Chapter 15

When the sun was high in the sky, after peeling off the last wolf skin, Qiaogui and Qiaofu were so exhausted that they collapsed on the ground, unable to even move their fingers.

In total, they found sixteen wolf carcasses and managed to peel off eleven nearly complete wolf skins. The best one was the white wolf skin, with long and shiny fur, not a single strand out of place. It looked like a patch of pure white snow.

Qiaogui had hunted for many years, but he had never seen, let alone heard of, such a thing.

"Ha ha ha, just this one skin is enough to pay back Wan Baiquan's silver. Now we are debt-free and light as a feather!" Zhang Ke said joyfully.

Zhang Ke was also delighted. Although he almost lost his life, at least the silver was secured, and the dark clouds over his head had dissipated by half. He could finally breathe a sigh of relief.

Shen Qingyan sat across from Zhang Ke, hugging her legs. Hearing this, she suddenly lifted her head and asked in a daze, "You owe a lot of money, and you really need silver, don't you?"

"Of course, who would be willing to take risks in the dead of winter if they didn't need to!" Zhang Ke said helplessly.

It turned out he was really short of money, no wonder he was asking for wages!

Shen Qingyan suddenly felt that her temper tantrum was rather absurd. No matter what, they were her saviors.

"How much do you need? I can give it to you," the girl blurted out.

"Do you have a lot of money, miss?" Zhang Ke raised his eyebrows, his tone unfriendly.

"Ah!"

Shen Qingyan was taken aback. Men are so proud, how could they accept a woman's money for no reason! Shen Qingyan also knew her words were inappropriate, so she lowered her head and stammered, "My family are merchants, we have some money."

"A gentleman loves wealth but obtains it in a righteous way. If I accepted Miss's money, wouldn't I become a petty person who expects a return for a favor!" Zhang Ke said proudly. "With these wolf skins, it's enough to pay off the debt. I should thank Miss Shen!"

"But..."

Zhang Ke stretched out and chuckled, "If the lady is willing to give a little more for the bodyguard's wages, I would be more than happy!" Zhang Ke leaned on a pillar, stood up, and bowed to Shen Qingyan.

"Miss Shen, from now on, we will safely escort you to Guangning, serving you diligently. Whatever you command, I will do my best. I will serve you attentively, handle matters with care, be cautious on the road, and offer a sincere price. Miss, please get in the carriage, let's set off immediately!"

Zhang Ke nodded and bowed, looking like a businessman, completely different from the brave young hero who fought the wolves yesterday. Even the arrogance in his voice was hidden.

Shen Qingyan chuckled, "You look so proper, even better than the helpers at my house!"

"Of course, life is a stage, once you open your eyes, the play begins. There are 360 trades, and if you don't perform well, you'll lose your job!" Zhang Ke smiled. "Miss Shen, please get in the carriage first, we'll tidy up and leave!"

Shen Qingyan sat in the carriage, watching Zhang Ke outside, her eyes suddenly filled with a mix of emotions.

"Yes, it's just a play, but what about my role!"

The girl sighed wistfully. She was also extremely tired, leaning against the carriage, she almost fell asleep. Suddenly, she heard a cheer outside, and out of curiosity, she lifted the curtain to see Zhang Ke holding a horse's reins, smiling brightly.

Shen Qingyan's group had four horses, two for pulling the carriage, and two for the bodyguards to ride. The horse that Chubiao rode was eaten by the wolves, but the one that fled first miraculously escaped. The old horse recognized the path and ran back.

With an extra horse, Zhang Ke and Qiaofu were overjoyed.

Da Huang had already died yesterday, and Er Huang's skull was bitten through, and he died in the morning. The loss of their loyal dogs made Qiaofu cry, and Zhang Ke also felt the pain of losing these two loyal yellow dogs. If it weren't for them, he might have died in the wolves' mouths yesterday.

Zhang Ke found a piece of wood and carved "Loyal Dog" Da Huang (Er Huang) on it. Qiaofu, with tears in his eyes, wrapped the bodies of Da Huang and Er Huang in wolf skins and placed them under the wall. Then the three of them pushed the wall down to protect the bodies of Da Huang and Er Huang.

Without the two dogs, everyone was at a loss. Should they pull the sled themselves? They would probably be exhausted before reaching Guangning.

Just as they were worried, it turned out that a horse had run back. A horse's strength is much greater than a dog's, and it could pull the sled without any effort, and even carry a person. Qiaofu, without hesitation, happily climbed onto the horse's back, completely unaware of the suffering to come. Riding a horse isn't as comfortable as it seems!

Zhang Ke's old injury had flared up, so he had to be careful. He, Shen Qingyan, and Xiumei all sat in the carriage. Qiaogui and Old Sun drove the carriage, and the group set off again.

Old Sun had been so frightened last night that he was still dazed.

"Mr. Qiao, this old man is about to be scared sick. Drop me off at the next village, I can't go to Guangning!"

Zhang Ke, sitting in the carriage, suddenly felt something was off. He couldn't help but look Shen Qingyan up and down, his brows furrowed.

"What are you looking at, have you never seen a beautiful woman before!"

