The Xu family is the strongest local tyrant in Juzhou.

No, it is a little stronger than that. With Juzhou as the center, it goes north to Yishui County, south to Rizhao County, west to Fei County, Yizhou, east to Zhucheng. In such a large area, the strength of the Xu family can probably rank among the top three.

Therefore, every year, the Xu family held a festival, which is considered a big and small festival for all the surrounding counties and districts.

On this day, the fort owners in the neighboring prefectures and counties will send trustworthy confidants, bringing a few strong fortresses, carrying loads, pushing chicken buses (wheelbarrows); or leading donkey and mule carts to Xujia First Village to exchange their own supplies.

Even within this range, bandits on the mountain and refugees who usually hide in a corner and are similar to savages, will come to the Xu family and use a little savings to exchange for some necessities of daily necessities.

More than a decade ago, the Han market followed the festivals or solar terms, but now, everything is the top priority to avoid the Tartars.

When the Tartars enter the pass and fight the grass valley, time is naturally in the season when the horses are tall and fat. Before winter, they will inevitably go out of the pass and go home, otherwise the war horses will lose weight. This is a very dangerous signal for the Tartars, because there are always other tribes eyeing each other.

So, if the Tartars have not come after late autumn, unless they are particularly unlucky, the Tartars will not come.

In addition, the Tartars will not come every year, because the Central Plains are exhausted and cannot grab anything every year. Maybe even the people who are marching on the army cannot get back their horses. Therefore, the Tartars also know that robbing once every few years will bring good results.

This is the same as fallow or nomadism.

Therefore, if you want to start a market, you basically have to choose the opportunity after late autumn and the winter snow has not yet fallen. At this time, there is no Tartar, and there is also some surplus grain at home (those who don’t have surplus grain don’t have to worry about not being able to go to the market, so you are going to be a refugee).

Two years ago, the Tartars did not come, and the forts accumulated a lot of wealth.

The Tartars came this year, but the robbery ended very early (the journey of Juzhou was interrupted by Xu Shiyang halfway through), Rizhao, Zhucheng, Yishui and Juzhou were slightly affected (the Tartars were not seen this year). For every village along the way, it was equivalent to an extra "three or five dou" for every village along the way. Therefore, everyone has a lot more abundant on their hands this year, and the market seems more lively.

Before I got to the place, I could feel the market location, the north and south streets of the First Town, where I was located, there were crowds of people and crowds.

On both sides of the road, people are next to each other, stalls are lined up, and various groceries are placed layer by layer.

Some people sell furs, although most of them are worthless rabbit skins, as well as the very common dog skins and wolf skins (from wild dogs and wolves that wander among the wild roads. They will attack lonely pedestrians and even small groups of refugees, but they are also one of the sources of human meat and clothing).

Some people sell food, mainly rabbits, pheasants caught by hunters, various fish and shrimps caught in the river, and more common wolves and dogs. The poor need to replace these meat with coarse grains so that the food can be slightly more.

The one who sells salt (the Xu family mainly sells this one, and there are shops and no stalls), there are cloth, fat, needles and threads...

There was even a guy who had a few copper hairpins on his stall! Nowadays, for the fortresses, this is an extraordinary luxury, and the greedy few farmers in the first village could not even move their feet away.

This scene is bustling and bustling.

Xu Shiyang was in it and actually had the illusion that it was a peaceful and prosperous era now, and it seemed okay to live like this forever.

Until he saw a large row of kids kneeling honestly.

These children have both men and women. The common feature is that they are thin like monkeys and have yellow faces, which shows that they are in a long-term state of malnutrition.

Each of them had a dead grass on their heads, and their small heads were tilted, as if they didn't care about their future at all. They didn't have the lively atmosphere of children, but they were like a group of zombies.

Xu Shiyang's chest seemed to be hit hard by a heavy hammer, and an unbearable sadness surged into his heart.

Children are the future of the nation, how can a nationalist tolerate them being ruined like this?

"Are these children yours?" Xu Shiyang suppressed his emotions, walked to a strong man holding a wooden stick and standing in front of the children, and asked coldly: "How much?"

The strong man glanced at Xu Shiyang. He didn't know this young man, but he knew the old man Hu who was embarrassed after him, so he could understand who the angry foolish boy in front of him was.

"Little Fortress Master, these..., these people are indeed under the cusp."

If someone else talked to him in this tone, the strong man might have to kill someone.

After all, it was on the territory of the Xu family. Since this strong man recognized the person in front of him as the Xu family's fortress lord, he couldn't be too presumptuous.

"How much?" Xu Shiyang asked again with a cold face.

"Haha, these..., these people are not suitable for the owner of the small fort." The strong man squinted his eyes and smiled: "The main purpose of the small fort is to buy people. There is a shop at the other end of the market, where there is a handsome little girl. The owner of the small fort can go there to take a look."

"I'll ask again, how much does it cost?"

Xu Shiyang's tone was already filled with a hint of sternness.

The strong man was not afraid at all. He ignored Xu Shiyang anymore, but shouted to the old man Hu behind him: "Old Hu, just let your fortress make trouble like this? Am I really selling it?"

"Shopkeeper Zheng, wait..., wait..."

Old man Hu hurried up to smooth things over. He gently grabbed Xu Shiyang's sleeve and said in the young castle master's ear:

"Young master, these... people are useless. Let's go and take a look elsewhere."

"Do you have the final say whether it is useful or not?" Xu Shiyang snorted coldly: "What did you call him just now? Do you know him? Then you bargain with him, I want all these children!"

Children have the strongest plasticity. Although these things in front of them seem to be very unstimulating and are young, it doesn’t matter, it’s just right.

If you have a few full meals, your body will grow longer, and educate them for a few years, these children who have suffered will be useful talents.

"Young Master, these people are..., yes..."

“What is it?”

"It's a vegetable man." The strong man smiled and took over the conversation: "The little fortress master is so fond of it. Can you buy so many people to eat?"

"Shopkeeper Zheng!" Old Man Hu looked at the strong man angrily, a little angry that he made this matter publicly clear.

"Cookie?" Xu Shiyang was stunned for a moment before he reacted: "You are selling human flesh at the Xu family's market?"
Chapter completed!