When He Feng came to return the lunch box and get the drinks, he gave Huo Xi another tael of silver.
"My lord, I ate those two dishes made with crabmeal and thought they were delicious. I'll give you a reward."
"Thank you, sir. Brother He thanks you for me." Huo Xi happily took the silver reward and carefully put it into his purse in front of He Feng.
He Feng saw her acting like this and smiled.
He nodded: "Be more alert at night and pay more attention to the grain to avoid making mistakes. When we arrive in Huai'an tomorrow, the supervisor will board the ship to take grain samples for inspection."
"Yes. Brother He, don't worry. We will take good care of it and prevent any loss of grain."
He Feng nodded and left by boat.
"Xi'er, what kind of grain sample are you taking? Why do you need to inspect the grain?" Yang Fu couldn't understand.
When the farmers handed over the taxed grain to the Jiangning County government, didn't the government officials open the bags, inspect them, and repackage them before allowing the porters to carry them onto the boat? Why do they need to take grain samples and inspect the grain again?
Qian Xiaoxia was just lying on the Yujiang boat. When he saw He Feng approaching, he didn't dare to move. Now that he was gone, he hurriedly climbed onto the Huo family's boat.
"Yes, I want to know too." Qian Xiaoxia said.
Seeing that Yu Jiang and Huo Erhuai were also listening with their ears pricked up, Huo Xi said to them, "Of course we need to check the food."
"We have been walking all the way for two days. Who knows what problems may occur along the way. We have inspected the food at Jiangning County Government, but what if someone is bold enough to exchange the food along the way? How about passing it off as good quality food?
No more food inspections allowed?”
If something goes wrong with the grain supply, it will be a matter of losing one's head. Who dares to take it lightly?
"We haven't docked all the way, how can we change?"
Huo Xi rolled her eyes at Qian Xiaoxia.
"Then there are many tricks in the rivers and lakes. If you don't go ashore, others can't come over? Not during the day, and can't come over at night? What if you faint, and your whole boat of food will be replaced. New food will be replaced by old food, and good food will be replaced.
Chuanpi, who dares to take this responsibility?"
Qian Xiaoxia opened his mouth wide. Is there such a way?
They are all honest people and did not expect these twists and turns.
Huo Xi made a sideways gesture to his head, and Qian Xiaoxia was so frightened that he shut his mouth.
If a ship of grain was exchanged, it would be a big deal to lose one's head. He would have to tell his brother and his parents to take care of him soon. The whole family would not have to pay for it.
"Then why take rice samples?" Yu Jiang asked.
"Taking rice samples is to check the quality of the rice color. According to the type of grain, it is stored in different warehouses."
"Are there many warehouses?" Yang Fu was very curious.
"Of course. The previous dynasty's grain supply per year amounted to tens of millions of dan, and how much could be contained in one warehouse."
Seeing Yang Fu's open mouth, Huo Xi smiled: "In the previous dynasty, in addition to the five major official warehouses of Huai'an, Xuzhou, Linqing, Dezhou, and Tianjin, there were also Jingtong warehouses in Dadu, and counties and small towns in various states.
Duijun warehouse. Some warehouses can store tens or millions of dan of grain, while some small ones can only store tens of thousands of dan. Each warehouse is different."
Everyone opened their mouths wide, God, tens of millions, stone?
How much grain is that?
How many granaries need to be built? How to prevent pests and mice?
Qian Xiaoxia and Yang Fu felt that their horizons had been opened again.
"Then look at the grain samples and decide which warehouse to store them in?" Yu Jiang asked again.
Huo Xi nodded: "Cow grain has many uses. There are white grains for the palace, for princes, nobles and officials, as well as for civilian use, military grains, and feed for military horses. It all depends on the grain type, and whether it is good or bad depends on the type.
Carry out storage in different warehouses.”
Everyone was very surprised when they heard this. They just thought it was just a trip to transport food, but they didn't expect that there were so many ways inside.
