Fox Road Travel Notes

When the golden sunshine filled the window paper, Chen Zican stretched and got dressed.

Without waking up Kou'er, he went downstairs and went to the cupboard.

The shopkeeper was instructing two men to sweep the courtyard when Chen Zican shouted, "Shopkeeper!"

The middle-aged fat man wearing a melon cap and a black satin gown immediately rolled over like a ball.

"Hey, morning sir, did you sleep well last night? Do you have any orders?"

Chen Zican didn't even look at him. He was stroking the jade at his waist and looking at the mountains in the distance under the morning sun.

"Shopkeeper, today, young master, I want to walk around and buy some things."

"My little girl has to go back to the house, and she needs someone to help her."

"Find me an obedient and smart child to follow and help me carry money and carry out things."

As he spoke, he took out a piece of broken silver weighing about three or four coins and threw it over.

"Those who serve him well will be rewarded!"

The shopkeeper reached out and picked up this shiny gadget in his palm. He was so nimble that he didn't look like a fat man at all.

Take a closer look, you can see the fine quality of snowflake silver!

Looking Chen Zican up and down again, I saw that he was dressed luxuriously, and the piece of mutton-fat jade pendant around his waist was smooth, smooth and exquisitely carved, which was not something ordinary people could have.

Although his facial features are a bit ordinary, his face is fair and his eyes are clear and bright, making him approachable and convincing without knowing it.

Thinking about it, he must be a playboy who took advantage of the bright spring weather to wander around.

Thinking of this, he hurriedly made a bow: "Don't worry."

"I must have made all the arrangements for you, young master. Would you like to sit down and eat first, or should I send you to your room?"

Chen Zican shook his head and warned: "Remember, find an honest and obedient child who should dress up and be more presentable. Don't blame the young master for cheating and sneaking, I'm rude!"

"I'm going out to eat, and on the way I'll go to the bank to exchange some money."

After saying that, Shi Shiran went out.

When he left the city yesterday, he saw Fushun Bank not far away.

The cornices and brackets of the small building are magnificent. When you go around to the back, you will see that the outside is covered with donkey dung and there is rubbish everywhere.

He found a few pieces of mulberry paper wrapped with silver, then went to the river, picked up a dozen egg-sized pebbles, washed them clean in the river water, and dried them in the sun.

I wanted to wash my face with running water, but looking at the garbage scattered around, the morning breeze was filled with a complex and unspeakable smell.

Not far away, there were several unkempt old ladies who were pouring feces and urine into the toilet.

Holding back the nausea in my heart, I quickly picked up the dried pebbles with my clothes and hurried away.

This era is really not something that a modern person, even a mountain person, can bear.

Finding a deserted corner, Chen Zican wrapped the pebbles in mulberry paper, revealing the red mark of the bank on the paper. It looked exactly like the silver that had just been exchanged.

After seeing that there was no problem, he weighed it with satisfaction and basked in the sun for a while.

Guessing that the bank had opened, he carried the pile of cobblestones and swaggered back to Liuxianju.

As soon as he entered the door, the shopkeeper came to greet him and bowed. He glanced at the silver seal in Chen Zican's arms without revealing anything: "Oh, the young master is back!"

"Er Niu, come here quickly and let the young master take a look. Be more agile..."

A dark-faced, 13-14-year-old boy who looked strong and strong came over.

He was wearing a blue cloth gown, clean and starched, but a little too big. It looked like it belonged to his brother.

"Young master, look, this is the second son of the chef of our restaurant, Lao Du. He is honest, strong and easy to handle. You can call him Er Niu."

Chen Zican nodded slightly: "Well, wait here, the shopkeeper, and find him a basket."

When I went back to the room, I saw that my baby was already up and sitting on the edge of the bed wiping tears.

Seeing Chen Zican push open the door and come in, her face suddenly brightened with joy, she pouted again, turned away, sobbing and crying even harder.

Chen Zican walked over with a smile and put his hand on her thin shoulder.

"What's wrong? Ouch, these eyes are swollen. It scared me. I thought Kou'er would turn into a big buzzing red-headed fly after sleeping."

Kuan'er ignored him, put on a straight face, and stretched out a white hand: "Bring it here!"

Chen Zican chuckled, took out the button's purse from his arms, and put it in her hand.

"You, you spend money randomly again!"

People with very fine buttons will immediately notice that they are too light when they start to hold them, and they will pout, as if they are about to cry again.

Chen Zican quickly threw the bags of pebbles in his arms on the bed: "Don't cry, don't cry, you stingy man, look, aren't these all silver?"

Kou'er saw the brand-new silver seal with hazy eyes. Without thinking about it, she pounced on it and covered it tightly like an old hen protecting its chicks.

"You are not allowed to spend any more money!"

Chen Zican laughed and laughed: "Okay, don't worry, this money is for buying horses. I can't spend anything else if you ask me to!"

Then Kuan'er stood up in confusion, picked up a package of silver envelopes and looked at it carefully: "Master, where do these come from? You don't know how to..."

Chen Zican stared: "What can't you do?"

He stretched out his hand to open the silver seal and threw a pebble into her arms: "Cai Fan, take the flowers. The young master will reward you!"

Kou'er opened his mouth wide and raised the smooth white stone to his eyes: "You...you..."

Seeing that she was about to collapse again, Chen Zican smiled and sat next to her, patting her shoulder gently: "Don't worry, Kou'er, to me, young master, it is money."

As he spoke, he took the pebble from Guo'er's hand and wrapped it in mulberry paper again.

"Come, clean up and wash your face."

