The teenagers lined up at the west gate of the street. Under the tall archway, there were people going to market in front and behind, both men and women. There were basically no old people or children in sight.
In fact, in the ghost market, the wind and sand are much lighter, but most people still cover their faces. After all, hiding their faces under the scarf gives them a sense of security, and the habit becomes natural.
Most of those who dare to show their faces are powerful people, or people whose safety is guaranteed, such as the operators and guards of the ghost market, as well as the rich and powerful.
The road between the horses is very narrow and can only accommodate one person. When there are few people, only one road can be opened. When there are many people, three can be opened.
Under the watchful eyes of Paul Ding on both sides, the queue was very orderly.
The guards all wore black robes and short boots, carried knives and guns, and had serious faces. They looked very mighty and had the air of officers and soldiers.
There are about 500 guards under the ghost society, plus thousands of volunteers who can be recruited temporarily. This medium-sized force maintains the security of the ghost city and protects more than 100,000 residents of the ghost city.
The king's orders were not followed, causing the refugees to lose their respect for the king's power and laws. Cheating, kidnapping, robbery, and murder were commonplace, and even people could be killed for a piece of cornmeal. But in the ghost market, there was still order. Orderly.
The ghost market never prohibits refugees from entering and exiting. They can come and go freely and trade freely.
The biggest income from the ghost club founded by the Three Banks is the rent of various residential buildings. Because the temperature difference between day and night is huge, if there is no shelter at night, freezing to death is almost certain.
Therefore, there are no homeless people on the streets in the ghost market. There are some who really cannot afford the rent. Another option is to spend the night in those abandoned villages. Of course, safety is not guaranteed.
The private laws stipulated in the ghost society are extremely strict. Those who fight will have their hamstrings cut off, those who steal a penny will have their hands chopped off, those who buy and sell by force will be killed, and those who break into private houses will be killed. All other rapes and violations will be killed without mercy, and there will be no justice. In the joint trial, it is better to be in vain than to indulge, and to kill on the spot. This is the so-called heavy code in troubled times.
Several groups of bandits once tried to rob the ghost market, but they suffered heavy casualties due to the tenacious counterattack of Baoding and Yiyong. From then on, no one dared to spy on the ghost market. The reputation of the ghost market became more and more loud, and more refugees came to defect, even the nearby ones. Several major cities regularly send caravans to the ghost market for trading.
"Biao Xiao, what have you gained today?" An ordinary-looking guard in his early twenties greeted the young man familiarly.
The boy's name is Dawn, a name he gave himself because dawn is the safest time of the day.
Li Xiao was a regular customer of the ghost market. Even though he was always masked, there were some guards and shopkeepers in the ghost market who could recognize him at a glance.
In fact, it is difficult not to recognize a well-behaved and sensible boy like Li Xiao.
"Tiezhu, this is for your baby." Li Xiao took out an invisible cloth tiger from the package and handed it to the guard named Tiezhu. This was what he had picked up when he was helping the woman look for pants this morning.
Tiezhu's family has a wife and a child. Children's toys such as cloth tigers are not wanted in the ghost market, but they are still attractive to children.
Li Xiao is not very young, but he knows how to be a good person and knows who to win over and who not to offend.
Tie Zhu was not tall or strong, but his skills were extraordinary. There was once a strong man who went crazy under the influence of wine, but he knocked him unconscious with one kick.
Entering the main street of the ghost market, we went straight to the ragpicker's market at dawn. There are three shops at the beginning of the three rows of the ghost market, namely a water shop, a food shop, and a medicine shop.
There are three hundred and sixty lines, and each line has its head.
In drought years, only three industries related to people's livelihood are the most valuable: water, food and medicine.
As the name suggests, the three trade heads are water trade, food trade and medicine trade, and they monopolize the transactions of these three trades in the ghost market.
There are many types of things found by scavengers, but as long as they are on the easy market list issued by the ghost society, Sanpu basically accepts them. They can replace the required food and medicine at the price announced every month, and the rest can be discounted.
For example, the price of copper and iron can be negotiated based on the weight. There are also some items that are difficult to negotiate, such as antiques and second-hand books. It all depends on the word of the clerk or shopkeeper.
If the customer is not satisfied with the price, he can go to the grocery area of the ghost market to do business on his own. There are other shops and stalls there. After all, the meat is eaten by the three heads of the line, and some soup is given to others.
