The Record of Swordsmen in the Late Sui and Early Tang Dynasties

Chapter 30 Thirty
Time flies, more than a month has passed in a blink of an eye. During this period of time, Duan Wuji was busy practicing martial arts day and night, and he was never afraid of the wind and snow. During this time, Duan Wuji's martial arts has made great progress .

On the first day of the Lunar New Year, Duan Yanqing led Duan Changsheng and Duan Wuji to Duanjiaji to pay New Year greetings to the third grandpa and his family. The third grandpa looked at the father and son and said, "Yanqing, your grandpa is three years old. Promising, you see this year is over, do you still raise cattle this year?"

Duan Yanqing listened and looked towards Duan Wuji.

"He has the final say on whether to raise cattle or not, and he can raise them if he says so, and I have nothing to do if he doesn't want to raise them.

He is 11 years old this year and has become the young head of our family. "

The third grandfather looked at Duan Wuji.

"Well, this kid is growing up really fast! He's almost grown up.

Promise, do you still plan to raise cattle this year?Quickly tell Grandpa Sanzu what you think? "

Duan Wuji laughed and said: "Raise! What can I do if I don't raise cattle? Isn't it possible to earn one or two hundred taels of silver every year by raising cattle? This is much better than farming. I raise a group of cattle If so, at least our family will not have to worry about eating and drinking for a year. Can I give up such a good thing?
Not only do I want to raise, but I also want to expand the scale and raise dozens of more cows. You said that one cow is also raised, and two cows are also released. If we raise a few more cows, we can earn more? "

The third grandfather listened and nodded.

"Well, Promise, promising.

Now that I'm going to raise it, then I'm going to order that calf, Wuji, how many do you plan to order this year? "

Duan Wuji laughed when he heard this.

"If I go back to my grandpa, I don't plan to make a deal this year. I've already made up my mind. I plan to go to the Great Wall to sell some by myself. Wouldn't this save me a lot of money?"

"Ah? Are you okay?"

"Why not? Someone else sold it, but I, Duan Wuji, can still sell it. If you don't believe me, just wait and see."

"Then when are you going to leave?"

Duan Wuji thought for a while and said: "I plan to leave the day after tomorrow. It's not good to be late."

"Then can you go alone?"

Duan Wuji laughed and said: "Why am I alone? I plan to take Tie Niu with me. I have a companion along the way."

"Then did you tell Tieniu?"

Duan Wuji shook his head. "Well, I haven't said it yet. I plan to go to him this afternoon."

The third grandpa laughed when he heard this.

"Wuji, you don't need to look for him, their family will come over later.

This year, their family hasn't come over to pay me New Year's greetings yet. "

"Really? Then I'll wait for him here."

In a short time, I saw that Niu Tie's family really came to pay New Year's greetings to the third grandfather.

After celebrating the Chinese New Year, Niu Tie's father, Duan Yanxi, looked at Duan Yanqing's family and said, "Brother, are these your two children? Look, they have grown so tall, they are really promising."

After hearing this, Duan Yanqing winked at his two children.

Duan Changsheng and Duan Wuji immediately understood.

The two immediately crawled to the ground to wish Duan Yanxi a New Year greeting.

"Uncle, my nephews Duan Changsheng and Duan Wuji wish you a New Year greeting. I wish you a prosperous year and a happy family."

Duan Yanxi was taken aback when he heard this, and quickly reached out to help.

"Okay, okay, get up.

Brother, look at how promising your child is!

Tieniu, don't be dumbfounded, you boy, and give your uncle a new year's greetings! "

After hearing that, Duan Tieniu hurried over, knelt on the ground and kowtowed to Duan Yanqing.

"Uncle, Niu Tie wishes you a happy new year. I wish you good luck and good luck, old man."

When Duan Yanqing saw him, he quickly helped Tieniu up.

"Niu Tie, get up quickly. We are all one family, what kind of New Year are you wishing for! Come, sit beside uncle."

