Gao Wu: My martial arts training relies solely on hard work

Chapter 4 Market
Zhao Xuan put the prey into a sack, prepared two jugs of water, and did not forget to bring a hatchet, bow and arrow for self-defense.

The world is not peaceful, and bandits appear from time to time.

Most of those birdmen are nearby mountain people. They don't dare to rob the rich, but they are very good at bullying the poor.

When they encounter someone who is alone, they often swarm them and snatch them all away, even their clothes and shoes.

Villagers who have suffered losses usually gather their friends to go to the market together, setting out at dawn to look after each other.

Zhao Xuan set out alone, watching all directions and listening in all directions, and was extremely vigilant.

He doesn't want to make wedding clothes for others.

Not far away, he bumped into his elder brother.

When Zhao Da saw his younger brother dressed like this, he stopped him and asked with a straight face: "If you don't go find work, where are you going to fool around?"

Zhao Xuan ignored him.

Unexpectedly, Zhao Da got excited: "If you have nothing to do, come and help me. It will save you a day of idleness and embarrass me."

"Give me money?"

Zhao Da looked at him in disbelief: "You are my biological brother, let me do some work, and you ask me for money?"

Zhao Xuan glanced at Zhao Da, are you serious?

When the family was separated, he bullied his younger brother to death because of his age and strength.

After separation, do you still want to call someone for free?
Zhao Xuan was in a hurry to go to the market and was too lazy to argue with him. He said with a smile: "It's okay if you don't give me money. The rice vat at home is bottomed out. How about you lend me fifty kilograms of rice?"

"I'll move the rice first, and then I'll do the work."

As soon as he heard about borrowing rice, Zhao Da immediately transformed into a Sichuan opera actor, his face changed, and he waved his hand and said: "Brother's rice vat doesn't have any rice, so go ahead and fool around, I don't care about you."

Zhao Xuan smiled slightly, as expected, borrowing money is the ultimate method of family affection.

Saying goodbye to Zhao Da, we climbed over seven or eight mountains and finally arrived at Shangtang.

Shangtangji is not a big place. Apart from the three-story building with its own gate and courtyard, there are seven or eight low-rise buildings on both sides of the official road.

There are tailor shops, grain stores, butcher shops, blacksmith shops and carriage shops, covering three aspects of clothing, food and clothing.

In addition, both sides of the official road are filled with various stalls selling agricultural products, handicrafts and snacks.

Hundreds of people were walking through it, either selling goods or picking out what they wanted.

Zhao Xuan first went to the grain store to look at the prices of various grains.

Coarse grains such as corn and sorghum cost one penny, two pounds and two taels.

Rice, a fine grain, costs three cents per pound.

After the autumn harvest, the price of food dropped slightly.

Go to the butcher shop again.

The cheapest pork costs five cents per catty, and chicken is sold whole for five cents per catty, and cut into pieces for six cents and five cents per catty.

The most expensive item is mutton, which costs [-] mun for the meat and [-] mun for the head.

After finding out the market conditions, Zhao Xuan suddenly had an idea.

He found an open space, lined up the turtle doves and pheasants, and shouted at the top of his lungs: "Just hunted game, which nourishes the kidneys and strengthens the yang. The quantity is small, first come, first served."

As soon as he shouted, someone gathered around him.

A middle-aged man in a round-neck robe asked: "How do you sell this game?"

Zhao Xuan replied: "A turtle dove costs six cents, and a pheasant costs twelve cents."

The price is similar to that of chicken from a butcher shop, but game is more delicious than domestic chicken, so in theory it is more expensive.

An aunt shouted: "Is it so expensive?"

Zhao Xuan ignored her. He had no money to eat, so he had to eat whole grains.

The man in round-neck robe hesitated for a moment: "Is it really effective?"

Zhao Xuan said solemnly: "Look at what you said, if it doesn't work, do I dare to talk nonsense?"

The man in the round-collared robe hesitated for a moment and pointed to the two fattest turtle doves: "Wrap these two and the pheasant, I want them."

Zhao Xuan tied his feet with hay, tied a knot in it and handed it to the other party. He smiled and said, "It's a small business and we don't have oil paper. Please bear with me."

The man hurriedly took it, counted 24 coins, threw it to Zhao Xuan, and left in a hurry.

