Chapter 969
Didn't Mess Up
"Is Beining City really that big?" one of the boys asked.
“It’s bigger than you think.” Chi Ya lowered his voice, trying to sound mature. “It’s a street; it would take half a day to walk from one end to the other.”
The two boys gasped at the same time.
Bone Granny walked over from behind and patted Red Tooth on the back of the head.
"Don't brag. You crawled down a street in half a day?"
Chiya shrank back and gave an embarrassed laugh.
Several members of the Hanling tribe nearby couldn't help but burst out laughing.
Helian, mounted on his horse, watched all this with a blank expression. But his gaze lingered on Zheng Yi for a long time, as if he were re-evaluating the young man.
Wu Chen rode at the head of the group, a newly replaced iron dagger at his waist and a bow on his back. His position had originally belonged to Zheng Yi—Zheng Yi had walked at the very front during the last trip to Beining City. This time, Zheng Yi had voluntarily moved to the middle of the group, giving Wu Chen the front position.
"You go first," Zheng Yi said at the time.
"why?"
"Because this time you're dealing with furs. From the moment you leave the North, you have to see yourself as one of the leaders of this group. It's different when the merchants see that you led the group in, than when you're hidden in the middle of the group and led in by someone else."
Wu Chen did not refuse.
He knew Zheng Yi was right.
The road from Beidi to Beining City was the same distance as last time, but this time the journey was smoother.
It's not because the road is easier to travel, but because everyone knows where this road leads.
The pack animals' hooves pounded the frozen ground with a dull thud. The people in the caravan were mostly silent, but their steps were steady. No one complained about the long journey, no one grumbled about the cold. Everyone knew in their hearts that the hides, bones, sinews, and grass carried on the pack animals would transform into cloth, iron, salt, and spices once they reached Beining City—things they had only ever dreamed of.
Chi Ya spent the entire journey telling the two Han Ling tribe boys about his experiences in Bei Ning City. He talked about the flatbread he ate dipped in meat gravy, the colorful fabrics, the two guards at the entrance of Sheng He Grand Hall who were dressed more neatly than anyone else in the tribe, and the "neither smiling nor fierce" expression on Steward Lu's face when he spoke.
He didn't speak very well, jumping from one topic to another, but the two boys listened intently without blinking.
"That Steward Lu, is he really not smiling?" a young man asked.
"I really don't smile."
"So he was mean to you?"
“It’s not that he’s bad.” Chiya thought for a moment. “He’s just that kind of person… you wouldn’t dare to say anything out of line in front of him.”
The two boys exchanged a glance, their expressions a mixture of nervousness and anticipation.
On the third day, the group saw the outline of Beining City in the distance.
The stone walls were high and wide, resembling a colossal beast lying on the ground in the twilight. The lights at the city gate had already been lit, twinkling like scattered gold dust from the sky.
Many people in the group were seeing the city for the first time, and their pace slowed noticeably.
The old herbalist from the Hanling tribe stopped, squinted at him for a long time, and whispered something in the northern dialect. Zheng Yi didn't understand, but judging from his expression, he probably meant, "So this is the city."
Chi Ya stood next to the two boys, puffed out his chest, and said in a tone of someone who had been there before, "See that? That's Beining City."
The two boys nodded frantically, their mouths agape, forgetting to close them.
Wu Chen rode at the very front of the group and glanced back at Zheng Yi.
Zheng Yi nodded at him.
Wu Chen took a deep breath, turned his head, and spurred his horse forward.
The border guard at the city gate had changed; it wasn't the same Zhou clerk from last time, but the procedure was similar. Seals, manifests, identities, and numbers were all checked one by one. Wu Chen dismounted, handed over the pre-prepared manifest, and spoke in a voice two decibels louder than usual, as if deliberately trying to appear more confident.
The border official flipped through the shipping manifest and glanced up at him.
"From the North?"
"Yes."
"There's a good amount of goods."
"Three parts."
The clerk glanced at the numbers on the delivery slip again, said nothing more, waved his hand, and let them pass.
Wu Chen mounted his horse, his palms sweating profusely.
But he didn't look back. He rode all the way into the city gate before quietly wiping his hands dry on his sleeve.
The first thing to do after entering the city is not to find a shop or a trade, but to find someone.
Look for He Liang.
This was something Zheng Yi had planned before setting off. He Liang had been a great help last time, and this time the goods were more numerous and varied, requiring someone familiar with the market in Beining City to mediate. Moreover, He Liang had left a message before he left—next time, send a message in advance, and he would meet you at the city gate.
The letter was sent by fast horse three days in advance, so He Liang should have received it by now.
