Chapter 253 Honey makes a lot of money

From Xuanping Gate, they passed through the Eastern Market and entered the second gate guarded by soldiers. The atmosphere inside was much quieter. On the wide road, officials who had finished their duties walked on the narrow paths alongside. The central road remained untouched, and Sui Yu suspected it was reserved for the emperor and his consorts.

As it grew dark, lanterns were lit beside the palace walls. However, in the deep alley, the flickering lights resembled fireflies, dispersing before they reached the ground, leaving the road still dim.

The sound of hurried footsteps echoed on the hard ground, growing louder as they neared the imperial city. The silence was so profound that even the quiet steps of the eunuchs and maids in the palace made their group seem rude and clumsy in comparison.

"Who goes there?" A patrol team with swords approached.

"Are you the Left Capital Commander?" The city guard reported, "A merchant caravan from Taiyuan captured forty-six bandits near the Great Green Mountain. I intended to take them to the Criminal Affairs Bureau, but I'm unsure if we can go there now."

A pockmarked military officer carrying a lantern came over. He lifted it, casting a glow, and said, "The officials at the Criminal Affairs Bureau have already clocked out. I'll take them to the Office of the Metropolitan Magistrate. We'll inquire further tomorrow."

The city guard agreed and, considering Sui Yu was a woman and likely unfamiliar with the procedures of reporting to the authorities, asked, "Should these merchants come back tomorrow to file a complaint, or should they go tonight?"

"Tomorrow," the Left Capital Commander replied, "Keep an eye on their whereabouts. When there's news, I'll send someone to fetch you, and you can guide them."

The city guard agreed again and stepped back, gesturing for Sui Yu and her servants to follow him.

On the way back, when they exited Xuanping Gate, the moon was high, and the galaxy was brilliant.

A'niu was waiting outside the gate. Seeing them come out, he hurried forward and said, "Master, Xiao Chunhong has already rented a place for us. She sent me to fetch you."

"Where is it?" Sui Yu asked, turning to the city guard, "Sir, would you like to come with us, or should I arrange for someone to wait tomorrow?"

"Arrange for a servant to wait for news outside the city tomorrow," the city guard stretched, "It's dark now; I should head back."

Sui Yu thanked him and watched him leave. She then led her servants to follow A'niu.

Back at the tomb district in Xianyang Plain, the maids had already prepared the meals: sour cabbage buns, porridge, stir-fried shredded radish with meat, and scrambled eggs with leeks.

After filling their stomachs, Sui Yu arranged the night watch and those who would wait outside the city tomorrow. She then sent the male servants away.

"You don't need to wake up early tomorrow—sleep as long as you like," Sui Yu instructed, "Also, be careful when bathing in the river and don't go to the deep parts. Zhang Shun, make sure to count everyone before bed."

Zhang Shun agreed, "Master, you worry too much. We're grown-ups, not little kids who don't know better."

Sui Yu snorted in disagreement, "My son is very well-behaved."

"Alright, alright," Zhang Shun laughed, "Can't argue with you there. You rest; if there's anything at night, shout loudly. We'll be in the next room."

Sui Yu nodded and, after Xiao Xi closed the door, immediately undressed to bathe.

It was already summer, and the evening wind was warm. A cauldron of boiling water could be diluted into four buckets of cool water, enough for four people to bathe. After bathing and washing their hair, they had used up all the water they had fetched earlier.

Hearing noises next door, Sui Yu called out to have two more buckets of water brought over.

When the water arrived, Sui Yu had someone boil it, "Once the water cools down, scoop some honey into the bowls and stir evenly. Everyone, try the honey water."

At the mention of honey, Xiao Chunhong dashed into the kitchen, eager to stoke the fire.

Song Xian turned her gaze away, stifled a yawn, and asked tiredly, "What are your plans for selling this honey?"

"We'll rest tomorrow, and the day after, I'll find a potter to buy some ceramic jars. Then, we'll filter the honey and pour it into small jars for sale. If it doesn't all sell, it's fine; we can consume it at home. Honey is good for the body, suitable for the elderly and children. I also have a teahouse where we serve honey-based drinks," Sui Yu already had a plan.

Song Xian yawned again, seeing that Sui Yu had everything figured out, and decided not to worry further.

