Chapter 248 It’s easier to get things done with acquaintances
Song Xian came back with her servants fetching water and firewood. She coughed twice, and Sui Yu immediately stopped. She glanced at the servants sitting around her, and they immediately understood what she meant.
"We won't let anything slip." Xiao Chunhong said in a low voice.
Before, when they were outside the Great Wall, Sui Yu had let slip about the profit sharing with the servants, and the Song family's servants had also learned about it. Afterwards, Song Xian specifically instructed her servants not to know how much profit the Sui family's servants could get.
"Shopkeeper Yu, I'm here to bring you a leg of lamb." The merchant ahead came over carrying a leg of lamb and said, "It's hot, and the meat will go rancid overnight. It won't keep well. Our boss said you didn't buy any lamb when you left Chang'an, so he asked me to bring you a leg of lamb."
Sui Yu stood up and took it. She handed the lamb leg to Gan Er and said, "I'll go thank the boss."
"This way."
Song Xian dropped a handful of wild vegetables and quickly followed.
"Shopkeeper Yu, Master Song, please come sit here." Master Yan said, "We're cooking mutton. Have a bowl of mutton soup before you leave."
"It's so embarrassing to take the lamb leg and stay for the lamb soup." Sui Yu smiled and sat down, asking, "Uncle Yan, have you never been to Taiyuan County?"
"No, we don't have as many camels as you do, and we don't carry as much cargo. The goods we bring into the interior of the country are sold out in Chang'an, so we don't go elsewhere." Yan Dazhang grabbed a handful of walnuts, cracked the shells, and handed them to Sui Yu and Song Xian. "I heard from the vendor that these walnuts are shipped from Handan County. I don't know if they are real. You can try them. By the way, I heard that you are going to Handan this time?"
"Yes." Sui Yu nodded. She peeled walnuts with her eyes downcast, and said thoughtfully, "Thanks to the Grand Marshal, I've sold out of my goods in less than ten days since arriving in Chang'an. I have plenty of time to explore other areas. Taiyuan County is a land of mulberry and hemp, and the prices for mulberry wine, silk cloth, linen, and raw silk are quite good. I plan to buy some and ship it to Handan County to sell."
Yan Dazhang sat up straight and asked, "What are the prices of silk and linen?"
"Coarse cloth is 120 coins a piece, undyed silk is 430 coins a piece, and dyed silk is 480 coins a piece." After accepting the mutton leg, Sui Yu chose to tell the truth, "Mulberry wine is 200 coins a can. It might be cheaper if you buy it now."
Boss Yan nodded slowly. This was more cost-effective than buying cloth in Chang'an and was worth their special trip.
"Hey, Mr. Song, you see we are old acquaintances. Can you let us rent more camels next year and allow us to bring them into the interior? We can transport more goods and make more money. In less than five years, we can buy out all the rented camels." Second Mr. Yan smiled and tried to get close to him.
Song Xian glanced into the meat pot and said, "Is there anything I can do about it? I won't confiscate your lamb legs."
"Yes, of course. When the mutton is cooked, I'll personally deliver a basin to you." Yan Erdang said loudly. He joked, "Shopkeeper Yu accepts raw mutton legs, but you accept cooked ones. We still value yours more."
"You offended me." Sui Yu pointed to his ear, "Speak softly, don't let me hear you."
The people around laughed. Yan Erdang waved his hands and said, "I'm not afraid of you hearing it, I'm not afraid of offending you, I'm just afraid of offending Song Dangjia."
Song Xian's face flushed slightly. Although she was doing bulk business and had dealings with merchants, her friendship was not deep and her interactions were superficial. Tonight, she intentionally imitated Sui Yu and joked with the merchants in an attempt to build good relationships, but she was a little restrained and couldn't respond to the conversation.
"I'll think about it," Song Xian said with a smile. "When we get back to Chang'an, I'll go to the donkey rental company and ask around to see how they do business."
"We know this. The donkey rental company in Chang'an City only does business with local people, and doesn't rent to anyone else." The escort on the side spoke.
