Zhong Gang was even more confused after hearing Xiao Chong's explanation.
"Xiao Chong, where did this come from? Why can't I tell? "
"I can't tell either. If you want to know, you have to investigate all the caravans in Pengzhou, or find out about the grain stores, oil stores, salt stalls, as well as the places where livestock are killed and eggs are laid. Last year, when the Zhang Family and Wang Family arrived in Yizhou, they started letting the people in the surrounding prefectures raise chickens according to their conditions.
"Now is the time for laying eggs. Last month, there were even people who sold pancakes complaining that the eggs were too small when they were just hatched. If they put in two eggs, they would earn less, but if they put in one, people wouldn't be willing to buy them. Now should be the time when the chickens lay the most eggs, so why did they raise the price?
"The price of eggs and meat is definitely not coincidental. It's because the young master of the Zhang family doesn't want his actions to cause too much damage to the local area. Can't you see that the price of salt is still at its original position? The price of oil and grain is still the same as before."
Xiao Chong now had the same sentiments as Number One back then. As long as they encountered something special, it was like a thick fog had appeared in front of them. When they finally managed to blow away a piece of land, they couldn't even find their way back. The unknown was the scariest.
Zhong Gang finished the wine in his bowl, half-understanding. He reached for the wine jar. "That's not right. How can there be no damage? People who raise chickens make money, but those who kill livestock and sell meat lose money. "
"Are you stupid? If the price of meat can be lowered, then the price of livestock will be lower. How much meat sellers made before, they're still making the same amount now," Xiao Chong explained to Zhong Gang.
"That's still not right. Won't those who sell livestock lose money?" Zhong Gang's brain started working again.
Xiao Chong nodded. "That's right. The price of livestock will be lowered. Who sold the livestock? Where did the livestock come from? "
"Tubo!" The two of them got the same answer.
"Then what about the eggs?" Zhong Gang asked again. Before Xiao Chong could answer, he said, "Could it be that they were sold to Tubo?"
"Probably. But why would Tubo need so many eggs? How are they sold? "Xiao Chong, who thought he could guess the methods of the young master of the Zhang family, was shocked again.
The two of them looked at each other and stopped talking about this matter. The more they thought about it, the more confused they became. It was tiring. Xiao Chong drank his wine with a load on his mind. He no longer sipped his wine like before. Instead, he drank a big mouthful of wine and ate a big mouthful of meat.
The other merchants in the group did not have as many thoughts as the two of them. As long as they reached the desert, they could find what the Chamber of Commerce needed there, especially herbs and plant seeds. Things that could grow Desert Cistanche were very suitable for growing in the sand. Some rivers had too much sand, so it was just right to plant such things.
At the same time, they could also use salt and other things to trade with the local people for local specialties, such as furs, the bones of wild beasts that could be used to make medicine, and even live venomous snakes. Bringing these back to the Great Tang would be another source of income.
Today, there were more people living on the east side of Ruoshui than before. Last year, because of the lack of food, the people of Tubo did not have a good life. There were also cases of people starving to death. Those who did not have animals found a big problem during the spring plowing this year. They could not farm like before.
There was a lack of farming tools and seeds. After surviving the winter, there was no food left. If they continued to stay on the west bank of the Ruoshui River, they would not be able to find a way to survive.
Thus, many people wanted to bring their families from Pengzhou to the Great Tang and become a citizen of the Great Tang.
However, both the Great Tang and Tubo did not allow them to do so. The Great Tang was afraid that this portion of the people would not be easy to manage and would cause chaos. Tubo's reason was simple. If all the people left, Tubo would only have this piece of land left. Thus, they might as well give it to others. As long as a portion of the people could live a comfortable life in the Great Tang, the rest of the Tubo people would naturally follow behind.
The pass of Pengzhou was tightly shut. The Tubo cavalry threatened and threatened, not allowing the people to move forward. The people had no choice but to kneel outside the pass of Pengzhou. The pleas of the adults and the cries of the children caused the ears of the people at the pass to buzz.
