Chapter 90: Yong'an County Grand Shopping Spree

"The design is so exquisite!"

"Lighter than our knives, and quite handy..."

"This blade... looks pretty good..."

"Let's go try it out..."

"Ah, Your Highness, you promised me a curved blade—is this it? If not, I'll take one first."

Da Wang: "... Better than this, just figure it out."

Better than this?

Wei Shen immediately shoved the sword into the hands of the aide behind him, then went over and embraced his beloved cousin.

"I was just saying you look much cuter today..."

Da Wang:...

The departing party ended up as the two brothers with ten guards wearing waist-hung curved blades—what a sight, truly eye-catching.

Paired with Da Wang's gray, fuzzy robe, it was utterly obvious—like hiding silver but shouting there's three hundred taels.

From the moment they stepped onto the street, whoever caught sight of them had to look twice.

Seeing Yong'an's intact, towering city walls, Da Wang felt a pang of sorrow.

"There are no hateful neighbors here—why build such strong walls?"

After entering the city and seeing the people's spirits, Da Wang felt sorrow again.

"Look at how happy the Jiaodong folk are—just one glance and you can tell they've never really starved. They're far from the border, never experienced a city falling. If we dressed like this and walked the streets of Youzhou, the people would already have fled for their lives, humph!"

Wei Shen: "... People say it's a famously wealthy prefecture—who let your father be so stingy with you?"

Their low-key attempt failed, so they simply dressed as somewhat wealthy merchants. The brothers headed straight for the county's largest tavern and spent lavishly.

Da Wang avoided seafood, ordered a big table of dishes, then clung to the waiter, asking which Jiaodong merchants were rich, which were generous and righteous.

Asking such things at a tavern is quite appropriate.

Da Wang tossed out a silver ingot, and the waiter even made him a 【Jiaodong Prefecture Wealthy People Ranking】.

After getting the information, Da Wang ate heartily, then switched to a teahouse to continue his intelligence gathering. This shocked Wei Shen and Zhang Tu a bit—they had wrongly blamed Da Wang, but he wasn't just playing around after coming ashore; he was here on serious business.

Da Wang synthesized the two situations, found little difference, quickly pulled out his handy notebook, summarized a small note, and had it sent back to Chen Cang, sighing: "This is all I can help you with~"

Then this guy abandoned serious business and dove into shopping spree.

Jiaodong's streets are far livelier than Youzhou's, and this trip just happened to catch the year-end—when else to shop if not now?

Da Wang seamlessly blended into the shopping crowd. Though their group looked quite formidable, Da Wang headed for down-to-earth shops.

General stores and jewelry shops were must-visits; even passing a grain shop, Da Wang had to go in and ask prices. If cheaper than Youzhou, he'd pout in protest; if more expensive, he'd curl his lips.

Wei Shen was genuinely puzzled—had his cousin seen too many good things? Look at what he's buying now when he goes out!

Entering the jewelry shop, Da Wang only looked at craftsmanship, buying a pile of copper and silver ornaments. Wei Shen thought the workmanship was barely acceptable, but the quality was too poor?

Entering the cloth shop, Da Wang actually bought some fabric? What good fabric could commoners sell? And that wasn't all—he also bought a bundle of sachets and small embroidered pieces. Recently, Da Wang had nothing to sell at his stall, so now was the perfect time to stock up.

Entering the southern goods shop, Da Wang felt like he'd fallen into a rice bin—there were plenty of things unseen in Youzhou!

All kinds of wooden carvings, lacquer boxes, various fans southerners like—this was already enough, but Wei Shen watched wide-eyed as Da Wang walked to the corner, pointed at a row of small bronze jars on the ground, each with a delicate little house on top...

Da Wang waved his hand grandly: "Give me five—have someone send them to the ferry this afternoon..."

Wei Shen grabbed him: "Little ancestor, you know what that is and you're buying it?!"

Da Wang: "Pretty bronze jars?"

Wei Shen weakly said: "Those are soul jars!" Seeing Da Wang's clear, big eyes, he also realized Da Wang had no idea what a soul jar was.

"Soul jars are burial urns—when someone dies, they're placed in the tomb to hold the soul." Wei Shen knew this too well—his grandmother had one when she died; he lifted it to look, wanted to take the delicate little courtyard on top, but got double-teamed by his mother and brother.

Da Wang: "... Oh~" Scary! But... actually no big deal, his stall's customers might not know.

Thinking this way, originally it didn't matter what it was for—looks good is enough! Customers buying it to use however they want, then it is whatever they want. If a customer wanted to buy it back to hold rice, then it's a rice bucket—anyway, they're all new.

