Quick Travel to the Clouds

Chapter 474 Koi Little Lucky Star 3

He immediately found the cart at home and carefully covered the wild boar with all the straw, firewood bundles, old sacks and rags he could find at home, and tied it tightly, making sure that no shape could be seen at all. It looked like a large bundle of ordinary firewood and sundries.

The strong Yun Bo and his young uncle Yun Ji are the main people pushing the carts and carrying the goods.

Second uncle Yun Zhong, who is smart, knows the ways of the world and is good at bargaining, is responsible for managing and negotiating the sale.

For safety, the three also brought some self-defense tools (sticks, forks).

The three of them bypassed the center of the village and took the secluded paths to ensure that they would not meet anyone from the village.

Old Master Yun sternly warned everyone in the family, including Wang, who had just given birth: "Keep this to yourself! Don't let on that you've made a fortune!"

Several children were also given some advice.

The night was as dark as ink, and the heavy cart rolled over the rugged country road, making a teeth-grinding creaking sound.

The three brothers Yunbai, Yunzhong and Yunji put all their strength into pushing the "treasure" disguised as a huge pile of firewood on the cart forward with difficulty.

The strong smell of wild boars was covered up as much as possible by straw and rags, but there was always a hint of it lingering in the night wind, mixed with the smell of their sweat and heavy breathing.

They chose the most remote and least traveled path, avoiding all villages where people might be up at night.

Sweat had already soaked their coarse cloth clothes. Yun Bai was strong and took on most of the thrust, with muscles bulging on his arms and shoulders; his second uncle Yun Zhong was as alert as a cat, always patrolling the team vigilantly in front, behind, left and right, with his ears perked up, guarding against any unusual noise.

The journey was long and agonizing, from the third watch until the dawn in the east. When the tall, mottled outline of Kaiping City's walls finally came into view, the three brothers' tense nerves relaxed slightly, only to be followed by a deeper exhaustion.

As soon as the city gate opened, the three of them mixed in with the farmers and merchants entering the city, lowered their heads, and pushed the cart into this big city that was several times more prosperous than Jinshui Town.

The city was filled with shops and the streets were bustling. Yun Zhong didn't pause for a moment, whispering to his two brothers, "Don't stop! Go west!"

Yun Zhong had his own plan: the west of the city was a gathering place for wealthy families, with many restaurants and wealthy businessmen's mansions. Private chefs often purchased ingredients without asking about their provenance, and were willing to pay a high price, but they were also most averse to showing off.

They didn't dare to go to the front door of the big restaurant facing the street, for fear of attracting unnecessary attention.

Relying on the little impression he had from his several trips to Kaiping City in his early years, Yun Zhong led the two of them through the streets and alleys. Finally, at the end of a relatively quiet alley, they saw a mansion with a wide gate but a closed corner door.

Judging from the layout and style, it should be the home of an official or a wealthy person.

"Brother, little brother, wait for me here, don't let anyone get close to the car!" Yun Zhong quickly instructed, straightened his tattered clothes, took a deep breath, put on a flattering smile with seven parts flattery and three parts fear on his face, walked to the inconspicuous corner door, and carefully knocked on the doorknob.

After knocking several times, the corner door creaked open a crack, revealing the sleepy, impatient face of a middle-aged doorman: "Who is it, so early in the morning? Who are you looking for?"

Yun Zhong quickly bowed, "How are you, sir? My name is Wang, and I'm from the countryside. I found a rare wild animal in the mountains, fat and strong, fresh and new! I sent it here specially to ask the masters in your kitchen to see... if they'd be interested in it. If it's not convenient, I'll leave now and won't bother you at all!"

The doorman looked Yun Zhong up and down, then glanced at the high pile of firewood on the covered cart in the distance, and the two ragged men (Yun Bai and Yun Ji) standing nervously beside the cart.

He frowned, obviously displeased with this country bumpkin who came to his door so rashly, but still said, "Wait!" and closed the door with a click.

Every breath of waiting felt extraordinarily long. Yun Bai and Yun Ji's hearts were in their throats, worried the doorman wouldn't respond, and terrified passersby or patrolling yamen runners would notice something odd about their car. Sweat streamed down their cheeks again as they stared intently at the tightly closed door.

Finally, the corner door opened again, and this time, following the doorman out was an old man in respectable clothes, wearing a blue cloth apron around his waist, with a goatee and a shrewd and critical look. He was the kitchen manager of the mansion.

"You two got some wild game?" The steward walked to the front of the cart, his hands behind his back. His sharp eyes swept over Yun Bai and Yun Ji, and finally landed on the tightly covered cart. "What wild game? Open it up and take a look!"

Yun Zhong hurried forward and whispered mysteriously to Guan Shiyi: "Yes... it's a big guy, a strong wild boar that we just killed, weighing several hundred kilograms! The blood hasn't even cooled down yet!" As he spoke, he and Yun Ji worked together to carefully untie the rope and lifted a corner of the covering.

When the huge wild boar's head and strong shoulders with black fur and ferocious fangs were exposed in the dim morning light, even the knowledgeable steward had a glint in his eyes.

He immediately squatted down and carefully examined the wild boar's teeth (to determine its age), fur (to determine its health), and fatness. He especially stretched out his fingers to press the wound caused by the Fire Iron Flying Ant's spiritual sense (the wound was extremely small and hidden, and almost invisible without careful observation).

After confirming that the meat was of high quality and had died not long ago, he nodded imperceptibly.

"Well, it's quite a large one," the steward stood up, regaining his composure, and began to bargain expertly. "But wild boar has a fishy, ​​rough texture. The nobles in the city don't like the taste. It can't compare to the fine domesticated ones. And your wound was treated so carelessly that it's stained with blood... What a shame. What's your price?"

Negotiating prices was Second Uncle Yunzhong's forte. He wore a smile, his eyes unflinching, and spoke respectfully with just the right amount of tact: "Master, you're truly an expert! You're clearly someone who understands both food and business."

"A few of us brothers have come all night to deliver this, hoping to save you the trouble of selling it to a good owner. The wealthy families in the city have skilled chefs who can prepare this wild animal so well that even gods would crave it. It's just the right thing for you nobles to change your taste for wild game once in a while! Do you think it's good enough? Give me a fair price."

The bargaining proceeded quickly in an atmosphere that seemed polite but was actually a confrontation.

The manager's bid was low, and Yun Zhong's bid was not high, but he also firmly maintained the bottom line, which not only showed the "honesty" of the countryman, but also revealed his understanding of the value of the wild boar.

In the end, both sides made concessions and gave a price that did not meet the highest expectations of the Yun brothers, but was definitely far beyond what they had expected in the village - twenty-five taels of silver!

When a heavy ingot of ten taels of official silver, an ingot of five taels of small gold ingots, and a pile of carefully wrapped silver and copper coins fell steadily into the secret pocket sewn into Yun Zhong's inner clothes, the three brothers felt that the pocket was burning hot!

Their hearts pounded wildly, nearly leaping out of their throats. They suppressed their excitement, not daring to show even a hint of joy. After the steward waved his hand, they thanked him profusely, as if afraid he would go back on his word, and pulled their empty carts, practically escaping the bustling early morning crowds of Kaiping City.