Chapter 371 Extra 8
"Is Xiaohua awake?"
"I don't know. I went in an incense stick ago and he wasn't awake yet. But even if he wasn't awake yet, he must be almost awake. He usually wakes up around this time."
In the room, a little girl with messy hair sat up on the big bed with a wooden fence. She stared outside the door curiously, listening to the footsteps getting closer.
The wooden door opened, and Sui Yu and Sui Liang walked in one after the other. Because three panels of glazed glass were fixed to the wall, the morning light filtered through the thick glaze, making the room very bright. The little girl on the bed sat in the morning light, her large eyes full of curiosity blinking at the person who came in later.
"Oh, Xiaohua is awake. Look who this is. Do you recognize her?" Sui Yu broke off the buckle and removed the wooden fence. She clapped her hands and led Xiaohua over.
"Don't you recognize me?" Sui Liang approached. "I'm your uncle, do you remember?"
Sui Liang had been gone for half a year and Xiaohua didn't remember him, but when he took out a lamb from behind his back, she ran happily into the arms of this unfamiliar uncle.
Sui Liang handed her a cotton-stuffed lamb doll and said, "It's not that you like me, it's that you like the thing in my hand."
"You brought this thing back with this in mind." Sui Yu pinched the lamb doll and asked, "Did you make this yourself?"
"I bought it from Zhangye. Cotton is plentiful this year, with seven out of ten households planting cotton. With so much cotton, the price is low, and cotton farmers are hoarding it and can't bear to sell it, so they've come up with the idea of making it into other things to sell," Sui Liang said. "The dolls are a recent creation, and it seems they're only sold in Zhangye. I haven't seen them sold in Jiuquan or Wuwei County. Do they have them in Dunhuang?"
"It won't be long before other counties and prefectures follow suit and start selling them," Sui Yu said. "Dunhuang doesn't seem to have any yet. How much is this lamb doll?"
Sui Liang held out his hand. "Fifty coins, that's quite expensive. There's probably less than two pounds of cotton wool in here."
Cotton prices have plummeted this year. When the cotton was first harvested, cotton lint fetched 17 qian per jin (approximately 500 kilograms). Two weeks later, it fell to 15 qian per jin (approximately 500 kilograms). Now, it's only 12 qian per jin (approximately 500 kilograms). This year, except for some farmers who purchased cotton seeds from Sui Yu, all other cotton growers received cotton seeds distributed by the government. In return, cotton growers paid a 60% tax to the government. Furthermore, cotton growers who rented land also paid a 20% rent to the landlord. If an acre of land yielded 200 kilograms of cotton, after paying taxes and rent, they would only receive 64 kilograms of cotton. With the cotton seeds worth half that, the cotton lint could only fetch 384 qian (approximately 500 kilograms). Compared to last year, this was a significant drop in income.
However, this also has its advantages. You can't make a high price by selling cotton lint, so in order to make money, you can produce more cotton fabrics. It won't work if you rely on just one weaving workshop. In order to pursue large quantities, you can't produce eye-catching embroidery products.
Xiaohua's stomach growled. She dropped the lamb and said, "Mom, I'm hungry."
"Come here, I'll change your clothes and ask your uncle to bring you food, okay?" Sui Yu held her hand and said, "Call me. You were asleep when your uncle came back last night, and he came to see you."
Xiaohua tilted her head to look at Sui Liang. Seeing that he was smiling, she turned her head away and interrupted him, "Brother——"
"Brother has gone to school." Sui Yu hugged her, and she winked at Sui Liang, asking him to go out first.
Sui Liang left without a word. Sui Yu whispered, "Your uncle is sad."
Xiaohua looked out and only looked back when she heard the footsteps going away.
Wire.
"Do you still remember him?" Sui Yu asked.
Xiaohua shook her head.
"He is my mother's younger brother, just like you are my brother." Sui Yu explained to her, "Your uncle is also your brother's uncle. He and I have the same mother. When he was still at home, he held you in his arms every day."
