Xu Gensheng never expected that his words would ruin what had just been a relatively harmonious situation. The price was no longer negotiable, and now even the possibility of buying it was in question.

The cattle trader suppressed his anxiety and simply sat in the shade of a tree, drinking tea.

A calf costs several taels of silver, which is not something that can be decided casually; it takes at least half a day or a full day to settle the matter.

Moreover, the expressions that Tian Gui and the others showed were all expressions of liking.

Business is a process of trial and error; the more you explain, the less clear it becomes. It's best to wait for the village chief of Xujia Village to arrive before discussing it further.

Unexpectedly, two hours passed, and the cattle dealer grew impatient: "Where is your village chief? Are you going to buy the cattle or not?"

After a brief discussion, Tian Gui and the others decided, "We definitely want to buy it, but we have to wait for the village chief to arrive!"

They felt that Sister Jiang might not necessarily be able to find a ox, but she was the village chief.

If you can't trust cows, then you can only trust people.

Everyone inexplicably believed Jiang Zhi's choice, even though Xu Changming was pointing fingers and making comments, it was useless.

Is this cow any good? Whether we buy it or not is up to the village chief.

Even if there are problems with the cattle in the future, there are tall people to hold up the sky, and the village chief can handle it.

Often, the core staff can complete all the work, but they still need a leader.

What we really need isn't guidance from the leader, but someone to take responsibility and shoulder the blame.

So when Jiang Zhi hurriedly came down the mountain, she saw a group of silly people waiting for her!

Upon seeing Jiang Zhi, everyone felt as if they had found their pillar of support and swarmed around her.

"Village Chief! Village Chief!"

The cattle dealer breathed a sigh of relief; finally, the person in charge had arrived.

I'm going crazy from staring blankly at this group of people and having to listen to their incessant, nonsensical questions.

But when he saw a woman appear in front of him, he was dumbfounded: "Are you the village chief of Xujia Village?"

Jiang Zhi had left the mountain in a hurry, wearing a worn blue dress, with no hairpins or ornaments in her hair or hands; she looked like an ordinary woman.

Ignoring the cattle dealer's surprised gaze, Jiang Zhi first sat down to catch her breath after the long journey, took a sip of the cool tea handed to her by Liu, and then smiled and said, "Boss Niu, how did your business deal go?"

She didn't ask Tian Gui, but only the cattle dealer.

The cattle dealer was still sizing her up.

He regretted that after hearing the news, he only knew that Xujia Village had been destroyed by the rebel soldiers, but that it had now regained its popularity and that they had recently sold their grain to buy some livestock. He hadn't inquired about the details before coming here.

Upon entering the village, all one sees are thatched huts and shacks. Although the dwellings are simple, the villagers do not show any signs of misery. They are all in high spirits, and the children are running and cheering. This village is indeed different from other places.

I had assumed the village chief would be a respected elder, but instead he was just a woman. My suspicions were piqued, and I blurted out, "You're the village chief? And a woman?"

Jiang Zhi retorted, "Do I not look like a woman? Or do I not look like the village chief?"

The cattle dealer choked for a moment: "You're a woman, what kind of woman becomes a village chief!"

"Then tell me, is there a difference in the sound of money in a man's hands versus a woman's hands?"

Jiang Zhi placed the money bag in her hand on the wooden table, and the copper coins inside jingled.

The cattle dealer's lips twitched: "No difference!"

"Since there's no difference, what's the point of saying anything?" Jiang Zhi didn't want to waste time talking nonsense.

If you upset my mother, you can forget about getting the money to buy the cow anytime soon.

The cattle dealer's forced smile froze on his face: "Ugh! Women are such a hassle; they can turn on you in an instant."

But considering the money, he decided to relax and figure it didn't matter who he did business with!

Tian Gui and his men inspected the cattle, but kept their mouths tightly shut, refusing to say whether they would buy them or not.

And then there was that chatterbox, whose constant chatter made him anxious, afraid he'd ruin the deal.

