bookpub Chapter 17 The Big Shot
Chapter 17 The Big Shot
Harappa is a large city.
According to the teachings of the temple, the city stretches for a yojana from north to south, with continuous city walls and a vast perimeter. The houses and markets within its territory are endless. Traveling by oxcart from east to west or from south to north from the riverbank to the woodlands takes from dawn to dusk.
Although there is no official certification, Vijay estimates that there may be several million people living in this city.
The city is bustling with life. Stroll along any lively street, and you'll find houses and stalls scattered about, a cacophony of voices. At first glance, it may seem chaotic, but upon closer inspection, you'll find a hidden order. Vendors and laborers each have their own business and territory, and what appears to be disorder is actually quite well-organized.
It's as if this place doesn't need any official management; it can continue to exist for thousands of years according to its own inertia.
This scene was somewhat novel to Vijay. Although he had lived in Harappa for more than ten years, he had never ventured into the city's corners as deeply as he had today.
Pick up a clean and hygienic glass of aloe vera juice, take a couple of bites of masala crisps, and the taste is exceptionally delicious. As long as you trust your stomach, everything will be fine!
Applaud the elegant dance of the king cobra roused by the piper, and cheer for the superb skills of the rope climbers.
Vijay was having a great time and forgot all about his plans.
I feel like I haven't enjoyed everyday life in a long time so easily and freely.
Passing by a goldsmith's shop, I saw a Vaishya craftsman whipping his servant with a leather whip, the waving whip mingling with suppressed, tearful groans.
This caught Vijay's eye, and his gaze immediately shifted down to the display stand.
This guy seems to have good craftsmanship. Vijay immediately took a liking to a pure gold bracelet with a hollow design that resembled a mixture of water droplets and flames. The design was exquisite yet grand.
If you take this back to Maya, she'll be moved to tears!
Overjoyed, Vijay immediately said, "Brahma above, shopkeeper, please have mercy and spare your poor servant! I'll take this bracelet!"
"May Shiva bless you, esteemed guest, and bring you peace and good fortune!" Seeing a customer arrive, the boss immediately jumped out, but he was still grumbling about his servant: "As the saying goes, slow hands waste gold, and a lazy mind ruins karma. This foolish servant, destined for evil, dares to slack off while melting gold!"
He picked up the gold bracelet that Vijay was pointing to, and started waving his arms and shouting loudly, attracting attention from all directions. It seemed as if he was showing off or flaunting his wealth.
The effect was remarkable, and people loitering in the surrounding area gradually began to converge on this side.
"This gold bracelet took me seven days to make...and used a full three 'Kalsa's worth of gold!"
Vijay took the bracelet noncommittally, weighed it in his hand, and found it to be about 30 grams. He did some mental calculations and it seemed to be pretty much the same as what the craftsman had said.
"This design is so unique and beautiful that it would make any woman the center of attention... It wouldn't look shabby even if it were offered to a Kshatriya!"
"4 Suvarna (gold coins)! You can take it for just 4 Suvarna!"
Four gold coins can be exchanged for a gold bracelet weighing three gold coins, and the design of this thing is quite unique, so charging one gold coin for the craftsmanship is not unreasonable.
Vijay reached into his wallet, just about to pay.
"Get out of the way! Get out of the way!" A commotion and clamor suddenly rang out from behind, and the crowd that had gathered to watch immediately became agitated. The crowd that had moved away from the middle of the street began to surge forward, and the huge wave of people almost made Vijay lose his balance.
Turning my head, I saw a line of soldiers in silver armor, wielding spears and blades, rushing past.
They didn't intentionally commit violence, but their sheer size alone disrupted the peace of the entire street, pushing countless vendors and pedestrians to the ground.
Even the king cobra retreated back into the pot, and the rope artist fell to the ground.
Only after the procession passed did the pedestrians stand up one after another, and cries and complaints rose and fell, instantly making the atmosphere on the street much more somber.
Even though he wasn't often in the city, Vijay knew that it wasn't a common occurrence for soldiers to be so fully armed and act with impunity.
What happened?
"Honored guest," a humble, ingratiating voice interrupted Vijay's thoughts. He turned his head and saw the craftsman smiling obsequiously at him, his gaze fixed on his hands.
"May Shiva bless you, I hope I haven't disturbed your enjoyment." He paused, then cautiously probed, "You only need to pay 3 suvarna and 5 barna (silver coins) to take it away."
One gold coin is equal to ten silver coins. Before Vijay could even haggle, he gave Vijay a discount of 12%.
Based on his understanding of these Vaishya merchants, not taking advantage of them was equivalent to losing out... How could there be such a good thing?
But his shop was right there, so Vijay wasn't worried that he would sell counterfeit goods and run away. With a quick glance, he saw that the craftsman was already shouting and directing his servants to pack up and prepare to close down.
What time is it? Vijay looked up; the sun was still high in the sky, it was definitely not time to close up shop.
Vijay reached into his purse and casually tossed four gold coins into the craftsman's hand. "Keep the change."
Vijay had plenty of money to squander, and he couldn't let the change tarnish his purse.
Stopping the craftsman's attempt to make amends, Vijay tucked the bracelet into his pocket and casually asked, "Why are you so adept at closing the shop? Does this happen often?"
"May Brahma protect you, esteemed guest, and may this never happen again..." The craftsman shook his head repeatedly, the ostentatious display of the precious artifact vanished without a trace.
The craftsman sighed deeply. "The soldiers will definitely have to go back this way again soon, you'll see..."
Vijay looked back and, sure enough, the other people on the street, especially the street vendors, seemed to think the same way. They had already gathered up their overturned goods, picked up their things with dejected expressions, and left the street.
Seeing that the craftsman couldn't reveal any inside information, Vijay had no choice but to leave the street and head towards a more "prestigious" one.
After spending quite a bit of time, we finally arrived at a place specifically for VIP guests.
The border area is lined with high-rise buildings, and there are no street vendors.
As for the stench of debris and excrement scattered everywhere, they were subject to strict management.
The guards, armed with spears, watched over everyone entering the street, maintaining order while roughly driving away the Shudras who came alone and were not of the proper status to enter the street.
Even though Vijay revealed the holy line of the Vaishyas, he didn't receive a pleasant look; he was simply allowed to walk into the street.
"Hey, another poor wretch trying to broaden his horizons! He'll be ashamed and running away soon enough!"
"No, no, Brahma above, I bet the shopkeeper will kick him out!"
The guards' faint mocking voices drifted on the wind.