After changing Xiaohua's clothes, Sui Yu carried her out. Sui Liang had already brought a bowl of egg custard and a bowl of vegetable porridge.
Sui Liang glanced at Xiaohua and found that she was secretly looking at him. He suppressed his laughter and didn't talk to her. He asked instead: "Sister, has Black Hawk come back in the past six months when I was away from home?"
"It came back, but I didn't see any trace of it. I only found feathers in your yard. It probably came here in the middle of the night, but when it realized you weren't home, it left." Sui Yu scooped a spoonful of vegetable porridge and fed Xiaohua, saying, "Go ride your horse to the foot of the Great Wall later. If it still lives there and hears you, maybe it'll come back tonight for a visit."
"good."
Sui Liang then lowered his eyes to look at his niece. He took the spoon and scooped a spoonful of egg custard to feed her. Seeing that she opened her mouth obediently, he asked, "Can I hold you?"
Sui Yu directly handed the flower to him. She didn't leave, but sat aside and looked at the account book brought back by Sui Liang.
Before Xiaohua could feel any resistance, a spoonful of fragrant egg custard was handed to her mouth. She was about to call out for her mother when the egg custard slid into her mouth. After the first spoonful, the second spoonful came. She gave in and sat obediently on her uncle's lap waiting for the food to be fed into her mouth.
"There are a total of ten guesthouses in the three eastern counties?" Sui Yu asked.
"Well, there's one in Wuwei County, one at the foot of Hongchiling Mountain, two on the road from Wuwei to Zhangye, one in Zhangye City, two on the road from Zhangye to Jiuquan, one in Jiuquan City, and two on the road from Jiuquan to Dunhuang. Each guesthouse focuses on different things, some on accommodation and some on food. Each guesthouse has two male slaves and a cook in charge." Sui Liang explained, "It's inconvenient to buy vegetables and food at the guesthouses outside the city, so the managers grow their own vegetables, grass, and raise chickens and ducks. In addition to selling food, they also sell fodder. The guesthouses in the city cooperate with shops that sell fodder, alcohol, and ready-made clothes, and take a commission from the sales."
Sui Yu has already seen that Sui Liang has been running around outside for the past six months and has arranged these ten shops. Whether these slaves can make more or less money in the future depends on their own abilities.
Turning to the end of the account book, Sui Yu saw the total expenses, including buying land, building houses, hiring people, purchasing mattresses and kitchen utensils, etc., which totaled 447,250 coins.
"You don't need to give me the remaining money, keep it for yourself." Sui Yu closed the account book.
"What do I need so much money for? There are still more than 30,000 yuan left." Sui Liang shook his head.
"You worked hard for half a year and didn't even ask for a penny?" Sui Yu asked. "The money is in your hands. You're not a compulsive gambler, so why should I worry? With money in your hands, you can do whatever you want without any constraints."
Sui Liang wanted to say something else, but Xiaohua let out an unhappy "ah" and grabbed the spoon to scoop up the egg custard.
"I don't want these 32,000 coins. Use them to buy things, whether it's fire cocoons or something else. When you leave the customs next year, you should also bring some goods to sell." Sui Yu made the decision. "Not only you, I've also given the kid 10,000 coins to buy some things to sell."
Sui Liang did not refuse and continued to feed Xiaohua.
"Sister-in-law, are you home?" Ah Shui ran in. "The merchant who came yesterday wanted to do business with you. I came to call you."
"Where's Xiao Chunhong? Let her pass on the message next time." Sui Yu walked out and said, "School hasn't finished yet, right?"
"Xiao Chunhong is also in the school. I met a merchant on my way back to get the brush, so I came to pass on the message."
"Then go quickly." Sui Yu pushed her.
Sui Yu walked very fast. Xiaohua only had time to shout twice before he disappeared.
Only the uncle and nephew were left in the flower hall, and it was extremely quiet for a while.
Sui Liang looked at the little head that was frozen in front of him and laughed secretly, "Do you still want to eat?"
Xiaohua shook her head. Now very obedient, she answered obediently, "I don't want to eat anymore."
