Chapter 4: Mountain Market
Things packed properly, the next day upon waking, Su Yan cooked the Bamboo Jade Tooth with rabbit meat together, simmering a large pot of meat soup.
He first absorbed a strand of Insect Yuan from the Yin Water Centipede, then ate all of this Bamboo Jade Tooth meat soup.
His body immediately became scorching hot, with heat flow surging wildly inside, as if he were in a furnace.
Su Yan immediately started exercising, with intensity and speed far surpassing yesterday.
Under constant tempering, these medicinal potencies began to orderly nourish every part of his body, like forging a piece of raw iron.
Fully three hours, when he was drenched in sweat all over, Su Yan felt the medicinal potency in his body was mostly consumed.
After getting up, he shed the soaked hemp clothes, clenched his fist, and could still feel power abundant.
‘This Bamboo Jade Tooth paired with Insect Yuan actually has such an effect, as expected of a Treasure Plant. No sense of depletion at all, strength seems to have increased by several dozen jin.’
Joy shone in Su Yan’s eyes; with this current strength, though not comparable to a beginner in practicing martial arts, it was beyond what an ordinary sturdy man could match.
He was just about to practice bow and arrow; the stronger his physical quality, the more beneficial.
Cleaning up his disheveled sweat, changing into a set of hemp cloth clothes, seeing the sun high in the sky, it was already a bit late.
‘Gotta hurry to the market.’
Putting things into the backpack, covering it securely, then he left the village.
Mountain Market’s full name should be Mountain Market Marketplace, but mountain villagers all shorten it to Mountain Market.
This Mountain Market was specially set up by the Lin Family between various mountain villages, to supply mountain goods business deals, and sell things like firewood, rice, oil, and salt to people in the mountains.
The big boss is naturally the Lin Family; many mountain peaks are contracted by the Lin Family, hence mountain villagers going into the mountains for mountain hunting, logging, chopping wood, hunting all need to pay a mountain fee to the Lin Family.
But aside from the Lin Family, families in the city wouldn’t let the Lin Family monopolize; over the past hundred years, all sides have pulled strings, with Wang Family, Li Family, Little Mountain Association, Chai Gang, Three Tiger Gang all having shops or strongholds here.
Over time, it formed the current market layout.
Su Yan hurried along the path toward Mountain Market, about three to five li away, and from afar saw that huge wooden village.
Around the village was a wooden enclosure wall formed by hardwoods one person could hug, bundled side by side; one-third embedded in the ground, the remaining two-thirds about four meters high.
At the main gate entrance facing the main road, there were watchtowers on left and right, about six or seven meters high, with guards in dark cyan cloth uniforms standing on top.
At the doorway was another team of guards, watching the barricades, not stopping or questioning people, just maintaining order.
These are all the Lin Family’s marketplace guards; calling them thugs wouldn’t be wrong.
Mountain Market is a marketplace facing mountain villagers; coming and going won’t charge entry fee, but if trading inside and not trading to each family’s shops, then there’s inevitably a cut taken.
Su Yan arrived at the village gate and ran into quite a few people from his village.
Though they knew each other, there was no extra talk; each queued up and entered the marketplace.
Though Mountain Market Marketplace is just a marketplace, the area it occupies isn’t small, about for three to five villages.
One horizontal and one vertical street run through the entire Mountain Market Marketplace, dividing the marketplace into four areas.
East side has various shops, west side has each family’s shops for receiving mountain goods, warehouses also here.
South side and north side are both trading places, for mountain villagers to set up stalls for trade, also residences for a portion of guards.
Perhaps because summer tax is near, mountain fee day also close, mountain villagers from each village are rushing to bring out mountain goods to exchange for money, to get through the hard times.
At a glance, all sorts of mountain villagers could be seen; some with backpacks exposing green fern leaf tips, some with gray rabbits, roe deer and such small beasts hanging at waist or back, some carrying sacks, mostly filled with rough rice, rough wheat.
This wasn’t Su Yan’s first time at Mountain Market Marketplace; threading through the crowd, he headed toward the west side street.
After walking about two to three hundred meters, the crowd thinned, shop signs on both sides started appearing one after another.
Doors wide open, with a rough wooden platform set up; some signs with cloth strips writing the name, some directly topped with a beast hide, all with shop assistants calling out at the door.
Amid these many shops, Su Yan spotted Pan Family Restaurant’s sign and strode over.
Pan Family Restaurant’s storefront isn’t large; one steward, with three or four shop assistants; the steward in cyan-blue long robe, sitting in the main hall, two shop assistants at the door inspecting and verifying goods, two shop assistants sorting and packing newly received items.
Pan Family Restaurant doesn’t do resale business; the things they receive are all mountain delicacies and seafood.
Their restaurant’s chef skills unrivaled in Yun Cang Town alone make them earn pots full.
Legend has it the big boss personally cooks and does food tonics with martial arts benefits, even more a guest of honor for Yun Cang Town’s many family powers.
“Big Brother, are you still receiving mushrooms today?”
“Receiving, as much as you have, but it depends on your quality.”
Su Yan stepped forward to ask; that shop assistant about twenty years old, wearing a light gray cloth hat, black coarse cloth short robe, sleeves rolled up, placing a basket of just received mountain goods inside.
“Bring out your mountain goods.”
He didn’t think Su Yan too young; life in the mountains is harsh, which child doesn’t work.
But when Su Yan poured out the contents of his backpack, nearly filling the platform.
The shop assistant ‘tut’ed, finally showing surprise.
“Your harvest is even better than some adults.”
A nearby shop assistant came to help, sorting the items, then weighing.
