A Good Landlord in the Tang Dynasty: Emperor Yuan Cong

Chapter 279 Aunt Shuofang
After several days and nights of wind, it finally stopped.

The weather was so fine, Wu Huaiyu also took off his purple robe and jade belt, and went out of the camp in casual clothes. He didn't enter Lingzhou City, but wandered around outside the city.

Lingzhou is only a thousand or two hundred miles away from Chang'an.

"Between Chang'an and Lingzhou, there are three main traffic roads, especially the main roads of Bin, Ning, and Qing. From Chang'an to Huanxian County, Gyeongju, it is also called Huanling Avenue."

When Huaiyu and the others came, they took Jingyuan Road, passed through Binjing, left Xiaoguan and entered Lingzhou.

Right now, their place is at the northern end of Huanling Avenue, close to Lingzhou City, and there are many paved roadsides.Several people dressed as ordinary merchants and entered a shop.

A thatched hut erected on the side of the road, a woman with several children.

"Guest officer, try our soba noodles, it's delicious and affordable."

Jing Muchai, a woman in a coarse cloth dress, is very simple. She has to take care of her children while doing business. She carries a small doll on her back, followed by a two-year-old child next to her. There are three children by the stove. Aged, helping with work.

Did not see the man.

"Oh, I heard that chopping buckwheat noodles is also Shuofang's specialty, so I must try it."

Zhang Chengde asked, "How much is a bowl of buckwheat noodles in your family, big bowls and small bowls, do you need money for noodle soup?"

"Five cents a bowl, big bowl, add some noodle soup for free."

Wei Siren looked at the humble shop, looked at the dirty children and felt a little disgusted, and saw that the tables were also covered with stains, and the crude earthenware bowls even had a lot of cracks, so he wanted to change places.

Huaiyu was not that picky, and smiled, "A big bowl of five cents is really not that expensive. You can give us two bowls first."

The woman responded with a smile, but didn't immediately step forward to do it.

On the contrary, Xin Zhao, who was used to running around in the market, smiled and went to touch the money, grabbed out the money bag directly, and counted the best Kaiyuan Tongbao on the table one by one.

A group of seven people counted seventy coins.

Seeing this, the woman's eyes lit up, she kept saying thank you, and then hurried over to count the money, placing dozens of them in piles and counting twice.

"Guest officer, don't be surprised, the village women in the mountains are stupid."

Wei Siren frowned, "We still need money for your bowl of noodles?"

The woman just smiled compensatingly, then took the money, turned around and started to work.

Liu Xu looked at the haggard woman, "The five children are all girls. Judging by their age, they should have brothers or something.

This woman should not be older than 35. "

"I'll believe everything you say." Wei Siren saw that the table was shabby and dirty, and specially asked a girl to bring water and a dishcloth, but after seeing the dishcloth, he felt extremely disgusted.

Liu Xu sat down quite naturally. Seeing that Wei disliked it, he pulled the grass and wiped it for him, "This chopping buckwheat noodles is what Shuofang women are good at. This girl is eight or nine years old, and the mother is just I have to teach my daughter how to chop noodles hand in hand,
By the time the girl reaches Ji, she has mastered the noodle chopping technique.

In Shuofang, whether a girl can chop noodles or not, and whether the chop is good or not, is an important condition for young men to measure the skill of their opponents when they are looking for a wife.

If any girl can't chop noodles, if the chopping is not good, it will not be easy to marry.

On the Loess Plateau, chopping buckwheat noodles is still the first-class meal for guests. "

Liu Xu grew up eating snacks, and he has a different kind of intimacy with this noodle shop.

There are many types of noodles in Guanzhong, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. The focus of chopping noodles is chopping, but it is not complicated. The noodle chopping knife generally used is more special, not an ordinary kitchen knife.

The knife is about two feet long and one inch wide.

The woman had already kneaded the soba noodles into a ball, and when there were guests, she took out the noodles and put them on the noodle table, and then rolled out part of the dough with a rolling pin, then held the knife in both hands, and began to chop from front to back.

The movements are skillful and very quick.

Immediately, the noodles were neatly arranged on the noodle table.

Chop it once, count it as one knife noodle, cook it in a pot, and one knife noodle can catch three or four bowls.

The woman's movements are skillful, and the roots of the chopped noodles are distinct and uniform in thickness.

The two older girls in her family also kneaded, rolled, and chopped the noodles, and another six or seven-year-old girl helped to light the fire.

The woman chopped a knife of noodles and put them in the pot, and then came over with the child on her back.

"Several guest officials, if our chopped buckwheat noodles are paired with our Lingzhou mutton dumplings, it will taste more fresh and smooth, and the noodles are delicious. Do you want to serve them with dumplings?"

Huaiyu felt that this woman was good at doing business, so she didn't sell the sausage seeds at the beginning, but came to sell the noodles after they were cooked.

"How much is it, is the mutton fresh?" Xin Zhao asked with a smile.

"It's all freshly slaughtered mutton bought from the butcher early in the morning. It's delicious and not expensive. It costs ten cents a piece."