"Are you full?" Sui Liang touched her belly skillfully. "Yeah, it's bulging. You must be full."
"Can I tie your hair?"
Xiaohua shook her head.
"I also brought back a bunny doll. Do you want to see it? I also brought back some pretty hairbands and embroidered shoes. I don't know if they'll suit you."
Xiaohua was silent.
"Do you want it?" Sui Liang leaned over to look at her. "If you don't want it, I'll give it all to your brother and let him play with Hongzao."
Xiaohua shook her legs and said nothing.
Not saying anything means not objecting. Sui Liang laughed twice, then picked up Xiaohua and walked towards his yard.
Half an hour later, Xiaohua came out of the house holding Sui Liang's hand. She had a small braid on her head, with small flowers and butterflies all over it. The shoes on her feet were her favorite goose yellow, and there was a white cat chasing butterflies embroidered on them. She had to lift her leg to check her shoes every time she took a step.
"Uncle, let's go." She pointed outside.
"Okay, let's go. Your brother is almost done with school. Let's go pick him up." Sui Liang said, "Do you want me to hold you?"
Xiaohua shook her head, feeling the flowers and butterflies on her head fluttering, and she quickly stopped.
The uncle and nephew went out and happened to meet Sui Yu coming back. She saw Xiao Hua's hair full of flowers and butterflies and said in surprise, "Whose child is so beautiful?"
Xiaohua smiled proudly.
"Who tied your hair?" Sui Yu asked again.
"Uncle." Xiaohua called cheerfully.
Sui Yu looked at Sui Liang with a smile and said, "Your uncle is really skillful."
Sui Liang nodded at Xiaohua from a distance and said, "Not bad, pretty easy to coax."
Sui Yu walked closer to take a look. The flowers and butterflies were all made of cotton thread, with ropes at the bottom, which were directly wrapped around the hair.
"Did you weave it yourself?" She felt that the craft looked familiar.
"Well, I figured this out when I had nothing to do. Doesn't it look good?"
Sui Yu and Xiao Hua nodded in unison.
This is indeed something Sui Liang can do. He is meticulous, patient and ingenious. Each flower has petals and stamens. The petals are of different sizes and numbers, and the butterflies are of different colors. I don't know how much thought he put into it.
"Your uncle really likes you." Sui Yu said to Xiao Hua, "Take your uncle with you and take him out to play. Don't lose him."
Sui Liang thought that he was more familiar with this place than Xiaohua. Before he could say anything, he saw Xiaohua agree seriously. She walked over and held his hand tightly.
"Go ahead." Sui Yu waved his hand.
Sui Liang followed Xiaohua.
"Uncle, fish."
"Are there fish in the river?" Sui Liang expanded on her words. He had raised a cub before and understood children's actions and thinking.
Xiaohua nodded and said, "It's delicious."
"Xiaohua, do you like it?" Sui Liang saw Xiaohua nod, and he said with a smile: "Uncle will catch some fish for you later."
Xiaohua became happier.
"Xiaohua looks so pretty today." A passing merchant said, "Second Shopkeeper, when did you come back?"
"I just got back last night."
"I heard that you left in the spring and haven't been back for half a year. Does your niece still remember you?"
"Xiaohua, do you remember me?" Sui Liang asked.
Xiaohua nodded calmly and boasted to the merchant, "My uncle."
"Yes, I know it's your uncle."
There was a noise at the school, and Xiaohua immediately pulled Sui Liang toward the road. She stood in the middle of the road so that everyone coming out of the school could see her.
"Wow, the flowers are so pretty. The flower on your head is pretty too. Was it a gift from your uncle? It's so beautifully woven."
A Shui and Hua Niu surrounded Xiao Hua and looked at the flowers and butterflies on her head, touching and pinching them, looking extremely envious.
Xiao Chunhong and Xiao Xi also came over. They were used to doing business, so when they saw these things, they became interested and asked Sui Liang where he bought them from and how much he paid for them.
"I made it up myself," said Sui Liang.