Duan Yanqing looked at his third grandfather and said: "Third grandfather, this year is over, I want to ask the strong labor force in the family to help me build the house, let them pass by the day after tomorrow."

The third grandfather listened and nodded.

"Okay, there's nothing wrong now, I'll let them all go.

Hey, Yanqing, how many days have you been building this house?Let me hear it? "

Duan Yanqing laughed and said: "I'll find dozens more people, I plan to build the house within a month, isn't it time for spring plowing after a month?
The construction period is too long, and I'm afraid I can't afford it. "

The third grandpa smiled wryly after hearing this: "It takes three to five days for other people to build a house. It's not like you don't know it. It took you so long to build it? You want to build a palace!"

Duan Yanqing laughed and said, "Of course, the faster the construction, the better. Who knows how long it will take."

Duan Yanqing looked at Duan Yanxi again. "Brother, you can go too the day after tomorrow."

Duan Yanxi nodded.

"Well, that's for sure. Hey, brother, do you still employ people? If so, brother can help you find more."

Duan Yanqing laughed and said: "Yes, of course, the more people there are, the better."

"Okay, let's make a deal."

Duan Wuji looked at Tieniu and said, "Brother, can you go out with me?"

"Okay, buddy, tell me where are we going?"

Duan Wuji smiled. "Follow me to Saibei the day after tomorrow. I'm going to sell some cows to raise."

Duan Yanxi shook his head.

"Wuji, I heard that Saibei is a bit chaotic, is it safe for you to go?"

Duan Wuji laughed and said: "What can we do if we go? Can ordinary people do anything to us?"

The third grandfather laughed and said: "I don't believe that something happened to these two ghost boys."

"Go home tomorrow and get ready. We will set off on time the morning after tomorrow. Hey, brother Tie Niu, bring our weapons, don't forget!"

Tie Niu listened and nodded.

Duan Wuji smiled and said to Grandpa Sanzu: "Grandpa Sanzu, I don't think you need to order your cattle. When I sell them back, I will give you a few of them."

The third grandpa laughed when he heard this.

"You still need to tell me this? The third grandfather is not a fool.

Then I will wait for your good news at home. "

Everyone chatted for a while, and then went home.

Back home, Duan Yanqing asked with a smile: "Wuji, how much money did you bring with you this time? I will prepare it for you in advance."

Duan Wuji thought for a while and said: "You can prepare 300 taels for me. Apart from expenses on the way, we have to buy dozens of calves."

Duan Yanqing nodded after listening.

"Well, okay. I'll prepare it for you later. Wuji, eat better on the way. Our family is not short of money now, so don't be too careful. Our family is also considered rich now."

Duan Wuji nodded. "Father, don't worry, we can't wrong ourselves."

After finishing speaking, Duan Wuji went back to his small courtyard to practice martial arts.

Duan Yanqing said to his wife: "The head of the family, Wuji will go out in the morning the day after tomorrow, so hurry up tomorrow and spare some time to bake them some dry food, and fry some meat, so that they can take it with them to eat on the road."

Willow cauliflower nodded. "Master, I know. Alright, I'll prepare early tomorrow."

On the morning of the third day, Duan Wuji got up early, pulled out his white horse, tied the silver bag and the dry food bag on his body, and carried the sword on his back, then stepped on the horse and went straight to Duan Maji Come here.

Before reaching the edge of the village, I saw the iron ox running out of the village on a horse.

"Brother, where are you going?"

Duan Wuji smiled and said: "I'm looking for you, it's just right for you to come out, we don't need to go into the village."

As they said that, the two of them ran down the horse, brushed the side of the village, and went straight north.

The two steeds galloped northwards towards the desert road in the north of Saibei, stepping on the snow all over the ground.

Along the way, hungry and thirsty, Xiaoxing stayed overnight. After three days of hard work, the two finally left the pass and set foot on the Mongolian plateau.Gradually, I saw the Hu people's herds of horses, cattle and sheep.