"Xi'er, what is white grain? Is it only supplied to the palace, princes, nobles and officials?" Huo Erhuai also asked.
"Dad, white grain is the japonica rice and glutinous rice collected by the five prefectures of Suzhou, Songjiang, Changzhou, Jiaxing, and Huzhou."
"God, it's only for the Five Governments. No wonder it's so expensive."
Huo Xi nodded: "It's expensive. But we're right nearby. If you want to eat, you can still buy it. You can't buy it in other prefectures."
"Then when I have a field in the future, I will grow japonica rice and glutinous rice." Qian Xiaoxia said with a smile on his face. You can always eat it if you grow it yourself.
Huo Xi gestured to him with a thumbs up. She thought so too.
When she makes money, she will buy fields to grow grain. Buy more and plant more.
"Huo Xi, how do you know so much?" Qian Xiaoxia gestured. Her little stature is not even big enough for him to know so much?
Huo Xi rolled her eyes at him: "You can know this if you read more books."
Qian Xiaoxia made a face at her and said to Huo Erhuai: "Uncle Huo, how come you are willing to spend money to teach him how to read? Yang Fu can't even read a word."
The Huo family was worse than his Qian family before, but they were willing to send Huo Xi to study?
Huo Erhuai paused and glanced at Huo Xi.
She said softly: "He was weak when he was a child and fell ill every three days, so he had to be fostered elsewhere. His mother and I were worried about his future livelihood. He couldn't make a living on the water, so we planned to let him read more books.
In the future, I can make a living even if I work as a bookkeeper."
Huo Xi glanced at Huo Erhuai, raised her head and smiled at him.
Huo Erhuai reached out and stroked her head.
Yu Jiang watched calmly and then looked at Huo Xi.
This child is young and has extraordinary experience. He may be able to lead the fishermen in Taoye Ferry to live a good life.
He, Yu Jiang, will definitely take his wife and daughter by his side and watch them from close by so that the family can live a happy life.
At this time, everyone had eaten dinner and was idle and bored.
While waiting to cross the lock today, everyone more or less caught some fish. I thought I would catch some fish at night so that I could drink and eat grilled fish while keeping watch.
But when they heard that there could be no mistakes in the grain, and that they had to inspect the grain and take rice samples on board the ship, everyone was so frightened that they did not dare to light a fire. They did not even dare to light the charcoal.
Huo Xi is not afraid. If she doesn't light firewood, she dares to light charcoal. Besides, a river of water can't put out the fire? If this fish is raised again, it will become a dead fish.
The boatmen didn't dare to grill the fish, so Huo Xi told everyone that they would exchange three fresh fish for one grilled fish. Everyone was very happy, and soon the Huo family's boat received a lot of fish.
Huo Xi then ordered Yang Fu and Qian Xiaoxia to peel off the belly, scales and cut the fish in half. Huo Erhuai and Yu Jiang were also helping.
Huo Xi lit charcoal in her clay oven, set up a baking sheet, put the fish on it and brushed it with oil.
The oil dripped into the charcoal, sizzling, and soon the fragrance spread out.
It attracted many boatmen who were very greedy and came to get drinks one after another.
The corners of Huo Erhuai's lips were raised high, and he was happily serving drinks to everyone. Yang Fu also handed out the fish one by one.
Everyone didn't dare to gather together to drink tonight. I heard that there would be a food inspection tomorrow, so they didn't dare to neglect it. They drank a little while holding the wine bottle, and the fish ate happily. They also felt that there was less netting today.
Huo Xi and Yang Fu were grilling fish so much that their hands were almost broken. When Huo Xi smelled it, there was a fishy smell on his clothes and hair, and he stopped drying it immediately.
"No more grilling, no more grilling, trade fish for wine!"
"Xi'er, why are we collecting so many fish?" All the wine was gone.
"Make fish balls and go ashore tomorrow to sell fish balls."
"ah?"
"You stay up with dad tonight and beat out the fish balls."