Lord: Start with a book of Water Margin

Chapter 95 Fish

After hearing this, Zhao Zhen said hello, put on his clothes, got up and left. Guang Hui, Chao Gai, and Song Wan also got up together and took Zhuang Ding straight to the dock.

From a distance, he saw Liu Tang, Ruan Xiaoer, Ruan Xiaowu, Han Bolong, and Li You surrounding several baskets. Zhao Zhen stepped forward with a smile. They all greeted each other and introduced each other. Zhao Zhen saw the five. It’s been a hard journey, and you can’t hide your tiredness despite your excitement.

Zhao Zhen said: "Brothers, you have been working hard all the way, is it a smooth journey?" Liu Tang said: "There were a few twists and turns, but we managed to purchase two ships of sea salt."

Zhao Zhen nodded and said: "Brothers, let's go to the village to have lunch, and then go and have a rest. Let's catch up with the brothers tonight. You don't need to worry about the rest, I will arrange it myself."

Liu Tang pointed to the basket in front of him and said: "Master, this is the dried seafood purchased from the coastal fishermen's homes. I went to the Binzhou Saltworks myself. People there eat a lot of fish, crabs, shrimps and the like from the sea. Let's try it. These fresh seafood are indeed different from those in the river, with a unique flavor. I also bought some for the village owner and the brothers to try, but it is a pity that the journey is far and I cannot bring back live animals."

After saying that, he opened the straw curtain and found a basket of dried abalone, a basket of sea rice, and the rest were sweet and dried fish. Zhao Zhen asked Zhao Yuanli to send them to the kitchen.

Zhao Yuanli arranged for Zhuang Ding to board the ship and carry down the bags of fine salt. Zhao Zhen asked someone to open the bag of salt, but he saw that the sea salt particles in the bag were uniform and white in color, and they were all high-quality sea salt. When Zhao Zhen first came, the salt used in Xixi Village was moist and black, making it difficult to eat. The salt used in the village was bought by Zhao Zhen from the main world and brought into the fantasy world.

The salt used in Liangshan Township is all bought from Yuncheng County. In order to make profits, salt merchants add impurities and water to the salt. Although it is called official salt, the price is as high as 60 Wen. It tastes bitter and cannot be eaten in large quantities. Chao Gai stepped forward and grabbed a handful of sea salt and said: "Master, these salt grains are large and white in color. They are all high-quality sea salt, not the shoddy stuff on the market."

Zhao Zhen saw that all the villagers who were working were busy moving and no one was paying attention, so he whispered: "Brother Chao Gai doesn't know, but brother Liu Tang collected this from Binzhou Farm on Hebei Road. It is naturally very good."

Chao Gai said: "The salt merchants are hateful. We and other villagers work hard every day and must eat salt to be strong. Most of the salt we buy is bitter and difficult to eat. Now that we have this way, we will have good salt to eat in the future. I don't know salt." What’s the price?”

Zhao Zhen said: "I have to ask Brother Liu Tang about this. We will have some wine at night and ask again." Zhao Zhen stood at the pier and looked around. He saw that Zhao Yuanli had arranged everything in an orderly manner. On the deck, another unit is moved from the deck to the dock, where loading, transportation, unloading, and warehousing each perform their duties. Zhao Yuanli personally stood at the bow of the ship to count, and asked Zhao Ji to go to the Xikuoyuan warehouse to supervise the warehousing.

The weather was hot, so Zhao Zhen and others returned to the village and asked Li Xiaoer to boil some mung bean soup and light salt water and deliver it to the dock for the working villagers to use.

In the evening, Zhao Zhen held a banquet to welcome Liu Tang and others. There were 56 people when we left, and there were 56 people when we came back. There are six tables in the east garden, all of which Li Xiaoer led people to work on for three hours from time to time. In addition to the daily food of pigs, sheep, chickens, ducks, geese, etc., Zhao Zhen specially ordered a bull to be killed today, and it was served with seasonal vegetables. Invited.

Seeing that everyone had come, Zhao Zhen said: "Brothers, you have worked hard all the way. Let's prepare a little wine today. Thank you all for your hard work and drink together."

Everyone stood up and shouted: "Let's drink together." The people waiting around were all the confidants, who only served hot wine. After drinking and drinking for an hour, the soldiers were full of wine and food, and Zhao Zhenrang returned to the camp first.

Zhao Zhenrang arranged the cups and plates, prepared wine and food, and drank with everyone. The rest of the crowd dispersed, and Zhao Zhen asked Liu Tang: "Brother, tell us what happened along the way. It's a good time to drink with us."

Liu Tang said: "The journey back and forth went smoothly. I drove two large ships to the coast of Binzhou and disguised myself. Brother Han Bolong pretended to be a guard and Li You pretended to be a steward. Together with me, we first found a familiar kitchen owner. Qiu Silang, who had done business, greeted the three of us and asked in a low voice: "Brother, I haven't been here for a few days. Do you want to buy salt today?"

I replied: 'I just came to buy some good salt. What is the price of salt today? Qiu Silang looked around and said, "This is not a place to talk. Come with me." 'He led the three of me and others to his house.