With her hair still damp, Xiao Chunhong called for someone to serve the honey water. She first brought two bowls to the two masters.

The wild bees in the mountains collected nectar from many flowers, so the honey was a blend of various blossoms. It had a floral fragrance, but it was hard to tell exactly which flowers. Sui Yu finished a bowl of honey water in two or three gulps, then put down the bowl. She grabbed a pair of scissors and quickly trimmed a section of her hair.

"I'm going back to my room to sleep," Sui Yu put down the scissors and stood up, instructing, "I won't have breakfast tomorrow unless someone from the authorities comes. Don't wake me unless that happens."

"Same here," Song Xian put down her bowl and followed, stretching her arms. "Finally, we can get some rest."

The two of them fell asleep immediately and didn’t notice when the servants came in.

They slept until the afternoon and woke up feeling weak from hunger. Sui Yu took the bowl and utensils handed to her by Xiao Chunhong and sat on a wooden plank under the eaves to eat.

"No one from the government has come yet. A'niu is still waiting outside the city," Xiao Chunhong reported before Sui Yu could ask.

Sui Yu nodded.

"Go buy five chickens and half a lamb tonight to make two pots of stew. I'll pay," Song Xian said, "I'm craving lamb."

"Eating lamb in this hot weather, aren't you afraid of getting heaty?" Sui Yu swallowed the food in her mouth and patted her chest. Before she could speak, Xiao Xi ran into the house to pour water.

Sui Yu took a large sip. Her peripheral vision caught the clothes hanging in the yard, swaying with the wind. Xiao Chunhong and the others had already washed all the accumulated dirty clothes from the journey that morning. She felt fortunate that she had insisted on buying female servants. If they had been male servants, she probably wouldn't have been able to sleep well during the journey.

"Lady?" A'niu came back, sweating profusely. He took the honey water offered by Xiao Xi and drank it greedily. After the honey water went down, he continued, "The city guards at Xuanping Gate said the authorities won't be holding a trial today. We need to keep waiting."

"Alright, you'll be in charge of keeping an eye on the city gate from now on," Sui Yu instructed, "By the way, did you find out where the Grand Marshal is buried?"

"He's buried on the Xianyang Plain, probably only a day's distance from here," Xiao Chunhong interjected. She had asked around while washing clothes by the river that morning.

"He's already been buried? A'niu, go get Zhang Shun." Sui Yu ordered.

When Zhang Shun arrived, Sui Yu instructed him to contact the foreign merchant selling carpets in the West Market to inquire if the Grand Marshal's family still needed white hemp fabric and silk fabric. "Take Xiao Chunhong with you. Both of you should visit the various silk shops and cloth stores in the West Market to find out the purchase and sale prices of silk and hemp cloth. Also, connect with the trading caravans heading to Chang'an to see if they want to buy silk fabric from us."

Zhang Shun and Xiao Chunhong looked troubled, but Sui Yu pretended not to see it. She couldn’t always lead them in everything. She couldn’t shield them and do everything herself, leaving their minds and hands idle. Money wasn’t easy to come by.

"We buy silk fabric at four hundred cash per bolt. Try to sell it for five hundred cash. Any amount over five hundred is yours to keep," Sui Yu continued, "The same goes for mulberry wine. We buy it at one hundred and seventy cash per jar. If you sell it above three hundred cash, you keep the extra."

Zhang Shun and Xiao Chunhong looked both discouraged and excited. The two of them each grabbed a bolt of silk fabric and a jar of mulberry wine before heading out.

While it was still early, Sui Yu took out a bolt of white hemp fabric. She drew a simple diagram on the ground and explained it carefully to the servants to ensure they understood. Then she called Song Xian and brought two male servants into the city.

In the evening, when they returned, the two male servants each carried a large bathtub into the house, and the female servants had sewn two hemp tents.

As it grew dark, just before the city gates closed, Zhang Shun and Xiao Chunhong returned, looking dejected. Sui Yu could tell at a glance that they hadn’t achieved much. She waved her hand, signaling them not to say anything. It was fine to have no success for the day; they could try again tomorrow.

The next day was another clear sky. After waking up, Sui Yu personally used a long pole to make two wooden frames taller than a person. She set the frames up in the yard and covered them with the sewn hemp tents. This way, they wouldn’t have to worry about flies and mosquitoes.

