6: Chapter 6 Animal Hides

Before dawn, Lin Tian was already up.

Zhao had already prepared dry rations, wrapping three coarse grain cakes in oil paper and stuffing them into his arms.

Lin Dashan stood at the doorway, silently patting his son on the shoulder. He didn't say anything, but his eyes were full of expectation.

The Hunting Team's assembly point was at the east end of the village.

By the time Lin Tian arrived, three ox carts were already waiting there.

The carts were piled high with processed animal skins, tied securely with hemp ropes.

The smell of blood hadn't dissipated yet, attracting a few wild dogs lingering nearby, which were whipped away by the driver.

"Lin Tian, over here."

A familiar voice called out.

Lin Tian turned his head and saw Lin Jing standing next to an ox cart, waving at him.

She had changed into clean grey cloth clothes today, her hair tied up neatly, and she carried a small bundle on her back.

"Are you going too, Sister Jing?" Lin Tian walked over.

"Yes, the captain asked me to follow along to gain some experience." Lin Jing said, glancing at Lin Tian. "Is this your first time going into the city?"

"Yes."

"Follow me and don't wander off." Lin Jing cautioned. "There are many rules in the city; it's not like the village."

As they spoke, everyone arrived one after another.

Besides the six men from the Hunting Team, there were four young members, all of whom were entering the city for the first time.

Lin Hu was among them. Seeing Lin Tian, he curled his lip but didn't say anything.

"Is everyone here?" A rough voice rang out.

The Hunting Team captain, Lin Bao, walked over.

He was in his early forties, taller and stronger than Village Head Lin Tieshan, with dark skin and a scar running from his eyebrow to the corner of his mouth, making him look somewhat ferocious.

A thick-backed machete hung at his waist; the scabbard was heavily worn, but the handle was polished to a shine.

"Everyone is here, Captain." A man replied.

"Then let's go."

The three ox carts slowly set off, their wheels creaking as they rolled over the dirt road.

Lin Tian and Lin Jing sat on the edge of the last cart, with the bundled wolf skins beneath their feet.

The morning breeze was still a bit cool, feeling comfortable against the body.

The ox cart swayed as it left the village, heading east along the dirt road.

On both sides of the road were fields, the wheat seedlings already heading, a vast expanse of green.

The young people on the cart were very excited, chattering non-stop.

Lin Hu was boasting about the excitement he saw when he went into the city with his father last time, drawing exclamations from the others.

Lin Tian didn't speak, just quietly watching the scenery along the road.

Three hours later, the sun climbed to its zenith.

The dirt road gradually widened, and there were more people on the road.

There were peddlers carrying poles, merchants driving donkey carts, and passersby walking in groups of two or three.

Finally, a black line appeared on the horizon ahead.

As the ox cart approached, the black line became clear—it was a city wall, about three zhang high, built with cyan-grey bricks, its surface covered in moss.

Three mottled characters were carved above the city gate: Heishan City.

To enter the city, one had to pay an entrance fee of two copper coins per person.

Lin Bao took out a string of copper coins, counted them, and handed them to the gate guards.

The guard took them lazily, glanced at the goods on the cart, and waved them through.

Passing through the city gate tunnel, the noise rushed toward them.

The street was about two zhang wide, paved with bluestone slabs, and lined with shops on both sides.

Restaurants, cloth shops, blacksmith shops, pharmacies... signs were dazzling to the eyes.

Pedestrians rubbed shoulders, the sounds of hawking, bargaining, and carriages mixed together, creating a wave of heat.

The young members were stunned.

The furthest place they had ever been in their lives was the neighboring village; how could they have ever seen such a sight?

Lin Hu also forgot to boast, opening his mouth wide and looking around.

Only Lin Tian remained relatively calm.

In his past life, he had seen metropolises a hundred times more prosperous than this, with skyscrapers and endless traffic.

But this antique city before him, full of the aura of daily life, had a unique charm.

"Everyone stay close, don't wander off!"

