Chapter 137: A Bustling Border City
Yan Shiyi was so angry her face turned red and her neck thick. She jumped three feet high on the spot and leaped directly onto Hei Hu’s back, “I’ll rip your stinky mouth apart!”
Grandpa Ling saw Hei Hu carrying Jin An on his back from afar, and then a young man in ornate clothes jumped up. He couldn’t help but turn to Jin Sui and ask:
“What is Little Tiger doing? He looks like a black bear carrying two monkeys stealing peaches. So many people are watching, it’s embarrassing!”
Jin Sui was amused by Grandpa Ling’s analogy. Also, only you call him Little Tiger; is there anyone taller than Hei Hu in the entire venue?
She smiled and asked Grandpa, “Which team did you bet on?”
Grandpa Ling smiled and said, “Of course it’s Little Tiger’s team.”
He then quietly said to Jin Sui, “Haha, many people have asked me which team will win, but I’ve refused them all by saying that heavenly secrets cannot be revealed.
Sui Sui, you understand Cuju, right? Quietly tell Grandpa which team will win?”
Grandpa rubbed his hands as he spoke, clearly preparing to use the inside information to buy lottery tickets.
Jin Sui refused to tell him and deliberately said, “Grandpa’s divination is the most accurate. Why don’t you quietly calculate a divination yourself!”
Seeing Grandpa feigning anger, Jin Sui added, “That’s right! Half of the profits from the Yan Clan are ours. That’s a full five thousand taels!”
“Does Grandpa want to do some business while the Cuju match is lively?”
Grandpa Ling was extremely excited and lowered his voice, “The Prince agreed to give us all five thousand taels?”
Jin Sui patted her chest, “Even if you spend it all, the Prince won’t even frown!”
“Even if it’s lost gambling on the Cuju match, your granddaughter will earn it back!”
Grandpa Ling said anxiously, “What kind of family are we? How can we gamble away thousands of taels like these young masters from Yandi! Grandpa really has a business that needs capital.”
He pointed to the refugees in the corner, “I also have manpower. I see the weather is getting colder, and it’s the perfect time for big pot stews. The small hot pots over there have too many people and are too expensive; ordinary people can’t afford them.”
“We can make our Central Plains stewed dishes, with a bone broth base simmered in a large pot, with Chinese cabbage, radish, pork belly, fish balls, and some wood ear mushrooms and bean curd sheets. A large bowl for five wen, served with a steamed bun. I guarantee customers will line up to eat!”
Jin Sui smiled and said, “Grandpa, just do it if you have an idea! I support you! Let’s also bring our Central Plains delicacies to the border city.”
Jin Sui’s smile carried the affection of a granddaughter for her grandfather, warming Grandpa Ling’s heart.
Then she thought of how, not long ago, her granddaughter had publicly beheaded Zheng Yun with a single stroke, looking fearless.
At that moment, even Grandpa Ling thought she was the Real Li King!
Recalling the rumors about the Li King heard along the way, such as being bold and fearless, domineering and tyrannical, difficult to deal with, a reincarnation of a mischievous monkey…
Grandpa Ling felt like he was listening to a joke. My granddaughter is so well-behaved, what are these people talking about?
It wasn’t until he saw Zheng Yun’s head fall that Grandpa Ling believed everything he had heard was true!
And now, looking at Jin Sui, a little girl clinging to her grandfather, with a sweet smile, a gentle tone, and extremely generous to her grandfather and younger brother.
Domineering and tyrannical on the outside, gentle and generous on the inside. My Sui Sui, what kind of person are you?
“Grandpa, what are you thinking about? I mean, I can teach you how to make rice noodles, which will make the stewed dishes even more delicious, and it will also provide a livelihood for these refugees. Do you want to learn?”
Grandpa Ling nodded quickly, “Yes, yes, but you are so busy, don’t let it delay your important matters.”
Jin Sui chuckled, “It’s a small matter, not complicated at all. I’ll draw up the process and production diagrams, and you can take people to try it a few times!”
She then whispered, “Grandpa, if you really want to enter the common people’s food industry, wait two more months. Once the potatoes and sweet potatoes are harvested, your dishes will have lower costs and more variety!”
“Oh, and tomatoes. The first batch of ripe tomatoes are being picked. I plan to cooperate with Yan Shiyi’s restaurant to sell tomato broth bases. I’ll have some distributed to you, and adding tomatoes to the stewed dishes will make the flavor richer.”
Grandpa Ling saw that Jin Sui was genuinely supportive and became even happier. To reassure Grandpa, Jin Sui immediately pulled him to get the silver.
Grandpa Ling also had a decisive personality. The main reasons for doing the common people’s food business were low profit and high sales, and he wanted to do something. First, it was to attract refugees.
The staff he hired were all selected from the refugees, provided with food and wages, and even taught cooking skills.
There was no need for a dedicated shop. They set up a greenhouse at the back of the trade zone, with a few large kitchen ranges for stewing and several stoves for baking baked sesame seed cakes. There were options for three wen a bowl with tofu but no meat, and five wen a bowl with pork belly.
