Chapter 942
Hongyun City?
Zheng Yi, holding a bowl of hot water, paused for a moment before saying, "I traveled to some chaotic places when I was young."
That's not a lie.
After listening, Xu Laoshuan nodded and didn't ask any more questions.
Xu Ahe sat not far away tidying up wooden crates, seemingly not hearing what was being said, but Zheng Yi knew that she had been listening the whole time.
But she didn't ask either.
Both the old man and the young man had better sense of propriety than the average person.
The wind had died down a bit by the next morning.
Outside the patrol fort, the soldiers had trodden black paths through the snow. People inside the shed gradually got up, busy feeding the livestock, preparing the carts, and wrapping themselves in clothes. The near-danger of the previous night seemed to have been frozen under the snow crust; no one mentioned it again, but they were noticeably more cautious in their words and actions than the day before.
Old Xu got up very early, and went to check on the mules just as dawn was breaking. When he returned, a thin layer of snow had settled on his shoulders, and he was carrying half a bag of coarse feed in his hand.
"Grey Ears was frightened yesterday, so feed him more today." He patted the mule's neck and muttered to himself, "Once we get to town, I'll buy you some good hay too."
Xu Ahe had already retied the wooden crates, tying the ropes tightly and even pressing down the edges of the oilcloth. She was meticulous in her work; although she hadn't slept well last night, she still looked quite efficient this morning, though her eyes were a bit more bruised than yesterday.
When Zheng Yi came out of the shed, she was squatting by the car checking the corner of the box.
As he approached, she stood up and said softly, "Mr. Zheng, did you sleep well last night?"
"Fortunately."
Xu Ahe nodded, hesitated for a moment, and then said, "Yesterday on the way... thank you for not panicking. If you hadn't kept me calm, my father would probably have been even more flustered."
Zheng Yi glanced at her and said calmly, "You yourself didn't mess things up either."
Xu Ahe paused, as if she hadn't expected him to say that.
She then lowered her head and tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, her lips twitching slightly: "I can't panic too. If I panic, my father will be even more disoriented."
Zheng Yi didn't say anything more.
But he knew in his heart that this girl wasn't just being stubborn; she truly understood her position in the family.
After eating some hot water-soaked flatbread, the group continued on their journey.
After that night, the road ahead was indeed much safer. Hoofprints left by the patrol camp could be seen from time to time on the official road, and occasionally groups of merchants would pass by together. Although they were not close to each other, they at least prevented the snowy field from being too deserted and eerie.
Around noon, the group finally saw the outline of the city.
The city was built along a frozen river. The city walls were not high, but they were very thick, and the bricks were bluish in color, making it look like a piece of iron half-buried in the snow from a distance. Three somewhat mottled characters were written on the city gate.
Baihe City.
As soon as Xu Laoshuan saw the city gate, he seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, and his hands moved much more nimbly as he drove the cart.
"We're here, we're here." A genuine smile finally appeared on his face. "If I can sell the needles and thread I brought this time, and the herbs I collected in the south, then this trip won't have been in vain."
Zhou Xiaoliu urged his horse forward from behind, glanced at the city gate, and whispered, "Master, further north from here, there are fewer ordinary merchants. After passing Baihe City, the trade routes begin to disperse, and many roads lead into the mountains and the edge of the ice plains."
Zheng Yi nodded.
He knew that this stretch of road was still considered part of the mortal realm. The true territory for cultivators, independent practitioners, remnants of sects, and demonic beasts lay further north.
But for now, he followed the Xu family father and daughter into the city.
……
Baihe City was much quieter than Anping County.
The streets weren't wide, and there weren't many people, but the shops were quite complete. Sellers of furs, salt and iron, coarse medicines, and mountain goods were all set up on these main streets. The weather in the north was bitterly cold, and the expressions of the city dwellers were mostly hardened, unlike the leisurely atmosphere of people watching the excitement that was common in Anping County.
This was clearly not the first time Xu Laoshuan had come here.
As soon as he entered the city, he drove the car towards West Street as if he knew the way well, saying as he drove, "There is a shop called 'Houping Wharf Shop' over here, which specializes in buying small goods from small merchants like us. The prices are not the highest, but they were still acceptable in previous years."
Xu Ahe frowned slightly: "The shopkeeper tried to lower the price once last year."
“I’m keeping track of it too,” Xu Laoshuan sighed. “But other companies are even more shady. We don’t have enough goods, so we can’t get into those big banks at all.”
Zheng Yi sat in the car without saying a word.
At the end of West Street, the "Houping Wharf Shop" had a small storefront with a worn-out signboard hanging outside, but the threshold was quite high. Inside sat a plump manager in his forties, wearing a dark blue cotton robe, twirling two shiny walnuts in his hands; he was clearly not someone to be trifled with.
As soon as Xu Laoshuan entered, he greeted him with a smile, "Manager Liu, I've come again."
