Transmigrated into a female county magistrate during a famine, leading her country to prosperity

The owner of the cotton area is going there for the cotton from Ximi Prefecture?

Shen Zheng frowned slightly.

This is a signal.

Anyone who can set his sights on such a large cotton field must be interested in the commercial value of cotton. It is impossible that the other party just likes to look at and touch the cotton, right?

Cotton was the first to be developed for commercial purposes, which has its advantages and disadvantages, and these advantages and disadvantages can be said to complement each other.

——Once cotton has been developed for commercial value, it will inevitably be defined by currency. This price may conflict with Shen Zheng’s psychological price.

She looked at Wang Guangjin and asked, "Besides looking at it, what else do the people over there use the cotton for?"

Wang Guangjin saw that she had hit the nail on the head, and said seriously, "It's sunny over there during the day, but it's very, very cold at night. If you don't heat the kang, you'll be so cold that you can't sleep."

He used the word "especially" twice in a row, which shows that he was really cold.

"Then someone discovered the magical uses of cotton," said Wang Guangjin.

"In the quilt?" The answer is obvious.

Wang Guangjin nodded: "In fact, people here have been stuffing quilts with cotton for a long time, but cotton is scarce and expensive, so it has never been popular. But it's different over there. There is plenty of cotton, and it's really cold at night, so stuffing quilts with cotton is just right."

Shen Zheng nodded in agreement, "So the owner of the cotton field wants to pick the cotton and sell it to the surrounding areas?"

"That's right." Wang Guangjin recalled and said, "Ximi Prefecture didn't have much trade before, and the Heta Prefecture next to it was more like a hub area, so that person took a fancy to the cotton in Ximi Prefecture, picked it, and took it to Heta Prefecture to sell. And it was because this person was well prepared to sell from the beginning that the quality of the cotton produced was better than that of most other cotton-producing areas."

If you take care of it regularly, the quality will naturally improve.

Shen Zheng asked again: "The cotton that has been picked must also be taken care of extra, right?"

"You are really... too perceptive, sir." Wang Guanjin sighed, "It is precisely because they can dry the picked cotton to remove the seeds and dregs that I and sir chose them after comparing prices."

At this point, the key point of this conversation comes: "So what is the purchase price? Excluding other purchase costs."

Wang Guangjin chuckled and kept the question in suspense.

"Didn't you notice that Lord Wei had never looked for the Ximi prefect before this?"

Shen Zheng chuckled, what's the big deal?

She said directly, "Because Lord Wei is not familiar with the Ximi prefect, who knows if the other party will side with his own merchants or him? To put it bluntly, the Ximi prefecture is far away from the emperor. Even though Wei Que brought the emperor's order, it is hard to say whether the other party will obey from the bottom of his heart."

It is not true to say that the other party cheated Wei Que.

But if the other party only stands from the perspective of the Ximi prefect, then his primary consideration may be the people and merchants under his jurisdiction. After all, the cotton trade boom has not yet started, and the price is not decided by him and the merchants under his jurisdiction, right?

If the people and merchants can make money, then his life as the prefect will get better and better and his official career will be more successful.

The other party bargained down the price of the cotton to a level that was neither too high nor too low. Wei Que was afraid that his trip would be in vain. He had to go back to the capital and cry to the emperor, waiting for the emperor to issue an edict before it would be of any use.

And is the other party guilty?

No.

He had never sold cotton before, so what crime could he commit by asking for a price that was neither too high nor too low? Unless the emperor was determined to punish him, which was impossible.

In the dark night, Wang Guangjin's eyes were bright and full of admiration.

"That's what Lord Wei said!" He looked ahead, but his face turned towards Shen Zheng: "So we were optimistic about cotton, and after asking for the price, we went to find the Ximi prefect, so that he would have to help us bargain again."

"Smart, smart." Shen Zheng's praise seemed a little perfunctory.

Wang Guangjin didn't care at all. He smiled and confessed: "It has been reduced from 10 wen per jin to 8 wen per jin. Actually, I think it may be reduced further, but Lord Wei didn't let me speak."

He scratched his head, obviously confused.

Even at that time, he was still thinking, maybe Wei Que was taking kickbacks!

Shen Zheng hugged her knees with one hand and chuckled, "We can't really take advantage of the other party's cost, right? Only when the bosses in the cotton area make money, the people can also make money, and the cotton planting industry can officially flourish in Ximi Prefecture. This is a benign way."

She was silent for a while, then thought for a while and said, "Eight cents... is within my acceptable range, and the price of the cotton cloth produced should also be within the acceptable range of the people."

Wang Guangjin opened his mouth and finally understood.

It turns out that Lord Wei is just like the adults. They consider more than just "some common people".

Isn't this also the same principle when businessmen do business?

If you put too much pressure on the suppliers, they will quit, which is the worst thing you can do. The worst thing you can do is stab them to death, in which case it will be difficult for both parties.

As the two talked, the thick black gradually faded away, and was replaced by a hazy gray.

In a moment, the torch will go out.

"The rooster is about to crow." Shen Zheng looked up at the sky and said.

This is the coldest time of the day, even colder than just after nightfall.

Wang Guangjin himself didn't think it was a big deal, but he turned to Shen Zheng and said, "Sir, it's windy right now, please go back to the carriage. I'll call you when you get there."

Shen Zheng still shook her head.

"I haven't seen the sky this way for a long time." As she spoke, she sniffed, "It smells really good around here."

Wang Guangjin moved his nose as she did, and it was this action that awakened a memory in him.

"Oh, sir!" He pointed to the cargo wagon behind him, as if offering a treasure: "Did you know that cotton seeds can be made into oil? It was the cotton boss who told me and sir that we learned about it. He said that the oil is more fragrant than lard and can be used for cooking. I brought back two cans specially, one for you!"

Shen Zheng just recalled the cotton seeds when she heard him say, "Boss Cotton said that if we can help him open up the sales channel for cottonseed oil here, he will take care of our oil in the future!"

Hearing this, Mr. Cotton was also generous.

But Shen Zheng was not as happy as Wang Guangjin imagined. Instead, she asked him, "How did you get the oil?"

Wan Guangjin thought for a moment: "The cotton boss said that he only discovered last year that cotton seeds can be ground into oil. If it is ground, then it should be ground with a grinding wheel, right?"

Shen Zheng nodded in understanding. This was the original way of extracting oil.

"This oil may be harmful to the body." She recalled and said, "Many plant seeds are slightly toxic, and it won't be obvious in the short term. Let's keep it for now and wait for Doctor Li to come back and take a look."

The smile on Wang Guangjin's face disappeared immediately when he heard this, and he was so scared that he almost reined in his horse.

He almost poisoned the adults?