Discovering business opportunities
Tang Feng stayed in Baolu City for two or three days before deciding to continue westward. Early one morning, Liu Yiwan led the newly acquired camel to the inn. Seeing Tang Feng disembark and Qin Liuliu carrying luggage behind him, he urged, "Young Master, hurry! If we don't reach Chanyun before sunset, we'll have to camp in the desert!" Tang Feng had inquired about Su Zili's whereabouts several times. He was certain Su Zili was no longer in Baolu, but the information he received was inconsistent. Some said Su Zili had gone to Fuyang, the capital of Shanghan. Others said he had gone to Chanyun. Tang Feng was undecided. Looking at the map, he saw Chanyun was near Baolu, and to get to Fuyang, he had to pass through Chanyun. He decided to go to Chanyun first, then Fuyang. Whether he encountered Su Zili was entirely up to luck. This wasn't the modern world; there were no telephones, and contacting someone depended on fate.
Liu Yiwan tied everything to the camels. Because they were carrying a lot of things, they bought two extra camels. He then helped Tang Feng onto one, put bells on the camels, and set off. It was Qin Liuliu's first time riding a camel, and Tang Feng, worried he might fall, had him sit on the first camel with Liu Yiwan holding the reins. Tang Feng sat behind, watching Qin Liuliu wobble around. Holding a small bamboo stick, Tang Feng tapped Qin Liuliu's waist, scolding, "What's wrong? Do you stink? Get maggots? What are you doing? You'll fall off again!" Qin Liuliu, tickled by Tang Feng's tap, hugged the camel's hump and laughed incessantly, "Brother... don't poke me, it tickles!"
However, Tang Feng ignored him this time and instead pondered what to do next. Judging from the current progress, finding Su Zili seemed a long way off. He couldn't let things continue like this. No matter how much silver they brought, it wouldn't be enough to support a few people spending it all. Tang Feng decided to find some business to do. He glanced back at the goods tied to the camels behind him and had some ideas in mind. Then he said to Liu Yiwan, who was walking ahead, "When we get to Chanyun, we'll stay there for a while. Then you can write a letter to Sister Jiu to let her know you're safe." Liu Yiwan was also happy to hear this. Although she had rested for a while during the days at Baolu, she clearly hadn't adapted yet.
Tang Feng covered his head with a piece of cloth. In Shanghan, without proper precautions, it's easy to get sunburned. Tang Feng already felt his lining was soaked through, sticking uncomfortably to his skin. But even so, it couldn't dampen Tang Feng's longing for Chanyun. The innkeeper had told them that Chanyun was Shanghan's leather capital, which made Tang Feng somewhat hopeful. When he lived with his grandmother, Tang Feng quite enjoyed shopping on Taobao, but his family wasn't wealthy, so he could never fulfill his shopping desires.
Now that it's cold outside, it's like being in a superstore. The goods are good and affordable, making it hard for Tang Feng to control his desires. At midday, Liu Yiwan saw that the weather was getting hotter and said, "Young Master, why don't we take a break for a while?"
"What rest? Let's go, I'm in a hurry to get there," Tang Feng said, tapping Liu Yiwan's head with his bamboo pole. "Hurry up, don't waste my time here, I want to get there as soon as possible."
Liu Yiwan pursed her lips. "You're enjoying yourself, while I'm still here leading the camel! Aren't you tired after walking for so long?"
"Liu Yiwan, what are you muttering about! Get out of my way!"
The two cities weren't far apart, and Liu Yiwan, traveling alone on a camel, wasn't slow. Before sunset, the group entered Chanyun City. Compared to Baolu, Chanyun wasn't as bustling, but the number of merchant caravans was no less. From Tang Feng's observations, there were more merchants than ordinary people in Shanghan; caravans with camels could be seen everywhere. Seeing that it was getting late, Tang Feng dismounted and kicked Liu Yiwan, "What are you standing there for? Hurry up and find an inn! What, are you waiting for us to all sleep on the streets?"
Liu Yiwan chuckled and slipped away as if she were walking on grease. Tang Feng tugged at the cloth hanging from his head; after a day's journey, his head was covered in sand, making him look dusty and disheveled. Liu Yiwan, however, was quick and efficient, returning shortly after. "Young Master," she said, "I saw an inn ahead, a husband-and-wife operation. The owners seem quite nice."
Upon hearing this, Tang Feng said, "Let's go with this place then." He turned around and patted Qin Liuliu on the shoulder, "Tired? Go back and get some rest. Tomorrow, your brother will take you to see some leather." Qin Liuliu was naturally happy to hear that Tang Feng was going to take him out, and he pulled on the camel, saying, "Then let's go quickly! I'll go to bed early tonight, and we'll go first thing tomorrow morning."
Once inside the inn, Tang Feng ushered Qin Liuliu upstairs and, pulling Liu Yiwan along, went downstairs to have a few drinks. "Landlady, do you have any specialty dishes here?"
"Yes, I'll make it for you right away." Watching the owner go into the kitchen, the proprietress cautiously glanced at Tang Feng and then asked, "You're from Yanyun, aren't you?" Tang Feng nodded. "You have a very good eye."