"This task is yours now. I need to go into the city to buy pottery today," Sui Yu put down the ladle and stamped her foot, instructing, "Every hour, pour two ladles of water on the ground to prevent ants from climbing up the barrels."

"No worries, Ma'am. We'll take care of it," Liu Ya'er readily agreed.

Sui Yu and Song Xian led ten male servants into the city. A'niu was still squatting at the city gate and shook his head when he saw them.

"We're going to the Eastern Market to buy pottery. If you need us, come to the Eastern Market," Sui Yu instructed.

As they entered the city, Gan Da reached for the entry fee, but the city guards, who recognized them, waved them through.

"So we don’t have to pay the entry fee this time?" Song Xian glanced back and said to Sui Yu, "We caught the bandits and brought them back. Shouldn't we get some kind of reward? Maybe even an official letter praising us? For example, the officials in Chang'an might send a document to Dunhuang commending us. If that really happens, we'd be quite impressive."

Sui Yu smiled and said, "Aren't we impressive enough already?"

Song Xian didn't think so. She felt that this kind of recognition wasn’t nearly as impressive as what the government could give.

When they arrived at the Eastern City, Sui Yu first went to look for a kiln worker. After searching at various stalls, she picked out a slender pottery jug about two handspans long and said, "I need pottery jugs or jars around this size. How many do you have? I’ll take all of them."

"Just the slender-necked ones?" the stall owner asked.

Sui Yu nodded.

"I only have about seventy or eighty slender-necked jars at home."

"If you fired another batch, how long would it take?"

"It takes at least two weeks to mold and fire them."

"Then bring me the seventy or eighty slender-necked jugs you have this afternoon, and give me a fair price."

"One qian for two," the stall owner said, holding up his fingers.

Sui Yu pointed to a jar that was almost as tall as her thigh and asked, "How much for this one?"

"One qian," the stall owner said, "Don't just look at the size. The more delicate the item, the more labor it requires. The slender neck on the jug you're interested in is what makes it expensive. Only the master craftsmen can make these."

"Alright," Sui Yu said, not wanting to haggle over a few dozen qian. She stood up and said, "I'll come to pick up the goods this afternoon."

Afterward, she browsed other stalls, wandering around for a good part of the day. She ended up buying eight baskets of slender-necked jars, one of which was even painted with colors—a brown jar with crimson red stripes.

Once the jars were cleaned, they were boiled in a pottery cauldron to disinfect them. Then, each pottery jug was covered with white hemp cloth and left to dry in the sun.

For four consecutive days, Sui Yu continued to search for pottery jars and jugs in the city. The pottery she brought back was starting to form a small hill when she rolled up her sleeves and, along with the female servants, began to pour honey into the jars.

"Master, we've found a buyer for the white hemp cloth," Xiao Chunhong ran in happily. "A high-ranking official in the city lost his mother, and his family is holding a funeral. They need a lot of white hemp cloth. I negotiated the price to 130 qian per bolt. Should we sell?"

Hemp is grown all over the Central Plains, so hemp cloth doesn’t fetch a high price. Earning twenty qian per bolt means that selling fifty bolts would cover the costs of a round-trip with a merchant caravan. Satisfied, Sui Yu nodded and agreed to the sale.

"Don't worry, Miss Song, I'll go out again tomorrow and try to sell your goods as well," Xiao Chunhong said.

Song Xian smiled and shook her head. "I'm not in a hurry. If it can't be sold within Guanzhong, it will definitely sell beyond the pass. It won't be stuck in our hands."

Xiao Chunhong ran out to call Zhang Shun and the others to move the goods. As she went out, she saw A'niu returning excitedly. She called out, "Is the trial happening finally?"

"Yes," A'niu replied hurriedly, hurrying into the house. "Master, the city guards sent word that you should enter the city early tomorrow morning. He'll be waiting at the city gate."

Sui Yu agreed.

"What kind of reward do you think we'll get?" Song Xian couldn't contain herself. She put down the small honey jar and muttered, "It should be money, right?"

"Whatever the reward is, let's take the opportunity tomorrow to have a good look at the imperial city. It might be the only chance we get to walk beside the palace walls in this lifetime." Sui Yu was somewhat excited.

