Chapter 40
In the northwesternmost part of Dayan, beyond the mountains lies endless grassland and Gobi, with little obstruction as far as the eye can see.
There's a line in poetry: "A lone smoke rises straight over the vast desert, the setting sun is round over the long river." While this line describes a beautiful scene, it conveys a different feeling to the soldiers of Great Yan who were ordered to march. Unprotected and unable to discern their direction, they faced an unfamiliar terrain, unaware of the enemy's hiding places and unable to predict where an attack might come. While their vision seemed unobstructed, danger lurked deep within.
The troops dispatched this time are all new recruits, and the team leader Qu Chang has only been in the company for less than a year.
A brand new unit, 60% of the 300 men had only arrived at the base in April of this year, with only two months of training to their name. Many of the cavalry were skilled fighters, but they had received no systematic combat training. On the battlefield, they were effectively a disorganized group. Now, they were being asked to capture the leader of the bandits within three months.
The task was so difficult that Qu Chang's face had never brightened since he was appointed to the task.
The three cavalry groups surveyed and retreated, and Zhou Jingchen integrated the situations of the three groups and reported them to Qu Chang.
I wondered if Qu Chang understood the report. After listening to it, his brow furrowed, and he remained silent for a long time. Finally, the team chose a high point with a water source to set up camp. Qu Chang was clearly inexperienced in this area. He might have had military achievements, but he certainly wasn't a commander. He might be capable of leading troops in battle, but arrangements like settling the rear and setting up camp were chaotic and without any rules.
As the sky darkened, the camp remained in disarray. Zhou Jingchen looked up at the sky gradually darkening, feeling a sense of unease.
Nightfall significantly obscures vision, and the grasslands at night are far more dangerous than during the day. The soldiers had traveled for days from their base, and were already exhausted both mentally and physically. Failure to rest and recuperate before battle would be a serious disadvantage. If attacked by the enemy, they could all be killed here.
It was imperative for troops to obey orders when on a mission. However, the leader was acting so chaotically that Zhou Jingchen had no choice but to take over.
He possessed a natural, commanding presence. His casual words held a unique, intimidating power. Zhou Jingchen was already a standout among the new recruits, and after two months of daily interaction, many had already gained their respect. He stepped forward and easily took control of the situation, commanding the soldiers to quickly set up camp using the wooden palisade method.
The first step, of course, was to erect wooden palisades, dig drainage ditches, and build dry latrines. Choosing the right latrine location was crucial for accompanying troops on the battlefield. Failure to do so could lead to infection and plague. Drainage and baggage storage also required careful planning. Protecting the rear baggage supply was essential to ensuring the health of the troops.
Then he set up sentries, led people to dig horse traps, and set up horse-blocking arrays.
After a period of chaos, the team finally settled down in the dark night.
Qu Chang is indeed a newcomer. His surname is Deng and he is a native of Dongxiang Town. He was promoted three years ago for his great contributions on the battlefield.
As a soldier, Deng Quchang was naturally brave. But some men could fight but not command. Deng Quchang was renowned for his ability to charge into battle, his unwavering courage unstoppable. He felt somewhat resentful that Zhou Jingchen had taken command. But he quickly calmed down, knowing better than anyone the dangers of this mission.
He knew that he did not have the ability to coordinate the defense, so he did not stop Zhou Jingchen from interfering in his responsibilities.
Although the bandits numbered no more than a hundred, they had been roaming the grasslands for four or five years. Their familiarity with the terrain and their mastery of open-air combat techniques far outweighed theirs. The reason they were so rampant was that the garrison was powerless against them.
That night, after thinking for a long time, Deng Quchang summoned his subordinates and asked them about Zhou Jingchen's life.
Because the garrison's previous recruitment methods were crude and their motives were impure, they were not very thorough in registering the soldiers' names and birthplaces. The accompanying subordinates knew very little about Zhou Jingchen. Other than hearing that he was skilled in riding, shooting, and fighting, they knew nothing else.
Deng Quchang pondered the matter, feeling somewhat uneasy. But with over three hundred lives on his shoulders, he had to shoulder this heavy responsibility. He couldn't handle a job without the right tools, so after much deliberation, he finally steeled his resolve and ordered Zhou Jingchen to come over.
