Chapter 365 Extra 2
"Master, I've made up my mind. I want to continue working in the caravan," Gan Er said hurriedly. "No need to discuss this with my mother or my eldest brother."
Sui Yu nodded and said, "Okay. This year, the caravans will not be entering or leaving the border. You should go to Zhangye to celebrate the New Year with your family and discuss it with your mother. If you have no other use for the money you have, I suggest that you buy two acres of land north of the city while the land is still cheap and build a house. Then buy another twenty or thirty acres of land. If you don't farm it, you can rent it out and collect rent. You are not young anymore, almost thirty. Now that you have a stable family business and a house, you can consider getting married."
Gan Er nodded, "Okay, I'll listen to you, Master."
Sui Yu: ...
"Call her Madam," Sancao reminded him.
Gan Er scratched his head and said embarrassedly, "I forgot. I'm used to calling you master."
Sui Yu smiled. She looked at the other slaves and said, "I know you're desperate to redeem yourself, so I won't be selling the goods we brought back from outside the Great Wall this time. Next spring, you can go to Chang'an with the Song family's caravan. The jewelry, jade, and furs we bring to Chang'an will fetch a higher price, and you'll get a larger share of the profits."
Xiao Chunhong's heart moved. She calculated and said, "There are still one or two months before winter. We can go to Chang'an this year."
"Yes, quilts and cotton-padded jackets sell better in winter." Zhang Shun was moved. "We can also bring some cotton goods through the customs. If they don't sell well in Chang'an, we can go to Taiyuan County."
"Don't be so anxious. Your redemption is a foregone conclusion. It's just a matter of one year earlier or later. Compared to your good health, it's worth waiting one more year." Sui Yu persuaded.
"We've rested for three months now, and now we've caught our breath. We can start again." Xiao Chunhong shook her head. "After we sell this batch of goods, we can take some more time off next year. It's just right for Qingshan and I to finish our business."
Sui Yu raised an eyebrow and jokingly said, "Qingshan got what he wanted and captured your heart?"
She remembered that Qingshan liked Xiao Chunhong before, but Xiao Chunhong didn't like Qingshan. The two had been in a stalemate for two or three years, and finally Qingshan got what he wanted.
Xiao Chunhong and Qingshan looked at each other and smiled.
Sancao touched his injured right arm and laughed, saying, "Last year, when we encountered bandits outside the Great Wall, Qingshan blocked a knife for Xiao Chunhong. Xiao Chunhong was so moved that she immediately promised herself to him."
"Oh, a hero saving a beauty." Sui Yu understood.
Xiao Chunhong felt embarrassed. She muttered, "What heroes and beauties? They have nothing to do with us."
"Mom, it's time for dinner." The kid shouted while standing under the jujube tree.
Sui Yu stopped nagging after hearing this. She instructed, "Go and discuss with Shopkeeper Song to see if she wants to go to Chang'an this year. It would be best if the two caravans travel together."
"I'll go ask after dinner." Xiao Chunhong nodded.
"Okay, let's go and eat." Sui Yu walked away.
The merchants in the guesthouse have all gotten up, and the food vendors from the city have also arrived. Most of the merchants have breakfast in the kitchen, while some merchants who got up late are too lazy to queue up and choose to buy soup noodles, flatbreads, or steamed buns at the stalls.
"Shopkeeper Yu, would you like a bowl of freshly ground soy milk this morning?" the tofu seller asked enthusiastically.
Sui Yu took the bowl and took a sip. The bean flavor was rich. She said with satisfaction, "Sister Hong's cooking skills are really good. The tofu she grinds is tender and fragrant, and the soy milk is thick and has no residue."
"I learned how to make tofu from my father. We're close, and he didn't keep any copies when he taught me." The Tofu Lady said loudly, "I've made the dried tofu you mentioned before. Your cook has brought it in. You can try making a plate for lunch to see if it tastes right."
Sui Yu agreed, drank the soy milk, and returned the bowl to her.
As he entered the door, he met a group of merchants carrying five sacks of pancakes out. Sui Yu casually greeted them, "Leaving today?"
"Hey, let's go soon. We'll come back next year."
