Chapter 324
Lin Zaozao had earlier imagined how Dashan and Oldest Brother Han Ye were salivating over the sight of a steaming white bread bun in the morning, and she couldn't help but admire Oldest Brother Han Ye and the Old Sovereign.
People like them, if not enlightened rulers, what else could they be?
As kings, they were truly harsh on themselves! And so frugal!
They were so frugal that it made her heart ache.
"Ruo Qiu, by helping Oldest Brother Han Ye add silver to the military like this, aren't you afraid of losing money?"
"Of course not. I'm a merchant, I won't do business that loses money. Little Priestess Zaozao, you've just been birthed by the Holy Tree, so you don't know how prosperous Han Country was before the great drought.
Now Han Country's great drought has passed, and you, the future High Priestess, have also been birthed by Han Country's Holy Tree.
For Han Country to regain its prosperity from ten years ago is only a matter of time.
Once Han Country recovers, although I can only be the Imperial Merchant for ten years, I guarantee that I won't lose money in those ten years."
Ruo Qiu said with a chuckle.
"If that's the case, why did Oldest Brother Han Ye and you demand chickens from him, and you even took his mother's jewelry?"
"Little Priestess Zaozao, you really speak so casually! Even close brothers keep accounts with each other! I and Prince Han Ye are just business partners.
Furthermore, my goods weren't brought by the wind. Why should I give them away for free?"
Ruo Qiu said defiantly.
"Hmm! In that case, you're right."
Lin Zaozao gave Ruo Qiu a thumbs up, then prepared to leave.
"Hey! Little Priestess Zaozao, you haven't helped me yet!"
"Help you with what?"
Lin Zaozao asked with pretended confusion.
"Help me deal with that Wolf-born Child! I'm only ten years old, I don't want to grow old alone!"
Ruo Qiu said anxiously.
"Ruo Qiu, look at what you're saying. You just said that even close brothers keep accounts. You and I are not even remotely related, why should I help you deal with that Wolf-born Child for free?
What if after helping you, that Wolf-born Child you mentioned curses me? I'm already unlucky enough, I don't want to become even more unlucky."
Seeing Lin Zaozao about to leave, Ruo Qiu hurriedly blocked her way, saying anxiously:
"Zaozao, I have money, I'll give you silver, okay?"
"Then how much silver do you want to give me?"
"You tell me, how much silver do you want?"
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"Oldest Brother Han Ye, how much do you think Ruo Qiu's life is worth in silver?"
Lin Zaozao said with a laugh.
"A hundred thousand taels of gold, plus a hundred thousand dan of grain."
"Han Ye, you're being too excessive. A hundred thousand taels of gold plus a hundred thousand dan of grain, where would I get that much from?"
Ruo Qiu said angrily.
"Zhuzhu, you see the traveling merchant is just joking. Let's go back now, okay?"
"Okay, let's go back now."
Receiving a glance from Han Ye, Lin Zaozao quickly agreed.
"Hey! Wait, I promise, I promise, isn't that enough? It's just a hundred thousand taels of gold and a hundred thousand dan of grain! I can pay, can't I?"
"When will you give it?"
Han Ye pulled Lin Zaozao's hand and laughed softly with his back turned.
"A hundred thousand taels of gold is easier said. But for those a hundred thousand dan of grain, I'll need at least twenty days.
You know how tightly Canglan and Fengshuo guard Han Country's borders, Prince Han Ye. Even if I gather a hundred thousand dan of grain, I can't transport it in all at once!"
"Okay then, in twenty days, you give the gold and grain, and we'll help you break the Wolf-born Child's curse."
After speaking, Han Ye pulled Lin Zaozao's hand to leave.
"Wait!"
"What is it now? Ruo Qiu, you have so many things!"
"Little Priestess Zaozao, can't you... take these two wolf cubs away?"
Ruo Qiu pleaded pitifully while holding up the cage.
"I told you, our palace is poor, we can hardly even feed the people. I don't have spare money to raise wolf cubs. So keep these two wolf cubs yourself, I don't want them."
"No, you must take them."
Ruo Qiu put the cage holding the little wolf cubs by Lin Zaozao's feet and begged.
"Little Priestess, the reason that Wolf-born Child cursed me was because of these two little wolf cubs.
My merchant caravan accidentally injured the King of the Giant Wolves in the frontier region, and also took these two wolf cubs, so that Wolf-born Child cursed me."
"You deserved it! Why did your caravan provoke the wolf king for no reason? After provoking the wolf king, you even took their children.
You're fortunate those giant wolves didn't come gnaw your bones, that's just your good luck."
Lin Zaozao lowered her head, meeting the pitiful gaze of the two wolf cubs. After thinking it over, she spoke:
"Ruo Qiu, for feeding the wolf cubs, you'll have to pay yourself."
"Okay, no problem."
Ruo Qiu generously promised.
"Fifty dan of grain plus a hundred dan of pork every day. How about it? Reasonable, right?"
"Huh?"
Hearing Lin Zaozao's demands, Ruo Qiu couldn't help but stare wide-eyed.
"What? Too little? If there's no pork it's fine too! You can switch the pork for chickens, ducks, and geese, except I want them alive.
