I

"Iron...pot, two...mouths!"

The native Indian spoke stiff Chinese and gestured with the iron pot.

"No," Feng Xing raised a finger and said, fearing that the natives wouldn't understand. "Only one iron pot is exchanged every year."

The natives suddenly became anxious and chattered a lot.

Feng Xing could barely understand a few words, and it seemed that the tribes further east had needs. After understanding the reason, Feng Xing became more determined: "I only change one iron pot every year."

The natives had no choice but to choose other products.

Feng Xing used to be a clerk in a business. Because he had attended middle school for two years and was very smart, the shopkeeper admired him quite a lot. Later, he met his boss and was appreciated by his boss. Within a few years, he was promoted to the third shopkeeper of Semicolon.

Just when he was promoted to second shopkeeper, Feng Xing committed a crime.

This guy was dragged into gambling by his elementary school classmates and became addicted to it. After losing all his savings, he still owed a lot of loan sharks, and he even got obsessed with the idea of ​​paying for goods from a trading company.

He was soon discovered and fled in fear of crime.

On the way to escape, Feng Xing became angrier as he thought about it. He was the young shopkeeper of Semicolon No. 2, with a promising future, but his life was ruined because of gambling. Moreover, he suspected that he was being tricked and that those guys were working together to defraud him of his money.

So Feng Xing stopped running away and went back to kill the classmate who lured him into gambling. Then he rushed into an underground casino and chased down the croupier and fellow gamblers who often played cards together. He killed and injured two people before being turned and sent to see the officials.

Of course Feng Xing was sentenced to death, the underground casino was also sealed, and the loan sharks who collaborated with the casino were also imprisoned.

Feng Xing, who was asked to be killed by the Queen of Autumn, luckily escaped with his life and was thrown to Xindeng Village by Li Quan to take charge of the village's foreign trade affairs.

Under the auspices of Feng Xing, iron pots and iron axes were only sold in limited quantities. This made the natives so anxious that they took the initiative to increase the price. After two or three years, the furs they received from the same iron pot almost doubled.

The current trade process is: Xindeng Village exchanges for Li Quan's supplies, and then sells them to the indigenous people for furs. The indigenous tribes next door are also making money from the price difference, getting iron tools from Xindeng Village and selling them to other tribes in the alliance.

The selling price of sea otter skin in China ranks among the top three among all furs.

And California is full of sea otters!

How much can agricultural products be sold for? The wealth of Xindeng Village depends entirely on the fur trade.

"Another...an axe," the native begged.

Feng Xing sighed and said, "Alas, we don't have many axes."

The native stretched out two slaps: "Add...ten...sea otter skin."

Feng Xingmian said, "Since you are so sincere, I will sell you another axe."

"Thank you!" The natives burst into tears of gratitude, and said "thank you" in a clear and precise manner.

Feng Xing pointed to a pile of goods next to him: "These cotton cloths can be sold. Count them slowly yourself."

These natives are not good at math and must take their time when trading items.

The native was checking the cotton cloth. Suddenly his eyes lit up and he saw a small mirror next to him. He immediately said: "Mirror... I want it!"

Feng Xing said: "Mirrors are very valuable. Those wolf skins, deer skins, bears skins you have left... Hey, you can't understand even after talking so much. Mirror, exchange... for all of you!"

"All?" The native understood.

"Yes, all of them." Feng Xing nodded.

"good!"

The native picked up the mirror, handed the remaining fur to Feng Xing, and then left happily.

Wei Zhaonan watched the natives go away and couldn't help but sigh: "You profiteers, how can you ever do business without cheating people?"

Feng Xing smiled and said: "How can this be a trap? Things are rare and valuable. In the past few years, only one mirror has been replaced, which is very valuable to the indigenous people. I have already inquired about it. When the indigenous people get a mirror, it is Leave it to the wizard for safekeeping, saying it can communicate with their gods. Village elder, the mirror here is a ritual tool used for sacrifice!"

Wei Zhaonan also found it funny: "We have indeed chosen the right person to put you in charge of trade."

"Isn't that right? I've only been here four years, and the village's territory has doubled." Feng Xing said proudly.

This guy used iron axes as a limited-purchase commodity, and took advantage of the war between the indigenous people to sell iron axes as arms. Moreover, when I heard that someone else was about to go to war, I would take the initiative to visit them and sell them.

Ten iron axes bought a large area of ​​land, doubling the village community's territory.

Of course, the indigenous tribe next door doesn't suffer either.

They have iron axes to fight and control the trade with Xindeng Village. They have suddenly emerged as a force in the entire alliance, and the tribal chief has even become the deputy leader of the alliance. They attached a meter-long wooden handle to their iron axes. When fighting with the tribal alliance in the south, they were often able to outnumber several and continue to expand their territory southward.

These natives even regarded the Han people as fools.

A small piece of land was exchanged for so many iron axes. They relied on this weapon to conquer more than ten times the territory.

After finishing the business, Feng Xing walked towards the crew station, saying hello, talking and laughing all the way, and finally stood outside Li Quan's tent and shouted: "Feng Xing, please see Commander Li."

"Come in...forget it, I'll go out." Li Quan opened the tent curtain.

