"Is there any mistake? A cucumber in this season is not expensive for one tael of silver. Why wouldn't you do it in exchange for a sheep? Do you know how much effort we put into growing this cucumber? We
The governor only eats one cucumber a day."
"These are fresh leeks. Look clearly. They have just been picked. They are tender and tender. One pound of leeks can be exchanged for two sheep. The price is the same. Don't wait until it's out of date!"
"Spinach, spinach, a basket of spinach is worth a cow, it's a big sale at a loss!"
In early winter, in a small market that spontaneously formed outside the border wall of Ningxia, a group of officers and soldiers from the Pinglu Station were carrying fresh vegetables and shouting loudly. Tatar herdsmen who came from all directions after hearing the news led their cattle and sheep and shouted with greedy
He looked at the juicy vegetables with his eyes and bargained with the Ming soldiers.
On the grassland, cattle and sheep are the least valuable things. Especially in winter, when there is a lack of pasture, the herdsmen themselves have to slaughter some cattle and sheep to exchange for the scarce vegetables on the grassland, which is a perfect thing.
Of course, only those Tatars who can spend the price of a sheep for a cucumber are chief-level Tatars. Ordinary Tatar herdsmen are reluctant to exchange for such high-priced cucumbers.
The greenhouses developed by Su Hao were quickly promoted in Pinglu. Several greenhouses were built in each military camp to continuously supply off-season vegetables. Some of these vegetables were sent to Ningxia City and sold there.
According to Su Hao's suggestion, some of the official families and wealthy businessmen were taken to the grassland to exchange for beef, mutton and dairy products.
The relationship between the Tatars and the Ming army was very complicated. During the war, they were enemies of each other, but in peacetime, they could have friendly exchanges. In the past, military households would also sell some goods from the Central Plains to the grasslands.
It is rare to exchange livestock products, but to take cheap vegetables and sell them for sky-high prices like this.
"Mr. Su, thanks to you, this year all the men, women and children in our 100 households can eat meat." Hu Zizi was holding two bullocks in his hands, with four or five slaughtered sheep on their backs.
They were all happy and said to Su Hao cheerfully.
They were walking in the small market on the grassland at this time. In order to avoid attracting the attention of the Tatars, Su Hao was wearing casual clothes and asked people not to address him by his official title. Therefore, Hu Zizili could only call him Mr. Su.
Hearing Hu Zixin's words, Su Hao smiled and said: "Old Hu, you're welcome. I just gave you some ideas. You built the shed yourself and grew the vegetables yourself. What contribution can I make?"
Hu Xin said: "If it weren't for the glazed tiles Mr. Su gave us, how could we build the greenhouse? Hu is a rude person and doesn't understand any big principles. He still understands the principle of not forgetting the well digger. It's just that.
We don’t know how to repay Mr. Su for his great kindness to us."
Su Hao said: "Old Hu wants to repay the favor. It's easy. My sister just came from the mainland and doesn't have any clothes for the winter. You exchanged these sheep. If you have good sheepskins, give me a few pieces and I will make them for my sister."
A sheepskin coat."
"Uncle Hu, please find someone to help. I'm afraid of the smell of sheepskin." Lu Xiuer, who was holding the corner of Su Hao's clothes and walking side by side with Su Hao, said to Hu Zixin with a smile.
"Oh, Miss, I don't dare to be called an uncle. Just call me Hu Junhu and you will be. Miss, don't worry, there are many good tanners in our village, and we guarantee that the tanner will have no taste at all.
, I guarantee your satisfaction." Hu Zizi said sincerely. He had already heard from others that the girl in front of him was Su Hao's wife, but Su Hao said that she was his sister, so Hu Zizi followed Su Hao's advice.
I mean, call Lu Xiuer the eldest lady.
"Thank you very much, Uncle Hu." Lu Xiuer smiled sweetly at Hu Zixin.
"Lao Hu, you continue to sell vegetables, and I will take my sister for a walk around. By the way, please don't sell the vegetables cheaply, and don't let the Tatars think our vegetables are worthless." Su Hao said.
"Master Su, don't worry, we all understand." Hu Xinxin responded.
Su Hao did not need to participate in this kind of border trade in person. Those military households who exchanged cattle, sheep and dairy products would send the best beef, mutton and cheese to Su Hao's house as soon as possible. Lu Xiuer, Cheng
Yi, Singing and other girls are blessed with delicious food. In this winter, they can eat fresh vegetables every day, as well as kebabs, boiled mutton and other delicacies, which makes people really happy.
Saying goodbye to Hu Zizi, Su Hao took Lu Xiuer around the market to enjoy the scenery of the fortress prairie. Lu Xiuer looked at the Tatars and whispered to Su Hao: "Brother, what do I think? These Tatars and
We Central Plains people are no different, they seem to be more honest than us Central Plains people."
Su Hao said: "At the beginning of human life, people are inherently good. The Tatar people are also ordinary people, and they are more hospitable than the people in the Central Plains."
"But why have I heard people say that Tatars kill without batting an eye and are all demons?" Lu Xiuer asked.