Noodles only cost five yuan a bowl, but shaozi cost ten yuan a bowl.

Seeing that Xin Zhao didn't ask for it right away, the woman added, "A large portion costs ten cash, and a small portion only costs five cash. The large portion is plenty, and the small portion is also quite a lot."

"I want to have a small portion and a large portion first. If the amount you said is really fresh and delicious, then each person will have a large portion."

Seeing this, the woman happily went to prepare.

Over there, the woman's two eldest daughters started chopping noodles again, the knives fell on the surface like rain hitting plantains, and the noodles turned like silver wires flying.

It can be seen that the elder of these two girls is no more than eleven or twelve years old, and the younger may be about ten years old, but this noodle chopping kung fu has already been taught by her mother and has been taught by her mother.

The first knife noodles were cooked quickly, and the cold water was scooped up, and the two girls brought them.

One person served two bowls.

"The guest officer is slow to use."

The girl is not tall, very thin, and a little shy.

Four bowls of noodles, one bowl with a large portion of mutton saozi, one bowl with a small portion, and two bowls with vegetarian saozi, which do not require extra money. They are some seasonal vegetables, cut into small pieces The pieces are fried and boiled soft, as if they are served with diced tofu, made into soup with chopped green onions.

It's really fragrant.

Xin Zhao tasted it first and applauded again and again.

"That's the taste,"

Mutton dumplings are also quite delicious, and the woman is quite good at managing them. Although the price of two small portions is the same as that of a large portion, a large portion is actually more than two small portions. Buying a large portion like this Might be more cost-effective.

"Just like this, two big bowls of buckwheat noodles for each person, and a big serving of mutton dumplings."

Buckwheat noodles are miscellaneous grains commonly grown by the people in the north. The yield is not high but they are relatively drought-tolerant, so they are especially common in the Loess Plateau, especially in the Shuofang area.

It is beautiful when buckwheat flowers are blooming all over the mountain.

Huaiyu picked up a chopstick and found that it was indeed quite good.

This morning I got up to practice soldiers and horses, rode and shot again, and then went out for a walk. I was really hungry.

When this person is hungry, everything will be delicious.

While eating chopped noodles, Wu Huaiyu still didn't forget to chat with the woman, mainly asking about the current food prices and other prices, and such things as security, the government's tax collection and apportionment situation, etc.

The woman said that the price of grain is good, but Lingzhou is close to the south of the Yangtze River, the granary in the northwest, where the grain is relatively sufficient and the price is relatively stable.

The five cents a bowl of chopped noodles is also because buckwheat is cheaper.

"In Chang'an, this kind of buckwheat noodles cost at least ten yuan a bowl." Zhao Dao said.

The woman said, "Chang'an is the capital, the home of the royal family, it can't be compared."

Huaiyu remembered Zou Luotuo who sold steamed cakes in Dongshi. He used to sell steamed cakes for [-] yuan a piece. One who hoarded food and raised prices wantonly while the war was in turmoil.

Zou Luotuo later sold steamed cakes for only eight cents.

In this era of small catering, the price is mainly closely related to the price of food.

During the reign of Wude, there were many wars, food prices in Chang'an were high, and the cost of living was high. Don't look at a steamed bun selling for seven or eight yuan, but many civilians may only earn twenty or thirty yuan a day.

In times of peace and stability, one day's wages can probably buy a bucket of rice, but in times of war, it is not bad to be able to buy a few steamed buns.

Lingzhou is rich, and food prices are relatively stable, plus it is a border gate, so the prices are still much cheaper than those in Chang'an.

A big bowl of chopped noodles sells for five renminbi.

But here, a bucket of rice can only be sold for tens of dollars. Last year, the price of grain in Chang’an ranged from two to three hundred yuan to six to seven hundred yuan per bucket of rice. It was even higher when it was sold on the black market at its peak. Now that it has fallen back, it costs more than a hundred yuan. .

Huaiyu briefly speculated that this woman sells noodles on the side of the road, and she only sells chopped noodles with a gross profit of at least [-]%, excluding mutton dumplings and haggis soup, which are considered ordinary profits for small traders. tithes.

Just earn some hard money.

However, mutton stew may be more profitable.

"Do you have tea and wine for sale here?" Liu Xu asked the woman to bring some garlic to serve with noodles, while asking other questions.

The woman’s small noodle stall does not have tea and wine, which are more expensive, and people who come to eat noodles usually don’t ask for wine or tea. But it is more in line with her situation.

A small stall like her actually has to pay money to the government, but what she pays is not industrial and commercial taxes or the like, but the money collected by the yamen. There is no official name, but anyway, she has to pay a sum of money. There are also those for people in the yamen, usually bad people come to collect them.

Of course, it is customary to pay a sum to the local snake.

These few sums of money, no more, no less, can be taken out, and will not take away all his profits, and the rest can be maintained.

In fact, this amount was obviously carefully calculated by the other party. They would take [-]% of the profit of any shop or store, and then [-]% for the yamen, subordinate officials, and local snakes.

Although they set up a stall on the roadside outside the city to do business, but the official's private is black and white, and there is nothing that should be paid.

