The pork butcher is smoother than a pig butcher!

Chapter 138 Outrageous Prices

In the dead of winter in Northwest China, the temperature at night has already dropped to zero degrees Celsius.

On the first night after everyone left Jinzhou Pass, it snowed.

It snowed all night long, from light snow to moderate snow.

The next morning, the temperature dropped by at least ten degrees compared to the previous day.

It's so cold it makes you question the meaning of life.

The four hooded long cloaks that Zuo Wenkang had sewn by hand some time ago immediately came in handy.

Outside the cloak was a wolf skin that Gan Minglan had made using modern kneading techniques and high-temperature sterilization processes, resulting in a remarkably soft texture.

The cloak was lined with a thick layer of new cotton, made of fine cotton cloth.

The combination of black and gray creates a gradient color.

It was a bit heavy to wear, and even looked bulky.

But its softness and warmth are enough to keep you warm in even colder weather.

Not only can it be used as a quilt and mattress at night, but it can also be used as a cloak and raincoat during the day.

It can be used anywhere, it's truly versatile!

The boys who had learned to make wolf-skin cloaks with Zuo Wenkang back then finally realized the importance of a man having a needlework skill.

Who says all young men are so energetic?

That's because they haven't encountered extremely cold weather!

In the past ten or twenty years of their lives, they have never experienced such a cold winter.

The icy wind, carrying shards of ice, seeped into the very bones of people.

Zuo Wenkang had previously reminded his clansmen that it was best to prepare winter clothing in advance.

No one at Hangu Pass received a wolf pelt.

For someone as well-off as Ms. Lü, naturally they would buy whatever fur coat was warm.

Even though he was short of money, he still bought a lot of cotton.

This place is close to the cotton-growing regions of the Western Regions, so the prices are very cheap.

For less than a third of the market price in Daming Prefecture, they bought new cotton-padded clothes, cotton-padded shoes, and cotton-padded quilts for the whole family.

Those whose cotton-padded clothes weren't warm enough wrapped themselves in cotton quilts.

They all have a southern physique.

What is the physical constitution of people from the South?

They can't stand the cold!

But even the Tatars of northern Mongolia, who are resistant to the cold, have said they can't hold on any longer!

That's because the seasonal snowstorms have arrived on the grasslands.

Heavy snow has been falling across the entire northern desert region for more than half a month.

The average snow depth is above an adult's knees.

Rivers, lakes, roads, and even large areas of grassland on the grassland were all buried in snow.

When people go out, they can't find any landmarks at all!

Millions of cattle, sheep, and horses froze to death.

Many tribes are facing food shortages.

Many people also don't have enough fuel stored at home.

In this kind of weather, the whole family can't even get a sip of hot water, let alone keep warm for twelve hours straight.

In the two weeks since the snowstorm, countless herders have suffered frostbite and died from it.
Huaiqing Prefecture is located 800 li away from Jinzhou Pass.

The snow on the ground was up to calf level.

The claim that one's breath turns to ice is absolutely true.

In the grain stores of all sizes in the prefectural city.

Most of the shops are closed.

In the remaining small portion, the prices of various grains have skyrocketed. Who would believe it?

Even the lowest quality mixed grains and rice sell for sixty coins a pound!
The refined rice and flour that wealthy families used to love to eat can now only buy a few pounds for an ounce of silver.

Besides the outrageous grain prices.

The price of coal is also outrageous.

The price of even the most common black charcoal has risen from five coins a pound to ten coins a pound half a month ago, and now it has soared to thirty-five coins!
A sevenfold difference!

Prices of heating-related items such as cotton and fur have also increased several times over.

The residents of Huaiqing Prefecture who recently joined the families of soldiers in the border region in snapping up winter supplies.

They were all incredibly grateful for their initial tendency to join in the fun.

Look, look!
To make a living, you have to be observant and attentive to your surroundings.

There's a lot of truth to the saying "Listen to advice and you'll eat your fill"!

at this time.

General Zhao Muyun of the border city was furious in his barracks.

"What did you say? Even the purchases of our five major military camps are being rationed? It's not like we're not paying; we'll just buy at the price! Do these merchants even want to make a living in Huaiqing Prefecture?"

The quartermaster wiped the spittle from his face:
"General, the major grain stores all say they're running low on stock in Huaiqing Prefecture. They've been urging the Xijing Prefecture granary to release the goods, but after the Po Jun besieged Xijing Prefecture, their granaries were all requisitioned!"

The reason for implementing purchase restrictions is that merchants don't have enough grain to sell.

Grain has become a hot commodity with high prices but no market demand!
If the Po Jun army on the Guanzhong Plain cannot be wiped out, the whole country may face a food shortage in the coming months.

Zhao Muyun glared, gritting his teeth as he said:
"You're going to impose purchase restrictions, huh? Get more people to line up and buy as much as they can. How long can our current food supplies last?"

The quartermaster said cautiously, "If we only eat one meal a day, we can last for at most a month and a half!"

Zhao Muyun shook his head: "How cold is it? How can we manage with only one meal a day! How can we have the strength to kill the Hu people if we don't eat our fill?"

The General was completely taken aback.

He swallowed his pride and finally managed to borrow one million taels of silver from his brother-in-law.

Under normal circumstances, it would last for five years!
Well now.

Even if they bought out all the grain stores in Huaiqing Prefecture, they could only buy enough food to feed an army of 100,000 for a few days!
Just look at how messed up the market is right now.

The quartermaster actively used his ingenuity to share the burden with his superiors.

"General, I heard that General Tian and his men are already on their way back. Now that they have driven away the Hu people, Jinzhou City should not have been affected much. Why don't we go there to make some purchases?"

Zhao Muyun immediately agreed:
"That's a great idea! I don't tolerate these merchants' bad habits. I don't believe I can't buy enough grain with this silver."

Besides rice and grains, buy warm items like charcoal and cotton as long as the price is right!
I also heard that the sheep raised by the military families all froze to death! This mutton is much cheaper than rice and flour, so let's stock up on more meat.

The soldiers are all like wolves; they can never get enough of meat, and mutton keeps them full longer than rice.

"Your subordinate obeys."

Ever since Tian Jiu led three thousand cavalry to reinforce Jinzhou Pass.

All five border garrisons have entered a state of wartime alert.

A defense lasting twelve hours.

Even General Zhao Muyun hasn't returned to the Ningyang Marquis's residence in a long time.

Today we finally received news of the great victory at Jinzhou Pass.

Hearing that they had slaughtered a full 80,000 Hu soldiers and even killed a Khan who was a descendant of the Golden Army, Zhao Muyun was very satisfied, even at the cost of more than 2,000 cavalrymen's lives.

In the past ten years or so, even the Five Guards of the Border City have never killed so many Tatars.

The number of enemies he killed was truly a source of pride for him.

After a great victory, and with the quartermaster coming up with a brilliant idea, his tense nerves finally relaxed.

Having finished most of his official duties, the General immediately changed into his civilian clothes and headed back home.

I had just stepped into the inner courtyard gate.

Then a furious shout rang out: "Stop right there!"

(End of this chapter)