Chapter 24

"Here you go!"

Zhang Ke handed the last stove to the Mongol and let out a long breath.

Suddenly, Qiao Fu and Huzi, who were behind him, jumped up and cheered loudly.

"They're all sold, all of them are sold!" Everyone clapped their hands and jumped excitedly.

Even his face turned red, he pulled Zhang Ke and said hurriedly, "Quick, let's calculate how much we've earned!"

Zhang Ke nodded, found a clean patch of snow, and started calculating with a stick.

"Sixteen stoves, each for four taels and five mace, twelve paid in silver, totaling 54 taels. The remaining four were exchanged for 10 sheep and one inferior horse. Thirty-five old clothes, sold for 17 taels of silver, plus 20 sheep. Five bolts of homespun, exchanged for three sheepskin coats and two old ginseng roots..."

Zhang Ke listed each item, and the funniest part was that a Mongol even used local produce to exchange for shoe soles. 107 pairs of shoe soles, 30 of which were given as gifts, the rest were exchanged for 20 pounds of black fungus, two dou of pine nuts, and three large jars of honey.

Adding everything up, after deducting one tael of silver for the commission, Zhang Ke earned a total of 70 taels of silver, 30 sheep, one horse, and a large pile of local produce!

Seeing all the silver and goods, Qiao Fu's mouth opened wide, and his saliva dripped down three feet.

"Ha, hahaha, Brother Ke, we've made a fortune, made a fortune!"

Qiao Gui, standing to his right, couldn't help but give his second brother a dirty look and complained, "Second brother, you've seen silver before, why are you acting like a child? Look, Huzi and the others are more composed, they didn't shout."

"Hehe, they want to shout, but their mouths are full of honey!"

Qiao Gui suddenly turned his head and indeed saw Huzi and his friends digging into the honey with their hands, greedily eating, their faces covered in honey, sweet from mouth to heart.

"Zhang Ke, aren't you going to do something? The honey could sell for a lot of money!"

"Hahaha, I gave it to them, they deserve a reward, don't you think?" Zhang Ke smiled. "Brother Gui, to truly make a fortune, we need a steady source of income. These 70 taels are a hundred times more important than last night's earnings. This is a path to wealth! As long as we manage it well, the silver will keep flowing in!"

Qiao Fu patted his buttocks, stood up from the ground, and said with a smile, "Brother Ke speaks the truth, we should celebrate!"

"Brats, leave some for me too!" Qiao Fu shouted and rushed over, snatching the honey jar and plunging his hand into it, pulling it out covered in honey. He licked his fingers like a bear, looking very pleased.

They laughed and played, drawing envious glances from the surrounding merchants.

From noon onwards, groups of Mongols gathered around Zhang Ke's stall, which became the busiest spot in the market. Even those who didn't want to buy would sit down for a bowl of hot tea.

Zhang Ke was not the least bit annoyed by these lookers, and he kept asking what they wanted, carefully noting it down, promising to meet their demands next time, ensuring good quality and low prices.

The Mongols who bought something praised Zhang Ke, and even those who didn't buy gave him a thumbs up. In recent years, fraudsters had been rampant, and both sides of the horse market trade were cautious. To have such a harmonious relationship like Zhang Ke's was truly rare.

Even the middle-aged man who had proudly shown Zhang Ke his stall sign earlier came over, bowing and scraping.

"Friend, you are indeed skilled. Can you help us think of a way? We still have ten shi of rice unsold, and the commission has already been paid. If we bring it again tomorrow, we'll have to pay more, and we'll lose a lot."

"Hahaha, just pick out the sand from the rice, and it will definitely sell!" Zhang Ke smiled. "Business is all about eight words: genuine goods, fair prices, and friendly service!"

Zhang Ke's words left the rice merchant speechless, his face turning red with shame as he hurried away.

...

"Second brother, stop running around, come over and discuss what to do next." Qiao Gui called Qiao Fu over, and everyone gathered around the cart.

Zhang Ke thought for a moment and said, "We have enough silver to pay off our debts. Qiao Fu and I will take the wolf skins to see if we can sell them. If not, we'll bring them back. Brother Gui, you lead Huzi and the others to wait here. We'll return to Yizhou as soon as we're back."

Zhang Ke was in a hurry for a reason. First, they had caused a commotion in Guangning and feared the authorities might come after them, so it was best to leave early. Second, they had traded for many sheep and had over a dozen more beggars, making the group larger and slower. Zhang Ke was also worried about missing the deadline for paying off their debts, so it was best to return as soon as possible to avoid worrying his mother and the others.

Qiao Gui immediately agreed, and Qiao Fu, carrying the wolf skins, followed Zhang Ke as they headed straight for the fur shop.

Unlike Zhang Ke and his group, who had to endure hunger and cold while setting up their stalls, these big merchants had warm, cozy shops where they sat by the fire, drank liquor, and waited for customers to bring goods.

The furs outside the pass were at least three times cheaper than in the capital, and a single trip could earn them thousands of taels of silver, a very profitable business.

Zhang Ke and Qiao Fu stepped into a shop, and the shopkeeper, who was sitting with his legs crossed and drinking tea, quickly stood up.

