"I also inquired about Chief Wu's intentions along the way. They originally wanted to exchange some meat for the troops in the city, but they refused. In the words of those leaders, they are reluctant to eat meat now. If they were to exchange it for livestock, they wouldn't have the energy. Other villages nearby wanted to exchange with them, but what they offered didn't satisfy them." Si Cheng hadn't been idle along the way and had inquired about everything he needed to know.
"Didn't they exchange anything to get out of their homes while fleeing all this way? They're all skin and bones." Sun Shaolei thought these people were a bit foolish; they were already struggling so much, yet they still wanted to make demands.
"Are you stupid? With these horses and oxen, they must have carried far more supplies than others along the way. Otherwise, given how far away they are from us, how could they have gotten here so quickly? Besides, we're all fleeing together, who has those things to exchange?" Zhao Dongwei retorted, making Sun Shaolei angrily point at him with his finger.
"Alright, let's talk this out," Yun Xun pulled Zhao Dongwei away. "You should change your tone. This is our own village. If this were outside, you would definitely get beaten up by someone who puts a sack over your head."
"Although they are all quite thin, their mental state is much better than that of the other refugees." Hou Yunhai had already noticed the two different states and differences when he was arranging these people.
After Si Cheng saw that they had finished speaking, he said to Sun Shaolei, "Later, you and Yun Xun go to Uncle Nan Yao's place to check the inventory. Take out 10% of each kind of medicine first, and we'll see how much we can exchange later. Leave the rest for Ma Tao."
"So, will all the items exchanged this time be returned to the village collective?" Sun Shaolei mentally calculated the number of cellars in the village, which were already full. If he wanted to continue to classify the items into the collective, he would have to dig more cellars next to them.
"Let's put it into the collective first, and then we'll have a meeting to see what can be distributed first." Si Cheng didn't want to keep everything to himself. If the villagers benefited this time, they would be even more enthusiastic later.
"Brother," seeing that Brother Cheng had arranged everything, Yun Jianying rubbed his hands together, looking at Si Cheng with a hint of hesitation.
"Just say what you want to say, why are you acting like this?" Si Cheng glanced at him, then continued looking at the supply list in his hand.
"Brother, could you please talk to them and see if we could get a different horse? It'll be a private deal." The two private ones behind him emphasized the word "private."
"The cost is too high. Have you discussed it with your family?"
"Not yet." Yun Jianying was a little embarrassed when he said this. "But this is something we discussed, and we'll pool our money together to exchange for it."
"Then you should go back and discuss it with your elders at home, after all, this is not a small amount of money."
The list that Chief Wu just sent over mostly consists of seeds and farming tools. Seeds are relatively easy to obtain, but they are also in short supply of farming tools. They thought they could exchange for a batch in the city this time, but who knew that the army did not have any farming tools in stock.
Fortunately, there was plenty of pig iron, but the exchange rate was so low that it was prohibitive, and the amount given out was pitifully small.
When Si Cheng was negotiating with Ma Tao, he also specifically mentioned this batch of pig iron. However, Ma Tao could not make the decision himself and could only go back and convey their wishes. He would have to go to the city to negotiate with the person in charge later.
When Yun Jianying saw the list of supplies in his hand, he gasped. The cattle and sheep were relatively easy to deal with, but the conditions listed for the horses were enough to make anyone back down.
“Our village can’t afford any of the things they’ve listed.”
"These are only for seeds and farming tools; we haven't provided them with the medicinal herbs yet." Si Cheng already had some plans in mind. Once he received the required quantity of herbs, he would personally go and discuss it with Chief Wu.
The benefits of having so many apprentices in Yunnan medicine became apparent at this time, as Sun Shaolei quickly obtained a list that could be combined with various dosages and quantities.
Si Cheng then realized that the village had unknowingly stored so many medicinal herbs.
Si Cheng memorized all the quantities, and now he had a clear idea of what was going on. Only then did he lead Yun Xun and Sun Shaolei to find Chief Wu and the others.
"Village Chief Si, we've been waiting for you! My grandfather is so impatient, he's made me come here twice already." Amon saw Si Cheng and the others from afar and jogged towards them.
"I just got back to the village. There are a lot of things to do, so it took a while. Is everyone settled in?"
"Okay, thank you for providing prefabricated houses for the elderly and children here. And the water supply is very convenient here. This place is truly a treasure."
"Don't worry, the place you're going to is no worse than our village, and in some places it's even better. If it weren't for the fact that the elderly in our village are reluctant to leave, our entire village might have already moved there."
"So we've encountered a good opportunity and good people." Amon led them not far before they met Chief Wu, who was coming to greet them.
"Look how anxious the old man is," Amon said, but he understood his grandfather's situation. If things could be resolved today, they could reach their village sooner tomorrow.
After exchanging pleasantries, the two sides went to the stone table where the old men usually sat. Only after they were seated did they begin to discuss their respective conditions.
Chief Wu brought the list of various prescriptions that Sicheng had given him to his eyes and read them line by line.
This list is quite detailed, recording all the symptoms and dosages for each symptom.
The more Chief Wu looked down, the more shocked he became. It contained almost all the common medical records, and the prescriptions and medicinal materials were all complete.
"Is this snake repellent?" Chief Wu could hardly believe his eyes, after all, such medicine did not exist even before the great catastrophe.
"Yes, and the effect is quite good. Villages around here have all been able to exchange for it." Yun Xun happened to be sitting next to the old man, so he quickly replied.
"Can we try this to see its medicinal effects?" Chief Wu hadn't expected such a discovery. When he first heard that the village was built on a mountain, he wasn't worried about other wild animals, but he was mainly afraid of these unpredictable reptiles. If this medicinal herb really had the effects they described, then he would be even more confident in settling down on the mountain.
Yun Xun glanced at Si Cheng, after all, he was the first to suggest trying the medicine. Other villages had seen the effects of this medicine pack firsthand because they had gone out with them.
“Yes, but it might be troublesome for Chief Wu to come with us.” Si Cheng felt this was perfectly reasonable and a very normal request.
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