Thinking of this, Sun Yuan suddenly became diligent, got up at midnight every day, and took the initiative to wake up the sleepy-eyed Mao Cheng and others to go to the Fengyang official office of the household department to inquire about the matter in the wind and snow.

Not surprisingly, it was naturally closed.

Sun Yuan was not in a hurry, so he stood at the gate and waited. When the sun rises to three strokes, he does not return to the ship, and wanders around the city. Either ask about the price of rice, or ask about the market, looking like a southern businessman.

I had to go back until dark, and the daily footsteps added up to more than 20 miles.

On the thirtieth night of the Chinese New Year's Eve this year, he also spent time on the grain ship with the people, and saw that he had been in Fengyang for ten days, and the time had reached the fifth day of the first month of the eighth year of Chongzhen. There are only ten days left before Zhang Xianzhong and Gao Yingxiang enter Fengyang.

The three of them followed him all day long, and walked straight to the bones. I also found that the boy surnamed Sun went in and out of various shops every day, did not buy anything, only asked the price, and returned to the ship on time as soon as it was dark and fell asleep, and gradually lost his vigilance in his heart.

These three people were already lazy people in Rugao City, and when they thought of Sun Yuan's guide, they carried it in Mao Cheng's arms, and they were not afraid that he would escape, and then they didn't bother to follow Sun Yuan, so they went to eat and drink. It's hard to come to Zhongdu for a trip, and you have to have a good time.

Seeing that he got rid of the three tails, Sun Yuan let out a long sigh of relief.

In fact, he has not gained nothing for a while, not only has he looked at a rice shop in Fengyang City, but also initially grasped the local rice price.

Speaking of which, because Fengyang is the central capital of the Ming Dynasty, and lives on the edge of the Huai River, it has convenient water transportation, connecting Henan in the southeast and north, and there are so many guards and major yamen here, and the city is very prosperous.

On the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, the peasant army attacked Fengyang, in addition to coming to dig the dragon veins of the Zhu family, which caused great political influence, and did not necessarily have the idea of taking material supplies in the city.

You must know that the battle in Henan is now lively, it is already erosive, there are many peasants and soldiers, and it is extremely difficult to supply on the spot.

In the bustling city, because of the smooth circulation of materials, it is said that the price is not expensive. But Fengyang is an exception, because Henan has been completely rotten, and all the materials have to be supplied by the two lines of Xuzhou and Fengyang, as a transit station, it is difficult for the prices here not to rush up.

Moreover, Fengyang is in the Yellow Flood Zone, and when you go out of the city, you are full of yellow sand and saline-alkali land, and the poverty is outrageous.

According to historical records, in November of the fourth year of Chongzhen, Qian Shisheng, a waiter of the Nanjing Ministry of Rites, wrote to the imperial court to inform the local depression after worshiping the Fengyang Emperor's Mausoleum: "Fengyang is known as the emperor's hometown, but as soon as you enter it, you can see that the land is barren, the houses are few, and you look bleak. The reason for this is because the land of Fengyang is mostly barren and is a county under Jiangbei. When a famine occurs, people often flee to the famine. And the taxes of the people who have gone away must be borne by the local people. The result of such a vicious circle is naturally that there are fewer and fewer household registrations and more and more wasteland......"

Chongzhen's four years of stability in the world, Fengyang is already like that, let alone now. From the early years of Chongzhen to the present, the Huai River has flooded several times, and Henan has been hit by military disasters, and a large number of people have flowed into the city to seek a living, which has further pushed up the local cost of living.

According to Sun Yuan's investigation, the price of rice in Fengyang is more than 50% more expensive than that of Rugao.

Knowing this, Sun Yuan secretly rejoiced in his heart and shouted: This time it is really worth coming to Fengyang, it can really be said that there is enough risk to bring enough profits. As long as the autumn grain on hand is thrown out, the freight of more than 100 people and boatmen will be earned!

Since the three birdmen were not coming, they just went to find a rice shop to negotiate the business, and on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, they bought the grain, and returned to Rugao with the money.

As for who to sell the autumn grain, there are many things to pay attention to. First of all, the scale of the rice shop should not be too small, too small, and it would not be able to take out so much cash or eat so many goods for a while. Secondly, it is better to have some official background, and only if there are people in the government, they dare to blatantly buy autumn grain.

Through these days of observation and market research, Sun Yuan has already selected a target, which is a rice shop called the housekeeper firm on Gulou Street.

The Gulou housekeeper firm is located in the inland river not far from the wharf, and it is convenient to load and unload grain at that time.

The business of this rice shop is quite large, and the scale can be regarded as one of the top ten in the city. The best thing is that the housekeeper boss Guan Dingcheng is a standard businessman, and the merchant is the last of the four people, unlike the boss of other firms, Guan Dingcheng has a low social status and is a standard pariah. And to be able to do such a big business as a pariah in a place like Fengyang, this person must also have some means, will there be no one in the official mansion?

In Shang Yanli, when Sun Yuan found Boss Guan and said the news that he was going to make a move with 10,000 Shi Nanmi, Boss Guan's eyes lit up. Then he looked at Sun Yuan playfully and said, "Sun Xianggong, 10,000 stone white rice, and all of them are the best Jiangnan rice." Xiao Lao'er is also a familiar hand in the rice industry in Fengyang City, why haven't he heard of such a batch of grain entering the city? ”

The hall of the housekeeper's firm is quite large, facing the inland river, and there are many boats parked on the dock of the firm's house, and there are people busy loading and unloading goods.

