Novel Full Chapter 50: Can I Still Sell Roujiamo?
Chapter 50: Chapter 50: Can I Still Sell Roujiamo?
A few words were enough to calm Tangtang down and reassure her that Zhou Bing was fine.
Tang Wen wasn’t in a hurry to leave. He took the meat-stuffed bun from his sister and started wandering through the market while eating.
The ground of the marketplace was marked with white rectangles, about the size of parking spaces.
Some people, like Tangtang, pushed wooden carts laden with goods: needles and thread, bamboo chopsticks and wooden bowls, scraps of paper and cloth...
All together, it was like a general store.
They didn’t just accept Copper Coins and silver; they also bartered.
It was bustling with the sounds of haggling.
Tang Wen felt himself start to relax.
The negative emotions from a day and night of fighting and fleeing were gradually washed away by the lively, everyday atmosphere of the place.
’Perhaps this was what the Guards fought so desperately for out there—the hope that their families could have the leisure to stroll through a place like this.’
’And as for Tang Wen, he hoped that everyone who came here would buy one of his family’s meat-stuffed buns.’
Hm?
His gaze was drawn to a few books on the ground.
Iron Palm Technique, Iron Elbow Technique, Iron Head Technique
Tang Wen stopped in his tracks.
The stall owner, an old man, called out, "Young man, if you see one you like, feel free to pick it up and have a look."
"How much are they?" Tang Wen asked nonchalantly.
"Well," the old man looked at Tang Wen, "Fifteen—"
Before he could finish, Tang Wen turned and started to walk away.
"ten cents! Just ten cents a book."
"Fine." He sauntered back and squatted down.
He casually flipped through the Cultivation Techniques, feeling rather speechless.
The Iron Palm Technique just involved thrusting your hands into sand. The manual mentioned you needed to soak your hands in a medicinal solution, but it didn’t specify what herbs to use, only telling you to go ask at a clinic.
The Iron Elbow Technique and Iron Head Technique were more or less the same, both employing similar training methods.
He shook his head and stood up. Though the old man was reluctant to see him go, he didn’t try to stop him.
Evidently, the man knew exactly what kind of shoddy Secret Manuals he was selling.
After another look around, Tang Wen noticed a small stall selling hairpins.
The owners were a grandparent and grandchild. Their clothes were clean but faded. The old man seemed unable to speak, communicating only with hand gestures.
His granddaughter was about thirteen or fourteen, with her hair in two small pigtails and a shy smile.
Tang Wen moved closer for a better look. They were all wooden hairpins.
"What a handsome young man! Buying a pin for your sweetheart? The old man’s hairpins are cheap and pretty. Pick a few!"
"You sly vixen, you can’t walk straight when you see a handsome boy!"
"So he can buy more for you to wear?"
Their cheerful, flirtatious voices drifted over on a cloyingly sweet, warm breeze.
A group of women, draped in furs and with bright red lips, their clothes barely covering them in the biting cold wind, approached with giggles and laughter.
They scattered into groups of two and three around Tang Wen.
Their foxy eyes scanned him from head to toe.
Tang Wen felt a little uncomfortable. ’These ’teachers’... no, these ’special professionals’...’
’Why aren’t they sleeping in this early in the morning? What are they doing at the market?’
When it came to sizing up men, this group of women had an unerring eye.
They noticed Tang Wen’s hidden embarrassment and pressed even closer to him.
They crowded in, pressing against him from both sides.
"Oh!"
"Hey handsome, you bumped into my sister."
"Now what are you going to do about it?"
"What to do? He can pay us back with his... hehe."
"BWAHAHAHA!"
The commotion drew a lot of attention.
"Go on, go on, all of you get out of here. What is this behavior?"
A poised and dignified older woman stepped forward, shooing her sisters away.
She lowered her head to apologize to Tang Wen. "I’m so sorry, my sisters are used to fooling around. Please don’t take them seriously. If there’s a hairpin you like, I’ll buy it for you as an apology."
Tang Wen noticed that although they wore expensive-looking fur coats, the hairpins in their hair were simple wooden ones.
He then saw the gratitude in the eyes of the stall owner and his granddaughter as they watched the women.
Tang Wen shook his head. "It’s a gift. It’s better if I buy it myself."
