xymnovel Chapter 163 Meeting
Chapter 163 Meeting
In fact, Yang Jin had been sending people to wait by the river all along.
When Shao Shuyi asked him when the salt peddler would arrive, he couldn't answer and could only send people to wait by the river every day in the cold wind.
Fortunately, on the 22nd of the 11th lunar month, news finally came.
Shao Shuyi immediately gathered more than ten people, brought all their equipment, boarded a small boat, and arrived at the riverbank under cover of night.
Amidst the howling river wind, a few fishing lights slowly approached.
Shao Shuyi and the others stood on a high ground and looked down at what lay ahead.
"Brother Cao, it should be them." Yang Jin came to the front, looked at the river, then at Shao Shuyi, and said.
He was accompanied by more than ten ruffians, half of whom were carrying torches and the other half were empty-handed, ready to carry the salt goods at any time.
On the western side of the hill, in the harbor river, four small boats were moored in a row, with several boatmen, adults and children, clearly not professional salt traders, but rather people Yang Jin had temporarily called upon.
"How do you know it's them?" Shao Shuyi asked.
"Three fishing boats, no salt merchant is smaller than them." Yang Jin's words carried a hint of disdain, clearly looking down on the other party's scale. "Have you had any contact with this Wang Bai before?" Shao Shuyi asked.
The wind was a bit strong, and Yang Jin didn't hear clearly for a moment. Just as he was about to take a few steps to higher ground, he was stopped by a long spear.
He was startled and immediately stopped in his tracks.
The group of a dozen or so men, armed with swords, spears, bows, and shields, were huddled together like a ferocious tiger ready to pounce at any moment.
Yang Jin gave an awkward smile, consciously took a few steps back, and said, "Brother Cao, this Wang Bai is a wealthy man from Taizhou. After several interactions, I found him to be charitable and generous, with many chivalrous men under his command."
"If that's the case, they shouldn't have only brought three fishing boats." Shao Shuyi pointed ahead and said, "Although it's not very clear, how big can the small boats on the Jiangbei inland waterways be? They can only carry a few thousand catties of salt at most. If a few more people stand on them, the capacity will be even smaller."
"Wang Bai doesn't sell much, but he comes frequently," Yang Jin said.
As the two were talking, the three small fishing boats had already sailed into the reeds.
Shao Shuyi was right. The fact that the three ships did not slow down significantly when they approached the shore indicates that their draft was very shallow and that they could sail very close to the shore.
A ship carrying three to five thousand catties is quite a lot; this deal is really not large. Of course, Shao Shuyi doesn't have much money right now, but he didn't tell outsiders.
"You say this man is a wealthy man, but is he a commoner? A salt merchant? A fishmonger?" Shao Shuyi asked again.
"They're just commoners." Yang Jin glanced at Shao Shuyi and said, "But he often takes fishmongers and salt merchants out to sell salt, and he uses most of his earnings to make friends with chivalrous heroes."
Shao Shuyi was taken aback.
After all this time, I've finally met a big brother who isn't content with just a little wealth, but actively makes connections with local people.
Don't underestimate this kind of thing.
Zhu Ding indulged in pleasure after making money, which seemed normal to outsiders. But it's not simple to restrain your desires for mansions, fine clothes, gourmet food, and women, and instead spend your money generously, becoming a philanthropist and magnanimous person.
Either that's their personality, or they're naturally inclined to have a wide circle of friends.
Either they have a deep understanding of the situation and prepare in advance, commonly known as "old rebels".
This Wang Bai was already a wealthy man and should have some assets, but he was willing to bring along fish farmers and salt farmers, probably not just for making money, but also to expand his influence. In case of any change, he could instantly mobilize the fish farmers, salt farmers, and salt farmers to follow him in doing great things.
"How much wealth does he have?" Shao Shuyi asked.
"It must be this generation that has become rich," Yang Jin replied.
Shao Shuyi hummed in agreement and said nothing more.
The river wind was still strong, making the torches crackle.
In the long line, Tie Niu, dressed in leather armor, stood at the front with a shield in his left hand and a sword in his right.
Wu Shangyuan, Li Fu, Gao Daqiang, Wei Erdi, Wu Heizi, and others lined up in pairs, forming several rows.
Liang Tai, holding a bow, paced on the left side of the formation, while Bian Yuanheng, wielding a knife, walked on the right.
Shao Shuyi was the commander, standing behind two swordsmen and shieldmen.
Silence can sometimes be deafening.
The fact that a dozen or so people stood silently in the wind, without any noise or impatience, was itself a deterrent.
The hooligans and boatmen who had come with Yang Jin would occasionally glance over, their eyes filled with surprise.
Yang Jin had read books and understood better than them what a well-organized team meant.
In short, Zhu Ding's death was not unjust.
The first ship on the opposite side has docked.
Two boatmen jumped into the water and pushed the boat a little further ashore.
A tall, burly man stood at the bow of the boat, bending down to take down several planks and place them on the mud.
The boatmen then took out handfuls of straw from the hold and carefully covered the wooden planks with them.