Feng Xing handed over a cigar that he grew and wrapped himself: "Commander Li, have a taste. It's a new product grown last year."

Li Quan took the cigar: "Tell me."

Feng Xing said: "I received a letter from my wife this time. She wanted to come and reunite with me, and her eldest son came with her. The younger son was not old enough and was afraid that he would not be able to withstand the rough seas, so he was adopted by my eldest brother. My daughter is not coming either, so wait. When you grow up, it's best to marry in your hometown. It's too remote here. Commander Li will return to China next year..."

Li Quan nodded and said: "I understand. Bring your wife and children. My wife won't say anything. Are you really willing to let your son come here?"

Feng Xing explained: "My eldest son doesn't study well and his brain is not bright. He has no future in his hometown. He might as well come here and farm."

"Okay, you write a letter and I'll have someone send it to you," Li Quan said. "I definitely won't be able to pick you up next year. Your hometown is in the mountains of Anhui. When your wife and children receive the letter, ask them to go to the trading company in Shanghai in the spring. Just wait, I will pick him up the year after next."

Feng Xing excitedly held up his hands: "I'm so grateful, so grateful!"

After resting for two or three days in the village, Li Quan continued to set sail with the fleet. In addition to food and furs, there were also letters and money sent home by the villagers.

Sihai Trading Company has dedicated people to deliver letters and money, but they have to charge a certain amount of remuneration.

Although Xindeng Village exchanged goods for goods, some of them were converted into money and sent back to the villagers' families in China.

Watching the colonial stronghold continue to develop, although the speed is very slow, Li Quan still has a sense of accomplishment. He believed that by opening up new territories, he could not only make money through trade, but also leave a name in history after his death.

Li Quan's trading fleet has grown to ten ships, and each ship is licensed to install twelve cannons (other armed merchant ships in China can have six cannons per ship).

This has resulted in the amount of silver imported into China from the Americas doubling every year.

The Spanish colonial officials were also completely crazy. The governor of the Philippines was selling iron and money and actually raised funds to build a large sailing ship. This ship was not reported to the King of Spain and was used exclusively for smuggling. The profits were divided among officials and investors, which intensified the flow of American silver into China.

Inflation has become increasingly serious in China's coastal areas and is gradually spreading to inland provinces.

By raising interest rates and conquering Mobei, the imperial court eased inflation slightly, but it was not an option if it continued like this. Prices would definitely become more and more expensive in the future.

The rise of smuggling in the Americas and the accelerated inflow of Chinese goods made the cities in the Spanish American colonies more "prosperous".

To the people of America, all smugglers are little cuties!

Why can’t Americans buy daily necessities even if they have money?

Because from the beginning, Spain restricted industrial development in the Americas.

Take cotton as an example. Cotton grown in Mexico is not allowed to be processed into cotton cloth in Mexico and must be sold to merchants designated by the royal family. These Spanish merchants bought cotton and shipped it to Seville. They did not develop industry in Spain, but sold it to Dutch merchants.

The Netherlands (including Belgium) was the European textile center at this time. It bought Mexican cotton to make cotton cloth and sold it back to Spanish merchants, who then sold the cotton cloth back to Mexico.

With such a cunning operation, the industries of Spain and Mexico were destroyed, and only the royal family and resellers were able to make money.

The Mexican people, who grow a large amount of cotton every year, can only buy several hands of European cotton cloth, which is not only expensive but also scarce.

Li Quan opened up about selling cotton cloth at "low prices" in Mexico. In the eyes of the locals, he is a living Buddha!

Arriving at the trading port again, merchants had already gathered inside and outside the town.

Moreover, the number of merchants who came after hearing the news increased year by year, and some came to barter, directly exchanging furs and other goods for cotton and silk.

In addition to normal transactions, Li Quan also met several Indo-European hybrids.

"You want to take a boat to China?" Li Quan was a little surprised.

An Indo-European man named Julio asked in an anxious tone: "Can you allow us to take the boat? We can pay the boat fare. If it is not enough, we will work as sailors on the boat to pay the boat fee."

Li Quan smiled and said: "What are you going to China for?"

"We want to leave Mexico and see the outside world," Julio said.

Li Quan asked strangely: "Why not take a Spanish ship?"

Julio lowered his head and explained: "We have no money to buy blood purification documents, and we are not qualified to take a Spanish sea ship."

"Okay, I allow you to get on the boat." Li Quan nodded.

Indo-Europeans in the Americas must spend huge sums of money to purchase blood purification documents before they can be upgraded to native whites.

If you become a native white man, you will be eligible to take a boat to Europe to study. When you return to America, your status will be close to that of a colonist, and you will have the qualifications to be a colonial official - just a qualification.

The more Indo-Europeans who have been to China, when they return to the Americas, they will definitely promote China's racial tolerance and that China does not engage in blood purification.

When Li Quan took a few Indo-Europeans back to the voyage, the Spanish monopoly businessmen were complaining to the king.

Monopolists found that the goods they shipped from Europe were increasingly difficult to sell in the Americas. Especially for cotton, sales continue to fall after discount after discount.

So they sent people to investigate and found that smuggling was serious on the west coast of Mexico.

"Your Majesty, please increase the fleet on the west coast of America and prohibit all Chinese ships from docking!"