North and South groceries

Most of the people in Chang'an know that in Changle County in the west of Longxi, a lot of white folded flowers have been planted this year. After the autumn harvest, a batch of white folded cloth should be produced. If there is no accident, there will be a batch of white folded flowers in spring next year The folded cloth is shipped to the North and South for grocery sales.

North and South groceries have always followed the cheap route. Even for some luxury goods, compared with those prices that have been resold by merchants to skyrocketing prices, the prices of North and South groceries are much more plain and honest.

It is said that the heart of the white daisy is very difficult to peel. Changle County is sparsely populated and there are few weaver girls. I don't know how much white daisy can be produced in this autumn and winter. If too little is produced, the price will definitely be high.

Most of the people in Chang'an thought this way, but they didn't want to. It was just after the ninth lunar month and the beginning of October, and Changle County sent a batch of white cloth to Chang'an City, and the price was not very high. It was sold out in half a day.

Many people in Chang'an City couldn't figure out how the coffin boards were able to peel off so many white folds of flowers and weave so many white folds of cloth in such a short period of time.

As for Changle County, many local people went to the county to buy the seeds of the white jellyfish at this time.

Luo Yong ordered people to set up a stall at the gate of the county government office, and sent people to drive cars here to sell as many cotton seeds as the cashmere workshop produced every day.

The price is not very expensive, just the seeds with a little white cotton fluff, sold by the meter, and the seeds cost five cents per liter.

Since the winter of last year, almost every household in Changle County has been grinding needles to earn money. They only grind less during the busy farming season. They move these things out to work whenever they have free time on weekdays. Basically, they all made some money. In addition, the prices of their agricultural products have been good in the past two years. The seeds worth five cents a liter are still affordable for ordinary people.

It's just that this liter of seeds is not much after all. The seeds are not small in size, and there are some cotton wool wrapped around the seeds, so if you sprinkle them in the ground, you can grow a small piece.

Fortunately, the county government is also fair, allowing them to sit on the side of the road and pick the seeds after they bought them. They picked out the ones that were bruised by the cotton gin, and some very small and poor quality seeds. As many bad ones as there are, go to the booth and exchange some good ones with the official who sells seeds.

So recently in Changle County, people always see such a scene. On the street at the gate of the county government, farmers are squatting and doing work. Pile up white stacked flower seeds, one or two are carefully picked there.

Some people buy a lot, and they can sit from early morning to evening in one breath, and some are careful, they will also peel off the little cotton lint stuck on the cottonseed, and finally peel off this small ball of cotton, which is by the way when changing the seeds. Just give it to the official at the booth.

I heard that the white cloth woven from the white flowers is very expensive. In the eyes of these farmers, even the few cotton waddings on the cotton seeds are very precious and should not be wasted.

In this era of inconvenient transportation, farmers came to Changle County from the village, and many of them could not go back that day, so they had to stay in the county.

There is the cheapest Datong shop in the city. If you stay alone for one night, you only need one penny.

There is hot soup with pancakes for free at the tofu workshop. Many people slept in the Datong shop overnight and went to queue early. Went out of town.

After leaving Changle County, they often have to walk for half a day or even a whole day, or even longer, before returning to their homes.

Take this bag of cotton seeds back, and set aside a good plot to plant next year. After the autumn harvest, I keep the seeds for myself, so I can grow more in the next year.

I heard from those wealthy households who have planted fiddleheads that this plant is very easy to grow. It can be grown on ordinary dry land, and it can also be grown on saline-alkali land where corn and wheat cannot be grown. It is quite resistant to barrenness and does not need frequent watering.

The county magistrate of Naluo also said that the white cassava is most suitable for growing in their Longxi. If they go to the Central Plains, many places can't grow it conveniently, so even if the price of the white cassia will be cheaper in the future, it won't be very bad Cheap, after all, it is no worse than planting millet and wheat.

If this is the case, then in addition to their own rations, they can grow some white flowers in the future, and then open up those lands that were abandoned because they couldn't grow food...

Farmers are full of expectations for the coming year because of these profitable seeds.

At this time, Luo Yong and Qiao Junlin took two or three guards and rode all the way to Nai Prefecture.

Although Nayi Prefecture is a state of Datang, it was originally Yiwu Country. In the early years of Zhenguan, it was subordinated to Datang and included in the territory of Tang Dynasty. In fact, the original Yiwu royal family still has quite a lot in Yizhou. Great power and deep influence.

The situation in Nai Prefecture is not the same as in Dunhuang, Shazhou, and it is somewhat sensitive. Luo Yong, as the head of a county, should not have crossed the prefectural governor and dealt with Yizhou directly, but the governor of Guazhou, Chen Jiao, originally Luo Yong just took the attitude of herding sheep and grazing. This year, I heard that he did another big thing in Chang'an City, and Prince Gong was exiled because of their Luo family's affairs.

In the past, Chen Jiao treated Luo Yong as a hot potato for herding sheep and grazing. He was not afraid of him, but he just didn't want to mess with him.

Chen Jiao's family is not particularly top-notch, and he is not the most valued one in the family. Just using this coffin board, he feels that he is really a bit too much to offend, so now What Luo Yong said was what he said, and one thing more is worse than one thing less. Chen Shishi only wanted to fill his term in peace and stability, so that his family could bring him back to the Central Plains.

