A Good Country Wife
Chapter 391 - 385_1

Chapter 391: 385_1

Having learned of the potential threat from mountain bandits, everyone fell silent the next day on the road, the usual laughter and chatter replaced by tension and solemnity.

By noon, they arrived in Longmen Town. After discussing with Zhao Erhu, Li Xun decided they should not continue traveling in the afternoon, but rather rest well overnight in Longmen Town, as they would need to be well-rested for passing through Longhu Mountain tomorrow.

"Dear guests, are you looking to stop over or to stay?" Upon arriving at the inn, they were promptly greeted by an attentive innkeeper.

Li Xun and Zhao Erhu, along with their group, settled the goods in the back courtyard and arranged for people to take turns guarding them, while Lin Yue followed the innkeeper to get settled in their room.

After days of continuous travel, today was the first time they could relax, having only traveled half the day. Despite still worrying about mountain bandits, they took the rare opportunity to unwind.

After lunch, Li Xun asked Zhao Erhu and his wife with a smile, "Brother Zhao, sister-in-law, what are your plans for the afternoon? Will you rest in your room, or would you like to go out for a stroll?"

"Big Brother Li, although Longmen Town is just a small town, it looks very bustling, almost like a small county seat. I’m planning to go out and have a look around with my husband," Lin Yue replied. Having spent her days in the carriage, limited to reading books, snacking, or mostly sleeping, she was feeling groggy and naturally refused to rest at the inn. She intended to go out, especially since Longmen Town was so lively, and she wasn’t the only one with that idea.

"Brother Zhao, sister-in-law, what you may not know is that although Longmen Town is small, it’s a hub of north-south traffic and has access to many places. Traveling merchants often stop here, and that makes it much more bustling than ordinary towns. In recent years, there have been even more merchants in Longmen Town. It would be good for you to take a walk in the marketplace—you might find many treasures," Li Xun said meaningfully, seeming to hint at some mystery.

Zhao Erhu and Lin Yue found this curious, "Big Brother Li, that’s quite strange. Isn’t it said that mountain bandits have been rampant in Longhu Mountain in recent years? Everyone should be concerned about safety. Why would there be even more traveling merchants? And even though Longmen Town might be much more bustling than an ordinary town, it’s still just a town. When it comes to good items, it can’t compare to the big cities and towns. By saying this, Big Brother Li, is there something else we don’t know about?"

"Yeah, Big Brother Li, we’re close enough for you not to beat around the bush. Just tell us what’s going on, so we have an idea," urged Zhao Erhu. At first, he only found it odd and didn’t think much of it, but Lin Yue’s words made him consider there might be more to it, so he asked directly.

Li Xun looked around to make sure no one was listening before lowering his voice, "Actually, there’s nothing too strange. Isn’t there a saying, ’Men die for wealth, as birds die for food’? It’s precisely because of the prevalence of bandits in Longhu Mountain that this is happening. Have you ever thought about where these mountain bandits come from? Most are locals who have taken to the mountains, banding together.

Which of them doesn’t have some relatives or friends nearby? It’s just that other people don’t know. After the bandits rob the merchants, they certainly need to fence the goods. Besides their own existing channels, some end up in the marketplace of Longmen Town, sold cheaply for cash. Many merchants come to Longmen Town to hunt for these bargains.

Moreover, although the bandits of Longhu Mountain are detestable, they have one rule: they don’t take lives, which further attracts those merchants driven by wealth. That’s why Longmen Town hasn’t declined but has become even more prosperous."

Hearing this, Zhao Erhu and Lin Yue understood, "I see, that makes sense. It seems we too should take a good look around this afternoon and see if we can find some good items. This is a rare opportunity," they agreed.

Li Xun said candidly, "I won’t hide it from you; every time I visit Longmen Town, I make sure to browse the market. I always manage to find some good things." Indeed, one of the reasons Li Xun decided to stop in Longmen Town, besides resting, was the chance to make extra money. Why miss out on an opportunity to earn?

Hand in hand, Lin Yue and Zhao Erhu arrived at the marketplace, and as Li Xun said, it was full of a wide variety of goods. However, discerning the true quality from the false required keen judgement, and Lin Yue was confident in her own ability, having never made a losing deal.

"Esteemed sir, take a look; everything on my stall is a treasure," called out a vendor upon spotting Zhao Erhu and Lin Yue passing by.

Lin Yue noticed there were quite a few items on the stall, some of which, upon a cursory glance, seemed especially fine and attractive. She pulled Zhao Erhu to a stop and crouched in front of the stall to take a closer look.

"Lady, this pen container you’re holding is carved from the finest Hetian jade. Look at this quality; it’s so beautiful. If you were to buy this in a regular jade store, it could cost up to a thousand taels of silver. But our items here are sold cheaply. If you like it, I can offer it to you for less," the vendor said quickly, seeing Lin Yue examining the pen container and proceeded with his pitch.

When Lin Yue heard the vendor’s claim, she knew he was uninformed and just bluffed people with made-up stories. Assessing jade wasn’t done in such a manner. Even though she wasn’t an expert, she had heard about certain methods of identification, and most of the items on the stall, despite their attractive appearance, were crudely made upon close inspection—clearly fakes. Yet, hidden among them were a few good pieces. Lin Yue couldn’t be sure if they were genuine, but she felt they were worth considering. Even if fake, they were exceptional among the counterfeits. If the price was right, acquiring them would be a good deal, and the pen container she held was one such item.

Lin Yue knew the reality but kept her composure, "Young man, where do these items come from? Are they genuine?"

"Of course, they’re genuine. Lady, you might not know this, but I’ll tell you, even at the risk of losing my head, I have a friend with connections to the fellows on Longhu Mountain. The goods on this stall all come from them. Since they’re acquired through questionable means, they’re sold especially cheap here. Lady, you should pick a few items; once you’ve passed this village, you won’t find another shop like this," the vendor whispered to Zhao Erhu and Lin Yue in a conspiratorial tone, sounding quite believable.

Zhao Erhu, noticing Lin Yue’s serious demeanor, thought she believed the vendor’s words. Having been in the trade for so long and having purposely learned the ins and outs of the business, he knew some of what the vendor claimed was dubious and feared his wife was being conned, "My dear, be sure to scrutinize carefully; don’t be deceived. I don’t think this fellow is speaking the truth," he whispered back to her.

Though Zhao Erhu spoke quietly to Lin Yue, the sharp-eared vendor overheard him and changed colors, "Sir, I’ve been running this stall for more than a day or two. Those are serious allegations. The goods might be improperly obtained, but they are genuine. You can’t tarnish my reputation like that; I won’t stand for it!"

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