Chapter 108

Chapter 108

When Wei Datiger arrived in Changping County, there was a long queue at the city gate.

The scene was similar to the last time, except that instead of peasants carrying baskets on their backs, the line now consisted of merchants traveling in groups with their donkey carts and wealthy families escorted by servants in horse-drawn carriages.

Several eyes fell upon Wei Datiger as he walked alone. Amidst the current chaos, anyone daring to travel solo must either have a strong backing or possess extraordinary abilities. No one wished to make an enemy of such a person.

Unbeknownst to Wei Datiger, his surroundings were quietly observing him. Ignoring their gazes, he focused on the official at the gate, who was not the same one from before. However, this was no comfort, as when it was his turn, he had to pay twice as many copper coins as last time to enter the city.

The official with a knife at his waist seemed curious about the bundle on Wei Datiger's shoulder. But Wei Datiger's wry smile, combined with a chilling scrutiny that made the official feel like a piece of meat, either frightened or intimidated him. Eventually, the official did not inspect the bundle and reluctantly allowed Wei Datiger entry.

With not many coins to spare and having already been drained at the gate, Wei Datiger, who was already weak from a day of mountain walking, couldn't afford a bowl of the braised noodles he'd enjoyed previously. Instead, he bought two coarse grain buns to fill his stomach, regaining some strength.

After finishing the buns while squatting on the street, Wei Datiger quickly grasped the current state of the county. He asked a passerby for directions and continued his journey, inquiring along the way. Before long, he stopped in front of a dilapidated courtyard.

This was the address Ma Liu had given him last time, telling him to seek him out if he had any inquiries or needed assistance in the county. Of course, money had to be involved, though it wasn't explicitly mentioned. The official's shifty-eyed gesture of rubbing his fingers together made it clear to both parties that he was eyeing Wei Datiger's generosity.

Wan Datou, impressed by his quick thinking, had also taken a liking to him despite his unappealing appearance and decent conduct.

After knocking, it took a while before an elderly voice echoed from inside. An old man with white hair opened the door, his eyes seemingly impaired. Standing right in front of him, Wan Datou asked, still squinting, "Who is it? Who are you looking for?"

"I'm here to see Ma Liu. Is he around?" replied Wan Datou.

"What Ma Liu? I don't know any Ma Liu. You must have the wrong place," said the old man, attempting to shut the door.

"Well, last time at the teahouse, he begged me to be his father. He mentioned that his father has a business proposition for him and if he wants to earn some money, he should be informed through you. I'll wait for him at the intersection outside," Wan Datou said, turning away without waiting for the old man's response.

Exiting the alley, Wan Datou didn't have to wait long before he spotted Ma Liu, half of his face swollen, grinning slyly not far away. "Oh, oh, acknowledging a father is such a private matter, how could we let a third person know about it? You have no idea how hard that old man's palm was – almost knocked my teeth out!" As he spoke, he strolled slowly towards Wan Datou, his small eyes landing on the bundle on his shoulder.

"Is he your real father?" asked Wan Datou, casting a glance at him.

"Something like that," replied Ma Liu, attempting to pat Wan Datou's shoulder in a friendly manner. However, deterred by Wan Datou's ambiguous smile and their significant height difference, he couldn't reach. Unbothered, Ma Liu chuckled and said, "That old man told me what kind of business you want me to do. Let me make this clear, I'm not exactly the brightest bulb, not suitable for serious business. I can only do some errands for a few hard-earned coins. Big deals, not so much."

Wan Datou removed the bundle from his shoulder and beckoned Ma Liu with a finger. Just like a dog lured by the scent of a meat bun, Ma Liu followed eagerly.

Finding a secluded spot, Wan Datou unpacked the bundle, revealing a dozen or so hides wrapped inside. Four fox pelts, one pure and three mixed breeds. Six wolf skins, not entirely intact but damaged to varying degrees. Nevertheless, they left Ma Liu awestruck. The fox pelts were understandable; any hunter could catch foxes. But wolf pelts were different. Although not as valuable and sought after by the wealthy, tastes varied, and some preferred them. Besides, wolves were cunning, dangerous, and often hunted in packs, making hunting them even more perilous.

Noticing that Wei Datiger didn't object, he personally examined them, assessing their condition. There were six wolf hides in total, three of which were relatively intact, while the other three showed noticeable damage.

As for the four fox pelts, the solid-colored one was top-notch, a pure white without a single stray hair – it was highly sought after by ladies from wealthy families. The remaining three were also good, each a complete pelt with no signs of damage. Though not solid-colored, their hues were evenly distributed, giving them an appearance that wasn't cheap at first glance.

These were all high-quality items.

"Big Brother, Father, I promise to take care of everything for you. Just entrust it to me!" Ma Liu was quick-witted and immediately understood that this was an opportunity for a business deal. Given the chaos in the county, with unpredictable prices and rampant exploitation, if the man wanted a hassle-free transaction and was willing to share the profits, Ma Liu could indeed help him sell these goods.

It was just a matter of how much the man was willing to offer him.

After Ma Liu finished speaking, he looked at Wei Datiger and chuckled without saying anything, but his meaning was clear. Wei Datiger didn't deliberately tease him either. If you wanted someone to do something for you, you had to feed them well so that they would be willing to do it to the best of their abilities. He held up two fingers. "Twenty percent. If you do a good job, I'll give you twenty percent of the profit."

