The battle of Tanglong Town made Dongjiazhai more lively than before. In the past, most of the small tribes were wavering, wandering between the three forces, talking about people when they saw people, and talking nonsense when they saw ghosts, trying to avoid causing trouble. The Song army in Tanglong Town was almost unharmed, and the total annihilation of the invading Khitans made many small Tibetan tribes change their views and move closer to the Song Dynasty. From Tanglong Town to the south of the first line of Yatou Village, there are many more Tibetan tribes gathered than in previous years.

Of course, the most attractive thing about the Song Dynasty was business. The Khitan and the party have, most of these small Tibetan tribes can be self-produced, but the goods from the Song Dynasty are irreplaceable. And if you want to do business, you have to come to Dongjiazhai.

As soon as Yelu Buhua arrived at Dongjiazhai, he drank tea with Du Zhongxiao, and then took his entourage to the market outside the village. His purpose was here, not to talk to Du Zhongxiao about the affairs of the two countries in the village. Those annoying things have others to talk about, and Jerod doesn't spend them as long as they make money.

The current situation is one of the best times for relations between the Song Dynasty and the Khitan, no less than when the Lanzhou Covenant was just signed. The two countries have a common enemy, a party, which unites people more than anything else. This is the general trend, for Yelu Buhua, it is enough to grasp the general trend of peace, and the details do not need to be considered. A small border conflict and the death of a thousand people are not a matter at all for a big country like Khitan.

When they arrived at the field, they saw that the gate was closed. Yelu Buhua said to Tao Seventeen, who accompanied him: "This is the only field within hundreds of miles, why don't you see merchants trading?" Without the field, Dongjiazhai is not interesting here. ”

Tao Seventeen said: "Lang Jun, today is unfortunate, it is the tenth day, and the goods are closed, and we will wait for two days." ”

Yelu Buhuaqi said: "The field here is outside the village, and it is not a remote place, how can there be a break?" ”

Tao Seventeen said: "Lang Jun doesn't know, every tenth day here, it is a big gathering in Dongjiazhai, and the people within a hundred miles come to trade. In order to prevent outsiders from taking out the goods and selling them privately, the practice is to suspend business. ”

"Oh-" Yelu Langjun nodded. There are also Khitan markets, but they are all spontaneously formed, and they will be particularly lively when they are in various festivals, and they are generally located near temples and so on. I didn't expect it to be different here, and it was specifically stipulated that there would be a set on the tenth day.

This is Du Zhongxiao's new rules in the past two months, and the following villages of the Volcano Army have sets on different days. For example, Xiongyong Village is every five, Dongjiazhai here is every ten, and other villages have every three and every Saturday and so on, and the dates of each village are different. This fixed day has many advantages, which is not only conducive to the people to arrange the time for purchasing goods, but also makes use of the merchants to go to the villages to do business according to different days. This is the experience of the previous life, and the rational planning of the village market has a very great effect on the prosperity of the market. Itinerant businessmen can do business in multiple locations and go from part-time to full-time.

Of course, due to the limitations of the times, there are also disadvantages to arranging the market in this way. In this era, it is difficult for people to remember the days, and only various festivals will be remembered firmly. Most of the fairs are held by festivals, not by dates, which is in keeping with the characteristics of the times. In order to solve this problem, Du Zhongxiao built a printing agency in Yingtianwu, specializing in printing calendars and New Year's pictures, preparing to make a lot of money during the New Year.

Customs change with the times, and they change in a variety of ways. Bazaars like this go back thousands of years. In this era, temple fairs are the mainstay, and if the calendar is implemented, punctuality becomes more and more important, and it will inevitably become a time cycle.

Yelu didn't take a whim, and said to Tao Seventeen: "It's very rare to catch up with such a day, let's go to the bazaar." ”

Tao Seventeen was a little embarrassed: "There are many people in the market, and it is messy, Lang Jun's daughter's body, I'm just afraid——"

Yelu waved his hand: "What are you afraid of!" I have my own retinue, and I am outside the village, what can I do? ”

After that, go to the dock first. Tao XVII had no choice but to follow.

Thinking about the bazaar in his heart, Yelu Buhua didn't look carefully at the shops on the side of the road, and walked forward quickly, and he came to a river beach not far away.

After the Yellow River bends here, it becomes gentle, and a large flat river beach is washed out, and the market of Dongjiazhai is set up on the river beach. As soon as I approached the bazaar, I heard the cries of selling one after another, and I don't know how many people were crowding in front of me.

Yelu Buhua said: "There are so many people, it is more lively than the temple fairs in many places!" ”

Approaching the crowd, I saw a flag standing on the road, on which was written "Government-run North and South Department Store", and various goods were placed on both sides.

