While Du Mingen in Tianzhu was discussing the Portuguese affairs, autumn was quietly beginning to enter in the Ming Dynasty.
North of the Great Wall, on the vast grasslands, with the arrival of autumn, the originally green grasslands gradually changed into new clothes.
The grass on the grassland is gradually turning yellow, but the cattle and sheep on the grassland are getting fatter and stronger. It is the fattest time of the year.
Qiqige rode a horse, her Eji Anmul, and her younger brother Batu, driving a group of cattle, sheep and horses in one direction.
"Qiqige, I heard that the town is very lively, with a lot of delicious food and fun things."
Batu, who was only thirteen years old, seemed very excited.
He was very excited at the thought of going to the town.
There used to be no towns on the grasslands because the people on the grasslands were nomadic and lived with water and grass, so there was no need for towns at all.
However, since the Tatar tribes surrendered to the Ming Dynasty and became part of the Ming Dynasty, the Ming Dynasty began to build many towns on the grasslands.
The Naiman tribe was the first grassland tribe to submit to the Ming Dynasty, and the Naiman tribe was the first to have towns on its grasslands.
These towns are specifically designed to facilitate trade. There are three days of market time every month. People on the grasslands can drive their cattle, sheep and horses here to sell them.
Then they bought what they needed in the market. There were many merchants in the market. These merchants from the Ming Dynasty brought all kinds of things.
Grain, iron pots, salt, tea, medicines, beautiful clothes, etc., all the things they had no place to buy before, can be bought casually in these towns, and the prices are getting cheaper and cheaper.
This has allowed these grassland people to live a life that they could not even imagine before.
"Just eat and play. You are already thirteen years old. Eji said that I will marry you a wife next year, and you will be an adult by then."
Qiqige looked at her brother and said helplessly.
My younger brother is very strong and looks very good.
You can buy salt, tea and other urgently needed things at will. The grassland people live a very comfortable life.
Moreover, the Ming Dynasty conquered the Tatar tribes and also defeated the Oara people's attack. Without the war, she and Eji no longer had to worry about the safety of their younger brother, and their family could continue.
"Hmph~ I don't want to marry a wife. What's the point of having a wife?"
When Batu heard this, he immediately pouted and said.
"If you marry a wife, you can have children. Only by giving birth to children can our family become bigger."
Qiqige said.
"I don't want it. I've heard that the world is very big and I also want to visit the Central Plains."
Batu said unhappily.
"Haha, our Batu has grown up and turned into an eagle on the grassland."
On the side, their mother Anmul heard this and immediately laughed.
She is very satisfied with her current life. She grazes on the grassland and supports her family by raising cattle, sheep and horses. She lives a comfortable life.
"Why did you always have to fight with Akito before?"
"We go south to plunder every year, but every winter we still die a lot of cattle and sheep, and a lot of people, and there is no food, no salt, no tea, no iron pots."
"It's so good now, I have everything I want, and it's so good that everyone can live in harmony."
In her heart, she couldn't help but think of her husband, who died in the Central Plains.
Riding a war horse and taking up arms, the husband went to the Central Plains to plunder, in fact, it was just for winter food, salt and tea. If he could grab an iron pot, it would be a dream.
But now, there is no need to rob at all. They only need to exchange cattle, sheep and horses for a lot of grain, salt and tea. There are too many iron pots in the house to use.
Driving the cattle and sheep towards the nearest town.
At noon, on an open grassland next to a river, buildings came into view.
"Haha, it's finally here~"
Batu rode his horse forward excitedly. He couldn't wait to see the towns on the grassland.
The long-term nomadic life has brought these herdsmen on the grassland into contact with fewer people.
But people are born to like liveliness, and these towns built on the grassland by the Ming Dynasty are the most lively places on the grassland.
As they got closer to the town, Qiqige could see that there were many people like them coming from all directions, driving cattle, sheep and horses.
Today is the day of the market, which is held only three times a month, and many herdsmen come here.
Autumn has arrived, and winter is coming soon. The cattle and sheep are fat and can be sold at a good price, and then we can stock up on grain, salt and tea to prepare for the winter.
Gradually the town becomes clearer and clearer.
Batu could clearly see that the town was not big, and it didn't take long to circle around it on horseback. A city wall was built around the town, and Ming troops in armor could be seen guarding the city wall.
Within the city wall, the buildings in the town looked very tall to Batu. Each house was five or six stories high, and the glass windows shone in the sunlight.
