Hou Ya, Du Xun looked at the pot of mutton that was served, and said unhappily: "Usually at home, I eat a lot of mutton." Now thousands of miles away, I came to see you, how can you bring a pot of meat? In the huge town of Tanglong, there is nothing else to eat? ”

Du Zhongxiao smiled: "Daddy, it's really different. This sheep grew up eating bitter alkali water, and the meat was delicious and did not have the slightest smell. Today's sheep are from a farm in the west, and the meat quality is exceptionally good, you and Director Luo will know it as soon as you eat it. ”

After speaking, Du Zhongxiao asked Shisanlang to take out the meat from the pot and arrange it on a large plate. The boiled lamb ribs are all boiled, and each piece has a small bone left, which is easy to hold and eat with your hands, which Du Zhongxiao learned from the hand-grabbed mutton in his previous life.

Du Xun doesn't believe it, isn't mutton all the same taste? grabbed a piece and ate it, his face softened, and he nodded: "The taste is really different, this meat is much more tender, not comparable to ordinary mutton." It is often said that the terroir is different and the customs are different, but I didn't expect the sheep to be different. ”

Du Zhongxiao said: "Not necessarily, there have been many sheep raised here since ancient times, and there are many varieties, so naturally there will be some places that are particularly different." The lamb outside is not all so good, and there are a few places that are special and only the locals know. A few days ago, this fan fell to Tanglong Town and sent a few sheep, which I raised in the yamen, and when you came today, you slaughtered one. ”

After speaking, he took the wine and poured a bowl for Du Xun, and said: "Daddy, this is the calamus wine here on Hedong Road, it tastes fragrant, it is the most suitable time to drink, can you taste it?" ”

The two fathers and sons, together with Luo Jing and Shisanlang, gathered around a large plate of mutton, chatting while eating, talking about the changes in the past few years.

After talking about the current situation at home, Du Xun said: "I heard people on the road that the price of frankincense in Tanglong Town has plummeted recently, and many businessmen have lost their capital, and all industries are depressed. If this kind of thing happens during your tenure, don't be blamed by the court. ”

Du Zhongxiao smiled and said: "Daddy rest assured, it is common for prices to rise and fall on the market, how can the imperial court blame the magistrate for this kind of thing?" Besides, this time the businessman lost money, but the government did not lose money, and made a lot of money, which is not in the way. ”

Du Xun was stunned: "When this kind of thing happens, can the government still make money?" I've never heard of such a thing. ”

"It's not just the government that makes money, but some businessmen also make a lot of money. Especially those with strong capital, like those sugar merchants, have made a fortune by buying and selling bonds because of this matter. Prices go up and down, the goods are still there, out of the way. ”

Du Xun shook his head: "I don't understand how your business is done here." is not like a serious businessman in the Central Plains, selling goods and selling goods, and specializing in things that people don't understand. Thousands of miles away, I still want to sell some goods from here, so I have to be cautious. ”

Du Zhongxiao said: "It's okay to sell the goods back, who dares to do anything to you?" As long as you don't buy short and sell short, you'll be fine. ”

Du Xundao: "I spend a few times and I am cautious, and I don't see the goods, which one will give the money?" What is buying short and selling short, I know that it is not a legitimate business when I hear this statement. Da Lang, you are a down-to-earth person, how did you come up with such a reputation? ”

Du Zhongxiao took a sip of wine and sighed: "Is there any way?" The place is too poor, the place is too remote, and it is difficult to make money. To develop a locality, money is needed everywhere, and only when the yamen has money in hand can it do things. With Tanglong Town here, the Volcano Army's money will not be used up, and everything will be easy to do. I have been a soldier for more than a year, built a battalion and field work, and produced enough food for the army and civilians. The number of households under his rule, from 3,000 to more than 7,000, was piled up with money. Now you look at the Volcano Army, the roads are smooth, the bazaar is prosperous, and the people are happy, all of which are piled up with the money of Tanglong Town! ”

Du Xun thought for a while and shook his head: "That's it, I don't know about your officialdom, and I can't persuade you." You are your official, and I will take care of the family. - By the way, I met a traveler at noon today, saying that he was a sugar merchant in Shudi. He asked me if I wanted to do some sugar business. Sugar is a good thing, everyone likes it, but it is trafficked over long distances, and the risk is not small. ”

Luo Jingdao, who was on the side: "Isn't it, doing business is risky, and you need to be cautious in doing things." Look at those Hu merchants in the Western Regions, before frankincense plummeted, everyone had a lot of money. In the event of a turmoil, you can only go to be a servant for others. ”

