"Lang lord, the port is in front! But there are too many berthed ships, and they will not be able to enter the port for a while."
Hearing the report of the servant below, Chen Yue frowned slightly: "Isn't this Xingang? Why are there so many ships?"
The servant was also careful: "I have inquired about it, and it seems that this port does not charge customs duties. Therefore, there are a lot of maritime merchants."
Chen Yue was surprised, no tariffs? How can there be a port set up by an official family that does not collect taxes? Even in Panyu, the customs tax collected is not a small amount. In addition to the tithe tax, the Jinkou Ferry in Yangzhou also has the Niu Dai Tax and the Shuttle Tax. Could it be that this port is just a small port with not much throughput, so it will give up such a big profit
This is related to his own vital interests, Chen Yue immediately said: "Put down the boat, I will go to the port first to see."
The boats were all experienced sailors, and soon, Chen Yue boarded the boat. When he bypassed the bay, entered the harbor, and saw the scene in front of him, he could not help gasping for breath. Where is this small port? As far as the eye can see, the sails and masts are connected, and the number of them can't be counted at the moment. On the wharf, it was crowded with people unloading goods and loading ships like swarms of ants. As soon as the fully loaded ships leave the port, new ships take over their previous positions.
Such a port is not much worse than the Southland!
And this scene made Chen Yue feel uneasy, and she wanted to fly ashore to find out. How can the new port, which has just been built, have such a scale? No tariffs, is it true
Although the port was difficult to navigate, his boat was narrow and squeezed ashore in a short time. However, just as he was standing firm, before he could clearly distinguish east, west, north and south, a group of men swarmed around him.
"Lang Jun, are you here for business? The villain is very familiar with the dock workers, and there will be no delay in unloading and loading the ship!"
"Langjun! You are familiar with all the small towns in the city, let's hire a villain!"
"See the goods and book the room, there are mules and horses to ride, only five hundred wen..."
The sound came and went, making people dizzy. Only then did Chen Yue understand that there were still people soliciting customers at the port. But it's also a good way to get a sense of what's going on here. Without hesitation, Chen Yue waved to a neatly dressed and articulate boy.
The man responded quickly and ran up immediately: "Lang Jun has just come to Haixing? Little Wang Er, who has been working in the port for ten months, is very familiar with all the affairs of the city. There is also a mule cart. , the journey is very fast. Only five hundred wen is charged for a day's escort!"
Five hundred words, even a small businessman like Chen Yue would not take it seriously. Asking the servant to hand over half a handful of money, he first asked, "I heard that there are no customs duties here? Is there something wrong?"
Wang Er took the money and was overjoyed, and immediately said, "Ordinary goods are not taxed! However, salt and iron can only be sold by the government. Imported spices, treasures and other valuables will cost about 800 yuan per 10,000 yuan."
Spice and other things are priceless, and this tax rate is really nothing. Not to mention that general goods are exempt from tax. No wonder it attracts so many merchants! This place is not far from Jieshi and Huanggang, and it is really not difficult to attract well-informed maritime merchants.
"What about other expenses?" Chen Yue asked again.
"The port barges cost money. According to the size of the boat, it is calculated on a daily basis. It also costs money to unload the cargo."
Wang Er's mouth was extremely agile, and he quickly reported the price of the large and small ships. Chen Yue made a rough calculation, and it was less than 30% of the usual tariffs, and these costs would also be spent in other ports, which saved a lot.
"Then if the business is negotiated, the two ships will be loaded and unloaded at the same time, and they only need to spend this amount of money?" Chen Yue's voice couldn't help but get louder. If so, this route is really a great opportunity!
"Isn't it!" Wang Er laughed, "I don't know how many ships are loaded and unloaded here every day. If the negotiation is done, there is no need to stop more than one day!"
"Then if the goods can't be sold, do you need inventory?" Chen Yue asked again.
"There are quite a few mansions in the city, all of which can be stocked!" Wang Er said immediately, "The mansion is the government-run, the largest place, with guards, and the price is fair. It's just that most of them are occupied, so it's not a good place to make an appointment. The mansion is more expensive, but it is very convenient to be able to book accommodation for customers and businessmen.”
"Is there any official residence here?" Chen Yue wondered.
Wang Er laughed: "Lang Jun doesn't know, the land in the city, rent more and sell less, and the price is not cheap. Therefore, the official family runs the most mansions. Only those high-profile customers can build mansions, and there are some businesses, which are not at all. What about renting a shop?"
In a few words, the situation in the city was clearly explained, but there was nothing that he had heard before. Chen Yue couldn't help but be interested: "Where is your car? Take me into the city first."
Wang Er responded quickly and quickly brought a small car. The mules looked quite sturdy and the cart was clean. Chen Yue got into the car and asked the servant to follow behind the car, and the group drove towards the city.
Here, it is indeed a city. Less than a mile to the west from the port, there are contiguous warehouses, and the market is further east. There are still many vacant lots, and where they are, they are busy building houses. It's only been a few months, but this place is like a city on the ground, and the appearance of prosperity has begun to appear.
Chen Yue's eyes were fixed, and her heart was even more surging. The places he has traveled are not too few, but the war in the north has been burning for years, how long have you not seen such a situation? The three cities of Jin, Ma, and Nan in Luoyang back then were probably nothing more than this!
Unhurriedly driving the mule, Wang Er asked, "Where is Chen Langjun going first?"
"Where to buy and sell goods?" Chen Yue asked.
"If it's a big one, you can go to Dongshi. Small business transactions are all in the Denghai Building. This building is a must in Haixing City. The food is extremely delicious, not to be missed!" Wang Er immediately praised.
Chen Yue secretly laughed, wouldn't it be Denghailou who made money for these toothless people? So soliciting customers is also hard work.
