Chapter 152 Making Friends
As dawn was approaching, Sui Yu took Zhao Xiaomi and Sui Liang out. After the weather got warmer, the three of them resumed their daily running routine. They ran all the way to the guesthouse, sweating, and their joints, which had been sleeping all night, moved, making them feel refreshed.
The three men had just arrived and had not yet finished their bowl of porridge when the wind brought the sound of camel bells.
"Grandma Yin, boil water and prepare to cook noodles." Sui Yu instructed.
"The water is boiling, and the dough is ready." Grandma Yin came out, wiping her hands. She looked up at the sky and said, "A caravan is here so early? Did they stay outside the city last night?"
Sui Yu finished her porridge in a few mouthfuls, wiped her mouth and walked out the door, just in time to meet the merchant getting off his camel.
"But the North City Guest House?"
"That's right." Sui Yu went to open the door of the third guesthouse and asked with concern, "You stayed outside the city last night. Haven't you had breakfast yet? The fire is still burning on the stove. How about eating something hot to fill your stomach first?"
"When we arrived last night, the city gates were closed. We'll have to wait until daybreak to enter." The merchant dusted off his feet, walked into the guesthouse, looked around, and said, "The conditions are not bad. It's worth our overnight journey. We've reserved this courtyard and will leave tomorrow."
"Okay, a total of 1,200 wen." Sui Yu took out a set of locks from the boiler room and said, "Door keys. Remember to lock the door when you go out. I'll go get someone to boil water."
Uncle Niu heard the noise and came over with water. When he met Sui Yu, he asked quietly, "How many days are you staying?"
"I'll leave tomorrow."
The people staying in the first two guest houses were woken up. Those who had a good night's sleep got dressed and went out to eat. Just as they sat down, a new caravan came in.
"Bring up any food you have." A burly escort shouted in a hoarse voice.
Sui Yu loved such straightforward guests. She served steamed buns, steamed dumplings, and braised soup noodles to the table one by one. She told the merchants who had stayed yesterday, "I have dried vegetables, braised eggs, pancakes, and fried noodles. If you need some dry food before you leave, let us know half a day in advance and we'll prepare it for you."
"This is the braised egg?" the new customer said, piercing an egg with chopsticks. "Send us another sixty. We'll take two jars with us tomorrow when we leave. How many eggs are in each jar?"
"A jar can hold 200 pieces. The weather is not hot now, and if you put brine in the jar, it can be kept for ten days without going bad," said Sui Yu.
"Then we need two jars, four hundred pancakes, all made of wheat flour, without bean flour, and fifty kilograms each of dried vegetables and fried noodles."
It was really a big deal. Sui Yu happily wrote it down and asked the other four caravans if they wanted to replenish their dry food. After writing them down one by one, she went back to the house to get money and asked Zhao Xiaomi to go to the military settlement and ask Dongzi's father to hurry and deliver another 100 kilograms of gray flour.
"Uncle, what do you think of the camel we saw yesterday? Can we buy it?" Hong Daming asked.
"I'll go and take a look today. You go ask around in the city. Shopkeeper Yu said that Shopkeeper Song's ancestors were big horse traders. Ask some old people, it shouldn't be difficult to find out." Hong Chang ordered.
"Those camels have decent skeletons and can carry heavy loads. As for endurance, that can be developed, but it takes more effort." An old man at the next table said, "With three or four hundred camels, there are bound to be good and bad ones. If you really want to buy some, you can take advantage of this opportunity to get some."
"What three or four hundred camels? Whose are they?" the newly arrived big merchant asked.
"The vendor's surname is Song, and she's a woman. She raises three or four hundred camels in the desert near Yangguan," the old man kindly informed him, but he was puzzled. "Why haven't I heard of so many camels before?"
After dinner, Hong Daming went to the city to inquire. He first went to the East Market and asked the horse meat vendors a few words. Then he went to the foot of the city wall and spent a handful of copper coins to ask the old guys who were scratching lice.
"Uncle, what Shopkeeper Yu said is true. Twenty or thirty years ago, the Song family was indeed one of the top horse dealers in the northwest. However, the imperial court later enclosed grasslands in the northwest to raise military horses. The Song family didn't know what to do and actually went against the government. They only managed to save their lives by handing over most of their horses. By Shopkeeper Song's generation, she was the only heir left. She sold the few horses she had left and turned to domesticating camels." Hong Daming repeated the news he had inquired about. "But there wasn't much news about Shopkeeper Song later. Perhaps the desert near Yangguan is too far from Dunhuang, so few people went there, so no one realized that her camel herd had grown to three or four hundred."
Hong Chang had a theory: business is hard to build, but it collapses quickly. Everyone wants a piece of the action. The Song family has fallen on hard times, but a lean camel is bigger than a horse. Other competitors won't easily let them rise again. Especially since the shopkeeper Song is a woman, it's not easy for her to make friends. Merchants with opposing interests often suppress her. She's already considered a prodigy for raising three or four hundred camels.
