The aroma from the cake shop on the street reached his nose through the curtain of the carriage. Cai Dingshan took a deep breath and suppressed the urge to ask his slave to buy two cakes to satisfy his hunger.
"I am already a person with status, and people with status are not allowed to buy cakes and eat them in places like this!" Cai Dingshan reminded himself that he was already hungry after running for a long time, but his spirit was extremely high. A great sense of mission and accomplishment filled his body, making him forget his physical fatigue.
"Master!" The servant's voice interrupted Cai Dingshan's thoughts: "The front is Fan Chang'an and Fan Dongzhu's tavern, but it's almost noon now. Do you want to go back and have a rest first? Let the little one go and vote first. Famous assassin, come to visit again in the afternoon or evening?"
"It's almost noon? No wonder you're so hungry!" Cai Dingshan looked at the sky outside and hesitated for a moment. According to the etiquette of the upper class at that time, it was rude to stop by and be an uninvited guest, but it was doubly rude to come to the door without an appointment during lunch. It was rude, but it was nothing compared to the urgency of the matter at hand.
"The matter is urgent, we can't worry about so much!" Cai Dingshan shouted: "Fan Changan is a sensible person and will not blame me!"
Fan Changan's residence was a village hall in Langzhong in Chengdu. Since the local area was rich in well salt, the village hall was built in a rather grand style, especially since Fan Changan lived in a side courtyard behind the village hall. Although the area was It's not big but it's well-kept, with flowers, trees, ponds and pavilions all available. Cai Dingshan couldn't help but nod secretly as he walked along. He had long heard of the reputation of the Langzhong Salt Merchant, and now it seemed that it was indeed well-deserved.
"Dongzhu Cai!" Fan Changan had already heard the news and stood at the courtyard gate to greet him: "Why do you have time to come here today? Why didn't you let me know earlier so that I can be better prepared!"
"It's really something that happened at the last moment, so I had no choice but to be a bad guest!" Cai Dingshan hurriedly returned the courtesy: "I was reckless, please forgive me!"
"Dongzhu Cai is such an important guest that we can't even invite him on ordinary days. Come today, it's too late for me to be happy!" Fan Chang'an smiled and took Cai Dingshan's arm, extending his hand to invite him: "It just so happened that someone sent me a pig's head today. It’s already steamed and cooked thoroughly, and Dongzhu Cai is also in a good mood!”
"Steamed pig head?"
"Not bad!" Fan Changan said happily: "The fattest meat on this pig is the pig's head, but it is troublesome to make. Only a gourmet can't understand the beauty of it. Yesterday, a friend picked two good pig heads. Deliver it. The old man asked the cook to fix it, and just as it was served on the table, Boss Cai came. Isn’t it a blessing? "
While they were talking, the two of them had already entered the flower hall. They saw that the square table in the middle had already been set with dishes and dishes. On a large plate in the middle was a pig's head, split in half and spread out. There were four colored dishes on the four sides. For side dishes, Fan Changan first sat Cai Dingshan in the host and guest seat, and said with a smile: "Come on, Mr. Cai, please try it!"
Cai Dingshan was already hungry. Seeing Fan Changan's enthusiasm, he stretched out his chopsticks to pick up a piece. He felt that the pig's head was like tofu and fell apart at the touch. He picked up a chopstick and put it into his mouth. Sure enough, it was fat and thin. It was extremely sweet and had endless aftertaste. I couldn't help but praise: "Yes, this pig's head is indeed extraordinary. It doesn't have any earthy smell. It's better than the venison, beef, and mutton I usually eat. I don't know how it was made!"
When Fan Chang'an heard Cai Dingshan's praise of the delicious pig's head, he couldn't help laughing and said: "This is an ancestral practice in my family, and it cannot be found anywhere else. Soak the pig's head in boiling water, brush it and cut it very clean, then rub it with salt inside and outside. Put it in a basin for two or three minutes, then put cold water in the pot. Roll it until it is very cooked, then add the salt rubbed on the pig's head. Do not wash it off. Boil until it boils for three to five minutes, then pick it up and wipe off the moisture with a clean cloth. Wash. Clean the inside of the machine, stuff the green onions with their roots, spread the sweet sauce on the outside evenly to a thickness of a finger, put it in a pot with a wooden frame, put water under it, about an inch or two away from the pig's head, and don't let it submerge. Cover it with a large porcelain basin. Wrap the surrounding area with cloth very tightly to prevent any leakage. Steam over low heat until very soft, then take it out and remove the green onions!"
When Cai Dingshan heard that Fan Changan said that the method of steaming pig's head was so complicated, he couldn't help but sigh: "Brother Fan is so particular about every pig's head. He is indeed a descendant of an aristocratic family. Cai was impressed!"
