The man in the middle of the three was clearly the one in charge. He apologized, "The lambs at home need to be fattened up to trade for things. Money can't buy us food or clothing."
"Mutton is a warming food, perfect for autumn and winter nourishment. We're short of food, so we're bringing the sheep out to trade. Otherwise, we'd have to fatten them up before selling them."
Jiang Nian had expected this in his heart. Although he was disappointed, he did not force it. He asked again, "Where are you going to exchange it?"
"We're staying here today to catch the early market tomorrow. There's a market about seven or eight miles south of here where merchants from all over the world can exchange goods."
Jiang Nian thought for a moment, "What if I go with you brothers, exchange the goods, and then trade them with you for the lamb?"
The three of them looked at each other and said, "It's feasible, but we only have half a day. If you delay too long, we won't wait."
The roads are not safe now, and since they are all tall and strong, they dare not delay too long when traveling together.
"It's natural."
After agreeing on a time with them, Jiang Nian asked the waiter to add ten meat buns to the table and put it on his bill.
The men looked at each other again. It was true as the legend said that the people of Central Plains were very rich.
Jiang Nian had no idea what they were thinking. He ordered his own dinner and then went upstairs to his room to count the furs.
He left behind a few good fox and rabbit skins, and together with the furs he hadn't used up before, he could make some new scarves and blankets for Jiang Yue and the children in winter.
The next morning, Jiang Nian took the furs and went downstairs.
The three men were already having breakfast. When they saw Jiang Nian, who had shaved his beard short and revealed his handsome face, they didn't dare to say hello. They suddenly felt much more awkward.
They looked at the furs in his hands and were a little surprised. "Little brother, are you a hunter?"
Jiang Nian nodded.
"These furs are really good. It's a pity that you don't know how to tan them. If you could, they wouldn't be cheap to sell."
The people living in the grasslands and deserts grew up eating meat. They saltpeter the skinned fur themselves. The craft is passed down from generation to generation, and they cannot bear to see the fur being wasted.
Jiang Nian had no choice as he was not very good at this skill. Jiang Yue had learned it, but she was not around.
Let's first see if what he has is exchanged for something. If not, he will go hunting and directly exchange wild animals.
He hadn't thought there was such a big market here before, otherwise he would have saved some to exchange. Nowadays, meat is in short supply everywhere.
There would be no shortage of buyers for the sheep on these grasslands; they were in great demand. It was for this reason that he had already arranged with a few people to wait for him.
Jiang Nian didn't have a mount, and these people were herding sheep, so they weren't walking fast.
They left home at daybreak, and when they arrived the market had just begun.
Perhaps because the weather has been relatively better this year, there are indeed quite a few people coming to the market to exchange things.
This wasn't a government-run market, but rather something spontaneously organized by the people. A large, flattened field had been cleared, and with no need for stall fees, everyone simply found a spot to set up their wares and start selling.
Jiang Nian didn't bring any cloth, so the big brother who sold sheep lent him a piece of rag.
Spread out the rags and place the furs on top.
Although furs are common here, the demand has been insufficient to meet the supply in the past two or three years.
People all know the principle of buying off-season. Furs are cheaper in summer, but their prices will increase in winter.
Jiang Nian first walked around and saw a few people selling sheepskins and rabbit skins. His furs were not as well tanned as theirs, so he offered slightly lower prices than those they quoted: four liters of grain per fox skin, three liters of grain per sheepskin, one liter of grain per rabbit skin, and two mink skins for five liters of grain each.
This mink fur is short, soft, and will not get wet in the rain. It is very warm, very rare, and more expensive than fox fur.
Many people were attracted here, but unfortunately, although they were tempted by the sight, no one was willing to exchange so much food.
The same was true at other stalls, with rabbit skins being the most popular item. However, rabbit skins were sold in large quantities, requiring three or four skins to make a small scarf, so a single sale was quite a large sum.
The sun gradually rose higher, and Jiang Nian's back was already wet with sweat. More and more people came and went, and it was bustling like a New Year's fair.
The stall selling lamb occupied the middle of the street and was always bustling with activity, the sound of bargaining being heard constantly. Those who could afford the meat were not ordinary people.
A beautiful woman came to the market with a child about ten years old. She bought the last two sheep right away. It was a very generous purchase, unlike other people who had to share one sheep with several families.
They were followed by several servants, and it was obvious that they were a wealthy family.
Jiang Nian had just exchanged the last few rabbit skins for the people in front of him and was tidying up the messed-up furs on the stall when the mother and son stopped in front of the stall.
Jiang Nian looked up and met their gaze. His expression remained unchanged, as if he didn't recognize them. He asked, "Madam, would you like to see some furs? We have fox and mink furs, and they're cheap."
The woman looked at him twice, as if confirming something, then lowered her head and looked at the fur on the ground.
Her fair fingers gently touched the fox fur, and then she took them all without asking the price.
The servants behind him immediately came forward with food and exchanged furs with Jiang Nian.
The business was done, and Jiang Nian looked at the few people who left without saying a word, and said nothing more. The roles were reversed, and there was a give and take, which was good.
The three brothers sold out more than 20 sheep in just two hours, which was considered extremely fast. I didn't expect Jiang Nian to clear out all the goods so quickly.
Jiang Nian showed them the grain on the ground. He didn't have a grain bucket, so he just estimated the amount. He traded a rabbit skin for two backpacks, which were now filled with coarse grain, about 40 liters.
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