At the tea house, after a few brief pleasantries, the man asked as he poured tea for Duan Yan, “I wonder if the merchant is still troubled by his business dealings.”
What business could he mean? At present, the matter concerning Duan Yan and Song Fengsui was naturally the purchase of salt. Duan Yan’s brow twitched, and he roughly guessed the man’s identity.
If he was not a smuggler of illicit salt, then he was at least a middleman who specialized in that line of work.
That also explained why the two men had caught his eye. They had followed them all the way without showing any hostility, waiting until they had visited all three salt shops before finally coming forward to speak.
Duan Yan’s eyes shifted. Buying illicit salt was certainly against the law, but in times like these, if the law had truly been effective, there would never have been any wars in the first place.
If it could benefit him to stock up, then what difference did it make whether the salt was illicit or officially sanctioned?
He glanced at Song Fengsui, clearly seeking his opinion. Seeing that his expression remained calm, Duan Yan understood.
“Brother, you’re very perceptive. I truly haven’t settled this business matter yet.”
The man’s face lit up with delight.
He quickly swept his eyes over the surroundings. Seeing that the door was closed and there was no movement outside, he reached into his robes and pulled out a small bundle no bigger than a palm. He untied it and pushed several little paper packets toward Duan Yan and Song Fengsui.
At the man’s gesture, Duan Yan picked up one of the packets and opened it. Inside was nothing other than salt.
The powder was fine and white, without a trace of sand or other impurities—the finest quality sea salt.
Song Fengsui also picked up a packet and opened it. The salt he had received was well salt, snowy white and granular, likewise of excellent quality.
They opened the remaining packets one after another. Compared with the salt they had seen in the shops that day, every sample was clearly superior. Even the cheapest “life-saving earth salt” showed signs of having been properly processed; its color was not as gray, and there were far fewer impurities.
After tasting the salt, the two exchanged a tacit understanding: they were satisfied with the smuggler’s goods.
Although Duan Yan and Song Fengsui showed little on their faces, the man had complete confidence in his wares. He knew exactly what quality the official salt in the shops was—and exactly what prices it commanded. As someone engaged in this secret trade, he was thoroughly familiar with the business.
Before either of them could speak, he pressed his advantage. He pointed lightly at the sea salt and held up three fingers, then indicated the well salt and raised four.
Both Duan Yan and Song Fengsui’s brows twitched. Those prices were only half of what the salt shops were asking, while the quality surpassed that of the official salt by far.
Neither of them had dealt with salt before. They only knew that illicit salt was repeatedly banned yet continued to appear, sometimes even going unsold. The court had been trying to suppress it all along. Now that they had gained a little insight into the trade, they finally understood why illicit salt could never be eradicated.
With salt this cheap and this good, who would still be willing to buy official salt?
“The goods are good, but as for the price…”
Duan Yan had calmed himself somewhat and spoke cautiously. “How do we know that the samples you’ve shown us won’t differ from what we actually receive?”
“I won’t hide the truth from you, Merchant. Sea salt is plentiful by nature. Along the coast, it can be bought for no more than three to five coins. Anyone can verify that. The reason it costs more here in Qianzhou is simply that the mountains are high and the roads treacherous, making transport expensive. We’re not like those official dealers, whose hearts are black with greed. We’re content with a modest profit.”
“As for well salt, there’s no need to say much. The process is complicated, and the salt is pure, which is why it costs more. But its place of origin is not far from Qianzhou, so the price can naturally be kept down. The price here in Qianzhou is already this low. In the northern or eastern regions, however, the purchase price can rise to over a hundred coins.”
The man spoke earnestly. “The goods you’ve seen today are exactly what will be delivered to you—there will be no substitutions or deception. We require a deposit first. Once the goods arrive, you can inspect them, and only after everything is confirmed will you pay the balance.
“Though we deal in this sort of trade, we still value our reputation. Without honesty, how could we hope to keep such a difficult business going?”
Duan Yan admitted that the man’s reasoning made sense. If they had enough time, he could have obtained a salt license and gone to the salt fields in Shu to buy directly.
The price at the source was low, and even after deducting transportation costs, it would still be more economical than buying from the salt shops.
“The merchant is unfamiliar to me, and this is your first time dealing in salt. It’s only natural that you have some reservations.”
The man continued, “From the look of you two, I’d say you’re new to the trade and have no one to guide you in. Forgive me for speaking bluntly, but those fellows at the salt shops are crafty old foxes. How could they pass up the chance to fleece merchants like you? I’m approaching you because I hope we can become friends. That way, we can do business together for a long time to come.”