The portly shopkeeper looked up, a smirk playing on his lips: "Oh, Old Xu. You've got some nerve, daring to travel even in yesterday's snow."
"Just trying to make a living," Xu Laoshuan said, rubbing his hands together. "I brought some good stuff this time: new needles and thread from the south, and two boxes of very clean dried hemostatic herbs. Could you take a look at them?"
Manager Liu lazily got up, strolled over to the car with a shop assistant, and casually rummaged through a few packages of goods.
He wasn't flipping through it carefully, but his eyes had already lowered their gaze.
"The needlework is so-so. The herbs are just so-so too." He patted the crumbs off his hands, his tone nonchalant. "There's a lot of stuff in the city lately, so it's not worth much. I'll give you forty taels for these, consider it a favor to a regular customer."
Xu Laoshuan's expression changed immediately.
"Manager Liu, the goods I brought on this trip cost more than forty taels of silver."
"That's your capital, what does it have to do with me?" Manager Liu glanced at him. "You can take it to another store to sell. See who's willing to buy it."
The shop assistant next to him immediately chimed in, "There are plenty of small vendors coming from outside lately. If you don't sell, there are plenty of people waiting in line."
Xu Ahe stood by the cart, her face gradually turning cold: "Manager Liu, when we came last year, you charged twenty-eight taels just for this batch of hemostatic herbs. This year the snow is even heavier, and the soldiers and hunters in the north are short of this stuff, so why is it even less valuable now?"
Manager Liu glanced at her and smiled slyly, "Oh, so the Xu family girl can do this kind of accounting?"
“I can do math.” Xu Ahe stared at him. “So please don’t treat us like we can’t count.”
Upon hearing this, the fat shopkeeper's face darkened slightly.
"Are you selling or not?" He flicked his sleeves. "If you're not selling, move the car. Don't block my storefront."
Xu Laoshuan's lips moved, his face turning red and then white.
It wasn't easy for him to travel this far. When he encountered this kind of price suppression, the most painful thing wasn't losing money, but knowing that he was being bullied and not necessarily having any other options.
Xu Ahe also clenched her sleeves tightly.
She probably knew better than her father that the fat shopkeeper dared to pressure them because he knew they had few goods and few people. But as she had said before, their small business couldn't get into the big shops, and if they went to other shops, they would probably end up in the same situation.
Just then, Zheng Yi slowly walked out from behind the car.
He was dressed as usual today, but his unhurried demeanor was quite different from the merchants around him who were busy haggling over prices.
Manager Liu sized him up, frowned, and asked, "And who are you?"
Zheng Yi didn't answer. He walked to the car, picked up a clump of hemostatic herbs, and looked down at them.
The grass was bluish-white, with intact leaves, and although it was dried well, it wasn't brittle, indicating that the drying time was just right and the storage was meticulous. Looking at the several bundles of needles and thread nearby, the threads were evenly spaced, and the stitches were fine—definitely not inferior goods. After examining them, he turned to Xu Ahe and asked, "How much would these goods cost in previous years?"
Xu Ahe didn't hesitate: "At least sixty-five taels. If we need the hemostatic herb urgently, it can reach seventy taels."
Manager Liu scoffed, "You say sixty-five and it's sixty-five? Young lady, you're quite the schemer."
Zheng Yi then looked at him and said in a flat tone, "She's right. You've pushed the price too low."
Manager Liu's face darkened: "A business deal is a matter of mutual consent. What price I offer is none of your business."
"It's not my place to interfere," Zheng Yi nodded, "but it's okay for others to know."
Manager Liu was taken aback: "What do you mean?"
Zheng Yi looked up and glanced at the people coming and going at the entrance of Houping Wharf.
This place is right on the street, and if there are cars parked here and people argue, it's easy for them to attract attention.
His voice wasn't loud, but it was clear enough: "On West Street in Baihe City, at the Houping Wharf, they buy hemostatic herbs from small merchants in Donglu at 60-70% of the market price; they buy needles and thread from the south, but they don't even let people recoup their costs. Today, they dare to drive this cartload of goods for forty taels. If others find out, do you think they're good at business, or do they think you're too greedy?"
The few people who were passing by the entrance had subconsciously slowed down.
Manager Liu's expression changed slightly, then he sneered: "Who are you trying to scare? Everyone on this street knows that my business has always been fair."
“Fair?” Zheng Yi glanced at the goods on the cart. “Then why don’t we ask the two neighboring families to take a look as well? If they both say the goods are only worth forty taels, then I’ll accept it on behalf of the Xu family. If not, you can buy them at the fair price in public, how about that?”
Upon hearing this, Xu Laoshuan was startled and tried to stop him.
This approach is tantamount to tearing off a mask.
But before he could even speak, the onlookers at the door stopped.
"Hey, isn't this Old Xu?"
"Is Houping Wharf again trying to lower prices?"