Sure enough, He Liang arrived just as the team unloaded their pack animals at the outer cargo yard.
He was dressed more presentably than last time, wearing a dark blue cotton robe with a cloth belt around his waist, and his hair was neatly combed. But the most obvious change was not in his clothes, but in his attitude—last time he came to "see if he could make a quick buck"; this time he came to "see how to make a big profit."
"Young Master Zheng!" He Liang greeted him from afar with a cupped hand, "You've finally arrived."
Zheng Yi went to greet him, and after exchanging a few pleasantries, He Liang's gaze couldn't help but drift towards the pack caravan.
He saw the rows of neatly stacked cargo packages, the pack animals that numbered more than twice as many as last time, and the team of fifty-two people from the three units combined.
He Liang's eyelid twitched.
"Young Master Zheng, you...you've brought the entire North here?"
"It's still early." Zheng Yi smiled. "Only three departments, but there are more than three in the North."
He Liang swallowed hard and didn't ask any more questions.
He led Zheng Yi and Wu Chen to an inn and settled most of the people in first.
The inn wasn't big, but it was clean and reasonably priced. The owner was a woman in her forties surnamed Sun. She was initially startled by the large number of people who rushed in, but then she felt relieved when she saw He Liang beside her.
"I trust the people introduced by Steward He," Boss Sun said with a smile, while urging his staff to boil water and make the beds.
The old woman was placed in the innermost room, which was quiet and close to the kitchen, making it convenient for her to get hot water. The old woman didn't say anything, but she glanced at Zheng Yi before entering the room, her eyes seeming to say, "You do know how to think of me."
Chiya and the two Hanling tribe boys squeezed into a large communal bed. As soon as the three of them entered, they jumped onto the bed and rolled around on the hard bed board, as excited as three puppies just out of their den.
"Is this the bed?" a boy asked.
"What else is this but a bed?" Red Fang retorted.
"It's harder than the leather rugs we sleep on in the tribe."
"It's tough, but it's clean. Do you know what's on top of this?"
"what?"
"Cotton cloth. Washed."
The two boys gasped again.
Wuchen did not stay at the inn.
He followed Zheng Yi and He Liang to the cargo yard, personally overseeing the unloading of the cargo from the pack animals, stacking it neatly, and covering it with moisture-proof tarpaulins. The three departments took turns on duty, and Zheng Yi arranged the shifts, ensuring that no one was left unattended at night.
After everything was settled, it was already late at night.
He Liang hadn't left yet; he was sitting on a stone bench by the freight yard, talking to Zheng Yi over an oil lamp.
“I’ve already given word to Shenghe. Deacon Lu said that if the quality of this batch of goods isn’t bad, the trial route can continue,” He Liang said. “But Shenghe agreed to your suggestion to dismantle the route last time – the leather goods are the leather goods, you can arrange the rest yourselves.”
"Where is the medicine bone shop?"
"We also sent a message. They heard that you brought more Cold Bones and several kinds of newly dried Cold Herbs this time, and they are quite interested. However, they didn't give a firm price; they want to see the goods first."
"Wanping Wharf?"
He Liang hesitated for a moment, then said, "Wanping's side... has a new manager. I'm not very familiar with the new person, but I can go and find out what's going on first." Zheng Yi nodded and mentally reviewed the information.
He Liang glanced at him, then at Wu Chen who was inspecting the cargo packages not far away, and asked in a low voice, "Young Master Zheng, why didn't you go ahead yourself this time?"
Zheng Yi followed his gaze and smiled.
"I can't always be ahead."
He Liang paused for a moment, then understood what was going on, and didn't ask any more questions.
The next morning, Zheng Yi took Wu Chen to Shenghe.
It was still that inner room, not facing the street, still that grand master chair, still Manager Meng.
This time, however, Zheng Yi did not sit in the main negotiating seat.
After entering, he bowed to Manager Meng, then stepped aside to let Wu Chen go first.
Wu Chen paused for a moment, but he didn't turn around to look at Zheng Yi.
He remembered what Zheng Yi had said—once you enter this door, you are one of the people in charge.
Manager Meng raised an eyebrow slightly as he watched this scene, but said nothing.
Deacon Lu stood to the side, his gaze sweeping between Zheng Yi and Wu Chen, as if he understood something as well.
"Sit down," said Manager Meng.
The two sat down. A servant came up and poured tea.
Manager Meng picked up his teacup, blew away the foam, and looked at Wu Chen.
"You're here to talk this time?"
"Yes." Wu Chen's voice was deeper than usual, as if he had deliberately lowered it. "I will discuss the fur trade with Sheng He."
Manager Meng took a sip of tea and slowly put down the bowl.
