Torsten Hewson
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v2c68: The Azure Merchants
🕑 Added 2021-10-04 22:18:40 +0000 UTC“Come in, come in, Master Jin!” Guan Bo the merchant called out to the cultivator, as he sat down at his desk. Master Jin took a seat in a plush chair set before his desk. Servants rushed in after the pair of men to attend to them. A pot of steaming water, kept hot so that tea could be served immediately, was set down on a side table along with a selection of pastries and fine sweetmeats. Juices chilled by a frost crystal and rice wine in a carafe warmed to perfection completed the decadent selection.
In truth, Guan Bo had heard about a man entering the city with a giant cart and made the deduction himself yesterday that it was Master Jin. However, he did not dare presume to approach the cultivator before he was ready to speak. Guan bo had assumed the cultivator would approach at his leisure, if at all. But Guan bo had been hopeful he would have another rewarding meeting. So he had cleared most of his schedule, and given the staff and servants the depictions of his strong cultivation, and heroic frame, along with his name. He even had a room prepared in his home. There was, after all, many tales of cultivators suddenly appearing in the night, and so he had strived to accommodate him.
It was bad luck that the man had arrived when Guan Bo was doing one of the few tasks he had to personally attend to, but at least he did not seem upset about having to wait.
The merchant carefully studied the cultivator’s expression as he took his seat. The freckled man held a bag over his shoulder and another of those glorious jars sure to be filled with ‘maple syrup’. Both had a mark on them, half maple leaf, and half rice stalk. He put both precious containers down and smiled at Guan Bo.
“Master Jin, have you been well?” Guan Bo asked as they made themselves comfortable.
The cultivator nodded. “I have been excellent. This has been a wonderful year, and my wife is with child,” Master Jin said with a happy grin.
“How wonderful! Please, permit our company to send you a gift in this auspicious time!” Something suitably for a first child. Perhaps another dress for his beautiful wife? Or something for the household?
Master Jin looked surprised and pleased by the offering and nodded. “And yourself? How have you been?”
“Never better. My wife was best pleased with my return, and my company was delighted with my acquisitions. I was actually preparing another caravan to go up north, though if you’re already here, we may conduct negotiations at your leisure.”
Master Jin picked up a pastry and took a bite, humming at the taste. Guan Bo’s mind whirled, at how to take their current relationship further. He was obviously a man who valued his wife, if the first thing he stated was her pregnancy. Perhaps he could introduce him to his family?
“So, how has the maple syrup been selling?” he asked after he finished swallowing.
“Excellently, Master Jin! Your statement of its value at Verdant Hill was, of course, correct. Half of one jar was used as a sampler, then the Jade Dragon restaurant purchased the second jar for one hundred and eighty silver coins, the third sold for two hundred.”
Prices that had given him some favour. Guan Bo, always seen as one of the less skilled of his family’s merchants, suddenly had a venture that could prove immensely profitable. A good contact with a cultivator, and a very pricy and suddenly in-demand good. His star was on the rise!
The cultivator nodded, mulling over the prices. Over twice that which had been paid to him, but there was no way Guan Bo was going to mislead him about that. After the success of the Royal Jade Dragon restaurant, the others were clamouring for more of the golden liquid. “What did the travel expenses look like?” he asked, and Guan Bo nodded. The right sort of question.
The month-long travel time, the guards, and the wagons all did start to add up. “The expenses were thirty Silver Coins, Master Jin.” Though most of that was the guards, and the losses he incurred waiting around in the town. He would most certainly be able to cut that down. “Of course, in light of this product’s success, we are most assuredly willing to renegotiate prices,” Guan Bo reassured the cultivator. “Does one hundred and twenty coins sound acceptable at this time?”
If he was a mortal, his trading company likely would have attempted to keep the purchasing price at eighty. Cultivators, however, demanded a different price.
And keeping the cultivator happy was a priority.
Master Jin considered the price, and nodded. “That should be fine,” he decided. “Though I did not come here just for the syrup. I have a few other things to sell, as well as a request.”
Guan Bo could feel his eyes light up.
“Of course, of course. What is it you wish for us to aid you with, Master Jin?” he said eagerly.
“I know the Imperial Government normally buys rice… but what exactly are the rules about selling higher grades?” he asked leadingly.
Rice? That wasn’t quite what Guan Bo was expecting, but he dutifully answered anyway.
