Chapter 12: Buy, Buy, Buy
After a slow and drawn-out negotiation, the final agreed price for the two hard plastic bottles was 18 units and 5 rolls, which also included Yuan Ye’s genuine leather wallet as a sweetener. The shopkeeper of “Tu Cang” even wanted to buy his hiking backpack and hiking clothes, but he had enough money for now and politely declined.
One unit of Eiraku coin weighed over seven catties. Fortunately, they weren’t too bulky and were strung together, making them not difficult to carry. Most of it was packed into two bundles carried by Momorokuro and Ichishiro. Yuan Ye still carried his own hiking backpack, which contained over five units. It would have been more convenient to exchange it for gold and silver, and Tu Cang was willing to trade in gold and silver, but Yuan Ye didn’t dare to accept. He lacked the ability to discern the authenticity of gold and silver, and a place like Tu Cang, which was like a pawnshop, was by no means a benevolent establishment. Even if it was heavier, copper coins were safer; anyone could tell if these were real or fake, good or bad.
He was very satisfied with this transaction. 18 units and 500 copper coins was enough to guarantee him and his foolish son food and drink for a long time, long enough to determine if they could return to the Modern Era, long enough for him to find a way to establish himself in this Era. Moreover, the amount wasn’t too large, not enough to make “Tu Cang” risk damaging their reputation and causing big trouble by harboring malicious intent and robbing and killing a Samurai of unknown background. He didn’t have to worry too much about safety either.
To be honest, if those two broken plastic bottles could have sold for a high price of a thousand taels of gold, he wouldn’t have dared to bring them out to sell, nor would he have dared to accept all the money if forced to sell.
Any Chinese person with a bit of sense knows what “possessing a treasure invites trouble” means, and a child flaunting gold in a crowded market is a sure way to court death. It’s good like this now.
Yuan Ye successfully completed the biggest task of the day, and the next step was enjoyable shopping time.
He first went to a bookstore to buy brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones, as he needed to quickly copy the 《Barefoot Doctor’s Manual》 in Pinyin. Buying these was essential.
It went smoothly. They offered “brush and inkstone bags,” a type of thick cloth bag that could secure brushes, ink, and inkstones inside, and could be hung on a saddle for easy carrying of these fragile stationery items while riding. The complete set only cost 450 copper coins, which was considered cheap.
Uh, it’s not exactly cheap. The price of coarse wheat could feed a poor person for a year.
The paper was Mino paper, which felt similar to Xuan paper. It was probably due to the proximity of the production area. A stack only cost 87 copper coins.
Yuan Ye also spent 22 copper coins on a stack of coarse paper produced locally in Owari, intending to use it for wiping his backside. He felt his backside wouldn’t like leaves and small twigs.
Next, he looked for a clothing store, but there wasn’t one, so he went to a weaving shop to buy cloth.
He and Meng Ziqi needed clothes from this Era. Although the current situation was good, their “strange clothes” had surprisingly not attracted trouble, but he felt that for safety’s sake, it was best to follow local customs.
He chose carefully. The cloth was “Songjiang fine cotton cloth.” While the origin might not be Songjiang, it was likely from the Jiangnan region of Great Ming, transported and sold through Sakai as a light luxury item. The high-end products in the shop, such as brocade, silk, and finely printed and dyed cotton cloth, were all products of Great Ming. It seemed that someone in Great Ming was engaged in smuggling, and on a considerable scale, even to the point of being audacious. It was being sold in Owari Province, which is in the central region of Japan. It’s likely even more severe in Kyushu, Sakai, and around Kyoto.
The output volume was very high, definitely large-scale smuggling. It’s possible there’s a large interest group.
Coarse silk, coarse cotton cloth, kapok cloth, and ramie cloth, on the other hand, were produced in Owari, Mino, and Mikawa and were very cheap. He spent over nine hundred copper coins on some coarse cotton cloth and cotton wadding, mainly because the clothes of the two followers were so tattered they were almost showing their buttocks. He didn’t want to see men’s buttocks every day, and he also wanted to make a few quilts to cover themselves. His foolish son, in particular, needed extra warmth and a thick cotton quilt.