The two of them headed northwest all the way to the depths of the desert.

A day later, the two stopped at a settlement called Zarika.

The two found a Turkic man in his 50s named Udunai, and Duan Wuji communicated with the old man in words while gesticulating.

The old man finally understood Duan Wuji's meaning. The old man said in half-baked Chinese: "You have found me as the right person. I will help you find out about the cattle, but you can't let me make it up for nothing."

Duan Wuji smiled and nodded.

"As long as the price of the cattle you raise is cheap, Dad, I can't treat you badly."

The old man was very happy to hear that.

"Don't worry, the price can't be expensive, I make a few deals like this every year.

Whether the half-big cattle you want are fat or thin, the fat ones are more expensive, and the thin ones are naturally cheaper. "

Duan Wuji smiled and said: "We naturally want to be thinner, as long as it is cheap."

The old man named Udunai smiled and said: "You wait here first, I will ride a horse and get you there right away."

After speaking, the old man got on his horse and ran towards the northwest direction. Two hours later, the old man named Udunai came over with seven or eight herds of cattle.

Each herd has hundreds of cows at least.

Eight or nine herdsmen came out of the herd.

Udunai pointed to Duan Wuji and Tieniu with his hand. "These two are the buyers, you can negotiate the price yourself."

Duan Wuji glanced at several people and said with a smile: "We only buy the skinny half-big cows, I hope you will pick out this kind of cows if you want to sell them."

An old man named Battelle laughed and said, "There was a severe drought last year, and the grass didn't grow at all. There are too many of these cattle, so I'll pick them out for you, otherwise this little guy will starve to death within a few days." It’s better to change some money.”

It is said that the old man picked out more than 20 such cattle from the herd.

Duan Wuji saw it and said with a smile: "Father, just tell me how much these cows cost?"

The old man stretched out three fingers.

"I don't want more from you, how about you give 30 taels of silver? These calves are all yours."

After hearing this, Duan Wuji said without saying a word: "Okay, let's make a deal."

After finishing speaking, Duan Wuji opened the money bag and paid the money.

The old man named Battle gave a thumbs up. "Well, you are the most straightforward Han people I have come into contact with, good job."

After speaking, the old man drove the cattle away.

When the rest of the families saw this, they also picked this kind of calves from their own herds.

Duan Wuji talked with each other about the price, and in the end, Duan Wuji bought four calves for 150 taels, and spent 220 taels of silver.

Duan Wuji looked at the old man named Udunai and said: "Father Udunai, how much money do you want to feed these cows with good grass and good food?"

The old man thought about it for a while and said, "You should give me at least three taels of silver."

Duan Wuji took out ten taels of silver and handed it over.

"Father, this is ten taels of silver. You can take it. The rest is your benefit fee. Besides, you have to show us the cattle tonight, so we will leave early tomorrow morning on time."

The old man named Udunai was very happy, put away the money and said: "Don't worry, you won't lose any of your cows. I will pay you ten if you lose one cow. As long as there are good grass and materials, this herd of cows will not go anywhere." Go. Look, everybody's starving to death."

Duan Wuji said with a smile: "Then daddy, you have to worry too much, we'll get paid and go to rest."

"You can eat whatever you want, there is beef in the tent, you can eat whatever you want."

Duan Wuji smiled and said: "Then thank you father, we are indeed hungry."

The two of them began to practice rest after they had eaten their fill.

At dawn the next day, the two of them got up early, collected the horses, and then drove the cattle to bid farewell to Father Udunai.

After walking a long distance, Udunai ran after him again.

"Han children, I forgot to tell you just now, the desert is not peaceful now, there are robbers everywhere, you should pay more attention along the way!"

Duan Wuji cupped his hands. "Thank you dad for telling me, we know."

The old man went back after speaking.

Duan Wuji smiled at Tie.

"Brother, we have to work hard. You said that if we lose this herd of cattle, we will lose a lot."

(End of this chapter)