Deng Quchang had no other talents, and was indeed a rough and uncouth man. But that didn't stop him from being extremely discerning about major issues; otherwise, he wouldn't have risen from a mere villager. He achieved great success at a young age, rising to the position of Quchang. Deng Quchang spoke openly and publicly, handing over command of this operation to Zhou Jingchen.
He had only one thought: his wife and children were waiting for him at home, and he didn't want to die in the fight against bandits.
Zhou Jingchen had been planning how to easily seize command from Commander Deng Quchang, but he hadn't expected him to surrender even faster than he anticipated. He was instantly amused. With Commander Deng Quchang's stance so clearly stated, he naturally accepted the responsibility. "Since that's the case, I will obey your orders. Also, with everyone present, we can discuss the upcoming battle."
This bandit suppression operation was clearly a sham. The men, weapons, and even the baggage and armor were all crude. Clearly, the superiors hadn't sent them out expecting them to win. Perhaps they were hoping they wouldn't return.
Zhou Jingchen couldn't help but think of the Zengqing Mine in northern Hongshan. His expression grew grim, his eyes darkening. He'd chop off the limbs of these short-sighted, idlers in the northwest, and throw them out to feed the wolves one by one. "Tomorrow, we'll hold our troops still for now. We'll secretly organize a group of scouts to continue surveying the terrain. Once the survey is complete, we'll select a battle site."
When fighting off-field, prior reconnaissance is paramount. Any negligence could lead to total annihilation.
The bandits weren't actually that difficult to defeat. They appeared experienced, but their previous attacks revealed their weakness. Despite their brutal methods, they were nothing more than a mob banded together by profit and wealth. When faced with danger, they simply fled. If we could frighten them, they would scatter. Then, we could simply lead them to a designated route, set traps, and ambushes, and they would be quickly defeated. The challenge now was finding their hiding place. Once we found them, we could wipe them out.
Zhou Jingchen was busy surveying the terrain and selecting the best combat location.
In Dongxiang Town, Ye Jia was also busy.
Having signed a long-term cooperation agreement with the young master of Linglong Rouge Shop, this business venture has officially been established. While there's only one rouge shop currently selling it, that doesn't mean it will be the only one in the future. Therefore, there needs to be a fixed monthly production schedule for scented soap. As long as Linglong Rouge Shop's scented soap can gain market share and fame, demand will undoubtedly increase.
Secondly, Ye Jia also planned to negotiate a business deal with the people in Liyuan Lane, so the supply of goods had to be guaranteed.
This month, she needed to secure a supply for the rouge shop. She had to set aside at least fifty or sixty yuan for a trial sale in Liyuan Lane. Calculating the bills, Ye Jia naturally rushed to prepare the ingredients. After all, making and drying the scented soap took at least two weeks, and even twenty days on a bad day. The contract stipulated a delivery date at the beginning of each month, and business would begin the following month, so she had to hurry.
Before the sun rose that day, Yu and Ye Wumei were already up in the west room. They were busy making pancakes in the kitchen. Ye Jia also came to help after getting up. They were still the first to set up the stall early this morning.
The chores of cleaning and braising the pig's head were now split between Yu and Ye Wumei. Every day, Ye Wumei cleaned the pig's head while Yu prepared the leeks. After cleaning, whoever was free, Yu or Wumei, would braise the pig's head. They watched Ye Jia braising, so they naturally knew when to take it out. Practice makes perfect, and now Ye Jia no longer had to do these things herself.
Arriving at the tile market, customers flocked to the stall as soon as it was set up. After the two of them worked for a while, Ye Jia let her fifth sister take over. She then checked the time and went to buy ingredients for the fragrant soap.
Having already made it twice, Ye Jia could now buy all the ingredients with her eyes closed. The difficulty lay in the fact that they were new to the town and didn't know where to buy many things. Ye Jia traveled from the east end to the west end of the town, finally buying all the ingredients. She felt that this wasn't going to work. Now that her business was established, her source of raw materials should also be stable.
She grunted as she carried the bath beans, soapberries and other things to the back of the stall, and Ye Jia turned around to look for dried flowers again.