"Okay, have a safe trip."
In the kitchen, a dark and strong merchant who was eating under the eaves with his bowl in hand quickly swallowed his food when he heard the noise and said loudly, "Shopkeeper Yu, please go to the warehouse later. I'll move out the eight boxes of spices I saw yesterday."
"Are there any quilts left in the warehouse?" asked a new customer who arrived yesterday.
"Yes, but the quilts in the warehouse are only sold to the caravans that do business with me. It's a mutual concession." Sui Yu replied.
"Oh? Then I'll go check it out later."
Sui Liang stood at the door of the warehouse and waved, "Sister, the meal is here."
In the warehouse, Zhao Xiping held Xiaohua in one hand and ate with chopsticks in the other. Xiaohua sat on his lap and stared at his mouth, her mouth moving along with it, and her saliva was watering because of her greed for food.
"Little delicious." Sui Yu wiped her mouth with a handkerchief and said with a smile: "You've only grown a tooth and you're already thinking about eating."
"Mom, I wasn't like this when I was a child, was I?" the kid asked curiously.
Zhao Xiping laughed when he heard this, "You two brothers are the same."
The cub didn't believe it, "Impossible."
Sui Yu picked up the bowl and started eating, saying, "You're also a glutton. You smack your lips every time you eat. When you were eight or nine months old, I fed you egg custard and millet porridge."
"I remember he had four teeth when he was nine months old, right? In order to eat more food, you grinned to show us your teeth. Whenever we mentioned the word "teeth", you opened your mouth stupidly." Sui Liang continued.
Sui Yu smiled and nodded.
The boy's ears turned red. He looked at his sister, not wanting to admit that he had been so foolish. He said stubbornly, "You must be lying to me. I don't believe you."
After saying that, he put down the bowl and ran away.
"Not eating anymore?" Sui Yu asked.
"No, I'm full."
"I'm full too." Sui Liang put down the bowl. "I think I heard the butcher's voice. I cut some meat to feed the eagle."
One by one, they all left after eating, and A Shui, Hua Niu and the others came in with their bowls to eat.
Zhao Xiping wiped his greedy daughter's saliva with his sleeve and said, "Go play with your mother. Dad is on duty and will be back at noon."
Sui Yu took the small flower and said, "The official slaves who were deregistered have left, and there's not enough manpower at home. Go ask the government and see if you can bring back another 10 or 20 people."
"good."
Xiaohua looked left and right, and when she saw her father was about to leave, she reached out to hug him. The next moment, she heard a chewing sound above her head. She immediately forgot about her father and looked up at him intently.
Ah Shui laughed out loud, "Xiaohua is so funny."
Sui Yu looked down and smiled. Xiaohua also grinned. When her mouth opened, her tiny teeth were exposed.
Zhao Xiaomi brought in the meal and asked, "Are you done eating?"
"Are you done?" Sui Yu asked.
"I'm done, starving. I got up before daybreak to bundle grass." Zhao Xiaomi yawned, took a bite of her food, and said, "Two more caravans are leaving tomorrow, and I have to go transport grass later. I'll try to get it all here before dark today so I can get a good night's sleep tomorrow."
"My caravan is about to enter the country. Please prepare some food and fodder for me. It will probably arrive in the next few days." Sui Yu said.
"I just met Zhang Shun outside. He told me that we'll leave the day after tomorrow. I'll deliver the food and fodder the afternoon after tomorrow."
Sui Yu picked up Xiaohua and said, "I won't accompany you anymore. Your niece is hungry."
Zhao Xiaomi didn't bother to speak, she raised her chopsticks to show that she understood.
Many people in the kitchen had eaten and left, leaving the table empty with dishes and chopsticks. The merchants who had not left casually greeted Sui Yu, and she was busy responding one by one.
After talking a lot in the morning, Sui Yu sighed after crossing the river, and his mouth felt sore.
"Shopkeeper Yu, open the warehouse door." the merchant shouted.
Sui Yu was too busy to care. Seeing the boy carrying his school box to the classroom, she hurriedly called out, "Little boy, go call your Aunt Shui and ask her to get the key to open the warehouse door."
