The wind blew for days and nights and finally stopped.
The weather was rarely fine, so Wu Huaiyu took off his purple robe and jade belt and left the camp in casual clothes. He did not enter Lingzhou City, but walked around outside the city.
Lingzhou is only 1,200 miles away from Chang'an.
"There are three main traffic roads between Chang'an and Lingzhou. Ping, Ning, and Qingdao are the main lines. From Chang'an to Huanxian County, Qingzhou, it is also called Huanling Avenue."
When Huaiyu and the others came, they took the Jingyuan Road, passing through Binjing from Xiaoguan to Lingzhou.
Right now, they are here at the northern end of Huanling Avenue, close to Lingzhou City. There are many stalls on the roadside. A few people dressed as ordinary merchants and entered a stall.
There was a thatched hut set up on the roadside, with a woman and several children.
Jing Muchai, a woman in a coarse cloth skirt, is very simple. She not only does business but also takes care of children. She carries a little baby on her back, followed by a two-year-old child. There are three children by the stove. The older one is probably in his early ten years and the younger one is six or seven years old.
Years old, helping with work.
No man was seen.
"Oh, I heard that chopped buckwheat noodles are also a specialty of Shuofang. You must try them."
Zhang Chengde asked, "How much does a bowl of your chopped buckwheat noodles cost, a big bowl or a small bowl? Does the noodle soup cost?"
"Five cents a bowl, a big bowl, and you can add some noodle soup for free."
Wei Siren took a look at this simple shop. He was a little disgusted when he saw how dirty the children were. He also looked at the tables and tables, which were also stained. The poor pottery bowl even had a lot of chips, so he wanted to
Change place.
Huaiyu was not that picky and smiled, "Five cents for a big bowl is really not expensive. You can give us two bowls each first."
The woman smiled and agreed, but did not immediately move to do it.
However, Zhao Xin, who was accustomed to running around in the market, smiled and touched the money, grabbed the money bag directly, and counted the fine Kaiyuan Tongbao on the table one by one.
A group of seven people counted seventy coins.
When the woman saw this, her eyes shone, she said thank you repeatedly, and then hurried over to count the money, placing a pile of dozens of dollars and counting them twice.
"My guest, please don't be surprised. The village women in the mountains are stupid."
Wei Siren frowned, "Are we still short of your bowl of noodles?"
The woman just smiled apologetically, then took the money and turned around to start working.
Liu Xu looked at the haggard-looking woman, "The five children are all girls. Judging from their age, they should have brothers or something.
This woman cannot be older than thirty-five."
"I believe you even if you say fifty-three." Seeing that the table was shabby and dirty, Wei Siren asked a girl to get some water and a rag, but after seeing the rag, he felt disgusted.
Liu Xu sat down quite naturally. Seeing that Wei was disgusted, he even pulled some grass and wiped it for him, "Chopping buckwheat noodles is the specialty of Shuofang ladies. When this girl grows up to eight or nine years old, she is a mother."
I need to teach my daughter how to chop noodles step by step.
By the time the girl grew up, she had already mastered the skill of chopping noodles.
In Shuofang, whether a girl can chop noodles and whether she can chop them well is an important criterion for young men to measure their opponent's dexterity when looking for a wife.
If a girl from a family doesn't know how to chop noodles or doesn't chop noodles well, it will be difficult for her to get married.
On the Loess Plateau, buckwheat noodles are still the best meal for entertaining guests."
Liu Xuda grew up eating Baijia rice, and he has a special affinity for this chopped buckwheat noodle shop.
There are many types of pasta in Guanzhong, each with its own merits. The focus is on chopping noodles, but it is not too complicated. The noodle knife usually used for chopping noodles is quite special, not an ordinary kitchen knife.
The knife is about two feet long and one inch wide.
The woman had already kneaded the buckwheat noodles into a round ball. When there was a guest, she took out the noodles and put them on the noodle counter. Then she rolled out part of the dough with a rolling pin, then held the knife with both hands and started chopping from front to back.
