Chapter 314: Two-way blossoming
During lunch, Song Xian noticed that no one else was in the kitchen dining hall. She couldn't help but ask, "Is the guesthouse still busy? I heard camel bells in the city. Are the caravans staying in Minxiang?"
"At this time, the only caravans entering the city are small caravans. They stay in the city temporarily to sell their goods, so they naturally prefer to stay in the alleys near the market." Sui Yu said, "In another month, when more caravans enter the city, I will start to have business. The closer it gets to winter, the more caravans will come here to stay."
Song Xian said, "Oh," and said, "I forgot, but now you mention it, I remember. Oh, I've set a date for my departure. I consulted a fortune teller, and it's August 16th."
When Xiao Chunhong brought in the dishes and heard this, she glanced at Sui Yu and immediately went out to discuss it with Zhang Shun.
Sui Yu glanced at the hurried figure outside the door. She and Song Xian smiled at each other and then talked about other things.
"Sister, let me tell you something," Sui Liang interrupted. "On our way back, we passed by a thug nicknamed 'Leech'. He asked me for a jar of tiger bone wine and promised to protect our caravan from threats from the boatmen while we were crossing the river. I agreed and promised to ask the caravan to give him the tiger bone wine when we returned."
"Leech?" Sui Yu felt that the name sounded familiar. Song Xian reminded her that she remembered that she had taken advantage of this person by using his name when she first went to Chang'an to cross the river.
"After dinner, go into the city and walk around Minxiang to see if there are any caravans you know. Then ask them to take the tiger bone wine to you," said Sui Yu.
Sui Liang nodded. He stood up and helped Sui Yu pick up a piece of food with his chopsticks. As he got closer, he smiled ingratiatingly and said, "And Lao Shuan, I promised him another jar of tiger bone wine when we crossed the river. Only after I promised him did the leeches come up. I think it's worth making friends with the leeches rather than the old boatman, but there's no need to offend the boatman. I'll give the leeches a jar of tiger bone wine and a small jar for Lao Shuan. What do you think?"
"I think you're doing the right thing. It's easy to see the King of Hell, but it's hard to deal with the little devils. Since we've already promised them, there's no need to break our promise and offend them, lest they secretly make things difficult for us when we cross the river." Sui Yu agreed with Sui Liang's approach. She instructed, "Send the tiger bone wine to the caravan first. After about half a month, send another caravan to deliver tiger bone wine to Lao Shuan. You promised this, so you're responsible. I won't interfere or ask about it."
"Okay." Sui Liang agreed immediately.
Song Xian took a sip of water from the bowl, lowered her eyes and pondered secretly.
After dinner, Sui Liang led his chestnut horse into the city. Sui Yu had initially thought Song Xian would come along, but she sat still, apparently planning to stay for a while longer. She breathed a sigh of relief, thinking Song Xian had her own plan and wouldn't mess around.
"Have you soaked the mung beans in water?" Sui Yu asked.
"It's been a long time since I started dating." said Grandma Yin.
"In two hours, you wash the mung beans and put them on the stove to cook. Turn off the heat when the mung beans are cracked. Everyone should drink a bowl of this soup to reduce internal heat after dinner." Sui Yu instructed as she went out in the scorching sun to shake the cotton.
"Where is Captain Zhao from your family? Isn't he coming back for lunch?" Song Xian asked.
"I've asked for leave to go to Zhangye. I plan to buy a piece of land and build a guesthouse there. He invited people to dinner first to help me establish connections." Sui Yu didn't hide anything. "We'll buy the land this year and build it before winter. Next year, when our caravan passes through Zhangye, we can stay there."
Song Xian was not surprised. She had heard Sui Yu talk about this plan before. Now that she had the money, she could start buying land.
“Will it cost money?” she asked.
Sui Yu nodded. "I plan to buy land in Zhaowu County and invite the local county magistrate to dinner. I'll give him some silk and two wool blankets as a way of greeting and communicating. I don't ask him to do anything, but I hope that if any thugs come to cause trouble in the future, he will enforce the law impartially."