Wang Er seemed to know what he was thinking: "Langjun, don't underestimate me as a rude person. I know the ups and downs of goods in the city. I don't know what goods Langjun brought this time?"
Chen Yue hesitated before saying, "Just some raw silk, tea, and tung oil."
Wang Eryi patted his thigh: "Don't bring too much raw silk. Now the price is slipping dramatically. Tung oil is on the rise, so it should be able to sell for a good price. By the way, you didn't bring food, did you?"
Chen Yue only heard that the price of raw silk dropped, and her heart was half cold. This thing is easy to sell anywhere, so he only brought half of the boat. Tung oil is not much. If so, I am afraid that the profit is limited. But food...
"What? Are food prices high in the city?" Chen Yue asked. How could a small sea merchant like him be able to buy and sell food? No matter how high the price is, there is not much profit.
"Lang Jun, I don't know anything about it. The price of grain in Haixing City is the most stable, which is determined by the government. It seems that there is not much profit, but when the grain has reached a certain limit, it can be divided into the purchase share of white porcelain and colored glaze. It's because of this that the big boats are pulled away." Seemingly thinking of the brilliance of the business, Wang Er sighed, "If you don't have food and want to buy official goods, you will have to use silk and gold, and the price will be high. "
Chen Yue said in surprise, "Can't you use money?"
"It's all valuables, how much is enough?" Wang Er lightly clicked, "In Haixing City, money is just daily expenses."
Barter is indeed a method that maritime merchants like to use. But how can this new port do so simply? Chen Yue's heart moved again, it seems that the government here is preventing someone from using bad money. There are still a lot of Dong Zhuo's small coins circulating on the market, and there are three or four forms of straight hundred and five baht, not to mention those counterfeit coins. It would be a good thing if there was less wrangling on this.
It's just that those pretty goods in Bingzhou can only be exchanged for grain, silk and gold, which is not good news for me. His family is not rich, I am afraid it is difficult to touch. Let's take a look at how to sell the things on your ship first.
With a general plan, Chen Yue first asked Wang Er to take him to Dongshi. Although the land price is not low, the scale of the shops here is not small. It is estimated that they are all owned by aristocratic families. The purchase price of raw silk was as low as Wang Er said. It should be that many merchants have goods in order to be safe, but they have lowered the market price. Tea and tung oil are not bad. But the number on his ship is not too large to buy the ideal number.
After turning around a few times, Chen Yue took a rest and went to Denghai Tower. As a result, when he arrived at the place, he was immediately shocked by the lively scene here. Before, inside and outside the building, many servants held signs indicating what they wanted to sell or buy. If you are interested, you can enter the store with him and negotiate with the owner. They are all valuable seafood, how have you seen such a transaction? If you are deceived, don't you lose everything
But after inquiring carefully, Chen Yue understood. It turned out that the business was negotiated here, and you could go to the official government to make a deed, and the official family would witness the transaction between the two parties. Of course, the deed is subject to tax, but the tax is not too high, just four hundred thousand dollars, the seller pays three, and the buyer pays one. Compared with the ordinary ten tax one, it is much cheaper. Chen Yue did not delay, and immediately entered the building. It only took half a day to find the seller. A ship of cargo, all emptied.
Afterwards, he worked non-stop and negotiated the goods he brought on the return journey. In addition to the brocade produced in Bianzhou, there are also furs. Winter is coming soon, and these things will not worry about selling them when they are shipped to the south.
A shipment of goods, after deducting round-trip expenses, the profit is actually 30% more than before! This number is really shocking. Chen Yue was in a good mood and rewarded Wang with two or five hundred dollars.
Wang Er smiled so much that his eyes narrowed, and he kept saying: "Chen Langjun will be able to benefit the market this time, and business is booming! By the way, I heard that Bingzhou is going to open a department recently, and Chen Langjun will not go there to explore. Exploring? It won't take long by boat. You know, Bingzhou is the most prosperous area in our Northland!"
"Bingzhou is not near here..." Chen Yue hesitated. He brought too few people, and even if he took water, he might not be able to protect himself. In case of encountering robbers, wouldn't people and money be empty
Wang Er seemed to know his scruples and said with a smile: "Lang Jun has been worrying too much. Now, no one in Jizhou dares to rob the caravan. People's heads are hung at the gate of the city. No matter how much money you are greedy for, how many heads are there?"
What? Chen Yue heard the words, her eyes lit up: "Is this really the case?"
"How can it be fake?" Wang Er snorted, "And the grain transportation team will go to the county town in the past two days. If you miss this opportunity, you will have to wait another half a month."
The daily delivery of grain and grass from Haixing Port is an astonishing number, and naturally it cannot be all settled in the city. It is also transported to the northern states along the river. How can the size of the fleet be small? Therefore, many businessmen want to take this opportunity to follow the food team. Not to mention safety and reliability, there are still many business opportunities.
Chen Yueguo was really moved, she gritted her teeth, and ordered her confidants to take the boat south first. And he took some servants, prepared goods that might be sold, and followed the food team.
When I walked out of the city gate, I saw an endless, brand-new, flat gravel road beneath my feet. The last bit of anxiety in his chest was also swept away. It's just that the delivery from the harbor to the ferry port has built such a good road! Jizhou, and even the entire Northland, really attaches great importance to commerce!
If you come to Bingzhou, what will it look like? It is rumored that Duke Liang of Bingzhou was a man with wealth and ability to understand God. Not to mention Shangdang paper, white porcelain, and glazed ware, just look at this Haixing Xingang, and it is comparable to Tao Zhu Fan Li!
It was both anticipation and excitement. Mixed in the mighty caravan, Chen Yue embarked on a journey to Bingzhou along the gravel road.