Chapter 67: Zheng Ruqian’s Ambition Grows

Chapter 67

It was well known that donkeys were slower than horses. It took five days to get from Anshui Prefecture to Xieyang County by horse carriage, and six days by donkey carriage. What's more, with a donkey carriage fully loaded.

When Zheng Ruqian came back to Xieyang County with Pang Dashan, dragging carts full of cured meat, Zhu Zhi had already been thrown into jail.

Seeing Er Ge so happy that the corners of his mouth were about to reach his earlobes, Zheng Ruqian didn't have time to celebrate with everyone. He started busying himself with delivering vegetables.

First were dried snow vegetables.

Before leaving, Zheng Ruqian had a hunch that he wouldn't be coming back soon this time. Not wanting to interrupt the vegetable harvesting, he simply left ten taels of silver to Pang Dashan's younger brothers, asking them to keep harvesting snow vegetables.

After over a month, the mountain cave where the younger brothers lived was almost flooded by snow vegetables.

Zheng Ruqian hurriedly filled two donkey carts.

Before leaving, he asked repeatedly, "Big brother, is Zhu Zhi really caught? You don't need me here anymore, right? I'm going to harvest vegetables now?"

Xu Mo took off his gray jacket and put on a cyan robe, looking heroic and promising like a young scholar, "Don't worry, the county magistrate is here. You be careful on the road."

"With the ringleader caught, what do I have to be afraid of?" Zheng Ruqian laughed loudly twice before leaving with carts full of snow vegetables.

There were also five catties of cured meat to deliver to the Prefect of Pang County.

Zheng Ruqian was a man with no other abilities except remembering favors.

Back then, the county magistrate couple of Xieyang County had been like a sword hanging over their sister and brother's heads. It was the Prefect of Pang County who took in Pang Dashan, this fake nephew, and protected them with actions. Zheng Ruqian wanted to repay the favor.

Knowing that the Prefect of Pang County was clean and did not accept money, he sent meat, vegetables, rice and eggs in the name of his nephew, as well as some local specialties.

The Prefect of Pang County insisted on rejecting at first, but later accepted seeing Zheng Ruqian's sincerity in giving thanks.

Accordingly, he also gave Zheng Ruqian a lot of protection.

Now people in Yunshui County all knew that Zheng Ruqian often went in and out of the Yunshui county magistrate's residence. No one dared bully him for his young age when he did business.

For example, the dried food store that sold snow vegetables. Seeing Zheng Ruqian, although complaining that he hadn't delivered goods for so long that the store lacked dried snow vegetables, they didn't lose their temper. They just urged him, "If you don't come often, bring more carts each trip, enough to sell for two months."

Zheng Ruqian smiled and agreed, and gave two catties of cured pork.

The owner's complaints disappeared instantly as he smiled and accepted it, saying in his mouth, "Thank you, little brother Zheng, for remembering me out there."

Zheng Ruqian scratched his head shyly, "No, I didn't. This meat was made by an auntie I happened to meet along the way."

What was clearly made by himself took a turn on the tongue and became something he had bought.

Pang Dashan beside widened his eyes, not understanding why Elder Brother Zheng had lied.

"To have gotten Shu Region specialty products, not bad." Bai nodded slowly, then asked again, "How much did you buy this cured meat for?"

The question was too direct. Even Pang Dashan understood that Bai intended to purchase cured meat. He was instantly excited.

Zheng Ruqian coughed twice and recalled seriously, "Just... seventeen or eighteen coins per catt."

Although the meat was cheap, and the sea salt used for curing wasn't expensive either, the cured meat would shrink. One catt of fresh meat yielded only six taels of dried meat. Adding the cost of smoking and sun-drying, seventeen or eighteen coins was a small profit.

And it took several days of traveling back and forth between Anshui Prefecture and Xieyang County.

Bai thought for a moment, "I've heard of cured meat before, just never seen it. How about this, I'll try selling the five catties first at Yuanran Pavilion. If sales are good, I'll buy from you at twenty coins per catt. What do you think?"

What could he say except yes?

Seventeen or eighteen coins already yielded a profit. Twenty coins meant earning a bit more. Who wouldn't be happy?

Pang Dashan was so excited he almost cried, eager to immediately start producing smoked cured meat, making it every day, working himself to death.

Zheng Ruqian was also thrilled, but he still kept calm like Big Brother and thought for a moment before replying, "It's a deal then."

Bai smiled as he saw the two boys out of Yuanran Pavilion.

Just as they were about to leave, Zheng Ruqian suddenly said sincerely, "Uncle Bai, vegetables everywhere are fresh and plentiful in early spring. I see Xieyang County has limited demand. I wonder if Yuanran Pavilion in Anshui Prefecture also wants vegetables. If so, could I deliver two carts?"

After much struggle, he still chose not to oppose money.

Only earning more money could buy embroidered shoes with inlaid pearls for his sister.

Since it was so, why bother about who he cooperated with?

Bai was even more surprised.

The little boy who was too timid to even sell mushrooms to him back then had grown up, and grown bolder ambitions, actually wanting to expand the business to Anshui Prefecture.