If you dare not deliver, I'll throw these two wolf cubs back at you, and let that Wolf-born Child come bother you."
Ignoring Ruo Qiu's dumbfounded expression, Lin Zaozao had Dashan carry the cage as she walked out of the tent.
Seeing Lin Zaozao's departing back, after a moment of stunned silence, Ruo Qiu couldn't help but laugh out loud.
This little priestess who had just been birthed from the Moonlight Flower Tree was indeed different from the rumors about Han Country!
How many days had she been born? Yet she spoke and acted so maturely.
Ha! It was just fifty dan of grain and meat per day! He could afford it.
When she returned to the palace, everyone had gone out for some reason. As for her future young husband Gu Shan, she didn't know where he was hiding either.
Lin Zaozao opened the cage and picked up the two little wolf cubs huddled trembling in the corner.
Seeing how they were shivering, Lin Zaozao couldn't help but feel pity for them. If Ruo Qiu hadn't said they were wolf cubs, she would have thought they were just puppies.
"Little wolf cubs, do you two have names?"
Lin Zaozao stroked the wolf cubs and happily asked.
"No."
"No."
Hearing these childish voices, Lin Zaozao was shocked that she could understand the wolf cubs' speech.
That damned system said that she had to sacrifice a part of her body every time she gained a new ability.
But now, her body showed no change at all, so why could she suddenly understand the voices of the wolf cubs?
"Sister, we need to find our brother."
"Don't kill us, we've never hurt anyone before."
The pleading voices of the two wolf cubs made Lin Zaozao chuckle involuntarily.
Her current body was that of a three or four-year-old child, what harm could she possibly do to these two little wolf cubs?
"Don't worry, I won't kill you two. What benefit would I get from killing you? You're both so skinny, there's hardly any meat on you. If I kill you, it won't even be enough to fill the gaps in my teeth!
Oh, by the way, who is your brother? Don't tell me your mother gave birth to three wolf cubs in one litter?"
"No, our brother is the one our father dug out from a pit of dead bodies. And we were born from our father, our mother cannot bear children."
Hearing the wolf cub's words, Lin Zaozao was stunned.
Well, it made sense, in this world, it was the men who got pregnant and gave birth. So in the animal kingdom, it would also be reasonable for male wolves to bear cubs.
"Little wolf cubs, is your brother the Wolf-born Child that Ruo Qiu mentioned? When is he coming to rescue you?"
"Sister, don't hurt our brother, don't eat him..."
"Brother, don't come to rescue us, there's a monster here that eats wolves."
Listening to the two wolf cubs whimpering, Lin Zaozao plopped down in front of them, grabbed them by the scruff of their necks, and pulled them into her arms.
"You two are wolves, you need to have the bones of wolves. I'm not hungry now, so I won't eat you little wolf cubs for the time being.
Even if I were to eat wolf cubs, I'd have to wait until I'm hungry before eating you! You only eat wolf cubs when you're hungry, that's when they taste the most delicious!"
Lin Zaozao stroked the fluffy fur of the wolf cubs and said cheerfully.
"Woo woo woo... we won't steal food anymore. Brother, you should still come and rescue us!"
"Sister, wolf meat doesn't taste good, please don't eat us."
Forcefully pressing down the squirming wolf cubs in her arms, Lin Zaozao said with a smile.
"Even if you don't taste good, you'll have to do! But you two need to tell me what use it would be for me to keep you around!"
"You can see that although the house I live in is quite big, I'm truly poor.
I can't even afford to feed myself here, how could I possibly keep you two little wolf cubs alive for free?"
"Sister, we can fight. Giant wolves are natural-born warriors, we can protect you."
"Sister, our fur is very warm. If the weather gets cold, we can keep your hands and feet warm. Sister, please don't eat us, okay?"
Listening to the whimpering voices of the two wolf cubs in her arms, Lin Zaozao forcefully pushed them further into her embrace and continued to tease them.
"Is that so? But you two are so small, your combat ability is lacking, and your bodies are tiny. Your fur isn't that thick either, it can't really keep my hands warm.
What if you two grow up and don't protect me or keep my hands and feet warm? I think it's better if I just slaughter you and eat you instead."
Lin Zaozao said mischievously.
"No, sister, we recognize you as our master. As long as we acknowledge you as our master, we will never betray you for the rest of our lives."
"Sister, we recognize you as our master. Woo woo woo... don't eat us, wolf meat doesn't taste good."
"Is that so? Then what do I need to do to make you two recognize me as your master?"
"Sister, you give us names. If we agree to the names, from then on, you will be our master."
"Is that all? Just giving you two names, that's so simple."
Lin Zaozao put the two wolf cubs down on the ground and gave their bodies a scrutinizing look.
"You two don't want to be eaten by me, do you?"
Lin Zaozao asked "gently."
The two wolf cubs shook their heads in unison in response to Lin Zaozao.
"If you don't want to be eaten, then it's easy. I'll give you two names now, and you agree to them.
If you dare not agree, I'll skin you and eat your flesh right away. After all, it's been such a long time since I've had any meat."