Chapter 34 Business, Monopoly, Gift

  （0034）

  Zhang Zhun returned to Yangjiatun and found Yang Yinghua waiting for him.

  Someone actually came to find Yang Yinghua by name, which is indeed a bit strange. No wonder Yang Yinghua came to find Zhang Zhun at the first time. She has almost no contact with the outside world, except for people from Yangjia Village, and there should be very few people who know her name. How could someone come looking for her by name?

  Zhang Zhun and Yang Yinghua arrived at Yangjiatun, where the other party had already been received in a brand new thatched hut. This thatched hut was newly built under the command of Yang Kaidi, mainly to entertain the elderly villagers who came to deliver private salt from various villages. Everyone would carry coarse salt here, get tired and thirsty, and take a rest after drinking some water. It not only showed that Yangjiatun was enthusiastic about receiving guests but also avoided outsiders entering Yangjiatun to prevent revealing the secret of refining fine salt.

  The man who came was a thin, tall man in his fifties with a small mustache, looking like a scholar, dressed in a refined manner, accompanied by two attendants. The attendants were unarmed. They claimed to be merchants from the county town of Jimo, but refused to reveal their true identities. The guards on duty nearby, of course, could not let him in. However, he insisted on seeing Yang Yingwa, so the guard had him stay in this thatched hut.

  Seeing Yang Yinghua come over, the master-like person stood up and bowed his body, saying: "May I ask if this is Miss Yang Yinghua?"

  Yang Yinghua looked at him with a puzzled expression, then glanced at Zhang Zhun and calmly said: "I am. May I ask who you are..."

  "His humble servant Yu Nan Ti, from Qingzhou Prefecture. My master has entrusted me to extend his greetings to Miss Yang and wish her good health and eternal beauty."

  The other party was so polite, beyond Zhang Zhun's expectations.

  Yang Yinghua said: "Sorry, our Yang family village is really too simple, Mr. Yu if you don't mind... please sit down."

  Yu Nan said with a hint of a smile: "I don't dare to trouble Miss Yang. I'm just here on behalf of my master, who has entrusted me to bring a gift for you, and I'd like to present it to you in person."

  Having said that, he took a brocade box from his attendant behind him, handed it over with both hands and said respectfully: "This is what my master has sent to Miss Yang, please accept it with a smile."

  He then turned to Zhang with a hint of a smile and said: "My master is actually a woman, so I hope you won't misunderstand."

  Zhang Zhun originally wanted to ask the truth, but since the other party had already explained in advance, he couldn't bring himself to ask. He could only ask: "May I ask your superior..."

  Yu Nan said with a hint of a smile: "My master has instructed me that when we meet Zhang Gongzi in the future, I will reveal my identity and name in person. For now, I dare not disclose it, please forgive me, Zhang Gongzi."

  Zhang Zhun subtly furrowed his brow.

  Mysteriously sending gifts, what's with the airplane?

  However, the other party's mysterious behavior seems to be nothing serious.

  The most likely reason is that someone has their eyes on the huge profits from refined salt sales.

  From Yang Rui's feedback and Yang Yinghua's financial records, the refined salt is now a treasure trove. In just half a month, Yang Yinghua's account already has over 1,000 taels of silver in "deposits". The total assets of Yangjia Village before may not even have this amount as spare change. These silvers are all hidden in the temporary cellar dug out.

  Yang Yinghua hesitated, unsure whether she should accept this brocade box.

  Zhang Zhun took the brocade box and said calmly, "Since that's the case, thank you for your kindness! I, Zhang Zhun, also wish you good health and eternal youth."

  Yu Nan said with a smile: "There's another thing I'd like to inform Miss Yang and Master Zhang, my master intends to buy all the refined salt from your Yang family village. If you two have goods in hand, you can send them to Zhao Lao Ba at Zhao family village for cash transaction, absolutely no arrears. The price of each catty of refined salt is one hundred and sixty coins."

  Zhang nodded unconsciously.

  It's really for the fine salt.

  However, the price of 160 wen was five wen higher than before. Moreover, there is a great advantage, that is, only by sending refined salt to Zhaojia Village, the transportation distance of refined salt can be greatly shortened. From Yangjia Village to Zhaojia Village, it takes only one day to come and go. The shortening of the route means that the risk is also reduced. The soldiers escorting the refined salt are not so tense either.

  It seems that Yu Nantian's master has some business integrity, but also a bit of cunning. She should know that she is the one in charge at Yangjia Village, yet instead of looking for herself, she comes to find Yang Yingwan and even sends a gift in advance, making it hard for her to refuse. However, since the other party has offered an exorbitant price, they must have some other requirements as well.

  Zhang Zhun said: "This is very good, I am willing to sell refined salt to you. Do you have any other requirements?"

  Yu Nan said, "My family's Gu Shang said that if Miss Yang can sell all the refined salt to us and not sell it to others, my family's Gu Shang will be eternally grateful. Of course, this is just a small request, if you two find it difficult, then let's just forget I said anything."

  Yang Yinghua subconsciously looked at Zhang Zhun.

