Great Tang Idyll

A few thunders flashed by like a dream of past resentment. A pity that people will never gather at the wharf again with leisure intent.

After the thunder sounded, Boss Mi finally snapped out of the state of being drowned in the mixture of endless regret and inexplicable joy. He looked at the person whom he had never seen before and asked, "Why are you helping me?"

"I just said that I have a grudge against the Zhang and Wang manors. If things are well for them, then I won't be well. One hundred taels of silver will be said to be one thousand taels. Deal or no deal?" This person deliberately glared sternly at Song Jing'gong a few times.

"Deal." Boss Mi also breathed a sigh of relief. It was way too embarrassing. He had to fight back for his pride.

Following that person's announcement, Boss Mi's people left with bright faces while other people were still unclear of what was going on. Just after crossing the bridge connecting the two sides of the shores, the San'shui County Administrative Office's bailiff approached him. The bailiff lightly whispered a few words into his ear, and Boss Mi's face suddenly became deathly pale again.

People around the wharf become rowdy again. Boss Mi was taken away by the bailiff and it was probably for a bad reason.

The voices of discussion gradually diminished after Boss Mi's figure disappeared. The ordinary commoners, the boatmen in the river, and the grain merchants who were shocked by the brutal tactics of the Zhang and Wang manors, turned their eyes to the person who was willing to spend money to buy moldy grains. Those who were logical thinkers knew that it was impossible for this person to pay a thousand taels of silver. When the money was handed from one person to the other, it was just a small box.

Furthermore, there were people with good ears that were standing nearby and heard him say one hundred taels of silver. Driven by their attitude of showing off, this matter was quickly known to everyone.

Even so, some people still say that this person was stupid. How can spoiled grain cost a hundred taels of silver? The shipping costs were high. If it was mixed in with the good grains, then good grain would be turned into bad grain.

Just when everyone was puzzled, the grain-buyer randomly walked a few circles around the grains and then walked over to Song Jing'gong. He bowed and then said in a polite manner, " Mister Song, the deed is done. I need to go back and report to my lord. I cannot stay here anymore. Farewell."

"Have a safe trip." Song Jing'gong also bowed as he replied.

The two people spoke very loudly, and the people standing nearby heard them clearly. More surprised and shocked expressions spread through the crowd again.

"Everyone, everybody listen to me speak." After waiting for that person to leave, Song Jing'gong took the simple speaking-trumpet, stood at a place that was a little higher, and he shouted to the people around him.

After shouting several times, the people around finally settled down. Those who were close lifted up their heads, and those who were further away tiptoed so that they could see Mister Song speak.

"Everyone, is there anyone who makes rice wine at home? After these old grains are fermented into qu1, each household will receive half a catty. Those who rely on selling this to make a living need to pay to receive more. It costs 120 coins per dou. The quantity is limited, so pre-order as soon as possible."

After Song Jing'gong was done shouting, he did not make any delays. Otherwise, if the rain comes down, then it would be unknown what kind of yeast starter would be produced. He had to control the situation right now. He called in a large number of people to start carrying the grains towards the depths of the mountains. The technician who knew how to make qu was already waiting there. The grains that had to be dehulled had to be dehulled and those that had to be steamed had to be steamed. They had to work quickly.

By the time Song Jing'gong and his people left, half of the old grains also disappeared in a blink of an eye. There were still workers moving the grains non-stop. All of the people who remained at the wharf were stunned.

"It's a good ploy. The timing is perfect. Keeping the grains here allows them to make it into qu. If it was shipped, maggots would grow on the grains. Let's go to Zhang Manor to discuss the price of the seeds." Boss Jin sighed and said helplessly.

The people around had no choice but to admire the Zhang Manor's ability to calculate everything perfectly. With that price, even if a part of the moldy grain is lost, they can still earn the money back in the end. Even at a low price, nearly 400 taels of silver could be earned from selling the qu that was made from these grains.

Adding on the money they received through tricking Boss Mi and considering the money they used to buy expensive new grains, money came out and came in, and there was still a little surplus.

A boss surnamed Lu closed his eyes and thought for a while, and then said to Boss Jin,"That's good too. We can only discuss it with them properly. This might make everyone laugh, but I am truly afraid of that manor. If it was anyone else, worse comes to worse, both sides will be injured after a fight. It is hard to believe that the Zhang and Wang manors can still make money at this time. I have gained knowledge now."

While he spoke, everyone walked to the place that had horse carriages for hire. They didn't care whether it would rain or not. They wanted to get there as soon as possible and express their sincerity to them. As soon as they arrived at the place that had horse carriages for hire, someone asked them, "Everyone, do you make wine at home?"

"No. Why?" Boss Lu asked, frowning.

"We're collecting wine lees and distillers grains for one coin per picul. As long as the place is not too far, we will go over and pick it up ourselves." The coachman replied with a smile.