He also wanted to buy an iron pot to try cooking himself, but there were no ready-made ones, and it required custom order, so he put it off for now. However, he did buy some seasonings and tea. The liquor store sold spices and tea, such as pepper, fennel, Sichuan pepper, tea bricks, and loose tea, but they were expensive and considered luxury goods for commoners.
As for liquor, the price per stone was close to two units, and it still looked very cloudy, of poor quality. He didn’t drink, so he just glanced at the price and left.
The miscellaneous items kept accumulating, and the money was too heavy for the three of them to carry. He simply circled back to the horse market and spent one unit, nine rolls, and fifty copper coins on a used “rabbit horse cart” to haul goods. It could also serve as a means of transportation later. He couldn’t ride a horse, packhorses weren’t durable, and warhorses were too expensive for him to afford now. Overall, the rabbit horse cart was the most cost-effective.
As for what a rabbit horse is…
A rabbit horse is a donkey. There are few records of donkeys in ancient Japan, but they were actually used quite a bit. Donkeys were widely used in Tang Dynasty China, with many donkey stations in cities for renting out donkeys for transportation. Japan, in the Heian period, fully adopted Tang systems and naturally introduced donkeys, also considering them an important source of animal power. However, they had never seen donkeys before and, after introducing them, considered them a type of horse, calling them “rabbit horses.”
For example, in the dictionary 《Iroha Jiruishō》, compiled in the late Heian period, donkeys are labeled as “rabbit horses,” with the description: Rabbit horse, horse-like in shape and appearance, with rabbit ears, a voice like thunder, likes warmth and dislikes dampness, eats little and endures fatigue.
Therefore, in various notes from ancient Japan, donkeys and mules were included under horses, considered a type of packhorse, and not listed as a separate category, thus rarely appearing in writing. At the same time, the price of packhorses appeared so cheap – when donkeys and mules were sold as horses, the average price of packhorses naturally decreased.
Now, Yuan Ye has arrived in the Medieval Period of Japan and has acquired such a used “rabbit horse cart,” officially becoming a car owner. Although the “rabbit horse’s” teeth are a bit old and the cart is a bit worn, it feels alright to ride.
Finally, he drove the cart to the rice shop and bought one stone of brown rice, half a stone of polished rice, and three combine of salt. The salt was coarse salt, yellowish-brown, and occasionally flashed with a strange luster, indicating heavy metal contamination. But there was no other option; he couldn’t find refined salt and had to grit his teeth and eat it for now.
With this, all aspects of food, clothing, shelter, and transportation were resolved. The first step of the survival plan went smoothly, and he and his foolish son now had a foundation for a stable life.
…………
As a “High-Ranking Samurai” with status, even if he was faking it, he naturally didn’t have to do any manual labor. Momorokuro, Ichishiro, and the rice shop employee were responsible for moving the long, straw-woven rice bales onto the cart. He stood by with his hands clasped, supervising.
While he was bored, he suddenly heard the sound of a biwa from not far away.
At the dark and damp base of the wall next to the rice shop, a boy just over ten years old was playing a Japanese biwa. The melody was slow and oppressive, extremely eerie, causing a subtle sense of unease and discomfort.
Hmm, this is the usual style of Japanese folk songs and popular tunes, with too many cramped semitones, naturally gloomy, even evoking a terrifying sense of a female ghost lurking nearby.
Yuan Ye listened intently for a while. He didn’t like the song; it made him feel uneasy, as if someone was planning to harm him. However, the playing skill of this little beggar was very high. In the Modern Era, he might have become a minor internet celebrity. It’s a pity he was born in this Era.