Now, looking back and thinking about the pretentiousness he put on in front of Luo Yong in the past, he was strong on the outside but capable on the inside, and he was probably talking about people like Chen Jiao.

But for Luo Yong, it's always a good thing that he doesn't have an immediate boss to suppress him, otherwise, those who are tied up are really bothersome.

Although Yizhou originally belonged to the Yiwu country, in history, after Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty beat off the Huns, he also stationed troops here. Gaochangbi, Yiwu City, many Han people came to these places in that era, and garrisoned fields. The garrison has taken root and multiplied here for generations.

Therefore, in Yizhou, there are also mainly Han people. The customs and habits are similar to those in the Central Plains. They wear Hanfu and speak Chinese. As a large oasis on the Gobi Desert, the agriculture here is also very developed and produces a lot of grain.

Yizhou is also very rich. On the Silk Road, if you come from Jinchang, if you don’t go to Dunhuang in the west, but go north, you will find Yizhou in the north. After passing through Yiwu, go all the way to the west , is Gaochang, and Gaochang also has commercial roads leading to the Western Regions.

At noon that day, Luo used them to find a leeward place to dismount and rest. The guards took out water pancakes from their packs, and they sat on the Gobi Desert, eating pancakes and water with mouthfuls.

"County magistrate, Yizhou is so far away, why should we go? If the county magistrate is worried about the lack of food in the county, he can just ask merchants to buy it from places like Zhangye." An officer said to Luo Yong.

"Zhangye is too far away." Luo Yong replied.

In their area of ​​Longxi, there are only a few places that actually produce a lot of grain. If Guazhou is to vigorously develop cotton planting in the past two years, it is likely to face food shortages in the future. In order to avoid food shortages at that time, Food prices are soaring, and even lead to famine, Luo Yong, as the head of a county, must make early plans.

"Then Yiwu is not very close, and we have to go through this vast barren beach, so it may be very difficult to transport food." Another guard also said.

If it is from Zhangye to their Changle County, although the journey is a bit farther, the road conditions are good. Walking along the foot of the Great Wall is quite safe, and the food, water and grass can be replenished in time. The cement road has been repaired in the past two years. The concrete road has been repaired, and it is much easier to transport food than before.

Where is it like Na Yiwu, although there is a way to go here, the road conditions are quite bad, and there are fears of bandits and raids, and there is a large barren beach, and it is difficult to supply food, water and grass.

The three guards talked to each other, and what they said meant to persuade Luo Yong to go back. Hearing their analysis, Luo Yong felt quite relieved, and said with a smile: "You guys It's thoughtful."

"I don't know what the county magistrate thinks about." Looking at Luo's attitude, he clearly thought of the problems that a few of them thought of. If this is the case, why did he have to go to Nayi Prefecture?

"This time, the court decided to build a road in Longxi, from Liangzhou City to Dunhuang City. From now on, the transportation of pedestrians and goods in Longxi will be much more convenient than before." Luo Yong said.

"Of course we also know about this matter." The officers hurriedly said.

Luo Yong explained to them slowly while eating the cake: "Since this cement road is open, then Yiwu and Gaochang will naturally not be watching over there, and they will naturally also consider road construction."

"If Gaochang was built first, and all the way from Gaochang City to Dunhuang, then there will be very few merchants going through Yiwu in the future. From Gaochang to Dunhuang, and then from Dunhuang to Changle, through Jinchang, all the way to Go east."

"If Nayiwu also builds roads, along this old road, the road will naturally reach our Changle Jinchang area."

"Then it doesn't matter whether we take this trip or not. No matter how those merchants go, they have to pass through our Changle County." An officer said immediately.

"No." Luo Yong said: "If Yiwu's road is built directly to Jinchang City, but I am in Changle County, then the merchants going to their side will naturally not pass through Changle County."

When the officers heard this, it was not bad. If those Yiwu people really did that, wouldn't there be a lot less merchants passing by them in Changle County in the future.

"So, when I go to Yiwu, I want them to build the road to Changle County?" an officer asked.

"Not only do we need to build roads to Changle County, but we also need to ask them to start building roads earlier. The sooner they are repaired, the sooner Yiwu's grain can be transported to Changle." With the backing and cement roads leading to Dunhuang, Zhangye and other places, there should be no need to worry too much about the local food problem in Changle County.

"Let's go." Seeing that Luo Yong and the others had almost eaten, Qiao Junlin, who hadn't spoken much, stood up and urged them to hurry up.

This road was not covered by the Great Wall. A few people walked on this wilderness without any cover. There was really no guarantee of safety. Qiao Junlin was very vigilant. In comparison, Luo Yong was a bit too loose.

It's fine for Luo Yong to be loose, but why are these guards so loose? When I go back this time, I will have a word with Guo Feng, telling him to strengthen the training and management of the guards, and don't tell them to be loose and lazy.

"Hey, let's go." The guards got up one after another.

At this moment, they only thought that magistrate Luo was really smart and thoughtful, but they didn't know what kind of fate would be waiting for them after this trip back.

Luo Yong could tell that Qiao Junlin was annoyed, so he didn't remind those big bastards, and let them be happy.

A group of people rode back on their horses and headed towards the direction of Yiwu City. What they saw in front of them was a vast Gobi.

Luo Yong has never been to Yiwu in this life, but he has been to it in his previous life. That place has another name in later generations—Hami.

Hami is not only a place with developed agriculture, but also a lot of coal resources.