The next morning, Sui Yu and Song Xian woke up early. They changed into clean clothes, put on women's attire, and did their hair before heading into the city with four servants.

The city guards led the group of six through the Eastern City and into the inner city. Once inside, they were met with towering palace walls. It had been dark when they entered before, so Sui Yu and Song Xian hadn't been able to see the walls and palace roads clearly. This time, as they passed by, the two women couldn't take their eyes off them.

The city guards cleared his throat and whispered, "This is the Northern Palace."

"Who lives inside?" Sui Yu asked in the same quiet tone.

"The consorts of the late emperor."

Sui Yu responded with an "Oh," thinking that the palace walls stretched for about two or three li from north to south. How many people must be living inside! But upon further thought, she found it too small and narrow for so many women to spend most of their lives within.

As they walked past the palace roads near the North Palace, they encountered numerous patrolling guards and officials in a hurry. Beyond the layers of earthen walls, there was even a *market district* at the end of the palace road. The *ward* housed high-ranking officials, and the streets were lined with shops, though no vendors were shouting to attract customers.

The city guards spotted the Left Capital Guard. He stopped and warned, "Stop looking around. To the east is the Changle Palace, where the Empress Dowager resides. To the west is the Weiyang Palace, where the Emperor lives. You can't see inside from here. Follow the Left Capital Guard; he will lead you to the Criminal Affairs Bureau."

Sui Yu turned her gaze away and said, "Thank you for the reminder, brother."

"He's here," said the Left Capital Guard as he approached. "Follow me."

The master and servants walked past the entrance of the Chancellor's residence, passed by the Metropolitan Governor's residence, and finally turned into the Criminal Affairs Bureau. The bureau's function was as its name suggested—responsible for capturing bandits.

Wang Heiniu and his men had already been subjected to torture, and they had confessed everything they needed to. Sui Yu and Song Xian were just going through the formalities, recounting the events.

"The Emperor has been informed of the bandits robbing travelers, stealing their goods, and causing injuries. The imperial army will be dispatched to eliminate them. You won't have to worry when you travel to Taiyuan for business in the future," said Cao Ling with a smile. He glanced at the chief clerk, who held out an arm-length wooden box. He carried it to Sui Yu and Song Xian and said, "The Emperor praised both of you for your courage and wisdom upon learning that the merchants who helped capture the bandits were led by two female owners. These two swords are bestowed by the Emperor for your self-defense."

Sui Yu and Song Xian were delighted and immediately bowed deeply.

After leaving the Criminal Affairs Bureau, Song Xian said happily, "I'll enshrine this sword in our family shrine. My father and ancestors will be proud that I, Song Xian, have brought honor to the Song family."

Sui Yu opened the wooden box and said, "My family will be thrilled when they find out. I'll place it in my teahouse to show off to other merchants and make them envious."

The Left Capital Guard waited patiently. When the two female owners finished their daydreaming, he stepped forward and said, "I'll escort you out."

"Thank you for your trouble," Sui Yu said, her smile fading. As they reached the side of the market district, she asked, "Are the people who open shops here all wealthy and noble? Can I rent a shop here for ten days?"

"What are you selling?" asked the Left Capital Guard. "Silk fabric? You can sell it at the West Market."

"Honey. I was lucky enough to buy some hundred-flower honey in the deep mountains. It's sweet and nourishing. Drinking a bowl of honey water before bed helps you sleep well all night. Moreover, honey water helps with digestion..." Sui Yu lowered her voice and continued, "For the elderly and children with poor digestion, eating too much meat can cause constipation..."

The Left Capital Guard coughed twice, looking at Sui Yu with disdain. This woman was too crude.

"I'm serious. When we travel for business, our diet is irregular, and we can't always eat meat. It's often... After drinking a bowl of honey water before bed, everything flows smoothly, and no pimples appear on your face," Sui Yu continued, oblivious to his expression.

The Left Capital Guard's face turned beet red. His pockmarked face made him unsuitable for serving in the palace. He glared at Sui Yu, feeling that she was talking about him.

Noticing the glare, Sui Yu seemed to realize and shrank back, keeping her mouth shut.

The Left Capital Guard looked at her but hesitated to ask.