"That's feasible," Song Xian said. She glanced around at the guesthouse in front of her and asked, "Are you planning to build another guesthouse this large in Zhangye County?"
"No, building a four-story guesthouse is just to grab some of the business. After all, we are not locals, so we can't just go there and show off and take away all the business. That would just cause trouble for ourselves." After turning the cotton over and continuing to dry it, Sui Yu walked over to the wall and sat down. He said, "I know most of the caravans passing through. Building a guesthouse in Zhangye is to do business with the people I know. Once the news spreads, I can make two profits from each caravan. On the other hand, it is convenient for us. In the future, when the caravans pass through Zhangye, they will have a place to stay and rest. The guesthouses converted from local houses don't even have good beds. The conditions are too poor. I'll squeeze in and force them to improve it like the Minxiang in Dunhuang."
"Then I'll wait for you to build guesthouses in other places, preferably in uninhabited areas between counties, with no village in front and no shop behind, and you may encounter wolves and snakes. If there are sturdy houses and ready-made hot water and hot meals, I will definitely be willing to spend money to stay in a guesthouse compared to sleeping in the wild." Song Xian said.
"Wait another two years." Sui Yu had other plans.
"If you don't have enough money, I'll lend it to you."
"Okay, I'll ask if you need me."
Song Xian saw Zhang Shun peeking out from under the jujube tree. She walked into the guesthouse and said, "Is the door open? I'm going to take a nap."
"The doors are not locked. You can sleep in the room with the bamboo mat." Sui Yu said.
As soon as Song Xian left, Zhang Shun came over. He didn't say anything more and asked directly, "Master, what are you going to do with the cloth you bought last month? Are you going to ask Mr. Song's caravan to help you sell it?"
"No, we can sell them in Dunhuang and Yumen Pass. Even though the prices won't be as high as outside the pass, we can still make some money. If we can't sell all the goods, we can exchange them for goodies from passing caravans." Sui Yu said, "Do you have any ideas?"
"Master, if you're willing to trust me again, I'm willing to take the cloth and the caravan with the Song family's caravan. I'll sell the cloth and buy things from outside the Great Wall. I'll then ship them back to Chang'an and sell them next year." Zhang Shun was a little nervous. He clenched his hands and continued, "Many of us have this intention. If you're worried, we can put the money we got last month in your hands."
The latter sentence was his own decision, but he was confident that he could convince others.
Sui Yu lowered her eyes and pretended to think. She didn't say anything. Zhang Shun became more and more nervous, fearing that she would not agree.
"Okay, I'll make another bet." Sui Yu agreed. "Then get ready. On the 16th of next month, you will take 80,000 yuan worth of cloth and leave with Mr. Song. As for the money you have, move it to the side room in the main courtyard when you leave. It's safer than keeping it in the warehouse."
Zhang Shun nodded in agreement, "I'll go tell the others right away."
After watching him walk away briskly, Sui Yu got up and went back to the house to take a nap.
Two days later, Sui Yu came back from picking cotton. She called the boy to bring her a bowl of water, and Yin Po followed her out.
"We picked a lot of cotton today. Is there any more in the field?" asked Grandma Yin.
"That's all, just these two big baskets." Sui Yu took a small stool and sat under the tree to prepare to pick the cotton. Yin Po went to get a clean empty basket, and she followed to help.
"Where are the others? Call out those who have nothing to do to pick cotton. Little boy, you go and call them." Sui Yu sent him away.
As soon as the boy left, Grandma Yin immediately asked, "Madam, I heard Xiaoxi mention that you allow them to marry each other. Is that true?"
Sui Yu nodded. "I heard her say that Gan Da and Liu Yaer like each other? Are you coming to me to find a daughter-in-law?"
Grandma Yin nodded with a smile. "Gan Da is twenty-five or twenty-six now. It's time for him to get married. I'm old now, and I want to have grandchildren before I die."