"What are you collecting this for? Mister Song just took away nine thousand picul of grains. Once the qu are made, there will be a lot of lees, right?" Another boss asked.

"Yes. Mister Song ordered us to collect it. When the time comes, those who come to buy the wine qu will also be asked. I heard that it is useful. As for how it's used, I don't know." The coachman was smiling as usual.

"Useful? Is it possible that in addition to earning money from the wine qu, the remaining lees can also be used to earn more money?" Boss Jin had an inexplicable feeling in his heart.

When the heavy rain fell, the hired horse carriage led the way, and the group of grain merchants followed behind in their own carriages and headed towards the Zhang Manor.

"Xiao'bao, do you think the rain will come to our side? It looks gloomy over there. If it rains, then the grains in the field that have not been harvested yet would become a problem."

Wang Juan sat by the small river in the Zhang Manor, and asked Zhang Xiao'bao who was beside her.

"A lot of elders have said that it won't. Just wait. I think those people will be here before noon tomorrow. If not, we will sell these seeds ourselves to other people, and not give them the final chance to earn money."

"Who's earning money? We will sell them at a high price. However, the crop yield is not so high once the seeds leave our farmland. One hundred and fifty coins per catty. Whoever buys it will lose money."

"That was said to make the other grain merchants hate Boss Mi. A cheaper price will be offered to them. Sixty or seventy coins per catty is about right. Do you really intend to offend everyone? No matter what, our seeds are still better than the original seeds. The seed is stronger, and the yield per mu is higher by 10% or 20%, so a lot of money can still be earned. Are all of the piglets caught yet?"

Zhang Xiao'bao rested his chin in his hand and spoke with a leisurely pace.

Wang Juan nodded, "People should have been sent to catch them already. When the time comes, they can be fed with distiller's grains. We can't do things that lose money. Do you know how to feed pigs?"

"Nope. We will let other people feed them. We can find someone to try. It's just a matter of feeding more and less. I don't believe that the pigs can die from being fed."

"Okay then. There's no need to be bothered about this anymore. Whoever figures out the best method will be rewarded since they have accomplished a good deed. I heard that there will be a big event on Little Luo'shui. How about we go check it out. It's better than staying at home all day long; this is not fun at all."

Wang Juan had never raised pigs before, so she could only arrange for others to complete the task. Then she proposed to go to Little Luo'shui to play. She has never been to Little Luo'shui before, she didn't know what the newly built wharf looked like, and she was even more clueless about what the lake there looked like. There was also that recreational mountain. This season was perfect for sightseeing.

Zhang Xiao'bao looked at Wang Juan and said, "How old are you already? Why are you still thinking about having fun? Why don't you consider doing more things?"

"How old am I? People in their 50s or 60s still go on vacation. Are you going or not? Maybe you can come up with some money-making ideas. This time we gave Magistrate Cheng 20,000 taels. My heart..."

Wang Juan was fighting for more benefits for herself. Zhang Xiao'bao listened and said with a smile, "Okay, we'll go. Once the seeds are sold, we will go. Everyone in the family will go. It is enough for the housekeeper to stay behind. Let's go back. It's a bit sultry outside and it's still so hot."

When Zhang Xiao'bao and Wang Juan walked back, they felt that after the harvest season was over, they would be truly bored. The residents had already received the money they could get from the rice harvest. The grains that they were supposed to keep for themselves as seeds were replaced with five times the amount of grains using grains bought from other places. The residents sold these grains to others as seeds.

Fortunately, the residents themselves thought of this first, and asked a few old men to come over and say that it was enough to keep a small amount of grains for themselves like they did before. They knew that all of this had something to do with the master. Without the master, there would be no such harvest. They had no idea what the master did, but planting the crops like this was easier and the yield was higher.

The masters of the Zhang and Wang family felt that the amount of grains the residents kept for themselves before was too less, so they insisted on giving them more. At first, the residents just wanted twice the amount, but in the end, the master decided to give them five times the amount. Even like this, the residents were still taken advantage of. After a discussion, a portion of the money was taken out to build houses for the residents and to give them other welfare.

In the evening, the grain merchants from Little Luo'shui arrived at Tu'qiao Village and they stayed at the Between The Water And Clouds Restaurant. They ordered a lot of dishes, ate and drank, and discussed tomorrow's price.

Zhang Xiao'bao and Wang Juan called Housekeeper Zhang over, and they taught Housekeeper Zhang all of the negotiation details to use when discussing with the merchants and they told him about the questions he should expect to face. After this, they left the rest to him.

"Xiao'bao, if next year is like this year and we continue to plant seeds, will we still give residents five times the amount of grains? I'm a little worried." The two of them had gotten up to study, and Wang Juan asked this as she grinded the inkstick.

Translator's Notes

1. Qu/wine yeast starter 曲/酒曲

This is a type of dried fermentation starter used to make Chinese rice wines. More can be read on Wikipedia.