Chapter 353: Warehouse Establishment
Early in the morning of New Year's Eve, Zhao Xiping woke up before dawn. Hearing the sound of snow being swept outside, he got up quietly and went out alone.
When Sui Liang and Xiaozai woke up, a faint light was shining down from above the dark clouds floating in the sky. Against the backdrop of the snow, the sky was already bright.
When the uncle and nephew got dressed and went out, Zhao Xiping had already piled a man-high pile of snow at the foot of the wall, and he had shoveled the two-meter-wide snow in front of the door.
"Rub your hands with snow, come over and make a snowman. We'll make five this year." Zhao Xiping was very excited. "In two or three months, there will be one more person in our family."
The little cub took a breath of the cool air. At this moment, his anticipation for the baby in his mother's belly reached its peak.
"Next year at this time, we will be a family of five standing together." He squatted down and scooped up a ball of snow, saying excitedly, "I'll make a snowman. He and I are from the same mother. We have the same parents and the same uncle."
"Okay, I'll let you build it this year." Zhao Xiping didn't argue with him.
Sui Yu woke up and heard the noise outside. She knew what they were doing. She didn't go out, but lay in bed in a daze. She didn't know how long it had been. She heard the sound of footsteps coming in. She closed her eyes and pretended to be asleep.
The cub pushed open the door, took a look inside, and tiptoed in quietly. He took a bright red bellyband from the trunk. It was only slightly larger than his hand. He measured it with his palm and muttered, "So small? Not even as big as the cat official's clothes."
"Little thief." Sui Yu shouted, "What are you doing?"
"Mom, you're awake." The little cub laughed. He shook his bellyband and said, "Hurry up and get up. Let's build the snowman. I'll take Erzi's clothes and put them on the snowman."
"Go ahead and call your dad in."
"good."
Zhao Xiping shook off the snow on his body before entering the house. He waited until his frozen hands warmed up before pushing the door open.
Sui Yu had already put on her cotton jacket. She lifted the quilt and Zhao Xiping brought her some cotton trousers to put on, and then put a thick silk skirt over the trousers.
"What time is it?" Sui Yu asked.
"It's getting late, maybe around 9:00 p.m." Zhao Xiping squatted down to help her put on her cotton shoes, and then took out a wooden comb to comb her hair.
After the pregnancy was advanced, Zhao Xiping was responsible for putting on shoes, combing hair, washing hair and bathing. When Sui Yu was pregnant with the first baby, he did all these things himself. When she was pregnant with the second baby, his movements became more and more skilled, and sometimes he could even do hair more beautifully than Sui Yu.
"Wait a moment, I'll go get some water." After tying her hair, Zhao Xiping went out.
Brushing teeth and washing face were done in the house. Sui Yu cleaned up and the snowman outside was also finished.
The yard was covered with hay to prevent slipping, but once he went out, Zhao Xiping still held Sui Yu in his arms as they walked, worried that she would fall.
Outside the door, a little snowman wearing a red bellyband stood at the door. Sui Yu saw it as soon as he stepped out.
"Mom, look, this is Erzai, this is me, this is you, this is my uncle, and last is my dad. We are arranged in order of height." The little boy introduced.
"In two years, I will be ranked second." Sui Yu looked at the kid. This guy would probably be taller than her in two or three years.
"There are five people in our family, and I might be the shortest one," she said.
"Smart people don't grow taller." Sui Liang glanced at his brother-in-law.
"Are you cunning?" Zhao Xiping counterattacked.
Sui Yu glared at him.
"I forgot, forgot." He forgot that he had a short wife. Zhao Xiping immediately made up for it: "I'm praising you. People with good minds are smart. You are the smartest in our family."
Sui Liang smiled proudly.
Sui Yu also smiled and said, "Let's go eat."
"I'll bring it to you." Zhao Xiping helped her back inside. "The snow in the kitchen yard has melted, and the ground is all muddy. Even if you spread some hay on it, it's useless."
