Chapter Thirty-Nine: Buying a Cow

Life is like the water of the turbid river, flowing gently, yet carrying a heavy harvest.

Zhang Yi's braised pig's head meat jelly caused quite a stir in Xishikou as soon as it was launched.

The crystal-clear, trembling meat jelly, when cut open, reveals a rich, dark brown, melt-in-your-mouth chunk of meat, coated in a thick, gelatinous broth. It's savory and refreshing, and cool and delicious, making it the most satisfying and affordable treat during the lingering heat of late summer.

A small piece costs five coins, and a large piece costs ten coins. It's more convenient and appealing than selling braised dishes or sliced ​​meat separately.

The laborers would buy a piece and eat it with hard steamed buns or hot soup noodles, their mouths glistening with oil.

Housewives at the market can buy a piece, cut it up at home, and it becomes a ready-made cold dish, saving time and effort.

Even the regulars who frequented the teahouses in town, drinking tea and listening to storytelling, would often send their servants to buy a piece to accompany their tea.

Zhang Liuyi decided to skip the time spent cleaning the pig's heart and intestines and concentrate on making the meat jelly and the tripe and lung soup.

Every day before dawn, the kitchen in the new courtyard is filled with the rich aroma of braised food. Zhang Liyan is in charge of the braising pot, controlling the heat and flavor.

Zhang Dashan was in charge of preparing the pig's head, while Li Xiulan and Xiong Zijuan cleaned it. The two worked together more and more smoothly. Song helped out by watching the stove and cleaning the pots and pans.

When they had free time, Xiong Zixiang and Zhang Liuji also came to help chop firewood and carry water.

The family members had a clear division of labor, and they were busy but not chaotic.

However busy this business is, at this moment, it must give way to the farming work that is crucial to the family's livelihood.

"Daughter, let's take a break from our stall for a couple of days. Harvesting the rice is the priority!"

With a single sentence from Zhang Dashan, while it was still dark, the rich aroma of braised meat ceased to waft from the kitchen of their new home.

Instead, the sounds of hurriedly shoveling breakfast into the main room and the clanging of farm tools filled the air.

Zhang Liuyi deftly cut the last piece of meat jelly and handed it to his regular customer, Uncle Chen: "Uncle Chen, here you go. I'm taking a break from the stall these days because of the rice harvest. Please bear with me!"

Uncle Chen took the oil paper package and said with a smile, "Harvesting rice is a big deal, you should rest!"

The whole family rushed to their own rice paddy at the east end of the village.

The sickle gleamed coldly in the morning light. The man bent over, swung his arm, and cut down, the movements repetitive and powerful.

The dew dampened the trouser legs, and the edges of the rice leaves were somewhat sharp, occasionally scratching the skin and causing a slight itch, but no one paid any attention to it.

The full ears of rice feel heavy in your hands; that is real hope.

Zhang Dashan and Zhang Liuji were skilled rice harvesters, their movements steady and swift, quickly felling a field of rice behind them.

The government also gave them two days off for the autumn harvest. Xiong Zixiang and his family were strong and responsible for bundling the harvested rice into sturdy bundles of straw, which they then carried to the edge of the field and piled up into small mountains.

The women followed closely behind, responsible for picking up the scattered rice ears; bringing every grain into the granary was an instinct ingrained in the farmers' bones.

Aunt Wang, who has difficulty walking, didn't stay idle either. She went back and forth delivering water and handing out towels, and occasionally bent down to pick up what she had dropped.

The sun was high in the sky, but the lingering heat of late summer still lingered, and sweat streamed down my sun-tanned cheeks.

Xiong Zixiang took off his outer shirt, revealing his strong arms. A load of rice weighed on his shoulders, but his steps remained steady.

Zhang Liuxin rubbed his sore shoulders, wiped away his sweat, looked at the stacks of rice piling up higher and higher on the ridge, and then looked at his family members beside him, who were also sweating profusely but focused on their work. A sense of satisfaction welled up in his heart.

After all, they are farmers who toil in the fields from dawn till dusk. This harvest is the foundation of their family's livelihood, something they wouldn't trade for any amount of money they could earn by setting up stalls.