His movements are skillful and nimble.
Suddenly, the noodles were neatly arranged on the noodle table.
If you chop it once, you can count it as one knife of noodles. When you cook it in a pot, you can get three or four big bowls of noodles from one knife.
The woman's movements are skillful, and the chops are clearly defined and consistent in thickness.
Her two older girls also kneaded, rolled and chopped the dough, while another girl aged six or seven helped to light the fire.
The woman chopped the noodles, put them in the pot, and then came over with the child on her back.
"Guests, if our chopped buckwheat noodles are paired with our Lingzhou mutton dumplings, it will taste even more fresh and smooth, and the noodles will be fragrant and delicious. Do we need to pair it with the dumplings?"
Huaiyu felt that this woman was quite good at business, so he didn't sell the noodles at the beginning, but only after the noodles were already cooked.
"How much does it cost per portion? Is the mutton fresh?" Zhao Xin asked with a smile.
"I bought freshly slaughtered mutton from the butcher early in the morning. I stewed it all morning. It's delicious and not expensive. It costs ten cents a portion."
Noodles only cost 5 cents a bowl, but sauerkraut cost 10 cents a bowl.
When the woman saw that Zhao Xin didn't want it right away, she added, "The large portion is ten cents, and the small portion is only five cents. The large portion is very filling, and the small portion is also quite generous."
"I want to order a small portion and a large portion first. If it is full, fresh and delicious as you said, then everyone will have a large portion."
When the woman saw this, she happily went over to prepare.
Over there, the woman's two eldest daughters started chopping noodles again. The knife fell on the noodle table with a bang like rain hitting a banana, and the noodles flipped like silver threads flying.
It can be seen that the elder of these two girls is no more than eleven or twelve years old, and the younger one is probably only about ten years old, but they have already mastered this skill of chopping noodles and got the true inheritance from their mother.
The first noodles were cooked quickly, and they were scooped up and poured into cold water. The two girls brought them to them.
Each person received two bowls.
"Your Majesty, please use it with caution."
The girl is not tall, quite thin, and a little shy.
There are four bowls of noodles, one bowl comes with a large portion of mutton sauce, one bowl comes with a small portion, and the other two bowls come with vegetarian sauce. There is no need to pay extra for that. They are some seasonal vegetables cut into small pieces.
The pieces are stir-fried until soft, and seem to be mixed with diced tofu to make saozi soup, served with chopped green onions.
It smells really good.
Zhao Xin tasted it first and praised it repeatedly.
"That's what it tastes like,"
The mutton dumplings are also very delicious, and the woman is quite good at running the business. Although the price of two small portions is the same as that of a large portion, the size of a large portion is actually more than that of two small portions, so buy the larger portion.
It may feel more cost-effective.
"This is what it tastes like, two big bowls of chopped buckwheat noodles per person, and a big portion of mutton dumplings each."
Buckwheat noodles are a miscellaneous grain commonly grown by people in the north. The yield is not high but it is relatively drought-resistant, so it is particularly common in the Loess Plateau, especially in the Shuofang area.
It’s beautiful when buckwheat flowers bloom all over the mountain.
Huaiyu picked up a chopstick and found that it was indeed quite good.
I got up this morning to train my troops and horses, rode and shoot again, and then went out for a walk. I was really hungry.
When this person is hungry, everything tastes better.
While Wu Huaiyu was eating chopped noodles, he did not forget to chat with the woman. He mainly asked about the current price of food and other commodities, as well as things like whether it was safe or not, and the government's tax collection and apportionment.
The woman said that the price of food is not bad, but Lingzhou is a granary in the northwest of the Yangtze River. The food here is relatively abundant and the price is relatively stable.
A bowl of chopped noodles costs 5 cents because buckwheat is cheaper.
"In Chang'an, a bowl of chopped buckwheat noodles like this costs at least ten yuan." Zhao Xin said.
The woman then said, "Chang'an is the capital, and the royal family's home is incomparable."