The officials of Pengzhou could not think of a solution, and the provincial governor of Jiannan was not prepared to find trouble. He could only watch as the Tubo people ate the food they brought with them bit by bit. He also prepared his troops to prevent the people from charging through the pass.
At this crucial moment, the inner court of the Zhang family, who had stayed behind in Yizhou, took action. It was a small matter, and they did not even need to ask the main family. They directly brought out the food, utensils, and salt and placed them down from the city walls. They told the Tubo people to cook their own porridge and not to rob.
The flag of the logistics camp of Yizhou, which had already been disbanded, was still very intimidating. The Tubo people obediently started to eat Aozhou. They also ate the wild vegetables that appeared in spring together. After eating for three days, they calmed down and were no longer as chaotic as when they first arrived.
Only then did the inner court of the Zhang family discuss this matter with them. The Zhang Family and Wang Family would provide the food, and the Tubo people would take the white fold seeds and plant them on the east side of the Ruoshui River. Before the white fold seeds could be harvested, the food and other daily necessities would be the responsibility of the Zhang Family and Wang Family.
After the white fold seeds were harvested, a portion of the daily necessities would be deducted according to the amount. The rest would be exchanged with the Zhang Family and Wang Family for survival supplies. In the future, they would plant every year and exchange like this every year.
The Tubo people were about to run out of food. They did not even ask about the specific details of the exchange and agreed. They brought a lot of food, seeds, and tools to rebuild the village on the east side of the Ruoshui River. They were prepared to use their own hands to create a happy life.
They were not afraid of people coming into the village to bully the people like in the past. They were planting white fold seeds for the Devilish Cuckoo. Whoever dared to come over could try.
As expected, the Tubo soldiers who occasionally came over were very envious. However, they did not dare to make a move. When they saw the meat and bones that the Zhang Family and Wang Family gave to the people from Pengzhou, they could only stare helplessly. None of them had the courage to snatch it and try it themselves.
While the Tubo people were planting cotton, they also did some chores. They weaved last year's hay into curtains, put hemp in water, and then used it to make ropes. They also hunted and prepared these things. When the Tang Empire's caravan came over, they would use them to exchange.
The people did not know which side they belonged to. If they said they belonged to the Tang Empire, the Tang Empire would not admit it. If they said they belonged to the Tubo Empire, the Tang Empire would not accept it. If they said they belonged to the Tubo Empire, they would not be controlled by the Tubo Empire. This kind of final question was too profound. The people did not understand and did not think too much about it. As long as they could live a good life, it was fine.
This was the second time the caravan came over this year. The last time, because the Tubo people had just settled down, they did not exchange too many things. This time, the merchants felt that the goods in the hands of the Tubo people would be much more than last time.
At this time, they gathered around the bonfire to discuss what kind of price to give. Some people said that they could give a slightly higher price than last time. After all, the things they exchanged were very valuable. The straw curtains and hemp ropes were bought by the Zhang Family and Wang Family in Yizhou. They gave a high price. The medicinal herbs were bought by the local medicine shops. They were not cheap either, not to mention the fur.
Therefore, they gave a little more money to make the Tubo people work harder.
Some people said that they should lower the price a little more. They said that the goods were not easy to sell and that they could make more money.
At the beginning, those who had different opinions were still discussing calmly. But as they talked and drank too much, they began to quarrel loudly. Some people even prepared to fight.
At this time, Xiao Chong, who had been unwilling to guess the specific actions of the Zhang family's young master but could not let it go, was unhappy. He shouted loudly, "What are you shouting about? Do you really think that this place is yours? Even if I give it to you, which one of you can hold on? When you do things, don't you think about what the Zhang Family and Wang Family want? "
The merchants who were still arguing quieted down after being shouted at by Xiao Chong. They knew that Xiao Chong had personally met the two young masters of the Zhang Family and Wang Family and could talk to them. Just now, they had been thinking too much about money. Now that they were reminded, they realized that this road belonged to the Zhang Family and Wang Family. To be more precise, Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan had used their blood to pave this road.