Duan Yan asked, “And how did you determine that my husband and I are beginners?”
The man smiled, showing no reluctance to offer advice.
“There are plenty of salt merchants in the market, but most people who regularly engage in this business have some reputation and established connections. You two are complete strangers, and nothing in your speech suggests experience. How could you not be newcomers? That’s the first point.
“Second, your salt license is printed on brand-new paper. It doesn’t show the slightest sign of wear, nor does it bear a single seal. Anyone who regularly conducts this business would have to travel back and forth with it. No matter how carefully it was protected, it could never remain so pristine. I’d wager you only just obtained it from the authorities.”
Duan Yan and Song Fengsui paused slightly. Sure enough, there were countless intricacies in this trade, and everyone involved was a sharp-eyed expert.
No wonder that after they left one salt shop for the next, the shopkeepers had sized them up, examined their license, and confidently quoted exorbitant prices without budging. They had thought the merchants had secretly exchanged information, but it turned out that every one of them had seen through their lack of experience and wanted to take advantage of them.
The man said, “That said, the people who received you at the salt shops were only shop assistants. They truly couldn’t make many decisions themselves. Although the prices they quoted were high, even seasoned salt traders could not have gotten much better terms. Based on experience alone, the difference would probably have been only five to ten coins.”
Duan Yan asked doubtfully, “Everyone knows that salt and iron are among the most profitable trades there are. If their purchase prices are so high, how much can they possibly earn? Even if they still make a profit, it shouldn’t be enough to convince everyone that this line of work is lucrative.”
The man smiled. “Let me put it this way: salt shops serving the public—how many of the ones making real money obtain their goods through only one channel?
“They use their salt licenses to buy a certain amount from the salt shops, opening up the legitimate route and putting on a respectable front. Then, in private, they purchase additional stock from people like us and mix it into their warehouses. How could they fail to make a profit that way?”
Duan Yan and Song Fengsui fell silent.
If one had never stepped into this trade, how could an outsider possibly uncover all its hidden rules?
After saying this, the man continued, “I won’t boast about anything. As the saying goes, wealth and honor are found alongside danger. You two should consider it carefully. If you’re interested, you can contact me again. If you aren’t, then I’ll make a bold prediction: unless you change professions, there will come a day when you change your minds. When that time comes, we’ll still welcome you.”
Duan Yan said slowly, “The amount of goods I need may be more than you can provide.”
The man chuckled. “Merchant, don’t underestimate us. However much you dare ask for, I dare provide.”
“What if I need ten thousand jin, and the destination is somewhere remote? Do you have the means to deliver it?”
The man’s heart jolted. He evidently had not expected Duan Yan’s business to be this large. If the request truly matched the implication in Duan Yan’s words, then fulfilling this single order would be enough to make his entire year.
“I can only tell you this, Merchant: as long as the remote place is not under the direct control of the authorities, we can deliver there.”
Duan Yan raised his brows slightly. “You can arrange the delivery?”
“With thirteen counties under the prefecture, there’s no shortage of people or roads. Autumn is the best season for procuring goods, with merchants coming and going and business easiest to conduct. This year, none of the counties have been conducting particularly strict inspections of the salt trade. It’s been many years since things were this lax.
“The warehouses are well stocked, so they can afford to move a large quantity. Sichuan borders Qianzhou, and now that communications have opened up, well salt brought directly from Sichuan should still be delivered before the New Year.”
“My wife and I will give it further consideration.”
Seeing this, the man did not press them any further. He told them that if they wished to find him again, they should go to a certain general-goods shop in the western part of the city, purchase a fan, and ask for Nine-Beard. He would then receive word and show himself.
After returning to the house where they were staying, Duan Yan and Song Fengsui did not foolishly ask each other whether the matter was reliable. Instead, they gathered the men under their command, including Gou San’er, and sent them out to inquire about a person known as Nine-Beard.
To handle this matter, they would have to visit the black market. After all, Nine-Beard’s business was precisely the sort that could not bear the light of day.
That night, Song Fengsui lay awake in bed. Naturally, he hoped the salt matter would go smoothly, but this was the first time he had ever undertaken something that violated the law, and he was inevitably somewhat uneasy.
Still, if they hesitated tonight and bought even a single jin less salt, then when chaos broke out, one more person might go without salt. After thinking it over, all he could do was grit his teeth and proceed.
Two days later, after spending twenty taels of silver, they finally managed to uncover some information about Nine-Beard. Nine-Beard was not actually the name of a person, but the code name of a group of illicit salt merchants.