Speaking of which, raw materials in Dongxiang Town are cheaper than in Libei Town. Perhaps because the goods are less scarce there, and the townspeople buy more frequently, the prices are more negotiable. Ye Jia bought the spices and dried flowers with someone else and sent Old Man Sun to buy pig pancreas. Last time, sixty fragrant pancreas and four pig pancreas were needed; this time, at least fourteen pig pancreas would be needed.
How many pigs does a small town slaughter in a day? It's hard to buy all the pancreases in one day. Old Man Sun went there once and brought back five. If he wanted more, he'd have to wait until tomorrow.
Since they didn't buy all the things they asked for, Old Man Sun didn't like Ye Jia when he spoke to her.
Ye Jia didn't care and waved his hand: "Let's get five more tomorrow. We can't process so many pig pancreases at once. We still have to process them over several days. It's better to buy fresh ones today."
After she said that, Old Man Sun breathed a sigh of relief: "I'll go buy it tomorrow."
Besides, things like bath beans, soapberries, and dried flowers still need to be ground, and grinding them into powder takes a day or two. Ye Jia asked Old Man Sun to drive a cart around town. Wherever she went, she asked Old Man Sun to wait outside and watch over the things while she went to the cloth shop to buy a lot of cloth. She had promised to give each family member a change of clothes long ago, and of course she had to keep this promise. They hadn't put on their summer clothes yet because the weather had turned cold.
The cloth had to be torn and made. Originally, Yu Shi knew how to make clothes, so she could do it. But now that business was busy, Ye Jia had to pay for a tailor this time.
Old Man Sun followed behind Ye Jia and had barely finished the cloth when he rubbed his hands together, unable to contain his joy. It had been years since he had worn new clothes, and even at his age, it was hard not to be happy to have one.
After Ye Jia bought the cloth and paid the bill, she made an appointment with the tailor and asked her to go to Zhou's house in the afternoon to take someone's measurements.
Since he'd already spent so much money, he figured he might as well spend it all at once. It just so happened that the family had almost run out of rice and flour, and they needed more flour for making pancakes. The flour he'd bought last time was almost gone, so this time, Ye Jia decided to buy more: two dan of flour, one dan of grain, and twenty jin of rice. A full ox cart of food wasn't enough, so he also bought a lot of oil, salt, sauce, vinegar, and other condiments.
Including leeks, eggs, pig heads, and all the other things, she spent more than ten taels in the morning.
She was genuinely happy when she spent the money, but once she felt her pockets were empty, her feverish mind calmed down a bit. She was so lucky to have earned quite a bit recently, otherwise, with her extravagant spending, no amount of money would have been enough for her. Ye Jia clutched her empty purse with a tearful look on her face, then used the remaining money to buy a nest of chicks. Well, with such a big yard at home, it would be a shame not to raise chicks.
Ye Jia felt that with three children at home, having them dig worms to feed them was enough. This was a lesson she learned from raising chicks. She had never raised chickens or ducks before, so she fed them corn, which was used for human consumption. Later, she learned the tricks of raising chickens and ducks in the countryside, which could save a lot of food.
She had bought almost everything, and although there wasn't much looting on the street, she still felt uneasy about having so much food. She asked Old Man Sun to take the food home first, and she went to the stall herself.
Naturally, it was Ye Jia and Ye Wumei who came to do business early this morning. If nothing unexpected happens, Ye Jia and Ye Wumei will be the ones setting up stalls in the future.
When she arrived at the stall, Ye Wumei was too busy to move. The man who had bought forty pounds of pork head last time was back. Perhaps he'd enjoyed the pork head that day, so he'd snapped up all the remaining pork head on the stall. It was only a quarter past four in the morning, and normally it would take a while for the pork head to sell out. He had done this, closing up shop early.
Ye Jia hurried over, took out a knife and a chopping board from under the rack and started cutting.
The two men worked hard, both of them quick-witted, and it took them a while to finish chopping and mixing the pork head. The big man was also very straightforward. He directly pulled out a large silver ingot from his pocket and placed it on the stall, waving his hand generously and saying, "No need for change."
Ye Jia took it and shook it in his hand. It weighed about ten taels.
