The three of them walked along the official road for more than ten miles in one breath before stopping to rest.

Guo Wenyuan said: "Ten miles further forward is the old salt port, I don't know where there is still anyone." Let's take a break and get there. ”

Shen Mu said: "Brother Guo seems to be very familiar with this place. ”

Guo Wenyuan said: "Hey, my ancestor originally made salt for the government, and the original salt mine was in the old salt port. Later, because of the backflow of seawater, the salt works were flooded, and the land was deserted, and the ancestors gave up this livelihood. When I reached adulthood, my father only hoped that I would be able to make a name for myself and find an official position in another place. ”

Shen Mu's expression was agitated when he heard this, the ancestor surnamed Guo was actually the master of the salt mine, isn't this another village, and it doesn't take any effort to get there.

I wanted to do a private salt business, and God sent such a person to me. It seems that God Jesus Nyorai, Buddha and the Jade Emperor have not forgotten themselves.

Shen Mu said: "Brother Guo, are you saying that the old salt port in front of you is an abandoned salt mine, and your ancestors are making a living from the old salt port?"

Guo Wenyuan said: "Yes, in the early years, I came back with my father to worship my ancestors. Later, my father moved the ancestral tomb and ancestral hall to the mainland. I haven't been here before, and I don't know what is going on right now. ”

Shen Mu said happily: "Then let's rest and hurry." lest there be any more demons and monsters. ”

As soon as he said this deliberately, Guo Gao and the others were half frightened to death, and said again and again: "Mr. Shen, don't stop." Let's rush over as soon as possible, there will always be more peace of mind when there are more people!"

Shen Mu laughed for a while, and said, "Okay, then let's go quickly." ”

The old salt port, more than 200 years ago, was also brilliantly lit, every night, when the galaxy settled, there would be three or three salt workers gathered together, singing songs, drinking wine.

Those long and lonely bluestone alleys with soft dark fragrance, old mottled brick walls, a few thin weeds grew in the cracks, and under the golden light of the ever-bright lights, it looked even more hazy and quiet. Drinking and bragging is a must-have thing for salt workers for a day, and they can't be moved.

When Shen Mu and the others arrived at the old salt port, it was already sunset.

The autumn mist quietly shrouded the earth as the sun set, casting a veil of mystery over the town. Most of the houses in the town have been deserted, and the towns that have risen because of the industry are often in disintegration due to the decline of the industry.

The three of them walked around, and finally came across a tavern with a dead wind lamp hanging at the door of a very small alley. The lamp, very dim, and then printed with a cloud of mist, round, like a pale yellow marshmallow.

The wine seller was a gray-haired, hunched old man, wiping down a square table, which was very old, and the corners had been sharpened into an arc. Behind him was a young boy of seven or eight years old.

Shen Mu and the others ran too fast all the way, and their mouths were already dry. Although the tavern was dilapidated, it was like a life-saving straw, and the three of them hurriedly rushed into the small room.

When the old man saw the guests coming, he hurriedly stopped what he was doing, put the rag on his shoulder, and almost said: "Three guest officers, looking at the appearance of the dusty servants, I'm afraid they are rushing into the city." ”

Guo Wenyuan glanced at the old man, and suddenly said, "Uncle Mai, is that you?"

The old man was slightly stunned, stared at Guo Wenyuan, and said blankly: "Guest officer, do we know each other?"

Guo Wenyuan said: "Hi, Uncle Mai, it's me, Xiao Wenyuan." Ten years ago, you were in a pond and picked up the doll that slipped out. ”

The old man squinted his eyes and looked carefully, and the little boy behind him suddenly saw the living person, a little frightened, rubbing the corners of his clothes with one hand, and pulling the old man's short coat tightly with the other.

The old man suddenly patted his thigh and said, "Ouch, look at my memory, I'm old, and I really can't do anything." You...... You are the young master of Guo Yuanwai's family. ”

Guo Wenyuan said: "Yes, it's a coincidence, before I came, I thought if I could see my uncle." I didn't expect to run into your old man here. ”

Uncle Mai hurriedly invited Guo Wenyuan, Shen Mu and the others to sit down, he wiped the table again, and said, "Young Master Guo, this time flies really fast, more than ten years have passed in a blink of an eye. The big fat boys back then are now so handsome. ”

Guo Wenyuan smiled and said, "Hey, it's not." By the way, Uncle Mai, I remember that there were still a lot of people here ten years ago, why don't you see a few people passing by here today. ”

Uncle Mai said: "Since the salt pans were flooded by the seawater, and there is no place to take salt brine, this place has gradually declined. Eight years ago, a new salt pan opened in the nearby town of Newport, and the people here moved there to make a living. The old man is nostalgic, thinking that there is nothing to do anywhere, and he has scruples about a few old guys who have been drinking here for many years, so he stays here. ”

Guo Wenyuan said: "Uncle Mai, this child is your grandson?"