With that, he picked out two wooden hairpins with rather unique designs.
He tossed down 10 cents, stood up, and prepared to leave.
The dignified woman smiled. "Handsome, next time you’re at Yihong Tower, just ask for Liu Niang! I’ll make a proper apology to you then."
Tang Wen’s heart skipped a beat. "We’ll see," he said.
He hurried away, silently committing the name "Liu Niang" to memory.
’Of course, he was just remembering the name. It didn’t mean anything else.’
Behind him, the women watched his retreating back, talking and laughing.
It sounded like they were betting on whether he would show up.
Tang Wen snorted inwardly. ’I’m a full-fledged member of the Hunting Team. Of course I wouldn’t go to a place like that!’
’Well, at least not anytime soon.’
At the market entrance, as Tangtang watched with curiosity, he flicked his wrist and produced a wooden hairpin as if by magic.
"What a waste of money! This little piece of wood is worth seven and a half catties of Maize!"
His big sister snatched it away, her eyes curving into crescents as she smiled. "Confiscated! What else did you buy?"
Speechless, Tang Wen produced the other one.
Tangtang was a little angry, but then she realized. "This is for Sister Bing?"
"Yeah."
"It’s too cheap, then. It’s not really a presentable gift."
Thinking about it, Tangtang started to get a headache. Their family didn’t have a house in the Inner City. Her brother’s status and martial prowess weren’t as high as Sister Bing’s, and his family background was even worse off.
’What should I do?’
’Will Sister Bing agree?’
Tang Wen didn’t know what she was thinking. He just stood to the side, helping her sell the meat-stuffed buns.
"Hey handsome, so you and Miss Tang are family!"
"Give me three meat-stuffed buns."
"I’ll take one."
The group of women chattered away, playfully winking at Tang Wen under Tangtang’s icy gaze before taking their buns and leaving.
Tangtang watched their seductive figures retreat and muttered, "No ambition. They’re young now, but what will they do later?"
The siblings sold out of their meat-stuffed buns early. Tang Wen pushed the cart as they headed home.
When they got back, Zhou Bing was already waiting for them.
After the two women exchanged concerned greetings, Zhou Bing said to Tang Wen, "Starting tomorrow, everyone in Squad One, except for you and me, will be out on patrol."
"Everyone’s back?"
"Yes, everyone in our squad is back."
"It’s good that they’re back."
Their tones were heavy. The relaxed mood Tang Wen had just found tensed up once again.
The matter wasn’t resolved.
Zhou Bing led the brother and sister to her master bedroom. She lifted a wooden plank from under a table, revealing a steel plate.
She opened the steel plate, and beneath it was a pitch-black tunnel entrance.
"This is...?"
Tang Wen and his sister were stunned.
They had lived in the house for so long and had even been in the master bedroom before, but they never knew there was a hidden world here.
Zhou Bing explained, "We still haven’t figured out the origin of that ’Awakened,’ but we’ve confirmed that the two of us are their primary targets. Commander Zhao and the General have sent word telling us not to go out and to protect ourselves."
"So we’re supposed to live in the tunnel?"
He hadn’t been down there, but he could imagine it. It would be dark, damp, and cold, with no sunlight.
"No! This tunnel isn’t just a shelter. It leads directly to the General’s Mansion. We’ll go out at noon to buy some things, creating the illusion that we’re holing up here. In reality, we’ll use the secret passage to go live in the General’s Mansion. This place will then become a trap."
Tang Wen understood. ’There might be people from the Black Mountain Camp in the Inner City.’
’It makes sense, I suppose. Our Guard Battalion also frequently receives intelligence from within the Black Mountain Camp.’
’It goes both ways.’
Tangtang asked worriedly, "Can I still sell my meat-stuffed buns?"
Huh?
Tang Wen and Zhou Bing exchanged a glance. Zhou Bing smiled. "Why don’t you come to the General’s Mansion with us for Martial Arts Training first? We’ll talk about it again after this period passes."
"Martial Arts Training? Alright."
Tangtang nodded in agreement.
At noon, the three of them went out.
To the astonished gazes of passersby, they bought and brought back two whole carts of food.
Then they locked the door from the inside.
Like squirrels fleeing a disaster, the three of them, each carrying a large bundle on their back, stepped into the tunnel.