The old north wind whipped the treetops on the mountainside into a frenzy. Lu Qiqi and Lu Dahai wrapped themselves tightly in their clothes, braving the cold wind, and headed toward the village chief's house.
"Knock knock knock".
"Village Chief," Li Shoucai patted the village chief's door a few times and shouted loudly.
"Hey, hey, you're here." The village chief opened the door for Lu Qiqi and the others. "Why are you here?"
The village chief straightened his clothes, and Lu Qiqi noticed that he had buttoned them all up wrong, making him look like he had just gotten out of bed.
Li Shoucai waved the bag of money in front of the village and said, "We've come to settle accounts. We have to go to Luzhou Prefecture tomorrow, so we don't have time to come back."
The village chief nodded and invited the person into the house.
Upon entering the house, Li Shoucai placed the silver coins on the square table in the main room.
"This is the money for three carts of silver frost charcoal. Each basket of charcoal costs four hundred coins, and each basket weighs fifty catties. One cart of charcoal has ten baskets, so three carts of charcoal would cost twelve thousand coins. It's all here."
Li Shoucai also informed the village chief about the charcoal that Lu Qiqi had sent, saying that the charcoal also belonged to the public and that there should be an explanation for where it was used.
"Here I have the money for seven cartloads of charcoal, totaling two thousand eight hundred coins." Lu Dahai also placed the money on the table. "Village chief, please check if the amount is correct."
The village chief rested his hand on the table, called out to his son to count the work, and then said to Lu Dahai and the others, "You've worked hard. You'll still get a work credit today!"
Li Shoucai looked pleased, feeling that the fight today was worthwhile.
Lu Dahai looked worried, feeling that going to Luzhou Prefecture to sell charcoal was risky, and he didn't know if those people would cause trouble again tomorrow.
After much deliberation, Lu Dahai decided to tell the village chief about the fight that had happened that day.
The village chief looked down at the ground, thought for a moment, and then asked, "What do you think?"
Li Shouchai said dismissively, "They were beaten like drowned dogs today. If they dare to cause trouble again tomorrow, we'll bring more villagers with us. We won't be afraid of them!"
Li Shoucai's hands were almost worn out from counting money all day. He had thought that wealthy families would give him whole silver coins, but it turned out that they were all giving him loose change, as if they were specifically asking him to give them small change.
"I think we should sell in Qingshui Town tomorrow and rest for a couple of days before going. If something really happens, it will be too late," Lu Dahai said. He didn't want any more fights and just wanted to live a peaceful life. If he got hurt, it would be his wife who would suffer and feel sorry for him.
Lu Qiqi could easily see Lu Dahai's concerns. She said, "These kinds of things happen everywhere. We've managed to avoid it this time, but can we avoid it every time?"
"Besides, you never know if something like that might happen in Qingshui Town."
Lu Qiqi turned to Lu Dahai and said seriously, "Third Uncle, we haven't done anything wrong, there's no need for us to hide. The more we hide, the more they'll think we're afraid."
Lu Qiqi had her reasons for saying that: "Kindness is often taken advantage of, and a good horse is often ridden." Since ancient times, people can be kind, but they must have the claws to protect themselves in order to live a better life.
“Seventh Sister is right!” the village chief said. “Tomorrow, we will continue to sell charcoal in Luzhou Prefecture as Seventh Sister suggested, and we will invite a few more villagers with us.”
The village chief looked at Lu Dahai, then at Lu Qiqi, and said, "Dahai, you're still too conservative in your actions. Unlike your niece, who's bold and adventurous!"
Seeing that they had handed over all the silver, Lu Qiqi said, "Village Chief, I have a way to sell the Silver Frost Charcoal for a better price."
"Seventh girl, tell me what method it is?" Li Shoucai immediately became interested when he heard that there was an even more profitable method.
The village chief nodded in agreement, "What do you say?"
Lu Qiqi said, "I want to select some of the harder charcoal from the silver frost charcoal, make it into incense charcoal cakes, and sell them to cosmetic shops."
Lu Qiqi told them about how wealthy families would order charcoal cakes from cosmetic shops.
Li Shouchai was the first to question, "Will this method work? Aren't these things all made by the incense shops themselves?"
Li Shoucai knew a thing or two. He felt that this money was hard to earn, so it would be better to honestly sell charcoal and count the money steadily.
Lu Qiqi smiled faintly but did not answer.
The village chief said, "Girl, just try it. I'll have Shoucai and Dahai lead the villagers to cooperate with you as much as possible."
Lu Qiqi wanted to hear those words from the village chief, so she smiled and said, "Okay!"
The next day, Lu Qiqi and the villagers arrived in Luzhou Prefecture on schedule, carrying three carts of silver frost charcoal and seven carts of black charcoal.
This time, however, Lu Qiqi asked Lu Dahai and the others to also take the charcoal to the alleys of the East Market to sell.
The fact that the West Market couldn't make money selling black charcoal doesn't mean the East Market is no good. Their black charcoal is of high quality and produces little smoke, which perfectly fills the gap left by those who are unwilling to sell silver frost charcoal.
Upon reaching the alley, Li Dalang and Li Changlong spread out the tarpaulin and poured two baskets of silver frost charcoal onto it.
Afterwards, Li Shoucai led several villagers to deliver the two cartloads of silver frost charcoal ordered the day before to the Feng family.
The farmers who sold charcoal yesterday also brought their charcoal. They had some injuries on their faces, but they weren't in too bad a state, which was probably because the villagers of Lijia Village had shown them mercy yesterday.
Lu Qiqi watched as they unloaded the charcoal from the oxcart, and upon closer inspection, she discovered that the bamboo baskets were full of white charcoal.
It seems they've learned their lesson and know that it's difficult to sell all the charcoal this way, so they have to follow Lu Qiqi's approach and sell charcoal at the appropriate price.
To their surprise, Lu Qiqi and her group actually brought charcoal to the East Market to sell!
Upon seeing the black charcoal, the short, stout man snorted coldly. The wound at the corner of his mouth made him hiss softly. He wanted to see how they would sell the black charcoal in this East Market!
Half a cartload of the remaining silver frost charcoal was sold, but not a single pound of black charcoal was touched. The short, fat man and the farmers around him were preparing to mock Lu Qiqi and her companions before leaving the city.
Unexpectedly, Lu Qiqi and the others actually took out a charcoal brazier and started warming themselves by the fire!
"Are you sick in the head?!" the short, fat man muttered. He didn't dare to yell loudly, otherwise that old hag would beat him up again. He didn't know that a little girl could have such a strong grip and hit so hard. Every place she hit hurt.
"The charcoal we're burning is really good; there's not even a hint of smoke!" Li Shoucai spread his hands out over the charcoal basin, warming his palms to feel the temperature of the charcoal fire.
Lu Qiqi also stretched out her hands to warm them. The day was getting colder and colder, and Lu Qiqi felt that she had to buy capes and cloaks for herself and her family, otherwise the clothes she was wearing would not be enough to keep her warm.
"Hey, this charcoal is pretty good. White charcoal ash, is this the white charcoal?" A tall man walked over and said loudly.
Li Dalang spoke first, looking confident, "Brother, you're wrong. Take another look."
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