Beneath the straw, countless bags of salt were visible; these were the goods to be traded.
The other two fishing boats also came over and did the same thing.
"Which one of you is Brother Cao? Wang Bai of Taizhou is here." The tall man stepped on straw and planks and quickly arrived at the riverbank.
As he spoke, he stepped forward alone, exuding heroic spirit.
Shao Shuyi passed between Wu Shangyuan and Li Fu and arrived at the front of the formation. He clasped his hands in a salute and said, "Brother Wang, you have an extraordinary demeanor. I admire you." Wang Bai's hearty laughter echoed in the wind.
He pushed aside two men who wanted to follow him, continued forward, and laughed, "Brother Cao has many fierce and ruthless men by his side."
The man who was pushed aside was dressed in a scholar's robe, with a long sword at his waist. He looked like a common wandering knight in the countryside, aloof and extraordinary in strength.
The other man was dressed in coarse linen clothes, but he was strong and had a unique, heroic air about him.
Without a doubt, these two hold high positions in the team, serving as Wang Bai's right and left arms.
Several people followed them ashore one after another, each carrying a weapon, and most of them stood behind the people dressed in coarse linen.
This comparison reveals the difference.
Although the man dressed in coarse linen clothes looked poor, he was highly respected and popular. He seemed to be the kind of person who would always help his brothers even if they were so poor that they couldn't afford to eat and only had a few coins left.
At this moment, Shao Shuyi also left the group and stepped forward, walking towards Wang Bai.
The eyes of the twenty-odd people on both sides were focused on Wang and Shao. For a moment, their breathing slowed down, their bodies tensed up involuntarily, and their hands rested on the hilts of their knives, as if they could rush out and fight at the slightest signal.
"Brother Wang." After the two approached and stood a step apart, Shao Shuyi bowed again and said, "You must have had a hard journey in the dead of winter, facing treacherous rivers and seas."
Wang Bai sized up Shao Shuyi's youthful face, then glanced at the orderly queue not far away. A sense of understanding dawned on him, and a sudden wave of emotion washed over him. He had foreseen the impending chaos and had begun preparations three years ago. He had spent lavishly, cultivating relationships with powerful figures, gathering skilled artisans, and even personally leading salt merchants out to trade salt, supplementing his meager resources while deliberately expanding his influence among the local residents. He thought he had done a remarkable job, but seeing this young man, Brother Cao, opposite him today, he realized that others in Jiangnan were doing the same thing. He himself would be forty after the New Year, while the man opposite him looked to be under twenty. How could he not be shocked, moved, and even saddened? "Brother Cao is truly extraordinary; he is a delight to behold," Wang Bai said with a smile. "I brought ten thousand catties of salt today. I'll sell it to you for seven hundred coins per catty. How about it?"
Shao Shuyi actually admired this person to some extent.
The gang leader he used to deal with died, and the new boss, whose temperament he hadn't even figured out, still dared to come and sell goods without even asking what had happened. His courage and demeanor were truly extraordinary.
Seven hundred wen a pound of salt is really expensive. But unless it's sold directly from the production area, that's the price if you wait for it to be delivered to your door.
Zhu Ding has been getting his goods from these people for years, sometimes for 700 or 800. Now the other party is asking for 700, which is already relatively cheap.
Therefore, he didn't haggle at all and replied directly, "Brother Wang is the elder, so you decide."
Wang Bai laughed loudly, turned around and ordered, "Load the goods."
Just then, the dark clouds that had been hanging in the sky dispersed, revealing the bright moonlight.
The man in rough linen clothes standing by the river was about to turn around when his gaze fell on Shao Shuyi's face, and he froze.
The man stopped mid-sentence, saying, "He is Shao."
"Brother, do you know this person?" someone walked over and asked in a low voice.
"Take a closer look," the man replied in a low voice.
"Wasn't that what Sun Chuan told us to do back then?"
"That's enough, stop talking." The man tugged at his younger brother and said, "Go move the goods."
"Okay, sure."
"Be careful, don't be as clumsy as usual," the man cautioned. "The brothers' families are all in urgent need of money."
"Okay, okay."
As the two brothers were talking, a crowd had already gathered along the riverbank, carrying bags of salt up the river.
Seeing this, Shao Shuyi ordered the hooligans who had followed him to come forward and help.
For a moment, the atmosphere between the two sides was quite harmonious, as if they had been cooperating for many years.
"Cao She, you seem quite young. I wonder if you are married?" Wang Bai took Shao Shuyi's hand familiarly, looked at him intently, and asked with a smile, "I'm busy making a living all day long. How can I have time to think about such things?" Shao Shuyi laughed.
"Hey, that's not quite right," Wang Bai laughed. "Salt trading is a big deal, but so are human relationships. The heroes who follow you all want to see you have an heir before they can feel at ease following you to 'do big things.'"
When he said the last three words, Wang Bai deliberately emphasized them.
Shao Shuyi looked at him calmly, without saying anything.
Wang Bai also looked over with a smile, as if everything was understood without words.