"Shopkeeper Yu." Hong Chang walked into the west kitchen and said, "I want to discuss a business deal with Shopkeeper Song. Please send someone to inform him again. We will meet at the west city gate."
Sui Yu was delighted. She waved for Zhao Xiaomi to come over and said, "Help me guard this side. I'll go over there."
Gan Da and Gan Er went to plow the fields, Li Mutou was cleaning the livestock pen, and Uncle Lao Niu was boiling water. No one was free.
"Third sister-in-law, I'll go find someone. You stay home and watch." Zhao Xiaomi laughed and said, "I've never seen three or four hundred camels, nor have I been to the desert. I want to go and see it."
"Okay, the Song family lives in Dinghu Lane. There are stone steps in front of the door, and there are two jujube trees." Sui Yu explained, then looked at Hong Chang and said, "Boss, you guys go over there now."
Hong Chang nodded and followed Zhao Xiaomi out.
Sui Yu finished making the last note of the account and went out to see a large group of camels carrying people leaving. It seemed that there were more than one caravan.
The new merchant heard the noise and walked out. He looked south and met Sui Yu's gaze. He nodded slightly and turned back into the house.
Near noon, Dongzi's father drove a camel to deliver noodles. The camel carried two large jars, and he picked up two more jars. Seeing Sui Yu entertaining the merchants, he signaled that he was not in a hurry and stood aside to rest.
After settling the two caravans, Sui Yu came over with two strings of copper coins and said with a smile, "You came pretty quickly."
"We have some flour in the house. I ground a lot of it last winter." Dongzi's father picked up the jar of noodles and followed him into the west kitchen, saying, "Your business is pretty good here. Should I send another 100 kilograms of noodles tomorrow?"
"Okay, I'll send it over at this time tomorrow."
The jar of noodles was weighed and Sui Yu paid him the bill. The kitchen was steaming buns, so she gave two to Dongzi's father to eat on the way.
"I'm back. I still have work to do in the fields." Dongzi's father was walking out when he ran into Zhao Xiping, who was driving the cattle back. He greeted him and casually asked, "Did you dig up trees in the mountains?"
"Yes, after plowing the land, I went around the mountain and dug up about ten trees." Zhao Xiping threw a bundle of saplings at the foot of the wall. The cow went to the river to drink water, and he also went into the house with an empty water bag.
"Are you hungry? The meal will be ready soon." Sui Yu said.
"It's time for dinner, why is no one coming to eat?"
"The merchants who came yesterday went to the desert to pick up camels, and those who came today are either sleeping or busy unloading their cargo."
Sui Yu went into the kitchen, brought out a plate of stewed fish and two bowls of dry rice, and said, "Let's eat first."
Just as the couple finished their meal, Sui Liang and A Shui came back. A Shui went to find her father, and the three of them served themselves rice and dishes and ate together at the table.
When a merchant came in to eat, Sui Yu put down his bowl and chopsticks to entertain him, quote prices, collect money, and serve food. If a merchant wanted to eat meat, Sui Yu would take note and arrange for someone to go to the street to buy meat in the afternoon.
"Has the man who bought the camels not returned yet?" the big merchant who came this morning asked.
Sui Yu shook her head, "Not yet, are you interested too?"
The big merchant shook his head and said, "We have a camel dealer we know well."
Sui Yu understood and didn't ask any more questions.
In the afternoon, the merchant who bought the camel came back, and the others heard the noise and went to see what was going on.
"Are all five male camels? Their skeletons are no smaller than those of wild camels."
"We bought them because they look good. We had no choice. Last year, several camels died while crossing the snowy mountains, and Lao Wan didn't have any suitable camels. So, we had to buy some this year." Hong Chang patted the camel's belly and said, "I rode it around the desert and it felt good. I'll take it out of the border tomorrow and join the camel caravan. It's pretty well-trained after all this time."
"When will you return?" someone asked.
"We'll probably enter the border in July or August." Hong Chang understood what he meant and said, "After I enter the border, I'll come to the North City Guesthouse to rest. Then I'll tell you about these five camels."
A wealthy merchant came over and asked, "Do all the camels in the merchant's shop look like this?"
"There are about one or two hundred strong young camels," Hong Chang said. "Are you interested in buying some? I'll have someone take you over to have a look."
"No, let's talk about it when we return to the customs in winter."
Sui Yu left the crowd. She asked Zhao Xiaomi to guard the guesthouse while she led the camel back to the city. She first went to Song Xian's house and then went to the butcher shop to buy ten pounds of meat.
In the evening, Song Xian led people to drive fifty camels into the city. She called Huang Ancheng and went to the guesthouse in the north of the city together.
When they arrived, the merchants had just gone out for lunch. When they saw a group of big and strong camels, they all went over to watch.
