Chapter Nine, The Caravan

The diminutive steward glared at Yu Zi, scrutinizing her from head to toe, and then asked, "Can you read? Are you of noble birth?"

These two hundred dollars have already become a considerable fortune

The elderly man is smiling at the jade purple star, his smile is one of joy and delight

He turned his head and smiled at the old man, "Old Gong, you are fortunate! In your youth, you were valued by Lord Qi, and in your old age, you have a noble son. Old Gong, you are truly fortunate!"

As per the usual practice, the manager first allocated one hundred knife coins to Yu Zi

As soon as Yu Zi finished speaking, the old man frowned. He nodded and said: "Uncle? Such a small person. My father has driven him away three times, yet I never expected he would dare to bully my child"

Even if she drifts in a foreign world, there is a loved one waiting for her to return home. She is truly a fortunate person

The old man chuckled and said, "One knife coin"

The steward was taken aback, rising from his seat and stepping aside. He solemnly clasped his hands towards Yu Zishen and praised, "Such a clever child must surely be favored by the spirits. Good, very good."

Unknowingly, Yu Zi also revealed a radiant smile. At that moment, her anxious and weary heart suddenly felt an immense sense of peace

The old man nodded, reached out to stroke Yu Zi's hair, and sighed: "My child, you truly know nothing of the world."

She knows that it is completely unnecessary to hide such matters. The elderly person possesses a wealth of life experience, and he will provide her with guidance

When she arrived outside the overgrown wall, a golden sun shone obliquely on the wall, on her, and on the elderly man in the courtyard

She lowered her head, slowly opened the earthen jar, and gazed at the pile of coarse salt inside, which was about the size of a child's palm, remaining silent for a long time. She had not expected that her father had always remembered her need for mouthwash.

Yu Zi then asked: "Is the salt produced in Qi?"

Indeed

Moreover, due to the extreme inconvenience of road traffic, the remaining one hundred dollar coins may not necessarily reach the hands of the deceased's family

Gong Lao chuckled and looked at Yu Zi with eyes full of joy. Observing his expression, it is truly one of great pride

Thus, when the old man saw Yu Zi exchanging all two hundred coins for salt, his expression inevitably revealed a hint of pain

Upon their return, Yu Zi and her father had two hundred coins in hand

The old man fell into deep thought

After a pause, the elderly man said with some concern: "A child must be accompanied by a parent when going out to the street."

He furrowed his brow and said with a hint of confusion, "It seems to make sense."

He was just about to nod when Yu Zi suddenly asked, "Father, can the caravan hire servants? Although I am a woman, I possess good physical strength and may be able to accompany and assist in transporting goods and managing the cattle and horses"

She wandered around the courtyard

Yu Zi smiled and said, "There is a man named Bo, a swordsman with a sword at his waist, who blocked my son, but just at that moment, Young Master Pei arrived"

The elder, seeing that Yu Zi spoke with such confidence, could not help but think: since the child is so self-assured, why not let her give it a try

She asked softly, "Father, how many coins did these salts cost?"

Yu Zi wandered in the mountains for half a day, and only when the daylight began to fade did she hurriedly make her way back home

Upon hearing this, Yu Zi felt a sudden jolt in her heart

With Yu Zi being literate, matters became simpler. The manager immediately agreed to Yu Zi's inclusion, as literate individuals were exceedingly rare, thus, Yu Zi's value had become extraordinary. The manager then granted her the same remuneration as the elderly man—200 dollar coins

Upon thinking of this, the elder nodded and said: "Good, the child shall follow his father out to meet the barbarian lord"

As she turned, Yu Zi said, "Father, the enmity between Lu and Qi has made the roads impassable. If that is the case, then the salt from Qi in the land of Lu must be a precious commodity"

As soon as the old man's voice fell, Yu Zi was already beaming with joy

The old man clearly had a strong interest in the topic, and he shook his head with a sigh, saying: "The barbarian lord of the caravan, a mere foreigner, is indeed quite extraordinary. The enmity between Lu and Qi has lasted for a long time, yet he is able to walk freely between the two states."

"You have returned, my child?" The old man smiled, his face wrinkling into a blossom of joy. Seeing Yu Zi drenched in sweat, he said with a pained heart, "Have you been wandering outside? Has anyone bullied you?"

However, my absence will last for two to three months. Such a long time, with my daughter staying home alone, if that Ye Jun does not give up, if Bo comes to provoke her, without my protection, how will she cope?

The old man said, as he took out a small ceramic jar from behind him, "Child, there is a little salt in this jar that you can use to rinse your mouth."

The old man replied from the side: "My son is naturally intelligent, and the esteemed neighbors recite day and night; he remembers everything in his heart"

She quickly looked up and asked, "Father, has Lu Qi been seeking revenge for a long time?"

The lord did not meet with anyone, but only encountered a minor steward from the caravan

At this moment, the old man relaxed his brow and smiled, "Son, your father has found a job. Starting tomorrow, I will need to escort a merchant convoy to Lucheng. This time, the convoy has promised your father two hundred coins, which should be enough to alleviate our worries for a year."

However, such a large caravan, with the shipment of goods and the management of cattle and horses, indeed requires quite a number of attendants. The steward, seeing that Yu Zisheng appeared delicate, was initially somewhat hesitant. However, upon hearing that she was literate, he was taken aback.

It is taken for granted that Yu Zi is unaware that in this era, all knowledge, wisdom, and experience are just beginning to emerge and accumulate. Transporting goods from one place to another and profiting from the price difference is a principle understood only by a few large merchants in this time

Yu Zi stared blankly as she took the ceramic urn

Looking at his father, Yu Zi's eyes were extremely bright, "As the son of my father, if I were to hide at home like a turtle, it would ultimately be inappropriate"

In his perception, his daughter is one who is raised in seclusion.

The old man was stunned

Zengcheng, due to its proximity to Linzi, has a thriving commerce, allowing her to see the furs of the State of Chu and the fine horses of the State of Yan. In other cities, such as Lucheng, she would not encounter such a dazzling array of products.

Yuzi hurriedly walked towards the old man, calling out joyfully: "Father"

This one hundred dollar coin is not simple. One must understand that in this era of long-distance travel, one may encounter not only wild beasts but also bandits. If one unfortunately dies in a foreign land, then this one hundred dollar coin becomes the last wealth left for their family. In those times, it was not customary to provide compensation after death

Yu Zi was taken aback, momentarily at a loss for words. She did not realize that in this era, literacy was a privilege reserved for the nobility

As she spoke, she paused her steps and turned to look at the old man. Her gaze was exceptionally bright, "Father, if we use the coins at hand to buy all the salt, and then sell it in Ludi, wouldn't that yield a considerable profit?"

Very well, I shall shamelessly request the merchant caravan

Yes, it is completely feasible

As soon as he finished speaking, he saw that Yu Zi was already beaming with joy