Chapter 122 The Horse Traders in the West Market Have No Good Intentions
Jiang Ling was in a dilemma.
In this day and age, it's really inconvenient to go out without your own means of transportation.
But she didn't seem to know anyone in the county town.
No, there seems to be one.
Fang Shijie of Mulou Restaurant.
His family has a large business and extensive connections, so he might know some inside information.
Just as I was pondering this, the waiter brought up a steaming bowl of food.
It has a bright red color and a fragrant aroma.
"It looks good, eat up. After we finish eating, we'll ask someone else." Jiang Ling urged Xiao Ran to start eating.
"Mmm." Xiao Ran had been busy all morning and was quite hungry.
He didn't need to be polite in front of Jiang Ling and ate with extra relish.
After eating and drinking to our hearts' content, we paid the bill and left.
This meal cost nearly one tael of silver, which wasn't cheap, but the taste was still quite good.
Jiang Ling and Xiao Ran left Zuixianlou and asked the shop assistant where they could buy carriages.
"Brother, I have a question for you. Where can I buy a horse-drawn carriage in this town?"
The waiter replied while wiping the table:
"Young lady, you want to buy a ready-made carriage? That's quite rare. Usually, families prepare the carriage frame themselves and then buy the horses separately to match. If you want to buy a horse, you can go to the West Market; it's a livestock market there, selling cattle, horses, and mules. However…"
The waiter paused, then lowered his voice, "That area is a mixed bag, so you'd better take a close look and not be fooled."
"Thank you for your guidance, waiter." Jiang Ling thanked the waiter and then led Xiao Ran toward the West Market.
The closer you get to the West Market, the more complex the smells become.
The smells of various livestock, manure, hay, and some indescribable fishy and muttony odors mingled together and hit you.
The ground was a bit muddy, with scattered bits of grass and animal droppings everywhere.
The market was noisy and bustling, with chickens, ducks, and geese squawking and quacking, cattle and sheep grunting, and occasionally horses neighing and mules braying.
Some hunters even bring their game to sell.
There was a wild boar that had just been slaughtered nearby, and several people were dividing up the meat around it, adding to the rugged atmosphere with the smell of blood.
Jiang Ling frowned slightly and covered her mouth and nose with her sleeve, as she was not quite used to the strong natural scent.
Xiao Ran seemed quite at ease. He used to come to the West Market with his father to sell game, so he was quite familiar with the place.
"Sister Jiang, this way. My father used to come here often to sell mountain products and wild game, and I've come with him a few times."
Just then, a middle-aged man in a short jacket with dark skin saw Xiao Ran and greeted her with a smile:
As they were talking, someone said, "Hey! Isn't this Xiao Ran? It's been a while since I've seen you! Where's your dad? Is his leg injury fully healed? Why haven't we seen him selling mountain produce in so long?"
Xiao Ran stopped and politely replied, "Hello, Uncle Wang! My dad's leg is much better now, and he can walk slowly. Thank you for thinking of him. He doesn't go hunting in the mountains much anymore. Even if he occasionally catches a pheasant or a rabbit, he keeps it for himself and doesn't sell it much."
Since Zhao Yin injured his leg and could no longer venture deep into the mountains to hunt large prey, he naturally rarely came to the West Market anymore.
Uncle Wang sighed upon hearing this: "That's true, it's important to get well soon. Please give my regards to your father!"
After saying goodbye to Uncle Wang, the two continued walking into the livestock market.
The two finally found a place to sell horses in a corner of the bustling market.
However, only two horses were tied to the stakes at the scene.
One horse had its head drooping and its coat was dull and lifeless, clearly indicating that it was old;
The other horse, though seemingly stronger, was listless, pawing restlessly from time to time, breathing heavily, and had obvious discharge from the corners of its eyes.
The horse dealer, finally seeing some customers, hurriedly greeted them and introduced the horses: "You two have excellent taste! I've already reserved these two horses. Look how spirited and strong they are!"
The horse trader even patted the horse's rump enthusiastically.
Spirit? Robustness?
Otherwise!
Although Jiang Ling didn't know much about horses, these two horses were clearly not good horses.
Just then, an old woman carrying a vegetable basket, who looked quite kind, quietly approached and couldn't help but whisper to Jiang Ling:
"Young lady, are you looking to buy a horse? But whatever you do, don't look at those two! That old one can barely pull the millstone anymore, and that spotted one has a fever! That unscrupulous horse trader Zhang only cheats inexperienced customers like you. Don't fall for his tricks, young lady!"
Although she spoke softly, the lean horse trader heard her clearly.
The horse trader, seeing that Jiang Ling was well-dressed and looked like an inexperienced customer, was planning to rip her off.
But this old woman ruined everything, and he immediately became furious and pointed at her, cursing:
The horse trader immediately flew into a rage and began to curse at the old woman:
"You old hag! Gossip! Why don't you just hang yourself with that tongue? You're always ruining my business! Me, cheating and swindling? What have I cheated you out of?"
That old woman Li was no pushover either; she immediately put her hands on her hips and retorted with a barrage of insults:
"Bah! Who doesn't know your reputation, Ma Laoliu? You specialize in swindling people with inferior goods! Put your hand on your heart and tell me, how many outsiders have you cheated? Selling sick old Ma, aren't you afraid of being struck by lightning!"
"I'm selling my horse, what's it to you! You're just chasing a mouse!"
"I can't stand your heartless, rotten-hearted nature! You prey on honest people! You've ruined the reputation of our county!"
The two immediately started hurling insults at each other in the market, attracting the attention of many onlookers.
The horse trader was clearly no match for Granny Li in verbal sparring. After a few rounds, he was at a disadvantage, his face flushed red, but he had no choice but to spit in frustration and ignore her.
Seeing this, Jiang Ling understood.
There are obviously no good horses to be found here, and she originally wanted to buy a ready-made carriage, which doesn't seem to be available either.
She shook her head and said to Xiaoran, "Let's go, it seems we can't buy it here. Let's go ask somewhere else."
Seeing that the cooked duck was about to fly away, Ma Laoliu panicked and hurried a few steps to stop them:
"Hey! Miss! Miss, wait! You don't like these two horses? I have a fine horse tied up in my stable! It's a genuine imported horse, plump and strong, with a gentle temperament. It was just brought here not long ago, and I haven't had time to bring it over yet."
"If you're really interested, young lady, the price is negotiable. I'll take you home to have a look. It's nearby, not far, just around the corner!"
As he spoke, he glanced around, seemingly afraid that Granny Li would come and cause trouble again.
Jiang Ling was about to refuse,
"You've swindled my friend! I think you, Ma Laoliu, don't want to stay in Ping'an County anymore!"
A clear yet authoritative male voice rang out even faster than hers.
Jiang Ling felt the voice sounded familiar and looked in the direction of the sound.
On the outskirts of the crowd, Fang Shijie stood there, dressed in a brocade robe, holding a folding fan, his face slightly gloomy, coldly staring at the horse trader.
Jiang Ling was somewhat surprised, "Young Master Fang? What a coincidence to meet you here."
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