No, he shouldn’t be called a little beggar. More accurately, he should be called a “Blind Monk,” a street artist who makes a living by playing the Japanese biwa. Most of them are blind, and their skills are generally not refined. They usually place a bowl in front of them, and over time, they are categorized as beggars.
Yuan Ye watched the little boy quietly appreciating the local folk music. The little boy seemed to sense something and turned to look at him. His eyes were milky white and devoid of light. His clothes were very worn, and he was thin and small, making one wonder how long it had been since he last ate a full meal. He looked very pitiful.
I wonder how much longer he can live…
Yuan Ye’s good mood from just achieving a stable life dissipated by more than half. Influenced by the music, he even felt somewhat irritable.
Even though commerce was relatively prosperous, this was still a terrible Era. Even if he could survive here, this was still a terrible Era.
He didn’t like it here. Perhaps all modern people who transmigrated to ancient times wouldn’t feel comfortable, wouldn’t adapt, and would have an urge to escape from here immediately!
The sound of the biwa gradually faded to silence, leaving only the lingering resonance. Yuan Ye took out a few coins he received as change from buying rice from his pocket, walked over, and placed them in the little boy’s bowl. However, he didn’t say anything. He couldn’t manage such matters, nor was it his place as a traveler between time and space to interfere.
His kindness only extended this far; giving a few coins and performing a small act of charity to ease his mood was enough.
After the cart was loaded, he sat on a straw bag. Momorokuro led the donkey, and Ichishiro, wearing a conical hat and carrying a bamboo spear, walked alongside. They headed straight back home.
…………
The journey back was much easier, as he had now been promoted to the “car-owning class” and could park anywhere without anyone daring to fine him, which was ten times better than in the Modern Era. However, the speed didn’t increase much. It took over four hours to come, and it took about the same amount of time to return by donkey cart. By the time they arrived at Yayoi’s courtyard, it was already dark.
The Yayoi mother and daughter were both surprised and happy, and felt it was only natural that Yuan Ye brought back so many things after a trip to Nagoya Castle Town. They quickly helped move the rice and cloth, and then started a fire to cook.
Aping was especially delighted. Yuan Ye not eating their family’s grain had lifted a huge burden from her mind. It’s not that she was stingy; in this Era, grain was life itself. Who knew if the coming year would be good or a famine?
If their family’s reserves were depleted, would the whole family die then?
Sometimes, people have no choice but to be stingy.
Yuan Ye moved all the copper coins to the earthen seat and then checked on Meng Ziqi’s condition. He also visited Jikuro and exchanged pleasantries like “Are you still coughing?” and “How are you feeling?” Jikuro had already heard from his wife that Yuan Ye had saved him and weakly expressed his gratitude.
Yuan Ye took the opportunity to express his desire to stay for a while longer, which was undoubtedly agreed to. He then thanked them twice and returned to the main house to eat.
He was indeed hungry. In Nagoya Castle Town, although there were restaurants, inns, izakayas, and roadside stalls, and food was not lacking, he was unfamiliar with the place and didn’t plan to eat there. He had made a quick trip and return, and hadn’t eaten lunch at all. He was now so hungry his stomach was sticking to his back and he ate with great relish.
The main reason was that he was eating polished rice. He finally got to eat white rice. The grains were still a bit hard, but it was much better than eating brown rice.
Momorokuro and Ichishiro never expected to eat rice on their first day of pledging allegiance to the Head of the Family. This was completely the treatment of elite followers, a meal that required desperate effort to obtain. They wolfed it down with pickled radish, holding their pottery bowls as if they were starving ghosts.
Well, only Yuan Ye had three dishes and one soup at the earthen seat and could eat polished rice. They squatted on the earthen floor eating brown rice + pickled radish strips + rice soup. Given the strict hierarchical system of feudal Japan, with Yuan Ye present, they wouldn’t dare to enter the earthen seat. They would at least have to become vassals.