Da Wang figured it out and stayed calm, continuing to haggle with the shopkeeper.

The shopkeeper was also at a loss—hadn't heard anyone hoarding this stuff, looked at Da Wang then at Wei Shen, "You're the older brother, right? Who's in charge? Are you buying or not? How many?"

Wei Shen:...

Da Wang bought a pile of exquisite little trinkets with various uses, then left the southern goods shop satisfied.

On Yong'an's most prosperous street, he scattered over three thousand taels of silver, bought a heap of junk, then agreed to return to the ferry to check on fish sales.

Turning back to the ferry, before even arriving, he met crowds of onlookers returning from the spectacle, many holding fish.

Getting closer, he began seeing all kinds of carts—ox carts, hand-pushed carts, few horse carriages—as they passed, a familiar fishy smell drifted over, and Da Wang knew they'd bought fish.

Looks like sales aren't bad!

By the time they reached near the ferry, it was utterly noisy.

Tong Chen, with two little eunuchs, was overseeing the retail sale to locals; a group of dockworkers taking on odd jobs and fishermen together were unloading fish, and Da Wang felt as if he saw countless silver coins flying into his account book.

How great—if they can't sell it all, there's his warehouse to store it, the boats can empty out and return full for the New Year. Thinking this, Da Wang couldn't walk properly, hopping and bouncing with each step, overjoyed beyond measure.

Wei Shen watched from behind, his teeth aching—Da Wang was a total con artist!

Heaven knows how this guy managed to make his father think so highly of him—in his father's mouth, Da Wang was practically a perfect child. When scolding him, they'd say, "You're not as sensible as the four-year-old Prince, you're not as steady as the four-year-old Prince," and so on. Look—would a sensible prince walk like that?

Wei Shen glanced at the aide beside him; the aide looked bewildered, he pointed at the hopping Da Wang ahead and said: "Remember what the Prince is doing today, go back and tell my father."

Aide:...

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Da Wang was very reassured by the NPCs produced by Meng Meng, seeing that people were buying them well, he didn't participate, but insisted on going to inspect the warehouse.

Wei Shen could understand his mindset, just like his grandfather would go count his warhorses when he had nothing to do. But he had no interest in the cold ice-cold storage.

He pulled out Zhang Tu and went to the open space outside to gesture and measure the new sabre, he loved it so much he couldn't put it down, he simply couldn't think of a sabre better than this one, what quality it must be.

Da Wang was happy to be free, he had the busy fishermen pick out good fish and store some in the warehouse, as he passed by, the fish crates were reduced by a pile, fortunately the goods being shipped were in a mess, and there was no warehouse keeper, he deliberately set up a weighing and accounting post only at the ship's exit, this greatly facilitated Da Wang's Qian Kun Da Nuo Yi.

After dinner, Da Wang received the sales report for today handed up by the Grand Tutor, Da Wang estimated and was surprised to find that half had actually been sold?

"Is Jiaodong really that powerful? Are the wealthy merchants buying more or the common people buying more?"

"We sell cheap, and the common people also buy a lot, today the common people who bought account for about thirty percent, the rest are all wealthy households and rich merchants in the city, among whom the Ma family who run the wine shop are the most."

Da Wang asked his most concerned question, "Was the silver paid?"

"The Ma family bought a lot, they only want deep-sea big fish, and there's still part of the big horse shark fish not moved, we'll settle the accounts together tomorrow."

Da Wang was relieved, and called Zhao Bao, "Tonight on the deck, freeze some more ice, tomorrow if we can't sell it all, move it together with the ice to the rented warehouse, I'll send people to take over and continue selling."

Wei Shen didn't understand, "This winter is unusually cold, the fish are already frozen rock hard, why add more ice?"

"Well, you could say I learned it from Bai Ge, putting ice bags on top and bottom in the boxes, it looks fresher……"

"... Just in case? If the weather suddenly warms up one day, we don't have ice stored in Jiaodong, if we have the chance we should still freeze more!"

Wei Shen just mentioned it casually, and didn't notice anything fishy in the ice-cold storage, Da Wang brushed it off and he didn't care either, soon his thoughts turned to the sabre.

In the evening, Da Wang, refreshed and energetic, ran to the homestead to set up his stall, he had lots of new goods to display, happiness!

One kind with two kinds of small packet skins in a roll, Da Wang picked it up and went to find his stall partner Qiao Yi.

Since they became familiar, whenever Qiao Ge had a seat beside him, Da Wang would come over to keep him company, this way when there were no customers, the two could still play together.

Today's Bigu Dan still had no takers, but Da Wang's 'broken things' attracted quite a few viewers, and before long he sold a carved lacquer box, Da Wang took in 300 yuanbao, well, net profit 299.

