North and South groceries

Located at the west end of the Hexi Corridor, there are two iron mining areas within reach of Luo Yong and the others, one of which is Jingtie Mountain, and the other is in Hami, which is the current Yiwu.

Yiwu not only produces coal, but also produces iron. Currently, Changle County mainly buys iron from Yiwu, and the price is not cheap.After the iron mines on Jingtieshan are developed, the price of iron in the Hexi area should drop.

The big families on Yiwu's side more or less controlled some iron ore and coal mines. They used to sell iron for money, but now they find that there is a market for coal, that is, coal.

In particular, there is a kind of thorite that grows next to carbonaceous coal. Depending on its quality, the price can be three to five times that of iron ore.If it weren't for the large and small coal mines in Yiwu, which are in the hands of different families, the price of this thorium stone would probably be even higher.

Speaking of which, Yiwu is also blessed with rich iron ore and coal mines, as well as a large area of ​​cultivated land. At this time, the forest coverage rate is quite high, and it can produce timber.

People in this era have no concept of environmental protection, and there is no restraint in cutting down trees. After all, at this time, human beings are still in a very weak position in front of nature, and no one who is weak will want to protect the strong.

When the wooden track from Gaochang City to Yiwu City was laid earlier, Yiwu was mainly responsible for producing timber. Gaochang did not produce timber, and they mainly contributed money and effort.

Guo Xiaoke also presided over this matter. After the track is laid, a smooth four-corner transportation route will be formed from Jinchang to Yiwu, from Yiwu to Gaochang, from Gaochang to Dunhuang, and then from Dunhuang to Jinchang.

And Changle County is between Dunhuang and Jinchang, and naturally enjoys the convenience brought by this transportation route.

In the spring of this year, Guo Xiaoke first asked his eldest son to take a team to survey the terrain around Jiuquan, and then expressed his desire to build a wooden track between Jinchang and Jiuquan.

For this matter, Jinchang Inspector Chen Jiao felt dispensable, but the Inspector of Jiuquan was very happy.

Thanks to Guo Xiaoke's great efforts, the railroad track was repaired very quickly, and the construction only started at the end of spring. Around the Dragon Boat Festival, Luo Yong and the others could eat the fish and shrimp brought in from Daze.

To the east of Jinchang City, there is a river called Mingshui, which originates from the Qilian Mountains, enters Guazhou after descending from the Snowy Mountains, and flows into Daze from south to north.

These fish and shrimps were fished from that Daze, flowed upstream along the dark water, transported to the junction of the river and the newly built wooden track, and then transported along the wooden track to Changle, Jinchang.

There are no rivers and lakes in Changle County, so naturally there is no fish and shrimp. In the past, some people transported some from Dunhuang on wooden rails. The quantity was not large and the price was quite expensive.

Recently, the fish and shrimp shipped from Daze are really good in quality and cheap in quality and quantity.

There is a Hehe garrison on the edge of Daze. It was originally where the children of the Han family garrisoned fields and garrisoned the border. Today, it has become a town.

Because I live on the edge of the big lake, many local people who are good at water catch fish and shrimp from the big lake to eat. There are also sales in the local market, but the price is quite cheap. Save, so it's hard to sell elsewhere.

Now that the transportation is convenient, many people in Heheshu go to the Jinchang Changle area along the wooden track to sell fish and shrimp.

On the other hand, Dunhuang is less frequented, because the distance is far away, and there are also rivers and lakes in Dunhuang, and river fish is also produced there.

In order to lay this wooden track, Guo Xiaoke, governor of Anxi, ordered to build a concrete bridge over Mingshui, named Mingqiao. This bridge has not yet been completed, but the wooden track from Mingshui to Jinchang City has been completed put into use in advance.

Don't look at just such a wooden track that is neither long nor short, you can collect a lot of tolls every day, and you can also earn money from the car rental business. The school that drives wooden carriages, only the wooden carriages are still purchased from the car manufacturer in Changle County.

After this section of wooden track was completed, it would be much more convenient for the cashmere workshop to have a few young women who were born as guards to go home than before.

Take a wooden carriage from outside Changle County to Mingshui Ferry, and then take a boat from there, go down the river to Daze, pass through Daze to the north bank, there is a market on the bank, from this market to It would take at least a whole day to walk with a hundred tents, and it would be faster if you rode a horse.

The little ladies in the workshop only know this road, they have not walked it themselves, but their family members have come along this road.

When I came to the cashmere workshop in Changle County, I met my daughter and brought her some food and things. When I left, they were basically big bags with copper coins, and their daughter was in this workshop and Cashmere sweaters, cloth, food and other items bought in Changle County.

Some girls, Ye Niang, have lived in the Gobi Grassland all their lives. At most, they have participated in the fairs on the grasslands. They are very unfamiliar with towns and cities, and they can't even speak Chinese well.

After these little ladies got acquainted with life in Changle County, they had to worry a lot about their families. After they learned that the price of salt in Changle County was much cheaper than that in the grassland market, they often got their wages. So I have to buy a year's worth of salt for my family, put it in the dormitory, and let them take it back when the adults in the family come to visit them.

There are also all kinds of fine grains, high-quality and cheap fabrics, sauces, tea leaves, etc. They will buy them when the price is the most suitable, and store them carefully, waiting for the family to come and pick them up.

When these outsiders entered the city for the first time or two, they were probably in a rather uneasy mood. Afterwards, they came and went more often, and gradually became a little familiar.