The money earned from this road had to be taken out every year to specially give to the families of the Great Tang warriors buried here. It was not something that merchants like them could control.
"Xiao Chong, then tell us, what kind of price should we give?" A merchant did not want to appear weak and asked loudly.
"Then you have to first understand what Xiao Bao and Cuckoo are planning. Why did they leave the Tubo people here? Why did they only let them plant Baidizi and not grain?"
Xiao Chong raised two questions.
The merchants also wanted to know why. They all looked at Xiao Chong, waiting for him to continue. However, Xiao Chong did not dare to say anything. He felt that Xiao Bao and Cuckoo were planning to directly incorporate the east side of the Ruoshui River into the Great Tang one day. As long as the local people were used to the current life, they could do so in the future.
Seeing that everyone was looking at him, Xiao Chong thought for a moment and said, "Because this road is very profitable. If we scare the Tubo people away, who will plant Baidizi in the future? My idea is to tell them how much they can sell their things for and also tell them the price we are willing to pay.
If they feel that we are not offering enough, they can sell it themselves. If they feel that it is a waste of time and it is not easy to enter Pengzhou, then they can sell it to us. Don't always set your eyes on the small amount of money. Money in the desert is the real money. The fish and prawns in the lakes there taste good and there are many medicinal herbs. There is also Desert Cistanche.
We won't make less money. If we really do something wrong and make Xiao Bao and Cuckoo angry, think carefully about the consequences. Do you really plan to let them personally come from the capital to solve this? "
Xiao Chong's words were effective. Many of the merchants shrank their heads, feeling a chill run down their necks.
Just as the merchants decided to follow Xiao Chong's words, two fast horses came from the direction of Pengzhou. There was a person on each horse. When they reached the front of the group, they flipped over and landed. One of them said to the crowd, "The Chamber of Commerce has decided that when we meet Tubo people, we will let them personally come to Pengzhou to sell their goods. We will also tell them the approximate price."
The merchants were a little unhappy. If they really followed this, wouldn't they be making less money? Could it be that after joining the Chamber of Commerce, they could not do additional business?
"As for your losses." The person who came seemed to have guessed what the merchants were thinking. He continued, "Your losses in this area will be reported to the young master and young lady. The young master will think of a way to compensate you. When the Zhang Family and Wang Family do business, they will not let their partners suffer losses."
The merchants were happy now. They all said harmless things. The person who came did not want to stay outside for long. He got back on his horse and prepared to leave. At this time, Xiao Chong suddenly said, "Can you help me pass on a message? Just tell them if I can help."
*****
There are more words below, but they don't count the number of words in the main text.
It feels good to change places. This is actually the village I lived in when I was young. I haven't come back for twenty years. This morning, I walked around and felt a special feeling. The original river, the original trees, the original fields, and the original roads are all gone.
After walking around in a big circle, I finally found some vague memories of the past. I climbed up the mountain behind a school. This place hasn't changed much. The pine trees from twenty years ago are still alive. It's just that someone has put a label on them. There are a lot of weeds growing on the mountain path. It's probably because there are fewer people.
But when I was young, it got dark early. When I was leaving school, I always felt like there was something following me. The tombs on that part of the road are still there.
When I was young, I could see the trenches left behind by the war between Japan and Russia. The things called thorny plums that grew on the side of the road are actually not eaten by people. I plucked a few from the side of one of the tombs. I didn't wash them, just wiped them and ate them. They don't taste good. They're not as sweet as the fruits I ate as a snack when I was young.
A lot of the mountains have been dug up to build buildings. There are no traces of my old home on the hillside. But there are still a lot of mountains that have not been touched. They've probably been contracted out. When spring comes next year, I can go to the mountains to pick wild vegetables again. Yes, I can also pick mushrooms, because the people who tend the sheep are gone.
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