Chapter 1343 Obtained
"It's almost Chinese New Year, and the casino is here to collect their debts. They can't come up with the money, so they want to sell the cattle. These past few days, there's been rumors everywhere that the Jia brothers are overbearing. Anyone who goes to look at the cattle, regardless of whether they buy or not, has to pay them ten cents, or they'll beat you up. So no one goes to look at the cattle. I heard they took the cattle to the county early this morning, but they didn't sell them."
Zhou Dalang said, "It's almost New Year's, and there aren't many people in the cattle and horse market. Most of the cattle dealers have gone home for the New Year, so there aren't many buyers. They can't sell any, so they bring them back and ask us."
When Old Zhou heard this, he immediately put away his pipe, stood up and said, "Come on, call the third brother, and let's go to Dali Village to take a look."
Manbao wanted to join in the fun, but Old Zhoutou didn't let her. The Jia brothers had bad tempers. Even if they didn't fight, they would definitely have a quarrel before buying it. It was better not to bring Manbao along for such a thing.
Manbao could only watch them leave.
Feng came back from picking vegetables in the garden. Seeing this, she smiled and said, "Manbao, come quickly and help your second sister-in-law pick vegetables. Your fifth brother just sent Santou and the others back to tell you that your fourth brother and his family have returned to the county town and will be home for dinner tonight."
Manbao took the medicine box back into the house and put it away. He sat across from Feng and asked as he picked some vegetables, "Why aren't they coming back now?"
"He said he wanted to meet some people and buy some tea or something, so your fifth brother came along to help, so he asked the third brother to go back first."
Because the Chinese New Year is approaching, Zhou Wulang will go to the county town for the next two days to inquire about Zhou Silang's news, and buy some New Year's goods and things needed for the wedding.
The one who was getting married was Daya, Santou's biological sister, so he naturally had to run errands for her, so he also went to the county town these two days.
Manbao knew that his second sister-in-law was the most informed, so he couldn't help but ask her, "Second sister-in-law, do you know the Jia brothers in Dali Village?"
"I know, they are two hooligans, even more hooligans than your fourth brother when he was young." This was news that no one else in the surrounding villages knew, but Feng Shi didn't know.
If there is, it must be because Qili Village is too remote and no one has been going there to attend the market recently.
In the past, Qian was in poor health and had to stay in the house all year round. She couldn't even leave the house, but she could know all the news in and outside the village because of Feng.
Manbao also liked to ask her second sister-in-law for news, and Feng was very fond of gossiping. Without waiting for Manbao to ask, she just kept on talking, "Your fourth brother got beaten up, but at least he changed his ways. Those two brothers are like the bald heads in our village. Once they get involved, they can't get rid of it. They've already spent a lot of money in the past two years."
Manbao was curious, "Someone has been gossiping about them lately, so no one wants to see their cows or buy them?"
"It's not just gossip. It's spread all over the villages. Two days ago, on the day we went to the Taoist temple to worship, someone from Baima Village went to their house to look after their cows. Guess what happened?"
Feng looked at Manbao with sparkling eyes, wanting Manbao to ask her.
Manbao asked, "Do they force the cowherd to pay ten cents?"
Feng paused and asked, "How did you know? It's not ten cents, but fifty cents. And if you touch the cow, you have to give another twenty cents."
Manbao: ...How many times must it have been spread before it became like this?
When gossiping, the most annoying thing is an uncooperative listener like Manbao, so Feng brushed the matter aside and said, "Anyway, the whole village has heard about this. The Jia brothers are very arrogant, but no one dares to offend them. Trying to reason with two scoundrels is just asking for trouble. So even those who are interested in buying cattle are not going there anymore."
Buying and selling cattle in the countryside is not like in the city, where you can just go to the cattle and horse market.
In the countryside, whether it is the buyer or the seller, the transaction is completed through introductions and messages passed between fellow villagers.
For example, if the Jia brothers wanted to sell their cattle, their relatives and friends would tell their relatives about it, and their relatives and friends would then spread the news to people they knew, so that people who were interested in buying the cattle would come to them.
Otherwise, the Jia family is not a cattle and horse market, who would know that they have cows for sale?
Now that the Jia family’s reputation has been ruined and the news of them forcing money has spread, who would still go to them to buy cattle?
It's just Old Zhou. He is very stingy and wants to take advantage of others. He also has six sons. When Old Zhou's family was poorer than Jia's, Jia's family couldn't bully him, let alone now that their family has such a high reputation.
So Old Zhou brought his two sons to the house and bluntly lowered the price to three taels and eight cents.
When the price was called out, the Jia brothers were almost angry to the point of vomiting blood. After bargaining with Old Zhou for a long time, they still had to sell the cow to Old Zhou for four taels of silver after dark.
There is no way. The people from the casino will come to collect the money tomorrow. If the Zhou family doesn’t buy it, they won’t be able to find a second buyer for a while.
The casino staff said they would chop off one of their hands if they didn't get the money, and they would definitely chop it off.
Old Zhou happily took the cow's number and the letter of guarantee written under the witness of the two village heads and stuffed them into his arms. Then he personally led the cow out and said goodbye to the village head.
The head of the guardhouse smiled and said, "It's getting dark now. Come to my house for dinner before you go back."
Old Zhou said quickly, "No, no, my fourth son is coming home today, and they must be waiting for dinner. I'll invite my in-laws to dinner at home some other day."
Zhou Dalang, who was standing by, whispered, "Dad, the day after tomorrow is Daya's wedding day."
"Yes, yes, tomorrow our two families will be able to meet and have dinner together."
Before getting married, the Guan family had to send betrothal gifts to the Zhou family first.
Old Zhou warmly invited the head of the village to come over for dinner tomorrow.
The head of the customs agreed with a smile.
The father and his two sons groped their way back home from Dali Village in the dark. Old Zhou complained all the way, "We already said four taels was a fair price, but they had to wait until dark to agree. What a waste of two dogs! They forced us to walk back in the dark. It's so cold..."
Zhou Sanlang said, "Dad, didn't you also hold on to the price of three taels and nine cents until the end?"
If you had offered them four taels of silver earlier, maybe they could have gotten home before it got completely dark.
Old Zhou glared at Zhou Sanlang, but it was too dark and Zhou Sanlang couldn't see.
He could only hum, "Don't think that just because we earn a little money now, we don't treat it as money anymore. One penny is worth a hundred copper coins. How much work did you have to do to earn that one penny in the past?"
He said, "No matter how much money you make in the future, you must save when you should, otherwise no matter how much you earn, it won't be enough to spend. Don't be like Man Bao, who always spends money lavishly."
Zhou Dalang and Zhou Sanlang agreed.
From a distance, they saw a torch at the entrance of the village and knew that their family members were waiting for them, so they quickened their pace, leading the cows.
When he got there, Zhou Wulang came up to him and said, "Dad, what took you so long? We're waiting for you to have dinner at home. Fourth brother is back and he's made a lot of money."
Old Zhou cheered up, handed the ox rope he had been holding to Zhou Dalang, and walked quickly home with Zhou Wulang. He asked, "How much did you earn?"
"Dad, go ask Fourth Brother yourself."
See you tomorrow
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Please tune in to Yu Yuzhu's "Reborn Wife Farming"
(End of this chapter)
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