After the autumn harvest, business returned to normal.

"Sister Yi, cut me another big piece. When I took it home that day, everyone in the family, young and old, fought over it. I didn't even get to eat two pieces." Uncle Chen said with a smile, handing over the copper coins.

"Alright, Uncle Chen, here's a piece with tendons, lots of meat, and it'll be perfectly cooked and translucent. Here you go!"

Zhang Liuyi deftly cut off a large piece of meat jelly, wrapped it in oil paper, and handed it over with a smile on his face.

"Pay attention! How come you always manage to come up with something fresh and delicious?" Aunt Wang, who was queuing up next to her, couldn't help but praise her.

"Auntie, you flatter me. It was just something I came up with. I'm glad you like it!"

While responding, Zhang kept working, cutting meat jelly for another customer with smooth, clean, and efficient movements.

Business was booming, and naturally, the income was much higher than before.

Zhang Liuli was thinking that once he saved up some more money, he would clean up the empty room on the east side of the courtyard and use it specifically for preparing ingredients and cooking, so that he wouldn't have to squeeze into the kitchen with smoke and fire, and also to avoid disturbing the neighbors with the smell.

I bought another cow for the family. Every time I went to the dock to set up and close my stall, I would push that heavy cart, especially on rainy days when the roads were muddy and slippery, or when I brought back a large amount of pig heads. I was always exhausted.

Borrowing an oxcart from a fellow villager is a kind gesture, but it requires paying for the labor each time and incurring a debt of gratitude, which becomes unsustainable over time.

Having our own oxen makes plowing and hauling goods much easier. If we expand our business further in the future, transporting things will be even more comfortable.

The ox must be a young, strong, and docile one, the kind that can be used for more than ten years.

That night, the couple lay on the kang (a heated brick bed), and Zhang Yili explained his plans to Xiong Zixiang in detail.

"...We'll clean up the east wing and use it specifically for cooking. It'll be clean and convenient. We'll also buy an ox, so our family will have a helper from now on. This will save us from troubling others and will also save us money on labor."

Xiong Zixiang listened from the side, his steady voice carrying a smile in the darkness: "Alright, it's time to get things done. As for the cattle, we'll go to the cattle market tomorrow after I finish my shift and pick out a good one. As for the storage shed, I'll go talk to Brother Liu Ji next time I have a day off and see when he's free and how it's appropriate. I guess I'll have to trouble him to build a few sturdy wooden frames to store the equipment."

Zhang felt a warm glow inside as she listened to his quick agreement, and snuggled closer to him, saying, "Yes, Brother Zixiang, you're the best."

The following day, Xiong Zixiang indeed finished his shift earlier than usual.

He changed out of his constable's uniform and into a worn-out indigo short jacket, which made his broad shoulders and thick back appear even more prominent.

Zhang Yili also tidied himself up, and specially brought a heavy money bag containing most of his savings, which he had accumulated over the past few days and intended to use to buy cattle.

The two walked towards the livestock market on the south side of the town.

Before you even get close, you can hear a cacophony of cattle mooing and horses neighing, and a cacophony of voices, with the distinctive stench of livestock filling the air.

The cattle market occupies a considerable area, with rows of wooden stakes holding various kinds of livestock, mainly cattle.

Yellow cattle and water buffalo, big and small, strong and thin, with glossy coats and rough fur.

The dentists moved among them, spitting as they touted the benefits of their livestock, pulling buyers aside to examine the teeth and feel the skeletons.

Xiong Zixiang was clearly an expert. He didn't rush to get closer, but instead took Zhang Yiji for a walk around the perimeter of the market, giving them a general overview of the market prices and the quality of the cattle.

"Watch out, look over there."

Xiong Zixiang pointed to a large, robust brown bull tied alone to a stake: "It has a good skeleton and big hooves, and it looks powerful. However, its coat is shiny, which means it has been carefully groomed. The broker's asking price is definitely inflated. Moreover, the bull's eyes look a bit cunning, and its temperament is probably not very stable; it is prone to being impulsive."

