Chapter 62 – Business
After they had gathered themselves, they drove toward Yacheng and soon arrived outside the city.
Before entering, they had to cross the moat and pass through the single city gate.
Several men dressed in camouflage, wearing helmets, and armed with steel rifles stood guard outside.
As soon as they saw the truck approaching, one of the guards raised his gun and shouted, “Where are you from?! Get out!”
Yan Xi Nian raised his hands, saying, “From the neighboring base.”
As he spoke, he gestured for Xia Huo Qu and the others to get out as well.
Xia Lu Nong obediently followed his brother, raising his hands as he exited the truck.
The guards quickly surrounded them, patted them down, and then went to check the back of the truck.
“Whoa!” the leader of the guards exclaimed upon seeing the truck bed. “So many… bullfrogs?”
“Yeah,” Yan Xi Nian replied, unfazed by the gun pointed at him. “These are bullfrogs and crabs we caught outside our base. We’re here to trade them for supplies. How’s Boss Shi doing?”
Hearing this, the leader relaxed a bit, speaking more casually, “He’s doing alright. So, you guys want to enter the city? Register here, and each person has to pay ten pounds of rice or an equivalent in goods.”
Yan Xi Nian hesitated slightly while writing, “It was only eight pounds last time. Your base raised the rate?”
The leader shrugged, “We don’t have a choice. It’s not easy maintaining a base. Oh, and make sure to register your animal forms, too.”
Yan Xi Nian glanced at the form and carefully wrote down: Ancient Giant Tiger.
The leader glanced at the form, then back at him, suddenly recognizing him. “You’re the captain from the mountain base, right? Captain Yan?”
“If there’s no other Captain Yan from a neighboring base, then yeah, that’s me.” Yan Xi Nian knocked on the table. “Badge, please.”
The man retrieved a red badge and placed it in front of Yan Xi Nian.
After registering, Xia Huo Qu and Kong Zhi also signed in, receiving their red badges.
When it was Xia Lu Nong’s turn, he neatly wrote down “Forest Cat” and looked at the leader.
The man glanced at him, then pulled a yellow badge from the drawer and handed it to him.
Xia Lu Nong, puzzled, looked over at his brother.
Xia Huo Qu explained, “Their system here is different from ours. They categorize animal forms into predators and non-predators.”
Xia Lu Nong realized that his yellow badge marked him as a non-predator.
He glanced back at the leader, surprised that even in these times, there was still discrimination based on animal forms.
Once everyone had registered, the guards allowed them to drive through the main road but reminded them to keep their speed in check.
Yacheng was far more bustling than their small base, with streets lined with people and shops.
Vendors loudly hawked their goods, and the streets were crowded with pedestrians.
Xia Lu Nong, peering out the window, quickly noticed that everyone had badges on their chests. Yellow badges were the most common, but the rarest and most unusual were blue badges.
The people with blue badges were few but dressed flamboyantly, with their bodies strapped in various metal plates. Their kneecaps and elbows, in particular, protruded with metal blades, giving them a distinct cyberpunk vibe.
Xia Huo Qu followed his gaze and explained casually, “Those with blue badges can’t transform into animals. Some prefer to stay in the base and avoid going out, while others modify their human forms to enhance their offensive and defensive capabilities.”
Xia Lu Nong asked, “Isn’t that just like Brother Ba Niu? Although Brother Ba Niu isn’t as extreme as them.”
“Our base has a more peaceful vibe. Ba Niu usually teams up with those who can shapeshift when going out. If they encounter danger, his teammates will watch his back. But people here aren’t necessarily like that.”
As the brothers were talking, Yan Xi Nian parked the truck in an open area and hit the brakes, stopping. “We’ll stay here tonight. Let’s clean up quickly. I’ll go book two rooms, and then we’ll head over to the night market.”
Xia Lu Nong climbed out of the truck with his brother, his face full of surprise. “There’s a night market in Yacheng?”
