Chapter 62 Chang'an is Good

Jiang Chen looked at the horses. These horses were all a bit gaunt, clearly suffering from malnutrition.

However, since they were in a hurry, they didn't mind too much.

There was, however, a brown horse that neighed a few times upon seeing Jiang Chen and the others, appearing quite spirited.

Although it looked a bit thin, Jiang Chen could sense that it was the sturdiest of all the horses.

Jiang Chen turned back and asked Zhang Lingyi, "Can you ride a horse?"

Zhang Lingyi was taken aback for a moment, then said, "I can. I learned from my father back home."

"Good, then we'll take this horse. How much is it?"

The horse dealer's eyes darted around, and he said with a troubled expression, "Customer, this is a bit unfortunate. This horse was just reserved by another customer yesterday. How about you choose another one?"

Bang!

Zhang Zhongjian slammed his palm onto the counter, and a crack immediately spread out from beneath his hand.

The horse dealer's eyelids twitched at the sight.

Even the two burly bodyguards standing outside the horse stable felt their hearts pounding and dared not step forward.

Zhang Zhongjian wasn't good at dealing with women, but he knew the tricks of these merchants like the back of his hand.

"You horse dealer, let me ask you, did that person pay a deposit?"

"Didn't pay, paid, paid!"

"Hmm?!" Zhang Zhongjian let out a sound through his nose that nearly scared the horse dealer out of his wits.

"Did they pay or not?"

"I forgot, that person didn't pay any deposit!"

"Since no deposit was paid, why does his verbal word count as a reservation? Or are you trying to raise the price on the spot?"

"I wouldn't dare, I'm just an honest businessman!" the horse dealer hurriedly defended himself.

"In that case, sell this horse to us. Charge whatever the price is, we won't pay a penny less!" Zhang Zhongjian said with a wave of his hand.

"Alright, alright. This horse is a crossbreed of a Turkic horse. It usually sells for seven strings of cash, so I'll give you a discount..."

Before he could finish, Zhang Zhongjian interrupted him: "I am not the type to bully others with power. If it's seven strings of cash, then it's seven strings. No discount is needed."

As he spoke, he reached into his robes, but after fumbling for a long time, his expression turned slightly awkward.

He only managed to pull out a few dozen copper coins and a few taels of broken silver.

In this era, silver was not yet universally common throughout the country, but in prosperous places like the Guannei Circuit, it was considered valid currency.

But he didn't have enough money.

At this moment, Zhang Lingyi stepped forward.

She naturally understood why Jiang Chen and the others were buying horses; in fact, she had also wanted to suggest buying a few.

If they kept walking, her and her maid Xiaoqing's feet would be ruined.

"I have money here, please feel free to use it, my two benefactors."

She took a gold ingot out of her small pouch, making the horse dealer's eyes pop.

The horse dealer hurriedly took out a weight and carefully weighed it.

"It weighs a total of eight taels, equivalent to 80 strings of cash. Please wait a moment, I will get you your change."

Doing business out here meant having plenty of copper coins.

Before long, the horse dealer came out followed by two burly men, both carrying a huge, bulging sack.

"Everyone, there is a total of 73 strings of copper coins in here. You may count it."

Zhang Zhongjian weighed it casually with his hand and placed the sack in front of Zhang Lingyi: "Young lady, count it to see if there are any errors or omissions. If he is even one cash short, I will make him spit it out!"

The horse dealer's face went pale, and he hurriedly cupped his hands to beg for mercy: "I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare! I am not the type of person to shortchange others!"

Zhang Lingyi bowed slightly, "Thank you, Benefactor, but I believe this horse dealer would not resort to such trickery."

The horse dealer cast a grateful look at Zhang Lingyi: "Exactly, exactly!"

Not long after, the horse dealer led the horse out. Before handing it over, he fed the horse some forage and water.

If it were an ordinary person buying a horse, they wouldn't get this treatment.

"Are you two not buying horses?" the maid Xiaoqing asked, puzzled.

"Fellow Daoist Jiang and I have strong legs; we don't need these beasts to carry us," Zhang Zhongjian said, patting his chest heroically.

Just then, a hand reached silently toward the luggage sack nearby.

Zhang Zhongjian was quick-eyed and nimble-handed; he grabbed the dirty wrist in one motion.

"Spare my life, kind sir! Spare my life! I'm having a seizure, my hand isn't under my control!"

A pleading voice with a hint of childishness rang out.

The one trying to steal the money was a beggar boy, ragged, with withered yellow hair and a gaunt face, looking no more than twelve or thirteen.

Zhang Zhongjian frowned and did not let go; instead, he applied more pressure, causing the little beggar to wail in pain.

"You are young and healthy, can't you find a job? Must you beg and steal?"

Who would have thought the little beggar would become defiant: "My family originally had a few mu of fertile land, but it was too hot this year, and the seedlings in the fields were all scorched to death."

"My family had no choice but to sell the land to a nobleman, but after we pressed our fingerprints and handed over the deed, the money promised to us never appeared!"

Zhang Zhongjian was stunned and said: "That is the treachery of wicked merchants, but why don't you find a job?"

The little beggar said: "I want to, but look at my small arms and legs. There is nothing I can do in this marketplace outside the city, and no one wants me."

"I wanted to enter the city, but the guards at the gates said the lords in the city are kind-hearted and can't stand the sight of beggars, so they won't let me in!"

"It would be fine if it were just me, but I have an elderly mother and a younger sister at home. If I don't come out to steal, what else can I do?"

The little beggar was already weeping by the time he reached the sad part.

Jiang Chen remained expressionless, just listening quietly.

Zhang Lingyi and Xiaoqing were already so empathetic they were on the verge of tears.

However, the horse dealer was suddenly furious. He spat at him and threw him a few copper coins, "Little beggar, get out of here quickly! If you don't leave, I'll have someone throw you out!"

This made Zhang Zhongjian look at the horse dealer with a new level of respect.

The little beggar knelt directly on the ground to pick up the copper coins, then ran off without looking back.

"Honored guests, please don't be angry!" the horse dealer said.

"Was what that little beggar just said true?" Zhang Lingyi asked.

The horse dealer gave a bitter laugh, unable to decide whether to cry or laugh: "That was all made up. How could he have a family?"

"Yesterday he was telling people he was a lost child of a nobleman in the capital, and if someone gave him a string of cash to go back and recognize his family, he would gift that person a house in Chang'an City in the future!"

"This little beggar grew up in this marketplace, living off handouts. He's been here as long as I have. I've seen him since he was five or six, all the way until now."

"He's usually light-fingered, but only with petty theft; he doesn't dare take much. When the regulars in the marketplace see him, they turn a blind eye and let it pass."

The horse dealer sighed.

Jiang Chen remained silent. Such is the feudal Dynasty; even outside the prosperous city of Chang'an, who knows how many beggars have had their families destroyed.

Inside, there is singing and dancing, the smell of wine behind vermilion doors; outside, the starving litter the ground and corpses are scattered across the fields. The two are surprisingly consistent.

The weather is scorching this year, and there is a fear of a great drought. When that time comes, who knows how many more families will be destroyed.