In addition, Grandpa was sent a few barrels of soy sauce, which Jin Sui had previously taught the military camp to brew. The soup base, made with kelp and dried seafood, had a fragrance that drifted for miles.
The next day, Jin Sui specifically took Gu Changxiao to take a look. As Grandpa said, the business was booming.
Many common people, as well as the bodyguards and servants of young masters from the gentry, were lining up to eat.
Jin Sui also saw some young masters secretly having their maidservants buy food and eating it in their carriages.
Haha, this is the charm of communal dining. It smells good, and it tastes even better. It’s just that the young masters felt it was embarrassing to eat such common food, so they had to hide to eat it.
I don’t care if others look down on it! She pulled Gu Changxiao and swaggered to a wooden table, smiling at Grandpa Ling, “Daoist Priest, two bowls of big meat, four baked sesame seed cakes!”
Grandpa Ling smiled and cooperated, telling a half-grown boy named Er Gou to serve, “Serve the Prince.”
That Er Gou was chosen by Grandpa Ling from the refugees. He was only fourteen years old and was trembling. He even hunched his neck when serving commoners, fearing he would be reported to the constables and arrested for forced labor.
Let alone serving the Prince! His hands were shaking, and he couldn’t even hold the bowls steady.
Jin An helped him, “Brother Er Gou, don’t be afraid, I’ll help you deliver it.”
Jin Sui then called out to the personal guards who came with her, “Sit down, everyone. One bowl of big meat dish and two baked sesame seed cakes each. This King is treating!”
Gu Changxiao watched the three of them, grandfather and grandchildren, joke around with a smile throughout. At the same time, he admired Daoist Ji’s execution. He was indeed Daoist Ji’s biological grandfather; their decisive and unhesitating nature in doing things was truly alike!
The young gentry passing by saw that the Li King and the Black Feather Camp Soldiers were eating this ‘Central Plains Hodgepodge’, and they also became interested.
The value of things depends on their use. Like this hodgepodge, before the Li King came, it was commoner’s food, and the wealthy couldn’t eat it.
But when the Li King came to eat it, it became a border city specialty snack that everyone visiting the border city should try.
When Li Heng passed by, Jin Sui waved at him, “Prefect Li, come! I’ll treat you to a meal, there’s chili sauce!”
Li Heng… didn’t want to eat with the Li King! He was so annoying!
But there was chili sauce! He hadn’t eaten chili sauce since the border city was burned!
His feet moved faster than his brain. While he was still hesitating, his feet had already reached the table.
In the end, Li Heng resentfully added three large spoonfuls of chili sauce, took a big bite of a baked sesame seed cake, and ate a large bowl of stewed dishes.
When he left, he suggested to Grandpa Ling that as the weather grew colder, chili peppers could be added to the dishes for stewing. This way, the stewed dishes would become the second spicy dish after the small hot pot.
Grandpa Ling readily agreed. With the opening of the stewed dish stall, he didn’t even need to go into the mountains to persuade them. The young and strong refugees and women all came to him for work.
Jin Sui quietly praised Gu Changxiao, “Grandpa is truly my lucky star! My Refugee Office has set up many stalls, but few refugees dared to approach.”
“There are still some brave ones who dare to carry coal for the border city, but when asked to settle down, they all wave their hands and say they dare not.”
“As a result, with Grandpa’s arrival, look, in such a short time, these refugees trust him like an old immortal!”
Gu Changxiao smiled and nodded, “Not only Daoist Ji, but all three of you, grandfather and grandchildren, are my lucky stars!”
This was Gu Changxiao’s heartfelt opinion. Before coming to the border city, he would never have imagined that the border city would have such a lively and prosperous day!
Not leaving the grandfather and granddaughter trio in the bandit cave that day was the most correct decision Gu Changxiao had ever made in his life!
The polo match did not go smoothly because the teams led by the young gentry had to adjust their strategies after watching the match between the Yan Prefecture Army and the Tuntian Soldiers.
Using another polo field in the border city for emergency training, Cheng Yu temporarily adjusted the competition rules to include Cuju matches in the official competition.
Because Cuju matches could also be gambled on, and the prices were very cheap, the cheapest ticket was only two wen! Unlike the gambling methods of the young masters, which involved thousands of taels of silver.
Cuju was a true national event, and the Prince also permitted civilian Cuju teams to participate. Coupled with the fact that it was after the autumn harvest, many people were idle.
Li Heng also fully supported the border city’s events. The nearby Yanzhou City had already formed a nationwide craze, and it was considered an honor to come to the border city to watch a match.
Wealthy people brought their families to watch the excitement, bought a ticket to play, then strolled around the border city, making large purchases of low-priced pickled vegetables. If someone introduced them, they could even buy low-priced sea salt.
After the Imperial Commissioner left, Li Heng turned a blind eye to the private sale of salt in the border city. We give each other face; you don’t sell it openly, and I’ll pretend not to see it.
They also ate the unique delicacies of the border city, such as tomato fish balls, which had long been popular throughout Yanzhou City. Unfortunately, many people had not tasted them yet, so they took this opportunity to bring their families to try them.