"Where's your man?" Huaiyu asked.

"Chun plowing, at home, my parents-in-law, uncles, aunts, and the others are busy plowing the fields. There are three boys at home who help with farming and herding sheep. There are six of us, mother and daughter, and we set up a stall here to chop noodles and earn some living money for subsidies. home use."

Two big bowls of chopped buckwheat noodles were paired with a large portion of mutton stew. Wu Huaiyu and the others were very satisfied with what they ate, and the women were also busy and happy. stop.

The little baby was very sensible and didn't cry or make trouble.

This stall is on the Huanling Avenue, and the business is neither bad nor bad. It is a bit harder, but it can help the family to some extent.

Buckwheat, vegetables grown at home, and sheep raised at home can be realized here.

Wu Huaiyu looked at the Huanling Avenue. Although there was an assassin attack in Lingzhou, there were still a lot of business travelers on the road.

After the Yanningqing Road entered the Loess Plateau from the Guanzhong Plain, it was mainly based on the Sichuan Road.

After crossing the Wei Bridge in Chang'an, go along the Jing River to Binzhou, which has just been renamed Binzhou to avoid confusion between You and Bin. In Binzhou, follow the Maling River (Huanjiang, Malian River), a tributary of the Jing River, and enter Huanxian County, Gyeongju.

Further to the north, the tributaries are reduced and the river narrows. It is no longer possible to travel along the river, but to follow the mountains and go through a section of the vast sea and Gobi.

Qinggang Ridge at the junction of Qingzhou, Yanzhou and Lingzhou is the key point of this road. If you pass through Qinggang Gorge and leave Qinggang Gorge, you can go to Lingzhou, Yanzhou, and Yuanzhou.

Wu Huaiyu and the others were talking about Huanling Avenue just now, and they talked about this Qinggang Gorge, which is on the border of the three states. The terrain is dangerous, and it must pass through the Huanling Avenue.

Wu Huaiyu feels that the situation in Lingzhou is unclear now, and the key to recovering Yanzhou depends on himself. He plans to lead troops to the mouth of Qinggang Gorge first, build a fort and build a village there, and use it as the base camp to recover Yanzhou. The transportation and commercial goods of Huanling Avenue, especially in the future when salt is exchanged for food, this traffic artery will become more and more important.

The governor of Gyeongju is Duan Lun, and he can be regarded as a good friend, so he can borrow some strength.

A fast horse gallops.

"County Lord, please go back to the barracks quickly, King Ren Cheng is here." Wu Huailiang came in to report.

Wu Huaiyu heard that Li Daozong was coming again, so he was not in a hurry. Recently, Li Daozong came to Wu Huaiyu every day, but there was no progress in tracking down the assassin, let alone confessing.

"Just tell Dudu Li that I'm outside."

"County Lord, King Ren Cheng has brought His Majesty's envoy."

Hearing the emperor's envoy, Wu Huaiyu didn't dare to neglect, so he hurried back.

Before Huaiyu left, he took out a silver Kaiyuan Tongbao and gave it to the woman as a reward for her.

Holding the silver Kaiyuan coin, the woman stared at the group of people going away in a daze. She thought they were just ordinary businessmen, but she didn't expect that this group of generous diners was actually a county magistrate?
Even the governor of Lingzhou, the king of Lingcheng, rushed to see him, and now the emperor's envoy came to announce the decree to him?

What is the background of this young man?
"Mother, why is this money white, private money?"

"Silly girl, this is not privately minted white money, it's silver money," she had heard of this kind of silver coin before, one weighs one and a half cents, and can be worth 240 Wen Kaiyuan Tongbao copper coins. It is very rare, and someone specially collects it. In exchange for 250 copper coins.

A bowl of chopped buckwheat noodles for five cents is enough for their mothers to chop fifty bowls.

When the big girl heard that this white coin was worth fifty bowls of noodles, she couldn't keep her mouth shut in surprise, "That man is so generous, he rewarded us with so much money?"

The woman looked at the back, "They may be from the Yanzhou military camp outside the city, and the young man may be the new governor of Yanzhou."

"Such a young governor? Not much older than my elder brother."

"How can your elder brother compare? Your elder brother is a sheep herder, and the mother who is a farmer is a noodle cutter. Zhao Si, who came to collect money last time, they talked about this new governor. It is said that he was born in the family of the Duke. A disciple of a master of the gods, on the way to take office, he also killed a prince who was about to rebel, which is quite remarkable."

The second girl was amazed again and again, "Mother, it would be great if they come to eat chopped noodles every day from now on."

A bowl of minced noodles and a serving of mutton dumplings can earn about three pennies. If he is happy with the meal, he will reward him with a silver coin, which is worth a sheep.

The woman hurriedly put the silver coin close to her body, shook her head not to have that unrealistic dream, turned around to pack up the dishes and went to wash the dishes.

A bowl of noodles can earn half a penny, and if you can sell a few more bowls of noodles a day, you will be satisfied. As for the governor and county magistrate, they are too far away from ordinary people like them.

(End of this chapter)