Brocade Robe Unparalleled

Chapter 14 Conflict Resolution
"Let them go! Let them go!"

"Raze Black Stone Village to the ground!"

The people of Baishi Village roared in unison, their voices echoing through the mountains and forests.

On the wall of Black Stone Village, a middle-aged man dressed in magnificent Miao clothing poked his head out, his face gloomy, and he responded sternly: "You surnamed Yang, it was your people who crossed the border to steal water first and injured my villagers. If you want to release them, you must first compensate my village for the cost of medicine!"

"Bullshit! That water source has always been shared by both families. It was your Black Stone Village that was greedy and dammed the river first!"

"You're the one farting!"

The two chieftains exchanged insults across the distance, the tension reaching a fever pitch.

The people of Baishi Village pressed forward relentlessly, about to storm the village gate, while the bows and arrows on the walls of Heishi Village were all fully drawn!

Just at this critical moment, a horse neighed and charged out from the forest path, directly into the center of the open space where the two sides were facing off!

Upon seeing the woman riding on horseback, the middle-aged man in magnificent Miao clothing on the village wall paled and exclaimed, "Qingluan, didn't I tell you not to come back!"

Outside the village gate, the bearded man was stunned for a moment, then his face lit up with wild joy. He said, "Old dog Tian, ​​you arrested my son, so I'll arrest your daughter. That's fair!"

He was about to step forward and capture Tian Qingluan when he saw her calmly dismount and come forward to greet him. She was poised and graceful, giving him a gentle bow, her voice melodious and pleasant: "Uncle Yang, I apologize. We were in the wrong this time. I will have my father release your people. To express our apology, we are willing to purchase your salt mines at ten coins per pound from now on..."

The man was about to capture Tian Qingluan; he had already reached out his hand, but then stopped in mid-air.

what?
Is there such a good thing?

It should be noted that a pound of salt from the Yang family's mine can yield at most two ounces of salt.

Two ounces of salt only cost ten coins. If Black Stone Village uses the price of salt to buy salt mines, wouldn't all the hard work of making, transporting, and selling salt be for nothing?

He quickly calculated in his mind: ten coins for a pound of ore, saving labor, drying, and salt extraction time, eliminating the cost of transporting it to the city, shop rent, and wages for the shopkeeper and employees... what a huge profit!

Thinking of this, the bearded man quickly withdrew his outstretched hand, scratched the back of his head, and asked uncertainly, "Qing, Qingluan, are you telling the truth?"

Tian Qingluan's eyes were clear and resolute: "If Uncle Yang doesn't believe me, we can swear an oath in the name of the shaman god, and we'll sign a written agreement right now..."

The bearded man's lips moved, and he secretly swallowed.

Swearing an oath in the name of the shaman, no one in the Miao village dares to disobey.

But even though it was clearly his own village that benefited greatly, why did he always feel that something was wrong?
Never mind, even if the King of Heaven himself came, this would still be an extremely worthwhile deal!

After a while.

Black Stone Village.

Meeting hall.

The tense and murderous atmosphere from before had completely vanished without a trace. To show their sincerity, Black Stone Village released the seven people from White Stone Village who had been detained.

Upon seeing his father and the elders, a young man immediately puffed out his chest and shouted, "Father, elders, you must avenge me! You cannot let them get away with this so easily..."

Upon hearing this, the bearded man kicked the young man hard in the buttocks and said, "You better behave yourself, you have no right to speak here!"

The young man paused for a moment, then obediently shrank back, not daring to say a word.

After scolding his son, Yang Zhentian, the chief of Baishi Village, looked at the contract on the table and exchanged glances with several elders of the village.

Things were going too smoothly, so smoothly that they even felt guilty.

Not only did Black Stone Village release the people unconditionally, but it also bought their salt mines at a high price. This means that in the future, White Stone Village can obtain the same profits as before simply by mining, without having to work hard on salt production and sales.

No, excluding the investment in manpower, vehicles, and shops, their profits are at least three times higher than before!
What's the difference between this and a pie falling from the sky?
The people of Black Stone Village swore an oath in the name of the shaman that they were not being deceived.

"Chief, what are you waiting for? Sign it now!"

"Yes, chieftain, what are you still hesitating about?"

The elders of Baishi Village were already impatient and kept urging him on.

Yang Zhentian couldn't believe what kind of trap this contract could have, so he gritted his teeth and pressed his fingerprint on it.

Including Tian Yunting, the creditor of Black Stone Village, the elders of Black Stone Village, though filled with doubt and unease, forcibly suppressed their suspicions when they saw that calm and collected figure. Over the years, under Qingluan's management, the Tian family's business had flourished; she must have her reasons for doing this.

