Here, Sima Jingwen and Gu Rong walked around in the shops at the head of the chai market, went in from time to time to inquire about the price, and occasionally accosted the shopkeepers.

The two finally came to the largest shop in the firewood market, and the tall door plaque read Cha Ji Rice Shop.

There were no other customers buying food in the huge rice shop, and a young man was bored looking at the pedestrians on the street, and the shopkeeper was making calculations.

Seeing that a guest was coming, and his temperament was good, the guy cleverly put on a smiling face and greeted him: "Two distinguished guests, what do you command?" ”

Gu Rong looked at the guy, came to the grain jar containing the rice, scooped up the rice with a wooden shovel, looked at it, and asked, "Shop, how much does a stone of rice cost?" ”

The man bowed his head and said, "Mr. Hui, the price of rice today is one hundred and fifty yuan." ”

"One hundred and fifty dollars? In previous years, the counties in the south of the Yangtze River had a good year and a stone of rice was about 80 yuan, but now it is a good year, and the price of rice in this Jiangdu is comparable to Luoyang. Gu Rong said in surprise in authentic Xiajiang dialect.

"Listening to your accent, you are a Jianye person, how do you not understand the current market." The man replied.

At this time, a middle-aged man with a medium body and a very shrewd person came over, and Shi Li said: "In Xia Xu Chen, he is the shopkeeper here." ”

Gu Rong saw the shopkeeper coming, and said with a smile: "The shopkeeper Xu is polite." ”

"Looking at Your Excellency's attire, it must be a nobleman from which house?" Hearing the conversation between the guy and Gu Rong, the shopkeeper Xu stepped forward to inquire about it.

This shopkeeper Xu is very poisonous, since Sima Jingwen and Gu Rong entered the door, they saw that the two were unusual businessmen, let alone ordinary black and white traders, and they had been paying attention.

"We are indeed from Jianye, but my master is from the capital. We came from Luoyang. ”

Hearing Gu Rong say that he was from Luoyang, Kyoto, the shopkeeper Xu's smile deepened: "Forgive me for being clumsy, the noble man is in the salt and grain business?" ”

Gu Rong: "My master was originally only to provide jade, coral, Shu brocade, silk silk, etc. to the nobles of Luoyang, due to the serious disasters in the counties near Chang'an, the price of rice is rising day by day, so we came to this land of fish and rice in the south of the Yangtze River to take a look at this market!" ”

When the shopkeeper heard this, he immediately turned to Sima Jingwen and bowed his hand deeply, and said with a smile on his face: "Disrespectful, disrespectful, since Your Excellency specializes in the business of nobles, you must also be a nobleman, what do you need, but please command." ”

Sima Jingwen replied lightly and did not speak.

Gu Rong continued: "Shopkeeper Xu's politeness, let's see what the price of this rice is first, and then decide." ”

When the shopkeeper heard this, he hurriedly said: "The two nobles, they are not boasting, whether it is the price of rice, or the supply of this rice, the entire Jiangzuo, if we can't do it, it is almost impossible for other families." ”

Sima Jingwen heard the shopkeeper say this, showed a smile on his face, and asked with interest: "Why did the shopkeeper say this, I see that your shop is only bigger than the ordinary shop." ”

The shopkeeper couldn't help but feel a little proud: "Nobleman, our host has a semicolon in every city on the left side of the river, it depends on the needs of the nobleman." ”

"How many stones can the shopkeeper Xu meet? Sima Jingwen asked.

"The ordinary shop business is only 500 stones, but it is no more than 1,000 stones, and we can do 3,000 stones, and if it is transferred from the semicolon, it can be 10,000 stones in ten days." The shopkeeper replied confidently.

"How's the price?"

"Five thousand stones, one hundred and thirty dollars a stone. 10,000 stone and 120 dollars. The shopkeeper was smiling.

"Now the price of rice in Luoyang is only one hundred and fifty yuan, according to the price of the store, then we will transport it to Luoyang, there is no surplus, this business is not worth doing." Gu Rong said.

"Sir, now that the frost has fallen, the beginning of winter, less than March is the Yuanchen Festival, the price of rice will be higher and higher, and when the green and yellow are not good in March next year, it is estimated that it will double by one or two times."

Gu Rong acted as a reason: "It's not that I don't believe what the shopkeeper Xu said, it's just that we have just arrived in your place, and we still need to inquire everywhere." ”

"It's natural, if the two nobles have needs, just as they are told." Shopkeeper Xu humbly bowed his hand and did not force it.

"Then I will say goodbye to my master first." Gu Rong bowed his hand and said goodbye.

And Sima Jingwen walked out of the check with his head held high, and the shopkeeper Xu and his men were sent outside the shop one after another.

"These two people seem to be big buyers, why doesn't the shopkeeper keep them?" The guy asked.

Shopkeeper Xu looked at Sima Jingwen's distant back and smiled: "Don't worry, they will come back." ”

Coming out of the Chaji rice shop, Sima Jingwen and Gu Rong walked around the street, and asked a few stores that looked good, and the price was no different from Chaji, the supply was no more than 1,000 stones, and 3500 stones was usual, it seems that what the shopkeeper said was true.

When the two saw that the time was about the same, they came to the old wine of the Sheng family.

At this time, Murong Jia had not returned, so Sima Jingwen asked the store to change to the private room upstairs, and re-served the wine and food, and several people chatted about what they had seen and heard, and waited for Murong Jia while eating.

Seeing that at noon, the store was lively, and Murong Jia and Qinghu came back, bringing someone with them.

This man was about twenty-five or sixteen years old, and he wore a blue and white short-sleeved shirt and linen shirt, hakama pants, and a tassel belt around his waist.