"Hemostatic herbs are in high demand this year, surely you can't only give us forty taels?"
Manager Liu's temple twitched.
He dared to bully the Xu family father and daughter because they were few in number, had little goods, and had no backing. But he didn't want to make a big fuss. Because in this line of work, the most important thing isn't how much you earn from a single deal, but rather that your reputation isn't ruined too much.
Just as his expression shifted between light and dark, the shopkeeper from the neighboring fur trading company actually poked his head out and asked with a smile, "Fatty Liu, what kind of goods are these? Why are they so crushed?"
Zheng Yi continued, "The needles, thread, and hemostatic herbs brought by the Xu family father and daughter on Donglu. Manager Liu offered forty taels, saying it was to take care of a regular customer."
The young shopkeeper, who had only come to join the fun, was genuinely taken aback after hearing the story: "Forty taels? That's far too low. Those two boxes of hemostatic herbs alone would have cost more than that this year."
The crowd of onlookers immediately buzzed with excitement.
Manager Liu was completely humiliated.
He glared at Zheng Yi and said with a forced smile, "You certainly know how to stand up for others."
Zheng Yi said calmly, "I'm not standing up for others, I'm saving you some face. If you push the price too hard, people will understand, they just might not retaliate on the spot. But if everyone understands, how will you maintain your reputation in the future?"
After hearing this, Manager Liu found it difficult to continue his argument.
Because if you keep pushing back, you're admitting that you're truly under immense pressure.
He stood there, fiddling with the walnuts in his hand, and after a long while, he gritted his teeth and said, "Fine. For the sake of my old customer, I won't let outsiders say I'm not following the rules. Sixty taels."
Xu Ahe immediately replied, "Sixty-five taels."
Manager Liu glared at her: "Don't push your luck."
Xu Ahe was no longer afraid at this moment, and said in a steady tone: "This is not the first time we have traveled this road, nor are we ignorant about goods. If you really want to be fair, sixty-five taels is not too high."
Zheng Yi stood aside without saying anything more.
But even though the other person was standing there, Manager Liu felt a little uneasy for some reason.
In the end, he waved his hand with a dark face: "Sixty-five it is! Bring the goods in, cash on delivery!"
When Xu Laoshuan heard the words "cash settlement", he was almost stunned.
It wasn't until the shop assistant reluctantly came over to move the boxes that he suddenly snapped out of his daze, hurriedly offering his help, responding with "hey, hey," his face a mixture of surprise and delight that he couldn't suppress.
Xu Ahe also visibly breathed a sigh of relief, but unlike her father, she didn't show it on her face. Instead, she quickly started counting the boxes and keeping track of the numbers, fearing that the other party might try to cheat again.
Before long, the money was indeed paid.
The gleaming silver ingots fell into the wooden tray, making a crisp sound.
Old Xu held the plate of silver, his hands trembling.
He braved the winter roads, the wind and snow, and the fear of bandits, all for this moment.
After leaving Houping Wharf and reaching a quiet corner, Xu Laoshuan finally couldn't help but bow deeply to Zheng Yi.
"Uncle Zheng, I'm going too... I really don't know what to say. If it weren't for you, this truckload of goods would probably have been ripped off today."
Zheng Yi reached out and helped him up: "It was no trouble at all."
"It was just a small favor for you, and it was also a big help for my daughter and me." Old Xu's eyes were slightly red. "You really helped me earn back the money I worked so hard for."
Xu Ahe stood to the side and also bowed her head solemnly.
Unlike her father, who wore his emotions on his sleeve, she clearly showed an overwhelming gratitude in her eyes.
"Mr. Zheng," she said softly, "thank you."
Zheng Yi looked at the father and daughter, remained silent for a moment, and then suddenly said, "You shouldn't keep running this business like this."
Xu Laoshuan was taken aback: "Huh?"
“The northern route is getting more and more dangerous,” Zheng Yi said. “This time there are government troops, but there may not be next time. You are getting old, and she is a young woman. No matter how clear-headed she is, she can’t protect herself from a knife on the way.”
Xu Laoshuan's expression immediately darkened.
He wasn't unaware of this principle, but as long as he understood it, he had no other way to survive at the moment.
Zheng Yi looked at Xu Ahe: "You can keep accounts, count goods, and know the market. You are better than many accounting apprentices in shops."
Xu Ahe paused for a moment, then subconsciously said, "My only skill is keeping small accounts at home..."
“That’s enough,” Zheng Yi interrupted her. “Starting with small accounts is better than continuing to run the winter roads.”
Old Xu smiled bitterly: "Master Zheng, I'd love to go too. But this kind of work isn't something you can just find. In Baihe City, those with connections don't even look down on me, an outsider, and those without connections might not trust a girl like Ahe."
Zheng Yi nodded, then said, "Then let's go back to Hongyun City and take a look."
"Hongyun City?" Both father and daughter were stunned. (End of Chapter)