Chapter 44
No sooner had the people of Hongli Village left than Huo Shu was preparing to gather some things and go to the city with Ji Taoyu to collect goods from the cloth merchant.
Unexpectedly, the few farming families who had come a couple of days earlier but hadn’t made a decision yet showed up again.
"Brother Huo, we’ve all thought it over and decided to work with you."
The man at the front, Zhao Kai, spoke politely: "We’ll do as you say."
Huo Shu noted how perfectly timed their arrival was. He guessed that after seeing Ge Liang bring men from his own village, these men had gotten wind of the news and, fearing they might miss the opportunity if Huo Shu recruited enough hands, had finally steeled themselves to make a decision.
Sometimes, people needed a little push.
Since they had already come, Huo Shu didn’t say much. He led them inside to sign the drafted agreements with their marks.
Afterward, he discussed training arrangements with the newcomers. Since there wasn’t much work in the first lunar month, the farmers readily agreed.
Now that the manpower was settled, the next step was acquiring the goods.
"If we’re going to get goods, we should go to a large cloth merchant. Not only do they have more variety, but they also have greater stock."
Ji Taoyu explained to Huo Shu.
The major cloth merchants in Tongzhou typically had their own dedicated silkworm breeders, hemp growers, weavers, and textile craftsmen.
In other words, they had a complete supply chain, from raw fabric materials to finished silk and linen sold in the market.
Because of this, they had large quantities of goods, and supplying traveling merchants was a major part of their business.
"Shili Cloth Shop is the best choice."
Not only did it meet the criteria of a large merchant supplying goods to traders, but more importantly, they had connections there.
Wu Lianhe was a weaver at Shili Cloth Shop. Though they hadn’t discussed in detail how she fared there, when they first went to look for her, they had heard from the shop assistants that she held some prestige.
Even if she didn’t have much influence, working inside the cloth shop still gave her more insight than complete outsiders like them. She would surely have some leads.
So the two brought some New Year gifts and went to the city to visit Wu Lianhe first.
"Brother Huo and Taoyu, you should’ve sent word ahead! I could’ve prepared some dishes."
During the New Year, Wu Lianhe had more days off than usual. Seeing the two suddenly show up at her door, she was both surprised and delighted.
This was supposed to be a time for visiting relatives and friends, but due to her circumstances, she couldn’t go out much. During the holidays, she rarely had visitors, so she spent most of her time alone at home, which felt rather lonely.
Her parents and siblings were busy visiting relatives, and though they cared for her, they couldn’t stay long or visit frequently. Most of the time, they just came by for a meal to consider it a reunion.
Though it was hard, Wu Lianhe was already grateful. She had given birth without a formal marriage or betrothal, which was a scandalous thing in the eyes of society. That her parents and siblings didn’t shun her and still visited without resentment was more than she could ask for.
Still, people naturally craved company.
Having visitors now naturally lifted her spirits:
"A-Pan would be overjoyed if he knew Brother Huo was coming. He’s asked about you several times recently. I’ll go fetch him later."
Ji Taoyu asked, "Where is A-Pan?"
Wu Lianhe smiled. "He went out early this morning with the bow and arrows Brother Huo gave him to meet his classmates. He rarely goes out to play, so I thought it’d be good for him to get some fresh air during the New Year instead of burying himself in books all the time. Ever since Brother Huo taught him archery, he’s been practicing diligently. His classmates at the private school have even started inviting him to compete in shooting."
Ji Taoyu chuckled. "A-Pan is always so studious."
"You two sit for now. I’ll go find him."
Huo Shu said, "Let him stay outside. We came here for business."
Wu Lianhe paused. "Did something happen in the village?"
Ji Taoyu quickly explained the purpose of their visit.
"Out of all the cloth merchants we know, you’re the only one we’re familiar with, Sister Wu. That’s why we came in such a hurry."
Wu Lianhe was surprised. She had still been under the impression that Huo Shu made a living as a butcher. After asking a few brief questions and learning the reason, she couldn’t help but laugh.
"Since childhood, I’ve heard that Butcher Qiao was straightforward and fiery-tempered, a proud man. Brother Huo, don’t take it to heart."
"He’s no different in temperament. Why would he dwell on it?"
Ji Taoyu said, "But we still need to find a new livelihood to sustain ourselves, so we’re planning to go into this trade now."
Wu Lianhe nodded. "Since we’re close, I’ll speak frankly."
"If southern silks can reach the Northern Frontier, there’s definitely profit to be made."
Shili Cloth Shop had over a dozen regular merchant groups coming to purchase goods, and the shopkeeper ran a steady business.
Traveling merchants who came to buy goods would always be asked about their routes and destinations. The shop usually tried to avoid having merchants take identical paths or sell in the same places.
If routes and destinations overlapped, they would recommend different fabrics or seasonal materials instead.
In short, they almost never allowed two merchant teams to take the same route with identical goods.
"Some of these merchant groups go west, some east, and some head north. But as of now, Shili Cloth Shop doesn’t have any teams going all the way to the Northern Frontier’s capital. The north is plagued by war, people there are fiercer than elsewhere, and the risks are greater than in other regions. That’s why few merchant groups venture there."
Even if some do, they’re usually large caravans with decades of experience.
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