Zhao Xuan carefully took it into his arms and smiled happily.

Save some food, I have enough rations for a month.

The aunt who called you Gui hesitated for a moment, then gritted her teeth and picked a big one.

Some of the onlookers thought it was expensive, so they turned around and left after asking the price.

Zhao Xuan did not panic at all and continued to sell.I don’t know whether it’s because wild game is too popular, or because the advertising is good.

In less than 10 minutes, all the game was sold out, making a net profit of 54 copper coins.

As soon as Zhao Xuan finished closing the stall, a arrogant young man came to him and pretended to be fierce: "New here? Have you paid the protection fee?"

Ruffians are really magical creatures, and these people are indispensable everywhere.

Zhao Xuan held the hatchet and looked at the other party coldly.

When the young man saw this, he sneered: "There are officers and soldiers at the inn, how dare you take action?"

After speaking, he brought his head closer and said, "Come on, chop here."

Zhao Xuan thought for a moment, turned around and left.

"Want to run?"

The young man was anxious and grabbed it with his hands, but Zhao Xuan, who had enhanced perception, sidestepped and hurried away.

The young man immediately cursed and ran after him.

Cowardly mountain people, he will definitely eat it.

Zhao Xuan turned around and came to the grain store. He saw the gangster coming in and said to the waiter: "Bring me twenty copper coins of rice."

When the young man saw him stop, he became angry, pushed him hard, and said harshly: "Run, why don't you run?"

Zhao Xuan staggered and shouted loudly: "Shopkeeper, someone is making trouble in your store."

The clerk who had just picked up the bag and was about to weigh the grain heard the sound and became furious: "Wang Mazi, you have the courage to make trouble in our store?"

"Boys, beat him up."

Who doesn't know that "Li Ji Liang Store" is the property of Mr. Li, the Yi Cheng?
In the entire Shangtangji, who dares to touch Mr. Li's job? We're tired of living, aren't we?
The gangster known as Wang Mazi suddenly became anxious and quickly defended: "I'm not, I didn't."

The guys obviously knew Wang Mazi and what kind of person he was, and they didn't listen to his explanation at all.

It just so happened that the store was not busy at the moment, and a few big and thick guys surrounded him and punched and kicked Wang Mazi.

Wang Mazi glanced at Zhao Xuan with a face filled with resentment and ran away.

Zhao Xuan smiled slightly. If the grain store couldn't solve the problem, he would go to the butcher shop.

He just said, you can't even deal with the local ruffians, how dare you open a grain store?

It's closed early.

After buying rice, Zhao Xuan went to buy salt and other daily necessities.

Wander around and come to the blacksmith shop.

The blacksmith shop not only sells farm tools such as iron pots, hoes, and sickles, but also weapons such as hunting bows and spears.

When Zhao Xuan went there, there were four or five people working there, and one person was lying on a recliner to rest. He knew he was the boss at a glance.

"Boss, how do you sell hunting bows?"

The boss looked up at Zhao Xuan, then lay down again: "Don't ask, you can't afford it."

Zhao Xuan was speechless as soon as he opened his mouth.

He refused to give up and said: "Boss, you can't say that, what if you can afford it."

The boss sneered: "The cheapest stone bow, with ox horn as the bow and ox tendon as the string, one tael of silver a handful, and three iron arrows as a gift. Do you want it?"

Zhao Xuan was silent.

In the currency system of the Jin Dynasty, one tael of silver was equal to one thousand copper coins, which could buy more than 1000 kilograms of rice, enough to feed a family of three for a year.

He really can't afford it.

"Excuse me, farewell."

After leaving the blacksmith shop, Zhao Xuan felt melancholy.

Without a good bow, no matter how good your archery skills are, you will not be able to catch valuable prey.

Without valuable prey, you can't live a good life.

When can we get out of this vicious cycle in low mountain villages?

Wait, hunting bows are also made by people. If you can’t afford a high-quality one, why not make one yourself?

Bows are easy to find, they can be found on hardwood mountains, and you will find a suitable bow if you cut a few more.

What's bad is the strings.

With his goal in mind, Zhao Xuan began to visit the market to find materials that could be used to make strings.

After wandering around, I went to a tailor shop and spent a huge sum of ten coppers to buy a two-meter-long cowhide band.

(End of this chapter)