Misty Rain of the Old Times

Chapter 231 Good stuff

"I heard from Hamo and the others that your name is Yang Guo, the distinguished guest. If you don't mind, please come with me into the tent and have a seat. We still have to prepare the ceremony to welcome you," the old man looked at Chen Xuan and made a gesture of invitation.

Chen Xuan responded: "You are really too polite."

"This is the most basic etiquette for us as children of the grassland. Guests who come with good intentions will be warmly received," the old man said with a smile.

Watching them walk towards the largest tent, Cha Gufeng behind him had a hint of surprise in his eyes. He lowered his head and said nothing, not having the right to question any decision of the leader.

In fact, not everyone can be personally received by the chief, let alone enter the main tent, which is one of the most important places in their tribe. To some extent, it is a symbol, similar to the main hall of a wealthy family, which is only open to entertain important guests.

Those who can enter the main tent can be considered to have "entered the house".

The space inside the main tent is quite spacious, but it seems a bit crowded because there are a lot of things placed in it, and the lighting is not very good.

The entire space was filled with complex smells, including various medicinal herbs, animal bones, furs, etc., all mixed together, but Chen Xuan remained calm.

A low couch similar to a kang was covered with soft sheepskin. After Chen Xuan and the old man sat down, the old man instructed in Mandarin: "Cha Gufeng, go boil water and make tea. Use the tea leaves I put on that shelf."

"Okay, chief," Cha Gufeng said respectfully, and looked at Chen Xuan in surprise again. He really couldn't see what was so special about Chen Xuan. Not only could he enter the main tent, but he could also be treated with the chief's collection of tea. You know, the leaders of some large caravans who came to purchase cattle, sheep and horses did not get such treatment.

Seeing Chen Xuan looking around without reservation, the old man smiled and recalled: "When I was young, I was also a warrior on the grassland. I followed my ancestors to kill bandits and fight wild beasts. Many of the spoils here are my trophies. Later, I was injured and could no longer lift a knife, so I learned some medical skills. Everyone didn't despise me, so I became the leader of the tribe, and guided them to survive with my years of grassland life experience."

"Your bravery is admirable, and your wisdom is as bright as a pearl," Chen Xuan said sincerely.

Everyone has been young and will grow old. The fact that this old man can live safely to the age of sixty or seventy in such a harsh environment as the grassland is definitely not something that can be summed up by the word luck.

Smiling, the old man looked at Chen Xuan and said, "Dear guest, you are not from the underworld, are you?"

Chen Xuan smiled without saying anything, thinking to himself, is it really that obvious?

The old man continued, "Although I am old, my eyesight is still sharp. I have seen many people in the martial arts world, but they don't have the kind of comfortable demeanor that you have. You must be a scholar. I have seen many similar people, and I recognized you at a glance. Moreover, you are not an ordinary scholar. Walking alone on the grassland, your appearance is spotless, which is a symbol of status and strength."

"You have a keen eye," Chen Xuan said with a smile, without saying much.

Nodding, the old man pondered and asked, "So, distinguished guest, may I know what your purpose is in coming to our tribe?"

Chen Xuan understood immediately. He was unsure of himself and was worried inside. He seemed to be asking questions, but in fact he was lowering his posture to show that they did not want to be his enemy, and perhaps did not have the ability to do so. If he had any requests, he could ask them. They would try their best to meet them as long as they were not excessive. If they were too excessive, they would fight to the death.

People are old and have a sharp eye. They may be able to tell what kind of person I am at a glance.

After thinking for a moment, Chen Xuan said seriously, "Two innate masters are about to have a battle in the desert. Senior, you should have heard about it. I plan to go and take a look. I'm passing through this place alone, with nothing but a little money. I happened to meet Cha Gufeng and the others, so I decided to come to your tribe to buy some seasonings so that I can have delicious food on the way. That's all."

"It wasn't a chance encounter; it was Gulu who led them to you," the old man explained, then asked, "Dear guest, do you really just want to buy some seasonings?"

"Yes, I said I had no ill intentions," Chen Xuan nodded.

After looking at Chen Xuan seriously, he smiled and said in a very relaxed tone: "It is an honor for our tribe to have you here. Even if you just pass by in a hurry, you will feel our hospitality and it is worth the trip."

He stood up and walked to a shelf, saying, "Most of the tribe's seasonings are here. Whether they are traded by foreign caravans or purchased in Tuoling Town, more than 200 miles away, most of the valuables are usually left here. My distinguished guest, if you see anything you need, feel free to take it. Just treat it as a gift to someone."

Is this buying peace of mind?

Chen Xuan was in a state of confusion, and stepped forward and said, "Senior, I said I have no ill intentions. It's not easy for you either. If there is anything I need, I will buy it with money."

"Then please take a look at what you need first. If we don't have it, you may be disappointed," the old man said with a smile, without insisting.

Nodding, Chen Xuan began to look around the shelf.

They don't have many kinds of seasonings here, just block salt, jars of soy sauce and vinegar, and some spices. I guess they often eat beef and mutton, which have a strong smell and need spices to cover it up.

After a quick look, Chen Xuan pointed at a few of them and said, "These are all I'll take. A little of each. It won't take much for a few days' journey. The total amount should not exceed one kilogram. How much is it?"