“Silver and above are considered commodities, instead of an Imperial Essential, and may be sold like any other good, to whomever the seller pleases,” he stated. “While the prices of the three standard grades are ironclad… The Spiritual grades tend to be much more fluid, due to rarity. Silver grade rice is on the cusp of regulation, and has a generally fixed price.”
“That does make sense.” Master Jin nodded, and held up the rice bag he had brought in with him. “So, how much would something like this sell for? The Lord Magistrate said it would be too expensive for them to purchase at Verdant Hill.”
Guan Bo nodded. Most likely silver grade rice, then, but he took the bag anyway. Having a supplier for silver grade rice was something one had to look out for. It grew so rarely in their hills that it had to be imported.
“Ah, it has been a long, long while since this Guan Bo has graded rice!” he said. He stood, getting out his lens, and his scale. All pieces he had been trained with, but rarely got to use.
He set himself up, zeroing the scale, and making sure the lens was in proper order, as the cultivator took out some grains from his bag. Even a quick glance at the rice revealed their quality.
Excitedly, he took a grain of rice from the cultivator. Silver grade, grown here in the Azure Hills, instead of imported from without! A miracle of miracles.
He stared at the fat grain, its polished sheen, its faint, pearlescent glimmer.
Guan Bo did not need his scales and lenses. He knew silver grade rice. He ate it once upon the mid autumn festival, and once upon the new year every year, a gift from his family.
This was not silver grade rice.
“A full bag of this?” he eventually managed to ask.
“Yeah. I’ve got three hundred in the cart,” Master Jin said, simply jerking his thumb over his shoulder.
Three hundred?! Guan Bo almost swallowed his tongue in shock.
“All I could fit in the cart. I’ll have to make half a dozen trips or so just to get everything down here…” he mumbled.
1,800 bags of Gold Grade Rice. At least.
Their largest order ever for silver grade rice was a hundred bags for the Lord Magistrate of Pale Moon Lake City.
Guan Bo could feel himself getting light-headed. His forehead grew damp, as sweat started beading uncontrollably. He took a breath and calmed himself.
“I… excuse me, Master Jin, I must… I must go and speak to my superiors.”
The cultivator nodded, stretching his arms above his head.
“No problem. Do what you have to,” he stated.
Guan Bo stood. As soon as he was out of the room and the door closed behind him, he broke into a sprint.
==================
The upper members of the Azure Jade Trading Company sat at the Azure Jade table. A single piece of polished jade shaped by master craftsmen into a table wide enough to seat thirty people. The table reflected a soft blue glow interspersed with veins of white and green.
Master Jin had been surprisingly accommodating about the need for a private meeting, and was currently touring warehouses. His guide was instructed to take him wherever he wished to go, even if it was normally off limits to outsiders. Guan Bo was a bit nervous as he waited. The true source of his nerves was the slight buzz that filled the air.
Six of their number were at the head of the room, their hands pressed against the transmission stone. The sound was fuzzy, and the connection would occasionally break, but it had to be done.
“I see. You were right to contact me.” An aged female voice echoed from the stone. While Guan Bo’s grandfather was officially the head of the company, and a fine businessman, every member of the family knew that his wife, Shan Daiyu, was the one who made most of the heavy decisions. She was currently at the Dueling Peaks, holding their auction in the heart of the Grass Sea.
There was a brief pause, as she thought things over.
“Yinxue, Ping, head to The Howling Fang Mountains, and Yellow Rock Plateau. Leverage some of our contacts there,” she commanded decisively, her voice was a whip, and it startled Guan to attention. “Start immediately.”
“Yes, Honoured Grandmother,” His uncles barked, making the gesture of respect, even though she wasn’t able to see them. Grandmother had always had that kind of effect on people.
“Li, manage the shipments to Grass Sea City.”
“As you say, honoured grandmother,” a cousin obediently agreed.
“Liquidate what we need to. Accommodate his demands accordingly. We will be his primary contact. Make sure this happens,” the woman rattled off commands.
Guan Bo knew such a thing was big, but for his grandmother to go so far… well, the entirety of the Azure Jade Trading Company was being mobilized.
“Little Bo, you said he was married?” The voice turned its attention to him.
“Yes, Grandmother,” he squeaked out. “A peerless beauty.”
“Hmm. In the end, he is a man,” she eventually decided. “Chyou. See if you can deepen our relationship with him. You will become our primary contact.”
