Chengbo noticed the man's hand stealthily reaching for the dried longan again, so he immediately looked away, pretending not to see. While peeling the lychee shells, he replied:
"Longan is already more expensive than lychee. If you ask me, longan should be eaten fresh, and the freshest and tastiest longan comes from Yuecheng. Avoid the rainy days, and the longan is as sweet as if it were dipped in honey. Moreover, the longan flesh is thick and the pit is small, making it very satisfying to eat."
Yunling swallowed hard. The season for longan was over, and perhaps because she couldn't eat it for the time being, she was especially craving it.
Seeing that Uncle Cheng was a talkative person, Yunling suddenly became bolder and asked probingly:
"Uncle Cheng, is selling fruit your own business, or is it done for a trading company?"
"I can't keep my own business going anytime soon, and I don't know when I'll have to stop."
Yunling frowned and put down the porcelain bowl that had already been cooled by blowing on it.
"What Chengbo is saying... implies that the price of fruit is low, therefore..."
"No, no, you don't know, there weren't many people selling fruit at the beginning. They all thought it was troublesome. You had to keep it fresh on the branch, put ice inside, and watch it all the time. Selling fruit was like taking care of an old mother. They were afraid it would get old, afraid it would wilt, afraid it would not be fresh after drying, and even more worried about not being able to sell it."
"But later, as more people ate fruit, the people living in the city discovered a business opportunity and established fruit shops. All the fruit transported from other places had to go to the fruit shops first, and then the fruit shops would distribute the fruit to various fruit shops and small vendors."
"This makes things much easier for the fruit vendors, but at the same time, merchants with money in their pockets have naturally sensed the opportunity. Since they don't have to worry about selling their fruit, they are placing large orders with the fruit farmers."
"Some even sign contracts with farmers the moment the fruit blossoms, contracting to grow all the fruit on the mountain. Tell me, how can those of us who run our own businesses compete with them?"
Yunling sighed again, "It's really good to have capital. When you see an opportunity, you don't need to hesitate or think too much; you can just throw money into it."
Indeed, the rich in this world will only get richer.
“I understand Chengbo’s feelings. My family wasn’t well-off either, so I started doing business early on, created my own brand, and fought against other ambitious people. Don’t be fooled by the few hard-earned coins I made; they were all earned with sweat and tears.”
"So, what kind of business are you going to do in Bianjing?"
"I want to buy wool. Does Master Cheng have any connections, or do you know any merchants who travel between the Khitan and Western Xia?"
Chengbo threw the sack aside, washed his hands with the water, and shook his head, saying:
"I deal in fruit, and you're asking me about wool. Do you think I have any connections?"
"I thought that Uncle Cheng was more knowledgeable and knew more than I did."
Chengbo shook his hands, and they naturally rested on his waist. A short while later, two clear handprints appeared on his waist.
"I really can't help you with that, but I've seen other people shear sheep and negotiate with the sheep dealer, which might be of some help to you."
Yunling immediately perked up. She had only intended to ask casually, but she hadn't expected to get to the heart of the matter. Without remaining seated, she quickly stood up and went to stand next to Uncle Cheng.
"Chengbo, please tell me quickly."
"Some sheep are very dirty, with not a trace of white on their bodies. Their four legs are bound with ropes. As long as you don't cut the meat, the sheep are very obedient. Some people cut from the sheep's feet, and some cut from the sheep's neck. But no matter where you cut from, in order to get a good price, you will still try to cut a continuous piece."
"A whole area?"
"Yes, it's like completely stripping the wool off a sheep. Otherwise, sheep dealers won't buy it."
The wool Yunling had collected from Song Sanlang's manor was very clean, but it wasn't in one continuous piece; it was patchy and uneven. At the time, she thought that ancient times didn't have as many warm fabrics as later generations, so it had to be used sparingly...
"This sheep has more than a pound of wool. If it's a better sheep, the wool can weigh two to three pounds. If it's all shed and laid out on the ground, it'll look like a rug. With just a little processing, it can fetch a good price. Naturally, sheep dealers will pick the best ones."
Yunling nodded and then asked:
"Uncle Cheng, do the sheep traders still want those that aren't in contiguous plots?"
"Yes, of course they want it. Wool is a precious commodity. Even if it's not in whole pieces, even if it's broken into strips, they'll still want it. Those who say they don't want it are just trying to lower the price in business."
"And what is the price?"
Chengbo blinked and clicked his tongue.
"I don't know how much silver a pound costs on the market. A long time ago, sheep dealers would buy them for sixty coins a pound if they were in a whole field, and fifty-five coins a pound if they were harvested in batches. I don't know how they are now."
"That's all the old man knows. I've told you everything. As for whether you can buy what you want, that depends on your own business skills."
Yunling knew what Chengbo had told her; it was enough for her to act like an expert and have a better chance of negotiating with merchants.
"I have learned a lot, thank you for your guidance, Uncle Cheng."
**
While Yunling was busy making plans, Yun's father and Yun Shenghua in Pingcheng were busy harvesting in the fields. Since Yun Shenghua was on leave, the task of taking Yun Chu to Ren'an Hall fell to Yun Ruoxia.
Pei Lin was very troubled. Since that day, he had never seen Yun Ling again. His heart felt like it was being scratched, and he was very uncomfortable. The thought of her leaving alone made him anxious and angry. He only hated that his father-in-law was an innocent meddlesome person.
Seeing that Yun Ruoxia had brought Yun Chuzai here, he naturally had a good reason to ask:
"Why wasn't it that little bug who brought you here? Aren't you and her sisters?"
Yun Chu found the question absurd and completely irrelevant. What did it matter who brought her here or whether she and Yun Ling were sisters?
She didn't want to pay attention to him, but he was watching her closely, afraid that he would pester her with questions and interrupt her studies, so she had no choice but to reply.
"Is Brother Pei looking for Lingniang?"
"I...I didn't want to find her, I..."
"Since it's not Xunlingniang, I'll get back to work."
"Hey, hey, hey," Pei Lin thought this person really had no tact. He was giving her such a strong hint, and she didn't even notice? He was so stubborn. He said no, but wouldn't she say it too? Honestly, she was as thick-skinned as a cowhide lantern.
"I haven't seen her lately. Did she go on a long trip?"
Yun Chu opened her eyes wide and nodded.
"Brother Pei guessed correctly."
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