"Can you teach us? We can make them when we have nothing to do and take them out to sell when we leave the country next year," said Xiao Chunhong.
Sui Liang nodded, "Okay. By the way, when I came back, I met Gan Da and he said he was coming back and going out with the caravan next year. I told you guys."
"Is he alone? Or is Liu Yaer coming back too?" Xiao Chunhong asked seriously.
"He's alone, and Liu Ya'er stays in Zhangye to take care of the guesthouse."
"He's already been de-enslaved, why is he still getting involved?" Xiao Chunhong muttered. She wasn't happy about the extra person having to share tens of thousands of dollars. But since the master had already informed her, she could only complain a few times and could do nothing.
"Let's go, let's go." The kid squeezed in to chase them away. "Uncle, let's go to the Fire Cocoon Shop. I collected all the cocoons for you while you were away. Come and have a look."
After that, he picked up Xiaohua and praised her, "Sister, you are so pretty."
Xiaohua was a little shy. She touched the flower and butterfly on her head and said, "For my brother."
"Only girls wear flowers. I don't want any. You keep them for yourself."
Sui Liang snorted, "Use my gift as a favor."
Xiaohua didn't understand, so she lifted up her skirt to show her brother her shoes. After receiving a series of praises, she put her feet down contentedly.
Sui Liang walked around the Fire Cocoon Shop, and when he came out, he took Xiaohua and Xiaozai to see the horses.
In the afternoon, Sui Liang and Xiaozai rode on horseback to the foot of the Great Wall to call hawks. Xiaohua was too young to be taken with them, so she could only watch helplessly as the two men and their horses ran away.
"Do you want a horse?" Sui Yu asked. "Golden Wheat Ear belongs to your brother, and Red Sun belongs to your uncle. I'll give you a pony next year, too. Do you want one?"
"want."
"What color horse do you want? White or black?"
Xiaohua followed her words and made a choice, "White."
"Okay, Mom will give you a white pony." Sui Yu saw Zhao Xiping leading a camel over. He was going to the Agricultural Department to work.
"I'm leaving." said Zhao Xiping.
"Are you busy today?" Sui Yu asked.
"I'm not busy. There's no work in the fields, so I'm on duty at the Agricultural Bureau. What are your plans? I can take a leave." Zhao Xiping asked.
Sui Yu picked up Xiaohua and handed her to him, saying, "Take your daughter with you on duty, so you two can get used to this kind of life in advance."
Zhao Xiping glanced at Xiaohua and said, "Okay, pack her two pairs of pants so she doesn't get them wet."
Sui Yu packed up not only the pants, but also the small strips of meat for Xiaohua to chew on and the newly acquired lamb doll, and stuffed them all into the basket for Zhao Xiping to take away.
After watching the father and daughter ride away on the camel, Sui Yu returned to the house to settle the accounts.
The year before last, they crossed the border with goods worth 150,000 coins. Last year, they exchanged them for fine goods: jewelry, jade, tiger and fox furs, and tiger bone wine. The caravan transported these goods to Chang'an and Taiyuan Commandery, where they traveled for nearly a year. The final sales totaled 1,620,000 coins. After deducting the cost of food for the men and camels, customs duties and the city entrance fee, costs, and Sui Yu's personal contribution (which he waived), the final profit was 1,324,400 coins. A 20% profit was 264,880 coins, which was divided among the 17 people, giving each 15,580 coins.
There were money boxes at home, some with ten thousand coins in each, and some with five thousand coins in each. Sui Yu directly called Zhang Shun and Xiao Chunhong to come and move them.
"Each of you take two money boxes, one large and one small. The total amount of money in the two money boxes is 15,000 coins. After these money boxes are taken away, you can come back to get the money strings. Each of you can take 580 coins." Sui Yu opened the door of the warehouse and let them in. "The second warehouse in the guesthouse will be divided into two for you. Go to the city and buy a few more locks to lock them. Each of you can take a key. To open the door to get the money, everyone must be present. No one else can enter these two warehouses, including me."