“Yes, they have electricity, and the night market stays open late to make it convenient for those who go out hunting or scavenging during the day to come back and handle their goods,” Yan Xi Nian explained as he led them inside.
The bearded man inside the shop was already peeking out, sizing them up. When he saw Yan Xi Nian, he finally pushed open the door and came out, arms wide in a warm welcome, “Well, well, look who it is! A rare guest!”
“Old Mo.” Yan Xi Nian stepped forward and embraced him briefly. “Long time no see.”
“It has been a while. I thought I wouldn’t see you guys until winter,” Old Mo said as he hugged Xia Huo Qu and then turned his gaze to Xia Lu Nong and Kong Zhi. “And who are these two?”
Xia Huo Qu introduced them, “My younger brother, Xia Lu Nong, and another younger brother, Kong Zhi.”
“Oh, Xia Little Brother is finally awake? You’re looking good, even able to shapeshift—” Old Mo’s eyes landed on Xia Lu Nong’s badge, and he patted his shoulder. “Not bad, not bad.”
Turning to Xia Huo Qu, Old Mo added, “I’ve always said, your family has the look of wealth and prosperity. Am I wrong?”
Xia Huo Qu smiled and nodded, “Thanks for the good words.”
Old Mo laughed, “That’s not enough! It’s been so long, and now you’re back with good news. Tonight, we must drink together! Come, come, let’s go inside.”
“Not tonight, though. Come here, I’ll show you something good,” Yan Xi Nian said, putting his arm around Old Mo’s neck and leading him to the back of the truck. He laughed, “We need to head to the night market to sell some stuff first. Book us two double rooms, and after we take care of business, we’ll drink tomorrow.”
Old Mo, dragged over to the truck, saw Xia Huo Qu pull back the tarp covering the truck bed. Before he could see what was inside, the strong smell hit him first. “What’s that smell?”
The next second, he finally saw the contents and was taken aback. “Whoa! These are giant bullfrogs!!”
Old Mo reached into the truck, pulling out a large bullfrog from a torn sack and inspecting it closely. “Why are these bullfrogs so huge?! Where did you catch them? They don’t bite, right?”
“They don’t bite,” Yan Xi Nian replied. “We were lucky to catch a batch. We have to hurry and sell them at the night market tonight.”
“Man, why don’t I have that kind of luck? Look at these bullfrogs—so big and fat.” Old Mo stuffed the bullfrog back into the sack and noticed something else. “Hey, what else is in here?”
Yan Xi Nian shifted the sack to show him. “Crabs!”
“Crabs?! Those are huge crabs!” Old Mo swore in amazement, his eyes practically turning green with envy. “Giant crabs and bullfrogs—how do you guys keep hitting the jackpot?!”
Laughing, Yan Xi Nian pulled out a bullfrog and a crab and handed them to him. “Of course, I have to bring you something good when I visit. Here, take these. Have your kitchen prepare them, and we’ll drink together tomorrow.”
Old Mo sighed with envy and said, “These are treasures. You should hurry and get them to the night market. Alright, give me a moment. I’ll arrange a stall for you.”
Yan Xi Nian smiled broadly, “I knew I could count on you. Thanks!”
“Get out of here! After you’ve sold your goods, you’d better treat me to a big meal!”
“No problem.”
Yan Xi Nian patted his shoulder as they went back to the front desk to register. He added, “By the way, we made some crab butter yesterday. It’s still in a bucket, haven’t had time to bottle it. Could you get us some glass jars? We need to take it to trade as well.”
Old Mo rolled his eyes, “You really came here empty-handed, didn’t you? Relying on me for everything?”
Yan Xi Nian grinned, “What are friends for?”
Old Mo shot him an exasperated look, nearly coughing up blood. “Shouldn’t I be the one saying that? Since when was your face this thick?”
“Can’t help it, I’ve got family to take care of now.”
Yan Xi Nian’s banter earned them a stash of supplies from Old Mo even before hitting the night market.