Tian Qingluan pressed her fingerprint on the contract and said with a smile, "Uncle Yang, I hope we can have a pleasant cooperation in the future."

The people of Baishi Village, who had arrived with great momentum and determined to seek justice, now had an unbelievable and ecstatic expression on their faces.

It's much more relaxed than before, but the profits have increased several times over. Who wouldn't be happy?

Yang Zhentian carefully put away the contract, hiding it close to his body. He then clasped his hands in a fist salute to Tian Yunting and Tian Qingluan, looking as if he had gotten a great deal, and said with a smile, "Great job, Chief Tian. Niece Qingluan, the salt mines of Baishi Village will definitely be delivered on time and in sufficient quantity in the future. We'll take our leave now!"

"Uncle Yang, please take care." Tian Qingluan smiled and returned the greeting with composure.

"Let's go, let's go back to the village!" Yang Zhentian waved his hand and led his son and several elders, who were also overjoyed, out of the council hall.

The young man rubbed his sore buttocks, turned around and glared fiercely at the Black Stone Village crowd, but in the end he didn't dare to say anything more. He was pulled away by his father's large, fan-like hand and staggered out.

Soon, the crowd that had been blocking the entrance to Baishi Village received the news.

Just as Miss Tian said, the Tian family not only released the people unconditionally, but also offered to buy their salt mines at a high price in the future. They really made a fortune this time!
The conflict subsided, and everyone put away their weapons, turning the noisy shouts into cheerful discussions.

Before long, the dark mass of people disappeared like the receding tide at the end of the winding mountain road, leaving behind only a mess and gradually dissipating dust.

Watching the people of Baishi Village leave happily, Tian Yunting, the chief of Heishi Village, and several elders felt quite uncertain.

As soon as the people from Baishi Village left, Tian Yunting dismissed all irrelevant people, closed the council hall doors tightly, and left only a few core clan elders behind.

He looked intently at his most outstanding daughter and asked, "Qingluan, now that there are no outsiders, tell us quickly, what exactly happened? Releasing the people is one thing, but why did you spend such a high price to buy their salt mine?"

Several elders also spoke up, their voices filled with confusion and anxiety.

"The clan chief is right!"

"Yes, Qingluan, this...you have to give us an explanation!"

"If there is no reasonable explanation, even if we agree, I'm afraid the other tribesmen will not."

Despite the doubts raised by her father and the elders, Tian Qingluan remained calm throughout.

Instead of answering directly, she took a small, coarse cloth bag from her bosom and gently placed it on the wooden table in the center of the council chamber.

The crowd gathered around in confusion. Tian Qingluan untied the rope and slowly poured the snow-white, fine-grained powder onto the table.

An elder hesitated, picking up a small amount with an incredulous expression: "This is...refined salt?"

Another elder exclaimed in amazement, "It's refined salt! Such high-quality refined salt! I've lived for decades and this is the first time I've ever seen it!"

Tian Qingluan gestured, "Please, elders, have a taste."

Filled with doubt and curiosity, the elders, including the village chief Tian Yunting, carefully dipped their fingers in the salt and put it in their mouths.

This salt has a pure taste, without any bitterness or off-flavors, and its quality far surpasses any refined salt they have ever tasted!
Tian Yunting suddenly looked up, his eyes flashing with a sharp light, and asked impatiently, "Qingluan, where did this salt come from?"

Tian Qingluan smiled slightly and slowly began to recount the events of the day in detail.

Finally, she picked up the contract for the high-priced acquisition of the salt mine and said with a smile, "Father, elders, our high-priced acquisition of the salt mine in Baishi Village may seem like a loss, but in reality, we have firmly grasped their lifeline. From now on, Baishi Village can only engage in mining, and the salt-making techniques and profits will all belong to my Tian family!"

"With this new salt-making method, we use less water and in less time, yet produce such priceless, top-quality refined salt. Its price is at least ten times that of the original coarse salt. The money from the salt mine in Baishi Village is just a drop in the ocean!"

"Furthermore, freed from the constraint of water resources, we no longer have to clash with Baishi Village every year over that little bit of river water. Giving them a little something is nothing compared to the time and effort saved..."

The council chamber was deathly silent, save for the heavy breathing.

Tian Yunting and the elders looked at the pile of refined salt on the table, then at the contract, and then at the prospects described by Tian Qingluan. Their doubts and unease melted away like ice and snow, replaced by an uncontrollable ecstasy!

An elder with white hair and beard trembled with excitement: "Brilliant, brilliant! Qingluan, with this move, you not only made money off them, but they also have to thank us!"

Another elder, holding the finest salt, exclaimed in a trembling voice, "May our ancestors bless us! Our Tian family is destined for great prosperity!"

(End of this chapter)