Chapter 71: Prosperous County Town (Part 3)
"This pink gem is so beautiful. It would be a perfect match for my new lotus dress if I made it into a pair of earrings. Lin Yue, do you think it looks good?"
This trip basically only had two girls of the same age, Cheng Xiaoxiao and Lin Yue. They got along pretty well on the boat, and even the jealousy they had before was over.
"This pink really complements your skin tone. If you like it, choose more and create a jewelry set."
Lin Yue was already used to simplicity and neatness, and had little interest in these gems that could only be used for decoration, so she waited on the side for her companions' choice.
A quarter of an hour later, Lin Yue spent one hundred taels to buy a large pile of gems. Everyone was reluctant to leave, but in the end, her husband dragged her away.
The man who led the way was shocked when he saw the other party spend a hundred taels of silver to buy a bunch of beautiful stones that could not be eaten or drunk without blinking an eye. He also sighed that it was indeed a wealthy caravan, otherwise they would not have such a good ship.
After walking a few steps, everyone saw a pile of black stones piled on the stall. There were few people patronizing it, and the surrounding area was also dirty.
"Brother, what is this?"
What's the use of such black stones? They make the surrounding area dirty. Such things can easily affect the cityscape.
The guy who led the way straightened his chest; it was finally his turn.
"This is another commodity from the Longxing Caravan. They call it coal. It's a fuel. Coal can burn for a long time and is quite cheap. Most of the people in Zheng State use it for cooking and heating in winter."
"There are such magical stones in this world!"
"I only knew that wood could be burned, but now stones can be burned too. Are you kidding us?"
Anyway, it’s hard to imagine if you have never seen it. How can a stone burn?
"My family now uses coal, which costs one penny per pound, and one pound a month is enough. It is especially suitable for stewing soup. The fire of this coal can last for a long time, and it is perfect for stewing chicken soup, pig's trotter soup, and fish soup.
But the smell is a bit unpleasant, and it emits a faint unpleasant smell when burning."
Seeing that the young man spoke so confidently, everyone nodded in doubt.
"It smells so good, a light fragrance with a hint of sweetness, just like freshly baked osmanthus cake!"
Lin Jiao squinted her eyes and sniffed the air. When she talked about osmanthus cake, her face was full of nostalgia and loss.
"This is corn, a food the fleet brought with them. Unfortunately, they only sell unripe corn cobs; seeds are hard to come by, so their trade is unique."
The money was well spent. He said he was showing the way and answered every question he had. He also patiently accompanied them in strolling and shopping. Even though everyone behaved like country bumpkins, their attitude was still polite and courteous.
Of course Lin Yue knew about corn. As a high-yield plant, it would be one of people's staple foods even in the end times. But now the other party clearly didn't want the seeds to flow out, so it was useless for her to know about it.
Next, Lin Yue and the others saw the jade and the jewelry made from it. The women loved them, but the prices were very high. As convicts, they could not take such ostentatious items out.
Lin Yue thought that she could buy a few sets of exquisitely crafted and delicately carved jewelry to win over partners.
After all, the most commonly used commodities are gold, silver and jade, and the blank markets such as pearls, jade and gemstones can be quietly occupied.
However, the profit is quite large, so it is better to wait until you have your own sales channels before selling it, so that you don’t lose too much money.
It was not until the sun was setting that Lin Yue and the others settled down in the rented three-story courtyard. They bought the coal they had seen before to make soup and cooked several tables full of delicious dishes to celebrate their escapes from death and their survival.
Lin Yue, Lin Hongyuan, Ruan Xiayu, Li Dachui and others discussed that since they had been missing for more than ten days, they might as well go back later.
They accidentally came to Zheng State and discovered that it was a maritime hub. Many countries found this country and established stable trade.
If I don't seize this hard-earned opportunity, how long will it take me to come back to this place after I leave?
The two wounded soldiers used this time to recuperate, and the rest of the people tried to find out as much as possible about the situation of Zheng State and other countries' merchant caravans. Since they wanted to occupy an island on the sea and develop their family, they had to have a basic understanding of the countries that could sail.
This is a surprising discovery. There are basically caravans from more than 20 countries here. This is what we found out openly, so who knows how many more are developing secretly.
The country closest to Dagan, Yu State, has three fleets. They rotate and station in Zheng State for a long time. They want to grab a piece of any new goods. I believe there must be official involvement.
The State of Yu kept the discovery of maritime trade a secret, and Da Gan didn't get any news at all, otherwise the court's navy would not have been in such a state of disarray and been caught up in internal strife!
Moreover, it was impossible for the fleet that landed to leave the county and go to other places in Zheng State, especially for outsiders who had just arrived in Zheng State.
During this period, Lin Yue visited a commercial street specially set up for overseas fleets and bought sweet potatoes, a high-yielding crop, and made them into vermicelli to sell.
After some discussion, everyone decided to follow Dayu's fleet back, so that they could find the way home when they reached the nearby sea. As for the small island which was only two days away, it could also be used as a temporary base.
One wanted to hide it, and the other didn't pay much attention, so Lin Yue safely followed Dayu's fleet back to the Dagan border.
Because there was someone to lead the way, it only took five days to go back, and we finally arrived at the familiar sea area of Lingnan at noon on the sixth day.
"Why is there no one here? Did everyone go back to eat?"
Looking at the deserted beach, everyone was curious.
As we approached Baixiang Village, we felt something unusual. It seemed like there was always someone hiding in the dark and watching us, and some mechanisms and traps were activated.
What happened? Why do we have to be so alert?
It’s still the case that the people of Baixiang Village met with misfortune, so aren’t the people in Baixiang Village now their relatives?
The more he thought about it, the more scared he became. Li Dachui was very worried about his daughter and started yelling.
"Fei'er, Fei'er, Daddy is back, Fei."
"Shut up."
Lin Yi Guang stepped forward and covered Li Dachui's mouth, twisting his hands behind his back.
"The situation is unclear right now. If you want to die, don't take everyone with you!"
Even though Lin Yi Guang's tone was vicious, Li Da Chui loved his daughter so much that he struggled hard and refused to give up even though veins on his face were bulging.
"Dad, you're back!"
"Grandpa, woo woo, you are finally back."
Cheng Hui came forward with several children of the same age from the village, his face showing no sign of concealing his excitement. Everyone also saw the deep weariness and dark circles on their faces. In Lin Yue's opinion, they were drug addicts who were deeply addicted.
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