"The Farmer's Fat Wife": Fat Men Are All Potential Stocks (Part 7)...
Private salt was something that even ordinary people in ancient times would buy, if they hadn't sold it themselves.
So, while the imperial court considered private salt as private salt, the common people considered it a good, conscientious salt that was cheap and of better quality than official salt.
The trend of buying smuggled salt among the people is unstoppable; everyone buys it, so who can control it?
However, the imperial court would severely crack down on private salt dealers who competed with it for profits; it was illegal for coastal families to privately boil more than one pound of salt.
This kind of shady business shocked everyone, but Ye Xiqing continued to speak without changing her expression.
“We honestly till the land and pay taxes, yet we can’t get enough to eat or sleep, and the imperial court still wants to levy more taxes, sucking our blood and gnawing at our bones.”
“Those who actually smuggled salt, however, ate meat at every meal, traveled on horseback, and were surrounded by attendants.”
"It is clear that this world does not truly punish lawbreakers, but only the powerless common people."
"Did our retreat, forbearance, honesty, and law-abiding behavior earn us the court's goodwill?"
"If we hadn't taken precautions and banded together to survive, would we be the ones starving to death, or would it be the salt smugglers who deserve to die?"
"We can't even survive if we retreat this far now, how far can we retreat to?"
"If we don't change our mindset, we'll be reduced to bones before our families even return."
Everyone: ...
Actually, I'm not afraid of pressing down on the bone joints at all; what I'm afraid of is pressing down on one side while leaving a breathing space on the other.
The imperial court probably didn't intend to completely oppress the common people, but the rebels had already risen up right under its nose, and the national treasury had been emptied by the pillars of the state. It had no choice but to squeeze them dry.
The imperial court naturally had countless difficulties, but the common people couldn't care less; they were on the verge of starvation, so why should they care about the imperial court?
The group exchanged glances, their minds filled with a myriad of thoughts.
Finally, I couldn't help but grit my teeth and decide to just do it!
After looking around and seeing that everyone nodded in agreement, Ye Xiqing smiled.
Unfold a white cloth and sign a death pact.
Everyone had to put their fingerprints on the document, and from then on, a piece of cloth, a life, were intertwined into one.
By the grace of the Goddess of Mount Tai, whoever dares to betray this covenant shall die a gruesome death and be reduced to a beast for generations!
Ye Xiqing was the first to swear a blood oath, but of course it wasn't with her blood—what if she got tetanus?
They would snatch a duck from a duck farmer's house, slit its throat, drip the blood into a bowl, and then present the duck blood to everyone.
Seeing this, the others also became fierce, smeared duck blood on their foreheads and lips, imprinted their handprints on the white silk, and knelt down in unison.
Heaven above, Mount Tai holds our oath!
From this day forward, though we are different bodies, we are of one heart and will share life and death!
If anyone harbors thoughts of betraying their alliance and friends, may they be condemned by heaven and earth!
In that era of material scarcity, oaths were sacred, solemn, and inviolable.
Everyone kowtowed heavily to the ground. After getting up, Ye Xiqing stretched out her hand to everyone.
Upon seeing this, Wu Niang immediately understood and extended her hand to her.
Her butcher assistant also realized what was happening and reached out her hand.
The group held hands, huddled together, looked at each other, and couldn't help but burst into laughter.
Best friend!
Ye Xiqing looked at everyone and said, "We're about to start a big business, so let's stop raising those worthless ducks and stew them all so we can all have a good meal."
Eating meat was not easy in these days, and everyone immediately agreed, except for Zhou Yue'e, who raised ducks, who widened her eyes and said: "You are doing great things, why are you ruining my ducks!"
Ye Xiqing patted her shoulder with a smile: "There are no you guys, it's all us. When we make a fortune in the future, we won't be afraid of shortchanging you with these few ducks."
Upon hearing this, the others immediately agreed, leaving Zhou Yue'e, the duck farmer, with no choice but to watch as everyone excitedly grabbed her ducks.
Everyone went back to their own homes to get some good things, and together they enjoyed this last meal—no, it was an alliance meal.
Ye Xiqing was tired of eating pork every day, so she wanted to try some tender duck meat to change things up.
Hua Xigu, unaware of what major event had occurred and why so many ducks had been slaughtered, went to eat with Ye Xiqing, appearing exceptionally happy.
It wasn't until Ye Xiqing went back and showed her the life-and-death contract that she realized what was going on, her eyes widening: What are you trying to do!
