novelSusiti Chapter 11 Snow and Wind Over Hailing in the Twelfth Lunar Month, Reflecting the End of the Year
Chapter 11 Snow and Wind Over Hailing in the Twelfth Lunar Month, Reflecting the End of the Year
The generals were surprised to find that the salt workers, who had been exploited for a long time and had experience in large-scale production cooperation, were actually excellent recruits. As long as they were fed, they never complained about the hardships or fatigue of the training.
Even more formidable was their ability to overwhelm the Northern Dynasty's cavalry on the battlefield. Suddenly, each salt worker became a prized possession of the generals; how could they possibly let them return to salt production? Faced with these tyrannical generals, the salt production in Chuzhou Prefecture drastically declined, falling to less than a third of its peak.
The salt fields covered a vast area, stretching as far as the eye could see. Near the dock was a salt village, inhabited entirely by the families of salt workers. Li Xuan and Li Chang entered this village as if into a ghost town. Despite the hundreds of households living there, it was eerily silent, as if the cold air rolling in from the north had drained all life from the place.
Li Xuan and Li Chang were unfazed and strode over to the door of the Salt Village Elder, knocking on it.
The elder was still angry, but after asking the two men their purpose, Li Xuan explained that he had brought over 300 catties of grain on his boat, all of which was this year's new grain. The elder's worry turned to joy, and he quickly called over several men to help Li Xuan carry the coarse salt.
Li Xuan wanted to help, but the elder stopped him, saying apologetically, "Young man, can you still send a few batches of grain before the New Year? Our Salt Village is barren, and we rely entirely on buying grain from outside to survive. We don't have enough for the New Year. If you can send some grain, every household in our village has some fine salt that we've been saving, which is much more valuable than the coarse salt you brought."
Fine salt is produced by pouring brine into a mound, with the purity increasing towards the top and decreasing towards the bottom. Salt workers would often pinch off the purest tip, like plucking a scallion, and take it home to hide. After accumulating a few, they could secretly exchange them for daily necessities with people like Li Xuan.
Li Xuan understood immediately and said, "I have some connections in Gaoyou. A round trip can be done in two or three days. I can't promise more, but I can transport five trips for you, two thousand catties of this year's new grain. What do you think?"
Two thousand catties is still not enough for several hundred people, but everyone has accumulated some savings. Getting two thousand catties a month can be considered a supplement.
The elder said, "Young man, just do your best. Two thousand catties is not too little, ten thousand catties is not too much. I just hope you will keep it in mind. On behalf of the whole village, I thank you."
Looking at the elder's face, so aged that his features were almost indistinguishable, Li Xuan nodded heavily. They exchanged three hundred catties of grain for one hundred catties of fine salt. In addition, five shi of coarse salt were moved from the salt field, one shi more than the document stated.
Before setting off, Li Xuan slipped a bolt of silk to the clerk overseeing the salt fields. The clerk understood immediately, closed his eyes, and remained silent. Li Xuan smiled and, with Li Chang in tow, sailed straight for Gaoyou.
Gaoyou was originally a post station built along the river. In recent years, due to severe banditry, it has gradually begun to be developed into a city, and it is said that it will eventually become a county. However, Gaoyou is not so well-regulated now. Li Xuan's destination was not Gaoyou Post Station, but a rural wharf near Gaoyou.
The Gao family of Gaoyou was a powerful local force. The eldest son of the Gao family, speaking in a Gaoyou dialect almost identical to that of Guangling, looked warmly at the bags of salt being unloaded from the boat: "Brother Xuan, you've finally come! You've really solved our urgent problem. With the New Year just around the corner, everyone in the village is desperately short of salt."
Li Xuan apologized, "It's all my fault. Things at home were urgent, so I'm a little late this year. But I have some good stuff this time. Why don't you take a look, Da Lang?"
Gao Dalang laughed and said, "Isn't it your salt? We're old friends, I'll definitely take care of you."
Li Xuan laughed and said, "If it's just salt, why be so mysterious? Please take a look, young master." With that, Li Xuan opened a package, which contained fine salt.
Gao Dalang was taken aback, then lightly dipped his finger in it and ate it, exclaiming with delight, "This is fine salt, the best quality Huai salt! How much can you get?"
Li Xuan recounted what had happened at the saltworks, and Gao Dalang slapped his thigh. "That's great! Thanks for the tip, Brother Xuan. I'll organize the grain ships to go with you right away."
With the help of the Gao family's fleet, Li Xuan transported 10,000 catties of grain, over 200 catties of cured meat, and more than 100 bolts of cloth to the salt village within five days. Everyone at the salt field, including the officials left behind, was extremely grateful.
Li Xuan also took this opportunity to sell 200 shi of coarse salt and 30 shi of fine salt to the Gao family, making a profit of 240 guan.
After bidding farewell to Gao Dalang, Li Xuan and Li Chang, carrying six bushels of coarse salt, were eager to return home and arrived back in the village in just seven days.
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In the city of Guangling, at the residence of Feng Daoji, the magistrate of Jiangdu County, Feng Daoji's wife, Madam Feng, was talking to her daughter.
Feng's daughter, named Feng Niaoniao, was the same age as Li Xuan. She was beautiful and graceful, with a radiant appearance. Her every movement exuded elegance, clearly a well-bred young lady from a distinguished family.
Feng Daoji was a native of Guangling. For the past few years, he had been working in other places with his family. This year, he only returned to Guangling through connections to serve as the magistrate of Jiangdu County. The official position was not prestigious, but it was much more stable than those in the counties along the Huai River front. In these chaotic times, Feng Daoji had no ambition; he was content with a peaceful life.
Upon seeing her daughter enter, Madam Feng ordered everyone in the room to leave, as she had something private to say to her daughter.
After the maids and servants were all outside the door, Madam Feng looked at her daughter and said, "In the blink of an eye, Niao Niao has grown up so much. It feels like just yesterday that you were born."
Feng Niaoniao said softly, "I know in my heart how much my mother has given me life and raised me. I can never be able to repay her kindness enough."
Madam Feng chuckled and said, "But Niaoniao is of marriageable age. If she doesn't find a suitable match this year, she'll definitely find one next year. It's heartbreaking for my good daughter to be taken by someone else."
Feng Niaoniao said shyly, "Mother, why are you saying these things? I want to stay by your side and take care of you for a few more years."
Madam Feng said meaningfully, "Really? So Aunt Wang's repeated attempts to get information out of a fishmonger must mean she has a daughter from her own family who wants to get married?"
Feng Niaoniao was caught off guard: "Mother, Mother, you know everything?"
Madam Feng said irritably, "Silly child. Your mother has been in charge of the inner quarters for many years, and you've sent Aunt Wang out several times to test a young master. How could your mother be unaware of this? Even if Aunt Wang kept it a secret for you, she wouldn't hide such a big matter from me. Tell me, whose young master is he? Why are you so concerned?"
Seeing that she couldn't hide it any longer, Feng Niaoniao had no choice but to tell the truth: "He's not a stranger. Mother even held him. He's Brother Xuan, the son of Li Meishi. That day, I was blocked by the Qi Prince's convoy at Yingxun Bridge, so I sent Ying'er down to find out what was going on. Unexpectedly, Ying'er met Brother Xuan. I was curious about how the son of Meishi had fallen to the point of selling fish, so I asked Aunt Wang to take Ying'er to buy fish often, actually to find out some information. After all, he's the descendant of Father's old friend, so if he encounters difficulties, it's only right to lend a hand."