Ma Liu wasn't interested in percentages; his small eyes glittered. "Give me a concrete number."

"Let's say these hides sell for a hundred taels. I'll give you twenty," Wei Datiger said. "If you can sell them for twelve hundred, I'll give you twenty-four."

"Twenty-five!" Ma Liu haggled. "Give me a round number."

"Okay." Wei Datiger nodded readily.

Surprised by his generosity, Ma Liu hesitated to believe it. Wei Datiger continued, "Of course, earning silver isn't that easy. I know you have connections. Besides salt, I need a large quantity of coarse salt. It would be even better if you could also acquire some grain. Yes, and medicinal herbs, too."

This was more like it. Ma Liu felt a weight lifted off his chest. If someone were to suddenly offer him twenty-odd taels of silver for no reason, he wouldn't simply laugh and accept it. Instead, he would suspect that the person had ulterior motives and was setting a trap for him. In this world, there was no such thing as a free lunch. He never believed in falling pies from the sky.

Being a man well-versed in the ways of the underbelly, he was naturally well-informed and perceptive. These days, common folk spent their days queued at grain shops, as the prices had soared to a point where an average family was barely able to afford it. Yet, this situation had little impact on him. Ever since he sensed that times might become unsettled, he had discreetly stockpiled a substantial amount of grain. Now, for this man to seek him out to purchase grain and coarse salt, he must be coming with sincerity.

How could there be no benefits in taking his path?

However, at present, he was helpless when it came to grain. Even Wang Dalang, the prominent grain merchant whose businesses spanned across the provincial capital, no longer had authority over his billions of grains. Recently, news reached him that the imperial city had descended into utter chaos, with several princes fiercely vying for the top position. Their Province Qing served as the fief of Prince Chen, and at the onset of the turmoil above, the prince promptly dispatched people to seize control of all grain merchants, big and small, throughout the province.

Why would Prince Chen target the grain merchants first? It's obvious, isn't it? Without grain, what would his personal soldiers eat?

In this world, the most profitable venture with no initial cost is undoubtedly taking from others what one desires.

It came as a surprise to Wei Dahu that he now dared to venture out alone. The people outside might not be aware, but just recently, the official roads were rife with the capture of young, strong men. As for who was behind these arrests, everyone in Province Qing knew all too well, and this knowledge bred widespread fear. People scurried to secure their own safety through connections and influence wherever they could.

Thus, regarding food, he truly had no choice. He hadn't lived enough yet. Nowadays, who would dare to meddle with grains? Forget about him, an insignificant ant; even their county magistrate, with his ambitions, would retract his reaching hand. Didn't one notice how much more subdued he had been lately?

"Coarse salt can be managed somehow, but not the grain; there's no feasible way around it." Ma Liu straightened his expression. He had a good understanding of whether or not this money could be earned. Apart from the common folk who were oblivious, anyone with a bit of information would know the situation. This hunter was generous and not a local, likely residing in the mountains most of the time. Thus, there was no harm in sharing this information with him; it could be seen as earning some news fee. He wouldn't feel guilty taking it. "You've come at the right time. If you had waited any longer, not only would grain be difficult to obtain, but even salt and medicinal herbs might have become scarce."

Wai Dahu frowned, well aware of the circumstances under which these three items would become difficult to purchase. If one day, silver could no longer buy grain, medicine, or salt, it would indicate that the world was on the brink of chaos.

Ma Liu cautiously looked around, ensuring no one was nearby before he shared the current situation in Qingzhou with Wai Dahu. "Stockpiling large quantities of grain is out of the question now; it's tantamount to snatching food from that person's hands. There are currently only two ways to buy grain. One is to be at the city's grain shops before dawn every day, with your entire family taking turns to queue up, each person allowed to buy a few dou daily. Of course, everyone in the county is scrambling for it. Just look at that street over there. Day and night, rain or shine, the entrance of the grain shops is always crowded. Some even bring mats and bedding to sleep there overnight."

Wai Dahu fell silent.

"The second option is simpler but more unethical. It depends on whether you're willing to do it," Ma Liu said with a faint, cold smile. "Go to those remote villages and buy grain with money, just like what I mentioned earlier. Many people in the county still don't understand the current situation. They only care about when the grain shops open and how much rice they can buy each day, whether it should be their eldest son or youngest son guarding the shop entrance... If they're only concerned about the few dou of rice that can fill their stomachs, what more those peasants in remote villages? As long as you're willing to pay a high price, there will always be someone greedy enough to sell you their grain."

What he didn't say was that some had already done this.

A tree may die if moved, but a person can adapt. The same applied to one's mind. Those who didn't use their brains could only wait outside the grain shops, while the cunning ones had already set their sights on the countryside.

There were quite a number of such people. Some were genuinely short of food in their households, willing to act unscrupulously to ensure their families wouldn't starve, at least having the excuse of "not wanting to die."

Then there were the deceitful merchants. Since Prince Chen controlled all the major and minor grain dealers in Qingzhou, they couldn't find any loopholes to exploit. Thus, they turned their attention to the peasants in the countryside.

By buying large amounts of grain from rural folk at negligible prices, they could turn around and sell them to the county's residents at ten times, even a hundred times the original cost.

Would you think no one would buy at a hundred times the price?

Ahahahaha, wrong, wrong, wrong! When the rice jar is truly empty, just wait and see. A person driven by hunger will sell their children, their spouse, all for exorbitant prices!