Chapter 113: Trading for Three Women
With the improved sled carts, the group no longer had to rely on their legs to walk through the snow. Though they were still exposed to the biting wind, their journey became much easier. By the afternoon, they saw a group of people coming from the east, crossing their path while driving their own sled carts.
Some members of the passing group glanced at them curiously, while others seemed eager to get away. Remembering what the village chief from the stone house village had said, Yu Zhengqing quickly jumped off his cart and stopped a group of five traveling together.
“Brother, are you heading to the market?”
The five men tensed at first, their faces wary. But when they heard Yu Zhengqing’s accent, their expressions relaxed.
“Yes, today is a trading day.”
“You only trade your own goods? Or do people bring in supplies from the outside?”
“Mostly, it’s things we hunt—wild animals, some live beasts, furs, and whatever crops we grow. But today, we got lucky. There’s salt. If you want some, you’d better hurry. The market will close in about an hour, and some traders have already started heading back.”
“Is it in that direction?” Yu Zhengqing pointed east.
If there was a market, it was worth checking out. They weren’t in a rush, and getting more supplies would help them survive longer.
Especially salt.
They had brought some with them, but because of strict government regulations, they had been unable to buy too much before their exile. They had also seized a sack of salt from the bandits, but with so many people, it wouldn’t last long.
He still had no idea how long they would have to stay in the frontier. If the capital didn’t act soon, they could be stranded indefinitely. It was best to prepare as much as possible.
Although he wasn’t planning to abandon the Bai and Liu families, they would have to report to the government when they reached the frontier. If the officials discovered that two families had died on the way, it would be difficult to cover it up.
Besides, more people meant more labor. Even if they lacked combat skills, their manpower would be useful when clearing land for farming.
“Yes, just two or three miles east.”
“Thank you.”
When Yu Zhengqing returned and told the others about the market, everyone agreed to go.
They turned their carts and headed east. Within half an hour, they arrived at an open-air market.
There were still around twenty or thirty stalls, selling various goods—fur coats, hunted game, grains, leather boots, live animals, and more.
Yu Zhengqing, along with the heads of the Bai and Liu families, went straight to the salt vendor.
The sight of the large sack of rough, yellowish salt made their eyes light up.
“Can we buy this with silver?”
“Hah! Silver? What would I do with silver? No, you need to trade for it.”
The salt vendor had already noticed their group from a distance. He had seen their strong horses and, more importantly, the women and children sitting in their sled carts.
Even though they were bundled up, it was obvious they were women.
“I’ll give you three large knives for the salt. Deal?”
Yu Zhengqing still had over a hundred blades taken from the bandits. He hadn’t collected all of them, leaving some for his own people. They had also taken about fifty from the soldiers before escaping.
Even after the Zhang family had taken their share, they still had plenty.
He figured that tools like iron knives would be valuable here, where it was difficult to make metal weapons.
However, the vendor scoffed and waved his hand dismissively.
“I’ve got plenty of those. I don’t need them.”
“Then what do you want?” Bai You impatiently asked. He just wanted to secure the salt as quickly as possible.
The vendor’s gaze shifted toward their sled carts.
“Women! Give me three women, and the salt is yours!”
Yu Zhengqing clenched his fists.
Damn it. Just how desperate were these people for women? It seemed like they wanted to trade for women no matter what.
“What about cotton-padded coats? I doubt you have any here. You all wear fur, but when summer comes, won’t you get hot? I can trade you cotton-padded coats and innerwear—something comfortable for warmer seasons.”
Yu Haojie, who had been planning to trade for some thick fur coats, overheard the conversation. Seeing the dark expressions on Yu Zhengqing’s face, he quickly stepped in with an alternative offer.
“Comfort? What does comfort matter when I can have a woman? A woman can bear children. I only want women—nothing else!” the vendor insisted.
Seeing he wouldn’t budge, Yu Zhengqing abandoned the idea of trading for salt and instead bought some thick fur coats for his family.
Although this was the frontier, fur was a common commodity here. The abundance of wild animals made it easy to acquire fur for clothing.
Yu Haojie’s family had plenty of silver, so they paid fairly for their purchases. The local traders were happy to accept the coins—they might encounter merchants from the central lands in the future and be able to buy something useful.
The Bai and Liu families also bought a few items, but they were more cautious with their spending. After some haggling, they managed to secure a few pairs of thick leather boots for their family members.
By the end of the trade, most of the silver they had taken from the bandits was gone.
But that sack of salt still tempted them.
Unwilling to give up, Liu Mingxia begged Yu Haojie to try one more time. Reluctantly, Yu Haojie walked with him back to the salt vendor.
“Brother, don’t be so stubborn. Forget about women—it’s not going to happen. Those are our family members. There’s no way we’d trade them to you. But listen, if you had silver on hand, you could wait for the next group of exiles. The government soldiers escorting them might be willing to sell you women.”
