Chapter 152: Making Connections

Chapter 152: Making Connections

Dawn was breaking when Sui Yu set out with Zhao Xiaomi and Sui Liang. With the weather warming up, the three of them resumed their daily routine of running, all the way to the guesthouse. They were drenched in sweat, their joints loosened after a night's deep sleep, feeling refreshed.

As they arrived, they hadn't even finished their bowl of porridge when the wind carried the sound of camel bells.

"Yin Po, boil water and prepare to cook noodles," Sui Yu instructed.

"The water is already boiling, and the noodles are rolled out," Yin Po said, wiping her hands as she came out, looking up at the sky. "A caravan so early? Did they spend the night outside the city?"

Sui Yu quickly finished her porridge, wiped her mouth, and walked out the door, just in time to greet the merchants dismounting from their camels.

"Is this the guesthouse in the north of the city?"

"Indeed it is." Sui Yu opened the door to the third courtyard, concerned, and asked, "Did you spend the night outside the city? The stove is still burning; would you like to eat something warm to fill your stomachs first?"

"We arrived last night, but the city gates were closed, so we had to wait until dawn to enter." The merchant stomped the dust off his feet, looked around the guesthouse, and said, "The conditions are not bad; it's worth our overnight journey. We'll take this courtyard and leave tomorrow."

"Alright, that will be 1,200 coins." Sui Yu took a string of keys from the boiler room and said, "These are the room keys. Remember to lock the doors when you go out. I'll call someone to heat up some hot water."

Old Niu had already brought water over upon hearing the commotion. Meeting Sui Yu, he whispered, "How long are they staying?"

"Just one night."

People in the first two courtyards were woken up by the noise, dressed, and came out for breakfast. Just as they sat down, the new caravan also entered.

"Bring everything you have to eat," a stout guard shouted coarsely.

Sui Yu loved straightforward guests like these. She served steamed buns, dumplings, and braised soup noodles, then told the merchants who had checked in the previous day, "I have dried vegetables and braised eggs, and can make pancakes and stir-fried noodles. If you want to stock up on provisions before leaving, let me know half a day in advance, and we'll prepare them for you."

"These braised eggs?" The new merchant picked up an egg with his chopsticks and said, "Bring us sixty more. We'll take two jars when we leave tomorrow. How many eggs fit in one jar?"

"One jar can hold two hundred eggs. It's not hot now, so with the braised liquid, they should keep for ten days," Sui Yu replied.

"Then we'll take two jars. Four hundred pancakes, plain flour, no bean powder. Fifty pounds each of dried vegetables and stir-fried noodles."

It was indeed a big order. Sui Yu happily noted it down and asked the other four caravans if they needed provisions, noting their requests. Then she went back to get money and sent Zhao Xiaomi to the military settlement to ask Dongzi’s Father to send another hundred pounds of gray flour as soon as possible.

"Second Uncle, what did you think of the camels you saw yesterday? Can we buy them?" Hong Daming asked.

"I'll go see them again today. You go into the city and inquire around. Manager Yu said the Song family has been in the horse trade for generations. Ask some of the older folks; it shouldn't be hard to find out," Hong Chang instructed.

"The camels have good frames and can carry heavy loads. As for endurance, that can be trained, but it takes effort," an elderly man at the next table interjected. "With three or four hundred camels, there will be good ones and bad ones. If you're serious about buying, this is a good opportunity."

"Three or four hundred camels? Whose are they?" The new major merchant inquired.

"The owner is surnamed Song, a woman. She has three or four hundred camels near Yang Guan in the desert," the old man explained, puzzled. "Why haven't we heard of so many camels before?"

After the meal, Hong Daming went into the city to inquire. He first visited the Eastern City and spoke with a horse meat vendor, then spent some copper coins to chat with some old men scratching lice under the city wall.

"Second Uncle, Manager Yu wasn't lying. Twenty or thirty years ago, the Song family was indeed one of the top horse traders in Northwest. But later, when the court designated grasslands for military horses, the Song family didn't know better and clashed with the government. They had to hand over most of their horses to save their lives. By the time it reached Manager Song's generation, only she remained. She sold the few remaining horses and switched to raising camels," Hong Daming recounted. "But after that, news about Manager Song became scarce. Perhaps because the desert near Yang Guan is far from Dunhuang, few people go there, so no one knew she had raised three or four hundred camels."

Hong Chang had his suspicions. Building a business is hard, but it can collapse quickly. Everyone wants a piece of the pie. The Song family fell, but a dead camel is still bigger than a horse. Other competitors wouldn't let them rise easily. Especially since Manager Song is a woman, it's difficult for her to go out and build connections. The fact that she managed to raise three or four hundred camels shows she has some skill.