Yelu Buhua looked strange and asked Tao Seventeen: "Is this such a big business from Du Zhijun's family?" ”

Tao Qiqi hurriedly shook his head: "Zhijun is a court official, how can he do business under his rule?" This is the shop of the Volcano Army. On market days, all the shops over there will come here to do business. The people are convenient, they all buy it here, and they don't have to go to the ferry. ”

Yelu Buhua nodded, stepped forward, and looked at the various goods on the table. It is nothing more than all kinds of goods sold from the mainland, but the government-run shops are complete and atmospheric. The front of the stall was crowded with people, noisy and shouting, very lively.

As a department store, it offers a wide variety of groceries, from common tea spices to spices for daily cooking, to farm tools and saddles and whips. However, the quality of the goods is average, and Yelu doesn't spend it to see it and won't buy it.

After looking at a few things, I suddenly saw a large pile of brown earth-like things on the case, and a small wooden sign was erected on it: "Shanghao Shudi Sugar". Yelu was not stunned for a moment, walked forward quickly, looked at it and looked at it, and wanted to reach out and taste it. But he didn't want the little guy standing behind the case to have sharp eyes, so he hurriedly stopped and said: "Guest officer, this thing is expensive, but it can't be tasted!" ”

Yelu Buhua knew that the price of sugar here was more expensive than gold and silver, so he was not annoyed, but just nodded and retracted his hand.

After looking at it for a while, Ye Buhua asked, "Are you from Shudi sugar here?" How exactly do you sell it? ”

The little guy said: "I'm a government-run shop here, and I can't make the slightest falsehood, so naturally it's all the best sugar transported from Shudi." However, this thing is precious, and it must be sold at a minimum of one catty, two dollars per catty, and there can be no discount. ”

Yelu Buhua nodded, and asked again: "Is Liangguan an iron coin or a copper coin?" Is it a foot Mo or a province Mo? ”

The little guy said: "We count the money and are all enough, this is the rule of the government-run shop." The money is naturally copper money, and the iron money is also converted according to the copper money. ”

Yelu Buhua listened, raised his hand, threw out a silver ingot, and said in his mouth: "This is full of silver, you can weigh me some sugar." ”

But the little servant didn't take the silver, and said, "Guest officer, the gold and silver shop over there, you can go and exchange it for copper coins." We only accept cash here, unless it is to buy large goods, and the supervisor comes to receive it, then it has nothing to do with small ones. ”

Tao Seventeen, who was on the side, saw it, hurriedly stepped forward and said to the little servant: "You sell here for a catty, and you only accept cash, who comes to the market and carries a few pieces of cash?" Isn't it unreasonable that iron money or copper money is so heavy? ”

The little guy recognized Tao Seventeen and hurriedly gave up his hand: "It turned out to be Seventeen Lang." This rule is not a small rule, it can only be followed. In fact, this sugar is placed here, and it is sold to those rich and noble families, who have their own ways to exchange it for cash. Since it is Seventeen Lang, naturally everything is easy to say. ”

As Du Zhongxiao's personal entourage, Tao Seventeen stammered with everyone in Dongjiazhai. Seeing that the little guy knew himself, he said: "This is a distinguished guest of the officer, I didn't bring cash today, let's take a pound on credit first." When the market is dispersed, you can go to the village and ask me to collect the money. ”

The little guy said yes, took the scale, weighed a pound of sugar, took the oil paper and wrapped it finely, and handed it to Yelu Buhua.

After leaving the shop, Yelu Buhua opened the oil paper, and Yelu Buhua twisted a small piece of candy and put it in his mouth. After tasting it, he nodded and said: "It's really a good sugar, I don't want this small place to have some good things to sell." ”

This sugar is the last time Du Zhongxiao went to Bingzhou, and he happened to see something for sale, and ordered the shop to buy it specially. To trade with the steppe and the Khitan, there must be suitable goods, not just silk and tea, which have a fixed merchant channel. Choosing and choosing, Du Zhongxiao chose sucrose.

In fact, in this era, cane sugar can be produced on a large scale, in the south, far from the northern border. Moreover, the price of this is high, long-distance transportation is similar to light goods, and it is not easy to deteriorate, and it is better than tea as a commodity. The human need for sugar is engraved in the bones, and people, no matter where they are, can hardly resist the temptation of sweetness.

With such suitable bulk materials, the business here of the Volcano Army can really develop. Otherwise, the traffic here is inconvenient, and it can't compete with Yanmen Pass in the north of Bingzhou.