There are many sheepfolds built with wood outside the town. In each sheepfold, you can see a lot of cattle, sheep and horses. At the same time, there are also many businessmen bargaining with these herdsmen, seeming to be discussing cattle, sheep and horses.
Business matters.
The herdsmen who came behind were very skillful in opening an unused sheep pen, and then hurried away their cattle, sheep and horses. Soon someone would come to him to discuss the sale.
At the same time, you can also see many herdsmen using horse-drawn carriages and ox-carts to pull a cart of wool. The wool is piled very high, but it is very popular. Before reaching the town, people from Ming Dynasty came on horseback to discuss purchasing these wools.
The wool thing.
Through the wide city gate, you can see the bustling scene in the town.
There are a lot of people inside, there are many shops, teahouses, restaurants, etc., and it is very lively with people coming and going.
“There are so many people, it’s so lively~”
Batu was very excited, but Eji and his sister hadn't arrived yet, so he didn't dare to go in alone, so he quickly rode back.
"Sister, the town is so lively~"
“There are so many people~”
Batu said excitedly.
"Of course it's lively. Today is a market day, so many people will come."
Qiqige nodded and said matter-of-factly.
She has been here several times, and it is more lively every time.
"Wait a minute, don't run around, don't rush in, you have to help drive the cattle, sheep and horses into the sheep pen. We will go back when the cattle, sheep, horses and the wool are sold. I will take the sheep with you when the time comes.
You go and eat noodles, noodles are delicious."
Qiqige warned with some worry.
"I know, I know, you've said it countless times."
"Are you annoyed~"
Batu replied absently. He kept waving his whip and driving the sheep and horses towards the town.
Soon, they arrived at the outskirts of the town. Qiqige was very experienced and opened a sheepfold in advance and drove the cattle, sheep and horses in.
These sheepfolds are free to use and are specially used by herdsmen to buy and sell cattle, sheep and horses. After all, it is inconvenient for cattle, sheep and horses to move around, so it is much better to be fixed in the sheepfold.
Next to them, Qiqige and Batu's mother were bargaining with several merchants. As soon as they arrived, merchants buying cattle, sheep, horses and wool gathered around them.
"Sell the wool to me. I'll pay ten cents for one hundred catties~"
Wool merchant Hu Jin spoke to Anmur in the prairie dialect he had just learned.
"Ten cents and a hundred catties, the price has gone up again~"
Anmul felt silently happy in his heart.
Wool was something that no one came to before, but now it has become an important source of income for grassland herdsmen.
Cattle, sheep, and horses all need time to slowly breed and herd sheep. In fact, there is not much in a year, but wool is different. After shearing one wave after another, the more it is sheared, the faster it grows.
Now that they can be sold for money, the herdsmen will continue to shear the sheep, hoard the wool, and sell the wool to these wool merchants at the market.
"I want to ask other businessmen."
Anmur is not in a hurry to sell. There are many merchants here, but they have a rule among themselves. Whoever comes into contact first can't be interfered with by others. Only if the herdsmen disagree can anyone else come in and contact them.
"Let's see, if I offer eleven cents, there will definitely be no one here who can offer a higher price than me."
When Hu Jin heard this, he immediately increased the price helplessly.
If Anmur goes to find other merchants, he will no longer have the wool, and he will have no choice but to increase the price.
"No, no, I only sell my wool to Wang's Trading Company or Sangong Trading Company. The price you merchants give is too low, and it's still short of a pound."
Anmul still shook his head. The grassland herdsmen who often come here know that the prices offered by the merchants outside are actually relatively low. The ones who give fair prices without missing a point are the merchants who open stores inside.
For example, Wang's Trading Company, which is owned by the Wang family of Caiyun Textile Factory in Beijing, specializes in purchasing wool. The prices are always fair and there is no shortage of goods. Herders on the grasslands like to sell wool to them.
Even though sometimes the prices offered by the merchants outside are higher, everyone trusts the merchants inside because they are never short of money and will not deceive the herdsmen.
Hearing Anmul's words, Hu Jin suddenly felt helpless.
This is no longer just one family. The opening of the grassland town market has also attracted many businessmen to do business on the grassland. Of course, there is some rat droppings, which makes life difficult for small businessmen like Hu Jin.
Because the herdsmen who have been deceived simply don't believe in small businessmen like them, they trust the big business houses that focus on credibility.
