Chapter 23

The events of this day far outnumbered those of my months on Liangshan. Could it be that after enduring so much hardship, my protagonist aura is finally starting to take effect?

After returning from the market, I was in a state of turmoil until the sky turned dark. During dinner, I still couldn't taste the food, and my mind was a mess. I accidentally poked my chopsticks outside the bowl several times, or put the bones I had already eaten back into my mouth.

I finally managed to swallow this tasteless meal and then began to sort through the things I had obtained today. However, when I spread out the items I got from the old man Lao Bai on the table, my hands were still trembling. Among the scattered wealth, the most noticeable was the jade ring with tiny inscriptions. I couldn't help but sigh; this was the last memento left by the old man, whom I had only met once.

He had said that I could use this item to seek help from a trading house called Nanfeng, as a relation. However, it doesn't seem very reliable now.

The shipowner Kang, seeing that things were not going well, immediately set sail, not even bothering to move the goods and decorations on the shore. He slipped away right under everyone's noses, and who knows what other trouble might arise. If he isn't foolish enough, he won't easily give up this lead.

Fortunately, we never had a close encounter. Even if he has other means to identify me, he probably doesn't know my information on Liangshan. The market is so large and the people so diverse that as long as I don't deliberately show up, the chances of his informants and spies finding me are extremely slim.

Then there was the money Lao Bai gave me before he died. It included three large gold coins, seven small gold coins, and over ten large silver coins, along with some white and blue-eyed coins as small change.

But the truly valuable items were the few pieces of paper, which came in two types: flying money and tickets.

In my previous memory, flying money was a fixed-value, pay-on-demand large-denomination substitute, similar to a check. However, the exchange or direct transaction would vary based on the issuer's credit and strength.

The three flying money notes I had were issued by the South Sea Money Union, and they had the same circulation value and recognition in the north or beyond the border.

The tickets, on the other hand, were more like anonymous deposit slips or savings cards. They required only the correct secret code and seal. For example, this ticket was issued by a local money cabinet in Guangnan but was guaranteed by the South Sea Society, so it could be cashed at other money houses or ticket offices with affiliated business, though with a handling fee based on the distance.

Both the flying money and tickets were printed with great precision, with tiny characters and numbers clearly visible amidst the patterns. The paper itself was very flexible, smooth, and wear-resistant, with anti-counterfeiting measures like embossing and watermarking.

The anti-counterfeiting technology was already close to modern standards, and it was clear who the original creator was.

This also meant that before the chaos, the financial services and commercial activities in this timeline had developed sufficiently to support the high economic volume and demand, allowing for the meticulous pursuit and investment in these financial instruments and documents.

Although it is now a chaotic era, considering the vast territories and population of the overseas vassals, as well as the frequent maritime and land trade, it's not hard to understand the significance of these items.

The ticket with the largest face value was useless now that Lao Bai was dead. The remaining three flying money notes became my last hope. However, on Liangshan, these things were not very useful; the traditional circulation of gold, silver, and copper coins was still more practical.

I pondered as I stacked the coins and played with them. Then the sound of a knock on the door echoed.

Aguda brought in a figure. I then remembered that today's harvest included an extra.

I glanced at the person wrapped in a tattered felt blanket, untied the rope around their neck, but kept the leather sleeve. Then I said,

"Open your mouth..."

I pinched her chin and pulled it down, examining her mouth like inspecting livestock.

Hmm, her teeth looked quite neat, with minimal wear and no serious gum recession due to malnutrition. There were no signs of injury or infection.

"Not bad teeth, seems like you haven't suffered much before..."

I muttered, meaning she couldn't be too old, and her diet was better than most people's.

Her chin, which was sunken and sharp, felt quite uncomfortable to hold, but her cheekbones felt symmetrical, suggesting her original appearance wasn't too distorted. Her face, with its shriveled skin, had many wrinkles, and her forehead was wide.

As I did all this, she remained like a lifeless puppet, allowing me to manipulate her. Her body was cold, almost inhuman, but the pulsing veins under her skin indicated she was still alive.

Of course, this knowledge came partly from my previous life managing a forum and partly from the early memories of this body, which included a vague memory of someone teaching me to examine a young girl in this manner.

Her skin, lacking nutrients and moisture, was tightly stretched over her bones, appearing a dull, sallow yellow.

Her shoulders, back, and ribs were covered with whip scars, bruises, and contusions, new and old, indicating she had suffered greatly for her resistance and non-cooperation. However, the injuries were not in areas that could damage her organs, so they had a chance to heal.

I gently moved and stretched her limbs, and the tendons were not damaged, meaning she could still perform most labor tasks without becoming a useless burden. This was one point where the fatso Zheng Ting didn't deceive me.

I hesitated for a moment, then pulled down the felt covering her lower body and used my hands as a ruler to measure her pelvis.

Hmm, she was still within the range suitable for childbearing. I pinched her coccyx, which showed no signs of deformity from heavy labor. I continued my examination.