Huaiyu remembered Zou Luotuo, who sold steamed cakes in the East Market. He used to sell steamed cakes for 20 yuan each. Later, when the warrior Xun served as Yongzhou Zhizhong for a period of time, he rectified the grain sellers and killed several of them.
A man who took advantage of the war to hoard food and raise prices.
Zou Luotuo later sold steamed cakes for only eight cents.
In this era of small catering, the price is mainly closely related to the price of food.
During the Wude period, wars continued, food prices in Chang'an were high, and the cost of living was high. Although a steamed bun sold for seven or eight cents, many civilians might only earn twenty or thirty cents a day.
In times of peace and stability, one day's wages can probably buy a bushel of rice, but in times of war, it's not bad to buy a few steamed buns.
Lingzhou is rich, and food prices are relatively stable. Plus, it's a border crossing, so prices are much cheaper than in Chang'an.
A large bowl of chopped noodles sells for five yuan.
But a bucket of rice here only sells for tens of dollars. Last year, the price of grain in Chang'an ranged from 200 to 300 dollars per bucket of rice, to 600 to 700 dollars. At the highest, it was even higher on the black market. Now it has dropped, and it still costs more than 100 dollars.
.
Huaiyu briefly guessed that this woman sells noodles on the roadside, and the gross profit from selling only chopped noodles is at least 10%. Not counting the mutton dumplings and haggis soup, this is considered an ordinary profit for small businessmen and hawkers.
Benefit from the tithe.
Just make some hard-earned money.
However, mutton jelly may be more profitable.
"Do you sell tea and wine here?" Liu Xu asked the woman to bring some garlic to go with the noodles while asking about other things.
The woman’s small noodle stall does not have tea or wine, which are relatively expensive. Generally, people who come to eat noodles will not ask for wine or tea. Her business is relatively simple. In addition to chopped noodles, she only has mutton dumplings, haggis soup and cold cuts of mutton.
But it’s more in line with her style.
A small stall like hers actually has to pay money to the government, but what it pays is not industrial and commercial taxes, but money collected by the yamen. There is no official name, but it has to pay a sum of money anyway. This is for the yamen.
Yes, and some are given to people in the yamen, usually bad people come to collect them.
Of course, it is customary to pay a fee to the local snake.
This amount of money, no more or no less, can be taken out, and it will not take away all his profits, and the rest can be maintained.
In fact, this amount was obviously carefully calculated by the other party. They would take almost 10% of the profit from each shop and shop, and then the yamen, subordinate officials, and local cowards would all take 30%.
Although he was doing business by setting up a stall on the roadside outside the city, the official's personal information was black and white, so there was no need to pay anything less.
"Where is your man?" Huaiyu asked.
"It's spring plowing. I'm at home with my parents-in-law, my brother-in-law, and they are busy plowing the fields. There are three boys at home who help with the farming and herding the sheep. The six of us, mother and daughter, set up a stall and chop noodles here to earn some living expenses.
Household use.”
Two large bowls of chopped buckwheat noodles were paired with a large portion of mutton dumplings. Wu Huaiyu and the others were very satisfied with what they ate. The women and girls were also very busy and happy. They kneaded the dough, rolled it, chopped it, and cooked it over a fire. They ate one knife after another. They were very busy.
stop.
That little baby is very sensible and doesn't cry or make trouble.
This stall is located on Huanling Avenue. The business is neither good nor bad. It's a bit harder, but it can help the family to some extent. It's even harder to just dig in the soil for food.
The buckwheat, vegetables and sheep raised at home can be converted into more cash here.
Wu Huaiyu looked at the Huanling Avenue. Although there was an assassin attack in Lingzhou, there were still a lot of business travelers coming on the road.
After Yanningqing Road entered the Loess Plateau from the Guanzhong Plain, it was still mainly a Sichuan Road.
After crossing the Wei Bridge in Chang'an, go along the Jing River to Binzhou, which has just been renamed Binzhou to avoid confusion between You and Bin. In Binzhou, follow the Maling River (Huanjiang, Malian River), a tributary of the Jing River, and enter Huanxian County, Qingzhou.
