Huang Zude, the general bannerman of Jinyiwei, sat at the door of the tent and spread a piece of mink skin on a long wooden board.
The leather has been tanned, nailed and dried by craftsmen in Guan Nei.
The animal fat has been completely removed, the inner skin is soft and smooth, and the vellus hair on the outer fur exudes a magical silver-blue luster under the winter sun.
Huang Zude was the captain of the "bodyguard team" who guarded Zheng Haizhu on this trip. However, in addition to ensuring safety and jotting down battlefield gains and losses in his notebook, he was also assigned a job by Mrs. Zheng - peeling animal skins with an embroidered spring knife.
Xiuchun Dao is Jin Yiwei's eater. Huang Zude originally wanted to come and cut a few pieces of leather, which was not a piece of cake.
Unexpectedly, the Madam’s requirements were too high. She didn’t just cut off the head and tail and cut off the limbs, but she had to cut them as flat as bricks on a city wall.
Although the Xiuchun knife was sharp, it was two feet long after all, and his wife did not allow him to step on the fur. Huang Zude had to sit on the ground with his legs crossed and control the blade in an awkward posture. He pressed the fur with his left hand and adjusted the side of the knife. Holding the knife in your right hand and drawing it quickly with skill on the edge of the board, you can not only cut off the head, tail and limbs of the little beast, but also ensure that the skin becomes a regular rectangle.
"Thank you for your hard work, Zude," Zheng Haizhu walked over and said warmly, "I was in a hurry this time and didn't bring the half-wheel knife I had handy."
The half-wheel knife is a fur knife also used by craftsmen of later generations. It looks like a ginkgo leaf or a small half of a wheel. During the Little Ice Age in the late Ming Dynasty, even in Songjiang, Zhili, in the autumn and winter, the well-off and above families had a demand for fur vests and collars. When Zheng Haizhu first recruited Tailor Fan and his daughter, they used half the The wheel knife cut through the fox skin.
Huang Zude stood up respectfully: "Okay, okay, this mink is bigger than a gray rat, and it's a bit cheaper to cut."
Zheng Haizhu handed a large coat in his hand to Chang Zhongxin, a Shanxi merchant who was following him. He took the mink fur and gestured: "Sew an edge on the leather collar and tie a cloth button on it, and it will match the coat." The loops of the trousers are connected in one place and cannot fall off even when riding a fast horse. If you feel hot, you can untie and take them off very quickly."
Chang Zhongxin nodded, unfolded his coat again, and watched the sunshine.
Different from the fur jackets that he often saw in the area from the capital to Shanxi, the twenty or so chinchilla skins sewn together became the lining of the clothes, covered with cotton cloth with green and black background and patterns of reed leaves, yellow lotus and lotus.
Shanxi was also a major weaving and dyeing province in the Ming Dynasty, but Chang Zhongxin, a Shanxi merchant, felt that the Songjiang cotton cloth used by Mrs. Zheng to sew fur clothes not only had a tight weave and rich dyeing, but also the sizing process was very meticulous, making the cloth The texture is not hard, but the surface is smooth and stylish.
Sure enough, Zheng Haizhu said to him: "The bitter cold season in the north is longer than that in the south of the Yangtze River, and there is a lack of water. Moreover, this coat is lined with animal hair, so there is no need to wash such a cold-proof robe. It can be taken out every year when there is new snow." Come out, rub it with snow, and let it dry in the sun. It can be lined with chinchilla fur, fox fur, or mink fur, which not only keeps you warmer, but also makes it less likely to get dirty."
Although Chang Zhongxin was a second-generation businessman for the family, he had also attended a decent private school since he was a child. At this time, he quickly flattered Zou Zou and said: "Old Master Confucius said, "You never tire of fine food, and you never tire of fine food. In fact, the younger generation Come to think of it, food, clothing, housing and transportation are all like this. There is no shortage of fur goods in the north. The wealthy officials and wealthy families in Xuanda and Jizhen will definitely like such cloth-covered fur coats or robes."
"Not only that," Zheng Haizhu said, stroking the soft and beautiful mink hair, "the Rakshasa people I have been talking about with you, their emperors and nobles also pursue extravagant things, but they neither know how to grow cotton" He weavers can dye such beautiful cloth, and they don’t know how to tan or sew animal skins, so our merchants, in addition to black tea, can sell leather goods with excellent craftsmanship to the Rakshasa people.”
She thought for a moment and added: "Of course, some Mongolians who passed through Lin Dan Khan's tent can also do it. We have to let the Mongolians also participate in the trade routes and share some of the benefits, so that they can not give up the money. Even if the Tatars come to do evil, the Cossack cavalry of the Rakshasa people are not allowed to break in and occupy the territory."