Ye Xiqing gestured for her to lower her voice and then repeated the same words she had spoken to everyone.
But this rhetoric worked on the villagers, but not on Hua Xigu. The villagers were truly on the verge of starvation, but they weren't.
Given their family circumstances, they certainly wouldn't risk their lives to make money. What are they planning to do?
Ye Xiqing looked at Hua Xigu: "Mother, do you still remember the dream I told you about before?"
The dream of flooding the Temple of the Goddess of Mount Tai was quite a big deal back then, but all the numbers related to the number three have passed, and before three years have even arrived, it has gradually been forgotten.
As time went by, Hua Xigu almost forgot about it, but she didn't expect Ye Xiqing to bring it up again.
But this time, Ye Xiqing didn't say that a flood would definitely occur three years later. Instead, she asked Hua Xigu, "Mother, do you still remember the part of my dream where I slew the black dragon?"
“The Goddess of Mount Tai showed me this omen; how could I be an ordinary person?”
"Your daughter is no ordinary person; she will never be swayed by the common crowd!"
Hua Xigu: ...
You're having a delusional dream!
Hua Xigu wanted to roar, but Ye Xiqing had already signed the life-and-death contract, so what could she do?
Ye Xiqing handed her a document: "If anything happens to me, Mother, you should change your surname and name, take this document, and lead the family to Gu County, Taizhou."
"Run when you need to run, don't worry about me."
"I'm not an ordinary person; I'm sure I can turn bad luck into good."
Hua Xigu: ...
It's just a dream, please don't take it so seriously!
...
Hua Xigu was filled with anxiety, but Ye Xiqing comforted her, telling her not to worry about anything unnecessary.
She wasn't recklessly smuggling salt; during the days she was slaughtering pigs, she was also inquiring about the influence of the salt smugglers.
In ancient times, butchers were practically a profession that went deep into the dark side of society. They knew these underground things like the back of their hand and had easy access to information. This gave Ye Xiqing a deeper understanding of the world.
This world is a completely fictional world. Yang County, where she is located, is situated in Huaizhou and is under the jurisdiction of Huaizhou Prefecture.
The salt smugglers in Huaizhou can be divided into two categories: those who smuggle sea salt along the eastern coast and those who smuggle well salt in central Huaizhou.
The two forces were irreconcilable, and they not only had to deal with the imperial court, but also frequently clashed in private.
Ye Xiqing's Yang County was far from the Huaizhong Well Salt Gang, but very close to the sea, about two hundred li away, and was within the territory of the Haiyan Gang.
Ye Xiqing went to find the leader of the Haiyan Gang. She heard that the Haiyan Gang and the Jingyan Gang were competing for the salt market in Weixian County, and she was willing to help the gang leader develop Weixian County.
If she wins the salt market in Weixian County, please hand over the management rights of Weixian County to her. She will plant the flag of the Sea Salt Gang in the heart of the Well Salt Gang!
The leader of the Sea Gang stared at her in shock. No one had ever dared to recommend themselves to him like this before, but Ye Xiqing's robust physique and her ability to gather manpower made the leader of the Salt Gang feel quite credible.
Even if we fail to capture Wei County, there's no loss in bringing such talent with us.
The leader of the Salt Gang thought for a moment and issued her a Sea Gang order, accepting her into the Sea Gang. If she could really win over Wei County, he would hand over the private salt business of Wei County to her!
The villagers, who had always viewed the smuggled salt business as a dangerous threat, never imagined that one day they would so easily join the salt gang.
The Salt Gang was said to be smuggling salt, but they were no small force. Although they were smuggled, they had no connection with government officials.
Although Ye Xiqing was impulsive, he was not reckless.
While the imperial court is still in power, it certainly won't fight alongside dragons in the sky and snakes on the ground.
Upon arriving in Wei County, Niu Xiaohuan, who often accompanied Ye Xiqing in slaughtering pigs, excitedly exclaimed, "Are we going to have a final battle with the Well Salt Gang?"
Although I used to be afraid of the Salt Gang, after joining the Sea Salt Gang, I felt much more confident and realized that the Well Salt Gang was nothing to fear!
Ye Xiqing smacked her: "What kind of life-or-death battle is this? Who are we fighting for? We're here to make money, not to risk our lives."
Niu Xiaohuan: ...