"Hehehe, are the two of you here to sell furs?"

"Um!" Zhang Ke nodded, his eyes scanning the shop, which was piled high with furs—sheepskins, deer skins, bear skins, fox skins, sable skins, and more.

The shopkeeper, in his thirties, was fair-skinned and had a naturally friendly face.

"You two don't look like Mongols or Jurchens. I don't buy poor-quality furs, you know!"

"Hahaha, do you think Han people can't hunt good furs?"

The shopkeeper shook his head slightly. "Let me see them!"

Qiao Fu, noticing the shopkeeper's doubt, threw the bundle onto the counter without hesitation. The shopkeeper untied it, and ten neatly arranged wolf skins appeared.

The shopkeeper, who had seen countless furs, could tell the quality at a glance. He touched the fur, which was soft and shiny. He unfolded one, and the wolf skin was quite intact, with only a small scar on the neck.

He sniffed it and couldn't help but praise it.

"The fur is from a steppe wolf, large and shiny, with a strong bloody smell. It must have been hunted less than ten days ago." As he spoke, he examined it closely, his eyes widening.

"These, these wolf skins were all hunted at once? Did you hunt a wolf pack?"

Zhang Ke scratched his head. "Is that important?"

"Of course, clothes aren't made from just one fur. If you can hunt from the same pack, the fur colors will be similar, and the price will naturally be higher. How many people did it take to hunt the wolf pack?"

Zhang Ke held up three fingers.

"Thirty? That's quite impressive, our Han people have true heroes!"

Hearing the shopkeeper's praise, Qiao Fu felt elated and chuckled, "No need for thirty, just three!"

"What!" The shopkeeper was thoroughly shocked, looking at Zhang Ke as if he were a monster. These two young men, with their clear features, could have such great skills?

Zhang Ke coughed. "Shopkeeper, we encountered a wolf pack on our way and had a fight. Just tell us how much they're worth, it's getting late, and we need to get going!"

The shopkeeper nodded. "I respect your bravery, and the wolf skins are indeed good. I'll give you a 20% premium, six taels per skin. What do you think?"

This price was indeed much higher than in Yizhou. Qiao Fu gave Zhang Ke a look, about to agree, when footsteps sounded, and two people entered one after the other.

The first was a short, middle-aged man with a high, hooked nose and sharp eyes, but a clean-shaven chin, which looked a bit odd. Behind him was a tall, muscular man, wearing only a single layer of clothing in the cold winter, looking strong and fierce.

The middle-aged man walked straight to the shopkeeper.

"Any good furs?"

"Of course, I have some!" The shopkeeper knew this man was wealthy and wouldn't be interested in ordinary goods, but today's furs, though many, weren't particularly outstanding.

He thought for a moment and quickly pushed the wolf skins Zhang Ke had brought over.

"Take a look at these?"

The middle-aged man picked up the wolf skin, looked at it, nodded, and then shook his head.

"Thirteen, what do you think of these furs?"

The tall man sneered. "Mr. Hong, these wolf skins are just decent, far from being the best."

Hearing the tall man's words, Zhang Ke frowned.

"Sir, these furs are ours, it's not appropriate for you to say that."

The tall man raised an eyebrow. "I speak my mind, what's it to you?"

The middle-aged man laughed, his voice sharp.

"Thirteen, why so angry? Let's look elsewhere for better furs!"

The two turned to leave, but Zhang Ke suddenly had an idea, remembering Shen Qingyan's words. These two, with their wealthy appearance and Beijing accent, were indeed fat pigs at the door!

"Sir, please wait. What do you think of this fur?"

Zhang Ke took a small package from Qiao Fu and suddenly unfolded it, revealing a snow-white wolf skin.

The middle-aged man turned around, his face showing shock. He quickly walked over, grabbed the fur, and examined it closely. Even the tall man was surprised. A wolf skin without a single blemish was extremely rare.

"Good, very good!" The middle-aged man smiled. "Young man, how much do you want for this wolf skin?"

Zhang Ke said proudly, "Sir, this wolf skin was obtained at the cost of our lives. You name your price, and if it moves us, we'll sell it to you!"

The shopkeeper, seeing the fur, was beside himself with excitement.

"Young man, why didn't you show this earlier? This one is worth more than the ten. I'll give you 80 taels, and we'll settle right away!"

The shopkeeper was about to take out the silver when the tall man slammed his fist on the table.

"Hehe, Mr. Hong's choice, and you dare to snatch it!"

The middle-aged man smiled. "Since someone offered 80 taels, I can't be outdone. 150 taels, Thirteen, give the young man the silver!"

Indeed, a fat pig. Zhang Ke tried to remain calm, but inside, he was overjoyed.

Just as he was about to count the money, a commotion broke out outside. Over a hundred Mongol men, brandishing curved knives, rushed in and pounced on the shopkeeper.

"It's him, it's this fraudster! The silver tickets he gave us are useless, kill him!"

Zhang Ke, the middle-aged man, and the tall man were all surrounded, with sharp knives pointed at them.

"Kill them all, take their stuff!"

...