When Fan Changan heard Cai Dingshan praise his family background, he smiled and shook his head: "Well, things are different now. Speaking of aristocratic families, Dongzhu Cai's Good Medicine Residence has been in Chengdu for a long time, right?"
"How can a drug shop and its daily necessities dare to compare with Master Fan?" Cai Dingshan shook his head and sighed: "By the way, the old man came here to bother me today because of one thing. I want to ask Mr. Fan to help me!" After saying that, he stood up and bowed to Fan Changan as a salute.
"Boss Cai!" Fan Changan waved his hand: "Our ancestors of the Fan family have a rule that we don't talk about things while eating. If we want to talk about things, we have to wait until after the meal is over! Otherwise, how about we taste the steamed pig head first? "
Cai Dingshan saw that although Fan Changan had a smile on his face, his attitude was very firm, and his stomach was not yet full, so he nodded: "In that case, I'll excuse you!"
The two of them sat down at the table, with only one maid waiting beside them. Cai Dingshan didn't say much when he saw Fan Changan, and just drank and ate. He thought to himself that the ancestors of the Fan family were very famous in Tianshi Tao, and it seemed that they had learned Taoist health care. The method he just made up was not something he just made up to excuse himself, so he took it up and started eating with confidence. After about two moments, the two of them finished their meal. The maid brought tea soup. Fan Changan took two sips and said with a smile: " Dongzhu Cai, this courtyard is quite clean, you can talk in a low voice!"
"Very good!" Cai Dingshan knew that Fan Changan didn't want anyone to know what they were talking about, and he was secretly happy. The two of them came to sit down at the stone table under the old locust tree in the yard. The maid brought tea and snacks, and then left. Went inside. Fan Changan poured a drink for both of them: "Dr. Cai is looking for me, presumably because of Wang Xiaolangjun's matter, right?"
"How did Mr. Fan know?" Cai Dingshan was surprised.
"This is not easy!" Fan Changan said with a smile: "Dongzhu Cai has been in the drug store business for several generations. He has long been famous in Chengdu, and his shopkeepers are all acquaintances. Dongzhu Cai, you just don't do anything. Lying at home all day, nothing can go wrong with this business? Besides, Dongzhu Cai also has a lot of friends in Chengdu, and recently he got involved with Governor Wang. Is there anything that I can't handle? Unless it's for Wang Xiaolangjun, otherwise, Why did you come to my door?"
"Sure enough, I can't hide it from Mr. Fan!" Cai Dingshan sighed: "Yes, the visit this time is indeed about Xiao Langjun's affairs!" After that, he presented Wang Wenzuo's request for 300,000 pieces of silk to the emperor and asked Wang Ence to handle it. He recounted what he was running for, and finally said: "The Governor Wang has now become the envoy of the Jiannan Branch to handle the troops and horses. These silks are related to the safety of our people in Xichuan. Fan Gong is the leader of Langzhong's business community. , please reach out to help, and you will be rewarded one day!"
Fan Changan did not give an answer right away. He just smiled and stroked his beard, as if he was planning something. Cai Dingshan was nearby and did not dare to urge him. After half a cup of tea, Fan Changan sighed: "Dr. Cai, this This is something you really shouldn’t take on!”
"Why did Mr. Fan say that? Cai was willing to break up his family for this matter!"
"This is not a matter of breaking up the family!" Fan Changan waved his hand: "Dr. Cai, have you ever thought about how much silk is on the market in central Sichuan? Every year after the Shu Brocade is released to Chang'an after autumn, the price of silk on the market They are all much higher? Why is that? You are willing to break up your family for the sake of my husband, but if there are not so many silk cloths on the market, what is the use of breaking up your family? "
"This -" Cai Dingshan was stunned when he heard this: "Is it true that Shuzhong can't come up with an additional 300,000 pieces of silk a year?"
"Of course there is, but the price is different!" Fan Chang'an said with a smile: "Let's put it this way, the imperial court has always regarded our Xichuan as the emperor's treasury, and the demands are excessive. This Shu brocade can be used directly as money. Yes, there will be so much left after the annual collection. Mr. Cai, you took this matter on yourself all of a sudden, which is really a little thoughtless!"
"Then, what should we do?" Cai Dingshan was at a loss when he heard this: "Didn't I harm the young man? Mr. Fan, isn't there any other way?"
"It's not that there is no way, I just don't know if Mr. Cai is willing to use it!" Fan Changan said with a smile.
"Mr. Fan, do you have any idea?" Just like a drowning man grabbing a straw, Cai Dingshan hurriedly grabbed hold of it: "Don't worry, as long as I can pass this level, I will thank you profusely!"
