The Liu family members were starting to get anxious in the guesthouse. Although everything in the guesthouse was fine, they still felt inexplicably worried because their eldest daughter wasn't by their side.
"Grandma, why aren't Mom and Fatty Sister back yet? I miss Mom." Since she was born, she had been with Qin San Niang, and the two of them would never be separated for more than half a day.
"Don't worry, little sister, Mother has gone to buy livestock, so she'll be a bit slow." This was Da Wa'er, a thoughtful child.
"Would you still buy a cart shed? Or a handcart would be fine too." Xiao Er had seen wealthy families driving oxcarts on the road, with sheds at the back, and children peeking out from inside with chicken legs in their mouths...
Kid, are you more interested in the bike shed or the chicken leg?
Seeing that Liu was also somewhat anxious, but not wanting to say it in front of the children, Wu Chunhua continued, "Buying livestock is no easy task. We have to check their teeth, their strength, and whether they are young or adults. If we buy livestock, we'll definitely need a cart shed. Your mother loves you very much and certainly wouldn't want to tire the children out!"
Hearing Wu's words, Liu also felt that buying livestock shouldn't be rushed, otherwise what if she got ripped off? But did her eldest daughter even know how to buy livestock? She'd forgotten to ask! Ah, she was getting old…
The children's attention was quickly diverted by the livestock, and they began to discuss the topic of the livestock and the cart shed. The two adults, Wu Chunhua and Liu, found their childish talk amusing.
Around noon, Wu Chunhua heard her daughter, Fatty, knocking on the door, and she quickly went to open it.
Since they weren't there, Wu Chunhua went to Liu's room and stayed with the children, locking the door.
Although they were in the guesthouse, these orphans and widows dared not be careless, which shows that they really could not be trusted without an adult man by their side.
But that's alright, if we just buy another capable dog, it'll be about right.
Qin San Niang felt that unreliable men were not as loyal as dogs.
After entering the house, Fatty happily told her mother and Liu about the many things they had bought. First and foremost was the large mule cart, and the cart itself was of the finest quality. It was a little difficult for her to explain exactly how good it was, but it could be summed up in one word: excellent!
Fortunately, Fatty hadn't forgotten what Auntie San had told her. After boasting, she quickly called Liu and her mother to help move the things. They weren't planning to leave tonight, so it wouldn't be safe to leave the things in the car.
Qin San Niang discovered that the supermarket only allowed withdrawals, not deposits, so she had no choice but to move the items!
Liu quickly got out of bed and put on her straw sandals. Wu Chunhua took care of the little ones and they went to the backyard to move things with the fat girl.
There was a place to park carriages and horses in the backyard of the inn, but the young waiter didn't expect that this woman could buy a mule cart all at once.
After receiving two large coins as a reward from Qin San Niang, he quickly brought some black beans to add to the mule's feed, which the mule loved.
"Mother, is this our mule? It's huge!" Seeing Qin Sanniang standing next to the mule cart, Da Wa rushed over, his face full of disbelief.
"Yes, Daddy can learn to drive from Fatty in the future!" It's rare to see my eldest son so emotional; this is how a ten-year-old should act!
Qin San Niang quickly replied that all boys think they are men, great, and can roam the world!
Sure enough, after hearing this, the eldest child nodded vigorously, so happy that he didn't know what to say, and just pursed his lips shyly.
So that's what the kid looks like when he's happy! A mother's job is to notice her child's unique traits early on. Qin San Niang gives herself a thumbs up!
As for Xiao Er, he was particularly interested in the carriages. He climbed onto the carriage with his short legs and looked around inside and out.
Anan dedicated herself to naming the mule, and finally named it Big Gray.
Qin San Niang thought it was good. The mule was blackish-gray, and the name "Big Gray" was vivid and descriptive, though it inadvertently reminded her of the Big Bad Wolf.
Liu and Wu Chunhua were also very excited, gently touching the back of the carriage. Just as Fatty had said, the carriage was made of thick wood, coated with clear varnish, making it sturdy, durable, and beautiful. There were small windows on both sides and the back of the carriage, so it didn't feel stuffy at all. The window frames were even carved with flowers!
In her entire life, Liu had only ever seen carriages parked in front of wealthy families, and the carriage her eldest daughter bought was no different from those!
Unexpectedly, she was able to enjoy good fortune on her escape route, and Liu wept with joy.
Wu Chunhua was surprised when she heard Qin Sanniang say she wanted to buy livestock. Now that she saw a real mule cart parked in front of her, she was willing to drive it herself, even if it meant she and Pangya had to drive it together! Her emotions were in turmoil. She had thought that she would be like a rootless duckweed without a man, but it turned out that she could find a way out of the darkness!
She planned to do more work to take good care of the young men and women of the Wang family, and also to help Liu Shi, who had difficulty walking.
“Auntie, don’t cry. Look how happy this is! You sit here and watch the children. I’ll go help move things.”
Seeing that Qin San Niang lifted the carriage curtain and took out two large oil paper packages, which turned out to be large steamed buns and some kind of biscuit that looked very crispy! Wu Shi hurriedly took them and handed them to Liu Shi.
There were several large bags behind her. She wasn't very strong, but she had been eating well these past few days and felt like she had recovered a bit. She could easily handle chores like washing clothes and cooking.
"Third Sister, is this grain? You bought so much?" She looked around warily, thankfully there was no one around.
"Yes, sister-in-law, we need to move all of these into our house. Also, this hemp sack contains kapok; we'll need you and Mother to make some quilts and winter clothes for us on the way, as the weather is getting colder!"
"Oh, what trouble is this?! You can't say that, it's all my duty."
Not to mention a few quilts, she could make winter clothes for the whole family. Before she knew it, Ms. Wu had come to regard this family as her own.
Qin San Niang saved the mother and daughter, not only giving them enough to eat but also clothes to wear, and providing them with the same food and supplies as they had on their own. Wu was very grateful.
Kapok is lightweight, so Wu quickly took a large bag and put it in Qin San Niang's room.
The eldest son wanted to help carry the things, but at eleven years old, he wasn't strong enough, so Qin San Niang didn't plan to use him. She had locked all the fabrics under the seats in the carriage; there shouldn't be any problems.
As for the grain, Fatty carried it back. She was strong and didn't need anyone else to help; she finished in two trips. The remaining oil, salt, and sugar were carried back into the house by Third Sister Qin and Da Wa'er.
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