Du Xun nodded: "That's the truth." Although we are a solid family, we never do risky business. The family's restaurant sells home-brewed wine, and the manor grows crops, all of which are down-to-earth industries. ”

Speaking of this, Du Xun turned to Du Zhongxiao and said, "Da Lang, but in addition to that tourist, he also mentioned that you asked them to build a sugar mill, saying that it was a way to make money." Ask me if I'm interested in going to them and seeing if I can make any money. ”

Du Zhongxiao said: "This is indeed a way to make money, and it is a way to make a lot of money." Silk, sugar, and tea are all bulk goods, and only bulk goods can make a lot of money, which is true. Now in the market, there are big tea merchants, but it is rare to hear of big sugar merchants. Except here in Tanglong Town, where have you seen sugar sellers in other places? The reason why this is so is because in the Sichuan and Shu regions, sugarcane is grown by small households and squeezed their own sugar. Each family has a different recipe, and the sugar squeezed out is varied, and the price is varied, and it is difficult to buy. Sugarcane, as far as I know, is the most suitable for large-scale cultivation, and the more you plant, the better it can manage. The same is true for sugar extraction, the larger the workshop, the more sugar is squeezed, and the lower the cost. And the sugar squeezed out of the big field is the same, easy to price, easy to sell. ”

Du Xundao: "I also asked the tourists, the sugar they sell here now is the cheapest in Sichuan and Shu." The most noble, such as Suining frosting, has a high price and a small production, and no one traffics it here. ”

Du Zhongxiao has talked with sugar merchants many times, and knows that the development of the sugar industry is still limited, and there is no large-scale commercialization. The main products such as frosting, that is, rock sugar, granulated sugar is not in the stream. Compared with tea, sugar at this time also had the characteristics of luxury, did not have a large-scale popularity in society, and was not a daily necessity. The sugar merchants in Tanglong Town, in their local area, belong to the marginal group, and they buy categories that other merchants are unwilling to buy. However, taking advantage of the huge market in the north, the business suddenly became bigger.

Because sugar is not a necessity, people who grow sugarcane want to make it most are frosting, which can be used as snacks. And sugar, which can be widely used as a condiment, is not in large quantities, and only those who have no ability to make frosting make sugar.

In fact, the most important product of sucrose is precisely granulated sugar, whether it is white sugar or brown sugar, which is convenient to add to other foods, and has the prospect of becoming a daily necessity for the people. Moreover, compared with tea, sucrose is more convenient for large-scale operation. What Du Zhongxiao wanted was actually to build a large-scale plantation and a large-scale sugar mill in a place suitable for planting sugarcane. In this way, not only is the profit higher, but more importantly, it is conducive to large-scale commercialization, and commercialization, it is easy to form industrialization.

If it weren't for the fact that he couldn't get out of it, Du Zhongxiao would have thought of promoting the sugar industry in Sichuan, Shu and Liangguang. The future of this industry is brighter than that of wool weaving, and it can also bring more tax revenue. Seeing that Du Xun was intentional, Du Zhongxiao hesitated. Thousands of miles away, there were many unpredictable difficulties, and I really didn't want my father to run around. But the opportunity is in front of me, and it's a pity not to grasp it. In the future, this will definitely be a huge industry, for the sake of the family, for the sake of future generations, we must not let go.

After thinking about it and thinking about it, Du Zhongxiao said to Du Xun: "Daddy, I did tell those outside the tourists, sucrose is such a thing, it is best to have a big person go out, spend a lot of money, and make a big scene." If you can plant tens of thousands of acres of sugarcane fields and produce hundreds of thousands of catties of sugar, you can be richer than the princes. ”

When Du Xun heard this, his eyes lit up: "Da Lang, what do you think I should do when I go there and do it with these outsiders?" ”

Du Zhongxiao thought about it again and again, and nodded: "This matter is also feasible." Daddy can go there, build a manor, and then find a local supervisor to watch over, and the family will send people over from time to time. It's a good business, it's a big family business. I also have the same year as an official in Shudi, so I can entrust them to help take care of it, and I don't think anything big will happen in the future. ”

Du Xun sighed: "Yes, while I am young now, I also want to do something big." Otherwise, if you are an official outside, it will not be interesting for me to retire at home. Over the years, our family has also earned some capital and can toss around. As long as you are an official, you will have the bottom of your heart. Over the years, there have also been a few reliable people in the family, who are not afraid of no one using them, which is not the same as before. ”