They finally got to meet the village chief, who turned out to be a woman. If they didn't speak properly, the deal might fall through.

The cattle dealer had gone to great lengths, traveling dozens of miles, not to waste his breath on people; he immediately brought up the livestock.

"Village Chief Jiang, these calves are all eight months old, and each calf costs six taels of silver."

You need to understand, cattle prices are high now. A fully grown ox for plowing costs fifteen taels. I didn't rip you off."

Jiang Zhi nodded without expressing any opinion; in such a chaotic situation, she was also unsure about cattle prices.

The cattle dealer was overjoyed to see that she didn't object and quickly asked, "Village Chief Jiang, how many cattle do you want to buy?"

Jiang Zhi still didn't respond. She first walked around the calves, then smiled and said, "When I came here just now, I heard Gensheng say that the calves weren't growing well. Judging a cow is an art, and it has nothing to do with the price!"

The cattle dealer frowned, immediately becoming annoyed: "These cattle of mine are all top-quality. I haven't even agreed to sell them to people yet, and you're spouting nonsense out of the blue! What nonsense about 'appreciating cattle'? I don't understand any of that!"

Jiang Zhi's words just now were just a casual remark; she didn't even know what "Xiang Niu" meant.

However, it is true that judging cattle is a science.

The full title of "Xiangniu Jing" is "Qi Hou Da Fu Ning Qi Xiangniu Jing". It is said to be a book on animal husbandry written by Ning Qi, a minister of the State of Qi during the Spring and Autumn Period. It provides a detailed introduction on how to select draft oxen.

Just as Jiang Zhi was saying that judging cattle was a skill, Xia Xiucai, who had been diligently taking notes with a stone slab since she arrived in the village, suddenly spoke up, chanting in a melodious voice: "The best cattle are those with round and large eyes, where the whites of the eyes are connected to the pupils, long necks, big legs, broad thighs, and short hair."

"If a cow has white hair and red udder, she will have many calves; if her udder is sparse and black, she will not have calves."

A cow dung three times a night and gives birth to one calf a year;

One night produces only a pile of dung; three years to produce one son.

"Look at the skin from above, look at the four hooves from below; look at the dragon gate from the front, look at the rump from the back."

"Pay attention to the following spins: Shanggangxuan (easy to run on mountain ridges), Baizuitong (greedy warehouse), Roubanxuan, Duiyaofen (no one wants it), Weidagong, Sigongpo (five inches above the tail) and other spins."

Before anyone knew it, the villagers had gathered around again. At this moment, everyone stared blankly at Xia Xiucai, wondering what he was reciting, which sounded as beautiful as singing.

The cattle dealer's face turned pale.

He could tell that this somewhat mysterious young man was reciting the secrets of judging cattle that he had learned from his master.

This was a skill he had learned over twenty years, working his way up from a shop assistant to an apprentice.

Even now, he still needs to pay tribute to his master every year to show his respect.

Jiang Zhi felt as if her cerebellum had atrophied the moment Xia Xiucai spoke!

How could a scholar who recites classical Chinese all day not know how to judge cattle?

So, under the watchful eyes of everyone, Xia Xiucai recited the entire "Treatise on Judging Cattle" in one breath, which contained over a thousand characters.

Jiang Zhi led the applause: "Great! Truly a man of exceptional talent, well-read, learned, and highly accomplished!" She used every adjective she could think of.

Tian Gui and the others were puzzled, only seeing that Xia Xiucai was reading his book in a daze, just like always.

But as the village chief praised him, they joined in, clapping their hands and saying, "Good, Scholar Xia sings beautifully!"

When other villagers saw that their own people were saying it was good, they naturally echoed that sentiment.

Immediately, the entire audience erupted in praise: "Scholar Xia sang beautifully! Scholar Xia is amazing!"

Xia Xiucai smiled, a smile he hadn't shown in a long time, and bowed to the crowd in return, saying, "I dare not accept such praise, I have made a fool of myself!"