Chapter 1297 Temptation
As soon as this was said, someone nearby slapped their head and said angrily, "Stop saying that in the future. Our furs are already hard to sell, and you're always complaining that this piece of fur is bad and that piece of fur is not good. What will happen if no one buys on Thursdays in the future?"
"I'm just a little worried now. Will there really be tea leaves on Thursday?"
"Of course there is. I heard that there is a lot of tea in Shu. It's just that the tea merchants look down on us and dislike our small tribe, so they refuse to sell tea to us."
Of course, the merchants did not despise the small size of their tribe, but they despised the small amount of money they gave.
But if the furs cannot be sold, there will be no money, and those merchants who specialize in the fur business not only keep the prices of their furs very low, but also do not want furs with even the slightest flaw.
As for Zhou Silang, he had little money on him, and the reason he ran into these merchants and foreign merchants was that he took his three sons and others to buy medicinal materials for Jishitang. There was a section of the road where the snow was really thick. By the time they cleared the snow and passed through, a large number of passing merchants and foreign merchants had already blocked their way behind them.
Zhou Silang has always been thick-skinned and cheerful. This is the first time he has seen so many Hu people in his life. The horses they ride are particularly tall and majestic.
He couldn't help but take a few more glances, and then he hooked up with her.
Those Hu merchants not only brought furs, but also some very precious medicinal herbs, gems, horses...
Zhou Silang couldn't afford these things either.
He could still afford it, but the quantity would definitely be very small. He thought about it and felt that he wouldn't be able to sell it even if he bought it, because no one he knew could afford it.
Not to mention that most of these things are for potential customers. The medicinal herbs, gems and horses will be sold to regular customers. Only the large quantities of furs can he pick and choose.
But Zhou Silang also backed off after asking about the price.
The snowy road was more difficult to walk on than he had imagined. They had originally agreed to go back and forth in two days, but it took them a whole day just to clear the snow, and two and a half days to come back.
Finally, after taking the medicinal materials back to Jishidiang, he took his three sons and went to join in the fun among the merchants.
They are not picky about the work they do. They can help people to shout and carry goods. In addition, they have the friendship of being on the same journey for three days, so it is quite easy for them to find a job.
Zhou Silang just wanted to find out more information to see if there were any goods he could afford, while Sanzi and the others were simply trying to make money.
After all, they are now living and eating in the house in Changqing Lane, but it is not good to always eat and drink for free.
As a result, after staying in the market for a few days, Zhou Silang ran into these people from the Tufa tribe.
There was no way, these people were too conspicuous. They only sold a few of the furs they brought, and the rest were piled up. Because of bargaining, they almost got into a fight with someone in the market.
The prices offered by those merchants were really too low. If they really sold at that price, they wouldn't be able to buy salt and tea, let alone enough to cover the round-trip fare.
The price is only slightly higher than the price that merchants pay when they come to their tribe to purchase.
They vaguely knew that they were being targeted, but they had no idea how to solve the problem. They were like trapped beasts in the market town.
Zhou Silang squatted by and watched for two days. Seeing that they were really depressed, he took action.
He proudly told his brothers, sisters, nephews, and nieces, "I was carrying goods and hawking them in the market, and I found out the prices of those furs. Those merchants were really ruthless. They took advantage of Ah Liudun and his friends because they were first-time visitors and couldn't speak Chinese very well, and they pushed the price down to less than 10%."
Manbao's eyes widened, "So cruel?"
Zhou Silang nodded, "So I had the chance to eat all their goods."
He didn't bring much money, and the two carts of medicinal herbs looked a lot, but they were not particularly valuable. They were sold for a total of 128 taels. For their family, this income was quite good, after all, the land for growing medicinal herbs was all on the mountains and dry land.
But for Zhou Silang, who wanted to get involved in the fur business, it was not enough, because even if he included all the belongings his family asked him to take to the capital, it was only more than four hundred taels, not even enough for five hundred taels.
But in the end Zhou Silang still used the missing tea to buy the remaining goods on credit, which totaled one thousand taels.
Zhou Lijun, who often kept accounts, was very curious. "Strange, how come the price is so exact, exactly one thousand taels?"
Zhou Silang chuckled and said, "Originally, there weren't that many, but a few Hu merchants had furs that were difficult to sell because they were damaged, and they kept getting a low price from customers. Ah Liudun knew them, so he asked them for them and counted them as their goods."
Everyone opened their mouths wide. So Ah Liudun had to spend money to buy furs from someone and then sell them to Zhou Silang on credit?
Zhou Wulang swallowed and asked, "Fourth Brother, this interest..."
Zhou Silang glanced at him and said, "Interest? Ah Liudun and I are friends. I already said this is a deposit for buying tea. How can it be considered interest?"
Everyone: "...So what are they trying to do?"
Zhou Silang said righteously, "This is my reputation! Do you understand?"
Several people shook their heads together. They really couldn't imagine that Fourth Brother (Fourth Uncle) actually had such a thing as credibility.
You know, in their Zhou family, he is the least trustworthy one!
Zhou Silang was lucky and needed help from others, so he decided to endure it.
He forced a smile and looked at Zhou Liulang, saying as amiably as possible, "So, Lao Liu, how about you stay in the capital for the New Year?"
Zhou Liulang was horrified. "I'm alone? You've finally sent me to Hu Shang."
"What's the point of a pledge? Before I come back, you can open the store and do business normally. After I come back, the accounts will be settled," Zhou Silang said. "Otherwise, we'll all be home for the New Year, and if we close the store, Ah Liudun and the others will definitely think too much..."
Zhou Liulang then looked at Zhou Lijun, pointed at her and said, "It's fine if you want me to stay, but Erya has to stay. I definitely can't do it alone. She's always been the one collecting and settling the bills in the store."
Zhou Silang hesitated, "Can't Li Zhong and Li Wei do it? I also want to take Li Jun back with me to collect tea leaves."
Zhou Lijun: "No, I want to go home for the New Year!"
Zhou Lizhong and Zhou Liwei also said, "We want to go home too."
Zhou Silang said to them, "You are still young, don't always think about home. It's so good outside, why do you always want to go home? When I was your age, I wanted to run away. Look, I have made it now, haven't I?"
Everyone looked at him coldly and didn't think he was very capable.
Zhou Silang had no choice but to sigh and say, "Alright, whoever stays, I'll give him ten taels of silver!"
Several people rolled their eyes and asked, "From the public?"
Zhou Silang said angrily: "Nonsense, this is a public business. If it's not paid from the public, you want to pay from my private money."
Zhou Wulang was tempted for a moment, but in the end he was determined to go home for the New Year.
Manbao was not tempted by the ten taels of silver, and she was not within the range of Zhou Silang's temptation. If his parents knew that he stopped Manbao from going home for the New Year, they would chase him around Qili Village.
See you at 11pm
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
