Chapter 320 Winter Solstice
"I can't sell you this year. I don't have much cotton left." Sui Yu lamented. The cotton yield was much lower than she'd expected. In the two months since the bolls first bloomed, she'd harvested only a little over 340 jin (about 200 kilograms) of cotton from two mu (approximately 100 jin) of cotton. The first crop of cotton in the field was nearing its end, with only a few bolls left hanging from the stalks. The next two crops, though, would still yield another two weeks of harvest, but the plants were so few that even a basket could barely be filled with a single pick. Once dried, the cotton yielded less than ten kilograms.
Sui Yu estimated that the yield from these two mu of cotton was at most 400 jin (approximately 100 kg). After removing the cotton seeds, the lint was estimated to be only 200 jin (approximately 100 kg), for a yield of only 100 jin (approximately 100 kg) per mu. If quilts were made from cotton weighing 10 jin each, the yield from one mu of cotton could only reach eight, and the yarn would take up 2 jin (approximately 100 kg) of cotton.
"The remaining cotton is only enough for us to make a few quilts and cotton-padded jackets. There's nothing left to sell," Sui Yu said. "But next year we'll expand our cotton plantings to about 40 to 50 mu. If you come back next year, we'll be able to sell you the quilts then."
"Two mu of cotton can only make a few mattresses and cotton jackets? The yield is quite low." said a businessman who has planted the land.
"We also spun sixty kilograms of cotton thread, but not all of it was used to make quilts and cotton-padded jackets," Sui Yu explained. "But the cotton produced from one acre of land can make about eight quilts weighing ten kilograms each, and then we can make cotton-padded jackets, cotton-padded trousers, or cotton-padded robes. An adult's cotton-padded jacket only needs two kilograms of cotton, and cotton-padded trousers weigh two kilograms. A set of trousers weighs at most four kilograms, so we can make about twenty-five sets."
"How can you wear a two-jin cotton-padded jacket on a snowy day? You can't leave the bed, right?" someone said in disbelief. "My reed-flowered jacket weighs five jin. If I go out on a snowy day, the wind will chill me to the bone. I won't be warm after wearing it all winter. It's too thin."
Sui Yu smiled and said, "When it snows, I'll get you a cotton-padded jacket to try on. You'll know if it's warm enough."
"Then we'll just wait."
"Hey, Shopkeeper Yu, one acre of land can produce about 100 kilograms of cotton. What price do you plan to sell it at?" Based on the previous conversation, the merchant had already estimated the per-acre yield of cotton, and he couldn't help but inquire about the price of cotton.
The other merchants pricked up their ears and listened.
Sui Yu pondered for a moment, then chose to kick the ball back, saying, "I don't know. What do you think? Next summer, when my caravan returns from outside the Great Wall, I'll have them take a dozen or so quilts to Chang'an to test the waters."
"Will cotton be harvested in the summer?" The caravan, newly arrived at the border, wasn't aware of the situation. They sat up straight and inquired, "When exactly can cotton be harvested? Shopkeeper Yu, give me a specific month, and I'll see if I can make it here next year. If not, I'll leave three or five people here to help you. By the way, are you selling cotton seeds?"
This sentence ignited the boiling hearts of everyone present. They stared at Sui Yu with fiery eyes, unable to pry open her mouth. They wished they could hold her head down and make her nod.
"If you don't sell it, the court will make arrangements by then." Sui Yu poured a basin of cold water on them, which was also a warning. Her cotton seeds had a clear path in the court, so those who had ulterior motives should be quiet and not think about stealing cotton from the fields. Any cotton plant that appeared outside Dunhuang could land an entire family in jail.
The atmosphere in the teahouse became depressed.
"The cotton bolls will begin to produce cotton wool by the end of June. If the imperial court doesn't make any arrangements, cotton-padded clothes and quilts will be ready for sale around the end of July." Sui Yu gave the exact date. "If you are interested, please come to Dunhuang in July next year to buy cotton-padded clothes and quilts."
The caravan left Dunhuang in the spring, and no matter whether they entered or left the customs, they would not be able to return in July. The merchants present unanimously decided to arrange for three or five smart tribesmen to stay behind and wait for news when leaving Dunhuang next year.
"Shopkeeper Yu, we'll need your continued care in the future." Now that the business matters were settled, the merchants had one worry at their fingertips and could think about other things. With cotton in hand, the Sui Yu family would become very rich.
