Zhun Niu Market should actually have been called Zhu Niu Market.
Because there were salt mines nearby and large quantities of salt had to be transported, many merchants brought their cattle and horses here to rest. Even more merchants sold strong young cattle and horses here, so the place came to be called Zhu Niu Market.
For some unknown reason, however, the name gradually became Zhun Niu Market. The local people also thought the latter sounded better, so it stuck.
Since large numbers of cattle and horses were needed to transport salt, cattle and horses were often killed here after being thrown to death, worked to death, or simply growing too old and weak to continue.
Mining salt from the pits also required large numbers of cattle and horses to labor.
For these reasons, the price of local beef and horse meat was extremely low, even cheaper than pork.
The local beef soup noodles and horse-meat-stuffed shaobing were especially famous, with a modest reputation throughout Xingyuan Prefecture.
For one thing, they tasted good. For another, all the salt merchants in Xingyuan Prefecture passed through this place, carrying its reputation far and wide.
"Let's go to Zhun Niu Market first and buy a house to settle down in." Chen Mo kept his horse alongside the carriage, turned his head, and spoke to Zhao Yu.
The military camp he was going to was not inside Zhun Niu Market, but ten li away.
There was no rush to go to the military camp. He was not alone—Zhao Yu was traveling with him—so he had to settle down in Zhun Niu Market first.
"Sure. I'll listen to you." She nodded obediently.
Before they even entered Zhu Niu Market, Chen Mo could already see several plumes of white smoke drifting in the distance. They were