Sui Yu sat back in the house, and Sui Liang and Xiaozai followed Zhao Xiping to serve the meal. There was a sumptuous New Year's Eve dinner in the afternoon, and breakfast was simple. There was no meat except eggs and minced meat in the vegetable buns.
"Liang'er, make some torches in the afternoon and go into the city with Dalang and the others in the evening. Call An'er along. He probably has never burned torches or performed Nuo dance before," said Sui Yu.
"Burning torches, right? Didn't he come on New Year's Eve two years ago? He said he came after burning torches." Sui Liang realized, "Oh, maybe it's just an excuse."
Sui Yu nodded. "Nominally, you and he are classmates. Tomorrow morning, you can come over and visit Sui Hui. You are her brother and a member of her family. She will feel more comforted when she sees you. If they want you to stay there for dinner, you can have a meal and then come back."
Sui Liang said, "Oh," and said, "I will be responsible for walking around with her from now on?"
"Until An Ge'er has established a firm foothold in that family, you must go there every year." Sui Yu looked at him. "As for after that, it all depends on your relationship with An Ge'er."
Sui Liang nodded to show that he understood.
"Should I go?" asked the kid.
"You can go anytime, but not on the first day of the Lunar New Year. Your father's subordinates will come to pay New Year's greetings tomorrow, so you can accompany them," Sui Yu arranged. "Wear new clothes tomorrow, and wear the gold necklace and jade pendant His Majesty gave you. Cheer up and make your father proud."
"This appearance is enough to make me proud." Zhao Xiping was very satisfied.
The kid smiled secretly, feeling happy.
After breakfast, Sui Yu wanted to go sit in the teahouse, and Zhao Xiping helped her over. He had other things to do, so he called A Shui and Hua Niu to come and keep him company.
The waist drums on the stage thumped, and the baby in Sui Yu's belly began to kick and punch. She rubbed her belly and said with a smile, "Don't worry, don't worry. When you grow up, ask your brother to teach you how to play the waist drum."
A Shui gestured to Kurban, and a cheerful waist drum dance came to a hurried end. The performers from Chang'an came on stage with a guzheng and played a soothing tune.
"Madam, I haven't seen you for a long time." Kurban and Anle walked over through the crowd. They had been in Dunhuang for six years. When they first met, he was a thin young man, but now he had become much stronger and taller, and his eyebrows and eyes had become more profound and affectionate.
"Sit down," Sui Yu said. "Since it started snowing, I've been afraid of slipping and falling, so I haven't dared to go out. It's rare for you to come see me. Is there something you want to talk to me about today? Are you planning to leave Dunhuang?"
Kurban breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you for your tolerance. I've never known how to start the conversation, or whether I should. Staying at your house has been very relaxing, and Anle and I have been very happy. Similarly, with so many good days, I've become lazy. I've been wanting to tell you I'm leaving, but I've been reluctant to speak. Madam, we still want to venture out and visit the Han Dynasty's imperial city."
"Sure, the music troupe in Chang'an is much more exciting than my makeshift troupe." Sui Yu didn't stop him. "Will you leave with the caravan next spring?"
Kurban and Anle nodded.
"I know someone in Chang'an. Qingpingfang in the West Market belongs to him. I gave you a handwritten letter when you left. Go find him if you are desperate. As for whether he is willing to help, I am not sure." Sui Yu said.
"Thank you very much." Kurban was excited and grateful.
"If you can't make it in Chang'an, come back to Dunhuang. We have been friends for six years. I can leave you a bowl of rice here." Sui Yu joked.
"Thank you very much," Kurban thanked him again. "If we return to Dunhuang, we will bring a group of people with us to replace your makeshift troupe and become the largest music troupe in Dunhuang."
"You're quite ambitious. I'm optimistic about you." After the zither music on the stage stopped, Sui Yu stood up and said, "Come up with me. You have a bright and pleasant voice. Please help me pass on a message."