"I was just worried about where to put the cash box. Thank you, master." Xiao Chunhong smiled happily. She and Qingshan carried out a large box of money together.
"With so much money, I don't even want to redeem my slavery. I can't bear to part with it." Xiaoxi sat on the cash box and thought to herself, "Fifty thousand coins is so hard to earn. Including this time, I've only saved twenty-five thousand coins."
"I have the same idea." Ah Niu said, "As slaves to the master, she will not treat us badly, let alone sell us out. I still don't want to redeem my slavery."
Xiaoxi was surprised. She had just said it casually, but he actually meant it.
"Will you redeem yourself?" she asked Zhang Shun and Li Wu.
Zhang Shun nodded. "If I don't redeem my slavery, then even if I have 50,000 coins, it will be useless. I can't buy land or build a house. Even if I marry and have children, my children will still be slaves. 50,000 coins won't solve the problem."
Xiaoxi suddenly realized, "You are right, it is to redeem the slaves."
Sui Yu knocked on the door with the copper lock and urged, "Move the cash box quickly, it's getting dark."
It took less than half an hour to move all 34 cash boxes out. By then it was already dark. Sui Yu locked the door of the warehouse and asked them to come back tomorrow during the day to get the loose change.
Zhao Xiping came back with Xiaohua, Sui Liang and Xiaozai also came back with Ying, the food was already on the table, Sui Yu washed her hands and went to the flower hall to eat.
"Did Xiaohua cry in the afternoon?" Sui Yu asked.
"I cried." Xiaohua said it herself. She lay listlessly on Sui Yu's legs and said pitifully, "Xiaohua misses her mother."
Sui Yu rubbed her face, and she fed her a piece of fish meat and said, "I'll go see you tomorrow."
"Do you miss me?" the kid poked his head out.
"I miss my brother." Xiaohua said vaguely.
"Brother will come to see you tomorrow too."
Xiaozai said that he knew Xiaohua loved beauty, so to cheer her up, he asked, "Did anyone from the Agriculture Department praise your beauty?"
Xiaohua nodded. She opened her mouth and took another mouthful of porridge. She swallowed it and said quickly, "Eat meat."
"Come here, I'll feed you." Zhao Xiping shouted, "Turn your head this way."
Xiaohua refused and insisted on eating what her mother fed her.
Zhao Xiping was so angry that he bit her, "Does your mother feed you better?"
"Yeah." Xiaohua was angry. She complained, "Dad won't let me... No, I won't send you... I want to go home."
Everyone present understood, but pretended not to understand.
*
The next afternoon, Zhao Xiping took Xiaohua to work on duty again. When leaving home, she was reluctant to go with him and cried out of grievance.
Sui Yu couldn't bear it, so she led the camel and followed.
After entering the city, Sui Yu used the excuse of buying candy for Xiaohua, and Zhao Xiping took Xiaohua away.
An hour later, Sui Yu went to the agricultural department to deliver candy. Zhao Xiping took Xiaohua and Sui Yu for a walk in the fields.
In the days that followed, Sui Yu and Zhao Xiping focused their attention on Xiaohua. Initially, Xiaohua and her father would work at the agricultural office every afternoon, and Sui Yu would occasionally visit her. This gradually progressed to Sui Yu no longer visiting her. Later, Xiaohua would occasionally stay at the agricultural office for the entire day, and her little bed and quilt were moved there with her.
After Xiaohua got used to it, it was time for Sui Yu to leave with the caravan.
At this time, Xiaohua was two years old and she could understand what was said. After being prepared day after day, she knew that her mother was going to take a caravan away from home to make money. She accepted this well because she was used to seeing caravans coming and going and knew that caravans, like her uncle's Black Hawk, were not at home.
"Mom, your brother, and your uncle are leaving home to buy a horse. When we come back, we'll bring Xiaohua the most beautiful pony." Sui Yu promised Xiaohua, "Mom will write to you in the future, and you can also accumulate a box full of letters like your brother."
Xiaohua nodded and asked naively, "Mom, when will you come back?"