This is really true! She just spent money and earned it back in the blink of an eye. Ye Jia was so happy that her heart ached. Smiling, she wrapped the meat and handed it over, casually asking where the distinguished guest was from.
"I'm from inside the pass, from Jizhou." The man looked fierce, but spoke straightforwardly. "I came here to escort the convoy."
"Are you escorting a caravan? I see you're so muscular, you look like you're a good martial artist." Ye Jia immediately followed up on the topic when she heard about escorting a caravan. She had a beautiful face, and her smile was incredibly bright. Otherwise, the Zhou family wouldn't have considered her beautiful. With her smile on her face, any question came naturally. "What kind of escort are you escorting? Which way are you going?"
"Of course, we're escorting a caravan transporting some of Dayan's finest goods to the Western Regions." The sturdy man was willing to give more silver for this very reason, simply because he thought the two sisters working at the stall were pretty. "It doesn't matter what the product is; as long as it's good stuff that can be sold, we'll escort it."
Ye Jia listened and nodded repeatedly: "I wonder if there are also fragrant soaps?"
"Yes, of course there isn't." The burly man was really unconcerned. Perhaps he felt that it was okay to tell Ye Jia, so he didn't hide anything. "We have expensive things and cheap things. Things will sell well over there. Does the store have any goods you want to sell along with it?"
"Isn't it?" Ye Jia was also honest, "Isn't there no way?"
"Then I can't help you." The strong man glanced at Ye Jia after hearing this. He didn't think there was anything wrong with Ye Jia's question, as he was just an escort.
The merchants paid them to escort their goods. While they shared the same lodgings and meals as the caravan, they held no real rapport. This was especially true for the large merchant houses in Jizhou, which were known for their arrogance. Large merchants valued formality and respectability in their dealings. Even when accepting goods, they relied on the merchant's legitimate shop or workshop, and the two parties sat down to discuss business, rarely engaging in quibbling with a mere street vendor.
Their leader was able to communicate with the caravan leader. But that was just a conversation. He wouldn't have bothered the leader to act as a matchmaker just because he bought pork heads twice. The strong man started laughing after he spoke, and Ye Jia just said something casually.
Seeing that he didn't respond, she didn't continue the conversation and said with a smile, "We made cold noodles today. Originally, we were eating them at home. We've been served twice by our customers, so why don't you take some home to try?"
Ye Jia didn't continue talking, and the strong man also vaguely passed it off and said with a smile that it was a good feeling.
Ye Wumei immediately prepared a large bag of cold noodles, put the blanched bean sprouts and shredded radish on top, and poured a small bowl of the prepared sauce for him: "Brother, when you go back to eat, pour this in and mix it. Once it's mixed well, you can eat it."
Ye Wumei had made these cold noodles herself. Ye Jia had taught her how to make the sauce, and she had brought a large pot of noodles. The well water was no longer icy, but it still had a coolness to it.
The burly man eating cold noodles naturally didn't pay. After giving away so much pork head, Ye Jia couldn't ask for money.
As soon as the burly man left, the next time someone asked, there was no more pig's head meat. Many people felt quite regretful for not having bought any, and while chatting with the Ye Jia sisters, they muttered, "Why don't you open a shop and sell pig's head meat exclusively? Look, your pig's head meat business is better than other people's beef and mutton, and it's sold out by noon every day. How can you sell so little? Why not open a shop and make money all day long if you do a good job?"
He just mentioned it casually, but Ye Jia was touched.
Ye Jia hadn't previously planned to buy up the store because Libei Town was turbulent. She was afraid that if war broke out later, the store would be difficult to manage. But Dongxiang Town was different from Libei Town. It wasn't so easy to invade, so it was possible to buy up the store.
Many customers came to ask, and when they found out they were out of pig heads, they smacked their lips and left. All of this made Ye Wumei regret not making enough yesterday. She should have braised ten or eight pig heads, and she would have made a lot of money today.
As the two sisters were talking, Old Man Sun came back with his ox cart.
He had just returned from a trip, with so much to unload and move. Coming back naturally took some time, leaving him sweating profusely. The pork head had been snapped up, and he'd made some cold noodles to sell along with it, but since there wasn't much left, he kept the price down. Everyone had a bowl at first, and the rest was sold out quickly at five cents a bowl.