Thinking it over, the man had a great deal of merchandise and had claimed that he could deliver to any county among the thirteen. It was clear that a vast network stood behind him.
The only thing they needed to determine was whether this group of salt smugglers was reliable. Judging by the information obtained through discreet inquiries and covert investigations, they had, as luck would have it, made contact with a salt-trading group whose reputation was fairly good.
Time was pressing, so Duan Yan went to the general-goods shop and reestablished contact with Nine-Beard.
“Twenty major yin of well salt and twenty major yin of sea salt, to be delivered to Kang County.”
At present, one minor yin of salt amounted to four hundred jin, while a major yin amounted to six hundred.
When Nine-Beard heard that it was such a large order, delight flashed across his brow. But when he heard that the destination was Kang County, the smile vanished from his face.
“The quantity is no problem, but… are you certain you want it delivered to Kang County?”
Duan Yan asked, “What of it? Is Kang County the one place you can’t deliver to?”
“It’s not that we can’t. It’s just that Kang County is the most remote county under Qianzhou Prefecture. The distance alone wouldn’t matter much, but the terrain there is complicated, with high mountains and steep roads.”
Nine-Beard’s mouth turned bitter. The area was not only remote and desolate; the officials there were also exceptionally greedy. Anyone caught trying to open up a route and conduct business would be forced to pay an exorbitant price.
As a result, few people were willing to clear the checkpoints in that region. It was a losing proposition—who would willingly travel there to do business?
“Trade like this already can’t proceed openly along the official roads. We’ll have to use hidden routes, and the roads around Kang County are the most difficult of all.”
Nine-Beard thought that if the order had not been so large—several thousand jin of salt—he would have backed out immediately.
“I’ll be frank. If you want the goods delivered there, you’ll have to pay extra.”
Duan Yan was silent for a moment. He had traveled all the way from Yan Town to Kang County, and then from the county seat to the prefectural city, driving the carriage and urging the horses onward. Naturally, he knew just how terrible the roads were.
For the sake of caution, he had not even asked them to deliver the salt to Yan Town. If he had made that request, the man might well have turned around and left on the spot. The road from their town to the county seat—even the official road—was actually worse than the hidden routes outside.
There was nothing Duan Yan could do about it. Who could blame him for settling in such a poor and isolated place? Even a salt smuggler had shaken his head upon hearing the destination. If Duan Yan bought officially licensed salt and then sought out an escort agency, he could imagine exactly what sort of attitude the escorts would have taken.
“How much extra are you asking for?”
Seeing that Duan Yan had not become angry and remained calm, Nine-Beard guessed that he understood the difficulties involved and would be open to negotiation. He therefore named a relatively reasonable price.
“An additional one hundred and sixty taels, bringing the total to an even one thousand. We guarantee that the goods will reach Kang County safely.
“But let me make one thing clear: we’ll only get them through the checkpoints. We won’t deliver them into the city. The handover must take place outside the city. As for how you get the goods into the city and through the inspections, you’ll have to clear that route yourself.”
Duan Yan had no intention of bringing the salt into the city, so naturally he did not need to worry about that. People from the town would handle the reception on their end.
After calculating it carefully, he found the price acceptable. This order was also partly a test. Although the amount was considerable, it was still not enough to ensure that the town would have salt without worry.
If everything went smoothly this time, he would still have time to place a second order with Nine-Beard.
Duan Yan put on an expression of haggling. “That’s no small sum. I’m not some great merchant, and this is our first cooperation. Since I’m ordering such a large quantity right away, you should throw in some worthless coarse salt.”
“That can easily be arranged. We’ll give you one hundred jin of coarse salt when the time comes.”
The two sides reached an agreement. Duan Yan immediately arranged for Lin Er and another capable subordinate to carry a message on horseback back to the town. They were to have people ready to receive the salt and arrange for Song Wushen to clear the checkpoint at the town in advance.
For the moment, the salt matter had been settled. To prepare for every eventuality, Duan Yan still spent money at the salt depot to purchase ten minor yin of well salt at a moderate price and hired an escort agency to transport it to Kang County.
The goods were worth four hundred taels. As luck would have it, the escort agency was already heading that way, yet it still charged him one hundred and twenty taels for transport. Duan Yan thought that the salt smugglers had at least not taken advantage of him with an outrageous price. Their goods probably did not originate in the prefectural city; judging by the route, Kang County must be much closer to their source than to the prefectural city. Otherwise, they would not have been so easygoing.
Although purchasing and transporting goods through several different channels cost a great deal of money, it meant that even if something went wrong on one side, the other could still serve as a backup. At a time like this, anything that could be solved with money was better than waiting until money could no longer solve it.
