Buy, Buy, Buy

He suddenly wanted to bring his friends in the other world some gifts. The Lin father and sons were naturally the first to come to mind. He could give them weapons; they would surely like those. The materials used for cold weapons in this world were definitely beyond anything in that world.

He thought it over. Chief Escort Lin traveled on escort runs with Lin Hai and Lin Yue, and all three usually wielded long sabers, similar in style to Tang horizontal sabers. They were the most practical weapons for hacking and slashing in the jianghu.

He picked three high-end Tang horizontal sabers in different styles. They were made of folded pattern-welded steel with clay-tempered edges, full tangs, and ebony scabbards with plain copper fittings.

They had no flashy decorations whatsoever; every one of them was suited to actual combat.

He also remembered that Lin Qingyao usually wielded a short sword, so he picked out a delicate ladies' short sword. Its blade was narrow and thin, its weight light, and it felt nimble in the hand. The steel was just as good as the material used for the long sabers. A sword like this should be handy for a girl to use.

After choosing those four, he paused, then scrolled farther down. Sooner or later, he would have to hire a few guards, and there was Liu Hu, the young fellow who looked after the stables. He had trained too, though Shen Jingchuan didn't know whether he usually used a saber or a sword.

He might as well get everything in one go and save himself the trouble. He added six more—three sabers and three swords, all suited to actual combat. First come, first served; whoever found one handy could use it.

Once he had chosen all ten and gone to checkout, he stared at the number on the screen for a moment, then laughed. They were all handmade by veteran craftsmen from top-grade materials, yet the ten of them came to just over 27,000 yuan.

He thought to himself that the money went a long way. In the past, that would have been a sum he'd have had to mull over for ages, but compared to the value of that piece of jade, it wasn't even a fraction of the change.

He had just paid for the swords and sabers when he suddenly slapped his thigh—he had nearly forgotten his three precious darlings.

The moment he thought of those three great, tall horses and the way they looked at him, he made up his mind. They had to have the best saddles and harnesses; he absolutely couldn't shortchange the three darlings.

He browsed established tack shops with physical factories, all reputable businesses that had been operating for more than a decade. They offered returns and exchanges within seven days without a reason, and he could send anything back if it didn't match the listing, so he didn't have to worry about getting burned.

Only after browsing for a while did he realize this stuff wasn't one-size-fits-all. The size had to be chosen according to a horse's height at the shoulder and the length of its back.

His three horses were broad-framed and big, a full size larger than ordinary horses. Standard models wouldn't do at all; he needed extra-large, extra-wide ones made specifically for heavy horses. Otherwise, they'd pinch the shoulders and chafe the back, and after a couple of runs the horses would be hurt.

Originally, he had only planned to get riding saddles, but then he thought he might need to hitch them to a carriage someday. Swapping things back and forth would be a hassle, so he might as well get it all done at once.

He treated all three horses equally, equipping each one with two complete sets:

One top-grain cowhide all-purpose riding saddle, complete with stirrups, reins, a saddle pad and a breast collar. It was solidly made, breathable and shock-absorbing, and would stay steady and comfortable even on long rides;

One complete set of thickened cowhide harness, with reinforced shoulder pads, belly straps and traces.

Once he had selected all six top-of-the-line sets and added them up, the total came to just over 52,000 yuan.

Shen Jingchuan stared at the screen. This money went a long way.

But then he looked at his balance. Damn, this money didn't go far at all.

Right, he also needed to order a proper replica antique carriage.

He searched through the categories for ages. There were a few carriage makers in Beijing itself, but they either made fancy showpieces for weddings that looked flashy but couldn't stand up to hard use, or were little workshops taking orders for props. None of them suited him.

He expanded his search to the surrounding area and actually found a factory in Zhuozhou that specialized in replica antique carriages. It was only fifty or sixty kilometers from Beijing, so a trip there wouldn't take much time.

He called the number on the page, and a middle-aged man with a deep voice answered.

Shen Jingchuan didn't waste words and went straight into what he needed:

An old-style Chinese carriage drawn by two horses, with a sturdy cabin and a metal frame. He didn't need any decorations; it just had to be sturdy and durable, with good shock absorption, able to withstand rough, potholed dirt roads.

The man on the other end chuckled twice after hearing him out, his tone sincere:

"Don't worry, brother. There's nothing high-tech about this. As long as your requirements aren't too outrageous, our factory can handle pretty much anything. To put it plainly, it comes down to two things: genuine, quality materials, and workers who do the job properly. With those, you can't go far wrong."

The man wasn't boasting or opening his mouth to make grand claims like "I can make whatever you ask for." That made Shen Jingchuan feel reassured instead.

He arranged on the spot to go over the next morning and take a look around the factory himself.

The man on the other end repeatedly told him he was welcome. They added each other on WeChat, and the man sent him the location.

Shen Jingchuan was still pondering how the carriage should be made.

Then the screen began to vibrate. He glanced at it and saw "Meng Ke" on the caller ID. For some reason, he paused for a moment before swiping to answer.

A soft voice immediately drifted from the receiver, with a touch of familiarity: "Jingchuan."

Hearing those two words, Shen Jingchuan felt a pleasant tingle.

That form of address was far more familiar than the "old classmate" she'd used before. The corners of his mouth lifted despite himself, and he deliberately teased her:

"What, did you need something?"

"Can't I call you if I don't?" Meng Ke gave a soft huff on the other end.

"Hehe, I was just thinking about kissing you when you called."

"Smooth talker." Meng Ke's voice carried a hint of embarrassment as she spoke with a coquettish reproach. "All you ever think about is naughty things."

After a couple of jokes, she got down to business. "Seriously, those seal blanks you left with me—I hurriedly put together a small auction with some people in the trade this afternoon and sold them all."

Shen Jingchuan was taken aback. "That fast?"

"They were all veteran collectors who know their stuff and each other, and the pieces were obviously genuine, so of course they snapped them up."

Meng Ke sounded a little pleased with herself. "They sold for more than 27 million altogether. Oh, right, the money from your seal blank last time still hadn't been taxed either. I put it all through the books properly and paid the tax for you this time, so there won't be any loose ends later."

"Sure. I don't understand any of this, so just handle it however you see fit." Shen Jingchuan agreed readily, without the slightest hesitation.

"After tax, there's roughly a little over 25 million left. I'll sort out the detailed accounts and send them to you later."

Meng Ke paused, then added, "It's just that the daily limit on my account isn't high enough. For such a large amount, it'll take two or three days to transfer it all, so don't worry."

"Oh, I thought it was something serious."

Shen Jingchuan didn't take it to heart at all. "You don't have to transfer it all. Just send me 20 million for now. Leave the rest with you for the time being. I don't have any big expenses lately, so I'm in no hurry to use it."

Meng Ke, however, was surprised.

"Don't you have to pay your supplier for the goods? I thought you'd taken this batch of material first and would have to pay them after selling it."

Shen Jingchuan chuckled.

"Don't worry about that. Just do as I say. Besides, you've been busy running around for most of the day. I can't let you go to all that trouble for nothing, so consider the rest your commission."

"Who wants to make money off you?"

Meng Ke pursed her lips on the other end, though her tone was impossibly soft:

"I don't think much of that little fee for my trouble. All right, we'll do as I said. I'll transfer 25 million first and keep the remaining change for you. Whenever you need it, just let me know. Oh, and send me your account number."