"Manager Yu," Hong Chang walked into the kitchen and said, "I want to discuss a deal with Manager Song. Could you send someone to inform her? We'll meet at the West City Gate."

Sui Yu's heart leaped with joy. She beckoned Zhao Xiaomi over and said, "You stay here and watch over things. I'll go for a bit."

Gan Da and Gan Er were plowing the fields, Li Mutou was cleaning the animal pens, and Old Niu was boiling water. No one could spare the time.

"Sister-in-law, I'll go find someone. You stay here," Zhao Xiaomi smiled and said, "I've never seen three or four hundred camels, nor have I been to the desert. I want to see it."

"Alright, the Song family lives on Dinghu Lane. There are stone steps in front of their house and two jujube trees," Sui Yu instructed, then looked at Hong Chang and said, "Boss, you can go now."

Hong Chang nodded and followed Zhao Xiaomi out.

Sui Yu recorded the final transaction and stepped outside to see a large group of camels carrying people away, apparently more than one caravan.

The new merchant heard the commotion and came out. He glanced south, met Sui Yu's gaze, nodded slightly, and turned back inside.

As noon approached, Dongzi’s Father arrived with the flour on his camels, two large jars on each camel's back, and two more jars he carried himself. Seeing Sui Yu busy with the guests, he indicated he wasn't in a hurry and stood aside to rest.

After settling the two caravans, Sui Yu brought two strings of copper coins over and greeted him with a smile, "You came pretty fast."

"There was flour stored in the house. I ground quite a bit last winter," Dongzi’s Father lifted the flour jars and followed Sui Yu into the kitchen, saying, "Your business is doing well. Should I bring another hundred pounds of flour tomorrow?"

"Yes, at the same time tomorrow."

The flour jars were weighed, and Sui Yu paid him. The kitchen was steaming buns, so she gave him two to eat on the way.

"I'm heading back; there's work in the fields," Dongzi’s Father said, walking out and meeting Zhao Xiping returning with the ox. He greeted him and casually mentioned, "Digging trees on the mountain?"

"Yes, after plowing the field, I went up the mountain and dug up about ten trees," Zhao Xiping threw a bundle of saplings against the wall. The ox went to drink by the river, and he took an empty water bag inside.

"Are you hungry? The food is almost ready," Sui Yu said.

"It's mealtime, why isn't anyone coming to eat?"

"The merchants who arrived yesterday went to the desert to pick camels. Those who came today are either sleeping or busy unloading their goods."

Sui Yu went to the kitchen, brought out a plate of stewed fish and two bowls of rice, and said, "Let's eat first."

Just as the couple started eating, Sui Liang and A’shui returned. A’shui went to find her father, and the three of them joined the others at the table.

A merchant came in to eat, and Sui Yu put down her chopsticks to serve him, quoting prices, collecting money, and serving food. Some merchants wanted meat, which Sui Yu noted down and planned to send someone to buy in the afternoon.

"Haven't the people buying camels returned yet?" The major merchant who arrived in the morning inquired.

Sui Yu shook her head, "Not yet. Are you interested too?"

The major merchant shook his head and said, "We have an acquaintance who is a camel trader."

Sui Yu understood and did not ask further.

In the late afternoon, the merchant who went to buy camels returned, and everyone gathered to see what he had brought back.

"Five male camels? Their frames aren't smaller than wild camels."

"We bought them precisely because their frames were good. Unfortunately, we lost a few camels last year when crossing the snow mountain, and Old Wan doesn’t have any suitable ones. We have no choice but to buy camels this year." Hong Chang patted the belly of a camel and said, "I rode one around the desert, and it felt fine. Tomorrow, I'll take them out of the pass and join the caravan. A round trip should be enough to break them in."

"When will you return?" someone asked.

"Probably around July or August," Hong Chang replied, sensing some interest. "When I come back into the pass, I’ll stay at the inn in the north of the city and let you know how these five camels perform."

The major merchant approached and asked, "Are the camels from Merchant Song all like this?"

"There are about two hundred strong camels," Hong Chang said. "Are you interested in buying as well? I can have someone show you around?"

"No, we’ll consider it when we return in winter."

Sui Yu left the crowd. She asked Zhao Xiaomi to watch the inn while she led a camel back into the city, first visiting Song Xian's house and then buying ten pounds of meat from the butcher.

By evening, Song Xian had brought fifty camels into the city. She called on Huang Ancheng, and they both headed to the inn in the north of the city.

When they arrived, the merchants were just leaving for dinner. Seeing the large, robust camels, they all gathered around to inspect them.