Second Master Yan looked at Song Xian, suppressed his smile, and said seriously, "We are doing legitimate business. You understand the profits of the arbitrage business inside and outside the Great Wall. We have a caravan and are familiar with the route. Why would we ruin our business just to steal your camels?"
Song Xian nodded. "I understand, that's why I didn't refuse outright. So, the earliest you can return to the customs is next autumn. I'll give you an answer then, okay?"
"No, what I mean is that if you agree, we will buy more goods outside the customs. Otherwise, if we buy the goods and you don't agree to let us bring camels into the customs, we can't sell the extra goods cheaply in Dunhuang." Yan Erdang was a little anxious.
"The mutton pot is boiling. Let's eat our fill first, okay?" Sui Yu interrupted. "First, cut a bowl of mutton for Mrs. Song. Let her eat her fill before we consider it."
"Alright." Yan Da said, "Bring me a knife and start cutting some cooked mutton."
Sui Yu felt Song Xian pulling her clothes. She turned her head and pretended not to understand what she meant. She could not help share the risk, so she would not help make the decision.
Two bowls of mutton soup were passed over. Sui Yu took one. The meat and soup were still hot, so she held it without drinking. She turned around and spoke to the head of the Yan family, "How far have you gone since leaving the customs?"
"The people of Dayuan and Dayuezhi are very wealthy. They farm and raise livestock, so they have no shortage of food or clothing. They want everything we bring them over." Yan Da, the head of the household, cut a piece of mutton and fed it to his mouth. He said, "The climate there is also good, there are pastures and forests, the cattle are fat and the horses are strong, and the people are tall."
"Have you ever seen a kind of white flower in Dayuan? It's a soft white flower, as fluffy and soft as wool or catkins. It's more like a fruit than a flower. Its branches can grow as high as the knees. It blooms white or pink flowers, and after the flowers fade, it produces dark green peaches. When the peach blooms, the inside is filled with soft white velvet." Sui Yu described it in detail.
Yan Datou shook his head, but he understood immediately. He leaned forward and asked, "Can this be used to make the lining of jackets and mattresses? Can it keep out the cold?"
Sui Yu nodded.
"This is a good thing." Yan Da's heart was moved. He asked the escort sharpening the knife, "Brothers, you have traveled a lot, but have you ever seen this thing that Shopkeeper Yu mentioned?"
"I haven't seen it. If we had, we would have brought it back earlier. We might even be able to get a higher rank." A bodyguard laughed. "Boss Yu, where did you see this thing? Who told you it grows outside the Great Wall?"
"When I was a kid, I read a scroll of bamboo slips. I didn't understand these things back then, so I just read it and put it aside." Sui Yu sipped his mutton soup and said, "I remembered it later, but I couldn't find any relevant records."
"Then ask around and see if other caravans have encountered this before." Headmaster Yan took another bite of his mutton and said, "To the west of Dayuan and Kangju is a very high and long mountain range. Beyond the mountain lies the Parthian Empire. Caravans going there are rare, but not non-existent. If you encounter one, I'll ask around for you."
"Thank you very much."
"It's a small matter." Boss Yan looked at Song Xian and said, "Boss Song, the mutton is no longer hot and can be eaten."
Song Xian came back to her senses. She steeled her heart and said, "Okay, I'll also do the camel rental business inside the Great Wall in the future."
Boss Yan smiled and said, "I would like to thank Boss Song on behalf of everyone."
Song Xian didn't say anything. She raised the bowl and took a big sip of the soup.
After eating a bowl of mutton soup and a flatbread, Sui Yu and Song Xian returned to their caravan.
Lying in the tent, Sui Yu said, "We can start by doing business with large caravans, or just rent camels to caravans that have been trading for more than five years."
"I think so too." Song Xian nodded. "From now on, when we're out and about, I'll be much more popular than you. Anyone who wants to rent a camel will have to curry favor with me."
Sui Yu laughed twice and said, "I will count on you from now on. I hope Mr. Song doesn't mind."
"Okay, okay." Song Xian covered her mouth and laughed.
A night passed and before dawn, the two caravans continued on their journey.
