Xi Dadesonzi's desire to acquire the tableware intensified after hearing his words.
These utensils were truly wondrous!
Impatiently, he said to the translator, "If that's the case, it's a great pity. However, could this Lord Lord have the experience of using these miraculous utensils?"
The translator readily agreed and had a meal box brought over and handed to him.
To verify the tableware's magic, he asked Xi Dadesonzi to order a pot of boiling water, which was poured into the meal box and a silver bowl for comparison.
The boiling water in the silver bowl, after cooling, had no taste at all, just the taste of water.
However, the boiling water in the meal box, after cooling, actually had an indescribable flavor.
Xi Dadesonzi took a few sniffs and became incredibly excited. He grabbed the translator, "Please tell your leader, this Lord Lord wants this tableware. Please name your price!"
"Didn't you say this tableware is more precious than a silver bowl of the same size? This Lord Lord is willing to exchange three silver bowls for one meal box!"
"Please tell your leader, no matter what, sell one to this Lord Lord! This thing is truly miraculous!"
These meal boxes were so light, their weight was almost imperceptible.
They were as clear as water, and one could see through them to whatever was inside.
For some reason, smelling the indescribable aroma emanating from the hot water actually made him feel hungry.
If he presented this to the King, he was sure to earn his favor!
With the King's protection, his business of reselling soap would surely proceed smoothly.
Earn money, buy slaves, buy weapons, and the next step would be to declare Mosir Castle independent!
hiahiahiahiahia~~
He could already see a bright future beckoning him!
The blonde translator feigned difficulty and went to communicate extensively with Bale Menggan. In Xi Dadesonzi's view, it seemed the translator and the oriental caravan leader were arguing over the meal boxes.
To be so highly valued, these meal boxes must be extraordinary!
He had to obtain them, no matter what!
Bale Menggan was indeed arguing with the translator, but the reality was not as Xi Dadesonzi imagined.
"Sell just one? Go to hell! I have this whole pile, am I supposed to haul it to the next city?"
"Sir, this fellow probably can't afford it! Unless, you agree to exchange it for houses in the city!"
"Get lost! What do I want with those houses that stink worse than outhouses?"
"Sir, we can't ask for more land. If we ask for more, it will arouse his suspicion. The land we already took blocks Mosir Castle's passage, so more would be useless, wouldn't it?"
"Alright, then tell him, I want women, all of them between ten and thirty years old, five women for one meal box!"
The translator nodded and went to communicate with Xi Dadesonzi again.
Bale Menggan's personal guards came over, puzzled, and asked, "Leader, what do we need women for?"
*Thwack!* The response was a crisp flick on the forehead.
After hitting him, Bale Menggan even condescendingly cursed, "Do! Do! Do! All you think about is 'doing'! You'll surely die on the belly of a woman one day!"
The guard looked wronged, "Sir, I meant 'doing' as in 'doing', not 'doing'!"
"Damn it, what's 'doing' and what's not 'doing'? Are you playing tricks on me?"
Seeing his leader about to flick him again, the guard quickly explained, "What I meant was, what are we going to do with these women?"
Bale Menggan withdrew his hand, took out a cigar with only a little left from his pocket, lit it with a flint, and took a satisfying puff.
"I'll teach you something useful~"
"You tell me, what would be the effect if we controlled all the women in this city?"
The guard stared blankly for a moment, then thoughtfully said, "Sir, do you want to charge exorbitant bride prices when the townsfolk can't find wives?"
Bale Menggan's eyes widened, "Look at your ambition! Exorbitant bride prices? I don't have the patience to wait for their people to get married!"
"We can learn from the Duke! Didn't the one who went back to buy soap last time say Shenyang City has a place called 'Heavenly Realm'?"
"I'll set up one in this city too. Isn't that a better business than the one-off deal of collecting bride prices?"
"The city's population is no more than ten thousand, and women between ten and thirty years old, at most one or two thousand.
Once all these people are in my hands, heh heh~~"
Xi Dadesonzi became overjoyed after hearing the translator's message.
In this era, and for a thousand years after, known as the Middle Ages in Europe, the social system was derived from Roman slavery, but it was merely renamed feudal lordship.
But in reality, it was a serfdom society.
Of the townsfolk, excluding the very few free citizens, nearly ninety percent were the personal property of the lord!
More than half of their produce had to be surrendered to the lord, leaving only a small portion for essential living expenses.
"Female slaves? I have plenty!"
"Oh, my dear translator, please tell your leader that this Lord Lord is very sincere and is willing to pay eight women per meal box, but you must sell all the meal boxes to this Lord Lord."
He didn't know how many meal boxes were in the pile, nor how many female slaves would be needed to exchange for all of them.
But he had only one thought: to buy them all, then he would be the only one on this land to possess such treasures!
At that time, he could dictate the price!
When the translator relayed the message, Bale Menggan and his guards all showed sly smiles. With a wave of his hand, he said cheerfully, "Tell him, I agree!"
The transaction proceeded smoothly. Xi Dadesonzi ordered the city guards to fetch women of the appropriate age from their homes.
Although they were serfs, the commoners showed their utter anger at the lord's command. No one was willing to face the separation of families.
At this point, Bale Menggan had the translator convey another message: do not force the people; he only wanted volunteers.
Xi Dadesonzi couldn't understand this approach but had to comply.
Some families, in their hardship, could no longer support so many people and voluntarily sent out their women.
One hundred meal boxes were exchanged for eight hundred female slaves!
Looking at the remaining meal boxes that couldn't be exchanged, Xi Dadesonzi was unhappy. His monopoly plan seemed unattainable.
Just then, the translator smiled and consoled him, "Respected Lord Lord, do not be so disheartened. Believe me, my leader will definitely make these people willingly send out their women!"