"Thick legs, big hooves, and good teeth. These camels are quite good."

"Aren't these wild camels?"

"Probably descended from wild camels."

"They seem a bit less cautious."

Seeing that the merchants were commenting but no one was willing to make a purchase, Song Xian made up her mind. "Everyone, I understand your concerns. If things continue like this, my camels won’t sell, and you’ll lack camels for your journeys. It’s bad for both of us. Here’s what I propose: if anyone wants to buy but is hesitant, you can rent the camels from me. Take them out of the pass, and when you return in winter, bring them back to me. If you’re satisfied with the camels, you can pay to buy them then."

"How would the rental work?" the major merchant asked, showing interest.

"Five hundred coins per camel for half a year. If a camel dies on the journey, you compensate me at the price of a dead camel. If it falls ill, I’ll take care of it." Song Xian was determined, as Sui Yu had suggested. This was a business opportunity worth taking a risk on. In the camel trade, she couldn’t compete with established traders, so she needed to find a niche where others couldn’t interfere. This way, she would offend fewer people, even though the risks were higher for her.

"Aren’t you worried we won’t return the camels?" someone asked with a laugh.

Song Xian smiled and pointed at Huang Ancheng. "My husband is the gatekeeper at the West City Gate. What do I have to worry about? If you want to rent the camels, we can draw up a contract at the official office. When you return to the city, we’ll write another contract, and only after you return the camels will you be allowed to leave the city."

The merchants discussed among themselves. Hong Chang heard that the major merchant nearby seemed interested in renting camels. He weighed the pros and cons: the rent for five camels for half a year would be 2,500 coins. If he rented instead of buying and then bought later, he would end up paying an extra 2,500 coins, which didn’t seem cost-effective.

"Can we only rent camels when leaving the pass? Can we rent them when returning to Guanzhong?" someone asked.

"No, you must return to the pass after your business trips. Once you’re back home, how can I be sure you’ll come back again?" Song Xian explained.

"Alright, I’ll rent ten to try it out." The major merchant who came earlier stepped into the camel herd and quickly picked out ten camels. "If these ten camels return unharmed with the caravan, I’ll buy them."

Song Xian gave Huang Ancheng a nod, and he stepped forward to tie the reins of the ten camels as a mark.

"I’ll take the camels back tonight and brand them. Tomorrow morning, we’ll go to the official office to draw up the contract. You pay the rent, and I’ll give you the camels," Song Xian said.

The major merchant nodded in agreement.

"I’ll also rent ten," a merchant staying in the first courtyard said. "I can’t afford to buy ten, but I can afford to rent them. Bringing ten more camels out of the pass will help me earn more money. But I won’t choose from this group; we’ll pick them from the herd in the desert tomorrow."

Song Xian readily agreed.

As night fell, Song Xian didn’t stay long. She greeted Sui Yu and took the fifty camels back into the city.

The next day, the dozen or so merchants staying in the third courtyard left early. By the time the sun rose, the remaining merchants had packed their goods, and the caravan was ready to depart.

By midday, those who had rented camels returned, loading their supplies onto the rented camels. They ate a hearty meal at Sui Yu’s inn, packed some dry rations, and left one after another.

After this batch of merchants left, new merchants soon checked in. Sui Yu aired the bedding from the first and second courtyards and arranged for the new arrivals to stay in the third courtyard.

In the evening, Song Xian brought over the money. "These 250 coins are the commission from selling camels, and these 800 coins are the commission from renting camels. Since you gave me the idea, I’ll give you a 50-coin profit. Today, I rented out forty camels, so I’ll give you twenty coins per camel now, and thirty more coins per camel when they are returned."

Sui Yu had no objections. She accepted a box of copper coins and said, "This is more profitable than running the inn."

"You deserve it," Song Xian smiled and asked, "How did you come up with this idea? Later, I realized that as long as the camels don’t get seriously sick, I won’t lose money with this rental plan."

"This is our business strategy, and we’re giving it to you," Zhao Xiping said. "Running an inn and renting out camels was our original plan."

Song Xian was shocked. She held Sui Yu’s hand and said, "Sister Yu, I don’t know how to repay you."

"I’m short on funds, and building the inn was already a struggle. If I were to raise camels as well, it would probably take five or six years to reach your scale," Sui Yu explained. "An idea is useless if it’s not put into practice. Who knows what the future will hold in five or six years? It’s better to help you, and it’s worth it since we’ve known each other."

Song Xian was deeply moved. Since her father’s death, no one had been willing to help her.

The next day, she brought over another 1,200 coins. Since Sui Yu had treated her sincerely, she decided to be less calculating and guarded.