Song Xian understood and glanced back, signaling Gan Da to step forward.

"On the second day of our arrival in Chang'an, we bought half a lamb to stew. It was hot, and eating lamb caused internal heat. Women were fine, but men, with their stronger yang energy, would get sores on their mouths and pimples on their faces if they got too much internal heat. Among us, Gan Da was the worst. He woke up with seven pimples on his face. After drinking two bowls of honey water a day, most of the pimples disappeared in just five days," Song Xian explained.

The Left Capital Guard quickly glanced back and said, "I'll try that when I get home. A bowl of honey water before bed, right?"

"As long as you can relieve your bowels, it should be fine," Sui Yu added.

The Left Capital Guard kept a straight face and said nothing.

As they were about to leave the palace road near the North Palace, Sui Yu brought up her earlier question, "Can I rent a shop here for a short period?"

"Do you think it's possible? Of course not," the Left Capital Guard scoffed. "How much honey do you have? Sell it to me."

Sui Yu looked at him suspiciously, which amused the Left Capital Guard. He scoffed, "Do you think I would take advantage of you? I'm not interested in that small amount of honey. I wouldn't bother with you if I didn't think it was hard for a woman traveling and doing business."

Sui Yu sneered, "You're making it sound noble, but you'll definitely make a profit from buying and selling. Forget it. Help me with something, and I'll sell it to you."

"I was about to decline, but then you mentioned that his family would be abstaining from meat during the mourning period for the Grand Marshal, which would cause constipation, and you offered to send some honey for his family to help with that."

"We are people from Dunhuang, living on the border. We owe our peaceful and prosperous lives to two things: first, the Emperor has provided us with land and homes, and second, the Champion Marquis has protected us by driving away the Xiongnu. Although we are thousands of miles away, we still remember the Emperor and the general. As for the Grand Marshal, although we've never met him, we heard that the Emperor and the Empress personally went to pay their respects after his passing. He must have been a good official. Since we cannot pay our respects in person, we can only express our sentiments with these humble gifts. The deceased is gone, but the living must take care of themselves." Sui Yu spoke sincerely, like a humble farmer gazing at the crops in the field. She looked at the Left Capital Guard with sincere eyes and cautiously asked, "Is my request causing you trouble?"

"No, it's not." The Left Capital Guard shook his head. "It's rare that you have this thought. If the Grand Marshal could see this from beyond, I’m sure he would be touched. I’ll make sure the honey is delivered to the Huo family. I can't guarantee whether they will accept it, but I can guarantee that I will buy all your honey. How much do you have? I'll use a carriage to pick it up tomorrow."

Sui Yu thought for a moment. For five consecutive days, they had collected eighteen jars of honey. One large jar could be divided into forty small jars. She calculated and said, "There are around 720 jars, each weighing about four jin, so that’s close to 3,000 jin in total. Does that sound reasonable?"

"That's fine, I'll buy all of it." The Left Capital Guard was worried that Sui Yu might be troubled, and he didn’t want to disappoint such a sincere and grateful person.

"What’s a fair price per jar?" The Left Capital Guard had no concept of household expenses. He muttered, "Four jin per jar, and honey is worth more than meat, so maybe ten qian per jin would be fair."

Sui Yu gripped her hands excitedly but couldn’t bear to exploit him too much. She had bought it for 1.2 qian per jin, and with the jar, it cost 2.5 qian.

"Thirty qian per jar seems fair." Sui Yu said, planning to maintain her honest and simple persona. She said earnestly, "I'll just earn a bit of hard-earned money, not too much."

"Let's meet halfway, 35 qian per jar." The Left Capital Guard touched his face and said, "If by any chance it helps clear up the acne on my face, I'll thank you."

Sui Yu looked at him and said, "Alright, I'll wait for you outside the city gate tomorrow. I'll also tell you how to wash your face. You have excessive oil on your face, and when the pores are blocked, it's easy to get acne."

"Do you think it’s because I don’t have hair on my face? My legs are covered in hair, and I never get acne there."

Sui Yu: "...They're sweat pores. The skin on your face is delicate, and the pores are small, making them prone to blockage."

The Left Capital Guard was thoroughly convinced. He waved to the city guards waiting nearby and said, "Go out of the city with him first. I'll take a leave of absence tomorrow and meet you outside."

