Chapter 71

Wen Yi also exercised in the open space for a while. Although it was a bit more humid here than in the north, it was still acceptable. It felt much fresher after wiping.

There was also ice brought by the servants in the room, but Wen Yi only left one lamp, as several people in the room did not need so much.

Zeyi and Jidi still have some connections. Yao Wenjun had already sent his men here. Wen Yi also sent someone to deliver a letter before leaving. It should not have reached that person's hands yet. Once the news arrives, someone will probably be able to contact us.

"But if you see someone who looks like us, you can go and ask them directly." Wen Yi added before Dao Cheng left.

Even if they ask, it doesn’t matter. Dao Cheng and his friends are capable of protecting themselves.

Wen Yi was strolling around this villa-like manor today, and asked a steward to follow him to avoid going to any place he shouldn't go.

I felt a little tired yesterday, but after taking a closer look today, I found that every place here is very exquisite. Although not as tall and magnificent as the pavilions in Changyu, it is also exquisite and elegant in another way. It feels very comfortable to walk in it, probably because there are various trees, flowers and plants planted along the path.

Seeing that Wen Yi had given up the idea of ​​wandering around, the steward beside him spoke at the right time: "The things you need are ready, sir. They are in the yard not far away. There is also a place to rest there. Why don't you go over and take a look now?"

Wen Yi nodded naturally, and the few of them turned out from behind the strange rock at the corner and walked along the path to the place they had prepared early in the morning.

The layout here is similar to where Wen Yi lives. Tea and snacks have been prepared in the main house. Flower pots and shelves are also on the side, and there are people guarding them. There are also bamboo slips with copied records on the table, which are probably related to these things.

Although Pingyi had sold a lot of paper to Meng Xi, and she had gradually begun to replace her recording medium, she was overwhelmed with business and couldn't keep up. However, as time went on, paper should gradually become like Pingyi. After all, paper was much lighter than bamboo slips, saving manpower and material resources during transportation, and it could also carry more information.

Under Wen Yi's influence, the various account books and recording methods in Pingyi have become a mixed style, but the most primitive calculation method is still maintained here. The small manager on one side also has extremely sophisticated counting rods and scrapers hanging on his body, probably to facilitate calculations and corrections at any time.

The first things Wen Yi looked at were naturally the processed branches, leaves and fruits - there are many plants that people who don't know much about their growth process cannot identify clearly, after all, there are many plants belonging to the same family.

The first ones to be found are naturally those with more unique appearances.

Nowadays, there is actually something that is later called wild garlic, called Yangbai or Xiebai. It actually contains allicin, but the extraction requires a lot of raw materials. Pingyi is not the area where this kind of plant is distributed. Occasionally, a few plants can be found in the wild. If it is promoted on a large scale, another high-yield variety is always better.

Even if it... looks like it has been flattened and dried.

Wen Yi picked up the items in the box and sniffed them. He could probably confirm that these dried round cakes should also be a kind of garlic, but he didn't know whether this variety only looked like this or was specially selected.

Other spices are placed next to it. It seems that this thing should be quite expensive nowadays.

Wen Yi took a cloth and wiped his hands clean. "Do you know where these things came from?"

This was just a curious inquiry, and it didn't matter whether he answered or not, but it was obvious that Meng Xi had probably reminded him of this matter. The young steward nodded and picked up the bamboo slips with records from the side. After carefully examining them, he replied:

"These boxes were obtained from traders in the west. Most of them are foreigners, but they don't have the plants or seeds."

It’s not that there is already awareness of species protection or invasion, but these things are generally pillar industries and will not be leaked easily. Even if they are sold, only processed products will be sold.

The steward pointed to several boxes around him and said, "It's not impossible to get them if you want, but you might have to pay a lot."

Meng Xi would not agree to such a price. After all, businessmen are all about profit. However, if Wen Yi and others want, they can also act as a matchmaker. I believe that as long as a large amount of money is spent, there will always be someone who chooses to sell seeds or plants.

Apart from anything else, there are many people in Zeyi who are willing to pay high prices for the jacquard fabrics and various exquisite bowls and plates from Pingyi. The steward also learned from the housekeeper that these things are actually related to Pingyi. It seems that if you really want them, you can naturally afford them.

If it were an ordinary customer, they would not mention this point. After all, the price is too high, and it would be embarrassing to mention it.

Wen Yi nodded, then began to look at the dried things nearby.

Apart from anything else, many things that Wen Yi thought had not appeared on this land at this time could actually be found in Zeyi near the east, and he also had a new understanding of the power of Meng Xi and others.

If she is willing, it would not be difficult for her to establish an independent country with the manpower and financial resources at her disposal.

Unfortunately, most of them were for storage and transportation, with virtually no grains or fruits and vegetables. But even seeing these this time was a rare sight. Wen Yi finally walked over to the box of oddly shaped garlic and said to the steward beside him, "Could you recommend something?"

The steward nodded, indicating he wanted to talk to the merchant. If they could exchange seeds, they could use their connections to get more once the yield increased.

There are not many places suitable for growing these things near Zeyi. According to what the vendor said after getting drunk, the environment in his hometown is similar to that in the north, so it seems suitable for growing them.