Sui Yu couldn't help but smile. She tried hard to suppress the corners of her mouth, but the joy in her voice couldn't be concealed.
"That's fine, it's about looking out for each other and making money together."
"It's time for dinner." Zhao Xiping appeared at the door. He pointed to the sky and said, "The sun is already overhead. Aren't you hungry?"
"Why are you hungry? Thinking about making a fortune next year, Shopkeeper Yu is so happy that he's full." The merchants standing outside teased him. He took the lead and walked out, saying, "Eat, eat. If you want to make money, you have to eat too."
"Captain Zhao, you've married a golden toad. Treat it well."
"Yes, yes, Captain Zhao is blessed."
Zhao Xiping responded to these jokes and said, "I have been worshipping them all the time. I am more sincere than I was when I worshipped my ancestors."
Sui Yu smiled and glared at him, then followed him out.
"Shopkeeper Yu, where did you get the cotton seeds?" Headmaster You approached and whispered, "Dayuan?"
"I got it from a monk. He was coming back from Sindhu and passing through Dayuan." Sui Yu did not hide it.
"Sindhu? Which direction is it?" The head of the Yu family had never heard of this country.
"I don't know either." Sui Yu shook his head. "You might get more information if you go outside the Great Wall."
"Oh, okay, thank you for letting me know."
"polite."
When he reached the door, You Dadang greeted Zhao Xiping and strode after the merchants who were going to the kitchen to eat. He asked people if anyone knew where the Kingdom of Sindhu was.
"I've heard that many monks come from this country to spread Buddhism. It's said that the journey takes three to five years," said a merchant who had dealt with monks. "Could it be that Shopkeeper Yu got his cotton seeds from Sindhu?"
"She said she got it from a monk who came from Sindhu."
"No wonder. I've been traveling outside the Great Wall for nearly twenty years, even to the Parthian Empire, and I've never seen cotton before," the weathered old merchant said. He thought for a moment and said, "A round trip would take at least six or seven years. By then, our Han territory would probably be covered in cotton. Don't even think about going to Sindhu again. It's not worth it."
Zhao Xiping followed behind and glanced at Sui Yu. She caught his gaze and asked, "What are you looking at your ancestors for?"
"What nonsense." He didn't want to pay attention to her.
Sui Yu silently imitated his speech, and her exaggerated expression made her look weird and particularly annoying.
Zhao Xiping couldn't help laughing, he raised his hand and patted her head.
Sui Liang came out and rolled his eyes when he saw this scene. He said unhappily, "Are you going to eat or not? The food is getting cold."
No one paid any attention to him. Sui Yu and Zhao Xiping ignored him tacitly. When they passed by each other, Sui Liang felt itchy and slapped his brother-in-law. Before Zhao Xiping turned around to beat him, he ran away triumphantly.
"If you have the guts, don't come in to eat." Zhao Xiping found that this kid liked to poke him at every turn, and he didn't know if he was dissatisfied with him and was deliberately provoking him.
Sui Liang stood outside the door. He thought for a moment and then strode in, saying, "Brother-in-law, think twice before you act. You're still counting on me to bring your parents to Dunhuang."
That's true, Zhao Xiping let him go.
"When will you leave Dunhuang?" he asked.
"Let's go in two days. I have made an appointment with a few bodyguards, and they are willing to accompany me on the trip." Sui Liang sat down to eat.
"Will you pay them to do so?" Sui Yu asked.
"No, I don't pay them. I'm just responsible for their food, drink and shelter. We're just good friends." Sui Liang raised his eyebrows and asked proudly, "So what? Am I popular?"
Sui Yu nodded, "Same as me."
Zhao Xiping sneered. These two siblings...
"Don't just laugh. Remember to have someone clean the Qianhusuo house." Sui Yu instructed, "Inspect the wooden bed, patch the roof tiles if they need repairing, and hire a bricklayer. No one has lived there for several years, and the house is deteriorating quickly."
Zhao Xiping nodded in agreement.
"I only prepared a set of cotton clothes for my parents and a quilt. My brother and his wife don't have anything." Sui Yu explained to him first, "You handle this matter well. Don't let anyone come to me to ask for it."
"Okay." Zhao Xiping agreed again.
Sui Liang didn't say anything about this matter. The kid looked at him and buried his head in eating.
Three days later, Sui Liang packed a large basket of dry food and braised meat and chicken, took the cotton jacket and trousers that Sui Yu had prepared for him, took ten camels, and left Dunhuang City with five bodyguards.