Duan Yan had originally planned to purchase more tea, sugar, alcohol, spices, and similar goods in the prefectural city and entrust them to the escort agency for transport back home. But the cost of transporting the salt alone was already astonishing, so he abandoned the idea.
Instead, he bought some inexpensive goods in the city—items that were light and did not take up much space—and packed them into crates. He planned to make larger purchases in a county like Fu County when he returned. That place was bound to be much closer to Kang County than the prefectural city was. Whether he turned around and transported the goods himself or hired an escort agency, it would save both time and effort.
The selection in a county seat was certainly not as extensive as that in the prefectural city, but they were stocking up on food and necessities to save lives. They did not need the goods to be especially fine or varied.
Early one morning, rain was falling outside. The autumn rain came in a steady patter, each shower colder than the last.
Song Fengsui was not particularly afraid of heat in summer, but he was very sensitive to the cold in winter, perhaps because his body was frail and thin.
He had not brought many changes of clothes with him, and the ones he had packed were rather light. Mu Linghui had originally prepared two thicker garments for him, but he had thought they took up too much space and removed them anyway.
Now, faced with the autumn rain in the prefectural city, he had been chilled. Even though the sky had been bright for some time, he was still wrapped in the quilt, unwilling to get up.
Duan Yan bought breakfast and carried it into the room. He pulled Song Fengsui out of bed and, from somewhere, produced a small vest, which he slipped over him.
After the two of them had shared a room at the inn that night, they had naturally grown much closer. Although they had moved into the house and slept in separate rooms, they still entered each other’s rooms whenever they wished.
“We’re going out to make some purchases later. We’ll stop by a clothing shop and choose some good fabric, then have several outfits made for you. You’ll be able to wear them later.”
Song Fengsui lifted his arm and looked at the sleeveless, front-fastening vest Duan Yan had put on him. The garment was a festive bright red, embroidered with patterns of the character for “good fortune.” It seemed to have a thin layer of cotton padding inside and was surprisingly thick.
Though he had yet to put on his outer coat, he already felt considerably warmer.
Seeing him lower his head to examine the vest without saying a word, Duan Yan simply smiled. “It started raining when we got up this morning, and it’s a little cold. Your constitution is weak, so it’s easy for the chill wind to get into you. The shops on the street happened to be opening, so I stopped in and picked up a vest.
“I was afraid you wouldn’t like the style of an outer coat, so I didn’t choose one. Wearing a vest underneath will keep you warm. It doesn’t matter if it isn’t very attractive.”
Song Fengsui raised his brows. “Who said I didn’t like it? Have you ever bought me anything that I ended up leaving at the bottom of a chest?”
At that, the corners of Duan Yan’s mouth lifted. He pulled Song Fengsui a little closer, wrung out the cloth, and wiped his face and hands. “Wash up and eat. The matter of the salt is nearly settled. In another day or two, we’ll have to leave the prefectural city and head to the medicinal herb estate to select and collect the herbs. Over the next couple of days, think carefully about anything you or your family might still be lacking. We’ll buy it all at once. Once we leave, we may not have another chance to visit a prosperous place like this for three to five years.”
There were three important tasks to accomplish on this trip to the prefectural city: buying salt, purchasing medicinal herbs, and finding superior crop seeds that could withstand both cold and drought.
As for everything else, they had already agreed to buy it in Fuyang County on the way home.
They would still visit the medicinal herb estate that Gou San’er and the others had discovered on their previous outing. As for the crop seeds, during the days he had been occupied with the salt business, the two highly experienced old farmers he had brought from the estate had already gone around inspecting quite a few varieties.
They had purchased drought-resistant sorghum, millet, and buckwheat seeds, as well as moisture-loving, shade-tolerant taro and poor-soil- and drought-resistant Chinese yams. Altogether, they had bought more than three hundred jin.
Of the six carts, three were already fully loaded. At least two more would have to be kept empty for the medicinal herbs.
That left one cart available for the moment. Duan Yan also had a private motive: he wanted to buy Song Fengsui more things to eat and use beyond the bare necessities of survival. After all, Song Fengsui had once been a pampered young master of noble birth. Duan Yan could not bear for him to have nothing but hardship and toil after following him.
Song Fengsui had not thought of anything in particular to buy for himself, but since Duan Yan had brought it up, he decided they might as well spend a day exploring the city and picking out a few good things.
After breakfast, the two of them went out together beneath a large umbrella.
As promised, they first went to a cloth shop in the city. Song Fengsui chose several bolts of soft fabric, intending to save them for making underclothes later. By now, he no longer cared about anything showy; as long as the material against his skin was comfortable, that was enough.