Lin Bao turned back and shouted, his voice still clear amidst the noise:

"There are many Martial Artists in this city, some with eccentric temperaments. If you recklessly offend someone, I won't be able to save you.

First, follow me to sell the animal skins. After we finish our business, I'll take you around."

"Understood, Captain." The young people quickly replied, but their eyes couldn't help but glance to both sides.

Lin Bao's gaze swept over everyone and finally stopped on Lin Tian's face, his eyebrows raised slightly:

"You little guy, you're quite calm."

Lin Tian scratched his head and smiled honestly: "It's mainly because I don't have any money in my hand. These things all look quite expensive; I can't afford them, so looking at them is just a waste of time."

As soon as these words were spoken, the men around them laughed.

Lin Bao also laughed heartily, slapping Lin Tian on the shoulder with considerable force:

"That makes sense! How about this: whatever little trinket you take a fancy to later, I'll buy it for you as a reward for your progress during this period."

"Thank you, Captain." Lin Tian cupped his hands.

Lin Bao looked at him again, then turned and led the convoy toward the west of the city.

The animal skin shop was on a relatively quiet street in the west of the city.

The shop front wasn't large, but it was very deep inside.

The walls were covered with various furs, from common rabbit and sheep skins to leopard and tiger skins; everything was available.

The air was filled with the distinct smell of tanned leather.

The shop owner was a thin, withered old man wearing brass-rimmed glasses, dozing on the counter.

Hearing footsteps, he lifted his eyelids.

"Lin Bao? It's you again."

"Old Hu, are you buying?" Lin Bao didn't waste words, directly having people move the animal skins inside.

The old man got up slowly, walked to the pile of animal skins, and started flipping through them.

He examined them very carefully, touching the thickness, checking the integrity, and smelling every single one.

"Fifteen grey rabbit skins, average quality; I'll count them as thirty copper coins each."

"Two wild boar skins, there are knife cuts on the back, fifty copper coins."

Finally, he picked up the three wolf skins, and his eyes brightened.

"Blue wolf skins? They're well-preserved, and the fur is bright."

The old man checked them carefully. "This one, one tael of silver. This one has a small cut on the back, eight hundred copper coins. This one... eh?"

He picked up the third one and flipped it to the abdomen, where there was a shallow scratch.

"What a pity. If it didn't have this cut, it could sell for one tael and two qian. Now, at most nine hundred copper coins."

Lin Bao frowned: "Old Hu, this cut shouldn't affect it, right?"

"It affects the quality." The old man shook his head. "If you took these to the East Market, those rich people are picky about this.

My shop mainly sells to ordinary merchants, so I don't care too much. But the price..."

The two bargained for a while, and finally, the three wolf skins sold for a total of two taels and seven qian of silver.

Adding the other animal skins, the total harvest this time was four taels and two qian.

Lin Bao took the silver, weighed it in his hand, and a smile appeared on his face.

This was better than expected; it would be enough for the village to use for a while.

"Let's go, I'm taking you out to eat!" He waved his hand.

Sihai Restaurant was in the south of the city and was a famous restaurant in Heishan City.

It was a two-story wooden building with upturned eaves and large red lanterns hanging at the entrance.

It wasn't mealtime yet, but quite a few guests were already seated inside.

When the waiter saw Lin Bao and his group enter, he hurriedly welcomed them: "Guests, please come in!"

Lin Bao asked for a table by the window and ordered eight dishes: braised pork, stewed chicken, steamed fish, stir-fried seasonal vegetables, and four large platters of steamed buns.

The food was served quickly.

When the plate of glistening braised pork was brought up, the eyes of the young people went straight.

The meat had a mix of fat and lean, the sauce was thick, and the aroma was nose-tingling.

Even Lin Tian couldn't help but swallow his saliva.

In the month since his Transmigration, the number of times he had eaten meat could be counted on his fingers.

Although the village could occasionally get some game, most of it had to be kept to trade for salt and iron; they usually ate wild vegetables and coarse grains.

"What are you waiting for? Eat!" Lin Bao laughed and scolded.

Before his voice fell, several pairs of chopsticks had already reached out.