This time, after the section of the wooden track was completed, many people from military households from Heheshu went to Changle, Jinchang to sell fresh seafood, people in the market opposite Daze, and people from Baizhang Shouzhuo heard about it. With this news, some people followed Heheshu's example and started fishing and selling fish for a living.

These river fresh people disembarked from Mingqiao Ferry every night, took a wooden carriage to Changle County overnight, and set up a stall in an open space outside the city before dawn.

For their seafood business, Luo Yong asked someone to bring a few biogas lamps over, without taking any money from them.

The arrival of these seafood sellers has greatly enriched the dining tables of the common people in Changle. Luo Yong often goes to this morning market to buy whatever he wants to eat. Or send it to the cashmere workshop, and sometimes mention it to Azhi and the others.

Azhi and Hengzhi had already held a banquet earlier, and they didn't make it too grand. They just went through the cutscenes that should go, and set up a few banquets. It's a couple.

Luo Yong built a yard for them in Changle County, tidied it up, bought some furniture, and let the two of them live first.

This is also a temporary residence. Hengzhi is not only a very talented disciple to Luo Yong, but he has also learned too many secrets about Luo Yong over the years. If Ri was transferred away from Changle County, let alone how the other disciples would be arranged, Hengzhi would definitely be with him.

Even though it was just a temporary residence, the couple had carefully arranged it. Hengzhi still went to work in the machine workshop every day, and Azhi was doing needlework at home.

Sometimes Luo Yong and Qiao Junlin would step on the meal and eat a home-cooked meal at their place.

This time, Luo Yong organized a team to go to the Western Regions, and Qiao Junlin was among them. There were 12 of them in this group, all young men.

Luo Yong asked Qiao Junlin to lead the team. A young gentleman from Changle Academy expressed dissatisfaction and questioned Luo Yong face to face. The envoy to the Western Regions represents the face of the country, and someone with a higher status should be selected. Any one of them They are all from higher backgrounds than Qiao Junlin, why did Qiao Junlin lead the team.

Regarding this matter, after discussing with Tang Jian, Luo Yong finally decided to replace this person.

Their team, how can it be called representing the country to go to the Western Regions, it is just organized by Luo Yong and approved by the imperial court.The situation in the Western Regions is complicated and dangerous. This person's posture is too lofty and utilitarian. Luo Yong is worried that he will put the whole team in a dangerous situation.

"The plan to go to the Western Regions this time was proposed by me, the team was also organized by me, and the money and property were also supported by me. Naturally, I should appoint and dismiss the people who lead the team."

"I'm still in Changle right now. Even if you can't see the situation so clearly, you won't have any fear of your life. In the land of tigers and wolves in the Western Regions, if something happens to you there, how can I tell your family?" explain?"

To put it bluntly, since this person is dissatisfied, he is an unstable factor, and Luo Yong will not let him go no matter what.

After this person was picked off, Luo Yong replaced him with a child from Wang Lishi's family.

In recent years, many tea merchants from Lishi have been doing business in Changle County. As the tea market continues to open up, the business is getting bigger and bigger. Some tea merchants have also come to Luoyong and arranged one or two families. The children went to Changle Academy to study.

As for the gentry Xiaolang who is studying in Changle Academy, this time, anyone who wants to go, one counts as one, and they are already in the team.Originally there were nine of them, but now one was picked out, leaving only eight.

Adding Qiao Junlin, one from the Lishi Wang family, and two from the Shuozhou Zhao family, there are still 12 people in total.

This team will go to the Western Regions with familiar caravans in this autumn, when there are the most caravans going to the Western Regions.

Luo Yong has met many Hu merchants in Changle County over the years, not to mention how close the relationship between the two parties is, at least they are relatively friendly. When these Hu merchants talk about Changle County, most of them have a good impression. It brought great convenience to Qiao Junlin and the others on their trip this time.

Before the trip, there is still a lot of preparations to be done. This time they went to the Western Regions, in addition to obtaining the firing method of colored glaze, they also had the intention of exploring the Western Regions and spreading culture.

Qiao Junlin and the others are currently compiling a book, which is graphic and textual. It tells the story of a young man from the Western Regions who came to the Tang Dynasty. He was shocked by the prosperity of the Tang Dynasty at the beginning, and then gradually integrated into the local life.

After telling a story, they basically showed off everything they could show off. At the end of the story, this guy married a beautiful Tang Dynasty woman, lived in a big house, and wore exquisite clothes. Clothes, eat all kinds of delicacies.

In addition, this book also contains some practical and down-to-earth content, such as some advanced farming techniques, a threshing machine that greatly improves harvesting efficiency, the method of making tofu and soybean paste, etc.

These things can be taught to the local people along the way, so as to gain the respect of the local people. While promoting the culture of the Tang Dynasty, it also adds a layer of security for their trip this time.

"I heard that Shumai is also planted in Yanqi, Qiuci and other places. If you go further west, I don't know if there are any."

"If there is none, you will sow seeds locally."

"Shun is a thing that originated in China, and now it is of great significance to spread it to the Western Regions."

"Teaching the people of the Western Regions to make tofu and eat soybean paste is also for the benefit of the common people." For these students who are about to travel, Dean Tang also teaches earnestly every day.

In the past two days, Luo used to go to the iron foundry, mainly to prepare one or two light and durable refined iron pots for them.

Their team is going to travel soon, and Luo Yong asked them to go out and teach people how to make tofu and bean paste. How these things can attract the local people, they must make delicious food for them to taste for themselves.

This incident is of great significance. The so-called food is the most important thing for the people, and spreading food culture is actually spreading a happy life.

The author has something to say:

Shu is soybean.