There were not many customers in the cloth shop on a rainy day. The two of them leisurely wandered upstairs, where they noticed several racks set up in a corner. Song Fengsui wondered what sort of fabric would be displayed in such an inconspicuous place and yet be arranged so carefully.
When he walked closer, his face could not help turning slightly red.
The place was filled with camisoles, halter-style undergarments, bandeaus, waist corsets, and other intimate garments made of very little, very light fabric. They came in all sorts of colors and patterns…
Duan Yan had been following Song Fengsui the whole time. When he lifted his head and saw the little scraps of cloth hanging from the racks, he had not been paying much attention—he had simply followed along, helping Song Fengsui carry things.
He was just about to ask what they were when he noticed the flush on Song Fengsui’s white-jade-like face. Song Fengsui’s eyes had landed on a red dudou hanging from the rack, and only then did Duan Yan belatedly realize that they had wandered into the “underwear” section.
He had seen styles far more revealing than these in films and television, and in his former world there had even been entire shops dedicated to such things. At first glance, he had not thought there was anything unusual about them. But once he remembered that this was a different era, he understood.
They had to be worn eventually, and there was nothing to be embarrassed about. Duan Yan cleared his throat. “If you see anything you like, take it.”
Aside from dudou, whose method of wearing he had often seen in films, he had no idea how the other garments made of one piece of cloth here and a couple of strings there were supposed to be worn—or where they went.
In any case, he could not tell which styles were good or bad, but the fabric all looked decent.
In broad daylight, Song Fengsui had still felt rather bashful. Hearing Duan Yan say that, however, his eyes shifted slyly.
He poked his head out to check that no one was nearby, then lightly tugged on Duan Yan’s sleeve. “Then pick out two for me.”
Duan Yan stared blankly. “How would I know how to choose these?”
Song Fengsui pressed his lips together and said nothing.
Seeing this, Duan Yan could only surrender. He reached up and took down a piece of fabric in a relatively ordinary color. It was a long rectangular piece with a row of buttons in front and two straps in back. It had neither a neckline nor shoulder straps.
He held it against himself and knitted his brows. “…Do you put this on over your head, or under your head?”
Song Fengsui burst out laughing. How could anyone be this hopelessly clueless?
He took the halter garment from Duan Yan’s hands. “Tie Da said you used to look through all sorts of improper books. Don’t tell me you can’t even recognize this?”
Duan Yan’s brows twitched. Wasn’t this exactly the sort of thing one should not bring up?
“I already told you, that never happened. Don’t make things up.”
With that, he turned around, swept several items off the rack, stuffed them together with the fabrics they had chosen, and pulled Song Fengsui toward another part of the shop.
When they reached the counter to pay, the shop assistant saw the many little items and gave Duan Yan a knowing look, smiling meaningfully as he carefully wrapped everything up.
It was enough to make up for Duan Yan’s never having experienced the subtle awkwardness of buying several boxes of contraceptives from a supermarket cashier while she scanned them from a pile of groceries.
Seeing that the rain was coming down heavily, Duan Yan asked the shop to send the fabrics directly to the residence where they were staying. Then he planned to take Song Fengsui to a better restaurant for lunch.
He held the large umbrella in one hand and drew Song Fengsui closer in front of him with the other as they followed the street. At the corner, beneath the eaves of a building, an old man was tending a small brazier, which gave off a comforting heat. He appeared to be selling roasted food.
The wind and rain were cold, and Duan Yan thought a hot roasted taro, wrapped in oiled paper for Song Fengsui to hold, would warm his hands. It would also be a way to support the old man, who was still guarding his stall on such a rainy day.
So he stepped forward.
But the moment he saw the round, earthy-looking things lying on the brazier, his eyes lit up. “Old sir, how much are these? And where did you get them?”
Song Fengsui saw that the objects were round, about the size of taro. Their skins had split slightly from roasting, but the skins themselves were rounder and smoother than those of taro.
Even with all his knowledge and experience, he had never seen such a thing. He asked doubtfully, “What are they? Wild taro?”
Seeing that customers had come, the old man immediately rose from his stool. “They’re ground fruits that only my family grows. They’re fragrant and wonderfully starchy. The two of you should try one. There aren’t many customers on a rainy day, so I’ll give you a fair price—one copper coin each.”
Duan Yan broke open one of the roasted ground fruits and took a bite while it was still hot. It was soft and slightly sweet, with a faint, clean scent of earth.
With that appearance and flavor, if it was not a potato, what else could it be?
