Steward Huang stroked his short beard and nodded.
It wasn't that Qin Sang felt she absolutely had to go, she just
wanted to exchange for more silver to keep on hand.
"That is naturally good. I trust that Steward Huang certainly won't
let me suffer a loss on the price, so it's settled. Next time I deliver
the mosquito coils, I'll bring the medicinal herbs along as well."
"Rest assured, Steward Huang, they are all good medicinal herbs
dug from the mountains; they won't be of poor quality."
"I naturally trust Doctor Qin."
Qin Sang asked again:
"Madam just said that things are not peaceful outside right now.
Could you tell me what the situation is? Is it because of the current
drought?"
Regarding these matters, Steward Huang remained silent, while
Madam Huang spoke up warmly:
"Is it ever! Nowadays, people can't even get enough to eat, so some
have taken to the woods as bandits to rob travelers. Although the
county magistrate's office has cleared them out twice, how could
they possibly catch them all?"
Qin Sang truly hadn't known the world outside was so chaotic:
"Then what about your family's business in the county seat?"
Madam Huang smiled and said:
"Our family has courtyard guards and fast horses. Besides, those
bandits only want food; as long as we pay a little toll, they wouldn't
dare provoke a large household like ours."
Qin Sang understood—spending money to avert disaster. One's
mouth is soft when eating another's food; in such a disastrous year,
those bandits likely had to rely on these wealthy households just to
survive.
Qin Sang chatted a bit more with Madam Huang, teaching her some
childcare knowledge and a set of massage techniques. Madam
Huang wanted to invite Qin Sang to her home for a meal, but Qin
Sang declined, saying she had to hurry home to make mosquito
coils, and that visiting for a meal would have to wait until next time.
Madam Huang was understanding and let the matter drop.
After Qin Sang left the inn with Da Zhuang and Da Huang, the sun
had risen high. Every few steps brought a fresh layer of sweat; the
heat was enough to make a person smoke.
The number of refugees in town was increasing. Seeing only two of
them, and with quite a few things in their baskets, many people's
eyes began to drift toward Qin Sang.
Especially when they saw the bamboo tubes at their waists, their
gazes turned green with hunger, like ravenous wolves.
Da Huang seemed to sense these ill-intentioned looks, baring his
teeth at those people from time to time. If anyone approached, he
would immediately leap up and bark wildly.
Qin Sang tightened her grip on the rope; if someone really came
forward, she would let go.
This time, she didn't dare be kind enough to give them water.
Madam Huang had said the town hadn't been peaceful lately; there
had been cases of refugees climbing over walls at night to steal
water, and even two households with few members who had their
grain robbed in broad daylight.
Qin Sang knew her target was too large. People were faintly
following them from behind, and Da Huang was pacing uneasily in
circles.
Qin Sang told Da Zhuang to be alert and gripped her wood-cutting
knife tightly. As they passed a corner, she saw a broken water vat at
the foot of a house wall. With a thought, she used mall coins to
exchange for a five-liter bucket of water and poured it into the
broken vat.
Continuing forward, she soon heard excited voices from behind:
"There's water here! Water! It's water..."
"Drink quickly, gulp..."
Qin Sang glanced back and saw four or five people swarming around
the broken vat. Without even using their hands, they buried their
heads directly into the vat to drink.
Qin Sang felt a pang of sorrow. If she didn't have the Mall to back
her up, she would have fallen to this state as well.
On the rest of the way, whenever she saw a container for holding
water by the roadside, Qin Sang would find a way to put some water
in it. She couldn't say how many people it would save, but it could at
least bring a bit of safety to herself and Da Zhuang.
After doing this a few times, Da Huang's mood clearly stabilized
quite a bit, and Qin Sang breathed a sigh of relief.
"Mother, are we still going to buy things?"
Tian Dazhuang was also very scared. He still had fifteen taels of
silver on him; he was truly afraid that the silver would fall and be
lost if he wasn't careful, and he also feared those refugees coming
up to snatch their things. He wished he could fly home right this
instant.
Qin Sang nodded:
"Yes, we're going to buy a cart."
Tian Dazhuang's mouth dropped open in surprise:
"A cart?"