Guan Bo’s sister flushed for a brief moment, as the request was made, but it swiftly faded.
“Yes, grandmother.” She said, and Guan Bo saw the calculation in her eyes. His sister always did remind him of their grandmother.
“And... what shall I do?” Guan Bo asked.
“You will be rewarded handsomely, Little Bo. You have done well, but we shall take things from here.”
He knew the decision was final. Guan Bo sank into his chair, and sighed.
So much for his rising star, and his plans. He’d be shuffled off to another post.
==========================
The Trading Company eventually got back to me. I was actually a little nervous, walking into what was essentially a board meeting. A bunch of steely-eyed merchants wanting what I had put me a little on edge.
Honestly? I hadn’t been taking this as seriously as I should have been, in retrospect. I was still just operating on “good rice” equals expensive, and having the Azure hills equivalent of a Fortune 500 company shit itself then call an emergency meeting was a bit beyond what I was expecting.
So I steeled myself, and walked into the lion’s den.
It was like something out of a period drama, we were seated across from each other on cushions. There were several older gentlemen, all seated when I arrived, who rose and greeted me as I entered. They were a bit stereotypical looking, long hair tied into a topknot with few mustaches on some of the otherwise bare faces. There was also a younger woman, who looked about Bo’s age, maybe in her early twenties, seated to the right of the old man at the front and center.
She was eye-catching, and had a bit of a resemblance to Bo. Her lips were painted red, and her face was pale. Her green eyes were framed in rose eyeshadow, and her unusual red hair was done up in an elaborate braid.
Guan Bo was off to the side. Nearly at the end of the line of people. Further in the corner, the only man with a table sat with a pad of paper and a brush, ready to take notes.
As one the men and woman of the Azure Jade Trading Company bowed, the lowest I had ever seen somebody go beside Xiulan after we saved her life.
“We, The Azure Jade Trading Company, greet Master Jin,” they intoned.
Was I supposed to bow here too?
“Master Jin, thank you for your time. We hope that we have not unduly infringed upon it.” The old man said, his head still lowered.
I shrugged. “It hasn’t been too long.”
The men and singular woman raised their heads in perfect sync. “We thank you for your consideration. This one is Guan Xi, Head of operations while my honoured Grandfather, and Master of the Azure Jade Trading Company is indisposed at the Dueling Peaks. He begs your forgiveness for not being present.”
“There is nothing to forgive,” I said simply.
Xi’s eyes brightened just slightly, a smile coming across his features. The man in the corner, I noticed, was writing down everything we said. A scribe, for a business meeting, I guess.
“I have requested your attention to clarify a few matters. While our Guan Bo is a fine member of our company, the value of the goods you propose to exchange requires the oversight of one of a higher rank in the company. One with more experience, and of a higher position. Our Master, Guan Yang, offers to conduct business himself, when he returns. In the meantime, if it pleases you, we would assign one better suited to accommodating you. ”
All of their heads bowed again. Including Guan Bo, who had a resigned look on his face.
I considered it. Business was all about relationships, really. Now, I wasn’t much of a calculating man, but it is better to do business with somebody who owes you a favor.
“Guan Bo has been great. I’m fine if our relationship continues as it is,” I said. The old man was the picture of serene grace, but Bo’s head snapped up, his eyes wide with shock and gratitude.
If he wasn’t my friend before, he certainly was now.
“As you desire, Master Jin.” The old man said, stroking his beard. “I am sure you see the value in our Guan Bo. And should you desire anything else, our Guan Chyou will be our point of contact, if it pleases you. She will be available at all times to meet your needs.”
The woman offered me a warm, pretty smile, and a deep bow.
I nodded absently. Kinda like a secretary, or Bo’s assistant?
“Then, Master Jin, we will proceed with negotiations.” The members of the trading company versus a street rat and a farm boy.
I swallowed, as I faced the united front.
In the end, I’d like to think I’d given a good battle. I certainly gave it my best shot. We settled on the price of fifty silver coins per bag. Nearly ten times the amount of a bag of even Silver Grade rice. The price alone was a good one: if I sold my entire harvest I would have more money than to know what to do with. Hell, even just these bags were more than enough to basically retire with.
I guess Meimei would be getting a bit of a bigger library than she bargained for.
But, as always, sometimes the more valuable thing isn’t the main, direct price of goods you get.