Despite his grumbling, Old Mo quickly made all the arrangements.
The night market was located in what used to be a pedestrian street, now lined with stalls on both sides.
Though it wasn’t completely dark yet, the place was already lively.
The truck parked at the edge of the night market, and even before Xia Lu Nong got out, he could already smell all sorts of delicious aromas—grilled oysters, hand-held pancakes, stir-fried snails, baked egg pancakes, fried shrimp cakes, and fried stinky tofu. Each scent made his mouth water as he craned his neck to look ahead.
The truck was too large to drive inside, so they had to stop at the entrance.
Yan Xi Nian and Xia Huo Qu swiftly jumped out to unload the goods and prepare to set up shop.
Xia Lu Nong, still distracted by the tempting food, was a bit slower to move.
Seeing this, Kong Zhi hopped out, told Xia Huo Qu something, then grabbed some rice and called to Xia Lu Nong, “Come on.”
“Where to? To trade for goods?” Xia Lu Nong quickly waved his hand, refusing, “No need. I’m just looking.”
Kong Zhi replied, “Come on, we haven’t had dinner yet. Let’s trade for some food to fill our stomachs.”
Xia Lu Nong finally smiled and went along. They bought hand-held pancakes, grilled oysters, and mung bean soup, among other snacks, and brought them back to share with the others.
Though the night market snacks lacked the full range of seasonings they had before the disaster, the flavors were still quite good.
Xia Lu Nong’s eyes curved into happy crescents as he ate, his face full of joy.
Many people passing by their stall couldn’t help but glance at him several times.
Xia Lu Nong didn’t care about the attention at all and happily finished eating. Then he clapped his hands and said, “Time for us to start business!”
Yan Xi Nian smiled, “Just waiting for you. Let’s start by cooking some crab roe sauce to draw a crowd.”
Old Mo had prepared a coal stove and a pot for them. The crab roe sauce they made the night before was missing some ginger and wine, so today they added those ingredients. After reheating it, they filled glass jars with the mixture.
Humming a tune, Xia Lu Nong lit the stove and poured the crab roe sauce into the pot, starting the first batch of cooking.
As the sauce began to bubble in the pot, its fragrance wafted through the air, sweeping across the night market like a gust of wind.
No matter how tempting the smells of grilled oysters or fried snails were, they paled in comparison to the overwhelming aroma of the crab roe sauce.
Most of the night market’s patrons had their attention drawn to the scent, following it back to their stall.
The aroma of the crab roe sauce was simply irresistible. For most people at the market, who were accustomed to other street food smells, it was their first time encountering such an enticing crab fragrance, making it hard to move away.
Yan Xi Nian had expected they might not get much business at first, but to his surprise, a large crowd gathered almost immediately. Smiling, he told the customers, “The crab roe sauce isn’t ready yet; you’ll have to wait a bit. For now, you can trade for bullfrogs and crabs.”
As he spoke, Yan Xi Nian lifted a large bullfrog and a big crab from the basket to show them.
The customers’ attention shifted instantly to the bullfrogs and crabs, and a murmur spread through the crowd.
“How is this bullfrog so big?!”
“Is this a sea crab?”
“Wow, this bullfrog is really fat!”
“I haven’t seen such huge bullfrogs in years!”
The loud exclamations from the crowd drew even more people over to check out the commotion.
Before long, their stall was surrounded, and even more people were standing on tiptoes in the back trying to catch a glimpse.
Seeing the swelling crowd, Yan Xi Nian’s grin widened. “The bullfrogs and crabs are five pounds of rice per pound. If you want to trade, act fast—you’ll be able to eat them soon.”
Someone in the crowd gasped, “Five pounds of rice?! That’s expensive!”
“Five pounds of rice could feed a grown man for three days!”
“That crab must weigh four or five pounds, right? I can’t afford that! Can’t you make it cheaper?”
Yan Xi Nian ignored the haggling, smiling as he added, “Limited quantity, first come, first served.”
Thanks for the chapter!