sjar Chapter 31 Going to the next county to buy beans
Chapter 31 Going to the next county to buy beans
Tian Tian brought up the system, where beans were for sale.
The price in the system is five coins per pound, while the price in this era is two coins per pound, more than double the price.
"Mother, Aunt, don't worry." Tian Tian turned off the system and looked at Lu Tao, Liu San Niang, Tian Xiang and the others who were unaware of what was happening. "There are no beans in Baishi County. I'll go to the next county tomorrow to take a look."
"No!" Lu Tao still refused instinctively. "You're just a girl who has come of age. I'm worried about you."
"Mother!" Tian Tian looked at her helplessly, "There are three girls in our family, and Jinghe is only five years old!"
"Are we going to wait until Jinghe turns eighteen and comes of age before sending him to buy beans?!"
Tian Tian's words left Lu Tao speechless.
By the time Jinghe reaches the age of eighteen and comes of age... that will be thirteen years later, and the business will probably... have long since failed.
Liu San Niang chuckled, "How about I go tomorrow?"
She only left the courtyard once during the famine, and after arriving in Qingliu Village, she never left Baishi County again.
But she knew that Lu Tao was just like her.
At least she had been in business for over a decade, so she was bolder than Lu Tao.
"Auntie, you need to make bean curd sheets, but you can't leave. I'll go instead." Since the square pot was built, Lu Tao and Liu San Niang have been the main people making bean curd sheets.
"But your mother is right, Sweetie, you've just come of age..."
"I'll go with Tian Tian!" Tian Xiang looked up, her eyes resolute. "Mom, I'll go with Tian Tian, so don't worry."
Lu Tao pondered Tian Tian's words. The girl was young, but what she said made sense.
The four of them left Lao Tian's house. Since there were no adult men in the house, the women did everything...
This is... something that can't be helped.
"Alright." Lu Tao relented. "If you two sisters go, you can look after each other, and I'll feel more at ease."
“You go ahead, your mother has your aunt to look after her.” Liu San Niang took Tian Jinghe’s hand. “Jinghe will be taken care of by Daya.”
*
Tian Tian and Tian Xiang arrived in the county town and prepared to hire an oxcart to go to the neighboring county town.
The oxcart is fast; it might be able to get back to the village before nightfall.
When Tian Tian arrived at the city gate, several oxcarts were already parked there.
She looked around carefully but didn't see any familiar faces.
Wait a minute, Zhang Fusheng's cow... several days have passed, the swelling in its hoof should have gone down by now.
"Hey, aren't you from Qingliu Village?" someone recognized Tian Tian.
Where is Zhou Dahai?
"Hey, why are you calling for Zhou Dahai? Didn't he say he wasn't bringing them..."
Tian Tian asked without holding it in, "Did Zhang Fusheng from Willow Tree Village come today?"
"coming."
"But he just took on a job delivering goods to the nearest village, Xiahe, so he probably won't be back for a while."
Hearing this, Tian Tian went to the side to wait.
Tian Xiang followed and asked in a low voice, "Tian Tian, are we waiting for Zhang Fusheng?"
Tian Tian nodded, her eyes looking towards the city gate. "Big sister, I have done Zhang Fusheng a favor, and he is a reliable person. After all, we are two women, so it is safer to find someone we know."
Actually, Tian Tian trusted the cow more!
The cow was the one she truly owed a debt of gratitude to!
"Sweetie, it's Sweetie!" The familiar cow call brought a wave of surprise.
Tian Tian looked up and, sure enough, saw the familiar cow.
The cow ran straight towards Tian Tian.
"Sweetie, my foot is all better! Look, I can walk like the wind again!" Niu stomped his feet repeatedly in front of Tian Tian.
"Miss Tian." Zhang Fusheng was also pleasantly surprised to see Tian Tian.
“My cow’s hoof is healed.” He pointed to the cow’s movements. “Look, it can run very fast now.”
"Fusheng, did this little girl cure your cow's illness?" the owner of the oxcart asked.
Zhang Fusheng nodded with a smile, "Yes, it was the little girl who cured him."
“Young ladies, when are you going home? I’ll take you home, and I won’t accept any coins,” he said.
“We’ve been waiting for you. We’re going to the next county,” Tian Tian said, revealing her destination.
Everyone around was incredibly envious. "Going to the next county? Fusheng, you're amazing! Another big deal."
Zhang Fusheng chuckled sheepishly, “What big business? My ox was healed by the young girl. I said I wouldn’t accept any copper coins, and I won’t.”
Tian Tian smiled and said, "Let's go first, we'll talk on the way."
*
Which is the nearest county seat?
“Songxi County is only two and a half hours away by oxcart.”
"Then let's go to Songxi County."
*
Two and a half hours later, Tian Xiang and Tian Tian arrived in Songxi County.
Compared to the county seat of Baishi County, Songxi County is more prosperous.
“Songxi County is the second largest county in Yunzhou Prefecture.” Zhang Fusheng knew quite a bit about it.
"Which is the largest county town?" Tian Tian asked.
"It's Xiushui County! Many years ago, a wealthy merchant from the capital bought tens of thousands of acres of wasteland in Xiushui County and planted tea trees. Since then, Xiushui County has become the largest tea garden in the entire Daqi."
"Many merchants buy tea in Xiushui County. Over time, they bring all sorts of things from other places to Xiushui County to exchange."
"That place became more and more prosperous."
"It's even more lively than the capital city of Yunzhou."
Tian Tian raised an eyebrow slightly, "I really should go and see Xiushui County if I have the chance."
Tea...without a doubt, it's definitely the most profitable business of this era.
As a tea distribution center, Xiushui County is undoubtedly very prosperous.
Wherever there are people, any kind of business can be conducted.
I wonder if she'll have the chance to do business in Xiushui County...
"Let's go to the grain store." Despite the thought, the immediate problem needed to be addressed first.
Zhang Fusheng stopped a local and asked him for the location of the grain shop.
There are five grain shops in total.
They first went to the largest grain store in Songxi County, Fengnian Grain Store.
Tian Tian and Tian Xiang were standing right in front of Zhang Fusheng, but the grain shop owner completely ignored them and asked Zhang Fusheng, "Brother, what do you want to buy?"
Zhang Fusheng was very good at handling things. He pointed at Tian Tian and Tian Xiang and said, "Shopkeeper, it's not me who's buying things, it's our two young ladies who are buying things."
The shopkeeper turned around in surprise, a hint of embarrassment flashing across his face. "What would you two ladies like to buy?"
“We’ve come to buy beans,” Tian Xiang said.
The shopkeeper's pupils contracted slightly, as if he were somewhat disappointed.
The price of beans is too low; even if you buy a lot, it's still just a small business.
"Beans... beans are two coins a pound, how much would you two ladies like?"
The shopkeeper turned around to greet the other customers.
Tian Xiang looked at Tian Tian, "How much to buy... we haven't really discussed that yet."
Tian Tian: "How many are in the shop?"
The shopkeeper turned around nimbly, raised an eyebrow, and asked in a rising tone, "We have two thousand catties in the shop. How much does the young lady want?"
"Two thousand catties."
"Yes." The shopkeeper nodded. "There are two thousand catties in the shop."
Tian Tian said, "I know, I mean, I want two thousand jin."
The shopkeeper opened his mouth slightly. It wasn't that he hadn't done big business before, but... this was the first time he had ever bought two thousand catties of beans.