Traveling back to ancient times to get rich

Chapter 345 Buying Sheepskin

In the bustling market, the crowds were dense, and the sounds of noise and vendors' cries blended together. Gu Mochen, dressed in a black brocade robe with a warm jade pendant at his waist, stood tall and exuded an extraordinary air. Ye Qingchen, on the other hand, wore a light pink silk dress, like a blooming peach blossom, delicate and charming. The two, dressed in Liao ethnic attire, had just squeezed their way out of the crowded throng, their steps slightly hurried, their hair a little disheveled.

Yelü Fengqi stood not far away, watching them intently. Seeing them leave the crowd, a sense of unease welled up within him. He knew this market was a melting pot of all sorts of people, and Gu Mochen and Ye Qingchen were newcomers, unfamiliar with the place. What if something happened to them? Therefore, he hurriedly chased after them in the direction they had gone, his eyes filled with anxiety and worry.

The market streets were intricate and complex. Yelü Fengqi weaved through the crowd, occasionally standing on tiptoe to peek out, muttering to himself, "Brother Gu, Miss Qingchen, where are you?" He walked through an alley filled with dazzling trinkets, then around a stall selling steaming snacks, and finally found Gu Mochen and Ye Qingchen in a relatively quiet corner.

Ye Qingchen was sitting on a rock with a slight frown, one foot slightly raised, revealing an exquisite embroidered shoe. Gu Mochen was half-squatting in front of her, carefully helping her take off her shoe and gently shaking out the sand inside. Seeing this, Yelü Fengqi's heart, which had been pounding with anxiety, finally relaxed, and he breathed a long sigh of relief before quickly walking over.

"Brother Gu, where did you two go just now? This place is unfamiliar to you, so please don't get lost." Yelü Fengqi's voice was filled with urgency and concern. He walked to Gu Mochen's side, looked the two of them over, and only felt relieved after confirming that they were alright.

Hearing the voice, Gu Mochen looked up and saw Yelü Fengqi, feeling a surge of warmth in his heart. He stood up, dusted himself off, and said with a smile, "Brother Yelü, Qingchen got some sand in her shoes, which hurt her feet, so I took her to a quiet place to clean them up. It's nothing serious." After saying that, he turned to look at Ye Qingchen, his eyes full of tenderness and concern.

Ye Qingchen's cheeks flushed slightly, and she nodded gently, saying softly, "I'm sorry to have worried Brother Yelü." Yelü Fengqi waved his hand and said with a smile, "It's good that you're alright, it's good that you're alright. This market is crowded and chaotic, so you must be careful. Let's go, let's continue exploring the market; there are still many interesting things waiting for us to discover."

The three returned to the main street of the market and continued walking. The market was filled with a dazzling array of goods, offering everything imaginable. There were vendors selling all kinds of exquisite porcelain, which shimmered with a warm luster under the sunlight; there were vendors selling brightly colored silks, which fluttered in the wind like flowing rainbows; and there were vendors selling all kinds of handmade wood carvings, whose lifelike shapes made people want to stop and admire them.

As they walked, they came across a stall selling sheepskins. The sheepskins were neatly arranged, and their quality appeared to be excellent, with glossy fur and no flaws, clearly indicating they had been carefully preserved. Gu Mochen was very interested in these sheepskins. He walked over, picked up a sheepskin, and examined it closely. The sheepskin felt soft and smooth to the touch, and its thickness was just right—it was an excellent material for making leather goods.

"Boss, how much is this sheepskin?" Gu Mochen asked in a slightly accented voice. The vendor, who had been sitting idly in front of his stall, lit up when he heard Gu Mochen's voice. He looked up at Gu Mochen, noticing his distinguished attire and recognizing his accent, and began to make his own calculations.

"Sir, you have excellent taste! This sheepskin is the best within a hundred miles. Twenty taels of silver for one sheepskin, no deception, young or old," the vendor said slowly, his face beaming with smiles. Gu Mochen frowned slightly. Although he wasn't very familiar with the price of sheepskins, he vaguely felt that the price seemed a bit too high.

Just then, Yelü Fengqi walked over. He had lived in this area for many years and knew the prices of all kinds of goods like the back of his hand. Upon hearing the price quoted by the vendor, he immediately became agitated. "You vendor, how dare you raise prices like this? Normally, a sheepskin costs at most five taels of silver, why are you charging twenty taels?" Yelü Fengqi frowned, his eyes revealing a hint of anger as he stared directly at the vendor.

The vendor was startled by Yelü Fengqi's imposing manner, and the smile on his face instantly froze. His eyes darted around, and he stammered, "Sir, you...you're wronging me. My sheepskin is of good quality, so the price is naturally higher..." "Hmph, good quality doesn't mean you can charge exorbitant prices! If you don't give me a reasonable explanation today, I'll definitely report you to the market management office and make sure you can't do business in this market anymore!" Yelü Fengqi said firmly, his arms crossed.

Upon hearing this, the vendor was terrified. He knew that Yelü Fengqi had some influence in the area, and if he were to be reported to the authorities, his business would be ruined. So, he quickly put on a smiling face and said, "Sir, it was my fault, I was confused. I'll lower the price right away, I'll lower the price right away. Five taels of silver for a sheepskin, oh, three taels of silver, how about that?"

Gu Mochen stood aside, quietly observing everything that was happening before him. His gaze fell on Yelü Fengqi, and a feeling of gratitude welled up in his heart for Yelü Fengqi's righteous help.

Gu Mochen stepped forward, walked up to the vendor, and said with a smile, "Boss, although you raised the price on the spot just now, which was a bit unfair, I won't make things too difficult for you since you can admit your mistake and correct it. The quality of these sheepskins is indeed quite good, and I've decided to buy them all. Let's settle on five taels of silver."

His voice was gentle yet firm, revealing confidence and decisiveness. After speaking, Gu Mochen turned to his attendants and ordered, "Move all these sheepskins onto the horses." The attendants, upon hearing the order, acted swiftly. They deftly lifted the sheepskins from the stall and carefully placed them on the horses' backs. Each sheepskin was arranged neatly and without the slightest carelessness.

The vendor was secretly delighted to see Gu Mochen so generously buy all the sheepskins. He had been worried about offending this distinguished customer by overcharging, but the other party had been incredibly magnanimous. His earlier tension and fear had vanished, replaced by pure joy. The vendor quickly stepped forward to help arrange the sheepskins, repeatedly saying, "Sir, you are so generous! I will definitely reserve the best for you in the future." His face beamed with a sincere smile, clearly very satisfied with the transaction.

Yelü Fengqi looked at Gu Mochen and said with a smile, "Brother Gu, you're really generous. But this sheepskin is indeed quite good; you won't lose out by buying it." Gu Mochen smiled slightly and said, "I happen to have some use for it, and Brother Yelü helped me negotiate the price, so it's not a loss for me." The three of them smiled at each other and continued strolling through the market, enjoying the unique pleasures of the bustling marketplace.

Then they continued on their way, and as they walked, they discovered something even better: animal horns and bones.