It’s the perks.
Preferred shipping of goods. Inroads to suppliers. Information. The Lord Magistrate was a god damn wizard, getting me tomatoes, but he was, at the end of the day, in a remote location.
Hell, I didn’t even have to pay for any inns I stayed at anymore. Like… ever. The Trading company would be footing the bill.
To use another modern analogy, I was getting wined and dined, then taken golfing. Something novel to both parts of my past. It was a little bit nice, getting my ass kissed, I’ll admit. An effective business tactic, to make somebody feel more important than they were.
We both got a set of the contracts, written by the scribe. Nothing seemed out of order, so we concluded our business for the day, and I got taken to a fancy restaurant for a feast.
And I may have had a bit much to drink, considering Chyou kept filling my glass, and the men of the company started toasting to my health, and good business.
“To your health, Master Jin!” one of the men called, and I obligingly drained the drink, nodding to the man. As I set down the cup, Chyou attentively refilled it. I nodded my thanks, and she bowed her head, as I took another bite of the food. This place was pretty good, and everything had gone bright, and pleasantly bubbly. Bo was already sheets to the wind, and passed the hell out.
I leaned back with contentment, as I popped another dumpling in my mouth. Maybe I had drunk a bit much, but after describing my interest in alcohol, the company had brought a lot of drinks out for me. Including one special one that they said was like a thousand years old or something, but the memory of it was a tiny bit fuzzy. It was real good though.
I noticed a shadow, watching me from the roof, and nodded to Big D. The Rooster bowed his head, and left.
Which reminded me that I should probably get to bed soon.
I waved to the bigshot guy, who nodded his head. “We have rooms available, should it please you.” he said, still remarkably sober.
I mulled it over for a second, before nodding. I’d go and get the rest of the guys in the morning.
“This way, Master Jin,” Chyou said, and I got up to follow her. We walked in silence for most of the way, Chyou beside me. She had been pretty quiet, aside from occasionally giggling at something I said.
“So, you’re going to be my guide in the morning too?” I asked Chyou.
The woman nodded, as we reached the building, and Chyou got out a set of keys, unlocking the door, and revealing a well furnished room.
“Of course, Master Jin, I am here to see to your every need.” There was an inflection in her voice that was slightly flirty. I wasn’t sure I liked it. I also… kinda felt a bit bad for the girl. Assigned as a secretary, and told to flirt with the bigshot customer probably sucked.
I nodded, swaying a bit, and leaned closer to her. She smiled prettily, leaning in slightly.
“How familiar are you with medical scrolls?” I asked.
The woman paused; seemingly surprised at the question.
“Not too familiar, but I know many who are, Master Jin.” She said tentatively.
“‘S good! Could you get a list for me, of what most of them think are the essentials?” I asked. There, something I needed, where she wouldn’t have to interact with me for a while.
She seemed a little confused, her eyes narrowing slightly. Curiosity, and something cunning lurked in those eyes, before her smile returned in full force.
“Of course, Master Jin. I shall have it prepared for you,” she agreed. “Do you need me for anything else tonight?”
“Nah. G’night. Thanks for the room, yeah?” I waved her off.
I slid into the bed as the door closed. I’d have a lot to do tomorrow, getting the rest of the stuff I needed, and having Noodle help me with the glass stuff. But at least I wouldn’t have to go searching around for suppliers, with an army of merchants eager to get me discounts and direct me where to go.
=====================
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In which the merchant company goes for the merchant waifu gambit and immediately gets derailed.
Even after taking the weekend to think on this, I'm still not entirely happy with how it turned out.
But hey, it progressed things. Also included is the Fa Ram/ Fa Ran symbol, by Bluepencil.
Comments
Mark Greenberg
There WAS a scribe taking notes, he just wasn't frantic about it.
Midjji
I never got this chapter to my email, is it working for everyone else?
jetblackvalias .
Is Guan Bo just the front of house? Where’d everyone else appear from?
MNS online
Check out the Fanart thread in the discord, I posted some renditions (username Manusc) similar to your idea. They had a lot of imbalances or wasn't what CF wanted the symbol to achieve.
