After purchasing the materials, it was time for departure again. This time, Ye Xiaoxian still followed the camel team. Xiao Baozhu and Xiao Tieshu were replaced by Liu Qianqian and Xiao Tongshu. The others remained the same. Last time, Ye Xiaoxian had been always together with Xiao Baozhu. But this time, Liu Qianqian and Jia Zhenbo were put together, so Ye Xiaoxian walked closer to Tarico.
During rest, Ye Xiaoxian and Tarico usually analyzed the route and environment as they kept a secret eye on Ji. Ji was only responsible for guiding, showing no interest in anything else. When resting, he drank water alone and fed only his own camels.
When they reached Beihui city, Ye Xiaoxian paid attention to Ji again. While everyone was exhausted, Ji became enthusiastic about Mr. Cai, talking about everything under the sun with him. His fluency in the common language helped their conversations greatly. Seeing this, Ye Xiaoxian became somewhat suspicious.
Why was Ji so enthusiastic about Mr. Cai? Did he want to stop cooperation with them and make deals with Mr. Cai directly in the future?
When Ye Xiaoxian told Tarico about this, he looked very serious. But after a while, he smiled and said, “It’s good to be careful. As you often say, prevention is better than a cure.”
On arriving in Beihui city, Jia Zhenbo and Liu Qianqian went to spend some time alone together. Though without a female companion, Ye Xiaoxian also went out to have fun with Tarico. While they ate snacks together, she taught him how to say the names of foods in the local dialect and also introduced to him the locals’ favorite specialties.
One afternoon, they went to an eatery for wontons. Suddenly, Tarico took out the agate necklace and handed it to Ye Xiaoxian. He said in a casual tone, “This is for you.”
“Huh? Where did you get this?” Although she liked this necklace, she had no memory of it. After all, she had had merely a casual look at it back to then.
Tarico laughed and said, “A stall up ahead. The owner thought you were my wife and said she could sell it to me at a lower price if I wanted it. She looked poor, so I just bought it. Anyway, I don’t have a wife. You can take it.”
She declined, “You should keep it for your future wife.”
Tarico said, “Who knows how long I’ll have to wait. I’m careless and not good at keeping things. If you don’t take this necklace, perhaps I’ll lose it in a few days. Besides, this is useless for a man. People may misunderstand me if they see it.”
Convinced by his explanation, she didn’t think much of his intentions. Seeing as he insisted, she might as well take the necklace. But she put it in her pocket instead of wearing it on her neck. Seeing that, he opened his mouth, but the words wouldn’t come out. In any case, he had given her the gift. It was up to her whether to wear it or not.
…
On the way back to the tribe, Ye Xiaoxian was lost in deep thought. This time, they had exported plenty of dried fruits and beef jerky, which was worth celebrating. But since the ways of making beef jerky differed from family to family, the taste also varied greatly. If they could blend all of these flavors into one that people on the Central Plains liked, the business might attract more customers.
The same was true of the cotton. Baoning city was rich in cotton, and almost all the local families planted it. But, concerning the weaving level and pattern variety, it was outshone by that of the Central Plains. Would it be better to hire several weavers from the Central Plains? This way, they could upgrade the fabrics before selling them. Ye Xiaoxian could improve the taste of beef jerky by herself. As for weaving, she would have to discuss that with Mr. Cai when she went to the Central Plains next time.
They were better with the camel team, but they couldn’t simply do transportation because such a business model was too easily imitated. Once copied, it would become less profitable. For example, if a second person also invested in a camel team, he or she would compete with them for business. But if Ye Xiaoxian processed the materials into something unique, she would still have an advantage over others. This business model would be less likely to be copied.
After learning of her idea, Tarico agreed immediately and said it was very smart to do so. As a native of the Central Plains, she knew what flavors the people there liked. If the food they sold tasted good, it would gain a competitive advantage. Besides, processed beef jerky could be more popular and preserved longer. As for fabric processing, it needed further discussion.
…
Back for the second time, the camel team’s profits were more than those of the previous time. The journey also proved shorter by two days. Once again, they celebrated it joyfully.
Learning the news, Mahal felt even more pressured. These people were threatening him all the time. Helplessly, he asked Dati to have a frank talk with Ji again and be specific about what to do and how to share the profits in the future. Therefore, Dati visited Ji in person on a starless night.
…
Once again, Ye Xiaoxian collected a lot of jerky from the tribes. She and her companions tasted the jerky one by one, picked out the best and studied its cooking process and the ingredients used. Some locals were rather mean with their ingredients, but they felt that some people would want to buy their jerky anyway. By comparison, some were generous and foresighted, seeking a long-term cooperation with the camel team.
Attitudes determined future cooperation. Ye Xiaoxian kept each family’s credibility secretly in mind. At the same time, she asked Tarico to tell the locals that they could sell the meat raw for a slightly lower price.
When the camel team set off the third time, Ye Xiaoxian stayed in the tribe to purchase raw meat with Squire Liu and make it into jerky by herself. Also, since spring was a good season for planting trees, she bought some fruit saplings from the market and planted them on the back hill with her companions.
…
When it was almost summer, Ye Xiaoxian followed the camel team again with the beef jerky she’d made. Since her own jerky was better in quality and taste, she decided to ask Mr. Cai to raise the price. This time, Liu Qianqian stayed at home and Xiao Baozhu offered to go with Ye Xiaoxian. The desert was so boundless that every journey was a tormenting process. But the prosperity of Beihui city and the high profits were upholding and uplifting them to press on.