Gu Rong was surprised, and pointed to the young man: "This is not the .......... we met in Jianye Restaurant."

"Mr. Gu, don't be surprised, it's not just the one we're looking for." Murong Jia's face was proud.

"Which one?" Zhou Rong asked.

"That's ........." Murong Jia was thirsty, picked up the tea and drank it.

"Murong Gongzi, don't sell Guanzi, say it quickly!"

"Well, it's a big rat, a big rat, don't eat my grain...... Got it? Murong Jia said in a low voice.

"Oh?" Zhou Rong's eyes widened, and everyone was also surprised.

"In Xia Longsi, I have seen you." Long Si bowed his hand and gave a greeting salute.

"This dragon boy really has a meeting in the mountains and rivers." Gu Rong remembered what Long Si said when he was in Jianye Liquor Shop, and said with a smile.

"Long Si is originally a person from this Jiangdu, a common man, and he can't be called a son. A few days ago, I went to Jianye to do business, and it was a pure coincidence that I met you in a wine shop, and it can be regarded as fate. ”

"Dare to ask Ryushiro, why do you make this limerick .......?" Gu Rong asked.

At this time, the shopkeeper knocked on the door and came in.

Long Si coughed dryly twice, interrupting Gu Rong's question: "Eh, ......., you are working as a tooth in this Dongshi Street, if you have any needs, please come to me." ”

Seeing that Long Si had brought two people, this guy thought that Murong Jia and Qing Hu were Long Si's guests, so he came over and asked, "Ladies and gentlemen, do you still need to add some wine and meat to eat?" ”

"The little second brother is clever and can do business, pick up a few things from your store's signature food, and serve two pots of wine." Sima Jingwen commanded with a smile.

"Okay, guest wait." As he spoke, the guy winked at Long Si.

"Since Ryushiro is in the tooth business, he must be well-informed from all parties?" Gu Rongtan asked.

"If you want to talk about the news, it depends on what you want to do, I am quite well-informed about the affairs of this market, and I know a little about the affairs of the rivers and lakes." Long Si said proudly.

"Oh, even if Ryushiro is also from Jiangdu, then do you know this Luofeng Villa?" Hearing Long Si say that he was from Jiangdu and knew about the affairs of the rivers and lakes, Mu Yixue asked directly.

Hearing the words "Luofeng Villa", Long Si's expression moved slightly.

"You can't just say this, do you want to find Luofeng Villa?" Long Si deliberately lowered his voice when he talked about Luofeng Villa.

"Yes, we have something to ask for help from Luofeng Villa, I wonder if Ryushiro has any news?"

"I do know a little bit about this Luofeng Villa, but it's just ......." Long Si looked embarrassed.

At this time, the guy came up with a drink and heard a knock on the door.

Long Si took the opportunity to change the topic, and deliberately raised his voice and said, "I don't know how much business you want to do, I am very familiar with all the shops in this grain market. ”

"Then you can talk about this check-mark rice shop" Seeing that Long Si was reluctant to say it for the time being, Sima Jingwen changed the topic.

"This Cha Ji rice shop is the largest grain merchant in the left side of the river, and the boss's name is Zha Yong, and he is also the chief helmsman of the twelve halls of Huaishui Caoyun.

Hearing this, everyone was slightly surprised, and Gu Rong remembered that when they were in the tomb of King Shanyang, the group of black-clothed people who attacked them were the people of Qing'en Hall, one of the twelve halls of Caoyun.

"Then this Cha Yong seems to have quite a background?" Murong Jia asked.

"That's natural, every year on this transport wharf, all kinds of merchants, passenger ships, official ships and even military ships have to walk on other people's territory, how can they be shocked if they don't have a background."

After Long Si finished speaking, he pointed in the direction of the check and continued, "Have you seen it? This is to check the rice shop, and no matter how much food you want in the years when there is a shortage of food, you will also have as much food as you want. The pricing of the entire grain market is up to the people. ”

"What if the price is different from theirs, or if there are other channels?" Yi Xue asked.

"The price is not the same? How dare you, unless you don't want to mix around this Jiangzuo area. ”

"How?"

"Do you think, Caoyun is controlled by others, and people on land are also hand-eyed, even the source of this grain is ......, in short, if you don't pass through them, you can't transport it in, you can't transport it out, how can you talk about other channels?"

"You're saying that they control the source of this food?" When Yi Xue heard this, she showed a look of surprise.

"Alas, it's inconvenient to say this, in short, the entire Jiangzuo is the force of the Huaicao Twelve Halls."

"And what's behind them?" Sima Jingwen asked.

"Speak out and scare you!"

"Listen, I'm curious what's behind them!" Sima Jingwen smiled.

Long Si lowered his voice again: "Yangzhou Thorn Mansion." ”

"You're saying they're colluding with officials and businessmen?" Gu Rong said.

"Alas, there is no official family behind any big businessman in these years." Long Si said disapprovingly.

Gu Rong laughed and said: "That's right, we are also businessmen, and we all have our own backgrounds." As the saying goes, a strong dragon doesn't suppress the head snake, since you are so familiar with Cha Ji, can you accompany us for a trip in the afternoon? ”

"Ordinary merchants have hundreds of stones or thousands of stones, and there are many choices, and they don't necessarily have to check and remember. How much food do you need? ”

"It's hard to say, but the more the better."

"Three or five thousand stones is definitely fine." Long Si saw that there was a big business, and the whole person was in good spirits.

"What about 30,000 stones?" Sima Jingwen said lightly.

Long Si's surprised eyes were about to fly out: "Childe, are you sure you want so much?" ”

"Just more, no less."

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