The soldiers and family members guarding the city breathed a sigh of relief and began to whisper to each other. They also made small calculations in their heads. Is it cost-effective to plant and harvest a pound of cotton for six cents?
Although they have never grown cotton, some of them have seen it, and they can also use other crops for comparison. For example, the price of rice in Changpingcang, Chang'an, is around fifteen to twenty cents per dou.
It's about six kilograms. If you can get six cents for harvesting one kilogram of cotton, it seems to be more cost-effective than growing rice.
"You can't calculate it like that. Cotton is just like catkins. It has no weight. One acre of land may not produce many kilograms."
This sentence woke them up. Yes, only by knowing the average yield of cotton per mu can we know whether it is worthwhile to work hard for a year.
Li Siye put his hands into his sleeves and stood at the door of the thatched hall with a look that saw everything, waiting for everyone to ask questions.
"Li Shijun, what is the yield of one acre of cotton? Is it cost-effective for us to spend a year planting it?"
Li Siye smiled knowingly, nodded and said: "I don't know the yield per acre of cotton, but I have found you a Persian expert from Qiuci who knows cotton. If you have any questions, you can ask him, and ask him about how to sow seeds."
.”
"Suhe, come out!"
"Suhrab!" Li Siye asked Yu Gou angrily: "Where has this Persian bearded man gone?"
"Coming, coming," Su He ran over dragging his white robe, raised his arms and panted, "I just went to the latrine."
Li Siye didn't care about his absence, put his arm around his shoulders and said to the military households: "This is an expert in growing cotton. If you have anything, just ask him."
A woman was the first to ask: "How many kilograms of cotton can be produced per acre on average?"
Su He's Central Plains Mandarin was eloquent and gentle, and he preached to everyone: "The upper-grade fields can produce about 600 jins per acre, the medium-grade fields can produce about 500 jins per acre, and the inferior fields can produce about 500 jins per acre.
The yield is about 400 kilograms. Today I came to Shouchu City and passed by the fields cultivated by everyone. I saw that the land in Congling is fertile and should be considered a medium-sized field."
The soldiers began to whisper again. If Shouchuo purchased the goods at the price of six yuan per catty, the income per acre would be about three thousand yuan. Each of their families had cultivated five or six acres of land, and they could earn more than ten thousand yuan in a year.
The money earned is enough to buy an adult camel.
"We planted it! Li Shijun, where are the seeds?"
The mood of the masses is very high. They are stationed in Congling all year round, and their annual salary is less than 5,000 yuan. If they can get such an income, won't their living standards improve? If you want to eat meat, you can eat meat.
Just drink, you can do whatever you want. Even if you are buried in a bitter cold place like Congling, there will be no complaints.
A better prospect is waiting for them. The capable women in these few acres of cotton fields can take care of them. The husbands can take over the task of escorting the caravan issued by the envoy. If this continues, they will soon become members of the Anxi Army.
among the rich.
Li Siye waved his hand to the soldiers: "Everyone will go to the main register later to register, and then receive the seeds. You can ask Su He when and how to sow."
Su He was dumbfounded by this scene. As a Persian businessman, he was in the business of buying cotton, and then selling it to family handmade carpet workshops. His price in off-peak season was usually around seven to eight yuan. Li Siye
Just set the price at six yuan, and the profit margin will be bigger than mine!
If Li Siye robbed his own business and sold the cotton to family workshops, how could he, a Qiuci cotton merchant, survive?
Officials are really ruthless in doing business and don't give others a way to survive.
Thinking of this, Suhrabu's intestines almost turned green. If he had known this, even if Li Siye put a knife to his neck, he would not come over to help him guide him in growing cotton. Isn't this the same as selling himself to the gang?
Does anyone else count the money?
No, we have to find a way. We can't let them grow cotton, but at least let them reduce their production or even eliminate it. Only by losing one cruel competitor can his business be guaranteed.
oops,
He couldn't let the shrewd Li Shou catch the messenger. If he knew that he had done something, his Persian head would be moved.
Su He looked sad and unhappy, thinking about how he could avoid Li Siye's manipulation. Otherwise? Tell the soldiers guarding Congling to delay planting for a month?
The lighting in Congling is very good, but the warm period lasts for four months in a year. The planting time must be strictly controlled. As long as the planting is delayed by one month, when the boll-bearing period coincides with the frost, the cotton bolls will be frozen, how can it be possible to produce cotton?
?
That's right, hey, even if Li Siye scolds him, he can use the excuse that he doesn't understand the climate characteristics of Congling and makes such a small mistake. He won't use the knife, right?
However, after fooling him this year, what should he do if he wants to plant next year? Once a normal person loses his blood, he will never touch this thing again in the future, but is Li Siye a normal person? It's hard to say.
Suhrab stood in the crowd in confusion, mechanically answering the questions of these jubilant soldiers. He was like a groundhog that had just woken up from hibernation and had questions about where to go in life.
"Su Lang, what is the spacing between cotton plants? Can it be planted closer together? Will it affect the yield?"
"Uh, no, no, yes, try to be as sparse as possible. The distance between the plants is about the length of the palm of your hand."
"Su Lang, can we start planting tomorrow? You have to go to my field first and have a look."
A woman stood beside the tall Persian, rubbing her elbows on his waist.
"Yes, ah! No!"
His voice suddenly increased a bit, as if he had been stung by a scorpion. He lowered his head and said with a solemn expression: "You absolutely can't plant it tomorrow. The temperature is too low and the seeds will not germinate easily. You need to wait until May. Everyone."
Remember, you can only plant them in May!”
Li Siye walked out of the thatched hall and accidentally glanced at Suhrabu through the crowd. He had some doubts in his heart. This Persian bearded man was in low spirits, as if he had just lost his soul. What happened?
When they first entered the city, Su He seemed to be in a bad mood, but he was not as distracted as he is now. What happened to him? Could it be that he missed the Persian beauties at home? The Persian brain circuit,
He really couldn't understand it.
No matter what, as long as he teaches me honestly, I will let him go back to reunite with his ladies as soon as possible.
When he returned to the thatched hall again, he turned around and saw the soldiers standing guard at the entrance of the hall, and subconsciously asked: "Have you received the seeds?"
The soldier replied: "No."
Li Siye asked seriously: "Why don't you go get it? We will start farming soon."
"It's early! Su Helang said that the temperature in April is not enough for the seeds to germinate, so you have to wait until May to plant them."
"Um?"
Li Siye raised his eyebrows and returned to the thatched hall to pace back and forth, calculating the climate characteristics of Congling and the length of the warm weather months. The advantage of high altitude areas is that there is sufficient sunlight, but the disadvantage is that the warm months are short. Although he does not understand cotton, he also
Knowing that most crops are sown in March and April, what’s the point of sowing in May?
Why was Su He so distracted just now? Could it be that he was so excited at the thought of treating me like a monkey?
He sat back in front of the central wall of the thatched hall, took off the horizontal knife from his waist, took out the blade and placed it in front of the half-foot case, and then shouted to the outside: "Come here! Call me the Persian bearded man!"