AlbusScitus
50 silver definitely feels low. A 40 kilo bag of dry rice is roughly 444 (90g) servings. I'm not sure about the conversion from silver to copper but at 1:100 that puts the price at around 11 copper a bowl before markup. That seems like the price of a regular dinner not a food that lords and sect masters may have once in their lives
haidbz
Personally, I thought Fa Ram's symbol would be more stylised and with both the leaf and the ear of wheat cut down the middle. A quick sketch of what I imagined: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1p1zgQuDyAf4BvHhoOcMEtAlJVKr15Aln/view?usp=sharing
Matt DiMeo
This is gonna be great. Meiling wants a scroll on cultivator acupunture? Boom, azure trading sends out a hundred minions with bags of rice to every sect in a thousand li.
Matt DiMeo
I liked it so little, I only read it three times :)
Scipio
You know that booze is probably pretty strong if it gets Jin drunk, or even tipsy, considering how strong he should be by now...
Nick Marini
Not exactly the logo I expected, but I can definitely see that on the back of a martial arts uniform! It’s cool!
J B
Tioma, that was my thought too. What if the phonemes for ‘Fa Ram’ meant something? ‘Sacred Soil’? ‘Greeeezy mess’? ‘momma’s nose’? Each would have a very different context for those talking to Jin. I am making an assumption here that the language is more like written Chinese - conceptual based, vs a more English-like phoneme basis.
J B
Agreed, Jin wouldn’t be the aggressor, but an uppity merchant might, as might other cultivators, sects, bureaucrats, inventors, etc
John
Daniel, Jokarun - If he was a typical cultivator I doubt he would be farming in the Hills. The fact that he wanted it to be kept quite should have been a huge note. Granted, he is one of the few exceptions to the rule for cultivators. It looked like a duck so grandmother/granddaughter expected it to quack like a duck and Bo's comments that it "moo"-ed instead didn't really compute.
Hamed Al-Ghamdi
I have to say, I liked this chapter so much, I read it 3 times. 👌🏼
Gremlin Jack
It might not have been explosive, but the negotiations were still entertaining, and felt realistic enough. Good chapter there.
Termac
Why wind power? He already built a waterwheel he intends to use for stuff.
Aesoir
It’ll be doubly confusing if the local writing is mandarin like, so that people will assign different characters that “make the correct sound” but whose meaning is wildly different from conventional understanding of the English root name.
Aesoir
All of jin’s names are petty names people would name animals (spot, shadow, hammy for example) since Jin names them in English and pronounces them that way, there’s no culturally accurate translation, so everyone there assigns a pronunciation that “sounds like” the English equivalent. Each person ascribes their own meaning. (There’s probably no Chinese meaning to the English word Farm aka the “fa ram”, but in 100 years it sure as heck will mean something)
Lochar
I'll point out the number of people in the real world naming their children some pretty random things.
J B
Thanks, Christopher. I find it… strange, tho’. Jin appears and sounds like a local, yet keeps coming up with names seemingly made of gibberish for everything. Bi De? Ri Zu? Fa Ram? Ti Gu? Etc…
Christopher Meeks
I believe they'll read Fa Ram, no real reason that CF has to stick with the actual translation for mystical Chinada
J B
What’s the literal translation of "Fa Ram" or "Fa Ran"? What does all the rest of the world think when they hear those syllables?
blackshadow111
Hm? Doesn't really apply, I feel. Jin isn't the type to compete much. I meant it more in terms of how in our world someone who got ten billion and another guy who got a hundred billion out of nowhere would be exactly the same. What can one buy that the other can't?
J B
Daniel, she failed at what granny told her to do. An apology is the minimum penalty, I’d think.
J B
Blackshadow - only true until another too-rich-to-spend-it-all type gets involved, as a sole source for something else Jin desires, a buyer of Jin’s goodies, a competitor, or even an economic foe
Yunru
It's more she's got obligations that would prevent her being with him.
Kara Nina
In the real world he likely would have been allowed to be at the meeting as long as he keeps his mouth shut unless he's asked to clarify anything - and to take the blame in case anything displeased Jin in the previous deals so the higher ranking ppl can seem agreeable by taking Jin's side. Also this scene is missing a secretary frantically taking notes.
Romen Martin
merchant waifu could always end up with Monkey boy. I'm still not sure how much miss Blade of Grass doesn't want to be with him
STORRM
i would kinda expect the logo to be in gold and red, black and red feels to edgedy https://gyazo.com/f891443d49da2362ee8600eadb2d61cc few minutes fucking around in paint 3D https://gyazo.com/0bf21a66fa8660814b12f6554b475aa9 no idea if there is a tool that can make it auto look like its made from embroidery, and i'm no artist
FlawlessMovement
Besides as a cultivator and healer combo she probably looks at the peak of herself all the time. Guarantee she’s pretty
Anthony Arredondo
Maybe a light blue mark since they're from the azure hills?
