Market Day

The smiths who forged weapons at Wu Ironworks did not have much work to do. After all, weapons did not sell especially well in this godforsaken place. Each smith had a fixed monthly quota: as long as he forged ten acceptable weapons, that was enough. The shop collected them at the end of the month and left him alone the rest of the time. Ten weapons were a breeze for Little Leopard. He could finish them in barely half a month, and their quality still ranked among the very best.

The time left over was his own, which gave him plenty of time to practice martial arts.

Over the past six months, however, he had focused mainly on deepening his understanding of Tai Chi Fist and refining his flameheart inner qi. After all, his physical limitations were plain to see. He was too young-only nine after the New Year-and he had no desire to damage his body's foundations through excessive physical training.

"Ah, if only I could have medicinal baths like the ones in those books and legends!"

Over the past six months, aside from training, the thing he had done most was buy books. He bought them like mad. He was not short of money now, anyway, and books were inexpensive.

His reason for buying books was simple: to learn as much as possible about this strange and wondrous world.

As the saying went, a scholar could know the affairs of the world without stepping outside his door.

What did he rely on?

Books, of course-the knowledge he gained from them.

Green Ram Market was only a small place, and few people could read, so no one was willing to go into a business that was bound to lose money.

His only chances to buy books came on the first and fifteenth of each month, when people from all the surrounding villages came to Green Ram Market for market day.

There were not many, but they were enough to give him a concrete understanding of this world.

"Well, if it isn't Little Leopard! Buying books again?"

Today was the fifteenth, a market day. Vendors lined both sides of Green Ram Market's few streets. Naturally, this was also a day for the Green Ram Market Prefectural Yamen and the Black Dragon Society to rake in the fat.

"Yes, Brother Zhang. You're on duty today?" Little Leopard smiled at the burly man who approached him with a grin and a greeting. His name was Zhang Yong, a minor leader in the Black Dragon Society. Almost every month around this time, he came out to collect protection money, as naturally as the Prefectural Yamen collected taxes. Little Leopard had been running around this street on every market day for the past few months, so they had naturally become acquainted.

Zhang Yong also knew that, young as Little Leopard was, he was a Wu disciple with boundless prospects. Aside from the Prefectural Yamen, Wu Ironworks was the last power in Green Ram Market anyone should provoke. He therefore did not dare offend the boy. A nod and a greeting when they met in the street counted as a little friendship.

After taking his leave of Zhang Yong, Little Leopard continued on. One street farther along, he heard familiar hawkers' cries, and a warm smile flickered across his face. Wang Tianlei had brought a group of hunters to the market. As their hauls increased, each household had something left over after the game they sold collectively to the trading firms. Whenever market day came, the hunters brought this surplus game to sell. Naturally, Wang Tianlei took the lead again, but this was different from doing business with the trading firms' warehouses. Each man sold his own goods; they merely gathered together to keep anyone from taking advantage of them. Once they had sold everything, the men would take the opportunity to browse the market and buy thoughtful little gifts for their wives. That was only human nature.

Little Leopard's eldest brother was among them, of course. Over the past six months, Little Leopard had handed his wages to him this way each time, so he could take the money home to help with household expenses.

"So much? Goudanzi, do you have enough left for yourself?"

Little Leopard's eldest brother took the purse he handed over and hefted it, his face registering surprise. The weight of the coins inside amounted to nearly half a year's earnings for him.

"I have enough. I was lucky this month and forged a few extra pieces, so I got a bigger bonus!" Little Leopard said casually.

"Heh, Goudanzi's a pillar of the family now, too!" The hunters beside them were doing good business and were naturally in high spirits. Hearing the brothers' exchange, they began to tease them.

"That's right! Little Leopard, you're the most promising lad in our village. You're already a smith! How about I arrange a match for you now? My uncle's little girl is about your age, and she's as fresh and pretty as a flower...!"

"Even if we're taking turns, your uncle's family wouldn't come first! My little niece is lovely, too...!"

For a while, everyone chimed in, leaving Little Leopard flushed scarlet.

"Enough, enough!" After they had laughed and teased for a while, Wang Tianlei spoke up. "You're all grown men, yet here you are teasing a child!"

"Brother Zhou, we're only joking! But I mean it, too. Little Leopard may be young, but he's old enough to get engaged-!"

"That's right, that's right-!"

Everyone chimed in again.

"All right, all right. Big Brother, Brother-in-law, brothers, I won't disturb your business any longer!" Helpless, Little Leopard repeatedly cupped his hands to the group of men.

"Goudanzi, do you have any free time soon?" Seeing that Little Leopard was about to leave, Dagouzi hurriedly asked. Little Leopard had been away from home for more than six months, and his family missed him terribly. But apprentices had rules to follow and could not go home whenever they wished. Even during the New Year and other festivals, they had to attend to things at the weapons shop. Although Little Leopard was no longer an apprentice and had plenty of free time, leaving the shop was still somewhat troublesome.

"Oh, I'll see. I might have some free time next month. I'll ask for leave then. It should be fine!" Little Leopard said, then hurried away.

Reborn into this world, he had taken on a different identity and gained new parents, but his memories of his previous life still held sway. Though he had developed deep affection for his new family and parents, he did not want to go back and play the child again.

After walking along this stretch and rounding a corner, Little Leopard made his way with practiced ease to a street corner. A middle-aged man ran a secondhand bookstall there. Over the past six months, Little Leopard had bought almost all his books from him.

Before he even drew near, Little Leopard heard an angry scolding. "You damned wastrel! You even dare steal my stall space? Take a good look at whose turf this is!"

"Hm?" Little Leopard's brows lifted slightly. He did not need to look; the voice alone told him it was the middle-aged bookseller.

"Th-this place doesn't-doesn't belong to your family! If you can set up a stall, why-why can't I?" A thin, weak voice answered. A frail figure climbed up from the ground, and only then did Little Leopard see that he was a young man of twenty or so. He was fairly good-looking, but his face was coated in dust and bore a swollen bruise. He must have picked up the dirt when he fell to the ground just now. His white robe, which had originally been reasonably clean, was also covered in grime. In his arms, he held a blue bundle. Judging by its shape, it probably contained books. From the look of things, he had intended to set up a bookstall here.

What he did not know was that, lively as the market was and haphazard as its stalls appeared, every stall space had an owner, and every vendor paid a fee to the Black Dragon Society. That fee came in two parts: protection money for the Black Dragon Society, and taxes for the Prefectural Yamen, collected on its behalf by the Black Dragon Society. Even Wang Tianlei and his companions were no exception. These were Green Ram Market's rules, established by custom.

The young man clearly did not understand these rules. He had brought a few books here and simply set up a stall. It would have been strange if he had not been beaten.

Standing behind him was Zhang Yong of the Black Dragon Society, whom Little Leopard had met in the street earlier. Zhang Yong looked thoroughly disgruntled. At the young man's words, his temper flared at once. "Fuck you, you damned bastard! If this place isn't mine, is it yours? Let me tell you, this place is mine! It belongs to the Black Dragon Society! You little son of a bitch, you still dare talk back!" As he spoke, he stepped forward and raised his foot to kick the young man again.