It is better to do it today than to wait for a day. Wen Yi confirmed from the steward that the man was still near Zeyi, so he simply took some packaged ceramic products and put them into a box along with the delicate metal objects.

If there is no one to lead the way, it would be difficult to find the place where this group of people are temporarily staying by taking a detour.

After sending the person over, the manager didn't leave, but stayed on the scene. Although there were interpreters on the other side, there was always the worry that middlemen would interfere. Many businesses had previously been disrupted by these interpreters.

*

Daocheng and others were strolling in a crowded place. During this time, they asked some people, but none of them were looking for them. It was the people on the opposite sides who came up to them first after seeing their accessories and outfits.

"Are you here this time?" Dao Cheng followed people back to their temporary residence with half belief and half doubt, and saw some familiar figures, who were the acquaintances he first met in Pingyi.

When he saw Daocheng, the guy with scars on his face was stunned for a moment, then he reacted and looked a little excited.

Although messages can still be delivered through letters now, when traveling with the general or the adults, it is generally difficult to contact people in Pingyi except for important matters, not to mention that both of them have things to do, so even if the letters are returned to Pingyi, they will not reach each other.

Sometimes I always wonder if something happened to the other person, but I don’t have a chance to find out before the work is over.

Judging from the current situation, the other party should have suffered some injuries like himself, but his basic abilities are still there. He was assigned to other places and the treatment is also good.

"Yeah, I didn't expect you to be here too."

I had heard that Daocheng and his group were assigned to Fengyi, and I was really worried for a long time. Now that I can see them, I can finally put my mind at ease.

"Let's not talk about this anymore. I have the seal here. When you are ready to go back, you can take it with you." Dao Cheng put the sealed letter into a bag and found a box specially used for letters.

This thing can only be opened by someone, and its structure is many times more complicated than those wooden balls.

Being able to find someone from Yao Wenjun's side today means I have completed my mission. There is nothing to do in the rest of the time, so I just stay to help.

On the other side, Wen Yi's negotiation went more smoothly than expected. It might be that these things were not the most important to them, or it might be that the gifts he brought touched their hearts. After the discussion, the merchants here agreed to give some unprocessed garlic and spices as compensation.

However, they also expressed their desire to customize some things, and Wen Yi did not refuse after thinking about it.

Most of them are vases or plates. I brought some of these with me this time, so I don’t have to waste time sending the information back to make them.

Seeing Wen Yi's straightforward agreement, the merchants breathed a sigh of relief. They had been worrying about what gifts to bring back, but Wen Yi and his men had already delivered them to them.

After carefully putting the things into the box, Wen Yi learned that Dao Cheng and his companions had encountered a caravan from the north outside. They had originally thought of taking the things back with them, but Ji Di was still busy now, and it seemed that there was not enough manpower to explore the cultivation of these things.

She simply copied down what she remembered onto a piece of paper, put it in a box, and took it with her when she returned.

As for those plants like cotton and other things, I will try to bring them back as intact as possible. I can try to grow them here now, after all, I haven't decided when I will return.

There was an open space in the yard that was probably a garden, but it wasn't often tended, so it was a good opportunity to clear it out and try out some inexpensive plants. As for the fruit trees, although I didn't know the varieties, the descriptions showed they were carefully selected. It was obvious that what Meng Xi had collected couldn't be a sham.

If things were really bad, she could give up her seat as the number one merchant in Zeyi to other merchants.

Garlic is mainly planted in autumn, and it is just right now after a while. However, I am not sure whether the growing conditions of this variety are like this. If the fruit of the seed can be exchanged, the method is definitely not possible.

There was no need to even ask. If she hadn't seen how much those people wanted the things she had, and hadn't deliberately acted indifferent to their possessions, the previous transaction would have been difficult.

*

Yao Wenjun couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief when he learned from his men that Wen Yi had arrived safely in Zeyi and had obtained something of interest.

God knows how worried I was when I learned from Pingyi some time ago that Changyu had first lost contact due to an epidemic, and then had finally resolved the problem before following people eastward.

Fortunately, everything went smoothly. Now he has some manpower over there, so if anything goes wrong, Wen Yi has some people to help him.

The situation on my side is pretty good. Although there are some people in Ji who are resisting, they are much more obedient than the old subordinates in Yu who make trouble from time to time. I don't know why those people have not given up until now. Maybe they still think that the people and things under their command belong to them.

Yao Wenjun shook his head, put the letter away, and planned to send it back to Pingyi next time, so that Song Jin and others there could rest assured.

"Now that things have been resolved here, I can finally relax." She muttered to herself, and after finishing the things in her hands, she did not open a new box.

Yao Wenjun stretched her muscles and prepared to go to the parade grounds. She had been swamped with paperwork these past few days, and the officials had been too busy to handle it, so they had drafted her in as labor.

After all, most of the literate people in these cities were nobles, and only one or two out of ten could be persuaded to come and help. Most of them just cursed, and the rest were not worth their own people.

In a while, the academy will be able to recruit another group of laborers. Then, I and my subordinates will definitely have a lot more work to do. It makes me happy just thinking about it.