"Look at you, you're crying like a tabby cat over something as big as shit. Your eyes are really smaller than money's eyes!"

Guan'er turned her head with suspicion, and just when she was about to speak, Chen Zican reached out and covered her mouth.

"Okay, shut up and obey!"

Kuan'er stared blankly at Chen Zican's unquestionable eyes, and finally nodded.

I couldn't help but mutter in my heart: "The young master has really changed."

Besides doing things, it’s still confusing! However, it looks very powerful..."

While watching Kou'er grooming, Chen Zican told her to wait on the hillside where she watched the sunset yesterday and not to run around.

As he spoke, he tidied up his robe. Just as he was about to go out, Guan'er called out to him again and combed his pigtails again.

When they came downstairs, Erniu was already carrying a bamboo basket and was waiting by the door.

Chen Zican put several packages of silver envelopes in his hand into the basket and ordered: "Take them carefully."

"Follow the young master and do whatever I tell you, do you understand?"

Erniu agreed in a loud voice.

The shopkeeper heard the sound and came over. Chen Zican didn't wait for him to speak and said loudly: "Keep the room for me. I haven't finished my work and I have to stay for two more days."

After that, he led the two oxen away.

After walking a hundred steps, he saw no one around. Chen Zican asked slowly: "Er Niu, there are mule and horse markets at the seven gates outside the capital. Where is the one outside Xibian Gate?"

"Let's buy a horse first."

"There are a lot of places to walk today and a lot of things to buy. The young master's legs can't stand it, and your body can't stand it either. It's impossible without a horse."

Er Niu is the child who grew up outside Xibianmen. How could he not know this?

Chen Zican asked him to lead the way, and the two of them arrived at the mule and horse market.

All around were the roaring of donkeys and the neighing of horses, and the stink of sweat and excrement that made people vomit.

Chen Zican pretended to be unbearable, frowned, and covered his mouth with his sleeves.

This place is too close to the capital, and being recognized will be a problem after all.

Chen Zican stopped in front of a horse dealer with a Shanxi accent.

He pointed to a big black horse with high shoulders and broad back, and slender legs, and motioned Erniu to inquire about the price.

The horse dealer looked at Chen Zican, his eyes turned to the jade pendant around Chen Zican's waist, and before Er Niu could say anything, he came towards him with a smile on his face.

"Uncle, you have good taste!"

"This is a real Hexi horse, with a shoulder height of five feet four. Look at this forehead, this neck, and this..."

"Hexi?" Chen Zican frowned.

When the capital fell and Jiannu's foothold was not stable, he summoned eight Shanxi merchants to join the court and named them imperial merchants.

Among them, the furs of horses and horses were all handed over to the Fan family, who had made great contributions to the founding of the Qing Dynasty.

Chen Zican snorted and waved his hand impatiently to interrupt him.

He held his nose and asked angrily: "How much money, please be happy!"

The horse dealer looked at him and looked at him as a dandy from the capital who had no experience in the world and was arrogant and pretentious. He secretly despised him, but he also knew that these guys were not easy to deal with.

After weighing it up, I gave a price that was neither high nor low.

"Uncle, you are so cheerful. I'll give you sixty taels to open your business, and I'll give you a pair of saddles and saddles."

"I promise with all my heart, sir, you will never be able to buy such a good horse again at the same price..."

Chen Zican still covered his mouth and nose.

He came over and flipped the big black horse's lips, pretended to look at its teeth, and touched its long neck. The big black horse snorted and leaned its head over meekly.

Chen Zican turned his head and glared at Er Niu who was looking around.

He shouted: "Er Niu! Look at the basket in your hand. If you are clumsy, go back and peel off your skin carefully!"

Er Niu was so frightened that he quickly agreed and ran over.

The horse dealer looked at the brand new silver seals in the basket. There were three of them, each worth a hundred taels. The bright red stamp on the mulberry paper was the Fushun Bank he was most familiar with.

His face suddenly smiled like an old chrysanthemum that was about to bloom.

Chen Zican waved his hand: "Don't look at it anymore, this is the horse, please saddle me up!"

The horse dealer agreed repeatedly, came over with a smile on his face, and kept praising Chen Zican for his good vision, his heroic spirit, and how quickly he brought a pair of saddles and put them on the horse.

Chen Zican climbed on the horse's back, took the riding whip from the horse dealer's hand, lightly clasped the horse's belly with his feet, and the big black horse began to move slowly.

He pulled the reins to control the horse's speed and walked slowly around the manger.

He turned to the horse dealer and said, "The horse is pretty good, but I don't know whether it can be tamed or not."

"Try running around for a while. Watch this child for me and don't allow him to wander around!"

Without waiting for a reply, he leaned over and pulled Er Niu's ears, and said sternly: "Stay here honestly, get the basket for me, don't let anything happen, Master, I'll be back in a moment!"

The horse dealer opened his mouth to say something, but Chen Zican's bright and calm eyes had a power to convince people.

He looked at the arrogant Chen Zican, then at the grinning Erniu, and then at the silver seal in the basket.

After a slight hesitation, he still said with a smile: "Don't worry, uncle, this horse is fast, so be careful."

"Your servant, I will take care of you. Go and come back quickly."

Chen Zican nodded slightly and rode towards the exit of Luoma Market.

As soon as he came out of the stinky market with people shouting and screaming, he immediately raised his hand and whipped him.

The big black horse cheered up and galloped away like the wind, leaving only a trail of gray smoke.

He had never actually ridden a horse.

But since I was little, I have been riding the family’s gray donkey everywhere, and I feel that the horse is more stable than the donkey.