Su Hao said: "This is the problem of livelihood. These nomadic people in the north make a living by raising animals. When the weather is cold or the grassland is drought, a large number of livestock die, and the herdsmen cannot survive, so they have to go to the Central Plains to grab food. At this time,
They don’t care if they don’t want to be cruel.”
"Then...will these people go to the Central Plains to rob things and kill people in the future?" Lu Xiuer asked, pointing to the Tatars doing business.
Su Hao said: "Yes, the Tatars are all soldiers, and each of them can ride a horse and shoot arrows. As long as their leader gives an order, they will join the army and invade the Ming Dynasty. At that time, we will fight with them.
, life and death."
Lu Xiuer felt a little sad and said: "Can't we just stop fighting? Brother, you are so capable, can't you help them find something to eat, so don't you need to rob us Central Plains people of food?"
Su Hao smiled: "Xiu'er, you really find something to do for your brother. The Tatars have no farming tradition and only know how to herd, and herding depends on the weather. No matter how talented I am, I can't change the weather, right?"
"Hmm." Lu Xiuer couldn't think of any good solution, so she could only nod her head and said, "Does that mean we have to be on guard against them all day long, and if they come to invade us, we have to go to war with them?"
"That's it." Su Hao said, "Of course, the best way is not to guard against them, but to let them guard against us. This will save our people from being worried all day long. You don't understand this matter, so you can rest assured.
Just stay here with peace of mind. When you get tired of playing, I will send someone to take you back."
"I'm not going back, I want to be with you." Lu Xiuer took Su Hao's arm and said coquettishly.
"Okay, you can stay here first." Su Hao responded.
"Hey, brother, look over there. Why does that person look so much like Daochang Chen?" Lu Xiuer pointed to Su Hao not far away.
Su Hao smiled and said: "It's not just a resemblance, he is actually Chen Laodao. However, Xiu'er, you must not say hello to him and pretend you don't know him. Chen Laodao is deceiving people."
In a corner of the small market, Chen Guanyu, who looked like an immortal, walked up to a Tatar chief with square steps, looked at him from three directions up and down, and shook his head slightly.
The chief's name was Halim, and he was the leader of a local tribe with considerable influence. This time, he heard that the Han people in the border wall were selling a lot of vegetables to the grassland, and he came out of curiosity.
His men who came here were negotiating prices with the Han military households. He and the two stewards sat aside, waiting to get vegetables before going back to enjoy them.
Seeing a Han Taoist priest looking at him back and forth with a rather disrespectful expression, Halim was a little annoyed and asked in blunt Chinese: "Taoist priest, what do you mean?"
"Oh, fellow Taoist, are you asking this Taoist priest?" Chen Guanyu said pretending to be stupid, as if he wasn't looking at the other person just now.
Halim said: "Exactly. You look at me back and forth and shake your head. What do you mean?"
"Well, well, how should I put it?" Chen Guanyu hesitated to speak.
"Just say what you want, you Han people are troublesome!" Halim felt uncomfortable because of Chen Guanyu's expression. He didn't know what the other person wanted to do.
Chen Guanyu stepped forward and lowered his voice: "Excuse me, my friend, do you want to be a sweat?"
"What nonsense are you talking about!" Halim scolded, "How dare you say such things, aren't you afraid that we will chop off your head?"
Chen Guanyu said: "Pindao's words came out of my mouth and entered your ears. As long as you don't report it to the Khan, how could he chop off my head? I saw your face just now, and it was clear that you were right.
He looked like he was sweating profusely. It’s a pity that he had bad luck and was lucky enough to not be able to achieve success, so I feel it’s a pity.”
"You said I look like a great khan?" Halim was a little moved. As the saying goes, a chief who doesn't want to be a great khan is not a good herdsman. There are many great khans in the Tatar tribe, and there is no saying that no one is born unable to be one.
Great Khan. Halim also had a dream of becoming a Great Khan, but he felt that his tribe was not strong enough, so he did not dare to take it too seriously. Now someone suddenly came to him and told him that he could become a Great Khan, how could he not be tempted?
.
"Yes, I see that you are sweating profusely, fellow Taoist, but... alas!" Chen Guanyu sighed again, with a look of regret, as if he didn't think he was sweating profusely.
Halim said: "Taoist, why do you say half the words and leave the other half? What's wrong with me?"
Chen Guanyu said: "Fellow Taoist, don't be unhappy after I told you. If I don't say it right, don't blame the old Taoist. The old Taoist is the younger brother of the twenty-seventh generation master of Yuhua Mountain in Jiangxi Province. If he doesn't have much Taoism,
, it’s impossible to come here and cross the border, don’t you think so?”
"I believe you. Tell me, what's wrong with me?" Halim said impatiently. The curiosity aroused by Chen Guanyu made him unable to wait any longer.
Chen Guanyu said: "Fellow Taoist, you are ready for everything except the east wind. All your conditions are sufficient. The only thing missing is that your family's ancestral grave is buried in the wrong place!" (