It was like a whirlwind sweeping through the clouds.

Lin Tian didn't stand on ceremony either, picking up a large piece of braised pork and stuffing it into his mouth.

The meat was stewed until it was tender and soft, melting in the mouth, fatty but not greasy.

He grabbed a steamed bun, broke it open, stuffed the meat inside, and took a big bite.

Lin Bao watched this group of boys devouring the food and laughed heartily.

He noticed that although Lin Tian ate fast, his movements weren't rude, and he was very quiet, unlike the others who were shouting while eating.

This kid was indeed interesting.

After the meal, the eight plates were clean, and even the sauce had been mopped up by the steamed buns.

"Are you full?" Lin Bao asked.

"Full, full!" The young people rubbed their bellies, looking satisfied.

Lin Bao paid the bill, which cost three hundred copper coins.

This wasn't cheap, but the harvest today was good, and he was in a good mood.

"Let's go, I'll take you around."

Passing through a few streets, the scene before them changed.

This was a long street lined with street stalls on both sides.

Linen cloths were spread on the ground, with all kinds of goods placed on them.

There were old, tattered books, rusty swords, jars and pots, and some dried medicinal herbs.

The stall owners were either squatting or sitting; some were hawking, some were dozing.

"This is the Ghost Market in the west of the city. Things are cheaper than in the shops, but it's hard to tell the real from the fake."

Lin Bao introduced, "You can look around, but don't buy things indiscriminately."

The young people's eyes were immediately drawn to it.

Lin Hu ran to a stall selling weapons and picked up a short knife to brandish.

Another member squatted in front of a stall selling ancient books, flipping through a yellowed book.

Lin Bao himself walked toward a stall selling knives.

The stall owner was a one-eyed man, with five or six knives of varying ages laid out on the stall.

"How much for this one?" Lin Bao picked up a thick-backed machete and weighed it.

"Good eye, guest. This is forged from hundred-refined steel, it's sharp."

The one-eyed man rubbed his hands, "Three taels of silver, no bargaining."

"Too expensive." Lin Bao shook his head. "The blade edge is rolled, and the handle is worn. One tael and five qian."

The two began to bargain.

Lin Tian didn't join in the fun, just walked slowly along the stalls, his gaze sweeping over the goods.

He had little interest in weapons, and he didn't understand ancient books.

But when he walked to a stall selling medicinal herbs, his steps stopped.

A dozen types of dried medicinal herbs were laid out on the stall, some shaped like withered branches, others like tree roots.

The stall owner was a thin, withered old man, closing his eyes and resting.

Lin Tian squatted down to look closely at the herbs.

He recognized a few of them—Red Ginseng Whiskers, Iron Bone Grass, and Blood Vine Slices.

These were all ingredients in the Martial Arts Team's herbal package, which could replenish Qi and blood and strengthen tendons and bones.

"Young man, you know your stuff?" The old man opened his eyes and glanced at him.

"How much for these...?" Lin Tian pointed to the Red Ginseng Whiskers and asked.

"Red Ginseng Whiskers, one tael and three qian of silver." The old man said slowly. "Iron Bone Grass is cheaper, eight hundred copper coins per tael. Blood Vine Slices are the most expensive, two taels of silver per tael."

Lin Tian calculated in his heart.

His mother's silver bracelet could probably sell for a little over one tael of silver.

Exchanged for medicinal herbs, he could at most buy one tael of Red Ginseng Whiskers or half a tael of Blood Vine Slices.

It was too little.

"You want these medicinal herbs?"

A voice came from behind.

Lin Tian turned back and saw Lin Bao had walked over at some point, holding the machete he had just bought in his hand.

"Captain." Lin Tian stood up.

Lin Bao looked at the herbs on the stall, then at Lin Tian, and smiled: "Which one do you want? I'll buy you one."

Lin Tian took a deep breath, took out the oil paper package from his arms, and opened it.

Inside was Zhao's silver bracelet.

"Captain, I want to sell this bracelet and exchange it for some medicinal herbs to assist in Martial Arts training."