Chapter 152 Buying Mules and Calf

"I have to buy everything, whether it's enough or not. I'm going to sell sour plum soup in town starting tomorrow. I can't just wait for Grandpa Sun to come to town every day and then transport the goods to the shop, right? What if Grandpa Sun is delayed by something one day and can't come?"

As soon as Song Yuntang finished speaking, he saw Chen Xier jogging towards him.

"Miss Song, are you leaving so soon?"

"I have something to do in town. I have already put the oil, salt, sauce and vinegar in the kitchen. Sister Xier, please don't leave Fubao alone in the yard in the future. The child is too young and I'm afraid something might happen." Song Yuntang instructed.

A three or four-year-old child does not have a strong enough sense of crisis.

If anything bad happened, for Chen Xier, who was divorced by her husband's family and not accepted by her own family, it would be like the sky falling.

"I have told the people at the woodshed to take a look for me." Chen Xier also realized that this was not going to work, and hurriedly said, "I will pay attention to it in the future."

"Okay, we'll be leaving first. You can take your time with your work."

Song Yuntang smiled, turned around and left with Xu Qingye and Song Jinsheng.

Chen Xier watched her walk away, then went into the house. Looking at Xiao Fubao squatting under the eaves playing with a wooden puppet, she felt a surge of guilt in her heart, and her eyes immediately turned red.

"Fubao."

"Mom!" Fubao threw the puppet aside, stood up and ran towards Chen Xier, hugging her legs and acting coquettishly.

Chen Xier grabbed him in her arms and kissed him.

"What was Fubao playing at home just now?"

"We were originally going to play with longhorn beetles, but my uncle said that longhorn beetles can bite people, so Fubao didn't dare to play anymore." Fubao looked into Chen Xier's eyes, full of heartache, "Did mom cry?"

Chen Xier shook her head, "No, Mom didn't cry, she just had dust in her eyes."

Fubao quickly pouted his little lips and blew at her.

"Do you feel better now, Mom?"

Chen Xier smiled and carried Fubao into the yard, "I feel much better now that Fubao is blowing on me."

The innocent laughter of children could be heard in the yard.

…

After Song Yuntang, Song Jinsheng and Xu Qingye arrived in the town, they went straight to Hefengyahang.

"Miss Song, what do you need this time?" The one who came forward was the servant who took Song Yuntang to see the manor last time.

Song Yuntang smiled and said, "I want to buy an ox cart today."

The servant scratched his head a little embarrassedly and said, "This year's drought lasted for a long time, and there is not enough grass and fodder. Our boss dare not collect too many livestock in the garden. At present, there are really no adult cattle, only two calves. How about I take a few people to take a look first?"

Song Yuntang nodded, "Let's take a look first."

The servant sighed and gestured to the backyard, "Please come this way, three of you."

Several people followed the servant to a small garden enclosed by Hefeng Yahang. There were indeed no adult cattle in it, only two calves, one was half grown, and the other looked like it had just been weaned, so it was less than half a year old.

In addition, there were two horses and a mule.

"This bigger one will be able to help carry some things by the end of the year if we raise it for another three or four months. It will be able to help with farm work by next spring. As for the small one, I'm afraid it will have to be raised until the year after next before it can work." The servant introduced it to the few people.

Song Yuntang pointed at the half-grown cow and asked, "How much silver is this cow worth?"

"This one is fifteen taels, and the smaller one next to it is seven taels."

Xu Qingye turned his gaze to the mule not far away.

"And the mule?"

The servant hurriedly said, "An adult mule is eighteen taels."

"Where is the horse?" Song Jinsheng couldn't help but ask.

The servant smiled and said, "As for horses, it depends on their age and breed. The two horses in our garden, the five-year-old one is sold for 65 taels, and the other one, the eight-year-old one, is sold for 58 taels."

"We only have ordinary horses here. There are some precious horses that are worth thousands of taels, but these horses cannot come here. Usually, they are taken away by the princes and nobles when they hear about them."

When he heard the price, Song Jinsheng couldn't help but gasp.

No wonder it is said that only rich people can ride in a horse-drawn carriage. The price alone is unimaginable for ordinary people.

Xu Qingye thought for a moment and looked at Song Yuntang.

"Buy a mule?"

Song Yuntang smiled, "It's exactly what I thought."

She looked at the boy and asked, "If I buy the mule and the calf together, can I get a lower price?"

If we want to build a farm later, we will need cows to do the work. It is definitely not possible to rely solely on manpower, and a mule is definitely not enough. It is better to buy one now and raise it on the farm. When we raise it next year or the year after, there will be more fields and it can help with the work.

The servant said in embarrassment, "Miss, you know I am an honest man. I just told you the real price. In the past, an adult cow sold for 22 to 25 taels. You bought the mule and the calf together today for the price of an adult cow, which is already a good deal."

Song Yuntang thought about it and finally bought the calf and the mule together.

After coming out of the dental clinic, Song Jinsheng felt like he was dreaming.

"Tang'er, we actually bought a mule and a cow. Pinch me to see if it's true."

Song Yuntang did not pinch him, but just smiled and handed the reins of the mule and the calf to Song Jinsheng, "Second brother has enough time to feel the truth on the way back to the manor."

Song Jinsheng looked at the two of them and asked, "Aren't you going?"

"Let's go home first." Song Yuntang said with a smile, "After lunch, we will meet at the tavern. Second brother, please help me arrange the calf. After you unload the wood, I also want to move some things from the southern suburbs to the farm. Now I'm going back to sort things out."

Song Jinsheng said hurriedly, "Okay, Xiao Niu, you don't have to worry about it. When the time comes, we can build a cowshed so that the cows and mules will have a place to live."

Song Yuntang said okay, and then took Xu Qingye back to the southern suburbs.

After returning home, she counted her money and asked, "Xu Qingye, do you think I have been too extravagant recently?"

Originally, including the two hundred taels of silver awarded by the court, she had three hundred taels of silver in her hands.

After two days, only two hundred and twenty-four taels were left.

Xu Qingye shook his head. "They are all necessary. It's not extravagant."

She counted them one by one, "It will cost money to repair the shop, buy things for the shop, and buy food. The expenses for the wine shop are really high."

Xu Qingye looked at her and said gently, "Don't put too much pressure on yourself. Once the wine shop is repaired, stabilize it for a while and keep some extra money in hand to deal with various situations that may arise next."

Song Yuntang nodded, "Okay."

It is hard to say whether opening a tavern in a famine year is a good thing or a bad thing.

Before the business started, she was quite unsure.

…