“White Mushroom ten jin two liang, Termite Mushroom four jin seven liang, black ant fungus one jin two liang. Post-rain mushrooms mountain goods too many, price three to five wen lower than usual, but your quality is good, no deduction, total one thousand one hundred twenty-five wen, giving you one tael one qian silver, and twenty-five wen.”
The shop assistant calculated fast, slender fingers like two shadows.
“Deal.”
Su Yan nodded and took the money, but thought to himself: ‘Mountain Market has plenty of goods, post-rain all mushrooms, even Pan Family Restaurant presses prices; no wonder ordinary people can’t survive. But if going to the city, perhaps better.’
Though said so, truly going to the city marketplace, prices naturally a bit higher.
But the cost of the trip, city selling tax money also not low; round trip not worth it.
Took the money, backpack on back, Su Yan without looking back, headed straight to Hundred Herbs Hall’s shop; that was his main event.
Hundred Herbs Hall’s sign is a piece of white yellow coarse cloth, with only ‘Hundred Herbs’ two characters, vine patterns encircling the two words, very recognizable.
Not yet close, already smelled faint herb fragrance.
This shop quieter than Pan Family Restaurant’s shop, only two shop assistants busy, not many mountain villagers selling things.
In the shop’s main hall, an old man with white beard in black robe was drinking tea, a small incense burner by the tea, unknown what incense was lit.
“What herbs are you selling?”
Entering the shop, shop assistant Bai Shan slightly raised his eyes, asking.
Su Yan didn’t conceal: “Astragalus, Notoginseng, Gastrodia.”
“Bring out to see; rest assured if quality good, Hundred Herbs Hall never presses price.”
Herbs have size and season, but unlike mushrooms and such, no price press, so more people come.
But Su Yan interrupted shop assistant Bai Shan’s words: “What’s the current price for Yin Red Root?”
“You have Yin Red Root?!”
Shop assistant Bai Shan’s voice rose an octave; not seen a Treasure Plant in a good while, how could this young brother dig it? And it’s a poisonous creature.
Su Yan just nodded, opened the backpack; under fern leaf wrapping, a touch of deep red color showed, letting shop assistant Bai Shan see clearly.
“It really is.”
Bai Shan widened his eyes, just wanting to pick it up to check quality, suddenly remembering Yin Red Root is poisonous, not good to handle directly.
“I’ll take a look.”
The old man in the hall had gotten up at some unknown time, walked to the front.
Su Yan saw the old man’s appearance clearly; though long white beard, looking about sixty years old, steps powerful, making him faintly sense pressure.
“Steward Song.”
Bai Shan quickly stepped aside, giving position to Song Qi.
Song Qi reached out and directly picked up the Yin Red Root, a faint glow flowing between his skin, barely noticeable.
Surprise flashed in Su Yan’s eyes, thinking: ‘This steward is probably a martial artist.’
“Not bad, roots almost complete, six liang heavy; haven’t seen in some time. Able to dig a toxic Treasure Plant, few mountain hunters have this skill.”
Song Qi sized up Su Yan; a lean and thin lad, essence and spirit good, but no look of having martial arts in possession.
“Hundred Herbs Hall is short on materials for a certain medicine lately; your Treasure Plant quality good, I’ll give you 12 taels per jin, how about it?”
“Many thanks, Steward Song.”
Steward Song nodded, placed this Yin Red Root aside: “If you find more Treasure Plants in future, bring them by all means. For other treasures Hundred Herbs Hall dare not claim, but for Treasure Plants, Hundred Herbs Hall offers the highest price.”
Others taking a Treasure Plant, at most use it that way; something worth ten taels silver won’t fetch twenty or thirty taels.
But Hundred Herbs Hall can; that’s their confidence.
“Bai Shan, get the money.”
“Yes, Steward Song.”
Bai Shan was about to take out silver, including valuing the other herbs in the backpack together.
“Steward Song, this lad has an presumptuous request; dare ask if Hundred Herbs Hall’s herb booklet is for sale, just a basic herb catalog is fine.”
Su Yan neither humble nor arrogant, politely inquired.
What he wanted wasn’t some secret item; bookshops in town surely have it.
But going to town was a bit far.
Song Qi laughed out, sized up Su Yan again: “You know characters?”
“Father taught a bit.”
“First time I’ve seen a mountain hunter come to apothecary not sell herbs well, but come buy books from me.”
He stared into Su Yan’s eyes, as if wanting to see how he’d answer.
Su Yan was also testing, but not panicked: “Yunling Mountain has many treasures; my mountain hunting experience shallow, luckily recognized Yin Red Root, but for other Treasure Plants, may not be able to harvest, hence the question.”
“You sure dare to think.”
Ordinary people mountain hunting, though not never encounter a Treasure Plant in a lifetime, without some luck and three to five years, impossible to encounter.
“Bai Shan, get him a copy of Hundred Herbs Illustration.”
Song Qi said: “Hundred Herbs Illustration is sold in the city; some old mountain hunters have pondered it, adding a bit themselves for their descendants’ mountain hunting convenience. Consider it a gift from me, and see how long till you bring me a second Treasure Plant.”
This actually made Su Yan show surprise, slightly cupping hands: “Lad Su Yan, thanks Steward Song.”
Bai Shan handed Su Yan a small booklet along with 9 taels silver.
Su Yan thanked, put Hundred Herbs Illustration into backpack, then left Hundred Herbs Hall’s door.
Seeing that Su Yan go far, Bai Shan emboldened: “Steward Song, why give this lad Hundred Herbs Illustration; just got lucky…”
“Hmph.”
Before Bai Shan finished, Song Qi cold snorted, scaring him pale-faced.
Daring not speak more, only Song Qi’s eyes flickered, thinking: ‘Roots mostly undamaged, but tiny places unlike tool marks, probably some other method. Let’s see your skill; if you can find Blood Tendon Flower.’
