Chapter 20 Buying Cattle at the Morning Market
As soon as I arrived at the entrance of the morning market, I saw a child leading a strong big yellow cow and shouting.
"Li family kid, why are you here again, trying to trick people?"
When the second officer saw the child, he frowned and said.
The child may have recognized the second constable and was so scared that he ran away with his big yellow cow.
"This guy is always trying to cheat people. He likes to complain to passersby and ask them to buy his cow. Then the cow will bite the reins at night and run back."
The second constable explained the kid's trick to Qiao Qiqi, "Just like that, he's sold this big yellow ox dozens of times."
Qiao Qiqi was amazed. She didn't expect that the child looked honest but was actually so cunning.
"Fourth Brother, take the young lady from the Pei family to look after the cattle. I'll go borrow a horse from the manager of this morning market."
The second constable left after he finished speaking.
The fourth constable nodded expressionlessly and looked at Qiao Qiqi. "Let's go, ma'am, let's go choose an ox cart."
Qiao Qiqi looked at him strangely and said nothing.
No one has called her Madam in the past few days.
However, she didn't think much of it because she saw a whole row of cattle to choose from.
Looking at the strong yellow cattle, Qiao Qiqi was a little dazzled.
"Ma'am, here."
Unexpectedly, the fourth constable was standing in front of a slightly thin old ox.
Standing next to the old ox was a fifty-year-old man with red eyes and a look of reluctance to part with the old ox.
"Sir, why did you choose this one?"
Qiao Qiqi asked a little curiously.
"Ma'am, don't be fooled by the sturdiness of those cattle. They are actually fed with grain in order to be sold at a high price. They can't travel long distances at all."
The fourth officer explained, "Look at this one. Although it's a little thin, its back is straight, its limbs are wide, and its hooves are round and big. Only this kind of ox can climb mountains and cross rivers."
Qiao Qiqi took a closer look and found that it was just as he said.
"Are you two here to buy a cow? Let me tell you, this cow is of premium quality. If it weren't for my son breaking his leg while hiking in the mountains and needing money for treatment, I wouldn't be willing to sell this old fellow."
The old man's eyes were filled with tears, and he looked at the old ox with reluctance. "Over the years, I have relied on it to plow the fields, and also to give rides to villagers to come to town to earn some pocket money. Old man, you walk very steadily now."
Hearing this, Qiao Qiqi planned to buy the old ox. "Old man, how are you going to sell this ox?"
"Other people's oxen are sold for twenty taels of silver, but you should give eighteen taels. If it weren't for my son's urgent need for silver, hey..."
The old man said, wiping the tears from his eyes.
Qiao Qiqi glanced at the frame behind him, which should be used to carry people.
"Old man, I've also bought the frame. How about I give you 20 taels of silver?"
Seeing that the old man looked pitiful and his expression did not seem fake, Qiao Qiqi did not want to bargain with him and asked directly.
"Okay, sure."
The old man quickly wiped away the tears in his eyes, bent down and put the frame back on the ox.
Qiao Qiqi also took out 20 taels of silver from her sleeve and handed it to him, "Old man, can you find someone to weigh it?"
The old man shook the silver in his hand and said, "Madam, I have been farming for my whole life, so I know how much it weighs. The silver is correct."
He handed the reins to Qiao Qiqi. "Although my cow looks thin, Madam, you just need to feed it more grass. I've been busy with my son's affairs these days and haven't been able to take care of it. I hope Madam will treat it well."
Qiao Qiqi took the reins and nodded gently, "Okay."
Afterwards, she and the official Lao Si left the morning market and went to the only pharmacy in Taiping Town.
As soon as I entered the pharmacy, the pharmacist's apprentice came up to me and said, "Do you want to get medicine or see a doctor? My doctor is not here at the moment. If you want medicine, just give me the prescription. If you want to see a doctor, it will take two days."
"Why two days?"
Qiao Qiqi frowned slightly.
The chief officer said that we can only stay here for one day at most.
"The doctor came back from his consultation last night and felt unwell, so he was sent to the county town before dawn today."
The pharmacy apprentice was helpless. "Doctors don't treat themselves. This is the rule of the industry. So, if you want to see a doctor, you have to wait for him to come back."
"What about you? You can prescribe medicine and treat illnesses, right? Why don't you come with us?"
After being disappointed, Qiao Qiqi placed her hopes on her apprentice.
The apprentice quickly waved his hand, "No, no, no, I've only been learning for a short time. I only know how to dispense medicine according to prescriptions. I don't know anything about taking a pulse or anything like that!"
"Besides, Master has entrusted the medicine shop to me to look after temporarily. If I leave, the shop will have to close. Master will beat me to death when I come back!"
The apprentice said he was helpless to help.
Qiao Qiqi was a little disappointed. "Okay, then little brother, do you know if there are any other doctors in this town?"
The apprentice thought for a moment and shook his head, "This town is not big, there is only this one pharmacy."
"All right."
Qiao Qiqi had no choice but to walk out of the pharmacy, "Sir, shall we go buy something else first?"
"Madam, you want to find a doctor to treat Prince Pei, right?"
The fourth constable stood behind her and asked in a low voice.
"Yes, I suspect he has blood stasis in his spine, which has caused blood circulation to be blocked and he has lost consciousness. I plan to find a doctor to treat him with acupuncture."
Qiao Qiqi expressed her thoughts.
"Madam, I do know there's a doctor in this town, but he has a strange personality and doesn't easily treat people, so few people know about him. Would you like to give him a try?"
The fourth constable looked around and suggested in a low voice.
"Oh, really?"
Qiao Qiqi's eyes lit up, "Please take me to find that doctor, I will reward you handsomely!"
"No need for a big reward. I'll take you there. Madam, get in the carriage first. I'll drive."
After the official Lao Si waited for Qiao Qiqi to get on the ox cart, he drove the cart to the other end of the town.
Then, it stopped in front of an ordinary house.
"Mr. Ruan, Mr. Ruan? Are you here?"
The fourth constable stopped the ox cart and knocked on the gate of the house.
Soon, an old man with white hair and a youthful face opened the gate and glanced at the official Lao Si and Qiao Qiqi. "Is there anything wrong?"
"Old man, my husband is sick. I came here this time to ask you to help me get him treated."
Qiao Qiqi smiled faintly at Mr. Ruan and spoke softly.
Ruan Lao glanced at the fourth officer and said, "I can't save him. I'm just packing my things to leave here. I don't have time."
"Mr. Ruan, where are you going?"
The constable Lao Si asked expressionlessly.
"Go north. I've calculated that there will be a bigger earthquake in the next few days. I plan to go north to avoid the disaster."
As Mr. Ruan said this, he was about to close the gate.
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