I took a deep breath and moved my gaze to her groin, pulling away the only covering. She seemed to flinch, but when I looked, she was still in a half-dead state.

"Damn..."

Just one glance, and the stench and filth drove me back. Her incontinence had dried and stuck together. If I continued looking, I would have wasted my lunch and dinner.

I had no more interest in the examination and called Aguda in.

Wearing gloves, I pulled off her covering and used a stick to toss it outside to burn. Who knows how many microorganisms and lice were hidden inside.

Then I took some homemade charcoal and stoked the fire in the stove.

"Go wash yourself, don't come near me smelling like that..."

"Relax, with your bony frame, I'd have nightmares just looking at you, let alone touching you."

"Even if I need to use you, I'll wait until you're fattened up. Right now, you're just bones."

Although she remained lifeless, I couldn't help but mutter to myself, a way to vent the intense experiences of the day.

After a while,

A bucket of hot water was poured over her, and she reflexively stood up, her expression becoming more lively.

Another bucket was placed beside her, and she began to struggle, her hysterical fear splashing water everywhere. Her body was too weak, and I easily overpowered her, pressing her into a large water vat like a piece of salted pork or a dead fish.

"Don't move, I don't want you to bring lice back in after I've cleaned this place..."

I fiercely twisted her limbs, even as the joints made cracking sounds, and glared at her.

"Either let me wash you, or I'll throw you into the river to clean you. More people would be happy to watch."

She stopped moving.

"The first rule here is cleanliness. Otherwise, I'll throw you out to the wolves. There are still plenty of hungry beasts outside the mountain."

I continued as I worked.

Under the continuous hot water, her bony frame was the only thing left, and any sense of shame or desire was temporarily forgotten. Her gaunt face gained some color, and her black eyes showed a bit of spirit.

Using a large brush, I scrubbed her skin, which turned red and even broke in places, but she remained motionless. Her stiff body and clenched teeth revealed her emotions.

With Aguda's help, I worked up a sweat and finally finished cleaning her. I wrapped her in a large piece of fabric, and she returned to her half-dead state, as if the person who had struggled and screamed during the bath was someone else entirely.

For dinner, I had bought ready-made food, which was more varied and abundant. I picked through the leftovers, mixed them with the cold rice from lunch, and stirred them in the fire pit. I placed the mixture on a wooden plate in front of her, who had curled up into a ball.

This was my special recipe for sick people—cat rice. In my early years of living alone in college, I had developed this skill to avoid the taste of instant noodles.

"From today, you'll be called Sanmei."

I muttered as I walked away, naming her after the three small silver coins I paid for her.

"You'll share meals with Aguda from now on."

A moment later, I heard the sounds of eating, at least she was still responsive and not completely broken.

"Take care of yourself first. Even if you want to run, you need the strength to do so."

"If you do run, remember to go far. I'll just dig a hole where you fall and bury you."

"In this cold weather, where can you go? The mountains are full of patrols. Do you think you can swim to the sea?"

My words received only a blank stare and lifeless eyes as a response. I laid down a broken door panel, took out a fur and a tattered felt blanket, and indicated for her to sleep on the ground.

I'm not a gentleman or an equalizer. To earn better treatment, you need to have something to offer, like warming the bed or selling your favors.

The next morning, I woke up groggy and almost tripped over her. This dead woman had apparently found the ground too cold and rolled to the edge of my thick fur and mattress.

Business in the market continued,

The earnings on the second day were much less, only 21 strings of coins. The third day was even less, only 17 strings, and the fourth day even less, only 9 strings, continuing to decrease.

On one hand, the good items I had collected from the warehouse were mostly sold. On the other hand, competitors began to imitate and copy my business methods.

Therefore, in the following days, the market only brought in items through barter.

The total income was about 80 to 90 strings of coins, a small fortune, equivalent to tens of thousands of copper coins, enough for a middle-class family for several months. However, at least half had to be handed over to gain the tacit approval and recognition of certain people for my continued private activities.

However, compared to the final gift from Lao Bai, this was nothing. The items he carried were all portable large-denomination gold and silver coins, and the smallest ticket alone far exceeded our recent earnings.

But to have a proper reason and cover, I had to take Aguda out early and late to set up the stall, just like my college days when I did various odd jobs and sold cheap gifts on campus to earn pocket money.

I took Aguda out to set up the stall and then returned with the purchases, slowly training and conditioning this new member.

I tried to get her to do some simple, less strenuous tasks, but she performed poorly, even failing to make the bed properly, and was punished many times. Although she couldn't do much work, she ate a lot.

This left me in a difficult and conflicted state.

Before long, the bustling market, amidst the snowflakes, came to an end.

Suddenly, the chief of the mountain's various warehouses, Lu Baiyan, sent a message. To entertain the representatives of the maritime vassals who had arrived with their fleet, the leader announced a feast for the entire Liangshan. As one of the few logistics personnel, I was also invited to attend.