Suppressing her excitement, Sui Yu casually followed the city guards, walking neither too fast nor too slow. Not only was she deceiving others, but even Song Xian was convinced.

"This..." Upon returning to the rented house, Song Xian, looking at the flies buzzing around the white linen curtains, didn’t know where to start.

"A total of fifty-two and a half jars of honey. We'll keep the half jar for ourselves and sell the remaining fifty-two jars. We've not only recovered the cost of the honey but also made nearly 20,000 qian." After calculating the money, Sui Yu was so excited that she shouted, laughing heartily. "I owe it all to this nobleman."

Song Xian was stunned. She looked at Sui Yu woodenly and asked, "You deceived him?"

Sui Yu looked at her in surprise and said, "Didn't you help too? It's not really deceiving. Honey does help with constipation and benefits both the elderly and children. I just over-packaged it and raised the price."

"What about your admiration for the Grand Marshal?"

"My admiration is genuine. He was an impressive person. The stability we enjoy now is largely due to him and his brother. A great leader has passed, but his memory lives on, and I’m one of those who will always remember him. But sending the honey was just an excuse. Before I leave Chang'an, I plan to cook a pig's head and a sheep's head to pay my respects."

Song Xian didn’t hear the latter part and asked again, "You targeted the Left Capital Guard from the beginning? Oh my, you are so calculative."

Sui Yu shook her head and pointed to the sky. "Do you think I'm a celestial being who can predict everything? I initially planned to rent a shop in the West Market, but then I saw shops in front of the gates of high-ranking officials inside the inner city. I wanted to do business with them, and when I found out it was impossible, I set my sights on the Left Capital Guard. Sure enough, selling the honey to him was more profitable than renting a shop and selling it piecemeal."

Song Xian marveled and hugged Sui Yu's head, studying her. "How does your brain work?"

Sui Yu shook her head smugly. Thinking about the money that was about to be in her pocket, she felt utterly refreshed, and all her fatigue vanished.

Before dawn, Sui Yu was already waiting outside the Xuanping Gate. At the hour of Chen, the Left Capital Guard changed out of his official robes and came out wearing a light blue silk garment. He rode a horse, followed by three carriages.

Sui Yu led him to the Xianyang Plain, where 720 jars of honey were neatly lined up under the eaves. The bottle necks were tightly sealed with wooden plugs wrapped in silk fabric, making them presentable for either gifting or reselling.

The Left Capital Guard pulled out the wooden plug, revealing a thread of glistening amber honey. He looked at it under the sunlight and said, "Not bad, worth the price. The place smells sweet."

With a wave of his hand, servants unloaded thirteen wooden chests, each containing 2,000 qian. After emptying the carriages, they began loading the honey jars.

Servants from both the Song and Sui families helped, while Sui Yu brought out half a basin of rice water. The rice water had already settled. She gestured for him to wash his face with the water in the basin.

"This is rice water. We skip the first rinse and use the second. After letting it settle for a while, you skim off the top layer to wash your face." Sui Yu stood by and said, "I wash my face like this every day. Last year, after a trip beyond the border, my face was sunburned. After using rice water for a couple of months, my skin fully recovered."

Zuo Duhou rubbed his face, straightened up, and scooped another ladle of clean cold water to wash again. His face felt much better after the wash.

"Oh, one more thing—don’t pick at your pimples, and don’t touch your face without washing your hands first. If your face itches, just wash it. It’s not a big deal since you have servants to help you with that. Just call out, and they’ll be there," Sui Yu continued instructing.

Zuo Duhou nodded and said, "Alright, I'll follow your advice. By the way, after you sell the honey, do you plan to return to Dunhuang?"

"No, we haven't finished selling the silk fabric yet. We plan to resell it to other caravans—as much as we can—and then make a trip to Taiyuan before returning to Dunhuang," Sui Yu replied, as if suddenly remembering something. She called for Gan Da to bring out a jar of mulberry wine and said, "We haven't had the chance to sell this mulberry wine yet. I'll gift you two jars. It's a mild wine, perfect for your sisters and ladies to enjoy in moderation. I hope you won't mind."