"I'll come back when it snows." Sui Yu promised.
Xiaohua was fine now. She didn't cry when they said goodbye. Xiaozai and Sui Liang entrusted their horses to her to take care of. She nodded happily, grinning as if she had gotten a good deal, and fantasized about taking the golden wheat ears and the red sun for herself.
Zhao Xiping watched the caravan leave with surprise in his eyes. He looked at Xiaohua nervously, afraid that she would suddenly realize the situation and run after the caravan.
After the caravan had gone far away, Xiaohua took the initiative to hold her father's hand. She said worriedly, "Dad, it's time for you to go on duty."
"Ah? Oh, okay, okay." Zhao Xiping picked her up, not knowing whether to say this girl was strong or silly.
"Can you bear to let your mother leave?" he asked cautiously.
Xiaohua shook her head.
Zhao Xiping said "Oh" and didn't dare to ask any further questions.
The father and daughter went to the agricultural company and went to the fields to watch the farmers plowing the land. They did not return until the evening.
After dinner, they returned to the house. Zhao Xiping fetched water to wash Xiaohua's feet. Along with the sound of splashing water, sobbing sounds were heard.
For some reason, Zhao Xiping suddenly breathed a sigh of relief.
"Dad, I miss my mom." As soon as these words came out, Xiaohua burst into tears, "I miss my mom, I miss my brother, I miss my uncle."
"I miss your mother, your brother, and your uncle, too." Zhao Xiping spoke to her from the same standpoint.
Dejectedly, he said, "I want to cry too."
After being understood, Xiaohua felt much less aggrieved. It was as if she had teammates and was no longer alone.
Zhao Xiping wiped the water off her feet and muttered, "I wonder if your brother, your mother, and your uncle have eaten yet."
Xiaohua stopped crying. With tears in her eyes, she thought and answered seriously, "I don't know either."
"They will sleep in tents tonight with no beds and no hot water to wash their feet."
"My mother is so pitiful." Xiaohua burst into tears again.
"Well, when you grow up, can you go out with the caravan? Let your mother enjoy life at home."
Xiaohua nodded repeatedly.
"Then go to bed quickly. Your mother said that children grow up faster if they get more sleep." Zhao Xiping carried her to the bed and coaxed her softly, "Be good, Xiaohua. You'll wake me up tomorrow morning to go on duty."
This girl is easy to coax and deceive, and her emotions come and go quickly. That's great, Zhao Xiping thought.
When he got to bed, he turned sideways and stared at his daughter who was sleeping soundly. She was such a generous person and would definitely do great things in the future. Before he could get over his worries, she cried out to express her emotions, then fell asleep with her arms and legs spread out.
The next morning, Xiaohua woke up and found that her mother was not in bed. She hugged her mother's pillow and cried sadly, and even refused to eat her favorite meat soup.
Zhao Xiping asked Ding Quan to go to the Agricultural Department and tell them that he would not be going today, and to have someone come to his house to report if there was anything. He then went out with Xiaohua in his arms to see the caravan moving around.
A black hawk flew by, and both father and daughter looked up. Zhao Xiping was surprised: "Why are you back again? Didn't you leave with the caravan?"
The black hawk landed on the roof. Zhao Xiping lowered his head and said to Xiaohua, "It must have come back to see you on behalf of your mother, your brother, and your uncle."
Xiaohua wiped away her tears and asked, "Is it still leaving?"
Zhao Xiping didn't know, but he knew Black Hawk would definitely not stay at home. "If it's still going, let's take some meat to feed it."
The mutton was thrown onto the roof and the eagle flew away with the meat. Zhao Xiping found that it flew towards the northwest again. He didn't know whether it was chasing the caravan or running around aimlessly.
"Is the eagle coming again?" Xiaohua asked.
"I don't know either." Zhao Xiping said frankly, "What do you think?"
Xiaohua suddenly found the sun glaring, and she said in panic, "Dad! It's too late! We have to go on duty!"
Zhao Xiping: ...Aren’t you talking about the eagle?
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