When they returned home, Rui Jie'er and the two young grandchildren were no longer in the yard watching over the chickens. Sun Jun had gone outside with the two children, each with a shovel, to dig for insects. Yu Shi was grinding bean powder in the yard and came out when she heard the noise.
Ye Jia and the others ate something at the stall to fill their stomachs; they weren't very hungry at the moment. Thinking about the possibility of selling the shop, Ye Jia pondered for a while and decided it was feasible. Indeed, pig head meat was becoming increasingly popular. Because of its unique flavor and much lower price than beef and mutton, many people would rather spend the same amount of money to eat more pig head meat, and the customers flocked to her shop.
After all, a small stall won't last long. Having a proper shop means you have the capital to make a living.
When Ye Jia told Yu about this, she paused for a moment. She didn't rush into it, but she shared the same concerns as Ye Jia. The family's livelihood wasn't just about food. Working from dawn to dusk, how much could they earn? Their business hinged on the fragrant soap. The profit from the fragrant soap was the lion's share; a single batch could fetch 180 taels.
Instead of wasting time worrying about eating, it would be better to stabilize your pancreas.
"Once this shop opens, it doesn't necessarily mean we will spend all our money in it."
Ye Jia had actually been watching over Fifth Sister for almost two months. She was truly a hardworking and diligent person. Even without Ye Jia, she could manage the breakfast stall without issue. "Once the shop is open, we can hire someone to run it. Just keep the marinade recipe in hand."
If you want to expand your business, you can't always be limited to a small family workshop. You have to be open-minded and know how to employ people.
...That's true.
Yu was once a householder, after all. Although she relied on her capable nanny most of the time, she also understood: "How much does it cost to buy this shop? I'm afraid I won't make much if I keep it running for a long time..."
It's certainly possible to make money, but it requires a significant initial investment. The profit margin on pork head meat isn't small, but it's slim compared to pancreas. But it does have one advantage: a stable income, and unless there's a famine or disaster, food won't lose money. "I'll think about it. As the saying goes, the road must be taken step by step, and money must be earned bit by bit."
Yu nodded: "That's right."
In the afternoon, the tailor arrived at the Zhou family's house to take their measurements. After taking their measurements, he gave them a date to pick up the clothes, saying they could be picked up in ten days. The family erupted in laughter and laughter, and Ye Jia happily prepared a delicious meal. He and Yu Shi drank some more wine.
In the middle of the night, half asleep and half awake, there was a sudden thud outside the yard. It was as if something had been knocked over, and Diandian, who was lying under Ye Jia's bed, suddenly opened her eyes.
Diandian was now as tall as a table leg, sleek and agile. Just like when he was little, he didn't like to bark, preferring to hide behind the door and stare at people. His ears twitched twice as he stood up. He circled around the bed and finally jumped out of Ye Jia's open window. The small figure darted through the darkness with incredible speed, swooping to the door. He stared outside and let out a howling cry.
Suddenly, a trembling voice came from outside the yard, and a woman lowered her voice and trembled, "Why are there wolves in this place?"
"That shouldn't be the case," another voice said, also lowered and sounding a little weak. "This is the base. I must have heard it wrong."
Diandian howled again, and Ye Jia struggled awake. Lights were turning on in not only Ye Jia, but also in Yu's room and Old Man Sun's room in the backyard. Ye Jia pulled a knife from under his pillow, and Yu and Ye Wumei also emerged from their rooms, each holding a knife.
The group met at the door. Ye Jia took a deep breath, opened the door and came out.
Several people arrived at the gate of the courtyard. Ye Jia's heart was beating so hard that it felt like it was about to burst out of her chest. She took a deep breath to suppress her fear and shouted sternly, "Who's outside?!"
The man outside was even more frightened than the people in the yard. He was trembling as if he was about to cry.
After a long moment, a sigh was heard. A weak voice slowly rang out, speaking in a low voice, "Third sister, I'm Ajiu. Yuanniang and I have run into some problems. Can you come in and stay for a while?"
Ye Jia was stunned. He turned his head and looked at Yu Shi's fifth sister Ye, but did not dare to move.
"Yuan Niang is pregnant."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