"Haha!" Fan Changan laughed twice and clapped his hands twice. The maid standing far away came over, bowed to Fan Changan and said, "What are your orders, Master?"
"Take off your robe and show it to Dongzhu Cai!" Fan Changan said with a smile.
"Yes!" the maid responded, took off her shawl and handed it to Cai Dingshan. This was a clothing accessory for women at that time. It was worn on the shoulders and back, with both ends hanging down around the arms. It was usually made of silk. Cai Dingshan didn't know Fan Changan's intention, so he took the cloth and looked at Fan Changan blankly.
"Dongzhu Cai, what do you think of the quality of the silk?" Dongzhu Cai said with a smile.
Cai Dingshan looked at it and touched it. He didn't know much about it. He smiled bitterly and said, "I really don't know. Mr. Fan, please don't take my test!"
"Haha!" Fan Changan smiled: "You wouldn't be wrong to say that this fabric is silk, but in fact only half of it is raw silk, and the remaining half is made of Gesi, blended together!"
"Half raw silk, half kudzu?"
"Well, this kind of fabric is much cheaper than ordinary silk. In addition to this kind, there are also ones made from a blend of raw silk and linen. Many people who can't afford satin and silk use this kind of fabric to make it. The clothes look similar to silk, but you can still feel the difference if you touch them!" Fan Changan said with a smile.
As Fan Changan said, Cai Dingshan tried to rub the fabric carefully with his fingers. As expected, he felt that it was different from the satin clothes worn by his wife and concubines, and it was rougher. At this time, he already understood what Fan Changan meant: "Fan Gong You mean, use this blended fabric instead of silk?"
"Not bad!" Fan Changan nodded: "Compared to real silk, this kind of fabric is much cheaper. It is indeed difficult to make three hundred thousand pieces of Shu silk, but if it is three hundred thousand pieces of this kind of fabric, then It’s not impossible if you work hard!”
"But this can't be considered real silk, can it?" Cai Dingshan said with a bitter smile: "If the court finds out, wouldn't it be a disaster?"
"You, you!" Fan Chang'an sighed: "Let me ask you, what will the court do with these silk cloths when they are sent to Chang'an?"
"It's either a reward to the officials or a reward to the generals. Most of them are to the generals. After all, Ijirenbod just said that it is for military and state purposes!"
"That's fine!" Fan Changan said with a smile: "It is common for sergeants in the army to be extorted and extorted by their superiors. If you are rewarded with a bolt of silk, it is good if a soldier can get five feet of it. If you give it away, it will be bitten by insects and rats. Yes, moldy ones are even more common. No matter what, the silk we hand over is full-sized new silk. If they are not satisfied, then it would be too much!"
"But, this isn't silk? It's only half silk at most!" Cai Dingshan said with a bitter smile.
"This is silk!" Fan Changan said in a very firm tone: "Did you know? When many Western merchants bought silk and satin from China, they disassembled the silk and satin into silk threads, and then blended them with their own domestic hemp threads. Then it is sold as real silk to the nobles of the country. Those Western Yi nobles don't care. What can the soldiers complain about when they wear it? Besides, it's not that we deliberately deceive, but there are not so many Shu silk now. , we are also dealing with an errand. If you, Dongzhu Cai, think it still doesn’t work, then there is nothing I can do!”
Hearing Fan Changan say "I have no choice", Cai Dingshan also knew that he had finished speaking. He nodded: "Forget it, I will go back to discuss with Xiao Langjun first. If it really doesn't work out, I will bother Mr. Fan again." !”
Fan Changan also knew that such a big matter could not be decided with just a few words, so he smiled and nodded: "It doesn't matter, Boss Cai can go back and discuss it slowly. I'll be waiting at home!"
After leaving Fan Changan's place, Cai Dingshan was not in the mood to continue asking about the next place. He quickly returned home and sent his servant to invite Zhuge Wen. As soon as the two met, he told the story in detail. Finally, he said: "Brother Zhuge, I have only been involved in the trading of medicinal materials, and I don't know much about the market of silk. Is it really as difficult as Fan Chang'an said, to purchase 300,000 pieces of silk in Chengdu? "
Zhuge Wen nodded solemnly: "That guy is right, Mr. Cai, you really handled this matter a little inappropriately!"
"Then there's nothing I can do! The burden is on Xiao Langjun. I can't just stand aside and pretend I didn't see it, right? Now we are already in the same boat as Xiao Langjun. If he is unlucky, All our previous hard work has been in vain!"
Thanks to book friends such as Tu Mu Gao Qiong Ji Chou, Hayek, 20220903074742838 and so on for their rewards. By the way, it is very troublesome for me to enter the names of some digital book friends, so I often don’t thank them. Please forgive me!
(End of chapter)