Sui Yu collected the sauce from the stewed meat in the pot and told Yin Po to watch the fire, and she followed him out.
"These camels have thick legs, big hooves, and good teeth. They're a good batch."
“Isn’t this a wild camel?”
"The ancestors were probably wild camels."
"My vigilance is a little weak."
Song Xian saw that the merchants were constantly commenting, but no one was willing to buy. She made up her mind and said, "Everyone, I understand your concerns. If this continues, my camels won't sell, and you won't have camels for your travels. This is disadvantageous to both of us. How about this? If anyone wants to buy but doesn't dare to, you can rent a camel from me. You can take the camel out of the customs and return it to me when you return in winter. If you are satisfied with the camel then, you can pay for it."
"How do you rent it?" the big customer became interested.
"The rent for a camel is five hundred coins for six months. If it dies on the road, you'll compensate me for the price of the camel. If it gets sick, I'll take care of it myself." Song Xian made up her mind. As Sui Yu had said, this was a business opportunity worth taking. She couldn't compete with the established camel traders in the camel trade, so she could only use the camels to open up a new, less intrusive business. This way, she'd avoid offending many people, but at the cost of greater risk.
"Aren't you worried that we won't return the camels?" someone asked with a smile.
Song Xian also smiled. She pointed at Huang Ancheng and said, "My husband is the guard of the West City Gate. What should I be afraid of? If you are willing to rent a camel, we can go to the government office to sign a contract. When we return to the city, we will go to the government office to sign another contract. Only after you return the camel can we leave the city smoothly."
The merchants were talking among themselves. Hong Chang heard that the big merchants nearby seemed to be interested in renting camels. He secretly weighed the pros and cons. The rent for five camels for half a year was 2,500 coins. If he changed from buying to renting, he would have to pay an extra 2,500 coins when he bought more camels in the future. It was not cost-effective.
"Can I only rent a camel when I leave the border? Can I rent one when I return to the border?" someone asked.
"No, you will definitely come back after you go out of the country to do business. Once you go back into the country and go home, how can I be sure that you will come again?" Song Xian said.
"Okay, I'll rent ten to test the waters." A wealthy merchant who arrived this morning walked into the herd and quickly picked out ten camels, saying, "If these ten camels can return with the caravan intact, I'll buy them."
Song Xian winked at Huang Ancheng, and Huang Ancheng stepped forward and tied a knot on the reins of the ten camels as a mark.
"I will take the camels back tonight and put a mark on their buttocks. Tomorrow morning at noon, we will go to the government office to sign the contract. You pay me the rent and I will give you the camels." Song Xian said.
The big customer nodded in agreement.
"I'll rent ten too," said the merchant who lived in the first guesthouse. "I can't afford to buy ten camels, but I can afford to rent them. If I take ten more camels out of the border, I can make more money. But I won't choose from this herd. We'll go to the desert tomorrow and choose from the other herds."
Song Xian agreed readily.
It was getting dark, and Song Xian didn't stay long. She said goodbye to Sui Yu and returned to the city with fifty camels.
The next day, the dozen or so merchants staying in the Sanjin Guesthouse left early. When the sun rose, the remaining merchants packed their goods and the camel caravan was ready to set off.
At noon, the people who rented the camels came back. They tied the food and grass to the rented camels, had a hearty meal at Sui Yu's place, took some dry food, and left the guesthouse one after another.
After this group of merchants left, new merchants moved in. The beddings in the first and second guest houses were taken out to dry, and Sui Yu arranged the later merchants to stay in the third guest house at the back.
In the evening, Song Xian handed over the money. "These two hundred and fifty coins are the commission from selling the camels, and these eight hundred coins are the commission from renting the camels. You gave me the idea, and I'll give you fifty coins of interest. Today I'll rent out forty camels. I'll give you twenty coins for each one, and when the camels are returned, I'll give you another thirty coins of commission."
Sui Yu had no objection. She accepted the box of copper coins and said, "This is more profitable than running a guesthouse."
"You deserve it." Song Xian smiled and asked, "How did you come up with this idea? I thought about it later and realized that as long as the camel doesn't get seriously ill, I won't lose money by renting it this way."
"This is our business model, and we'll give it to you," Zhao Xiping said. "Opening a guesthouse and raising camels for rent was our original plan."
Song Xian was shocked. She held Sui Yu's hand and said, "Sister Yu, I have no way to repay you for this."
"I'm so short of money that it's hard to even build a guesthouse. If I start raising camels, it'll probably take five or six years to reach your scale," Sui Yu explained. "Ideas left unused are useless. Who knows what the situation will be like in five or six years? I might as well use it to help you. It'll make our acquaintance worthwhile."
Song Xian was touched. Since her father died, no one was willing to help her.
The next day, she sent another 1,200 coins. Since Sui Yu was willing to treat her sincerely, she should be less calculating and defensive.
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