webnovelfull Chapter 118 Buy if you want, get out if you don't.
Chapter 118 Buy if you want, get out if you don't.
The people from Chen's Grain Shop rushed to the outskirts of the city, but found no trace of the caravan. They immediately assumed they had been cheated and were furious.
The shopkeeper's nephew, Han Sheng, had his men capture refugees. After asking the refugees for directions, they finally managed to find a place for the caravan to stay.
But when they saw the huge group of people in front of them, and the trucks piled high with grain and fodder, they immediately realized that this group was not someone that their mere twenty-odd people could handle.
Even the money they brought to buy grain seemed pitifully small.
The thought flashed through his mind, but Han Sheng felt immense pressure and dared not delay. He respectfully stepped forward to inquire about the grain purchase.
When Meng Fuqing and his group returned to their lodgings, the people from Chen's Grain Shop had not yet left.
Despite the freezing weather, the person speaking to Du Zhong had sweat beading on their forehead.
Dou Xiucai was overjoyed to see so many people and vehicles.
Before he left the city, some people advised him that Meng Fuqing might be a bandit sent to the city to deceive people and rob them.
He was all alone after all, and he had been filled with fear and anxiety. Only after arriving here did his heart finally settle down.
Just then, he suddenly realized that something seemed wrong.
As soon as Meng Fuqing and Niu Er dismounted, people came over and led their horses away, and many people greeted them loudly.
Could these people be Meng's family or relatives? Otherwise, how could they be so familiar with each other?
Before he could come up with an answer, Meng Fuqing walked towards him.
“Scholar, come with me,” Meng Fuqing said. “I’ll take you to see Chief Du.”
Dou Xiucai followed behind Meng Fuqing, leading his mule cart. The more he thought about it, the more he felt something was wrong. He held back for a while, but finally spoke up.
"Where are the girl's relatives? Why haven't we seen them?"
Meng Fuqing glanced at him sideways but did not answer.
Once she was on her own turf, she decided to lay all her cards on the table and stop pretending.
"Scholar, you can rest assured that there will be no falsehoods in the matter of selling grain."
It's hard to say how much of the other things are true or false.
Dou Xiucai was so shocked that he stopped in his tracks.
If Meng Fuqing hadn't acted as if he'd accidentally let the news slip, and hadn't pretended to sincerely advise them against taking the risk, he wouldn't have believed her advice so readily.
Noticing that the people around him hadn't followed, Meng Fuqing turned to him and said, "Please, sir."
Looking at Meng Fuqing's eyes and brows, Dou Xiucai, who had previously thought she was a simple and easy-going girl, suddenly found her to be unfathomable.
Feeling a wave of fear wash over him, he couldn't help but swallow hard. Without asking any more questions, he lifted his leg and followed Meng Fuqing's steps.
Now that things have come to this, people have no choice but to believe it, and the grain must be bought back.
The two walked up to Du Chong, who was extremely annoyed by the people at the grain shop. Du Chong seemed to have seen a savior and strode up to Meng Fuqing.
"Miss Meng, are they really the people you brought back? Why are you being so long-winded? If it weren't for your sake, I would have drawn my knife and killed them!"
Han Sheng witnessed firsthand why Meng Fuqing was invited into the grain shop, assuming she was just an ordinary refugee wanting to buy grain.
Hearing Du Chong address her as 'Miss Meng' and speak to her in a very familiar manner, she was momentarily stunned.
Dou Xiucai was equally dumbfounded; after the initial shock, he looked completely numb.
As Meng Fuqing said, the most important thing is always true—selling grain.
That's enough.
Hearing Du Zhong's words, Meng Fuqing looked at Han Sheng, her eyebrows slightly curved, and under Han Sheng's uneasy gaze, she said the words that broke his heart—
"I only brought this scholar with me. Who are the others?"
Han Sheng's eyes flickered slightly, knowing full well that Meng Fuqing was doing it on purpose.
