After coming out of the stable, Mr. Ding Sanye told Jian Ning that the horse had a well-proportioned body, strong limbs, a soft waist, and four hooves of the same size, like stacked blocks of distiller's yeast. It was very likely a thousand-mile horse.
"Oh, then if it can be cured, wouldn't it be a huge profit?" Ding Youtian's face lit up with joy. He looked at Jian Ning and said, "Madam, are you sure you can cure it?"
When Jane Ning heard that it might be a thousand-mile horse, she was very happy. When the horse lay down and looked at her, at that moment, their minds connected and she understood the horse's request for help.
She pinched Erniu's cheek and said with a smile, "Jia Jia is right. The horse's butt is itchy, it has hemorrhoids, it's not a serious problem."
"Mom, what are hemorrhoids?" Erniu asked.
"Well..." Jian Ning pinched Erniu's little nose again, "It's like there's a little extra flesh growing in the nostrils, blocking the nostrils and making it very uncomfortable. Over time, the little flesh will grow into a big one, and it will be even more uncomfortable."
After she said this, Erniu didn't know whether she understood or not, but Ding Youtian and Ding Sanye understood immediately. It turned out that there was an extra lump of flesh in the flatterer's eyes.
Ding Sanye almost wanted to ask her, "How do you know without even seeing it?" But Jian Ning was a young wife, and it was a bit inappropriate for him, as an elder, to ask such a question.
He didn't ask, Ding Youtian asked for him.
"My lady, you didn't even look at the horse's butt, so how can you tell?"
Meixiang thought Jian Ning must have made a blind guess, so she took the opportunity to add insult to injury to make Ding Youtian dislike Jian Ning. "Eighteen taels of silver is enough for an average family to eat for more than a year. If you buy a sick horse and it can't be cured, all the money will be wasted."
"You little girl, how do you know it can't be cured? Can't you say something nice?" Master Ding glared at her dissatisfiedly.
Jian Ning smiled and called out to Sanniu, "Yaoyao, tell your father why mother can be so sure."
Sanniu was stunned for a moment, then shouted, "Because my mother is a miracle doctor!"
"Yes, Auntie is a miracle doctor!" Ah Man shouted.
The eldest and second daughters also shouted, "What a great doctor!"
Ding Youtian rubbed his nose. When had his wife become so immodest? Seeing a few kids shouting "miracle doctor," attracting the attention of passersby, he coughed twice and said, "Don't shout, don't yell. Even if we are miracle doctors, we can't be proud, especially not complacent. There are many talented people in this world, you know."
Sure enough, Meixiang curled her lips in satisfaction. She knew that Brother Ding looked down on Jian Ning at all. Even if he was a miracle doctor and could heal a severed palm, what good would it do?
Brother Ding said that there are many talented people in the world, so what is there to be proud of or complacent about? She couldn't help but steal a glance at Jian Ning, but she didn't expect that Jian Ning was looking at her with the sidelong glance, which frightened her heart and she quickly raised her eyes and pretended to look away.
When they arrived at the grain shops ahead, Jian Ning asked several of them about the price, and they all said the same thing: beans were sold for three cents per pound.
Black! Really black! Old Mr. Ding and his friends used to carry their beans to town to sell. The merchants would buy them for only one penny per three pounds. After they'd shed their butts and sold them, they could get three pennies per pound.
Going further and turning a corner, it was the shop of Xiao Si San Jie. Jian Ning saw San Niang talking to a girl in the shop, so she didn't go in to disturb them. Unexpectedly, San Niang raised her eyes, saw her, tilted her head and shouted: "Madam Jian!"
"Sanniang." Jian Ning smiled and walked in. The girl who was talking to Sanniang turned around and her eyes fell on Ding Youtian behind her. The girl smiled lightly and bowed to him, "Greetings, Senior Brother."
Glancing at Jian Ning, she bowed again and said, "This must be my sister-in-law. Mingyue greets my sister-in-law."
"This is Mr. Mo's daughter, Mo Mingyue. Dabao is studying in her family's school." Ding Youtian smiled and introduced him to Jian Ning.
When he heard that she was Master Dabao's daughter, Jian Ning's smile deepened. Seeing that Mo Mingyue was dressed in a fresh and elegant manner, he liked her even more.
"Mingyue? What a nice name! The Master is indeed a learned man. Sister Mingyue really lives up to her name. Not only is she born with bright eyes and white teeth, but she is also well-educated and well-mannered. I am really envious of her."
Jian Ning spoke fluently, and although there was a bit of flattery in her words for the sake of Master Dabao, it was the truth.
Mingyue did give her a good first impression.
Sanniang only knew that Jian Ning's son and her daughter Dajun were both studying under Master Mo, but she had no idea that her husband was also a scholar and a student of Master Mo. She clapped her hands and smiled at Jian Ning, "What a coincidence! If you hadn't come today, I was going to ask Sister Mingyue to tell your son to come to town to see me tomorrow."
"Oh, what's the matter?" Jane Ning asked.
Sanniang pointed at the shop next door and said, "Auntie Feng and Old Man Qin are moving out, and the shop is going to be demolished. Didn't you say you wanted to buy a house in town that could be used for both commercial and residential purposes, and asked me to keep an eye out for them for you?"
Jian Ning had this plan. She didn't know whether she and Ding Youtian could live together for the rest of their lives, so she had to have her own house, preferably one that could be used for both commercial and residential purposes, so that if something unexpected happened, they would not be left without a place to stay.
Next door was a tailor shop that had always done good business. Jian Ning asked Sanniang, "Why would they sell it when it's doing well? Do you know how much it's going for?"
Sanniang first held up a finger, then spread out her palm. "One hundred and fifty taels. They are both blessed people. Their son has become an official and is going to take them home to enjoy a good life."
"Oh, right." Sanniang glanced at Ding Youtian and said with a smile, "The boy in their family is probably about the same age as your husband. He was selected as the second place in the imperial examination a few years ago. Maybe your husband knows him. His name is Qin something, Qin..."
Mingyue pursed her lips and smiled: "Qin Yifan, the two senior brothers entered school in the same year."
Ding Youtian raised his eyebrows. He knew Qin Yifan. They had a good relationship back then and he was the closest to him among all the students.
"Sister, do you know which state or county he is serving in?" he asked Sanniang.
"Bai Ya County is adjacent to our Dazhou County, and seems to be in Zhuling County. He is now the county magistrate." Sanniang said, then turned to Jian Ning, "Their house is very popular. They say it is a good feng shui site. But the old couple are very particular about who to sell to and who not to. First of all, the person must have good character and good looks. If they don't like the house, they won't sell it. Isn't it strange?"
Jian Ning had met the old couple next door. Aunt Feng was a very easy-going person, while Tailor Qin was taciturn and frugal with words. His temper was indeed a bit strange. I'm afraid it was him who made the request.
Seeing her frown, Sanniang took her hand and said with a smile, "If you're interested, I'll go with you to ask. With your situation, there's nothing to worry about. Your husband is so handsome, and he's a classmate of his brother's. Old Qin will definitely be happy. Otherwise, what a coincidence!"
Right now, Jian Xia had plenty of money to spare. She'd earned a hundred taels yesterday from Xiao Shi taking over the business. Not counting the fees Huo Jincheng had paid for Ah Man's care, she'd already saved dozens from making stuffed dolls. What tempted her most was the neighboring house, where a second-place winner had won the imperial examination. It had good feng shui, and buying it would bring Dabao some good luck. Besides, they couldn't live in the countryside forever.
"Okay, let's go take a look."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
