Chapter 50 The Deal is Done, the Wealthy Refugee

Chapter 50 The Deal is Done, the Wealthy Refugee

With a heart full of unease, Jiang Yutang lay down against the corner of the wall, closed her eyes, and couldn't help but open them again after a short while.

In a daze, she seemed to meet Cheng Lanzhou's gaze on the other end. Her heart tightened, and she quickly blinked. When she looked again, she saw that the other person had already closed his eyes and was breathing steadily, as if he had already fallen into a deep sleep.

Am I being too nervous?

She muttered to herself, feeling a chill creep up her spine. She quickly pulled the thick towel covering her body, burying her head inside, leaving only her eyes peeking out as she warily observed her surroundings. It took her a long time before she finally drifted off to sleep, exhausted.

Before dawn, the campsite was still shrouded in morning mist when Jiang Yutang felt someone gently calling her name in her ear; the voice sounded somewhat familiar.

She opened her eyes groggily, and the scene before her instantly woke her up.

A man was squatting in front of her, staring intently at her, so close that she could see the fine lines on his face.

Her sleepiness vanished instantly. Before she could scream, she sat bolt upright with a thud as her forehead slammed into the businessman's chin.

Both cried out in pain at the same time and fell backward. She clutched her throbbing head, while the merchant clutched his chin, wincing in pain.

The family members around were awakened by the sudden commotion and all got up and ran over.

Jiang Sumin, who was closest, immediately rushed in front of Jiang Yutang, standing between her and the merchant, his tone wary: "Who are you? What are you doing here!"

Cheng Daier was also woken up and opened her eyes to look this way, while Cheng Lanzhou remained lying on his side the whole time without turning around, as if he hadn't heard anything.

Jiang Songzhi didn't bother to straighten his clothes. He quickly stepped forward and, after seeing the merchant's appearance, hurriedly explained to everyone.

"Don't misunderstand, this is the businessman we met yesterday. He's here to discuss buying and selling beef jerky with you, young lady."

The businessman clutched his chin, finally recovering, but because he seemed to have bitten his tongue in the impact, he couldn't speak for the time being. He could only nod repeatedly, enduring the pain, to indicate that he meant no harm.

Jiang Yutang stood up, clutching her swollen forehead, feeling wronged. She had originally wanted to question him about why he had scared her so early in the morning, but the words caught in her throat, and she asked directly, "How's the beef jerky thing going?"

The merchant finally recovered and took out a stack of silver notes and a bulging purse from his pocket, handing them to her, his voice still a little muffled.

"Don't worry, young lady, I've already sold the beef jerky. A local wealthy businessman tasted it and liked it very much. He bought it all at a fixed price, which is very fair."

He paused, then continued, "According to our previous agreement of a 30/70 split, the young lady should receive 130 taels. I thought it would be inconvenient for you to carry silver while traveling, so I exchanged most of it for silver notes to make it easier for you to carry. The remaining loose silver can be kept in your purse for everyday use."

Jiang Yutang looked at the silver notes and purse he handed over in surprise. She hadn't expected him to be so thoughtful, considering even the smallest details.

She took the purse, opened it, and found it filled with loose silver, but she didn't know the exact amount. As a modern person, she knew nothing about the ancient silver exchange rate.

She casually tossed the purse to Jiang Sumin beside her and said with a smile, "Fourth Brother, can you help me count it and see if the amount is correct?"

Jiang Sumin took the purse and skillfully began to count the money. He quickly nodded and said, "That's right, the loose silver is not bad, and with the silver notes, it's about one hundred and thirty taels."

Jiang Yutang was relieved and took out the jade pendant she had pawned earlier from her bosom, handing it back to the merchant: "Thank you for your trouble. Here's the jade pendant back. It's been a pleasure doing business with you."

Before they had even reached the halfway point of their journey, they had already become the wealthiest people in the refugee group. Happiness came too suddenly, and the Jiang family breathed a sigh of relief.

The merchant accepted the jade pendant, smiled, and cupped his hands in a gesture of respect: "It's a pleasure doing business with you. If you have any more goods to sell in the future, please feel free to contact me. I have shops in several nearby prefectures and counties."

The merchant accepted the jade pendant and, taking the opportunity, struck up a friendly conversation with the Jiang family, asking with a smile, "Which piece of land are you all heading to?"

"Danzhou".

The merchant looked knowing and clicked his tongue: "I've been to Danzhou a few times. Although it's located on the border and life is tough, the soil and water are good, and the people are quite honest. As long as we can settle down, cultivate the wasteland, and do some small business, it might develop into a prosperous place in a few years."

Jiang Yutang silently agreed, but a question arose in her mind.

The Danzhou described in the book is indeed exceptionally peaceful, unlike other border areas which are chaotic. Ultimately, this is because Cheng Lanzhou will be assigned to guard that place.

She secretly glanced at Cheng Lanzhou, who was packing his luggage not far away, and couldn't help but sigh: This man is highly skilled in martial arts, meticulous in his thinking, and loyal to the court, yet he ended up being exiled. The emperor really has no eyes to recognize talent and has wasted such a person.

As they spoke, the refugees around them gradually woke up. When they saw the group of people gathered together, especially the merchant dressed in silk, they stopped what they were doing to look at them with curiosity and envy in their eyes.

Seeing this, the merchant knew it was inconvenient to stay any longer, so he quickly cupped his hands in farewell and said, "It's getting late, so I won't keep you on your way any longer. If there's an opportunity in the future, we'll meet again in Danzhou."

As soon as the merchant left, the yamen runners who were changing shifts staggered over from the alley next door. The smell of alcohol on them could be detected from a distance, and their unsteady steps indicated that they were still hungover.

They impatiently called out, placing the bland white porridge on the ground for the refugees to take themselves.

Before an incense stick could burn out, the yamen runners saw that the refugees had almost finished drinking, so they rudely shouted to clear away the bowls: "Hurry up! Don't dawdle! If you delay the journey, you'll be in for a beating!"

As the group set off again, Jiang Yutang noticed that Cheng Daier had a light blue square scarf on her head. The fabric was rough, but it could barely block out the sunlight.

She then realized that Cheng Daier had secretly slipped out to the street yesterday, presumably to buy this sun protection scarf.

It's currently the hottest time of the year, and the sun is scorching. Traveling for long periods can easily lead to sunburn.

Her eyes suddenly lit up.

The exile caravan would pass through countless villages and towns, and the refugees would all need sun protection. If we brought modern sun hats, sun sleeves, and sunscreen to sell here, they would definitely be very popular!

This is a sure-fire way to make money.

Why didn't I think of this sooner? All that sun exposure was for nothing, turning me from a pampered young lady into a commoner's dark-skinned beauty.

She quickly made a mental note of the idea, thinking that next time she traveled back to the modern world, she would definitely buy more sun protection products, not only for her own use but also to sell to refugees and villagers along the way.

They might have already saved up enough money to buy a house before they even reach Danzhou.

As she walked, she secretly fantasized in her mind, and the corners of her mouth couldn't help but turn up slightly.

But when she turned around, she saw Cheng Lanzhou, who also had a square scarf wrapped around his head, revealing only half of his high nose bridge and a pair of deep eyes.