Qiu Silang said: "Liu Dalang, is it still a piece of rock salt this time?" ' Qiu Silang's ancestors were all kitchen households. He had five uncles and seventeen brothers in his generation, all of whom were kitchen households. He also learned some boxing and became a dominant player in the local area.

Thinking that I might have to come and go more often in the future, I spread my arms and said, "Brother, I won't hide it from you. It's not easy to do private salt business nowadays. You spend all your time hiding in Tibet and traveling through the fog. If you don't do it well, you'll lose it." life. You see, there were seven or eight people who came with us, but now I am afraid I am the only one left. I have invested in a rich man today, brother, can you see it? Those two big ships in the distance are what Qian Shiyan wants. '

After hearing this, Qiu Silang said happily: "Seriously?" ’ I replied: ‘I’ve traveled thousands of miles just to tease you? Why don't you take it seriously? I just don't know the current market, so I'll come to you first to find out. After this time, I will go to Diaokou Township to visit You Dalang. '

Qiu Silang said: "Brother, you have to come earlier. You can transport thousands of rock salt in one day. No one can find so much sea salt now." '

I asked: 'Why is this? '

Qiu Silang said: "Brother, I don't know that we are in the salt field and there are many controls. The salt officials, large and small, and the subordinates working on the affairs, who are not good at plucking the feathers of geese and leaving the skin of the beasts, are good at searching in the camp."

My place is full of well households, and the management is more relaxed. But the place where You Dalang is in Diaokou Township is all pavilion households, and the management is more strict than mine. Does the village owner know what Qiu Silang said about well households and pavilion households? "

Zhao Zhen said: "I have never heard of it, but it is said."

Liu Tang said: "I didn't know that at first, so I asked: 'Qiu Silang, what is Jinghu and Tinghu?'

Qiu Silang said: "Liu Dalang, you have become big now, so I will tell you." This salt farm is divided into three categories: government property and government operation, private property and government operation, and private self-operation. The corresponding kitchen households are Qihu, Pavilion household and Well household. I am a self-operated salt farm here, but now that the new transshipment envoy has arrived, I am in a hurry, so I have to take a lot of salt and sell it to the government at a low price. Naturally, I have less salt in my hands.

I asked: "Qiu Silang, when will Qianshi salt be ready and how much will it cost?" '

Qiu Silang said: "Liu Dalang, if you want more, the price will naturally be cheaper. One stone only costs the same amount. Each of the twenty-two families of my uncles and brothers in the Qiu family can always provide ten stones of good salt, and the rest must come from Everyone is working together, you can't show up, I will do the work, and you need to pay an extra hundred yuan for each stone, as a commission and for management purposes. '

After discussing it with several brothers, I agreed. The three of us stayed at Qiu Silang's house, and the two Ruan brothers were on board to take care of us. Qiu's salt was transported to the boat first at night. Later, Qiu Silang also worked hard and collected 1100 stones of salt in the village.

They were all negotiated during the day and sent to the ship at night. Taking Qiu Silang as his trust, he made a clear settlement before leaving. The three of us were also held hostage at Qiu Silang's home.

Seafood kept coming every day, and one day, Li You sighed: "It's a pity that the owner of the village won't be able to taste it in the future." 'Zheng Qiu Silang heard this, so he picked some dried abalone and sweet sun-dried mackerel and asked him to bring them back to the owner for tasting.

Brother Han Bolong said: 'Buy more and let everyone at home taste it.' This reminded me, why not collect some seafood here openly to cover up.

I immediately told Qiu Silang, and in the next few days we set up a cover in the village to collect dry goods. Those were the seven baskets of dried seafood during the day.

Not to mention dried abalone, it is one of the eight delicacies of the sea. It is a tribute item, delicious and nutritious.

Let’s just talk about this sweet sun-dried Spanish mackerel. First cut the fish directly, rinse it back and forth in the sea water several times, hang it directly on the bow of the boat to dry quickly, and then it can be eaten after it docks. It tastes moderately salty, dry on the outside and tender on the inside, with a strong and delicious texture.

Qiu Silang told me that in addition to Spanish mackerel, yellow flower, drum eye, and saury can all be used to make sweet sun-dried fish.

I also bought some, spending a total of 1,300 guan, and the rest of the money was in Li You's office. "

Zhao Zhen nodded and said: "So, it's going well. Brothers Xiaoer and Xiaoqi, what do you two think?"

Ruan Xiaoqi said: "It doesn't matter much, I just remember that the food was very good."

Zhao Zhen asked: "Brother, which dish is the best?"

Ruan Xiaoqi said: "Grilled oysters are the best. Grill them like oysters, juice comes out, remove half the shell, remove the feces, and keep three meats in one shell. Add ginger and orange shavings, and grill them heavily to warm them up... Don't overcook them, as overcooking them will make them tougher. "

Everyone laughed when they saw Ruan Xiaoqi chewing words. Zhao Zhen said: "Brother Xiaoqi, why are you hanging up your book bag?"

Ruan Xiaoqi said: "I didn't want to be like this, this is what Qiu Silang said."

Everyone had a lively drink and dispersed at midnight.

(End of this chapter)