Although they were nomads, they were also under the rule of the Jing Kingdom, and could trade with money, though they likely relied more on barter. "It's not worth much, and there aren't many things, so I'll just give it to you. I'll have someone pack it up for you later. If you really feel bad, you can give me something as you see fit," the old man said with a smile, as if anything would be acceptable as long as Chen Xuan didn't do anything bad to them.

Just kidding, the goshawks trained in their tribe would dare to rush down and fight and drive away even tigers and leopards if they approached, but when they met this Yang Guo, they only dared to circle in the sky and dared not even make a sound. You can imagine how unfathomable this Yang Guo was, so of course they had to deal with him with caution.

Animals have such sharp intuition, otherwise how could anyone who comes here be treated so courteously?

So even though he couldn't tell how powerful Chen Xuan was, the fact that he walked on the grassland without getting stained by anything, coupled with the reaction of the goshawk, made it clear that he was not someone their small tribe could afford to offend.

Spotless! Based on his experience, more than 80% of the skilled practitioners couldn't achieve this. Who wouldn't be exhausted after spending some time in such an environment? The key point was that Chen Xuan even kept his hair meticulously clean. How could this be easy?
Upon hearing this, Chen Xuan took out a piece of silver, about one or two taels, and put it down, saying, "I think this should be more than enough."

He came here sincerely to buy things, not to help the poor, so there is no need to give him more.

Seeing this, the old man was stunned. Was he really here to buy seasoning?
Before he could say anything, Chen Xuan's nose twitched, his eyes lit up, and he looked at a sheepskin bag in the corner and asked, "Excuse me, senior, please forgive me for being so intrusive, but what's inside? May I take a look?"

The old man looked in the direction he pointed, then went over to get the sheepskin bag, opened it, and said, "You have a keen sense of smell, sir. I guess you were attracted by the spicy smell. We call this thing "two-end burn." If you accidentally eat it, your mouth and anus will suffer, causing unbearable pain. It is a medicinal herb. If you catch a cold, you can use it to dispel the cold. If you encounter a wild animal, you can light it and the smoke will choke your nose and eyes, which can drive it away."

Listening to him speak, and looking at the opened sample bag, I saw that it contained dried chilies.

Chen Xuan's eyes lit up. He had been in this world for many years, but this was the first time he had seen this. He had been wanting this for a long time. The name "burning at both ends" was quite appropriate.

Excited by the sight of prey, Chen Xuan couldn't help but pick up a dried chili pepper, bit off a small piece, and chewed it. Under the old man's stunned gaze, feeling the long-lost spiciness, he asked, "Excuse me, how did you get this?"

This little bit of spiciness certainly wouldn't make him uncomfortable, but eating it like this would indeed cause some taste discomfort.

After a pause, the old man explained, "We collect them from the grasslands. Perhaps they are seeds brought from distant places by birds or crickets. They fall on the grasslands and take root and sprout, occasionally growing. Because their fruits can ward off cold, and the smoke after burning is very effective in driving away wild animals, we usually collect a small amount."

This is normal. They just discovered the simple use of peppers and did not take it seriously, let alone collect them in large quantities as a commodity. Of course, this thing is not artificially cultivated, and the yield is limited if it grows freely in the wild.

What a good thing! Chen Xuan said happily, "Can you sell me some of this? If it's inconvenient, can you tell me where it grows so I can collect it myself?"

"It's a gift the customer wants to give it to you. It's not a precious thing. But can I ask what you will use it for? We are all ignorant. Knowing more things may save lives at critical moments," the old man asked in a asking tone.

There's nothing to hide. Chen Xuan smiled and said, "It doesn't have any special effects. I plan to use it as a seasoning."

"This... can be used as a seasoning? But apart from causing pain, it can easily produce pleasant taste bud stimulation," the old man asked in confusion.

Smiling, Chen Xuan said, "Spicy food can be a delicious treat in moderation."

"The customer's taste is really unique..." The old man was speechless.

After some discussion, since it was the first time they had encountered chili peppers and they had never sold this kind of thing before, Chen Xuan finally bought a bag of it for two taels of silver, which was about five pounds, enough to eat for a long time. And with the seeds, he could grow them himself in the future.

With this thing, the main ingredients for barbecue hotpot are all ready. This trip is really worthwhile.

Of course, even if he didn't meet it here, with such a large grassland, it is possible that he would meet it in the wild while walking.

Soon, Cha Gufeng brought a pot of tea. It was not a good tea, but it was a precious item for nomads like them. According to them, one pound of this stuff could be exchanged for a cow.

Chen Xuan's heart twitched. Those caravans were simply heartless. This piece of junk would be despised by anyone with a little money in the big city, yet it was sold at such a high price on the grassland.

But he did not say it explicitly, because this is a long-term business model. If it is made clear, it may cause a lot of trouble, which will not be worth the loss. The herdsmen need the caravans to bring tea, salt and iron, and they exchange them for cheap livestock, and the caravans also need their cattle and sheep to make money. When it comes down to it, it is a confusing account, and it is hard to say who is more disadvantaged.

It was already bustling outside. After finishing their tea, the old man smiled and said, "Guests, the welcome ceremony outside is ready. Please enjoy it. I won't get involved in your affairs."

"Brother Yang, please follow me," Cha Gufeng made a gesture of invitation from the side.

……

(End of this chapter)