Chapter 82
"Grain collection here, grain collection! This way, come take a look!"
"Good prices for grain! Selling won’t leave you at a loss, selling won’t cheat you!"
As they reached Xinjie Street, the cart moved slowly. Tian Xiaodian clung to the cart railing, shouting enthusiastically at passersby.
Ji Taoyu sat at the front of the cart, glancing back with a smile. "This kid used to work at a grain merchant house—no wonder he’s so skilled at this."
Huo Shu leisurely guided the horse, first circling Xiaodong Street before finally stopping the cart at the entrance of Xinjie Street.
After this round, those on Xiaoxi Street who were interested in selling grain had certainly taken notice.
After autumn, there were plenty of grain buyers in the city, each with their own sources.
There were large grain merchant houses, small grain shops, traveling grain merchants from other regions, and even wealthy households in the city who needed to purchase grain for their own consumption...
However, most wealthy families had their own grain fields, though exceptions existed. In short, there were many tenant farmers and peasants selling grain, and no shortage of merchants, big and small, buying it.
Huo Shu and his group buying grain wasn’t anything unusual.
Tian Xiaodian made a point of shouting about their competitive prices, and sharp-eared sellers followed the cart. Once it stopped, they gathered around to ask about the rates.
The day before, Huo Shu and Ji Taoyu had already gotten a rough idea of the current grain prices in the city. Fine grain was selling for 1,000 to 1,100 copper coins per shi, while coarse grain ranged from 750 to 850 copper coins.
[1 shi ≈ 60 kg]
Generally, large grain merchant houses offered the lowest prices, whereas those with less transparent sources paid slightly higher.
Most peasants were honest folk who trusted the big merchant houses, believing they provided reliable transactions and prompt payments. Even if the prices were lower, many still chose to sell to them.
But there were also those who wanted a few extra coins and opted to sell to merchants who weren’t part of established grain houses.
"Fine grain here is 1,100 copper coins per shi, coarse grain 800 copper coins. Payment on the spot, full amount settled immediately. If you’re selling a large quantity and the distance is far, we can arrange transport to pick it up."
Tian Xiaodian patiently explained to the inquiring peasants.
"So how much counts as ‘a large quantity’?"
Ji Taoyu replied, "Five shi or more, and we’ll send someone to transport it."
"But a single household might not have that much. If neighbors pool together to sell over five shi, can you send someone to the village to collect it?"
Ji Taoyu glanced at Huo Shu—they hadn’t considered this scenario during yesterday’s discussion.
Huo Shu said, "If the same village’s grain is gathered at one collection point, that works too."
The peasants who had gathered to inquire all voiced their approval. The big merchant houses also sent people to villages to collect grain, but their prices were too low.
For those selling smaller amounts, they either had to carry the grain into the city themselves or spend money hiring a cart. With already meager earnings, spending extra meant even less profit.
Now, with higher prices and transport arranged, this was clearly the better option.
"How many days will you be buying, boss? We need to go back and discuss it with our neighbors."
Ji Taoyu said, "We’ll be buying grain all the way until the New Year. We’re stationed at the entrance of Xinjie Street. If you don’t see anyone here, head further in—there’s an Anshun Bow Workshop. Just go in and ask."
"If you’re selling grain, let us know the amount in advance and register the date and quantity. We’ll arrange transport accordingly."
Hearing that they were established merchants with a business in the city made the peasants feel more assured.
And since the buying period was long, there was no need to rush.
"Our prices will remain the same until the end of the year. We’ll buy any amount, big or small—just bring it over when ready. Payment will always be settled on the spot."
The peasants buzzed with excitement, and a few immediately sold their loose grain on the spot.
Huo Shu and Ji Taoyu spent the whole day at this, managing to collect three shi of fine grain by the end.
The amount wasn’t huge—most of what they got quickly was grain that peasants had already transported into the city themselves. A single person could only carry about a hundred jin at a time, so collecting this much in one day wasn’t bad. More would come later as others got in touch.
[1 jin ≈ 0.5 kg]
In the afternoon, after wrapping up, Huo Shu generously rewarded Tian Xiaodian with a string of cash.
Tian Xiaodian stared at the hundred copper coins string, stunned.
As a small-time clerk, his monthly wages were only a few hundred copper coins. Getting such a hefty reward from his employer at once was overwhelming.
Huo Shu said, "Today marked the start of our grain-buying operation, and you’re the one overseeing the bow workshop. From now on, you’ll also be responsible for grain collection."
He and Ji Taoyu couldn’t handle this indefinitely.
Tian Xiaodian exhaled in relief—for a moment, he’d thought it was severance pay.
He carefully accepted the money. "Understood. I’ll handle it well."
Later, when Jiang Yuhou came to the bow workshop to manage accounts, he was surprised to see Huo Shu and the workers carrying things inside.
He asked, "New materials for bows and arrows?"
Ji Taoyu, busy with the abacus, replied, "No, grain we bought today."
Since these were all their own workers, and with peasants coming and going in the future—plus needing to send people from the horseback archery range to transport grain—there was no point hiding it.
Jiang Yuhou couldn’t resist asking, "Stocking up for your own use?"
Huo Shu moved all the grain inside. The bow workshop had been chosen from the start for its storage capacity—the front shop wasn’t large, but the interior had ample space for goods.
He chose a dry and well-ventilated room to store the grain.
Just as he stepped out, he happened to hear Jiang Yuhou's question.
Huo Shu poured Jiang Yuhou a cup of tea. At this hour, there were no others in the workshop—after the grain had been moved in, even Tian Xiaodian had already left for the day.
"We have many brothers under us now, so we need a considerable amount of provisions."
Huo Shu said, "Besides, it’s also to stockpile grain in case of unforeseen circumstances."
He looked at Jiang Yuhou. "Now, the Tongzhou prefect seems to act independently, and I fear there may be upheaval in the world."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Yuhou’s eyes flickered slightly, and he couldn’t help but scrutinize Huo Shu more deeply.
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