Obviously, Boss Guan was also suspicious, and gently pinched the teacup and bowl with his hand, making a slight rustling sound: "It was a batch of autumn grain in Yangzhou that was shipped to Fengyang ten days ago, Sun Xianggong, you said that it wouldn't be that batch, right?" ”

Sun Yuan: "Don't care where my food comes from, boss, anyway, you will be indispensable when the time comes." ”

The boss shook his head: "I'm sorry, I'm a serious businessman, and I don't dare to accept things that I don't understand." Besides, the little old man is running a small business, but he can't eat so many goods, Sun Xianggong, you should still please! ”

As he spoke, he raised his hand and made a gesture of please.

In charge of the boss's worries, Sun Yuan naturally understood. However, it is not difficult to convince a businessman as long as there are suitable benefits. Moreover, just now he could see that when he just said that he had 10,000 stones of grain in hand, the eyes of this boss were bright. The reason why I made a gesture of sending off customers was nothing more than to suppress my own price.

Well, time is running out, and the goods must be sold within ten days, otherwise they will all be smashed in their hands, and appropriate concessions are also necessary.

Sun Yuan smiled: "Boss, don't be busy sending guests, the price of Fengyang is expensive now, but this white rice is fifty percent more expensive than Jiangnan." In this way, I will add 40% to the purchase price for you. ”

Seeing that Sun Yuan suddenly gave up Yicheng's profits, the boss's eyes flashed innorantly, but he still couldn't help shaking his head: "It's still the same sentence, something that I don't understand the origin, the little old man doesn't dare to accept it." ”

"Then I'll let one percent more, and add three percent on the basis of the price of rice in Jiangnan, who told us to fall in love at first sight!" Sun Yuan smiled and said, "However, I only need cash." No, it's all gold. Boss, I've made such a big concession, if you don't agree, then I'll have to go to another house to have a look. ”

Just kidding, if all the 10,000 stone grain is sold for silver, it will be thousands of taels. When the time comes, how can you run for your life with so much silver on your back? Today's gold and silver exchange price is ten to one, one or two hundred taels of gold, and one is carried away.

Seeing that Sun Yuan had the posture of leaving, and as soon as he opened his mouth, he gave up Yichengli again. If you get this 10,000 stone grain in your hands and sell it, it will be a profit of thousands of taels of silver. Wealth is moving, how can the profits in his hands make him give birth to wings and fly away?

The boss hurriedly stretched out his hand to stop Sun Yuan, and couldn't help but apologize: "Since Sun Xianggong is so sincere, if the little old man still drives you away, it will be a matter of etiquette, and if it is passed out, it will not be a joke for your peers." However, there is no basis for your words, you said that you have 10,000 stones of good white rice, but the little old man has not seen the goods, so there is no way to talk about this business? ”

Seeing the boss in charge, Sun Yuan laughed in his heart: "My ship is still on the way, you can rest assured, the fourteenth day of the first lunar month will arrive on time, and when the time comes, you will be ready for gold." Anyway, when you see the guy giving money, you don't have any risk, what are you afraid of? ”

"Well, it's up to Sun Xianggong." Boss Guan nodded and said, "However, I only have silver in my firm, and it will take some time to exchange so much gold, and the fourteenth day of the first lunar month is just right." ”

Sun Yuanyi arched his hand: "In this way, let's say okay, on the fourteenth day of the first lunar month, you send someone to the dock to look for me after lunch." ”

It was inconvenient to unload the goods in front of so many people and three thieves in front of the springs, and this matter had to be arranged in advance to lure them away.

Sun Yuan already had an idea in his heart, and since the business had been agreed, there was no need for him to stay here any longer.

At this time, someone at the butler's dock outside suddenly exclaimed: "Fei Tou'er, I met that Shao Gongzi on the road just now, and he said that if he didn't agree to what he said, he would let our blood go!" "I heard the accent very strange, like a Northlander.

Someone shouted again: "He's a fart, and he doesn't bully people like this, guy, tell that plague to see the bloody nature of our Hedong boys!" "It's the same Northland accent.

Hedong, isn't that Shanxi?

Suddenly, out of nowhere, a group of men, about twenty or so, either carrying a wooden stick or a kitchen knife in their hands, stood there, all of them looking fierce and fierce.

Sun Yuan's heart moved, and he was secretly surprised: "This group of people is really weird, not like ordinary porters!" ”

If you pay attention to this, you will find that it is wrong. The twenty or so men were all dressed in short shirts, showing off their well-proportioned muscles. Ordinary people and farmers have been engaged in manual labor for a long time, and their muscles are quite developed. But the body is somewhat out of shape, for example, the shoulders are very broad, and the calf muscles are also developed, but because they often bear weights, the legs are relatively short. But this group of people is properly proportioned, and the most suspicious thing is that they still have old scars on their bodies. Carrying the guy to a stop on the dock, intentionally or unintentionally, he formed a formation, and surrounded the man in his early forties in the center. Obviously, this middle-aged man is what they call Fei Tou'er.

"Could it be that this group of people has been a soldier before?" Sun Yuan suddenly became interested, and he was not in a hurry to leave, so he stood at the door and watched the excitement.