Yi Xin as a concubine

Chapter 225 Purchase of Cattle

In front of the chief's tent, many people slowly gathered because of the arrival of two strangers. Wei Yu and Qin Chu were surrounded in the middle. Even though they were skilled and brave, they still felt a little uneasy at this time.

The curtain of the tent was lifted, and an elderly man walked out. He was wearing a big fur coat and looked a little bloated, but also quite dignified.

The patriarchs here have great power, especially for nomadic villagers like them. Because they often move places and have no fixed jurisdiction, the control by officials is very limited. All major and minor matters of the entire tribe have to be decided by the patriarch.

"Who are you?" the old patriarch asked majestically.

The two men could not show their weakness in front of others, so they shook off the restraints of the villagers behind them with all their strength, and then politely saluted the old patriarch with their fists clasped.

"You are the chief of this place, right? We came from the opposite side and have a business deal we want to discuss with you." Wei Yu is usually careful and thoughtful in his work, but at the same time he also has the boldness of a warrior. He doesn't like to procrastinate, so he spoke frankly.

The free and easy Qin Chu was actually worried for her at this time, because Wei Yu's words were very tough, and it felt like she was not asking people to buy things, but more like urging people to complete a task, although this matter was discussed by the two beforehand.

"How did you get here?" Unlike the villagers who showed angry expressions, the old patriarch looked at the two good-looking and heroic girls in front of him vigilantly and asked slowly.

"Of course, someone familiar with this place will provide us with the route. You are old friends, and you should be able to trust their character. Why don't we go inside and talk?"

Although Qin Chu had a quick temper, she had been in the streets since she was a child, so she was very familiar with what to say to different people. Later, she had been lurking in the palace for so long that her temperament became much more cautious and steady. She was a little cautious in front of Xin Baoer, but that was because she cared about her.

The old patriarch did not agree immediately. He stared at the two people with his sharp, weathered eyes. He did not take them lightly just because they were two women. After all, both of them had swords in their hands.

Wei Yu and Qin Chu had now gotten used to the unfriendly looks from the surrounding villagers, and when they met the old man's gaze, they did not dodge or evade, and were neither humble nor arrogant. They just stood with their hands behind their backs, not tightening their hands holding the swords at all.

The old patriarch looked for a while, then suddenly turned around and went back to the house behind him. Wei Yu and Qin Chu looked at each other, and walked together to follow the old man.

"Stop!" Two sturdy villagers at the door stretched out their arms and stood in front of the two men.

Wei Yu and Qin Chu stopped, but did not make any counterattack, and even took the initiative to hand over the swords in their hands.

"Is this okay? We two sisters are here to discuss business, not to rob. There's no need to be so cautious!" Qin Chu said casually.

The two villagers were very serious and were not affected by her playful smile. They were like two door gods.

"Let the two girls in! Let some elders come and listen." The majestic voice of the old patriarch came from the room.

One of the two men left after hearing what was said, probably to inform some elders of the clan. The other one looked at the two of them warily, lifted the door curtain, and motioned them to go in with his eyes.

The two were speechless. After all, they were both beautiful girls, so how could they become bad people who wanted to do evil in their eyes?

As I walked into the tent, the view suddenly became dim. An old man was sitting cross-legged next to the fire in the middle of the tent, and the firelight made his face flicker.

The ground was covered with thick fur felt, which looked very warm. The two men took off their shoes, walked over in their socks, and sat down cross-legged like the old man.

The old patriarch looked at the two girls with a frank manner, and a hint of surprise flashed in his sharp eyes. Isn't it said that women in the Central Plains care most about their reputation? Why are these two taking off their shoes in public so casually?

However, the old man was experienced and soon came to his senses. "You should try our special tea milk and see if you can get used to it." The old patriarch had a serious face, but spoke in a very kind manner.

The two of them followed his instructions and picked up the small tea bowls in front of them. They took a sip and Qin Chu said first, "It tastes good, but not as good as the milk tea my cousin invented."