  Zhang nodded thoughtfully.

  It seems that what they really meant was to have this exclusive operating right.

  Yang Rui Feng fed back the news, currently the entire Shandong is in short supply of refined salt, and the retail price of refined salt has risen to 2780 yuan, with prices continuing to rise. At this time, controlling all the refined salt in one's own hands can easily earn huge profits. Even by controlling the sale of refined salt, other purposes can be achieved.

  Yu Nan said something nice, whether or not to agree is irrelevant, but what kind of person are you? Since the other party has the intention of doing business, you will definitely not be petty. One hundred and sixty cents per catty of fine salt is already very good for Yangjiatun. Let others make the rest of the profit. The more people tied to the benefit, the better, eating alone is not fat!

  "Alright! I, Zhang Yu Lin, promise you that all of our fine salt will be sold to you and no one else!"

  Yu Nan's face suddenly lit up with a smile, and she thanked him repeatedly.

  Yang Yinghua said with some curiosity: "Mr. Yu, I don't know how you came to know me?"

  Yu Nan said with a smile: "This is not very clear to me either, I am just following orders, please ask my master in person later. My master said that she will definitely meet Miss Yang again, and she is really envious of Miss Yang's beauty!"

  "Okay."

  Yu Nanxi then smiled and bid farewell.

  Zhang nodded and sent him out of the thatched cottage.

  Yu Nan Ti took two attendants and soon disappeared.

  His arrival and his departure both seemed quite strange.

  What's even stranger is that his master, who knows which one, actually knew Yang Yinghua, and it just so happens to be a woman from the distant Qingzhou Prefecture. It's really strange. The distance between Laizhou Prefecture and Qingzhou Prefecture is indeed too far, people from Qingzhou Prefecture came all the way to Yangjiatun to buy refined salt, it seems that Shandong's refined salt shortage is quite severe.

  Yang Yinghua looked at the brocade box in her hand and then at Zhang Zhun, hesitantly saying: "Yu Lin, I don't know what's inside?"

  Zhang Zhun calmly said: "I'll open it."

  As he spoke, he took over the brocade box and carefully checked it from left to right, up and down, but found nothing unusual. He then slowly opened the brocade box.

  "Huh?"

  "Silver ingot!"

  Yang Yinghua couldn't help but let out a startled cry.

  It turned out that there was nothing else in the brocade box, just twenty small silver ingots.

  All the silver ingots were placed in a red silk recess, arranged very neatly. The light reflected, and it was all silver white. At first glance, you can tell that these silver ingots are not circulating in the market, but are specially used for gift-giving. Upon closer inspection, you will find that each silver ingot has the words "Four Seas Money House" and a special mark on its surface, indicating that it is a custom-made gift box from Four Seas Money House.

  Zhang Zhun picked up the silver ingots and weighed them, finding that each one was at least five taels heavy. Twenty silver ingots would be a full 100 taels of white silver. Because they were gift-giving silver ingots, their purity was extremely high, and their surface had not been damaged in the slightest. Such pure silver ingots, if exchanged for copper coins, could exchange one tael for at least 1,200 copper coins.

  In fact, there is no need to look at anything else. The unique mark of the Four Seas Money House alone is the greatest guarantee of quality. Since 1587, the Four Seas Money House has been a synonym for the money house industry with excellent reputation. The gift boxes produced by the Four Seas Money House have always been extremely popular as gifts among the upper class.

  The price of silver in the Ming Dynasty has always been relatively expensive, with strong purchasing power. It wasn't until after the Wanli period that overseas trade developed greatly and a large amount of silver flowed in from abroad, causing the price of silver to continuously fall. However, even so, silver was still very valuable. To put it into perspective, during the Chongzhen period, the country's annual fiscal revenue was only around 30-40 million taels of silver.

  One hundred taels of silver is enough to buy one hundred piculs of grain.

  One hundred dan of grain is almost 20,000 catties!

  Such a heavy gift, no wonder Yang Yinghua exclaimed in surprise.

  If this brocade box was given to Zhang Zhun, she wouldn't be so surprised, others have asked for his help. But these silver ingots were specifically sent to her by the other party, not to Zhang Zhun. What's even stranger is that according to Yu Nantian's words, the gift-giver was actually a woman! Yang Yinghua really couldn't understand when she had encountered such a noble person.

  "Jade Unicorn..."

  Yang Yinghua was excited, nervous and somewhat unbelievable, not knowing what to do. No work no pay, she wasn't used to receiving gifts from others yet.

  "Just leave it for now."

  Zhang hesitated for a moment before speaking slowly.

  If it were before, one hundred and two silver coins would have made the two of them jump for joy, not just exclaim in surprise. But now that they had this money-making salt-refining tree, making a fortune every day, they wouldn't be too excited about it. They could earn back such a brocade box in just one day.

  Such a golden hairpin is generally used for collection, and it will not be taken out unless absolutely necessary. It just so happens that Yang Yinghua has never had any gold or silver jewelry, this brocade box can be considered her first private savings.