Lord: Start with a book of Water Margin

Chapter 103 Business and Sima’s Descendants

The next morning, Zhao Xiang took Zhao Zhen to learn Taizu's long stick. After only teaching thirty-six steps, Zhao Xiang had to pack up and go to the military camp for duty. With the recent formation of the foggy world, there have been more activities by rangers, delinquents, and gang members in the county, so patrolling the city has naturally become much busier.

For the next three days, Zhao Zhen taught Zhao Xiang the stick technique every day. Perhaps it was because Zhao Xiang had learned Taizu's Changquan. In just four days, Taizu's stick technique had become more and more impressive.

By teaching his brother Zhao Xiang's stick technique, Zhao Zhen gained a deeper understanding of Taizu's long stick and felt that his martial arts had greatly improved. Seeing that his brother had learned the stick technique, and remembering Guang Hui and Ruan Xiaoqi in the misty world, Zhao Zhen explained the reason to his parents and took Jin Cuilian back to Bailiu Village.

When Zhao Zhen came back, he saw Chao Gai and Song Wan on the sunbathing field in Bailiu Village, with eighty or ninety people shouting and cheering under the sun. When Zhao Zhen looked at it, these farmers already had some skills with guns and sticks. Split, sweep, poke, smash, lift, hang, collapse, and block, all the same.

Zhao Zhen did not disturb anyone and sent Jin Cuilian back to the back house first. Calling Tian Lei, Zhao Zhen said: "Steward Tian, ​​have you been practicing these days? Make some mung bean soup and send it to the drying ground. Don't get heatstroke."

Tian Lei said: "Baozheng, we have been practicing for three days. Mung bean soup and salt water are supplied every day. Chao Zhuangshi, invited by the village owner, ordered that the mung bean soup and salt water should not be stopped every day. In the past few days, the mung beans and salt have been consumed. Quite a few.”

Zhao Zhen said: "It doesn't matter, I won't use much. I just want to ask you something. The salt used in the village now is purchased in the county? How much does it cost per pound?"

Tian Lei said: "Baozheng, the salt used in the village was previously sent by the old village owner from the county. Now there is still a lot of it. Baozheng has a young man who eats in the village, and the half of the salt left in the village is enough for the village." A person needs to use two kilograms of salt every day during these three days for a year. Most of the salt used by villagers is purchased from the countryside, and the price of salt is 40 cents."

Zhao Zhen said: "Do you know who is selling it?"

Tian Lei said: "There are five families in the village selling salt, Zhao, Song, Duan, Miao, and the pavilion chief Gao's salt shop, all for 40 cents."

Zhao Zhen was overjoyed after hearing this, nodded and said: "Okay, I understand, Manager Tian, ​​go and get busy." After Tian Lei left, Zhao Zhen paced back and forth in the front hall, his expression slowly calmed down, and he thought: " Zhao, Song, Duan, Miao, and Gao are all prominent families in the country. It goes without saying that the Gao family is the national surname. The other four families also all have people in high positions and are from famous families. I'm afraid it would be inappropriate for me to participate rashly. It's best. It's better to get together with Gao Hu, so that you can sit back and relax."

Seeing noon, Zhao Zhen resisted the urge to go see Gao Hu immediately and had lunch with Chao Gai and Song Wan first. After the meal, the three of them took a chair and took a break under the willow tree as usual.

All three of them took off their shirts and lay on the chairs. They all closed their eyes, each holding a cattail leaf fan and fanning slowly. Zhao Zhen said: "How come you two brothers thought of training these bankers?"

Song Wandao: "The owner of the village, or the villagers heard that Brother Chao Gai was brave and killed Li Huajing in the foggy world. They all came to the village to petition. They couldn't evade it, so they taught him a lot of fists, kicks and sticks in the sunbathing field."

Chao Gai said: "That's true. Seeing that the weather was hot, I took it upon myself to ask Steward Tian to make a lot of salt water and mung bean soup to cool down. I hope my brother can forgive me."

Zhao Zhen said: "What's the matter? Xiudao said it's just a few kilograms of worthless salt and beans. It's just a waste of more gold and silver. What's it worth? In the afternoon, I was going to Gaohu's place to discuss the sale of salt. This matter If it works, it will be better than selling salt in Liangshan Township."