Meng Fuqing clearly saw him when he was invited into the grain shop, but now he claims not to recognize him. Is he dissatisfied with his uncle's gift? Or is he trying to intimidate them by taking advantage of his position on his turf?
He was furious, but he couldn't vent his anger. He had to force a smile and say, "Boss Du, this young lady doesn't recognize me, but I do recognize her. My grain shop manager invited her for tea, and it was from her that we learned you have grain to sell..."
Meng Fuqing suddenly realized, "So you're from Chen's Grain Shop."
She threw the sack she was holding onto the ground. "Thank you for the gift, shopkeeper. How much grain would you like to buy?"
The sack was tossed lightly on the ground; it was clearly meant to be a getaway gift.
The bandits and villagers looked at Han Sheng with disdain upon seeing this scene.
They were refugees, yet they were given half a bag of food when they asked for information. How could people in the city be even stingier than them?
Han Sheng was a little embarrassed. If you don't give anything at all, or if you give a small amount, you have to use a sack to carry it. This is not how you show off.
He harbored some resentment towards his uncle, but since the deed was already done, he could only try to cover it up.
“Nowadays, a pound of grain costs seventy or eighty coins. If my manager knew that you, young lady, were not short of grain, he would definitely send you a substantial sum of money.”
This time, venturing out of the city, I naturally want to buy as much grain as possible; I only need to fill the twenty carts I brought.
Our family has connections with the government; if Chief Du wants to sell grain outside the city, all we need to do is give him a heads-up.
Even if they could swallow all the grain, the other side wouldn't sell it all to them.
It would be better to do them a favor, so they can buy more, and after they leave, the grain price in the city will still be under their control.
It must be said that Han Sheng's words resonated with Du Zhong and Meng Fuqing, which was precisely why Meng Fuqing had come to the grain shop.
The two exchanged a glance, but Meng Fuqing gently shook her head at Du Zhong.
Du Zhong understood the situation, but he still wouldn't budge.
Dou Xiucai stood aside listening to their conversation, his heart rising and falling with their emotions. He only breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that the head of the gang did not agree.
He couldn't help but look at Meng Fuqing.
Han Sheng was focused on Chief Du, while Meng Fuqing was being closely observed.
After the initial shock, he thought that this Miss Meng was just someone who worked for the chief, but he clearly saw Miss Meng shake her head at the chief just now, and the chief's somewhat relaxed attitude became tough again.
Dou Xiucai's heart was in turmoil, but he didn't show it on his face. He simply moved closer to Meng Fuqing.
"Miss Meng, what is the price of grain? How many kilograms can a household get?"
Meng Fuqing and Du Zhong had already discussed this matter yesterday.
"The price of grain in the city has been halved, and each person can buy a maximum of one bushel of grain."
With the peace talks uncertain and no conclusion in sight, they need to sell their grain as soon as possible.
Otherwise, once the Hu army retreats and the court recovers, it should focus on appeasing the people and providing disaster relief, making it difficult for them to distribute grain.
Dou Xiucai's eyes widened in surprise, somewhat incredulous. The price was halved, and he could still buy a bushel of grain—it was much cheaper than in the city.
Just then, the burly men around them suddenly drew their broadswords and pointed them directly at Han Sheng and his group.
He was startled and retreated in fright.
Du Zhong's face darkened completely. "One bushel of grain per person. Buy if you want, or get lost if you don't. If you keep dawdling, you'll lose your life!"
Han Sheng's face turned pale and then flushed. He knew that this group was probably not an ordinary caravan, but more like bandits who had been living on the edge of a knife for years.
With such a large number of people, even the government would probably be wary.
Seeing that he might have made a wasted trip, he was still unwilling to give up. His face turned ashen as he said, "Chief Du, aren't you afraid that the Yezhou government will treat you as bandits and wipe you out on the spot for such behavior?"