Space253
I dont think Jin has thought farther than a product is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it.
Space253
He should buy the gap between FaRam and the village.
Space253
The verdant hill town was the remote location Bo went to.
Swinter
Word of God (Casualfarmer) is that Jin did not, in fact, get screwed. Messing with cultivators that provide a high value service is not a good long term tactic for trading companies.
Vin Reisling
I like how he goes out of his way to make sure Bo's sister doesn't just get shafted. Very decent.
Kara Nina
So he's finally going to get his destilling equipment.
Brian P.
They are named the Azure Jade Trading Company. It makes sense to me they'd be based in the largest city in the Azure Hills.
afgasd adgasd
The inner business sim lover in me liked this chapter a lot. No bargaining either lol this company is going to grow stronger from these profits and I imagine that can only be a good thing for jin since they will no doubt bend over backwards to protect the interests of their golden hen. Jin is amassing relationships like an innkeeper I know
Brian P.
Yeah, Tigu got called it too. This has a good rundown of Xianxia terms: https://immortalmountain.wordpress.com/glossary/wuxia-xianxia-xuanhuan-terms/
Brian P.
It shouldn't be. At least I've got other stories that still send out notifications even though there's a tier above what I pay for. When it doesn't send it's usually because it's unlocked rather than posted, by my understanding. There's no super early chapter tier, so I suspect this is a one off Patreon screw up, as I also didn't get an email or app notification.
closeded
Getting strong Canada + Animal Farm vibes from that stamp. Looks really cool though.
Jan Alexander
Jin can buy more land after this sale.
Delta
It feels odd that they had soooo many senior members at this location. Your previous writings made it seem like it was a small location.
John Brady Anderson
Very amusing that his peerless beauty of a wife and freckle maid mixup cause Grandma to misunderstand him. She is probably sharp enough that, if she heard Xiulan was his disciple but he married the village girl that stopped a plague, Granny would get that he is a hidden master of the “righteous, pure of heart” type/trope.
John Brady Anderson
Is calling a woman “fairy”-healer/sister/etc a common way to call them pretty in Xianxia stories? I am not too familiar but Xiulan gets it and when healing MeiMei did.
taukid
He should ask about chocolate. If any one know, they would.
Civer
I am in a nice place of seeing that a new thing is released on RR and then skedaddling to here for the new patreon chapter
Ashlazaria
awesome symbol. I, also, didn’t get the release notice; but, very much enjoyed the chapter.
Havefeith
Ha, get rekt, Guan Bo's Grandma. Your gambit failed from the outset, because this one is monogamous, and only has eyes for one woman! The ever peerless Fairy Healer Meimei!
Calvin
plus he got free glass making tools etc. Sure he could (and was probably expected to) haggle up to 55-60 coins or per bag or something, but its not like that would make a big difference to Jin on the margin.
Ben Allen
I want merch to buy
Imspinnennetz
I did not get the usual patreon notification for the chapter update today. Is this because, there is now a new tier above the early releases?
Bonifacio Mario Peña Jr.
Guan Bo has been reduced to a cinnamon roll. I want to tell him everything will be okay.... Oaky.... Maple actually.
Nikola Nikitin
He's also got branding down so that when people see his insignia they will know they have a quality product.
Stewart Boyatt
@Mark correction, Gou Ren will build a windmill. Jin is shit with machinery.
Evan
That Jin will and is almost certianly thinking in modern business terms, maintaining a healthy market by willingly restricting supply so as to not drown out other suppliers, will be a great and very pleasant surprise to ATC. He's even willing to play ball on pricing to enhance the local economy. All those Confucian businessmen and bureaucrats are just going to be confused.
Stewart Boyatt
Which in a sense he is, cause he isn't just thinking with his dick.
chumponimys
Ooh that’s true! And all of Jin’s product this time around has the Farm’s insignia on it. The same insignia sewn onto Tigu’s clothing…
BRUNO ASTUR
They work with cultivators. They have the liquid asset.
JP Koenig
15k. They only offered to buy the 300 bags on his wagon. Plus syrup.