Chao Gai said: "Such a good thing is worth a trip. According to Brother Liu Tang, the source of the salt is not a problem. If the market is opened up again, this will be a business that makes a lot of money every day." Zhao Zhen said: "I am just here He is an upright man with a small official position, but he still has some respect in the village. With the help of the power of Gao Hu, the head of the pavilion, he can sell salt in Luliu Township, but he may not be able to sell salt in other places in the county. Fortunately, there are also 4000 households in Luliu Township. Plus, there are nearly 2000 households in the new mist world, with a total of more than 30000 people, and the salt consumption in a year is not small."

Hearing Zhao Zhen's description, Chao Gai and Song Wan couldn't help but smile with joy, and both said: "It's a good way to make money." The weather was slightly cold, so Chao Gai still went to the sunbathing field to teach the dealers martial arts, while Zhao Zhen and Song Wan went to fight horses [Zhongyi] Wang Li Hua Jing] The world of mist.

As Zhao Zhen expected, Gao Hu was still taking care of things in the misty world. After seeing the gift, Gao Hu said with a smile: "Brother Zhao Zhen, are you coming to pick up brothers Guang Hui and Ruan Xiaoqi?" Zhao Zhen said: "Brother Gao Hu, I'm not here just for this. I have been staying with my parents in the county town for a while. Today I went back to the village and saw that all the villagers were practicing martial arts with Chao Gai brothers. There was light salt water on the field for farmers to use. Then I remembered something and came to discuss with my brother to see if there was any cooperation. The place."

Gao Hu said, "Brother, what good things do you think of me?"

Zhao Zhen said: "To be honest with you, I found a private salt route in my fantasy world. I wonder how much my brother buys it from the salt shop in the village? If it is suitable, I will take the private salt from the fantasy world and sell it."

After hearing this, Gao Hu said with a smile: "Brother, the price of salt is 40 cents. It can be cheaper if you buy more, at least 38 cents. Brother, the price is the same in Gao country. Gao country does not produce salt. It was bought from the State of Qi. We purchased it from the national treasury, all for 25 cents. Transportation, loss, tax, and hiring people to sell it. One pound can only earn 20000 or 1800 cents. There are more than people in Luliu Township. From my shop Approximately in people purchase it. Including the foggy world here, the salt consumption is at least stones a year. How much is the price of salt at my brother's place? How much salt can be supplied every year?"

Zhao Zhen said: "Brother Gao Hu, my younger brother has also recently opened up a road and found a sea salt farm. There, some private salt is sold by the kitchen owners every year. My younger brother bought more than a thousand stones of fine salt, which is only 15 yuan per pound. If my elder brother can Let’s decide, how about selling it to my brother for 20 cents per pound?”

Gao Hu said happily: "This is very good. My two brothers can earn thousands more dollars a year. When can we transport the salt?"

Zhao Zhen said: "It will take more than ten days to be ready."

Gao Hu said: "That's fine. Brothers can transport the salt and settle the accounts in the countryside. The supply will be 2000 shi per year."

Zhao Zhen thanked Gao Hu, and the two chatted for a long time. At night, Gao Hu hosted a banquet in honor of Zhao Zhen, Guang Hui, Ruan Xiaoqi, and Song Wan. At the banquet, Gao Hu also introduced the heroes who came to replace Guang Hui and stationed in the misty world. Gao Hu said: "This man is called Tian Qi. He is a descendant of Tian Rangju. His family has passed down the "Sima Law", which states that he is bound to be disciplined. He is good at generals, has extraordinary strength and outstanding martial arts."

When Zhao Zhen saw that this man had a burly appearance, showed talent, and was a descendant of a military strategist, he immediately felt the desire to make friends with him. Tian Qi heard that Guanghui and others were figures in Zhao Zhen's fantasy world, and he was also close to Zhao Zhen. Everyone at the banquet couldn't help but mingled with each other. At the banquet, everyone couldn't help but talk about guns and clubs. When Zhao Zhen saw the heirs of military strategists, he couldn't help but ask for advice on how to run the army.

Tian Qi said: "My ancestors once said: 'The most important thing in running an army is strictness, and leading the army must be dignified.' To care for the soldiers, personally ask about food and diseases, and share the rations equally with the soldiers. In this way, the soldiers will have a high fighting spirit, rush to the battle, and win the battle. .'If the army is not strictly governed, the generals have no power, and the soldiers are not loyal, how can they fight and dare to stand? Therefore, only by having both, can the army be strong."

After hearing this, everyone couldn't help but nod their heads and praised: "This is a good advice." After drinking until midnight, Zhao Zhen, Guang Hui, Ruan Xiaoqi, and Song Wan, with six crossbowmen, bid farewell to Gao Hu and returned. Bailiu Village.

(End of this chapter)