Song Liyun couldn't help but swallow the saliva that was about to spill out.
He planned to sell the wool carpet first to get some money, and then have a big meal.
Then I bought Song Zhenping some comfortable leather boots and clothes, and Xiao An some toys and snacks.
Black gold... what does black gold need?
What does that increasingly gluttonous monkey need?
After thinking for a moment, Song Liyun decided to make two more sets of floral cotton-padded jackets and floral underwear for it!
The first thing to do was sell carpets.
Song Liyun only had a few coins left, so the two of them could only grab the carpet and order two bowls of wontons from a roadside vendor to fill their stomachs.
The leather goods store that Han Ming was familiar with was very simple, with a few leather items piled up in the small storefront.
When Song Liyun went in, there was only one shopkeeper tidying up.
This is a middle-aged man with a full beard and a serious expression.
Upon seeing Song Liyun and her companion enter, he greeted them with a very polite smile.
Upon hearing that Song Liyun was going to sell carpets and spread out the wool carpets on the counter, the shopkeeper's smile vanished instantly, and his brows furrowed immediately.
Song Liyun remained calm and composed; she was not afraid of the shopkeeper's pickiness.
The wool carpets delivered by the garrison were of very good quality and were clearly high-end.
The leather goods shopkeeper looked at the carpet again and again, and touched it repeatedly before finally letting it go.
Instead of immediately commenting on the quality of the carpet, she quickly wrapped it up and gestured for her to come in: "Miss, please come inside and talk."
The shopkeeper had a good eye; Song Liyun and Han Ming came in together.
Han Ming was tall and in his prime. Although he was wearing a coarse cloth jacket, he could tell at a glance that Song Liyun, who was dressed in equally plain clothes, was the one in charge of the conversation.
Song Liyun glanced at the shopkeeper and saw that he seemed to have something to say in his eyes, so she didn't ask any more questions and walked inside.
There was a quiet room in the back of the shop, so Song Liyun didn't beat around the bush and asked directly, "Does the shopkeeper have questions about that carpet?"
The shopkeeper said in a deep voice, "The carpet you have is of the highest quality, and I can offer you 150 taels of silver. But before that, I have a question for you. Please answer truthfully, or my shop will not dare to accept it."
Song Liyun nodded: "Commander Luo said the carpet was worth 100 taels of silver, but the shopkeeper said it was 150 taels. That's already more than expected. He seems to be an honest man, so it's only right that we be cautious."
Seeing that Song Liyun agreed, the fur shopkeeper asked, "Miss, from which tribe of the Di people did you obtain this item?"
Why ask such detailed questions?
Song Liyun immediately became alert.
The Wu Dynasty and the Di tribe are mortal enemies, and the town of Suijin was destroyed by the Di tribe. Now that his wool carpet is being asked which tribe of the Di tribe it comes from... is he seeking revenge?
It's true what they say, fortunes change. I used to press Boss Mu about the whereabouts of his goods, and now someone else is asking about their origin.
Song Liyun remained silent for a moment before looking at Han Ming.
Han Ming recommended this shop, saying that the prices here are fair and reasonable, unlike other shops that rip people off.
If this shop had a grudge against the Di people, he should know that.
Han Ming also looked bewildered. He had sold some game pelts here before, and the shopkeepers were always very generous and casual, never asking about the source of the goods.
Song Liyun thought for a moment, then slowly stood up: "Shopkeeper, is there something wrong with my carpet? If it's inconvenient to take it back, then I won't force you."
The carpet's pattern clearly reflects the exotic style of the grasslands, which cannot be concealed.
At most, I simply won't sell; I can't take the blame for the Di people.
The shopkeeper, clearly used to this kind of reaction, hurriedly said, "Miss, please don't misunderstand. The Di tribe has a grudge against the Wu Dynasty, but we merchants have no animosity towards them. Otherwise, there wouldn't be tea bricks and salt on the grasslands, and the Wu Dynasty wouldn't have so much beef, mutton, and furs."
Song Liyun paused for a moment before realizing: there was a port city on the border of the Wu Dynasty.
Since there are no grains or vegetables on the grasslands, people rely on tea bricks to obtain vitamins.
Salt also needed to be imported from the Wu Dynasty and neighboring countries, and the vast majority of the sheepskin robes that the people of the Wu Dynasty wanted to wear still had to come from the grasslands.
Despite the conflict, caravans from both sides continued to travel between them.
Seeing that Song Liyun understood, the fur merchant continued, "The reason I asked is because the furs from the Di tribe are exclusively traded in the Wu Dynasty, and small shops like ours dare not operate in that area."
Song Liyun became interested. She thought it was all smuggled in with their own products, and wondered who would be so bold as to monopolize the sale.
"Shopkeeper, you don't need to worry about the source of my goods. I have never been in contact with the grasslands, and I don't know anything about the Di tribe. This wool carpet was traded privately from the military."
Upon hearing that she wasn't from the grasslands, the shopkeeper's expression immediately relaxed: "Please forgive me, young lady, I was overthinking it."
To be honest, if this blanket of yours were sold to the south, it could fetch at least five hundred taels of silver.
You know how strict the anti-smuggling checks are along this route; if you get caught, you'll lose everything.
"Oh! Shopkeeper, tell me, since the anti-smuggling crackdown is so strict, who would dare to sell exclusively?"
This is truly a highly profitable industry!
Song Liyun instantly perked up.
My original profession was transportation. If I could do this business, how much money could I make!
"Who are they? They're imperial merchants, of course!"
Song Liyun was speechless; no wonder.
The Wu Dynasty strictly investigated the movement of people. Anyone who left their place of household registration by more than 100 li (approximately 50 kilometers) needed an official travel permit; otherwise, they would be investigated and dealt with as a vagrant.
The first requirement for traveling merchants is to obtain a business license and pay heavy taxes.
Imperial merchants naturally had this advantage and were not afraid of being inspected by the government.
Since the wool carpet did not come directly from the Di tribe, the shop accepted it, but the shopkeeper did not immediately pay in cash.
He gave Song Liyun a choice.
If Song Liyun wanted cash, she should pay 150 taels of silver on the spot.
If you're willing to wait until the goods arrive in the south and you sell them before settling the account, then it will be three hundred taels.
The profits double, but this money isn't free; if the goods are seized midway, you'll lose everything.
Is this even possible?
Share the risks!
Song Liyun was stunned.
The shopkeeper explained: "The risks on the road are too great. They need to have people carry the goods separately. If they only need to deliver five out of ten items, they can make money on this trip."
If their goods are inspected, they will lose both their money and their reputation; private individuals face severe penalties and imprisonment.
Song Liyun asked for cash.
She needs cash to buy grain.
She also had doubts about the store: she had only met the store owner for the first time, yet he was able to reveal such important information. Could it be a trap?
Han Ming sat silently to one side. Although he was also startled by these words, he was only surprised.
The journey from the Northwest to the South was long, and with patrol offices along the way to investigate smuggling, it was something that only imperial merchants would dare to undertake.
Besides selling carpets, Song Liyun also had a fox pelt and two rabbit pelts.
Both the fox and rabbit pelts were in excellent condition, and the shopkeeper's price was reasonable.
Two hundred coins for a fox pelt, thirty coins for a rabbit pelt.
Song Liyun considered it and realized that the rabbit pelts here were all obtained through hunting, so raising rabbits and selling pelts would be a good business for Song Zhenping in the future.
Song Liyun casually stuffed the more than one hundred taels of silver into her leather pouch and left the leather goods shop.
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