Chang Zhongxin said: "This junior understands. If Daning Town can be rebuilt as proposed by Madam, the city can become a gathering place for merchants like Zhangjiakou or Fushun in Liaodong. This junior has been thinking about what Madam pointed out. The matter of the ticket number. We, the Chang family, will use some confidence from the escorts to collect money and go to Daning first, and give it to the first group of small businessmen and hawkers who come to explore the way."
Zheng Haizhu nodded approvingly: "Those Shanxi merchants who have already done a lot of business are not short of people, let alone capital. They are not happy that the Chang family has been sent by Long Live Lord and me. Let them stay in Zhangjiakou. Let's rest on our laurels, what we have to do is to attract people from Jin who have just started running the docks and build a new hilltop. Zhong Xin, your Chang family has become prosperous in Daning, but don't forget to honor General Ma."
Chang Zhongxin said with emotion: "That's for sure. If there are no soldiers guarding us, how can the merchants dare to come here?"
Zheng Haizhu smiled, glanced at Huang Zude, the head of his temporary bodyguard, and spoke in an unabashed tone towards his people, half joking and half serious: "Zude also wants to come out and do something in the world and stay under General Ma. He holds the post of chief of staff and is unyielding in his talents. When not fighting, he can also conspire with Mr. Chang on various matters related to the mutual trade in Daning Town. Isn't it very smooth? "
Huang Zude was delighted.
The Jin Yiwei sounds deceptive, but they are the emperor's personal guards. In fact, the emperor also has a group of real domestic slaves such as eunuchs. Even the commander Luo Sigong and the governor of Beizhen Fusi Liu Qiao still have to look at Dongchang's face, let alone himself. A little person who has not even risen to the rank of a hundred households. On weekdays, when arresting people or ransacking homes to make some money, they must first be handed over to the superior guards.
It's better to come to a new realm like Guanwai.
Look at General Pony. Not only is he kind and righteous to his brothers, but he also has a good relationship with his wife. He is considered a military commander with a lot of people in front of him and is worthy of a vote.
Huang Zude then said with great sincerity: "If Madam is able to arrange her in this way, I would not be able to ask for such a humble position."
…
The convoy finally entered the core control area of Mongolia's Chahar Ministry, less than 100 kilometers away from the city of Chahanhot.
He Zhuo ordered the Mongolian guards to lead most of the troops to a Yellow Sect temple under the cliff for final rest and preparation, and ordered the horse to go to the royal city to report to Lin Dan Khan and Sutai Dafujin.
Zheng Haizhu also completed the fur coat made of Songjiang cloth, chinchilla skin and mink skin.
"General Man, after you finish eating, send this coat to Aunt Ketun."
Under the setting sun, Zheng Haizhu walked through the heat of cooking on the snowy field in front of the temple and found Mangui who was roasting rabbits with his brothers.
Mangui stuffed the half-eaten rabbit leg to the soldier beside him, wiped his hands on his cotton armor, and came to pick it up.
Looking again at the furoshiki in Mrs. Zheng's hand, it was made of fine quality silk. It looked more expensive than the skirts worn by girls from wealthy families in Zhangjiakou. She quickly retracted her hand, grabbed a handful of snow, and rubbed her palms carefully.
"Don't dirty such expensive silk," Mangui said. "I won't eat rabbits anymore. Let's go deliver them now. It won't be appropriate if it gets dark again."
The Xuanzhen soldier who was disemboweling another rabbit grinned and said, "It's better when it's dark. The boss and Grandma Nakedun went directly into the bridal chamber. This lamasery is built like that, and it's worse than ours." The tent is much better.”
"You melon kid, what nonsense are you talking about? I'll roast you!" Man Gui kicked the soldier.
But he obviously held back his strength, and the soldier dodged easily, and said with a smile: "General, spare your life, I will give you...you guys, empty the urinal to apologize."
Zheng Haizhu had seen along the way that before Man Gui went into battle to kill the enemy, he was as stern as a god to the twenty or so Xuan soldiers under his command, but on weekdays they worked together as brothers and had no airs.
So she also pretended to be having fun, and while handing the bundle to Man Gui, she asked the soldier: "Your leader, do you have a crush on Grandma Ketun?"
Xiao Bing also liked Mrs. Zheng's easy-going and easy-going style, and said more and more vividly: "The boss doesn't like that woman. I don't know. That woman must have some intentions. Otherwise, why have you been doing this these days?" , are you bringing us butter? The younger one went and asked some Sichuan barbarians, but they didn’t have it.”
"Shut up," Man Gui pretended to kick him again, "Don't speak to a woman. That woman speaks Chinese very well. If she hears us being so rude, she will lose her temper and delay Madam's business."
Zheng Haizhu pursed his lips and said, "You can continue eating rabbits. General Man will follow me."
(End of chapter)
