could only resort to the clumsy method of closing the door and beating the dog from a distance, but now...

Meng Tian thought of the things produced by the alchemists, raised his eyelids, and ordered: "Since it comes from the Xiongnu, let him load the gunpowder. When these thunder beads are used on the Xiongnu cavalry in the future, it will be his token of joining the Qin Dynasty."

The guard hesitated. "General, Lei Zhenzi is a secret weapon passed down to us by our immortal master. How can we let someone who doesn't know the secrets have access to it? If he develops ulterior motives and leaks it out..."

Meng Tian said, "It doesn't matter. Even if it is revealed, who would believe it?"

So Agu, who had just arrived in Yunzhong County, got a new job with food and accommodation provided.

The work lasted seven hours a day, and the job was simple: just putting black ash into iron balls. Except for the fact that everyone was separated by walls, unable to talk or use fire, which was a bit boring and straining on the eyes, there was no better day.

Agu was eating the meal distributed in the factory cafeteria. It was a big bowl of porridge with a lot of chopped vegetable leaves in it!

He shoveled the porridge into his mouth. The leaves were slightly bitter, but all these vegetables could not be eaten on the grassland.

At night, I returned to the dormitory. There were bunk beds for twenty people, but the brick house was safe and secure. I didn't have to worry about being blown down by strong winds, nor did I have to worry about wolves guarding the sheepfold in the middle of the night. This was the first time since I was a child that I had slept so peacefully.

I heard that these factories were brought by the immortal from Daqin.

Even he, a man from the Xiongnu tribe, had such a good life. How could those people who had lived in Xianyang for generations have such a happy life?

Will it be as the people in the caravan described, with endless food, enough food to last the whole year by working seven or eight months a year, and honey as sweet as sugar?

Agu tried his best to imagine that wonderful life, as if thinking like this would make his future so beautiful and peaceful.

But he also felt that he shouldn't be so greedy. Life was already very, very good. He didn't have to worry about wolves, didn't have to be afraid of strong winds, and didn't have to worry about where food came from. He should be content.

He tried hard to convince himself, but a secret corner of his heart still yearned for Xianyang, where the gods were said to live.

…

Outside the Xianyang Palace, Brother Shen and Brother Si walked out in a daze.

"Is this really happening?" someone asked as if to confirm.

"Is it done?" another person repeated uncertainly.

The result came so easily that it made them feel unreal, as if they were in a dream.

I raised my hand and touched the seal hidden on my chest. The uneven touch gave me a sense of security.

This is the official seal, the symbol of the Qin officials, and it is in their arms?

"I didn't say anything, and I became an official so easily?" This was what they asked for at the beginning, but they couldn't believe it when it actually came true.

"Hurry up and pinch me, is this true?... Ouch! It hurts, it hurts, it's real! I'm not dreaming! Bro, we really did it!"

The two pinched each other, and the intense and real pain finally brought them back to their senses.

They stared at each other on the street and burst into laughter. "Hahahaha, this is what has happened to me. Let's see who dares to call me a lowly businessman again! I'm an official of the Qin Dynasty now!"

"Oh, the autumn harvest celebration is approaching, and Xianyang City is really lively. Come on, brother, I'll take you to have some fun." Brother Shen put his arm around Brother Si's shoulders, as if he discovered the prosperity and freedom of Xianyang for the first time.

The two of them first went to a roadside stall, took out a Qinbanliang, and ordered two bowls of shredded pork noodles. After eating the hot noodles, the warm soup took away all the coolness brought by the autumn wind.

Brother Si sighed comfortably and asked the stall owner for information.

"Boss, we just arrived from out of town. I heard the Autumn Harvest Festival is really lively. I wonder where we can go to join in the fun?"

The influx of people during this period had made the boss earn much more than usual. With more money on hand, life was easier, and the boss was naturally in a good mood. He happily replied, "I see you two have some extra money. Why don't you go to the department store and take a look? They have a wide variety of things there, but the prices are a little higher than elsewhere."

The two followed the instructions and saw the particularly prominent tall building on the bustling street.

"I originally thought it was a landscape built by His Majesty the Emperor, but I didn't expect it to be a shop open to the public." They stood in front of the department store and looked up at the building that was almost reaching the clouds.

They followed the crowd into the gate, and everything inside was so new and novel.

During planning, the department store's interior design was partly inspired by the malls of the interstellar era. The ground floor was divided into two sections, separated by a wall and two doors in the middle. On the left was a general store, similar to a supply and marketing cooperative, while on the right were individual counters, each staffed with dedicated personnel.

At present, the literacy rate in Daqin is not high. After experimentation, it was found that this method is more suitable for customers than purchasing by themselves.

And having someone watching everywhere can also prevent theft.

They followed the crowd into the grocery store on the left and browsed around, but the crowd was so dense that they couldn't even see the front shelves. Furthermore, they were now officials of the imperial court, holding a distinguished position. They felt it was inconvenient to continue squeezing and scrambling with the common people as before, so they found an opportunity to exit and enter the nearby counter area.

Most of the things in the department store were already available in Daqin. The two of them had traveled far and wide and were knowledgeable. They had only come to take a look for fun and were planning to buy a few things.