When she came out after feeding Xiaohua, Ah Shui had already completed two deals. The new customers who had arrived yesterday and the vendors who opened shops in the city were still checking the goods in the warehouse.
When Ah Shui saw her coming, she hurriedly put on her shoes and walked out, saying, "Sister-in-law, the cotton farmers are here to sell cotton. I'll go over and keep an eye on them."
"Okay, you don't have to worry about the warehouse business." Sui Yu went in carrying Xiaohua.
Yesterday, a new merchant took a fancy to the tea in the warehouse. After bargaining for an incense stick, Sui Yu finally sold three boxes at a price of 10,000 coins per box. Each box weighed about 50 kilograms, which means an average of 200 coins per kilogram. Both parties were very satisfied.
He sold three boxes of tea and bought 8,300 coins of deer blood wine from a merchant, and then sold two jars to the wine shop next door.
After being busy for a long time, Sui Yu finally had some free time until lunch was ready.
"Master, we have discussed with Manager Song that we will leave Dunhuang for Chang'an the day after tomorrow." After dinner, Xiao Chunhong found Sui Yu to report the time of departure.
Sui Yu nodded, "Leave the three pieces of colored glaze, leave one piece of white fox fur, and take the rest."
"You won't keep the tiger skin?"
"No, the one I have in hand is still untouched."
"Where's the tiger bone wine? Are you still giving it to the old boatman?"
"Pack it into small cans, two kilograms of wine per can, and sell them to them. Don't give them away." Sui Yu instructed, "Two hundred coins per can. We can't let them keep making money from us. We also need to make money from them."
Xiao Chunhong responded cheerfully, "I'll go into town and buy some jars."
However, less than a cup of tea had passed since she left when Xiao Chunhong came back in with a message: "Master, Mrs. Song, the wife of Captain Yang, is here. She wants to see you."
"Okay, take her to the flower hall to sit." Sui Yu gave Xiaohua to her brother and let the brother and sister take a nap together.
Mrs. Song came to ask Sui Yu to be a matchmaker and propose marriage to her second son.
"Madam, to be honest, my Erlang likes Lu Yaer from Shopkeeper Song's family. When summer started, Lu Yaer came back with a caravan, and he asked me to come to his house to propose marriage. At that time, I thought Lu Yaer and her mother had just returned from outside the Great Wall, and they probably wanted to have a good rest, so I planned to come when winter came. He came back at noon today and said that Lu Yaer was going to lead a caravan to Chang'an again. Since he went back, he has been urging me to come." Mrs. Song did not beat around the bush and stated her purpose right away.
Sui Yu smoothed her hair and said thoughtfully, "I heard Sister Song vaguely say a few words before. She seemed to want to keep Lu Yaer at home and find a son-in-law. How about this, I'll ask her this afternoon and write you a letter tomorrow."
Mrs. Song sighed in embarrassment and said with difficulty, "I know this. I heard Erlang mention it."
Sui Yu understood that Lu Yaer must have discussed this matter with Yang Erlang in private, which meant that the two children were interested in each other.
"That evil boy of ours has been making trouble for us for half a year. He's set his heart on marrying Lu Yaer, and his father and I have beaten and scolded him, but he won't change his mind. We're really at our wit's end." Mrs. Song confided in her, "My Erlang is wild at heart. If his father and I hadn't kept a close eye on him, he would have run off with the caravan long ago. Alas, the child is grown up, and we as his parents can no longer control him."
Sui Yu listened silently. She said subtly, "I understand that marrying a daughter-in-law has a bad reputation, but Lu Yaer inherited her mother's caravan and is extremely wealthy. If she were to marry, few men in Dunhuang would be able to afford such a generous dowry."
Mrs. Song looked a little embarrassed. Although her words were harsh, they were the truth. She and Captain Yang agreed to this marriage because the Song family was wealthy. Her family did not have the ability to marry such a daughter-in-law, so they could only put on a brave face and let their son marry into the family.
