Chapter 018 - Mandatory Draft
The roe deer weighed in at 15 kg, and the people from Four Rivers Trading handed Li Yuan 36 large copper coins for it.
Right there on the spot, he spent 13 large coins on 15 kg of millet and five kilograms of beans, packing them into two separate bags. Then he used another five coins to buy 500 grams of salt; another five went toward a small bag of sugar crystals and some candles. That left him with 13 coins remaining.
In these times, salt and sugar were luxuries. Being able to bring so much back home was enough to make Li Yuan feel quite satisfied.
Meanwhile, Zhao Feng, watching him stock up on provisions, couldn’t help but look displeased. Clearly, Li Yuan was planning to stay put rather than accompany him.
After some hesitation, Zhao Feng spotted Li Yuan’s figure receding into the snowy distance and dashed out to catch him. “Wait, wait!” he called, trudging through the drifts.
Li Yuan stopped politely. “What is it?”
Zhao Feng said, “Li Yuan, let me be straight with you. If you join Four Rivers Trading, you’ll be following me under the Third Miss’s leadership. She’s been suppressed by others in the guild, but she’s got real talent. She’s bound to climb up the ranks sooner or later. If you follow her now, once she truly takes over, you’ll be one of the main contributors. You’ll reap plenty of benefits.”
Those words only confirmed Li Yuan’s misgivings. Sure enough, any sizable faction had internal cliques, each vying for power. With the chaos outside, they were still locked in their own infighting. And Zhao Feng, who wasn’t even officially ranked, likely had little clout in the guild anyway. If he did, he wouldn’t be stuck selling grain in a tiny village like this.
“Thank you. Once I’m home, I’ll think it over carefully. If I decide to join Four Rivers within three days, I’ll come find you here. Right?”
“That’s right!” Zhao Feng said. “I’ll be waiting for the good news.”
Li Yuan nodded and headed off again with his bags of supplies.
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