Ye Xiqing looked around at everyone with exasperation. He had only said those things to the Salt Gang leader to get a job, but once he got the job, he was done with it. Why was he actually risking his life for him? What was wrong with him?
Furthermore, we must understand one thing: it was precisely because the Haiyan Gang in Weixian County couldn't handle it that they gave it to them so easily. If they had truly managed to handle it, why would they have given it to them? What a pipe dream!
The poor, simple villagers, who had always struggled at the bottom of society, had never seen such cunning and manipulative schemes before. They looked at Ye Xiqing in bewilderment and asked, "Then, what do we do now, sir?"
Smuggling salt is ultimately a commercial activity, and competing through commercial means is far more effective than resorting to violence.
Ye Xiqing looked at her companions and said, "Aren't you already familiar with the operation mode of developing downlines? Go and develop downlines."
If someone introduces a new customer, she will receive a discount when buying smuggled salt.
The more people she introduces, the more discounts she receives. If she can recruit 30 people into her downline, she will be directly accepted as an external member, and she will be responsible for shipping to that area.
Once all the people who buy salt have become their downlines, is there any need to worry about them buying salt from other gangs?
Resident of Xiawa Village: Huh?
Originally, I was prepared to join the Salt Gang and fight fiercely, but I never expected to switch to the Business Theater in a second.
When a new manager arrived at the Haiyan Gang, the Weixian branch of the Jingyan Gang had to inquire about it, and eventually obtained the information through multiple informants.
The new manager was over seven feet tall, with a broad back and thick waist, arms like old trees, a broadsword hanging from his waist, and eyes like ancient wells. He didn't seem like an easy person to get along with.
Upon hearing this, the manager of the Well Salt Gang frowned. They had been fighting with the Sea Salt Gang for so long, and the Sea Salt Gang's sudden change of leadership must mean they had come up with some trump card.
After listening to his subordinates' report, the manager of the salt well gang felt this was true even more, and warned all the stall owners to be careful. A new broom sweeps clean, and the newly arrived manager of the salt well gang would definitely want to establish his authority!
However, the Well Salt Gang remained on high alert, waiting until their momentum waned and they were exhausted, and Ye Xiqing did not launch any armed conflict.
However, his subordinates reported that the surrounding villagers had stopped buying their salt for some reason.
Salt Gang Leader: Hmm?
To maintain secrecy, Ye Xiqing and her team used a secret code when developing their downline. They would only trade salt if the code matched, and leave immediately if it didn't.
When the members of the Well Salt Gang went to inquire, those who had already been recruited by Ye Xiqing knew they were not members of the organization and immediately drove them away. The members of the Well Salt Gang had no idea what had happened.
No matter how high the profits from smuggling salt were, and no matter how essential it was, it still needed to be sold. The salt well gangs were completely stunned when they suddenly lost the lower-level market.
Although we don't know exactly what happened, it's definitely related to the Haiyan Gang.
Cutting off someone's livelihood is like killing their parents. The Well Salt Gang couldn't stand it and angrily wanted to settle accounts with the Sea Salt Gang!
But before they could act, Ye Xiqing's invitation arrived: "Let's meet at Deyuelou on the third day of next month. Is that alright?"
The leader of the salt well gang was already furious. Upon hearing the news, he immediately slammed the invitation on the table and declared, "Go if you want! Anyone who doesn't dare to go is a coward!"
Deyuelou was the largest restaurant in Weixian County. On certain days, the salt gang would surround the restaurant with their men.
They were expecting a fierce battle with the Haiyan Gang, but when they arrived, they found that there was only one person waiting for them upstairs.
Ye Xiqing looked down, utterly puzzled: "I just invited Manager Song to dinner, why did Manager Song bring so many people?"
Manager Song: ...
Anyone who received that invitation would have thought Ye Xiqing was there to challenge them, but no one expected her to come alone!
Something unusual must be going on, and the members of the Well Salt Gang became even more uneasy.
Ye Xiqing stood upstairs, smiling as she looked at everyone.
The intelligence doesn't seem to be entirely accurate. Although the new manager of the Sea Salt Gang has a fierce appearance, he has a refined and elegant demeanor when he smiles.
After Ye Xiqing finished laughing, she gestured for the manager of the Well Salt Gang to proceed.
"The food and drinks have been ordered long ago, and we're just waiting for our distinguished guests to be seated. If you're feeling a bit shy, you can bring a few more people with you!"
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Author's note: Qingqing: Life is not just about fighting and killing, but also about sitting down and talking.
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