Yayoi also got brown rice. The main reason was that she served meals at the earthen seat. Yuan Ye wasn’t a harsh person; at least he wasn’t accustomed to treating people as less than human yet, so he naturally let her eat some too. However, she firmly refused to eat polished rice, her self-awareness of her status was very clear, and she was a hundred times more mature than children of later generations.
As for Aping, she was also sensible. After cooking the rice, she went back to eat her own barnyard grass seeds, buckwheat, and beans. However, she was also very happy. Yuan Ye not only gave her money for daily groceries but also handed over all the cloth to her, asking her to help make clothes for the four of them, and also to make a few pairs of large shorts and quilts for him and Meng Ziqi. The remaining cloth and cotton wadding were given to her as payment for her labor, to sell or use as she pleased.
Yuan Ye had calculated carefully when buying the cloth. Aping would make a profit. This could also be considered a form of alliance and rent in a sense.
After dinner, Momorokuro and Ichishiro were too full to move. Each of them ate at least three catties of rice, and this was after Yuan Ye noticed something was wrong and stopped them. Otherwise, these two half-grown boys might have eaten themselves to death.
After confirming that these two were not suffering from overeating, Yuan Ye told them to go home and sleep. Momorokuro and Ichishiro looked at each other. Yuan Ye’s place was their home now; where else could they sleep?
They planned to sleep on the earthen floor, but Yuan Ye needed to copy the 《Barefoot Doctor’s Manual》 on his mobile phone at night, and it wouldn’t be convenient for anyone to be in the room. In the end, they had no choice but to sleep in the cowshed with the donkeys. Yayoi’s family didn’t have cows but had a cowshed, as the village rented cows every year, and the cows were usually kept at their home, requiring a dilapidated shed to shelter them from the wind and rain.
It was a bit cold, but with straw piled up, they could hug the donkeys for warmth, and they should be able to manage.
After Yayoi served him and left, Yuan Ye took a deep breath, turned, took out the taser from his hiking backpack, and silently checked its battery. The gentle smile that usually graced his face gradually receded, replaced by a calm and placid expression, his gaze deepening.
One person does not enter a house, two people do not look into a well, three people do not lift a beam. This is an old saying.
When going out alone, remember not to enter a house just because someone invites you. Once inside, the light suddenly changes, your vision blurs, and it’s difficult to guard against blind spots. It’s easiest to be ambushed or stabbed.
Two people should not look into a well. If you lean over to look into the well, and someone grabs your legs and pushes you down, even with all your skill, you’ll be dead.
Three people should not lift heavy objects together. If the two people on the sides harbor malicious intent and suddenly let go, you will be crippled or dead, leaving you at their mercy.
The Prime Minister was cautious his entire life. When traveling, he always believed that caution leads to a thousand years of good fortune.
Yuan Ye’s childhood was difficult. His alcoholic father treated him very poorly and often got into fights with outsiders. As a child, he was repeatedly forced to deal with people demanding compensation. When seeking help, he often received cold words and disgusted looks from relatives, enduring much unwarranted grievance. Even his uncle sent him to study in Japan, hoping he could avoid these troublesome matters and not have his life ruined.
Therefore, he had seen the evil of human nature and was by no means a simple lamb.
Of course, another reason is the famous “Samurai Hunt” during Japan’s Warring States period. Many well-known Samurai were killed by villagers with manure forks after being isolated. Who can guarantee that he wouldn’t be among them?
He had been wary of Jikuro’s family before, not even daring to eat first last night, waiting for Yayoi to taste it before he would eat. Now that he had acquired a small sum of money, although it wasn’t much and didn’t seem worth robbing and killing for, there were incidents in modern Japan where gas station clerks were robbed and killed for a few thousand yen. Who could say that such things didn’t happen in ancient times?
One should not have the intention to harm others, but one must guard against others. Moreover, he now had two lives on his hands!
Whether he can stay here long depends on tonight.
In turbulent times, one must overcome challenges one by one!
