Hearing these words, Ge Liang was already somewhat displeased. Early in the morning, he didn’t feel like scolding anyone, and since people from both villages were together, causing a scene would only create discord.
If the people from Hongli Village sided with him while those from Mingxun Village sided with Huo Shu, it would end up like two separate teams.
Back in the military camp, he had hated small cliques the mosteach with their own hidden agendas. Now that they were out doing business together, if they still caused such trouble, how could they expect to make any money?
"What’s the point of such discouraging talk now that we’re already out? Show some backbone, men."
Ge Liang patted Tian Fu on the shoulder: "Alright, let’s go."
Tian Fu took a deep breath and ultimately said nothing more.
The rain had stopped late last night, and by this morning, not only had it ceased, but the ground had also half-dried.
Dawn was about to break, tearing through the darkness and spilling morning light. Under the dim, gray sky, lanterns lit up along the streets, making the road still clearly visible.
The cart wheels rolled over the cobblestone streets, heading toward the city gate.
"Stop pushing! Stop pushing! Can’t you see we have to line up?!"
As soon as the convoy approached the city gate, congestion arose ahead.
Farmers and vendors from villages near the city had come early to sell vegetables and fruits, and the crowd had suddenly grown. With carts and horses trying to pass through (some entering, some exiting), the gate became temporarily jammed. Soldiers were mediating and directing traffic, so a queue formed.
Ji Wenliang’s donkey moved briskly, bringing him slightly ahead. Just as he was about to join the line, two other carts loaded with goods cut in front of him.
"Kid, our goods are valuable, top-grade porcelain from Tongzhou. If you break them, can you afford to pay?"
The two men driving the carts even turned around to scold him.
"Who’s pushing whom here? Have you no shame?!"
"Oh ho, quite the temper, aren’t you?"
The men on the cart retorted, "Why yell at us? Go ask the officials at the yamen if they’ll rule that we’re shameless."
The two men burst into laughter.
Seeing that Ji Wenliang was young and clearly inexperienced, they seemed ready to mock him further.
A soldier directing the crowd ahead shouted:
"What are you dawdling for? Move along!"
Only then did the men relent, flicking their whips at their livestock to hurry out of the city.
Huo Shu and Ge Liang, who were further back, hadn’t yet caught up. Seeing that the men had already left, they didn’t pursue them.
Unexpectedly, after exiting the city, the two convoys ended up close together, moving one after the other along the same road.
The two men who had cut in line earlier, realizing Ji Wenliang was part of a larger group heading the same way, suddenly dropped their earlier hostility.
"So we’re fellow travelers! Our apologies, our apologies. Where are you folks headed?"
Ji Wenliang, however, had no desire to engage with them, keeping a cold face and refusing to speak.
The men then turned to Ge Liang, who had ridden ahead to lead the way, and repeated their question.
Ge Liang smiled and said, "The official road is smooth and broad, we’re heading to Lianping Prefecture."
He told half the truth and concealed the rest.
"And where is your convoy headed, brother?"
"What a coincidence! We’re also going to Lianping Prefecture."
The man glanced at their goods and tilted his chin up. "You’re carrying goods from Tongzhou too, right? Porcelain from Tongzhou can fetch three to five times the price in Lianping Prefecture. A few more trips like this, and even a rundown thatched hut can be rebuilt into a grand tile-roofed house."
Ge Liang replied, "Isn’t that the truth?"
The man’s eyes flickered with a shrewd gleam as he studied their oxen, donkeys, and mules. "You all look unfamiliar, must be a newly formed team, huh?"
Ge Liang deflected, "Brother, you must be an old hand in the porcelain trade."
The man laughed. "No need to dodge my questions, brother. I’ve traveled this road many times. We’re all just trying to make a living. Since it’s your first trip, you might lack experience. I just wanted to offer a few words of advice."
"The reason Tongzhou porcelain sells for so much more in Lianping Prefecture is because getting there means climbing a steep slope. The porcelain can easily get damaged from the jostling along the way."
"After this rain, the road will be even worse. Rockslides and mudslides are common on the mountain paths. You’d better speed up and cross during the day. If you’re still on that road at night, it’s nothing short of a death trap."
"And whatever you do, don’t camp overnight by the riverbank before the slope. Bandits lurk there, waiting for merchants. Many inexperienced traders have fallen victim, some lucky enough to escape with their lives, others not so fortunate."
Ge Liang asked, "And the authorities don’t do anything about it?"
"Pah! It’s right on the border between two prefectures. The officials just shuffle responsibility back and forth. None of them want to waste effort solving a problem that might credit the other’s record."
"Well, that’s all I’ll say."
With that, the man raised his voice and called to his own team: "Pick up the pace! We must cross Longwei Slope today!"
His convoy cracked their whips, urging their animals to move faster.
The man drove his cart to catch up with his team, waving at Ge Liang’s group. "Safe travels! We’ll go ahead!"
The convoy ahead truly put all their effort into speeding up, disappearing around the bend in no time.
The man had spoken loudly, so everyone heard his words. Now, unease settled in their hearts.
They all turned to Huo Shu and Ge Liang: "Shouldn’t we speed up too? That man didn’t seem to be lying. The map already mentioned a treacherous mountain pass in Lianping Prefecture, hard to traverse and plagued by bandits. Better safe than sorry."
Thank you for the update!!!
ReplyDelete