When Da Wang got enthusiastic, he could make iron trees bloom, the introverted and shy Qiao Yi, who had no friends in the real world, after hanging out with Da Wang for a few days became much more enthusiastic toward him, their chat content gradually increased and broadened, when idle they even guided Da Wang in body-refining techniques.

This book and what Zhao Chuanwu taught were not of the same system, Da Wang couldn't understand many things, Qiao Yi had no business so he just watched Da Wang practice. Da Wang's physique was already beyond needing refinement, but the later fist techniques seemed quite formidable, Da Wang practiced them with reasonable dedication.

"Your breathing method is reversed, inhale after exhale, and when exerting force it's also wrong……"

Da Wang, practicing until he was steaming with heat, went back and slept well, the next day Zhao Bao came to call him to get up, and as soon as Da Wang opened his eyes he showed a smile. Zhao Bao handed him clothes while teasing, "Your Highness, did you dream of something good?"

"I thought of today's Grand Tutor continuing to be the accountant, and I was happy, hahaha, no need to study anymore～"

Zhao Bao: ……

Bai Ze: ……Worry.

Da Wang continued to let go and had nothing, Wei Shen accompanied Da Wang to the neighboring Lin Gao County, they played all day and bought a pile of broken things before returning fully loaded.

Da Wang, while riding his horse toward the ferry, complained that this rented so-called good horse was far worse than the little red date, Wei Shen took the opportunity to inquire what the platinum wild horse was like, the two bickered all the way to the ferry.

Near their big ship, it was still carriages and horses flowing like water and dragons, Da Wang reined in his horse and stopped, "Doesn't look like they've sold out……"

"Then tomorrow we also have to set off, otherwise you'll have to spend New Year's at sea."

The two were speaking when Chen Cang Ying came out, "Your Highness has returned, the commoner has important matters to report. The Ma family who bought thirty percent of our fish catch has already taken away all the fish, but did not settle the payment as agreed."

Upon hearing this, Da Wang exclaimed, "This still needs to be dealt with?!"

"He dares to default on Wang's account?!"

"The head of the Ma family said this isn't defaulting on debt, their Ma family is a famous merchant house from the north and would never default on debt, they will personally deliver the silver after clearing this batch in spring, only willing to issue an IOU."

Da Wang recalled, the Ma family… seemed to be the richest man of Yong'an?

"That wine shop attendant really isn't proper, spouting a bunch of irrelevant things, and didn't even say this Ma Li person has bad character."

Chen Cang reminded him, "This Ma family is exactly the one that runs the wine shop, Your Highness, could it be that you asked someone from their own side……"

Da Wang: ……

Da Wang got angry.

"How much silver does he owe Wang?"

"Fifty-three thousand and seventy-two taels."

Upon hearing that thirty percent was only fifty thousand taels, Da Wang became even angrier, nearly a thousand people had worked for half a month to earn only one hundred fifty thousand taels, and someone dared to greedily take his hard-earned money!

Compared to the price he sold to Bai Yang, plus the conversion of yuanbao, the face value of this money others see as huge profits and exorbitant gains, but from Wang's perspective it's really not much, Wang cannot suffer this loss!

"In this world, no one can greedily take Wang's money!" Wang puffed up angrily.

"Chen Cang, you order a halt to sales, send all the rest to our rented warehouse, the fishermen are all on standby to guard our ships. Zhang Tu, you pick a hundred people to go with Wang to meet this Ma Li, Wang wants to see what he eats to grow up like this, daring to play Wang!"

Chen Cang was not idle either, he had inquired about the Ma family's background, since they acted this way it must be that he found nothing. But on his side he did find out something about the Ma family.

"Report to Your Highness, the commoner has found that this Ma family has consistently acted domineering, their business in the surrounding three commanderies keeps growing, not only the wealthy merchants of Jiaodong, but even the commandery governor's office gives them some face. The commoner found that the current head of the Ma family, Ma Li, is of ordinary wealthy merchant origin, but his wife comes from a branch of the Wang family, that is, the Wang family of the mother's clan of the Prince of Ruyang."

Chen Cang made his point and stopped, Da Wang also understood.

Wei Shen snorted, "So it really is a very distant branch, fallen to marrying a wealthy merchant." The great scholar families also bend for five dou of rice.

Yi Yan Da Wang smiled and said, "Does Your Highness want to give the Wang family this face?"

Da Wang: "Don't make Wang laugh, the face of the Prince of Ruyang is not worth Wang's fifty thousand taels." Don't say anything about the Wang family!

Wei Shen: ……

Not surprising it's you.