Lictor Magnus
If anything I think they’ll need more land for all the new families. Half the disciples are in relationships and for the humans some of their family members may decide to move in.
Hunendora
So, grandma is at Dueling Peaks where an independent Rou Tigu is doubtless being talked about. Now she's learned of another cultivator named Rou Jin in the same area. Wonder if she'll explore the possibilities...
PatronTurtle
That's so much value in rice the trading company probably won't be able move the liquidity. If banking doesn't exist it probably will need to now. Credit whatever Jin wants to buy anywhere they've got a branch
Len
Buy more land, yes. For grain the windmill is needed to drive the grindstone, with how strong jin and the others are, except for convenience, it is not needed, just a crank of some sort, hell, could mask the"crank" for the grindstone a stationary bike and drive it by pedalling.
Yeno Memevig
Maybe buy up more land around his place
Freon
Don't forget the amount of effort that the village put into trying to make some and only came out with a pittance in comparison to what Jin was able to produce. Jin's about the flood the market with more riches than it's able to support.
Artur Vogt
So... how well can the recording crystals be used for video games. That capital needs to go somewhere!
Empty Shelf
In fairness, the Grandmother was acting on misinformation. If Bo had described Meiling to her, rather than Xiulan, she probably would have made a different decision.
Jokarun
Had this been a typical cultivator I'd say grandmother would have him Hook, Line and Sinker with that gambit.
Brian P.
Yeah, his initial call for Bo was a slap to her face, rejecting her outright. By asking her for something else afterwards, he was implying it was her flirting he was rejecting rather than herself.
Dee
Worth noting that historically, sugar is RARE. Fruits were the most common source of sweet stuff, and honey was damn near worth it’s wait in gold prior to beekeeping developing into it’s own industry.
Gigifiy
And it's also a sweet. People pay more for pleasures than necessities.
Daniel
Eh, she did exactly what the grandmother wanted. It's not really her fault that the grandmother miscalculated and thought a pretty face would please the cultivator more.
Daniel
He has more than 2000 bags of rice total, apparently. Though he only brought around 300, so ~15k silver for this trip, plus the bottles of syrup.
C. Wilbs
If Jin is the only one that makes the syrup, it makes sense that the it would cost more than rice.
CatOnTheWeb
I think they see Jin's move as a calculated deflection. He told them 'I don't want a woman serving as my personal contact (in the euphemistic sense), but I am willing to work with someone of skill.' Basically they think he's much more crafty than they assumed.
Mark
I was thinking since he has the river he might plant wheat and create a windmill. Would be an interesting addition.
John
I can see Chyou apologizing to her grandmother about coming on way too strong to fast. For Master Jin to see it and immediately decide he did not need that in his life, which Bo will likely confirm given that Master Jin wants a quite life. Having a very flirty woman around doesn't add to that life.
nemo1986
Probably but he is still making a shit ton of cash. 1800 bags times 50 silver equals 90k silver. Plus he gets a solid relationship with a good trading company and the price isn't fixed
John
I don't think he got screwed too badly, given that they are trying to keep him happy and that gold grade rice is hard to get, means that they can't try to screw him too badly.
Torbjørn Nilsen
Jin: "OBJECTION!", he is just a simple farmer after all. Bo is more than good enough.
Lictor Magnus
That was great. Also the logo looks awesome! I wonder what he’s going to do with all that money. He’s pretty self sufficient so I could only see him investing in medical scrolls and the village. I guess he could get some new crops too.
blackshadow111
That makes sense, I suppose. In any case, once it crosses the 'more than I can spend in a lifetime' mark, all amounts of money are equal.
Casualfarmer
The syrup is a much bigger deal, honestly speaking. While the rice is rare+Qi... the syrup is rare +qi +unknown new thing. Also.. Jin has 32 bottles of syrup. he has over 2,000 bags of rice.
Mantiqore
I don't understand the calculating look, but the rest of the chapter is pretty good. I always love to giggle about some of those moments
blackshadow111
Huh. 50 Silver seems... Low. At least compared to the Maple Syrup being worth more than twice that per bottle. Or the Syrup is that much bigger a deal I suppose.
Bunny Waffles
I completely forgot how he had mistaken our dear Blade of Grass for Jins wife instead of the freckly Mei Mei.
Dale
I'm pretty sure jin got screwed on the rce.