"It's not that I have a good eye, it's just that this handkerchief of yours is obviously from Yanyun," the proprietress pointed to the piece of cloth in Tang Feng's hand, the one Tang Feng had used to cover his head from the sun at noon. "We in Shanghan don't produce this kind of handkerchief. The temperature here is too dry and too hot, not suitable for raising silkworms." Tang Feng became interested after hearing this. "So, Shanghan is in dire need of fabric?"
“It’s not that everything is in short supply. Look at our fabric, we make it ourselves, but it’s linen, which isn’t as comfortable as your silk. We ordinary people don’t really care, but those high-ranking officials and nobles with delicate skin naturally prefer these silk items,” Tang Feng thought for a moment and then said, “Sister, to be honest, we came to Shanghan this time to do business. Could you tell us where the biggest market is here?”
"It's right at the east end. Every day around 7 AM, all the vendors set up their stalls there. You can go and have a look; it's very lively."
After listening, Tang Feng asked Liu to go upstairs to the room to cut a piece of fabric and bring it down. "Thank you so much. I didn't bring much, and I was afraid I wouldn't do a good job and would lose money. Please take this piece of fabric; it's a token of my appreciation."
"This..." Just as the proprietress was hesitating, the proprietress brought over some side dishes. "Meat and bean stew, this is our specialty, and this flatbread! Please try some." Tang Feng picked up a piece of flatbread, dipped it in some meat sauce, and said, "This tastes pretty good! Liu Yiwan, you try some."
Liu Yiwan tasted a piece and praised it repeatedly. Then, he picked up the wine pot on the table and poured Tang Feng a cup. "Young Master, how long are we going to stay in Chanyun City?"
Tang Feng had also considered this issue. Too long a time was not appropriate, and too short a time was not appropriate either. "Let's say half a month! Go write a letter to Sister Jiu and send it back to Xiling as fast as you can. Ask her to send more of this kind of fabric over. Tomorrow morning, take all the remaining fabric in the house to the east of the city to sell."
Liu Yiwan nodded in agreement. Since they had to get up early the next day, Tang Feng and Liu Yiwan didn't drink too late. After finishing a pot of wine, they went back to their room to rest. The next morning, just as dawn broke, Liu Yiwan had already packed his things and turned to wake Tang Feng. "Young Master, it's time to get up. Didn't you say..." Before Liu Yiwan could finish, Qin Liuliu opened the door. "Don't call him! Brother's already up, getting dressed." Liu Yiwan shook his head. It really was! "Young Master, did the sun rise in the west today? Getting up so early!"
"Get lost! I'm going to my dad to plead for Sister Jiu on your behalf, and you're up this early for that?" Liu Yiwan felt embarrassed to say anything more after hearing this, and went inside with a smile to help Tang Feng tidy his clothes. "I've already prepared breakfast."
"What's breakfast? Let's go!" Tang Feng was already impatient, pulling Qin Liuliu out the door. Before leaving, he turned back to remind Liu Yiwan to take the things. Dongcheng was indeed as the landlady had said, selling everything imaginable. The sounds of merchants haggling and vendors shouting filled the air. Tang Feng pointed to an open space and said, "Just put your things here!" Then he turned to leave, but Liu Yiwan grabbed him. "Young Master, where are you going? You're not going to leave me here alone, are you?"
Seeing Liu Yiwan clinging to him tightly, Tang Feng looked ahead at the leather goods stalls, his eyes practically yearning for them. He then turned around and patted Liu Yiwan on the shoulder. "You stay here. I'll go check if there are any competitors. Besides, you're not losing out. Consider today's earnings your monthly salary."
Upon hearing this, Liu Yiwan realized he wasn't at a disadvantage either, so he pushed Tang Feng forward, saying, "Don't worry, young master! Who am I? The number one seller in Xiling! People call me Liu the One-Seller, and I guarantee business will be booming today!"
"Get lost! Don't let me lose money, I'll be thanking God. Hurry up, I'll check later." After giving these instructions, Tang Feng took Qin Liuliu shopping. Tang Feng remembered a long time ago that Zhou Ziliang had a bow, a gift from his father. It wasn't easy for him to come all the way to Shanghan, so why not buy him a quiver? They should look quite nice together. Tang Feng stood at the leather stall, squatting down to pick out each item carefully, afraid of missing out on any treasures.
"Sir, I see you've been here quite a while. Isn't there anything of mine that you'd like?" The merchant, an old man, sat at his stall arranging his wares. Tang Feng shook his head, somewhat embarrassed, and said, "No, I'm looking for a leather quiver. Do you have any?"
"Hiss... quiver... wait a moment." The old man then handed his stall to a merchant nearby to watch over, while he rummaged through the camel cart behind him. After a while, he pulled out a bundle. Tang Feng frowned. Could this tattered bundle be what the shopkeeper wanted for him? He couldn't help but feel a little disgusted.
"Sir, don't let my tattered appearance fool you; the leather inside is made of camel hide. Take a look at the craftsmanship." Tang Feng took it and examined it. The leather was undeniably high-quality, indeed camel hide, and the workmanship was exquisite. For a moment, Tang Feng was truly captivated by it.
"This was made by a craftsman I found in Fuyang using Chanyun's leather. It took me quite a while. Look at the stitches, they're very dense, and it looks very sturdy." Hearing the old man's words, Tang Feng couldn't help but be tempted. "Then... I'll take this one!"
"Sir, you have a good eye! Eighteen taels of silver! You can take it directly, is that acceptable?"
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