Zhang Ke chuckled, "I've never seen such a strange beautiful woman. Miss Shen, you said your family are wealthy merchants, so why did you come to Liaodong alone and hire such poor bodyguards and a driver? Does your father not care about your safety?"

Shen Qingyan's face turned gloomy, and she pouted, "They weren't hired by my father. I found Old Sun at the carriage shop. He seemed honest and had driven for decades, but he turned out to be useless, even more cowardly than me."

"Ha ha ha, did you hire those two bodyguards too? Miss Shen, you need to learn how to judge people!"

Shen Qingyan, feeling mocked by Zhang Ke, her face turned cold, and she bit her lip, her eyes darting around. Suddenly, she said, "Do you want to hear something?"

"No!" Zhang Ke said without hesitation. "Curiosity killed the cat. I just want to sell the goods, pay off the debt, and live a peaceful life. The more you know, the faster you die!"

Shen Qingyan pondered his last words and suddenly smiled, like a pear blossom blooming, especially beautiful, but with a hint of sorrow.

"Well, even if you know, it's nothing. My family has been in the medicine business for generations, supplying herbs to the Imperial Hospital."

"No wonder you're so good at bandaging!"

"Hmph, don't interrupt!"

Zhang Ke obediently shut his mouth, and Shen Qingyan continued, "This year, the court suffered a defeat in Liaodong, losing Tieling and Kaiyuan. Trade with the Jurchens has stopped. But the nobles in the capital still get sick and still need ginseng, forcing my father to get them the herbs."

Zhang Ke frowned, "Miss Shen, doesn't the court know about the defeat? How can they still demand ginseng? Isn't this like wanting the horse to run but not feeding it?"

"Ha ha ha, well said, I don't think you're just a poor boy," Shen Qingyan said.

Zhang Ke patted his chest and laughed, "I've studied for several years, though I haven't passed any exams, I'm not stupid!"

Pointing to his head, Zhang Ke said, "There's only one way in this situation: to violate the court's laws and trade privately with the Jurchens to get the needed herbs!"

Zhang Ke's words revealed the truth, and Shen Qingyan was surprised. This poor boy was truly extraordinary! She couldn't help but respect him more.

Actually, it wasn't that Zhang Ke was particularly smart, but as a穿越者 (time traveler), who didn't know about the eight royal merchants? The mess in Liaodong, if the Ming Dynasty could truly impose an economic blockade on the Tartars, the world might not have fallen into the hands of the Qing. But there were too many corrupt officials, and they destroyed the Ming Dynasty.

Shen Qingyan sighed, "Since it's illegal, my father, a medicine merchant, doesn't have the ability to do it. He can only ask my cousin for help!"

"Your cousin? Since they're family, it's only natural for him to help."

"Natural?" Shen Qingyan smiled bitterly, "My cousin is the shrewdest businessman, he never loses in any deal. He can help get the herbs, but I have to marry him! I refused, so I hired bodyguards and a driver myself and brought my maid to Liaodong."

Shen Qingyan let out a long breath after saying this, as if a heavy burden had been lifted from her heart.

After she finished speaking, she stared at Zhang Ke, but he showed no reaction, looking as if he was listening to someone else's story.

"What's wrong with you, do you have no sympathy? My father is treating me like a commodity to trade for ginseng!"

Zhang Ke smiled, "Miss Shen, if your cousin is that capable, it's not a big deal to marry him. It's a family affair!"

"Hmph, I won't be bought and sold like a commodity! Besides, I'm already engaged to a scholar, who said he would marry me once he passed the imperial exams."

After saying this, she kept staring at Zhang Ke, not sure why she was so eager for a reaction from him, even if it was anger or frustration, anything but indifference.

Unconsciously, Zhang Ke had left a deep impression on the girl. Shen Qingyan might not even realize how much she cared about his feelings.

The small carriage became unusually silent, the air almost stagnant.

After three minutes, Zhang Ke finally smiled.

"Miss Shen, I also have a fiancée at home. She's not from a wealthy family, but she's enough for me. Our meeting is a kind of fate. If Zhang Ke ever becomes successful, perhaps..."

"Don't say anymore, I, Shen Qingyan, won't be controlled by anyone. My father is forcing me to marry, but once I reach Guangning, I can find a way to get the ginseng and make up for the shortfall!"

"Good spirit!"

Zhang Ke smiled, "I wish you success in advance. How about we have a drink?"

"Sure, a drink to forget all worries!"

Zhang Ke didn't have any good wine, just a leather bag of fiery liquor from Qiaogui, bitter and spicy, with a sour taste. But the two of them drank happily, and in a daze, they fell asleep in the carriage.

With the carriage, the journey was much faster, and there were no more troubles. On the fourth day after leaving Dacheng Fort, Qiaogui excitedly knocked on the carriage door.

"Zhang Ke, I just asked a merchant on the road. We're only ten miles away from Guangning!"

Zhang Ke also woke up, quickly jumped out of the carriage, grabbed a handful of snow, and rubbed his face. Looking ahead, he suddenly shouted loudly, "Guangning, I'm coming!"