Butcher Yun and his companions walked around the cattle and horse market and found that donkeys were the most numerous, followed by mules. Cattle were less numerous than donkeys and mules. Horses were the least numerous, estimated to be only a dozen or so.
This may be related to the high price of horses, which means that ordinary people rarely buy them, and the wealthy usually buy more. Cattle are generally used more for farming, so they are rarely sold outside.
Donkeys are the cheapest and most popular. Mules are generally purchased by those traveling long distances. Mules have good endurance and are suitable for long distances.
"Brother Wu, I just looked at the list given by the village chief. Fifteen households in the village want to buy donkey carts. The remaining nine households want to buy mule carts."
"I just took a look and I also like the mule. And mules are much cheaper than horses. So my family will also buy a mule. Brother Wu, is your family planning to buy a horse or a mule?" Yun the butcher asked in a low voice.
"We have two carriages now. I'm thinking of buying another mule and a bigger carriage so we can put more things in. Then, my eldest and second sons will each drive one carriage, and my wife and I will drive another. What do you think?"
Butcher Yun thought for a moment and said, "Brother Wu, I think it's possible, but isn't it a bit too scattered?"
"That's fine. Let's just separate them. This way they can live in the car with their children and have some space. It's inconvenient if they're all crammed together."
"When the weather gets cold in a while, it will be a hassle to sleep with two cars. It will be more convenient for everyone if we can live separately." Old Man Wu said cheerfully.
After hearing what Old Man Wu said, Butcher Yun also considered it. The donkey cart was not big to begin with, and with so much stuff loaded in it, it could only fit an adult or two children at most.
Even if I buy another mule cart, after putting all the stuff in it, there won't be much room left for people to sleep. It's too crowded with so many people crammed into one cart. So, I should buy two mules. That way, I can put more stuff in there and people won't have to sleep. Butcher Yun thought to himself.
"Brother Wu, my family will also buy two mules. That way, we need to buy twelve mules in total. Do you think my calculation is correct?"
"Yes, fifteen cows and twelve mules, all with carriages," said Old Man Wu.
"Brother, what's your name?" asked Yun the Butcher.
"My last name is Chen. I've been here at the cattle and horse market all year round. You can call me Master Chen. You guys just looked around. Have you agreed on what to buy?"
"Master Chen, we are here to buy on behalf of the village. We want to buy fifteen donkeys and twelve mules. How much is each one now?" asked Yun the butcher.
"Donkeys are usually sold for two taels of silver each, and better ones can go for three taels. The specific price depends on the donkey itself. A mature donkey, an old donkey, or a very young donkey will definitely have different prices."
"However, if you need one now, I still recommend buying a donkey that's about two years old. It has good teeth and is strong, so it's at the right age to work."
"Master Chen, what you said makes sense." Yun the butcher said in agreement.
"Mule prices are much higher than donkeys. Prices range from over 20 taels to 50 or 60 taels per head. The methods of distinguishing between them are similar to those for donkeys."
"Don't worry about the price. These are purchased from farmers by the government and then resold, mainly to increase farmers' income. The quotes I give you are not high. Of course, if there is no drought, the price will definitely be much higher than it is now when we transport it to other places." Master Chen said sincerely.
"Brother Wu, what do you think of this price? Is it high?" Yun the butcher asked Old Man Wu secretly.
"The price is indeed not high. Donkeys are easy to deal with, but mules must be carefully selected." Old Man Wu answered in a low voice.
"Master Chen, we need carriages. Can you provide them?"
"We can indeed match the carriages, but a brand new one may not be enough. We need to match a few old ones. Do you think that's okay?" asked Master Chen.
"Sure, Master Chen. It doesn't matter whether it's new or old, as long as it can be used." said Old Man Wu.
"Then I'll take you to choose a donkey first. Donkeys are easier to choose, but mules are more difficult to choose." Master Chen said as he took everyone to see the donkeys.
Yun Yiyi and Xie Zirui followed behind, looking around. Since they couldn't tell the difference between a good donkey and a bad one, they listened carefully to what the adults said.
"There are donkeys in this row of straw huts. You can choose one first and I will give you a specific price." Master Chen said, pointing to a row of more than a dozen straw huts.
"Okay, Master Chen, please wait for us for a while." Old Man Wu said politely.
"Don't worry, take your time to choose. I'll go to the house next door to rest for a while. Call me when you've finished choosing." Master Chen said, pointing to a wooden house at the top.
"Okay, Master Chen, you go and have a rest first. Once we have made our selection, we will let the children come and call you." said Yun the Butcher.
"Would you two little kids like to come with me, Grandpa Chen, and rest for a while?" Master Chen asked.
"Dad, can we go?" Yun Yiyi looked up and asked.
"You guys can go with me. But don't mess with anything in Grandpa Chen's room." Yun the Butcher thought for a moment and agreed. They still had a long time to choose, and he couldn't let the two children keep running around with him.
Besides, both children know Kung Fu, so if anything happens, they can be heard by shouting. Most importantly, Master Chen's eyes look very gentle. Although he doesn't talk much, he gives people a good impression.
"Okay, Dad. You and Grandpa Wu can go and get busy." Yun Yiyi said and followed Master Chen.
"Uncle, I will take good care of Yiyi." After saying that, Xie Zirui ran to catch up with the two people in front.
Butcher Yun and Old Man Wu began to look at the donkeys in each shed. There were many donkeys and the number of buyers was also large. So, choosing the right donkey became a hassle.
After Yun the butcher and Wu the old man had looked at all the sheds, they returned to take another look at the donkeys they had chosen, and wrote down the number of donkeys they had chosen on the open space outside the sheds.
After they had gone back and forth three times, they had selected a total of twenty donkeys. These donkeys were two to three years old, in their prime and ready to work.
However, they would have to ask Master Chen to help them choose one later. Yun the Butcher and the others only looked at the appearance. As for whether the donkey's teeth were good or if it was sick, only Master Chen knew the answer.
However, after three rounds of selection, it took almost two hours. By this time, the sun was already high in the sky, and the temperature had risen. Fortunately, the two of them could stand under the straw shed to select. However, even so, Butcher Yun and Old Man Wu were almost vomiting from the stench inside.
"Brother Wu, let me go call Master Chen. Let him take another look at the twenty donkeys we chose."
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