"Yes. Come, let's go to the carriage and horse dealer to take a look.
In two days, we have to deliver a hundred and fifty tubes of
mosquito coils. Can you carry them all by yourself? Even if we call
San Gui, it would be very taxing for the two of you."
"You've seen the situation outside now. If someone makes a move,
you'll be at their mercy while carrying those things."
"So, we must buy a cart."
Entering the carriage and horse dealer, an indescribable stench
assaulted them. Needless to say, it came from the livestock pens.
People barely had water to drink, so where would there be water to
clean the animals?
"Is anyone here?"
Qin Sang shouted toward the inside, and after a moment, a Shop
Assistant came out:
"This shop is the only carriage and horse dealer in town. Does the
guest want to buy an ox cart, a mule cart, or a horse carriage? I
have them all in my shop."
Qin Sang only said, "Show us around first."
The Shop Assistant swept a glance over the two of them and said,
"Fine, but your dog can't come in; it must be tied up outside."
Qin Sang nodded. Livestock were most afraid of falling ill or catching
a plague, so people generally avoided letting them come into contact
with other animals.
Qin Sang led Da Huang to a shady spot under the eaves and patted
his head:
"The rope isn't tight. If someone tries to grab you, come inside and
find me."
Da Huang was very well-behaved, sitting under the eaves without
moving.
Qin Sang trusted Da Huang's combat strength, so she followed the
Shop Assistant into the backyard.
The smell was truly pungent, a fermented stench of dung and urine
that could practically choke a person to death.
Qin Sang lightly covered her nose and walked to the livestock pens
to take a look.
In the ox pen, an old yellow ox and two small calves lay listlessly on
the floor tiles. If their bellies weren't still heaving, Qin Sang would
have thought the oxen were dead.
"Your oxen are nearly dead; can they still pull a cart?"
The Shop Assistant wasn't angry either:
"It's all because of the drought. Right now, we humans have no
water to drink, yet we still have to prioritize these animals. They only
get one serving of water a day."
Qin Sang understood that in this situation, few people would be
buying oxen or horses, so the prices would certainly not be high.
She looked at the mules, donkeys, and horses. There were some in
every pen, but there was only one horse, and it looked sickly:
"Is this horse sick?"
Qin Sang looked at the horse's skin; the patches of mottled
ringworm looked a bit frightening.
The Shop Assistant's gaze flickered slightly as he said:
"It's just a minor ailment. This is a fine horse."
Qin Sang thought for a moment:
"Then how much are your mules and oxen? And this horse, what's
the price?"
The Shop Assistant was stunned, somewhat surprised:
"You actually want this horse?"
Qin Sang didn't answer directly:
"I'm just asking the price. Whether I buy it or not is another matter."
Only then did the Shop Assistant quote a price:
"If this were the beginning of the year, this old ox would definitely
sell for fifteen taels of silver, and the calves for seven or eight taels;
those are the market rates."
"Now, I won't ask a high price. Ten taels for the old ox, five for a
calf. That mule was originally twelve taels, but I can sell it for eight."
"As for that horse, I bought it for thirty taels. If you want it, I'll sell it
at a loss for twenty taels."
Qin Sang glanced at him and spoke up:
"Three taels for the mule, and five taels for the horse. Will you sell?"
Actually, she should buy an ox, but an ox cart was too slow. She was
buying livestock primarily to haul goods; a mule had better
endurance and a faster pace, making it more suitable.
As for this horse, she had medicine for fungal infections in her Mall.
As long as it was cleaned, disinfected, and medicated, Qin Sang was
confident she could cure it.
Horses were luxury items in ancient times; a good horse might not
even be available for forty or fifty taels. If she bought it at a low
price, cured it, and then sold it at a high price, she could earn
dozens of taels just by flipping it—why not?
Besides, even if no one bought it, it would be good to keep for her
own use.
An ancient Ferrari! Who wouldn't want a Ferrari in their dreams?
And such a cheap Ferrari at that—how was it any different from
being given away for free?
The Shop Assistant's eyes widened:
"What? Five taels for this horse? Three taels for the mule? You must
be dreaming under the scorching sun. Which family sells livestock
like that?"