There was also the spicy hot pot. Eating a pot in autumn warmed the whole body, and it was both spicy and satisfying. It was said to be Prefect Li’s favorite.
If you find the above two dishes too expensive, costing hundreds of wen for a family meal, then go eat the Central Plains stewed dishes for five wen that fill you up!
It was a restaurant run by a kind-faced Daoist priest. It was said that the Daoist priest was the Prince’s benefactor and was highly trusted by the Prince. He was honest and fair, with three wen for a full meal and five wen for meat.
And for those who had no money, they should come to the border city even more! Even if they couldn’t afford a carriage, they should walk here!
At this time, the border city was full of money. As long as you were diligent and willing to work, you could earn dozens of wen a day!
Whether it was joining the official recruitment teams in the border city, such as cleaning, clearing horse dung, sweeping public toilets, carrying coal, or gathering firewood…
New recruitment notices were posted every day. As long as you were physically sound, you could find a job in the border city.
Even if you were not physically sound, if you couldn’t join the official teams, you wouldn’t starve by doing something privately.
Even selling small snacks like sunflower seeds and dried dates at the competition venue could earn a lot.
Also, skilled women picked wild autumn pears and hawthorns, boiled them into sweet water overnight, or bought sugar to make hawthorn cakes and autumn pear candies, which were popular items when sold at the competition venue!
Those who knew a little bit of handicraft were even more sought after. Basket weavers, mat weavers, and even those who made paper fans with team emblems painted on them could sell hundreds of them a day!
The common people spoke crudely, saying directly, “You could even make a lot of money by picking up the poop that little babies randomly leave in the forest!”
This was because the border city had a special department for collecting manure. It used to be Niu Da, but now it was Niu Da’s wife who was in charge…
In short, it was just a polo match held by the Li King in the border city, but for the common people, it was a carnival, a chance for everyone to make money.
Jin Sui smiled and said to Gu Changxiao, “If this Cuju match were held once a year, our border city would become Yiwu!”
“Yiwu?”
Jin Sui chuckled, “It’s a national wholesale city! Look at how clever our people are. They made fans, headscarves, and small flags overnight, and they all sold very well.”
The development of the times is like a tide. As long as there is a tide leader, you don’t need to worry about anything afterwards; the tide will come rolling in.
Jin Sui just started it, holding a polo match, to attract the young gentry who viewed the border city with apprehension.
But the subsequent development of various industries, including commoners, merchants, and artisans, all flourished in the border city.
It was all due to the wave stirred up by the polo match! If others were involved, they would worry about losing control, or stingily refuse to share profits with the people, start collecting taxes before industries could even develop, or oppress merchants and commoners.
Then don’t expect the border city to prosper! The more diverse and vibrant it is, the more prosperous it will be. Everything in the border city now is like the border city itself, growing wildly.
The government office should only focus on industries that are absolutely prohibited, such as private gambling, prostitution, and human trafficking.
For other small businesses and industries, the government not only does not interfere but also encourages them. For example, Jin Sui gave Chen Yunniang more than a dozen small food recipes to teach the women in the Tuntian Camp.
She also gave a few to Grandpa Ling to teach the women among the refugees. Especially for the rice noodle business, Grandpa Ling directly rented rice and tools to the refugees, asking them to submit the prepared rice noodles on time.
The work point system, which had been cold-shouldered, became popular again, and many refugees who had accumulated enough points requested to join the border city’s household registration.
The situation was excellent, except that the young gentry were extremely anxious about the polo match.
They elected Yan Shiyi as their leader and asked him to find the Black Feather Team to play a preparatory match with them to assess the Black Feather Team’s strength.
The Li King was very fair. None of the Tuntian team members were from the Black Feather Camp. The players were not very tall, and they were completely chosen from the shortest among the short.
They looked like typical farmers, but once they entered the field, they all transformed. Their eyes were firm, their movements were fierce, and their coordination was excellent.
They defeated the tall Yan Prefecture Army!
The young gentry privately called the Tuntian team the Farmer Team, but even they felt they couldn’t win against this Farmer Team, let alone the ace Black Feather Team!
Yan Shiyi had no choice but to go to Han Xing to discuss it. However, Han Xing refused, “The Prince said that we can only appear in the official match. Otherwise…”
“Otherwise what? Otherwise, you’re afraid we’ll see your strategy and be afraid of losing and losing face, right?”
Han Xing glanced at him but didn’t answer. Hei Hu, on the other hand, laughed heartily:
“Do we have to say it so clearly? What if you see how powerful our Black Feather Team is, and everyone gets scared and shrinks back, refusing to compete?”
Yan Shiyi’s face turned red and his neck thickened again. He shouted, “Good you big black guy! If you have the guts, let’s meet on the field!”
Hei Hu was not angry at all, “Heh heh, then work hard. I’m afraid you won’t even make it through the preparatory match.”
Yan Shiyi left in a rage, but he didn’t give up. If the open approach didn’t work, he would resort to secret means.