He analyzed in a low voice, with the air of seasoned experience.

Zhang looked in the direction he pointed and saw that the broker was boasting eloquently, with several people around him looking at the cow. The cow did seem a bit agitated, pawing at the ground with its hooves. "Let's go look at another one," Zhang thought.

The two continued walking inside, and Xiong Zixiang's gaze fell on a well-proportioned adult yellow ox with a yellowish-brown coat.

The cow didn't look particularly robust, but it had a well-proportioned frame, short and powerful limbs, a round belly, smooth fur, and gentle, peaceful eyes as it quietly chewed its fodder.

"Come on, let's go take a look over here." Xiong Zixiang pulled Zhang Yijing along.

When the broker saw a customer arrive, a strong and sturdy man with his wife, he immediately put on a smile and greeted him: "Oh, sir, you have a good eye! This is the best ox in the market. Look at its build, its hooves, so sturdy. It won't even tip over in the rain. It's excellent for pulling carts and plowing fields, and it's gentle too. You can even let your little kids lead it!"

Xiong Zixiang ignored the broker's boasting and walked straight up to the ox.

The cow wasn't afraid of strangers; it raised its big, wet eyes to look at him, and continued chewing its grass.

Xiong Zixiang pried open the cow's mouth and, judging by its teeth, estimated that the cow was three or four years old, in its prime.

He then touched the area where the cow's shoulder blades and hips met to confirm there were no hidden injuries.

Finally, he gently patted the cow's back, then went around to the side of the cow, grabbed its hind legs and shook them. The cow just flicked its tail and moved a little, without showing any obvious resistance to his actions.

Xiong Zixiang stood up, patted the grass clippings off his hands, and looked at the broker: "Excuse me, please give me a fair price for this cow."

The broker rolled his eyes and gave a number.

"Sir, you're so generous! This ox, just give me twenty-five taels of silver and take it away!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang frowned.

Although she didn't know much about cattle, she had just inquired about the market prices.

"Twenty-five taels? Uncle broker, that's an outrageous price! In our town, a strong ox with such a mouth would only fetch twenty-one taels at most!"

"Oh, young lady, what are you saying? This is a top-quality ox! Look at its coat, its spirit..."

"No matter how good it is, it's still a cow, not a gold nugget!"

Zhang Liuyi was quick-witted and didn't back down at all: "Uncle broker, we sincerely want to buy, so please give us a fair price. Twenty-one taels, cash on delivery!"

Xiong Zixiang stood aside without saying a word, simply crossing his arms and calmly watching the broker and his wife haggling back and forth.

His calm and composed demeanor itself creates an invisible pressure on people.

The broker saw that Zhang was not easily fooled, and the man next to him seemed knowledgeable and not to be trifled with. In the end, he wiped his sweat and reluctantly gave in.

"Alright, alright! You guys seem like honest people. Twenty-one and a half taels, that's the lowest I can go! Any lower and I'll really lose money!"

Zhang looked at Xiong Zixiang, who nodded slightly.

This price is reasonable.

"Alright! Twenty-one and a half taels it is!"

Zhang Liuyi readily counted out the silver from his money bag and handed it over, while Xiong Zixiang took the ox rope from the broker.

The ox seemed to understand that it had a new owner and obediently followed Xiong Zixiang for a couple of steps.

“Brother Zixiang, look how well-behaved it is.” Zhang Yili stroked the cow’s smooth back.

"Yes, we picked a good one, it's a fine cow." Xiong Zixiang smiled and looked at his wife with gentle eyes.

"Shall we give it a name later?"

"Hmm... let's name it Dazhuang! I hope it's strong and healthy and does a lot for our family." Zhang Yili said enthusiastically.

“Okay, let’s call him Dazhuang,” Xiong Zixiang replied.

The cow's hooves pounded on the dirt road, making a steady "clattering" sound.

Zhang Liuyi held the cow's rope in one hand and intimately linked arms with Xiong Zixiang with the other.

I love reading this and hope for more updates. Things are going so well for us right now, but I'm also worried about things going wrong.