Daming: Apocalypse of Longevity

Chapter 59 Annan Wharf
When Zhang Shili heard that Zhang Guoji was going to Annan to buy grain and rice, he immediately slapped his chest and said with a smile: "Sir, if you want to go to Annan to buy rice, then you have asked the right person. I often go to Annan to do business, especially the grain and rice business. As we often do, when you get to the place, I can help you contact several big grain merchants to ensure that it is of high quality and low price!"

Zhang Guoji couldn't help but feel happy after hearing this, but he remained calm on the surface and asked calmly: "You said you also do grain business on weekdays? Then where will the grain you purchased from Annan be sold? What? As far as I know, the price of food in Guangdong and Guangxi is not high, and your boat trip costs a lot. Can you still make money from these two trips? "

After hearing this, Zhang Shili couldn't help but smile and said: "Sir, you don't know something. We, the ship runners, never use empty ships. Lianzhou produces pearls and Leizhou produces sugar. The small ones only need to pull a full boat." With a full cargo, you can earn a fortune when you arrive in Annan, and then you can buy a cargo of rice at a low price in Annan, and you can earn another fortune when you return to Lianzhou..."

Having said this, Zhang Shili touched the stubble on his chin and couldn't help but sigh: "I have to say, the rice in Annan is really cheap!"

Zhang Guoji nodded slowly. Zhang Shili's words didn't sound like he was lying. It seemed that he might actually be able to introduce him to some big grain merchants in Annan!
Zhang Guoji then followed Zhang Shili's words and continued to ask: "What is the price of Annan's rice?"

Zhang Shili came to his senses after hearing this, and quickly replied with a smile: "To tell you what, the price of rice in Annan used to be about five taels of silver per stone, but now Annan is at war. The last time I came here, the price of rice has risen to [-] cents per stone. A stone costs seven coins, but if you are willing to ask for brown rice, you can still buy a stone for five coins!"

Zhang Guoji was really surprised after hearing Zhang Shili's words, and couldn't help but muttered: "Five dollars and one stone, it's really cheap!"

I went to Annan to purchase grain and rice this time to provide relief to the victims. I didn’t care whether it was polished rice or brown rice. I just wanted to buy as much rice as possible, so I still had to buy the cheaper ones.

Three days later, Zhang Guoji finally saw the land from the boat. A pier stretching for several miles appeared on the coastline. There were countless ships moored along the coast. Wooden trestles stretched from the stone pier. come out.

Zhang Shili quickly walked into the cabin, bowed his hands to Zhang Guoji and said, "Sir, we are about to dock!"

Zhang Guoji looked through the window at the dock not far away and asked, "Where is this in Annan?"

Zhang Shili replied: "Let me tell you, this is the coastal defense of Annan. It used to be a small fishing village. Later, the Li Dynasty built a wharf here to receive merchants from all over the world to trade in Annan. Two hundred miles to the west is the capital of the Li Dynasty, Shengli. It’s a dragon.”

After hearing this, Zhang Guoji probably had some idea of ​​the location of this place, so he smiled and said: "This dock was actually built by the Li Dynasty. It seems that they still value you maritime merchants!"

Zhang Shili couldn't help but spit after hearing this and said, "You have to pay them money as soon as the ship docks. How can they not pay attention to it?"

Zhang Guoji couldn't help but be a little surprised: "What? If you want to enter their Annan country to do business, you have to pay for the passage?"

Zhang Shili hurriedly shook his head and explained: "That's not true. This money is paid once a year, which is equivalent to the handling fees and tariffs for doing business here. Although the Li Dynasty clearly marked the price, those officials on the dock It’s easy to talk to, as long as you are willing to put in some money, you can save a lot of money in a year!”

After hearing this, Zhang Guoji couldn't help but smile bitterly and shake his head. It seems that corrupt officials are everywhere all the time!
The boat quickly sailed into the pier and stopped at the shore. Before people got off the boat, they saw a Li Dynasty official wearing a black gauze hat and official robes climbed onto the boat, although he was dressed like Daming The officials looked almost exactly the same, but Zhang Guoji felt awkward no matter how he looked at them, but he couldn't pinpoint what was wrong with them.This Annan man was very thin, with a dark complexion, a deer-headed mouse eye, and a sharp-mouthed monkey cheek, but he was wearing an official robe, but he stood proudly on the deck, speaking Annan dialect loudly in his mouth.

Zhang Guoji took a closer look at his appearance, and the four words "monkey wearing a crown" appeared in his mind, and he couldn't help but laugh secretly.

Zhang Shili hurriedly stepped forward with a smile. While speaking Annan dialect, he handed a document to the other party to read. He also quietly stuffed a silver ingot into the hand of the Annan official, and then Then he put his arms around each other's shoulders, turned his back, and the two began to murmur.

After a while, the Annan official turned around, coughed dryly, gave Zhang Shili some fake instructions, and then climbed off the boat quickly and skillfully.

Zhang Shili looked at the small wooden boat of the Annan official rowing away, and then he spat and cursed: "Breaking Gai!"

Zhang Guoji ordered ten Jinyi guards to stay on the ship to guard the money, and took five Jinyi guards off the ship. Zhang Shili also took two men on the ship and led Zhang Guoji to the dock.

After arriving at the pier, I looked up and looked up. Although they were all low-rise bungalows, there was an endless street, and it was extremely busy with people coming and going. This made Zhang Guoji a little surprised. He thought that Zhang Shili was talking about There are not many people in this "small fishing village".

Zhang Shili pointed to this street and said: "Sir, many of the people here are actually Ming Dynasty people. In addition to the maritime merchants who come here to do business, there are also many people who got married and settled here. It is possible for us to have what we have today." Prosperity is also the result of our Ming Dynasty people!"

Zhang Guoji was even more surprised when he heard this, but if he thought about it carefully, after all, this was once the land of the Ming Dynasty, and it was not unusual for the people of the Ming Dynasty to settle here.

While the two were talking, they walked to the door of a grain store. Zhang Shili stopped, bowed towards the store door and stretched out his hand: "Sir, we are here, please!"

Zhang Guoji turned his head and glanced at the small grain store. He couldn't help but feel a little disappointed, but he still stepped inside and Zhang Shili hurriedly followed behind him.

Although this grain store is only two feet wide, it is five feet deep after entering the room. The room is filled with sacks filled with rice. At the innermost part is a wooden counter, where a man wearing green cloth and brown is sitting. He was leaning on the wooden chair behind the counter, holding a pipe and puffing away smoke.

When he heard someone coming in, he didn't stand up to greet him. Instead, he continued to smoke and asked nonchalantly: "What do you want?"

It's not that the boss doesn't do business well, but he is too lazy to receive ordinary customers. Even though this grain store is not big, it only does bulk business!
Upon seeing this, Zhang Shili coughed twice. Seeing that the other party still didn't respond, he hurriedly stepped forward and snatched the pipe from his hand, and said in a low voice: "Lao Wu, stop smoking, hurry up." I came here to meet Mr. Zhang!”

(End of this chapter)