Seven days later, they entered the territory of Taiyuan County. Several fast horses appeared on the official road ahead, about a mile or two away. Behind them were three carriages, escorted by armored officers and soldiers. It was obvious that they were of high status.
The two caravans in front and behind hurriedly gave way as there were crops in the fields that could not be stepped on. Sui Yu ordered his servants to drive the camels back and retreat to a side road to make way.
After the three carriages passed, they avoided the camel caravan on the side road and then walked back onto the main road. However, there were too many camels and the side road was too narrow, so some camels still stepped into the crops and damaged the soybean seedlings.
Sui Yu asked the servants to go down and straighten up the bean seedlings that were stepped on and bent. Those that could be straightened up could not be straightened up, and she arranged for people to put some copper coins under the bean seedlings as compensation.
Because of this delay, it was getting late. It was already late at night when they arrived at the village where they had stayed two years ago. It was not convenient to go into the village and disturb them at this time, so the group spent the night in the wild again.
Sui Yu was awakened by the crowing of a rooster in the morning and suddenly remembered that he had promised a child to bring him something when he left two years ago.
"Xiao Chunhong, when we went to ask for silkworms two years ago, did you come with me?" Sui Yu asked, "What did I promise that kid back then to bring him?"
Xiao Chunhong thought for a while and said, "Master, you said that if he comes again, you will give him a wolfskin hat. If he hunts a wild wolf, you will give him a wolfskin coat and some dried wolf meat."
She had lost her wolfskin hat, but she had a wolfskin mattress made from two wolfskins. Before entering the village, she took the mattress apart, intending to give one wolfskin to the child's mother so she could make him a coat and a hat.
It was still early and there were no children picking mulberry leaves under the mulberry tree. Sui Yu asked Gan Da and Gan Er to lead the team to find someone to rent a house. She and Song Xian took two servants and followed the route they remembered to find the family.
"Whose relatives are you?" asked the woman sweeping silkworm excrement in the yard. "You look unfamiliar to me. Did you come to the wrong village?"
"We are from the caravan and came here two years ago." Sui Yu said.
"Oh, I remember. If you said you were from the caravan, it would remind me. This is the first time I've seen a woman making money as a merchant." The woman shook her winnowing basket and said, "You're too late. A caravan came here half a month ago and bought all the raw silk and silk fabrics in the village."
"What price did you buy it for?" Sui Yu asked.
"It's still the same price as last year," the woman said vaguely. "Go ask in the next village."
Sui Yu agreed and turned to ask Xiao Chunhong, "What's the surname of that child's father?"
"It should be Qi."
When they reached Qisheng's door, a child came out with chickens. Seeing four unfamiliar faces outside, he asked, "Who are you looking for?"
"I think I'm looking for you. Are your parents home?" Sui Yu asked with a smile. "Two years ago, I came to your house and took away ten silkworms and four mulberry saplings. Do you remember? Is it you?"
"It's me, it's me. Are the silkworms and mulberry trees alive?"
"I raised it. My children love it very much. They asked me to bring you a wolf skin to make a coat." Sui Yu walked in and saw the child's parents come out. She smiled and said, "Brother and sister-in-law, we meet again."
After the two sides exchanged greetings, Sui Yu forcefully pushed the wolf skin over. Qi Sheng and his wife wanted to keep her at home for dinner and asked their son to drive back the chicken that had been driven out.
"You came too late this year. A caravan came from the east and bought all the silk cloth woven in several nearby villages. You should go to other villages to have a look," said Qi Sheng.
"How much did you buy it for?" Sui Yu asked.
"Undyed silk is four hundred coins a piece, and dyed silk is four hundred and fifty coins a piece. It's cheaper than what you paid two years ago." Qi Sheng glanced at the wolf skin and said, "My father-in-law lives in the mountains, and the silk should not be sold yet. How about I take you there again?"
Sui Yu nodded in agreement, "I'm sorry to trouble you again."
"It's okay. It's a good opportunity to take my wife and children back to my parents' home. By the way, do you still want to buy some mulberry wine and linen? The mulberry wine in the village hasn't been sold yet." Qi Sheng asked.
"purchase."
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