"Dawn is here, what good stuff are you getting today?" The fat shopkeeper of the water shop saw the young man at a glance. Since several of the waiters were busy, he personally greeted this regular customer.
At dawn, I came to the counter of the water shop, put down the package, and sighed in my heart. Every time I scavenged, at least half of the proceeds were used to change water.
"Uncle Fatty, when something good comes out this time, I will think of you first." It feels like we are old at dawn. After all, we have been dealing with each other for a year or two, so we are familiar with each other even if we are not familiar with each other.
When he saw the young man taking out the young rabbit with intact fur, the fat shopkeeper's eyes lit up. This was a good thing only available in Orion's Easy Market.
Orion's Easy Market also has three stores. Although they belong to the same company, they are competing with each other for different customer sources.
"What, you changed your career to become a hunter at dawn? When you get rich in the future, don't forget about Fat Uncle." The fat shopkeeper joked with a smile. His small eyes were very honest, which made people feel at ease. He weighed the baby rabbit and gave it to him. A good price was offered - six cents.
Watching the waiter take away the baby rabbit, I couldn't help but think of the hunter at dawn. It took me a while to come back to my senses. I spent two pennies to buy two water bags of water. I took the four copper coins I found and clutched them tightly. In the palm of my hand, I was afraid of losing it. Unexpectedly, I thought of the gold and silver ingots gained and lost that night, and felt a burst of heartache again.
No, while I have some spare money today, I have to treat the Five Zang Temple to soothe my injured soul.
"My aunt asked me to buy vegetables, and I bought three taels of yellow leeks. My aunt beat me, and my aunt scolded me..." A childish voice came from the street. Several children in brocade clothes sat in an open space and sang nursery rhymes. Two servants with swords stood guard.
Li Xiao glanced at them enviously. They were the children of the powerful people in the ghost market. They were born to the same parents, but they had the same people but different fates.
Ghost Market Street is divided into three sections. The western section is for scavengers and the eastern section is for Orion. The middle section is the busiest, with grocery areas and various places to play.
People were coming and going in the grocery area. The clerks in the grocery stores on both sides were greeting each other, and there were also vendors setting up stalls shouting. There were also many homeless people with a bunch of various items on the ground at their feet. Some of them were of little value, but they would accept barter. .
If you are careful, you can sometimes find treasures.
It is said that a Taoist priest found a fairy book here years ago. He was so surprised that he flew away in the clouds and mist.
I didn't witness this incident with my own eyes at dawn, I just heard what others said. Are there gods in the world? He doesn't really believe it, but he believes that there are ghosts and demons in the world.
There are no ghosts in the ghost market, but people's hearts are like ghosts. Over the years, he has seen too many people with evil intentions.
Corpse demons and beast demons are demons. As for the legendary gods, shouldn't they be the sons of God who sympathize with all living beings and save those in distress?
But there has been a severe drought for thirty years, and monsters are raging in the world. Where are the gods? Hehehe...
At dawn, he walked through the bustling grocery area, and an alluring fragrance penetrated his nose. His mouth was filled with saliva. He followed the fragrance into a restaurant, sat in the lobby with only a few diners, and gritted his teeth under the white eyes of the waiter. For two copper coins, he ordered a plate of leek dumplings and a small bowl of steaming dumpling soup. The taste, which was only available during the Chinese New Year, made him burst into tears.
After eating and drinking, the young man put on his scarf again and walked out of the restaurant with his head held high. He heard the faint sound of drinking and punching in the box next door. He thought that the price of a meal in the box was enough to feed a refugee for half a year.
There are still two coins in Li Xiao's hand, and he plans to go to the gambling house to spend one to try his luck, but he knows that nine times out of ten he will lose, so he only bets one coin at a time. If he loses, he will leave. If he wins, he will lie at home for two days.
Unlike some gamblers who lose completely and have no choice but to go to the ring and compete in life-and-death battles to pay off their gambling debts.
From restaurants to gambling houses, you must pass through Lan Kwai Fong.
The restaurant is naturally owned by the food store owner, the gambling house belongs to the medicine store owner, Lan Kwai Fong is run by the water store owner, and the arena is owned by the three business owners in turn. This is the three shops, two shops and one arena of the ghost market.