Kurban and Ashui supported Sui Yu on both sides and helped her onto the stage.
"Shopkeeper Yu, what are you doing?" the merchant sitting next to the fire pit asked loudly.
"I want to discuss business with you." Sui Yu smiled. "I have a good idea, and I need your help. I'm sure everyone has seen the new warehouse north of the guesthouse. Some people have asked me what I plan to use it for, but I have always been secretive. I plan to build a warehouse in Dunhuang to collect all kinds of goods from all over the country."
After saying that, Sui Yu gave Kurban a wink, and he raised his voice and repeated her words in a rhythmic manner to ensure that most people could hear clearly.
The teahouse was noisy for a while, and when it calmed down, Sui Yu continued, "A large number of caravans travel back and forth between the border, selling and buying goods, and traveling. This takes two years. If they go to Dayuan, Kangju, or Wusun, three or four years is normal. I originally built this warehouse because I felt that traveling on the road was too exhausting. I made money, but my health was broken, and my relationship with my family was fading. I wanted to relieve everyone's stress and provide a convenient trade route. Of course, I also want to make money."
Kurban repeated it aloud again.
"A sheepskin from outside the Great Wall can be bought for about fifty coins. A caravan can bring it to Dunhuang and sell it to me for a hundred coins. I'll mark it up by ten or twenty coins, and sell it to the caravans from inside the Great Wall at a price of 120 coins. The silk brought by the caravans from inside the Great Wall is bought for 1,200 coins a piece. When it arrives in Dunhuang, they sell it to me for 2,500 coins a piece. I'll mark it up by fifty coins to a hundred coins, and then sell it to the caravans outside the Great Wall. This way, the Hu merchants outside the Great Wall can sell their goods, buy silk from Chang'an, and return home before winter. They don't have to pay taxes at every level of the customs, cross rivers and mountains, and face threats from local thugs. The same goes for the caravans from inside the Great Wall. They can leave at the beginning of the year and return at the end of the year. They don't have to cross the desert and worry about encountering the Xiongnu or being robbed by bandits outside the Great Wall, with no way to report to the authorities."
The teahouse was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop. Everyone heard Sui Yu's words clearly without Kurban repeating them.
Some people smiled and shook their heads, some seemed to be thinking about something. Sui Yu stood on a high place and could see everyone's expressions clearly. She didn't need to impress everyone, she only needed to take over the small caravans that were less resistant to risks. When her reputation spread, more small caravans would come, and this trade route would become more prosperous.
As for the large caravans, Sui Yu didn't want to do business with them. If she was used as a dividing line, the caravans inside the pass wouldn't leave, and the Hu merchants outside the pass wouldn't enter, then this prosperous trade route would be ruined.
"You can also do storage business with me. For example, if Mr. Qin transports a batch of glazed porcelain from Chang'an, and half of it is damaged on the way, he dare not take it outside the Great Wall. You can store the glazed porcelain with me and give me a minimum price. I will help sell it. If someone buys it, I will take a certain amount of profit. You can also quote a fixed price and give me a storage fee. I will give you the money after the items are sold." Sui Yu continued.
Qin Wenshan clapped his hands respectfully when he heard this, "Great, I have a chance to work with Shopkeeper Yu."
"Then are you going to sell cotton products in the warehouse too?" The merchants who had not yet bought quilts complained.
Sui Yu nodded and said, "Next year, next autumn, come back. All the quilts, cotton jackets, and cotton cloth will be hanging in my warehouse. There are thin quilts weighing five, ten, and fifteen kilograms, silk cotton jackets, and various kinds of cotton cloth. You can choose whatever you want."
There was loud applause in the warehouse and someone whistled.
Sui Yu held A Shui's hand and prepared to leave. As he left, he told Kurban, "After they finish talking, tell them that those who want to cooperate should come to me before February."
Kurban nodded.
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