"Here's what I'm thinking: nominally, we'll propose marriage, and Lu Ya'er will marry him, but after the marriage, Erlang will move out, and the child will take the Song family name." Mrs. Song revealed her ultimate goal. "Madam, you know me. I'm not that sarcastic. I'm not making this request to embarrass him. This method is just to save Erlang's father's face and avoid outsiders' gossip."
Sui Yu somewhat disagreed. Since she had chosen to marry into the other woman's family, why did she have to resort to all these tricks to fool herself? She pretended to be married just for the sake of face. Would she do something else to maintain her face in the future?
"I'll talk to Sister Song." Sui Yu didn't mention her opinion. "I'll tell her what you said and see what she thinks."
"Hey, Erlang has been under your nose for several years. His father and General Zhao were former colleagues. Our two families have a good relationship. You and Manager Song are sisters. Our three families are destined to be together. You can put in some good words and make a good marriage." Mrs. Song said earnestly.
"Yes, both children are good kids." Sui Yu just said this.
After seeing Mrs. Song off, Sui Yu went back to her room to rest for a while. When the heat dissipated a little, she went to the Song family's newly built house to look for Song Xian.
Song Xian and Lu Ya'er were checking the goods they were going to take through customs. When Sui Yu came in, the mother and daughter didn't get up. Song Xian asked Lu Ya'er to continue working. She turned her head and asked, "Aren't you busy now?"
"Busy in the morning, nothing to do in the afternoon." Sui Yu glanced at Lu Yaer, thinking that she was already able to lead the caravan on a long journey alone, and would take over the family business in the future. She was a girl with her own ideas, so there was no need to avoid her when it came to marriage.
"At noon, Yang Erlang's mother came. She wanted me to be a matchmaker to bring Lu Yaer and Yang Erlang together." Sui Yu said.
Lu Yaer stopped and bit her lip and smiled.
Song Xian wasn't surprised. She glanced at Lu Ya'er and said, "Lu Ya'er is going to stay at home and marry a son-in-law. Does she know that?"
"I know, but she has a request. She wants Lu Ya'er to marry openly. After the wedding, Yang Erlang will move out with Lu Ya'er, and the child will take your surname." Sui Yu relayed, "She asked me to ask for your opinion."
Song Xian didn't say anything. She thought carefully and finally asked, "Xiaoya, what do you think? Did Yang Erlang mention this to you?"
"No." Lu Ya'er was a little unhappy. "I don't agree with this method. Marrying a wife is marrying a wife, and marrying into the family is marrying into the family. They can't have the best of both worlds."
Song Xian's brows relaxed, and she said to Sui Yu, "Sister Yu, please pass on another message. If they are willing to get married, everything will be done according to the procedures for marrying into the family. I will find a good day to propose marriage. If they are not willing, there is no need to bring up this matter again."
"Don't bother my aunt anymore. I'll go talk to Yang Erlang myself. We can talk it out face to face, which will give me a better idea of what he's really thinking." Lu Yaer said decisively, "If he wants a good reputation, he doesn't have to involve me. I don't want a man who makes me compromise for the sake of fame. A man like my Uncle Zhao, who can protect his wife and children and is on the same page with his wife, is a real man."
Sui Yu applauded, "Good girl, you have good taste."
Lu Yaer smiled triumphantly. She tossed her braid and said proudly, "If we cared about our reputation, there wouldn't be Shopkeepers Yu and Song in Dunhuang. Aunt, you and my mother don't care about gossip, and I care even less. I just want to lead the caravan through the border areas and marry a man."
Song Xian laughed and scolded her, "Don't talk nonsense. What's the point of talking about a male wife? Just say it in front of me and your aunt, but don't say it outside."
"I'm not stupid." Lu Yaer smiled and continued to write with a pen.
"Then I won't be a matchmaker anymore?" Sui Yu asked.
"No, if it works out, you can accept my matchmaking gift and help me propose marriage." Song Xian said.
Sui Yu nodded, "Okay, whether it's Yang Erlang or not, I'm willing to be Lu Ya'er's matchmaker and serve her wholeheartedly."
Lu Yaer chuckled, "Just wait, Auntie, I guarantee you'll get some matchmaker wine."
Sui Yu and Song Xian looked at each other, and now Song Xian felt relieved.
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