Tea Merchants of the Song Dynasty

Chapter 116 Mountain Climbing

Jiang Yin was furious. What was wrong with these people? They ate the lion's share but were unwilling to give away even a little bit of the soup.

Besides, no matter how good the loose tea is, it will not surpass the famous Huizhou tea in a short time.

In Yazhou, even the four major families have never suppressed loose tea.

There are so many businesses in the world, why cut off other people's financial resources?

"I'm afraid there's more to it than just this reason." Jiang Si Niang frowned slightly and said, "The imperial court is not something that a mere merchant can control. There must be some unspoken reason or reason that Xu An hasn't discovered."

Although the four classes of scholars, farmers, merchants and artisans were in a relatively balanced stage in the Song Dynasty, the status of merchants was still at the bottom.

Therefore, whether in Yazhou or Huizhou, as long as it is in the Song Dynasty, it is unlikely that merchants will influence government orders.

If there is any impact, it can only mean that the imperial court also has this intention. But it is just going with the flow and looking for a shield.

Jiang Yin pursed her lips and said, "So it seems that if we want to buy the land on the mountain, we still have to get approval from those noble families?"

Her face darkened slightly. At this moment, she didn't want to get into trouble.

She didn't know how deep the water was in Huizhou, but what if those people, under the influence of the tea monopoly system, dragged her down with them?

On the other hand, if there was someone who knew her and knew about the Mengshan Jiang family and interfered, things would go very wrong.

"Not necessarily." Jiang Si Niang was quite open-minded. She raised her eyebrows and said, "They are busy with their own affairs now, so maybe they don't have the time to care about these things. It's a good opportunity to fish in troubled waters and buy the land."

Business is getting harder and harder these days. If there is no conflict of interest, who would care about these things?

Jiang Yin nodded, but still couldn't help asking: "If they were worried, why didn't they just buy the land here?"

She couldn't understand this. If he was so worried about someone stealing his business, he could just buy it himself. Why do such unnecessary things?

However, Jiang Si Niang shook her head and said, "There are so many mountains in Huizhou, we can't buy every one of them.

The only way to fundamentally prevent this situation from happening is to start with the imperial court.”

Even the richest businessman cannot buy all the mountains in Huizhou, which is not the right way.

What's more, not every mountain is suitable for growing tea, it's just a gamble on luck.

"Forget it. We can't make the decision on this matter." Jiang Yin sighed, "Let's go climb Huangshan tomorrow to see if it's suitable for growing tea trees. If it is, we can think of a solution."

Si Niang was right. Those people probably couldn't care less at the moment. If they were sure to buy the land, she would find a way to break the impasse.

Jiang Si Niang comforted her, "When the enemy comes, we will stop him with a general and when the water comes, we will block it with earth. There will always be a way. Yin, don't worry. If there is really no way, I will urge your fourth uncle to study and make sure he breaks this situation."

Jiang Yin pursed her lips and smiled, not thinking too much about it. She just packed up and went back home with Jiang Si Niang.

……

"The Huangshan Mountain is four thousand feet high, with thirty-two lotus peaks. Red cliffs are flanked by stone pillars, and lotus flowers are like golden hibiscus."

Huangshan, formerly known as Yishan, got its name because of its dark blue peaks and rocks, which appear dark blue from a distance. Later, due to the legend that Emperor Huangdi once made elixirs here, it was renamed Huangshan. It is known as the most unique mountain in the world.

But it is not actually a mountain, but a group of mountains. There are 72 peaks in total, divided into 36 major peaks and 36 minor peaks.

Among them, Lianhua Peak, Guangmingding and Tiandu Peak are known as the three main peaks of Huangshan Mountain and are one of the thirty-six major peaks.

I have heard of Jiang Yin for a long time, and Huangshan has "Five Wonders and Three Waterfalls".

The five wonders are the strange pines, strange rocks, sea of ​​clouds, hot springs and winter snow, while the three waterfalls are the Human-shaped Waterfall, the Hundred-foot Spring and the Nine-dragon Waterfall.

The Xu family’s tea garden is not at the foot of the main peak, but at the foot of a small mountain on the periphery.

Therefore, even if Jiang Yin wanted to go to the main peak again, he temporarily suppressed the idea and prepared to climb the small peaks on the side first.

However, the main peak was also within her trip to Huizhou. She planned to wait until things were almost settled before climbing up to take a good look at this most amazing mountain in the world.

Compared with the steepness and magnificence of the main peak, the small peaks on the tea garden side are flatter and lower.

However, this is only limited to the tea garden side. As for the other side, it is still a bit steep.

Besides Jiang Yin and Jiang Si Niang, only Xiao Luo and Wang Heng followed them on this climb.

As they were worried that the sun would be too strong at noon and it would be inconvenient to climb the mountain, they just carried their lunch boxes and set out on the mountaineering journey before the sun rose.

Just as we climbed halfway up the mountain, the sun peeked out from the clouds in the distant mountains, red and golden, as if it was shy.

"The smoke has dissipated and the sun has risen, but no one is visible anymore. A sound of "Ena" appears, and the mountains and waters turn green." Jiang Yin stretched lazily facing the rising sun, and his whole body calmed down.

As the sun rises, the clouds and mist in the mountains gradually dissipate, and the sun shines all over the earth, bathing everything in it.

The surroundings are quiet, as if the whole world is immersed in this tranquility and silence.

Jiang Si Niang couldn't help but sigh: "I used to just take a look at the mountain from the foot of the mountain, but I didn't expect that after coming here, I knew why Huangshan is the most unique mountain in the world."

Surrounded by mountains, even on the outer mountains, you can still see the strange mountains and rocks on other peaks.

"It's really worth the trip." Jiang Yin nodded and said, "Let's take a break here and check if there are any problems with growing tea trees in this soil."

The scenery should be appreciated, after all, who doesn't like beautiful things? But she naturally didn't forget the matter at hand.

She had seen the sunrise countless times in Mengshan before, but although it was also stunning, it was not as shocking as the one just now.

Huangshan is different from Mengshan. The peaks of Huangshan are more precipitous and have a more unique temperament. There are jagged rocks everywhere, which is really shocking.

The mountains of Mengshan, however, are surrounded by greenery, with lush forests everywhere.

But this does not mean that the mountains in Shu are not as steep as those in Huizhou. On the contrary, there are many places in Shu that are steeper than Huangshan.

The hermit Qinglian once said, "The road to Shu is more difficult than climbing to the sky. It makes people pale when they hear this! The peaks are only a foot away from the sky, and the dead pines hang upside down on the cliffs. The rushing waterfalls compete with each other in noise, and the rocks rolling down the cliffs are thundering. It is so dangerous. Why do you come here from afar? Jiange is rugged and steep. One man can block the pass, and ten thousand men cannot open it."

In the past, Jiang Yin was trapped in Chengdu and Yazhou, and could not experience the difficulty of the Shu Road firsthand.

But she had experienced it firsthand on her way to Huizhou this time. Even if she only caught a glimpse of it while on the road, it was already terrifying.

After suppressing his sigh, Jiang Yin began to investigate the soil and terrain.

Every few steps she would squat down, pick up a handful of soil and examine it carefully. Jiang Si Niang did the same, as did Xiao Luo and Wang Heng.

For people like them who have been dealing with tea since childhood, exploring the terrain and environment is an essential skill.