As October approached, the wheat turned yellow and the soybean pods became plump. It was time for the autumn harvest, but there was not enough manpower at home, so Zhao Xiping had to hire another twenty helpers to help with the harvest.
The maids who came from outside the Great Wall had big frames and great strength. After they learned how to fluff cotton, the heavy bows fell into their hands. Erhei freed his hands and threw himself back into the fields.
The autumn harvest lasted for more than half a month, and the grain was stored in the warehouse. The autumn atmosphere became more and more intense, and it was already cold in the morning and evening.
Sui Yu took out a thin jacket for the family of three. It was filled with cotton. One thin jacket only used one pound of cotton, the weight of six eggs, but it looked very fluffy and was soft and warm to wear.
The boy put on his thin coat and immediately went out to show off. When the merchants saw him, they reached out to grab him, pinched the thickness of his coat, and reached into his coat to feel if it was warm.
"Walk, walk, walk to the river. The wind is strong by the river... The cotton-padded jacket is windproof. The child is only wearing a single layer of clothing underneath, and he's as warm as a stove."
"My mother also made me a thick coat, red in color, with satin and brocade, it's so beautiful." The kid showed off happily.
"Five hundred coins, sell it to me." The head of the You family teased him.
The cub hesitated for a moment and refused.
"You won't sell it for 500 coins? What's your price?" a merchant asked. "How much does your mother tell you a coat is worth?"
The cub smiled cunningly, broke free from the person holding him, and said, "Don't try to get information from me. I may be young, but I'm not stupid."
After returning home, he told Sui Yu what he had said. Sui Yu thought about it and said, "If someone asks you again, just agree. There are still three to five kilograms of cotton left in the field, and I can make another thick coat."
Only the last crop of cotton remained in the field. The leaves had already fallen, and the remaining bolls were unlikely to bloom at this time of year. Sui Yu waited another ten days. At the end of October, when a cold wind arrived from the northwest, she had her servants pull back the cotton plants and pick the bolls. The firewood was piled in a corner of the teahouse, to be burned during the fire after the snow fell.
Before the heavy snow fell, Sui Liang brought the Zhao family here. Zhao Xiping personally sent them to the Qianhusuo house. Along the way, he explained that his nephews and nieces could stay in Dunhuang to learn to read and write, and that the family could grow cotton. He also told the family in advance what they could and could not do, so that his parents, brothers and sisters-in-law would have a clear idea of what to do.
"Sui Yu and I will give you what we can and help you with without hesitation. As for what we can't give you, you don't need to ask for it. Even if you ask, we won't give it to you. If anything goes wrong, Dalang and the others can't come to us to study with the teacher." Zhao Xiping looked at his two brothers and said, "Brothers, don't think I'm threatening you with every sentence. Sui Yu and I have no intention of playing tricks on you at home. If we get along well, we'll visit each other often. If not, I'll just invite Mom and Dad to stay with us for a while."
At this point, Mrs. Zhao Da and Mrs. Zhao Er both gave up. They had no skills at all and could only rely on their brute strength to farm. They had food and drink and no worries about anything else. They just hoped that their children would be better than them.
"We don't have any other intentions," said the eldest brother Zhao. "Of the three brothers in our family, you are the most capable. You can make a name for yourself. We didn't do anything for you. If you can help your nephew when you become successful, I will thank you."
Zhao Erge also nodded and said, "We have nothing to do here. If you have something to do, just call us. Your two sisters-in-law are good at cooking. They can go to the kitchen to help."
Zhao Xiping didn't mince words with them. He said, "Before the snow falls, we need to fertilize the fields. Big brother, come with me to the fields. Big sister-in-law and second sister-in-law don't have to do anything. You take care of the children and eat three meals a day at the guest house. During this time, let Dalang and Erya and the others go to the school to attend classes. Those who can sit still can stay with me next year."
"Okay, okay, okay." Mrs. Zhao agreed readily.
Zhao's father and mother didn't say a word from beginning to end. They had long understood that they had no say in the affairs of the third son's family, let alone the decision-making. They just wanted to live longer. As long as they were alive, the four children would have a close relationship. The eldest and second sons would always have a sip or two of the broth with the third son.
Winter has arrived, heavy snow has fallen, the world has become quiet, and both people and the earth have entered a state of rest and recuperation.
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