novelraw Chapter 66: I Can Also Change My Surname to Zhao
Chapter 66: I Can Also Change My Surname to Zhao
As winter arrived, the northbound merchant caravans set out on their return journey. Thousands upon hundreds of wandering merchants like Liu Da dispersed from the massive caravans, carrying the money they had earned in the Border Wilds back to their hometowns.
Every time migratory birds flew south and river fish swam upstream, it was a good opportunity for wild beasts to supplement their meals.
These bipedal human-shaped fat sheep would likewise attract the covetous eyes of mountain bandits.
Every year at the onset of winter, the mountain bandits would also pour out in full force and descend the mountains to raid.
Ordinary households had nothing worth taking, at most some grain and fodder to plunder. Small traders like Liu Da, who carried money but had no real fighting ability, were the most suitable targets in the bandits' eyes. However, this year, a much larger fat sheep had exposed its completely unguarded rear end here at Blue Stone Platform.
That was the Zhao family, now leaderless.
"Year's end is hard to get through..."
The old shopkeeper sat on the kang, his face clouded with worry, sighing repeatedly.
Li Qiuchen had been away for many days. His explanation to Liu Po was that he had made a trip back to the mountains.
Since he had originally said he was finding a foothold in town, Liu Po had no suspicions.Country folk might not think so much into things, but Li Qiuchen always acted cautiously.
If you were going to maintain a cover identity, you had to maintain it thoroughly. Being careful in all things meant no major mistakes.
Since he'd supposedly returned to the mountains, bringing back some mountain goods would appear perfectly natural.
The medicinal herbs in his possession could finally be taken to the old shopkeeper's place openly to exchange for money.
Of course, he couldn't exchange too many. Getting about a hundred taels of silver for daily expenses was sufficient.
Coming to the old shopkeeper's place, he discovered the shop was closed. The old shopkeeper was hiding in the inner room on the kang, quietly smoking his pipe.
"The mountain bandits around here... they don't amount to much, do they?"
Li Qiuchen had heard passersby chat about it. There weren't many bandits within Yun County. They were basically all small-time gangs, hiding in mountain gullies not daring to show their faces. When they came out to pull a job, they ran faster than rats. At least in recent years there hadn't been any particularly notorious large bandit gang.
"Even if the bandits don't amount to much, Blue Stone Platform here is completely unguarded."
The old shopkeeper sighed, "Forget mountain bandits. Even now, just three or five scoundrels with covered faces could pull off a job in Blue Stone Platform."
While speaking, he also sized up Li Qiuchen with a subtle expression.
"What do you mean, taking me for a scoundrel?"
Li Qiuchen couldn't help rolling his eyes.
Actually, he knew the old shopkeeper's worries were reasonable.
The difference between mountain guests and bandits wasn't very obvious in outsiders' eyes.
In fact, it wasn't very clear even in reality.
Some gangs disbanded. The scattered bandits with no farming skills went to become mountain guests.
Some mountain guests, tempted by wealth and driven to murder, had nowhere to go when hunted by the authorities and went up the mountain to join bandit gangs.
A half-grown child like Li Qiuchen, daring to wander alone into town. Who knew whether you genuinely came to do business, or whether you came as someone's spy to scout the place?
In others' eyes, the latter was more likely.
"I originally had a valuable item I wanted to ask you to appraise. Seeing your mood, I figured you probably can't take it in right now. Let's talk about it another time then."
Li Qiuchen made a gesture as if to leave. The old shopkeeper's eyes lit up and he reached out to stop him.
"Don't go! Look at you, child. Who taught you that hothead temper of yours, igniting at the first spark? Bring out whatever valuable item you have and let me look. I won't shortchange you, will I?"
Li Qiuchen grinned and pulled out a herb wrapped in burlap from his robe.
They were all aged, quality medicinal materials used for toughening muscles and bones, the same as that hundred-year chuanshanlong from last time.
The old shopkeeper took a brief look and nodded, "You really do know your trade, boy. Ordinary people can't gather these things together. I'll give you a round number directly: one hundred taels takes the lot."
"One hundred fifty taels."
"Why don't you just rob the place?"
The old shopkeeper choked on a mouthful of smoke, pointing at the wardrobe behind him, "The money box is right behind you. Just rob it all directly. Stop joking around with this old man!"
Li Qiuchen pulled another item wrapped in red cloth from his robe and placed it on the table, smiling playfully, "Just tell me whether you'll take it for one hundred fifty taels."
The old shopkeeper reached out to lift the cloth and was stopped by Li Qiuchen's raised hand.
Gritting his teeth in anger, he said, "One hundred fifty it is. Now let me see it!"
"I was joking with you. Look, you actually got serious about it. They say in business you quote the sky high and settle low. How come you didn't even try to bargain?"
Li Qiuchen smirked and lifted the red cloth, revealing a complete ginseng root inside, about two chi in length, roots, and leaves all intact.
Ginseng wasn't actually rare in the mountains, but aged ones weren't plentiful. Especially those hundred-year-old ginseng that could fetch a good price. For just this one thing, who knows how many lives were lost every year. However, the matter of age was truly no problem at all for Li Qiuchen.
The old shopkeeper's eyes went straight.
What Li Qiuchen had brought out before naturally wasn't worth one hundred fifty taels, but if he hadn't agreed to the price, he probably wouldn't have seen this valuable item. Having done business for so many years, he naturally understood this logic.
So he treated all of Li Qiuchen's teasing as farts and didn't take any of it to heart.
Ginseng wasn't rare on the market. Eight out of ten mountain guests who came down were selling ginseng. He wasn't without experience with hundred-year or even thousand-year-old ginseng. Those were all dried goods. But this kind, with all roots and leaves intact, as if freshly pulled from the ground not long ago, this he was truly seeing for the first time.
"Hiss..."
The old shopkeeper took a deep drag on his pipe and raised his head to look at Li Qiuchen.
"Excellent quality, well aged. As long as you find the right buyer, five hundred taels of silver is easily achievable."
Why did he say to find the right buyer?
If you used it as a medicinal material, it would fetch a medicinal material's price. The buyer might actually prefer dried goods, which were more convenient to store but if you used it as a gift, that was a gift's price entirely.
In terms of this ginseng's quality, it could completely be described as fit for entering the grandest halls. Even sending it to the county magistrate's household wouldn't be the least bit embarrassing.
Li Qiuchen waved his hand, "I don't want silver."
"Then what do you want?"
Upon hearing this, the old shopkeeper immediately furrowed his brow.
In this world, matters that money couldn't resolve were all troublesome matters.
"This ginseng root is a respectful offering to you."
"Nonsense! What virtue or ability does this old man have to dare accept something like this? Speak plainly. Stop joking around with me!"
Li Qiuchen smiled, "I want to study."
"I want to go study in the county."
The old shopkeeper looked Li Qiuchen up and down with a puzzled expression, "Going to study in the county won't cost five hundred taels of silver."
"I want to enter the county academy."
"That's still not five hundred taels. The county academy isn't that expensive. You really don't treat money as money, boy..."
"I want to enter the county academy as a member of the Zhao family. I wonder if you have any way to arrange that?"
Li Qiuchen had finally revealed his true purpose. The old shopkeeper's expression shifted slightly upon hearing this.
"What's the matter, your background isn't clean?"
"To be honest with you, actually... my father once killed someone."
Li Qiuchen let out a long sigh and began sharing with the old shopkeeper a story he had just made up.
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