"Uncle, do you want to buy some cloth?" Huo Xi ran forward, raised his head and smiled.
The man raised his eyebrows, a little surprised.
He also smiled at her: "Why do you think I want to buy cloth?"
"I just saw you talking to someone in front of the cloth stall."
"Weren't you selling fish balls just now?" An ordinary fisherman boy? Also selling cloth?
"My eyes are sharp." Huo Xi stretched out two fingers and compared his eyes.
The man burst out laughing. This kid was quite interesting.
Yang Fu and others also ran over and looked at the man. Yang Fu held Huo Xi's hand tightly, fearing that she would be captured by Huazi.
"Are you together?"
"Yes. Do you want to buy cloth? Cotton cloth. If you don't need it, we will ask someone else."
Just now I saw him talking to people and lingering in front of the cloth stall. He couldn't be too bored.
The man smiled and said, "Follow me."
Step forward with your hands behind your back.
Huo Xi planned to raise her legs to follow, but Yang Fu held her tightly, "Xi'er, does he really want to buy cloth? We don't know where he is going to take us. What if he has bad intentions?"
Huo Xi patted him comfortingly: "Don't worry, it's broad daylight, and there are so many people here, so we're afraid he'll do something bad. If he takes us to a remote place, it's okay if we don't follow him."
Yang Fu looked aside and saw that there were not many of them. Except for Ma Xiang, they were all young men.
"It's okay. If something goes wrong, we'll run to the dock." Ma Xiang said.
Seeing that Huo Xi was determined to go, Yang Fu had no choice but to hold her tightly and follow her.
The man didn't take them to any remote place. Instead, he took them to avoid the noisy vendor area and walk to an open area on the pier.
"My surname is Lu, and I have the same name."
"Shopkeeper Lu, boy Huo Xi." Huo Xi cupped her hands towards him.
Lu Shun smiled at her, "I guess you are the fishermen transporting grain to Huai'an this time?"
The man glanced at the river. Hundreds of thousands of water boats were parked densely on the river. The tail could not be seen for dozens of miles on the river. There was a steady stream of water boats coming to Huai'an from behind.
During the previous dynasty, the Cao army took advantage of the convenience of transporting grain, carrying goods from the south on ships to Huai'an for sale, and then purchased goods from the north in Huai'an and transported them south to make profits.
At that time, while waiting for the delivery of boxes and the inspection by the Governor-General's Office of Water Transport, sailors and soldiers often landed ashore to carry out trade with merchants and Huai people and sell the goods on board.
Or help carry the goods of Huai'an merchants, which can exempt merchants from paying a certain amount of tax, thus reducing the transportation cost of goods.
The merchants would share the proceeds from the trade with the Cao households, thus killing two birds with one stone.
By the time of the former dynasty, the economy of Huai'an and the canal cities along the coast was developing day by day, the market trade was becoming more and more prosperous, and the variety of goods became more and more dazzling.
This time Xintei restarted water transportation, many people sensed business opportunities.
Not only merchants like them, Caojun fishermen are also very smart. For example, the few in front of you.
However, most of these are still half-grown children. Do fishermen nowadays let their children make the decision?
Lu Shun looked at several children, especially the youngest one. He could tell at a glance that he wanted to buy cloth.
"I guess you are a cloth merchant?" Huo Xi said first when she saw that he only looked at him but did not speak.
Lu Shun smiled, but did not deny it: "You guessed it right. Then guess again, where did I come from?"
Huo Xi pretended to ponder for a while: "I guess you are coming from Yanjin. And I guess your purpose of this trip may have been achieved. Even if you want to buy cloth, you may not be able to buy too much."
Lu Shun retracted the smile on his lips and looked at the child seriously again.
It's not surprising that you can tell from his accent that he comes from Yanjin and other places, but I guess he has achieved his goal. Is this why children from fishermen's families are so smart now?
"How to know?"
Guessed it right? Huo Xi was a little proud and smiled at him.
"This kid is just making a wild guess. I saw you lingering in front of the cloth stall and not taking action. You are unmoved. You could only be looking for high-quality goods. So I guess your purpose of going south has been achieved, and the ship may be loaded with goods."
There aren't many things left, you can buy them or not. That's why you look interested and choose carefully."
Lu Shun really admired the kid this time. He gave Huo Xi a thumbs up: "You kid, this is the one who has this kind of vision!"
Huo Xi pretended to be a child, pursed her lips and tilted her head at him arrogantly.
Maybe it was so cute that Lu Shun couldn't help but slap her on the head.
"My naughty grandson is about the same age as you. He is at the age when cats hate dogs. He is far behind you."
"Do you miss your grandson? Then do you want to see the cloth we brought? The business is done and we will return early."
Lu Shun smiled: "Okay, let's take a look."
Huo Xi hurriedly asked Yang Fu to put down the backpack and took out many layers of cloth samples from it.
Qian Xiaoxia, Zou Sheng and Ma Xiang were still in a daze, but they saw that Huo Xi was seriously discussing business with a cloth merchant.
"This is cotton."
Huo Xi nodded: "Well, Jiangnan cotton is not any worse than Songjiang cotton."
Lu Shun didn't say anything and touched the cotton sample spread out by Huo Xi.
Then he looked at the other package in Huo Xi's hand: "Is it also made of cotton inside?"
"No, it's silk." She spread it out for him to see.
Lu Shun just touched it with his hand and said, "Has your silk satin been in water?"
It was indeed professional. Huo Xi didn't hide it from him: "Yeah, but it's already ironed."
Lu Shun shook his head, "I only want top quality." He looked at the cotton cloth again.
Huo Xi felt a little regretful.
She also wants to bring top-grade products, but she can't afford them. She also wants Yunmian from Jinling. But apart from being used as tribute, only high-ranking officials and nobles have it. The silk and satin shop doesn't have it yet. Where can she buy it?
?
So he tried his best to sell cotton cloth.
"How much cotton cloth did you bring?" There was too much, and he couldn't take it. The boy was right, the fleet couldn't hold it.
"To tell you the truth, there are three hundred horses."
Three hundred horses? It can be installed.
"What price do you want?"
Yang Fu squeezed his hands nervously, Qian Xiaoxia also stared nervously, but Ma Xiang hurriedly pulled away.
It was not appropriate for them to stay there at this time.
Qian Xiaoxia didn't know why. He also wanted to watch Huo Xi discuss business with others, and he happened to be learning a half-move. Why not let him watch?
Zou Sheng had come to his senses, and he and Ma Xiang hurried to a distance where they could just see their uncle and nephew.
Huo Xi looked back at the three of them, feeling a little worried.
"Your companions are very good." Lu Shun also praised them.
Huo Xi nodded: "If they hadn't been willing to help, my family wouldn't have been able to bring so much cloth. This is our first time doing a big business. Please tell us the real price. If it's suitable, I will sell it all to Shopkeeper Lu."
After Lu Shun heard this, he thought about it carefully and then stretched out his palm.
Yang Fu didn't know why, but Huo Xi shook his head.