Traveling back to the Northern Song Dynasty: Picking up a princess as my wife

Chapter 251 Li Zhen encountered a small-time hoodlum from Mao.

During the days while waiting for Tovalev to complete the arms handover, Li Zhen had an idea: to take this opportunity to explore the Bolzinsky region more thoroughly. His two previous visits had been rushed, both times due to pressing matters, preventing him from fully appreciating the diverse charms of this land.

This time, he decided to slow down, allowing his mind to blend with nature and culture, and truly appreciate the unique charm and style of this place.

Strolling along the snow-covered streets, each step made a pleasant sound as it landed on the thick, white snow. All around, a group of graceful Russian women seemed to be the most dazzling sight in winter, their affectionate gazes striking Li Zhen's heart like fiery sparks.

Although Li Zhen was not a naive young man new to love, he couldn't help but blush shyly when faced with these repeated flirtatious glances.

Li Zhen's steps slowly halted at a market that seemed to have traveled through time, exuding an ancient atmosphere. His gaze was involuntarily drawn to a stall where bear paws and bear meat were prominently displayed, standing out conspicuously.

Upon seeing this, the stall owner immediately broke into a warm smile, as if it could dispel all the chill in the surroundings.

"Haha, my friend from afar, come and see! This is fresh bear meat that I hunted this morning after a hard-fought adventure deep in the mountains. Look at the meat, how tender and juicy it is! Every grain of the meat is imbued with the wildness and rich flavor of the forest. I guarantee you'll never forget it..."

The stall owner spoke with a hint of pride and sincerity, as if he were introducing a meticulously crafted work of art, rather than a piece of meat from an ordinary market.

Li Zhen paused slightly, then asked hesitantly in his somewhat broken Russian, "Excuse me, how much are these two bear paws?"

The stall owner was a rugged-looking man with a full beard. He looked cautious and asked in a low voice, "You've come all the way from China, haven't you?"

Li Zhen nodded slightly, and the stall owner's face immediately lit up with a joyful smile, as if spring had arrived early.

"Hey, you know what? I once set foot on that distant land of China when I was young. Since we are friendly and helpful neighbors, I naturally have to give you a good price. You can take these two pairs of precious bear paws for 70,000 rubles. If it were a Japanese person, I wouldn't be willing to let them go for less than 100,000 rubles."

The stall owner's words conveyed both nostalgia for bygone days and a unique sense of closeness and generosity towards the Chinese people.

Li Zhen quietly took out his phone, his fingers dancing across the screen as he quickly calculated: 70,000 rubles converted to Chinese yuan was only a little over 5,000 yuan. His gaze fell on the two large, thick bear paws, and he thought to himself that the price was reasonable. After all, hunting bears was a taboo subject in China, let alone buying bear paws to satisfy one's appetite—that was an unthinkable luxury and illegal act.

Li Zhen decided to store the bear paw in his mysterious space and cook it for his family when he got back. Of course, he had to eat it secretly, otherwise his uncle would send him a free silver bracelet.

Li Zhen touched his empty wallet, smiled apologetically at the stall owner, and asked him to wait a moment. He said he needed to go to the lone ATM nearby to withdraw some cash for emergencies. In this remote town, the convenience of electronic payments was like a distant dream; only cash was the lifeblood of circulation. This made Li Zhen, who was used to the fast-paced life in the city, feel a little out of place.

Just as he was withdrawing money, he suddenly felt several unfriendly gazes coming from beside him. Li Zhen turned his head and saw that there were six or seven young men from Mao's society.

In Mao, identifying young people isn't too difficult. They favor a unique style of dress: a sailor shirt as an inner layer, casually topped with a sweatshirt, as if it were their unchanging fashion statement. Even in the bitter cold of winter, with snow falling, this outfit is never absent, exuding a sense of unruliness and stubbornness.

What's even more eye-catching are their sparkling earrings—their noses, earlobes, even the auricles of their ears—all adorned with tiny specks of gold, like the brightest stars in the night sky, yet also revealing a subtle, almost imperceptible, sharpness. This attire immediately conveys a unique aura about them, as if silently declaring: We are an undeniable presence on this street.

Although Li Zhen's martial arts skills were quite good now, having learned a great deal from the Yue brothers during the Song Dynasty, he was more than capable of dealing with these young men. However, Li Zhen didn't want to cause trouble; he simply wanted to stroll around quietly and experience the local customs and culture.

After withdrawing the money, Li Zhen didn't stop and went straight to the somewhat hidden stall. He calmly handed 70,000 rubles to the stall owner, who was already prepared and handed him a tightly wrapped bear paw.

Li Zhen took the bear paw and casually unzipped his backpack, seemingly about to put the valuable goods inside. However, in that instant, his actions held a hidden meaning. Using the power of his mind, the bear paw and the rubles he had just taken out instantly disappeared from the backpack's entrance, having been quietly transferred to his own mysterious space.

All of this happened so quickly and discreetly because he keenly sensed the subtle changes around him—those few shady-looking young men were silently approaching, their intentions unclear. A barely perceptible hint of alertness flashed in Li Zhen's eyes, but his face remained calm and composed, as if everything was under control.

The stall owner was busy butchering bear meat on the cutting board, but his keen eyes caught a glimpse of the commotion out of the corner of his eye. He looked up, his gaze sweeping over the faces of several young men, seemingly familiar with them. A displeased smirk appeared on his lips as he said to them in a stern voice, "Toka, Varta, you two, stay away from my friend. Don't think I'm blind enough to not see through your scheming. If you dare to lay a finger on my friend, hmph, I can't guarantee your jaws won't be ripped off."

Then he came out of the stall, puffed out his chest, and blocked the way for the group. As he passed Li Zhen, he whispered to Li Zhen, "Get out of here quickly, I'll hold them off."

Li Zhen didn't want to cause trouble. He smiled at the stall owner, slung his backpack over his shoulder, and walked away in another direction.

As Li Zhen turned the corner between two streets, he unexpectedly ran into the same group of young men from the street at the other end of the street.

The young man named Varta was the first to speak, a playful smile playing on his lips: "Hey, you little rascal, you're pretty good at running away, making us chase you for blocks. If you know what's good for you, hand over the money obediently, so we don't have to take matters into our own hands and ruin our relationship."

After speaking, Varta seemed to conjure a butterfly knife from a hidden corner as if by magic, the tip drawing dazzling yet dangerous arcs in the air as she relentlessly advanced towards Li Zhen. At the same time, the other thugs also took their positions, silently closing in from different directions, quietly blocking Li Zhen's escape routes, creating a situation from which there was no way to escape.

Faced with this sudden encirclement, Li Zhen smiled bitterly to himself, lamenting his bad luck today.