"Of course, Liu Ya'er is not young anymore. Merchanting is a tough job. If you want to have a baby, you should do it while you're still young. It's already difficult for me to have another one now." Sui Yu said honestly, "If they get married, it's a good opportunity for them to rest at home for two years. After they have a child, it won't be too late for Gan Da to go out with the merchant caravan to earn money."
Grandma Yin nodded repeatedly, "I think so too."
"What are Gan Da and Liu Ya'er's intentions?"
"Neither of them wants to give up the opportunity to make money, but I told them that while I'm still alive, the child can be left in the care of Meng Ma and me after it's weaned, and they can travel with the caravan. If we delay for a few more years, I'll be too old to hold the child, and Liu Ya'er will definitely be tied up," Grandma Yin said. "My lady, if you don't mind, I'll set up two tables for them while I have some free time. I'll ask you to be witnesses, and the marriage will be considered a done deal."
"Okay." Sui Yu nodded. "Go tell Gan Da and Liu Ya'er that after we buy the land in Zhangye County, they should come and watch over the guesthouse while I build it. I'll let them take care of the food and lodging after the guesthouse is built. Each of them will be paid ten coins per month. If we can make a profit of thirty thousand coins by the end of the year, I'll give them another five hundred coins."
Grandma Yin was delighted and agreed immediately. She dropped the cotton and couldn't wait to convey the good news, fearing that someone else would get there first if she was a little late.
As soon as the news spread, before noon, Qingshan couldn't help but approach Sui Yu, wanting her to set him up with Xiao Chunhong. Sui Yu refused, saying she wasn't into matchmaking. Later, A Niu approached her again, wanting to marry Xiao Xi, but Sui Yu knew Xiao Xi's heart was with Zhang Shun, so she wouldn't agree, so she completely shrugged it off.
Over the next two days, Sui Yu met with several of the maids in her household. Regardless of their opinions or plans regarding marriage and having children, she wouldn't interfere with their marriages. However, she told them that taking care of their health was paramount. If anyone felt unwell, they could stay home for a year and not join the caravan. They shouldn't force themselves, lest they regret it later. This was a small act of kindness from her, a fellow woman.
However, except for Liu Yaer, no one was willing to stay at home to recuperate. They would rather ask the doctor to prescribe medicine to take on the road than miss the opportunity to make money and share the profits.
On the evening of July 16th, Grandma Yin paid for two tables of wedding banquets. Liu Yaer and Gan Da each wore wedding clothes and walked through the ceremony in front of everyone, and the ceremony was completed.
The next day, Zhao Xiping returned from Zhangye and exchanged the six pieces of satin brocade, two blankets and a box of money he took away when he left for a land deed.
"I've bought three mu and six fen of land, by the river, not far from the main road. But across the river are farmlands. When the caravans arrive, their camels need to be kept in pens to prevent them from damaging the crops." Zhao Xiping handed the deed to Sui Yu and said, "This land is higher than the others, so it can't retain water, so we can't grow crops. The price is two hundred and sixty coins per mu, which is more expensive than land in Dunhuang."
"This is wasteland. The grass we plant doesn't grow tall. It can't compare to the land in Zhangye." Sui Yu locked the deed in a box and said, "Gan Da and Liu Ya'er got married yesterday. In a few days, I'll have them pack up and leave for Zhangye with Liang Ge'er, taking the five newly bought servants with them. I'd like Uncle Niu to come along and oversee the work. What do you think?"
"What does Uncle Niu say? He values his life and doesn't want to be burdened. I'm afraid he doesn't want to go on another long journey?" Zhao Xiping asked. "How about letting my father and my older brothers go? Let them hire the workers and then go back for the autumn harvest."
Sui Yu thought about it and it made sense. Since she had decided to let her husband's child come to her place to study and learn to read and write, it was only right for her husband's family to help her out in advance.
"Then you can give them a message." Sui Yu said.
"When I came back, I went home and told them that when Sui Liang passes by Jiuquan, they just need to shout him." Zhao Xiping had already anticipated that there would be no one available at home.
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