But when they saw...

"Pottery? This is pottery?! There are such exquisite pottery in this world!"

The body was pure white, the shape was neat, and the surface was smooth. The two of them almost stood up to the "pottery" and stared at it, but they didn't find any of the usual particles or holes in pottery.

The main body of the "pottery" in front of them was a moon-white background, and a skilled craftsman had painted a picture of a carp leaping over the Dragon Gate on the bottle. Both the meaning and the painting were top-notch.

Brother Si lowered his gaze and saw a small wooden plaque in front of the bottle with its name and introduction written on it: Porcelain * Fish Leaping Over Dragon Gate Bottle.

porcelain?

Not pottery?

Is that what it's called?

It is indeed more beautiful than pottery.

Like warm jade, like crystal ice, and like the cool white cast by moonlight, it is like a beautiful woman who is isolated from the world, standing here gracefully, attracting the attention of all the guests.

Beautiful porcelain, its price is equally beautiful.

This is obviously an object for the rich to enjoy, suitable for display on the wall, but not very practical.

"These are porcelain bowls, chopsticks, plates, and basins. This is a complete set of tableware and cups themed after the Four Gentlemen of Plum Blossom, Orchid, Bamboo, and Chrysanthemum. They are both ornamental and practical. If you like them, you can take a set away."

More words are needed to describe its beauty, but just the fact that it is placed here is enough to move people.

Brother Shen hesitated for a long time in front of this counter before he reluctantly chose his favorite. "I want a set of 'bamboo'." As he said this, he looked at the other three sets with reluctance.

"I think this set of white snow and red plum blossoms has a very good meaning. Winter is coming soon, and it is just right for use on snowy days." Brother Si picked a set with a 'plum' theme. He had even imagined the occasion for use and the guests who would be attending the banquet.

Speaking of which, Wei Shengxue has proposed the construction of porcelain a long time ago. It was a problem she discovered when she first came to Daqin.

Her words "use the same things as ordinary people" made the Qin emperor and his ministers lose their defense for a long time. When she came back, she ordered people to devote all their efforts to studying the firing of porcelain. After nearly a year of research, they were finally able to fire porcelain stably.

Because Wei Shengxue prefers white porcelain, major porcelain kilns have also conducted the most in-depth research on white porcelain. The white porcelain they fire is close to high-temperature white-glazed porcelain with a glaze color similar to duck eggs.

The two of them temporarily left the wrapped porcelain at the counter, received the temporary receipt as a token of trust, and continued shopping.

They were attracted all the way and finally stopped at a place with the largest number of onlookers who were exclaiming in surprise.

"What is this thing? It can actually walk on its own without the need for oxen or horses!"

"This is a bicycle, and this is a tricycle." The person nearby had clearly been watching for quite some time, and spoke with great clarity. "Bicycles can be used for transportation, and tricycles can be used for carrying things. And that's a wheelbarrow over there. It only requires one person, and it can carry hundreds of pounds of items at a time."

The area where bicycles and other items are sold is separated into a long aisle, and specially trained salespeople ride and explain the products in the aisle.

"Oxen and horses are precious. Using a tricycle can save the fodder and manpower required to raise them."

Not far behind him, another salesperson was demonstrating how to use a cart. A hemp rope was tied to both sides of the handrail and passed around his shoulders to stabilize the balance of the cart. There were three bulging sacks on the cart, and he pushed these heavy objects forward with ease.

The two men's eyes lit up. As businessmen who often traveled long distances, they could not refuse the wheelbarrow.

Although a tricycle is good, it is much more expensive, and it has three wheels. On muddy and difficult mountain roads, it may face the same dilemma as a horse-drawn carriage - getting stuck in a mud pit and unable to get out.

Another thing is that its structure is more sophisticated. Generally speaking, the more sophisticated the structure of something, the more careful maintenance it requires and the more likely it is to have problems. In comparison, the advantages of the unicycle are highlighted.

Each wheelbarrow only needs one porter to carry hundreds of kilograms of things. There is no tool more suitable for long-distance caravans.

The businessmen in the crowd lit up their eyes and asked, "How much is this wheelbarrow?"

The salesperson had already put down the wheelbarrow, and at this time they discovered a new advantage. There were two pillars supporting the bottom. As long as they put it down, Wenwen could stand on the ground without worrying about it falling over, and there was no need for someone to hold it all the time.

That’s wonderful!

"This car only costs one thousand coins."

One thousand coins!

In the Qin Dynasty, the cheapest horse cost a bunch of gold, and if it was equipped with a carriage, the price would be even more expensive.

And this wheelbarrow only costs one thousand coins. Although it takes less energy to transport goods, it is cheap!

The cargo carried by three wheelbarrows could catch up with that carried by a horse-drawn carriage, but the price was much cheaper, as it only required more transporters. But at this time, human labor was the least valuable thing.

"Give me twenty!"

"Fifteen!"

"I want twenty-three!"

When Wei Shengxue heard that the unicycle was a big hit, she couldn't help but brag to the system: "It's truly a precious relic left behind from our home planet. Look, it's still the most sought-after item in another world!"

Affordable! Durable! Practical!

Who can not love it?