Nothing more was said that night. The next day, after breakfast, Zhang Zhaoci and Zhang Zhaozhi took Xu Di and Xu Zhi to the border market.
The trade market was built a few years ago, located outside the city, surrounded by a wooden fence. It was about the size of a standard football field. Anything that needed to be exchanged was done inside, with designated entrances and exits guarded by government officials.
Entering the trade market requires paying a fee, which is a major source of revenue for Hexi County. However, in recent years, due to frequent minor conflicts, fewer and fewer people have come to the trade market to exchange goods, and Hexi County has become increasingly poor. The local people are known for their fierce and unruly nature. Even if you want to impose taxes, you have to see if the people will accept it. If you push them too far, it's not uncommon for them to pick up a knife and stab you.
It was already past nine in the morning, but there were hardly any people inside. Even the people sitting at the entrance and exit checking and collecting fees were listless.
Zhang Zhaozhi stood in the market, stroking his chin, lost in thought.
Xu Di held Xu Zhi's hand, looked at his third uncle, then at his mother who was gazing into the distance with her hand on her forehead, sighed, and said, "Third Uncle, Mother, what can you possibly see from here?"
Zhang Zhaozhi sighed and said, "I really can't believe it. Such a good place, such a good opportunity, just wasted like this. I don't know what they were thinking."
Zhang Zhaoci said, "What we were thinking was that when war came, nothing else mattered. All we could think about was driving out the invaders."
Zhang Zhaozhi said, "Actually, if we do a good job of this trade, it might actually help control the war."
Upon hearing this, Xu Di's eyes lit up, and he said, "Third Uncle, that's a novel idea. Tell me, how do you plan to control it?"
Zhang Zhaozhi thought for a moment and said, "The people on the grassland come here to trade so that they can survive. If that's the case, then let's trade with them. If the trading goes on for a long time, they will have to exchange some things with us. Whether or not we have to fight is up to us."
The economic base determines the superstructure and is a major factor in determining a war.
Zhang Zhaozhi said, "They mainly trade with us for salt, tea, and many daily necessities. We trade with them, using their furs, livestock, and preferably their horses. We then use the goods we get to trade for silk and tea in the south. We raise the horses here and gradually develop in this way. When our army is strong and our horses are well-equipped, it won't be a question of whether they want to come and raid our fields, but whether we want to."
Xu Di stared at his third uncle with bright eyes, making Zhang Zhaozhi feel a little embarrassed.
Xu Di said, "Third Uncle, can I go with you when you leave? I want to go out with you and see what the outside world is like."
Upon hearing Xu Di's words, Zhang Zhaoci couldn't help but recall the famous saying, "The world is so big, I want to go see it." Who wouldn't want to go out and see the world? It used to be because there wasn't enough time. Now that there is time, however, in today's society, transportation is basically by walking, communication is basically by shouting, and safety is basically by dogs. In addition, with the chaos of war, how could anyone dare to let a child go out with them?
Zhang Zhaoci said, "How old are you? Besides, what can you do if you go out with us? Can you help fight or help carry things? You're a terrible fighter, and with your small size, you can't do anything to carry things."
Xu Di retorted, "Can't I go along and learn from my third uncle at the same time? I think my third uncle is very capable."
Zhang Zhaoci sneered and said, "Your third uncle's skills are from childhood. He started practicing horse stance at the age of five, and he learned those skills from a famous teacher. You're already ten years old. What can you learn now?"
Xu Di listened, smiled and shook his head, saying, "Mother, it's never too late to learn. With my brain, when have you ever seen me fail to learn anything I want to learn?"
Zhang Zhaoci didn't refute Xu Di's words. As the mother who had raised Xu Di for over twenty years, she naturally knew very well what kind of person her son was. Xu Di was the "model child" from a young age. While other children attended classes, Xu Di also attended classes. While other children did their homework after school, Xu Di didn't. While other children were enrolled in all sorts of tutoring classes, Xu Di didn't. As a result, Xu Di far surpassed others in exams, not to mention the fiercely competitive college entrance examination. Xu Di was the top science student in their city back then, destined to enter a prestigious university, earn double bachelor's degrees, and then a combined master's and doctoral degree. He went abroad for postdoctoral research and then returned to his hometown to become a lecturer at a second-tier university. Before he was even thirty years old, he had already built a national-level laboratory.
Seeing that Zhang Zhaoci had nothing to say, Xu Di whispered, "Mother, don't forget what I did during my winter and summer vacations every year. Although I'm young now, my mind is still sharp."
Xu Zhi didn't quite understand what her mother and brother were whispering about. She figured it was something she couldn't understand. Since she couldn't understand, Xu Zhi didn't force herself to. She looked at the market that was covered in weeds and saw a few small yellow flowers blooming not far away. She went over, squatted down, and picked a few.
Xu Di knew he had managed to persuade his mother, and that he would persuade his father when he got home that night. He was determined to go with his third uncle, Zhang Zhaozhi, when he left in a few days. Xu Di felt quite uneasy about not being able to go out and see the world. As someone who had to keep up with the latest news in the world every day, living like this in a small border town always made Xu Di feel uneasy.
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