Further north, the tributary reduces the channel and becomes narrower, so you can no longer follow the river, but instead follow the mountains, and you have to pass through a section of the vast sea and Gobi.
Qinggang Ridge at the junction of Qingzhou, Yanzhou and Lingzhou is the key point on this road. You have to pass Qinggang Gorge and exit Qinggang Gorge to go to Lingzhou, Yanzhou or Yuanzhou.
Wu Huaiyu and the others were chatting about Huanling Avenue just now, and they talked about Qinggang Gorge, which is located on the border of the three states and has a dangerous terrain. They must guard the place where Huanling Avenue must pass.
Wu Huaiyu felt that the current situation in Lingzhou was unclear, and he had to rely on himself to restore Yanzhou. He planned to lead his troops to the entrance of Qinggang Gorge to build a fort and build a stronghold there as a base camp for recovering Yanzhou. With Qingzhou at his back, he could use it
The traffic and commercial goods on Huanling Avenue, especially when salt is exchanged for grain in the future, this traffic artery is becoming more and more important.
The governor of Gyeongju is Duan Lun, and he can be considered a good friend, so he can lend some strength.
A fast horse came galloping.
"County Lord, please return to the military camp quickly, King Rencheng is here." Wu Huailiang came in to report.
Wu Huaiyu heard that Li Daozong was here again, so he was not anxious at all. Li Daozong came to Wu Huaiyu every day recently, but there was no progress in tracking down the assassin, let alone any explanation.
"Just tell Governor Li that I'm outside."
"County Duke, King Rencheng has brought your Majesty's envoy."
Hearing that the emperor's envoy came to tell him, Wu Huaiyu did not dare to neglect and set off quickly to return.
Before Huaiyu left, he took out a silver Kaiyuan Tongbao and gave it to the woman as a reward for her.
The woman held the shiny silver Kaiyuan coin and stared at the group of people walking away in a daze. She thought they were just ordinary businessmen, but she didn't expect that this group of generous diners was actually a county official?
Even the governor of Lingzhou, King Lingcheng, rushed to see him, and now the emperor's envoy came to announce the decree to him?
Who is this young man?
"Mom, why is this money free? Is it private money?"
"Silly girl, this is not privately minted white money, this is silver money." She had heard of this kind of silver coin before. Each weighs one and a half cents, and can be worth two hundred and forty Kaiyuan Tongbao copper coins. It is very rare, and some people specialize in collecting it.
One coin can be exchanged for two hundred and fifty copper coins.
A bowl of chopped buckwheat noodles costs five cents, which is enough for the girls to chop up fifty bowls.
When the eldest girl heard that this piece of white money was actually worth fifty bowls of chopped noodles, she was so surprised that she couldn't close her mouth. "That man is so generous. He actually rewarded us with so much money?"
The woman looked at the retreating figures and said, "They may be from the Yanzhou military camp outside the city, and that young man may be the new Yanzhou governor."
"Such a young governor? Not much older than my brother."
"Can your brother compare? Your brother is a sheep herder, and my mother who is a farmer is a noodle chopper. Zhao Si and the others who came to collect money last time talked about the new governor. It is said that he was born in the family of the Duke, or
A disciple of an immortal master, on his way to take office, he even killed a prince who wanted to rebel, which is quite impressive."
After hearing this, the second girl repeatedly exclaimed, "Mom, it would be great if they came here to eat noodles every day from now on."
A bowl of chopped noodles with mutton dumplings can earn about three cents. If he is happy with the meal and rewards him with a silver coin, it will be worth a sheep.
The woman quickly put the coin away close to her body, shook her head to stop having those unrealistic dreams, and turned around to put away the dishes and wash the dishes.
If you can earn half a penny from a bowl of noodles, and you can sell a few more bowls of noodles a day, you will be satisfied. As for the governors and county officials, they are too far away from ordinary people like them.