What's your name?
“Black and dark.”
"I've seen you before."
"Yes."
"Then you should know Shenghe's rules." Manager Meng's tone was indifferent, making it impossible to tell whether he was satisfied or not. "We buy furs, but the quality must be good. The last batch was good, how about this one?"
Wu Chen took out a piece of paper from his pocket and spread it on the table.
There were several lines and numbers drawn on the paper; it was a packing list that Zheng Yi had prepared for him before he left. The handwriting was crooked, but the type, quantity, and processing status of each item were clearly written.
“This time, all three shipments are going out together, totaling thirty-seven whole hides.” Wu Chen pointed to the numbers on the paper and said one by one, “Nineteen wolf hides, twelve ice horn sheepskins, and six tundra deer hides. Eleven of the wolf hides are top-grade, with clean cuts and no tears; five are medium-grade, with one or two minor scratches but not affecting the overall appearance; and three are low-grade, which will be shipped via the scattered route over Wanping.”
He paused, then added, "Each hide was treated according to the method the master craftsman taught us last time. It's tanned more thoroughly, and the bloodstains are removed more completely."
Manager Meng didn't look at the paper; instead, he looked into Wu Chen's eyes.
After a few moments, he turned and glanced at Zheng Yi.
Zheng Yi sat quietly to the side, holding his teacup, without interrupting.
Manager Meng withdrew his gaze and said to Wu Chen, "I want to see the goods. This afternoon, the master craftsman will personally inspect them."
"Row."
"And the price?" Manager Meng asked. "Do you know the price?"
Wu Chen paused for a moment, then said a number.
This figure was one he had calculated repeatedly on the way. It was half a percent higher than the average price Shenghe paid for furs last time, but ten percent higher than the bottom line he had drawn in his mind—he deliberately quoted a higher price to leave room for negotiation.
This is what Zheng Yi taught him: start by stating a high price, then wait for people to come and negotiate. If you reveal your bottom line from the beginning, people will feel that you still have room to maneuver and will try to lower the price further.
When Manager Meng heard the number, his expression didn't change, but he tapped his fingers lightly twice on the armrest of his chair.
"Too high."
"How much higher?" Wu Chen asked.
Manager Meng did not answer directly, but instead gave a number.
It was more than half a percent lower than Wuchen's price.
Wu Chen quickly did the math in his head. This number was slightly higher than his bottom line, and the fact that Sheng He hadn't pushed the price down too much meant that the quality of the furs was indeed recognized.
But he did not agree immediately.
He recalled something Zheng Yi had once said: "Don't let people think you're too easy to talk to. Even if you've already agreed in your heart, make the other party wait a bit."
Wu Chen picked up his teacup and took a sip of tea.
The tea was a bit bitter, which he wasn't used to, but he drank it slowly, as if he was thinking about something.
Manager Meng watched him drink tea without urging him to hurry.
After a few moments, Wu Chen put down his teacup and said something that surprised everyone present.
"The price is as you say. But I have one condition."
Manager Meng narrowed his eyes slightly.
"explain."
"For the next batch of goods, Shenghe needs to tell us in advance what kind of hides we need most and what goods we need most urgently," Wu Chen said. "So we can prepare in advance. That way, you won't have to worry about not receiving the goods, and we won't have to worry about preparing the wrong goods."
The inner hall was quiet for a moment.
Deacon Lu's expression changed visibly—he hadn't expected this seemingly rugged northern man to say such a thing.
This isn't just about negotiating a price; it's about discussing "cooperation."
Manager Meng remained silent for a few moments, then suddenly smiled.
The smile was very faint, almost imperceptible, but it was definitely a smile.
This was the first time Zheng Yi had seen Manager Meng smile during their two meetings.
“Okay,” said Manager Meng.
Wu Chen clenched his fist on his knee for a moment, then let go.
After the conversation was over and they left Shenghe Gate, Wu Chen let out a long sigh of relief and leaned against the wall by the roadside as if his body had fallen apart.
“My hands were shaking when I was drinking tea just now,” he said.
Zheng Yi smiled and said, "I didn't realize that."
The water in the bowl is sloshing.
"Manager Meng is too far away to see clearly."
Wu Chen closed his eyes briefly, and when he opened them again, his eyes were a little red.
It's not that I want to cry, it's that I'm too tense.
Zheng Yi patted him on the shoulder.
"You talk better than I do."
Wu Chen shook his head and remained silent.
He knew he hadn't negotiated as well as Zheng Yi, but at least—he hadn't messed things up.
Over the next few days, Zheng Yi divided the team into several groups, taking them out in shifts to visit the market, inspect goods, and learn the rules. (End of Chapter)