Uncle Mai nodded and said, "Yes, this baby's father also went to Xingang to find a way to make a living." Our people here have been salt workers for generations. Suddenly, there was no salt farm, and I always didn't know what to do to make a living. Uncle Mai paused and continued: "Young Master Guo, the three of you are a little late, and the old man has nothing to eat, you sit down, I'll go and see what else to eat." ”

Guo Wenyuan said: "Thank you Uncle Mai, we came in a hurry, and we didn't notice the hour and missed the meal." Uncle Mai, just get some food, and give us a pot of wine. ”

Uncle Mai answered, greeted Shen Mu and the others again, and led the little boy to the back kitchen to get busy.

Gao Jintao saw Uncle Mai turn to the back kitchen, and said, "It seems that they don't seem to know about the things in that village." ”

Shen Mu wanted to say, "I'm afraid that those who know have become a meal in the belly of the walking corpse." But when the words came to his lips, he was afraid and shocked when he thought of the bloody scene, and he still didn't mention that memory, so he said lightly: "Yes." "Shift the conversation to the saltworks.

Shen Mu asked, "Brother Guo, in this way, most of the people here are from salt workers. ”

Guo Wenyuan said: "I don't know much about this, my ancestors moved away early, but more than ten years ago, because I wanted to move my ancestors' graves, I came to live with my father for a few months. According to my father, the people here have lived on salt for generations. The land in the vicinity is heavily saline, making it difficult to grow and cultivate. As soon as this salt farm is abandoned, the town is also abandoned. ”

Shen Mu pondered for a moment, and then said: "Even if the seawater backs up, you can change the place to dry the salt, why is it abandoned?"

Guo Wenyuan said: "Mr. Shen didn't know that this salt production needs to first introduce seawater into the salt pan, evaporate the water through the sun, and then introduce it into the salt pond, and continue to dry the sun, and the seawater will crystallize into coarse salt. From the diversion of seawater, to the extraction of salt brine, and then to the precipitation of salt. Large areas of open space are required. Rising waters have flooded most of the flat areas, so there are not enough salt sites. What's more serious is that the sea water here rises and mixes with the muddy water on land, resulting in the sea water here is no longer clear, and the salt from such sea water has too many impurities, who will use this salt. ”

Shen Mu said: "So, if you find a place with a large area of flat land and clear seawater, you can open a salt farm?"

Guo Wenyuan said: "Yes, if you think about it more, you also need to consider the salt content in the seawater. ”

Shen Mu nodded and said, "I didn't expect there to be so many Taoists here. ”

Guo Wenyuan said: "Mr. Shen seems to be very interested in the salt farm?"

Shen Mu said: "I am a businessman, so I am naturally interested in the business of rolling money. ”

Guo Wenyuan said: "Mr. Shen doesn't know that this salt and iron has always belonged to the imperial court? Whether it is the old salt port or the new port town, it needs the imperial court government to operate. ”

Shen Mu said: "I know, the salt and iron official camp." Although he said this, he began to make small calculations in his heart.

Uncle Mai brought three bowls of rice, a plate of green vegetables, a plate of peanuts, a plate of fried dried fish and a pot of wine to the table.

The three of them swept away the meals like wolves.

That night, the three of them lay down in the shop casually all night, Uncle Mai originally invited them into the house to rest, the three of them saw that the baby was too young, how dare they disturb, borrowed two shops, and slept on the spot.

Early the next morning, Shen Mu and others resigned from Uncle Mai. Shen Mu took half of the silver left in his bag and stuffed it into Uncle Mai's hand.

Mai Datui couldn't do it, and he accepted it with a thousand thanks.

Shen Mu asked Uncle Mai again if there was a place to sell horses in the town. Uncle Mai shook his head and said that there were no horses to sell here, but he said that he could go to South Street to buy a donkey cart to travel.

Luckily, there were a few families in the town who were going to go elsewhere, and the extra cattle could be exchanged for some silver to buy a property.

Shen Mu bought a donkey cart, the donkey is an old donkey, and the car is also a broken car, which is better than grinding the ground with his feet.

Driving this small broken donkey, Shen Muden felt a little old Zhang Guo...... I just don't know if when Zhang Xianren rides a donkey upside down, the donkey will raise its tail and pull a lump of poop, that sour, it's enough.

In order to divert his attention, Shen Mu kept chattering, and he was really tired, so he exchanged them with Guo Gao.

Shen Mu thought of the confrontation with Qixingzhai, and his heart was at a loss again. How can we gather a large amount of wealth in a short period of time and not collapse in the coming year?

It is absolutely impossible to rob a house and a house, and if you do so, you will only die faster; you will definitely not be able to do it in a short period of time, not to mention that Qixingzhai is the salt boss here; tea seems to be out of place; if you want to make cereals, cloth and herbs, the time is slow, and it depends on the way of heaven.

It seems that these ideas can only be planned for the long term. In Shen Mu's planning, private salt, tea, grain and grass have to be done, what he wants to do is no longer simply to do business, but to be an investor, to be a major shareholder, with Yinzhuang as a lever, to leverage the entire market.

However, to do these things, it takes a lot of talents, and the people of Wulong Mountain, fighting, and taking care of the home are their skills.

To gallop through the shopping mall, you need someone who is thoughtful, can speak well, and at least understands the text. You can't teach illiterate people to keep accounts, because if something goes wrong, you can't make up for it.