"My family also drinks mulberry wine, but it's tribute wine," Zuo Duhou said, pushing down the lid of the wine jar. The wine smelled good but was a bit cloudy, and he wasn't impressed. However, he thought he might be able to help Sui Yu sell the mulberry wine through his connections.

After all 720 jars of honey were loaded onto the caravans, Zuo Duhou took five small jars of honey that Sui Yu had specially prepared for the Huo family and left.

In the afternoon, a tavern owner came and bought all their mulberry wine at 300 coins per jar.

Sui Yu had 20 jars of mulberry wine, and Song Xian had 41 jars. One earned 2,600 coins, and the other earned 5,330 coins.

After discussing, Sui Yu and Song Xian sold all their coarse cloth and silk fabric to a caravan heading to Chang'an, earning a profit of 50 coins per bolt of silk and 20 coins per bolt of coarse cloth. These caravans bought the goods and then hurriedly left Chang'an to supplement their stock with more silk. Meanwhile, Sui Yu and Song Xian, holding the bronze swords granted by the imperial court, led the caravans on another trip to Taiyuan.

From May to June, traveling from Chang'an to Taiyuan and back, Sui Yu made 6,200 coins from the silk fabric trade, and Song Xian made 9,600 coins. Excluding the honey trade, Sui Yu earned a total of 8,800 coins, and Song Xian made nearly 15,000 coins. Both were quite satisfied with their earnings.

In early June, they headed back to Taiyuan. With no bandits around and the imperial army patrolling the mountains, Taiyuan was so peaceful that people didn’t even lock their doors at night. Sui Yu and Song Xian visited several villages, buying 50 bolts of silk and 60 bolts of coarse cloth each. They also picked up more silk in Taiyuan. Sui Yu spent all her remaining money to buy 80 bolts, while Song Xian bought 120 bolts. After spending most of their money, they finally considered returning.

The day before leaving Taiyuan, Sui Yu caught a whiff of the salty sea air on the road. After asking a few passersby, she hurried to catch up with a caravan that had just entered the city. This caravan had traveled from the coast, starting last summer, and finally arrived in Taiyuan this summer.

"Is this dried seaweed? Can you sell me more?" Sui Yu asked.

Due to a language barrier and much gesturing, Sui Yu eventually traded a camel for all the seaweed they had transported, which amounted to about 200 jin.

"You paid ten coins per jin for this stuff? That’s pricier than meat!" Song Xian said, sounding both puzzled and amused.

"You don’t understand. My dad told me that some dried seaweed from the coast can help prevent goiter. I’m not sure if this is it, but I’m buying it just in case. I’ll eat it twice a month," Sui Yu explained, and then separated a small portion to give to Song Xian. "You should keep some too, just for peace of mind."

"Really?" Song Xian asked, looking at the messy dried seaweed in her hand. "I remember when I was little, there was a horse groom in my family who had a very thick neck, almost as thick as his head. I was so scared that I avoided him. I don’t know what happened to him after that, except that he died. I wonder if he died of the illness."

Sui Yu nodded and tied the seaweed to her camel. She blew a whistle and led the caravan out of the county.

Passing by Qi village, Sui Yu entered the village with two servants riding camels. The mulberries were gradually turning red and purple, and the villagers were starting to pick them for wine-making again.

"Hey, Erlang! Sister Li!" Sui Yu called up to them. She tossed down half a bundle of seaweed. "Here, take this. Cook it with tofu once a month—it helps prevent goiter."

"Thud," a basket fell from Li-shi's hand, spilling bright purple mulberries all over the ground.

"Mother, it wasn't me who said it," Erlang said, quickly climbing down the tree to support his mother. He then shouted at Sui Yu, "Didn't we tell you not to mention my brother's death in front of my parents?"

Sui Yu was taken aback but quickly responded, "I didn’t know what Dalang had, but I met a caravan from the coast in Taiyuan. They had some seaweed that’s supposed to help with goiter. I bought some for my family and thought I’d bring a bundle for you."

Li-shi clutched her chest, breathing heavily, and after regaining her composure, she hugged the seaweed and hoarsely asked, "Eating this can cure goiter?"

"Yes, eat more of it, especially you, Erlang," Sui Yu said, turning her camel around. "The caravan is still in Taiyuan. If you need more, find them and ask them to supply your village next year."