Wei Yu looked at Qin Chu disapprovingly, took another sip, and then said, "Don't mind, old clan leader. I am a straightforward sister. Everyone has different tastes. I think it's okay. It's sweet and salty, and salty and sweet. It's just right. I like it. If there is a chance in the future, I can recommend it to our boss. Maybe I can even sell it in the store. Our boss is the best at doing business."

Hearing her speak so casually, the old patriarch was even more certain that the two were only here to do business, and he let down his guard a lot.

The curtain was lifted again, and cold wind blew in along with several hunched figures.

"Come and sit down. These two girls said they want to do business with us. You should listen and see if it's feasible." The old patriarch said lightly.

A few old men staggered over and sat down, looking the two of them up and down, each with a different expression. If an ordinary person was stared at like this, he would have thrown away his weapons and fled.

It was obvious that these two girls were not ordinary people. They drank their tea calmly and leisurely, as if they didn't feel anything.

"Okay, now that everyone is here, tell me, what have you seen in this humble little village?"

The old patriarch was not really mocking the two of them when he said this, he was simply mocking himself.

Their village is small, with a small population and few livestock. They cannot seize places with abundant water and grass, and even if they did, they cannot hold on to them. Otherwise, they would not have stayed in such a remote place for several years without moving.

The longer they stayed in one place, the less suitable the grass and water would be for animal husbandry. However, all the good places nearby were occupied by large villages. If they wanted to leave, they could only look for places farther away. However, over the years, their village became poorer and poorer, and they could not afford the expenses of migrating.

What’s more, now they have been hit by a disaster, which is like adding insult to injury for their small village.

Wei Yu observed the expressions of several elderly people before signaling Qin Chu to speak.

Qin Chu put down the tea bowl, cleared his throat and said, "Don't be nervous, everyone. We are here to do business, so we must have something we need, otherwise we wouldn't have come all the way here."

Seeing that the faces of the old men had relaxed a little, he continued, "There was a disaster over there, much more serious than here. Almost all the livestock froze to death. Our boss was kind enough to collect all the frozen livestock. We accidentally heard that their sheep came from here, so we wanted to come and see the situation here and collect some cattle and sheep. Sheep are of course used for mutton, but cattle are more demanding. We plan to use them for ploughing in the spring. Our boss has a lot of land, and we don't have enough manpower to handle it."

When they heard that it was just some cows and sheep, the old people finally relaxed completely. They really couldn't give them anything else. Cows and sheep? They had plenty of them. Although they had fewer than in other villages, they believed that it was definitely enough for them.

At this time, the old men finally showed their first smile after meeting each other, and the old patriarch refilled the tea for the two.

"We do have cattle and sheep, and as you can see, after this disaster, people don't even have enough food, let alone raising these livestock. But, little kid, our two countries don't have trade now, how are you going to transport them back?"

He shed his vigilant appearance and revealed the simple nature of the villagers. He was not worried that they would bargain hard after hearing what he said, but instead began to worry about them.

"You can rest assured about this, Patriarch. We have our own Chamber of Commerce, and we have no shortage of capable people. However, the mountains are blocked by heavy snow, so I guess we'll have to ask you to help feed them for a while. As for fodder, we'll find a way. In addition to money, if you want food, we can discuss that as well."

Qin Chu was a man who knew how to work hard. Seeing the other party showing goodwill, he immediately changed his tone and called him grandpa affectionately.

When the old men heard that they could exchange for food, they were so excited that they forgot everything and did not notice that Qin Chu had changed his name.

"Can it really be exchanged for food?" an old man asked in disbelief.

"Of course we can, but it won't be too much. I don't know if you have heard, but the year is bad over there and food is in short supply. Only our boss has the ability to give us some." Qin Chu showed an embarrassed expression at the right time.

Several old men looked at each other, and the old patriarch sighed and said, "Not much, just enough for us to get through the winter. When spring comes, we will be able to survive."

In this way, the two parties discussed and decided to buy the cattle.