The Princess and Her Rough-Rider Khan
Chapter 239: Khan 239 is furious: These two can go die (second update)

Chapter 239: Khan 239 is furious: These two can go die (second update)

Seeing Li Xianyun and her company arrive, an elderly man complained, "Why have you come so late? We’ve been waiting a long time."

Another old woman said, "We thought you weren’t going to set up your stall. Many people who couldn’t wait have already left."

"If I hadn’t bought some of your wares yesterday and the kids loved it, I wouldn’t have bothered lining up here."

Many people followed suit, airing their grievances.

Li Xianyun, while setting up the stall with Youlan and the others, said with a smile, "There was a delay due to some matters at home today. I truly apologize. As compensation, we’ll give an extra half pound of honeyed goods to any customer who buys some today."

At these words, everyone instantly brightened up.

This young scholar with a fair complexion wasn’t just good-natured, but was also savvy about human nature, especially with a face that people found hard to dislike.

And with him putting it that way, who could hold any grudges?

Upon learning that the honeyed goods stall not only offered free tastes but also a promotion, everyone was eager to take advantage of the offer, and the crowd around the stall was even busier than the day before, making their business more bustling than ever.

Yelu Yan sat in the tea house to the east, sipping tea. He had specifically selected a spot by the window—a place that just afforded him a view of Li Xianyun’s stall.

There she was, talking with a few women, her smile bright and eyes warmly curved, seemingly unaware that those women’s interest had nothing to do with the honeyed goods; it was all about her.

This girl claimed he was the one who attracted bees and butterflies, but it was really herself who drew them the most.

Fortunately, those surrounding Li Xianyun were women. If they had been men, Yelu Yan might not have been able to stay seated.

The private rooms in the tea house were on the second floor, but the windows there faced the other way and did not have a view of Li Xianyun’s stall. That is why Yelu Yan chose to sit in the main hall downstairs.

The tables were placed quite close to each other, making it possible to overhear conversations from the next table.

The clientele of the tea house was diverse; the good mingled with the bad.

At the table next to Yelu Yan sat two notorious ruffians.

The two ruffians had made their first pot of gold by swindling at the Border Market, and somehow ran into great luck thereafter, rising to prominence.

Once they had money, they became even worse, arrogant and up to no good, never engaging in anything remotely like a decent day’s work.

One of the men had a large, dark mole on his chin with two long hairs sprouting from it. His face was forward-jutting and toothy, with a sleazy expression that naturally made people dislike him.

As he was talking to his companion, his gaze inadvertently swept outside the window and caught sight of Li Xianyun amidst the crowd.

He squinted his eyes and sized up Li Xianyun, almost drooling.

His companion, noticing his lack of response, followed his gaze and then said with a laugh, "Stop ogling; that’s a man."

The man with the mole leered and said, "What does it matter if it’s a man? With such good looks and soft skin, so delicate and smooth, it must be so comfortable to play with."

His companion lowered his voice, "Brother, I didn’t realize you had a taste for that."

The man with the mole laughed, "In this life, it’s all about joy and pleasure. If one can’t have such an exceptional beauty, wouldn’t it be a waste to have come into this world at all?"

"That makes sense."

"How about this, brother, when there are fewer people around, we take our young servant and kidnap that pretty boy to have some fun?"

The companion hesitated, "That sounds good, but have you seen that dark and sturdy fellow by her side? He’s not someone to mess with easily."

"What’s there to be afraid of? We outnumber him, and besides, are we afraid of a bear like him?"

"Alright, I’ll follow your lead, brother."

"After we catch her, we can..."

After that, they deliberately lowered their voices; whatever they said was indistinct but one could easily imagine it was nothing but dirty and foul language.

Jinwu looked towards his Khan, whose face was an icy shade of steel, his tiger-like eyes fierce.

It seemed these two men had lived long enough.

Sure enough, Yelu Yan turned to Jinwu and said in a calm voice, "These two can go to their deaths."

Jinwu responded, "Yes!"

The man with the large mole and his companion left the tea house, and Jinwu followed them.

Li Xianyun was organizing a taste testing of preserved fruits, when a man who looked like a butler approached, and said to Li Xianyun, "Young Master, I am the shopkeeper from the store across the way. Our family head has a business proposal for you and would like to discuss it. Would you care to come to our store?"

The big fish had finally taken the bait.

"Alright."

Li Xianyun glanced at Zhuo Ma.

Zhuo Ma understood immediately and followed along.

Li Xianyun always acted with caution. Before understanding the full picture, it was necessary to be careful. Zhuo Ma’s martial arts skills were excellent, and with her present, there was significantly less to worry about.

The three of them headed to the store across the street.

All of this was seen by Yelu Yan, who felt a bit hollow inside not being able to see Li Xianyun.

In fact, Yelu Yan, besides having Zhuo Ma and Bater as protectors by Li Xianyun’s side, had also arranged for numerous Shadow Guards to protect him in secret. There was no need to worry, but Yelu Yan couldn’t control his own anxiousness.

Li Xianyun followed the shopkeeper to the store across the street, which sold sweets, including candies and various pastries.

Li Xianyun had chosen to set up her stand with preserved fruits opposite this particular store for a reason.

Preserved fruits could not only be eaten as sweets, but could also serve as ingredients in pastries.

If Li Xianyun wasn’t mistaken, the store had sent someone to buy some preserved fruits yesterday. They seemed quite satisfied with the preserved fruits, and they were even worried she wouldn’t set up her stall today, which is why they approached her as soon as the stall was open.

Arriving later in the day had accidentally played a role in furthering this business deal.

The shopkeeper led the two to the second floor, stopping in front of a commanding room.

Outside the door, he said respectfully, "Family Head, I’ve brought them."

A young man’s voice came faintly from inside, "Come in."

Only then did the shopkeeper open the door and walk in, where Li Xianyun saw a large Taishi Chair behind a wide screen, with light coming from the window. Through the screen, she could see a man seated in the Taishi Chair.

There was a mysterious feel to the place.

Zhuo Ma was on alert, ready to defend her charge at a moment’s notice.

The man behind the screen said, "Please, take a seat."

The voice indeed sounded very young.

Li Xianyun sat down, Youlan stood behind her, and the shopkeeper stood by the screen, ready to serve.

The man asked, "Did you make the preserved fruits?"

"Yes."

"Could you tell me about them?"

Li Xianyun described the taste and uses of the preserved fruits, as well as methods and duration of preservation.

She also introduced the workshop that made the preserved fruits and Ruyi Square, implying to the man that if he wanted to partner long term, there would be a steady supply of goods, and he needn’t worry about shortages.

"You just mentioned raisins?"

The man had never heard of them.

Li Xianyun briefly described raisins and told him that if he was interested, she could send some for him to try.

After the man had no more questions, Li Xianyun looked at the man behind the screen, "Does your store only operate here at the Border Market, or do you have other locations as well?"

Seeking partnership was mutual; she was indeed interested in channels to sell preserved fruits and raisins, but she did not want to rush into it. She needed to learn about the other party’s situation to see if it matched her standards.

Upon hearing this, the other party fell silent. He regarded Li Xianyun more highly than before. He had thought her to be a short-sighted petty merchant, but now realized her ambitious vision and substantial knowledge were not to be underestimated.

The man talked about the status of his store. Besides the Border Market shop, he had stores in several larger places such as Chang’an, totaling eighteen, closely connected and with convenient transportation.

These terms were quite satisfying to Li Xianyun.