After dinner, An Ning helped Gao clean up the dishes. Just as she was about to fetch some water and go back to her room to wash up, Gao called her back. Gao said to An Ning, "Daya, come here with me and see if the new clothes I made for you are suitable for you."
An Ning nodded and said, "Mom is amazing. She finished it so quickly."
Gao tapped An Ning's forehead and said, "You call this fast? You have never seen your aunt's needlework. She can make a set of clothes in one day."
An Ning widened her eyes and said, "Wow! So amazing, but in my heart, mom is still the most amazing."
While the mother and daughter were talking, they had already walked to Gao's room. Gao took out the finished clothes, closed the door, and asked An Ning to take off her clothes and try them on. An Ning took off her coat and put on the new clothes, which were just the right size. The clothes made by Gao were made of the same lake blue coarse cloth that she bought in the county town before. After this period of recuperation, An Ning's face had regained baby fat, and the fresh color made An Ning even more lovely.
Gao looked carefully from head to toe and found nothing that needed to be altered. She nodded and said, "Well, that's good. Wear this dress to town tomorrow! And this undershirt, go back and try it out to see if it fits. If it doesn't, bring it over and I'll alter it for you."
An Ning nodded and took the clothes back to the room. An Ning returned to the room, tried on the underwear, and found that the size was just right, so she didn't take it off and went straight to bed to rest.
The next day, Gao prepared breakfast just after daybreak. An Dashan and An Ning went directly to the town after breakfast. After asking around in the town, they found out that there were two house builders in the town. One was cheaper, but its craftsmanship was not as good as the other. An Dashan and An Ning discussed it and both felt that building a house could not be done carelessly, so they went directly to the one with better craftsmanship but a more expensive price.
After asking around, the two of them came to the family with better craftsmanship. After entering the door, they were greeted by a middle-aged man. An Dashan said straight to the point, "Excuse me, are you Master Mo? We are here mainly to ask you to help build a house for my family."
Since every household is about to start the busy farming season, no one has come to hire someone to build a house recently. The servants in my family have been idle for several days. When they heard that An Dashan was looking for someone to build a house, they immediately said, "Since you two have found me, I guess you know that my wages are higher. Are you willing to accept it?"
An Dashan asked, "I wonder how much Master Mo wants?"
Master Mo said, "Each person will receive sixty coins a day, with a meal provided at noon, and five taels of silver after the work is completed."
An Dashan was shocked. You know, a day's work in the county is only fifty coins, not to mention that you have to pay another five taels of silver after the work is completed. You know, five taels of silver can build three houses for ordinary people. An Dashan immediately backed off. He looked at An Ning, and the father and daughter exchanged glances. An Ning asked, "Master Mo, since you ask for such a high price, there must be a reason for it. Can you tell us so that we can know the reason?"
Master Mo saw that the person who was talking was a little girl, so he was not impatient and patiently explained: "My ancestors learned from the descendants of the Lu family. Although our generation has declined a little, our craftsmanship is much better than others, so the price is higher."
An Ning had admired those craftsmen since he was a child. When he heard that Master Mo's ancestor was a descendant of the Lu family, he was immediately moved and looked at An Dashan earnestly. An Dashan had no choice but to agree and said, "Okay, then I'll ask Master Mo to help me build the house. When Master Mo is free, come to our house and help us see how to build it better."
Master Mo nodded and said, "I'm free these few days. You can pick me up on a day that's convenient for you."
An Dashan nodded and said, "Okay, I happen to be free today. I'll go buy some things first, and then come pick you up."
After the father and daughter came out of Master Mo's house, they went directly to a place that specialized in selling horse-drawn carriages and livestock.
The two had some different opinions on selling livestock. According to An Dashan, they should buy a cow first so that it could be used during the autumn harvest, while An Ning suggested buying a horse directly because horses have fast speeds and they could get to the county or town quickly.
When the two of them couldn't make a decision, the livestock dealer said, "Since you two can't make up your mind, why don't you listen to me?"
An Dashan nodded and said, "If you have anything to say, just say it."
The dealer led the two men to a barn with a large blue mule tied to it and said, "Please look, this mule has great endurance and is just as good as a cow at farming. Moreover, the mule is not slow either. Although it is not as fast as a horse, it is much faster than a cow. You two might consider buying this mule."
An Dashan opened the mule's mouth and looked at its teeth. He found that it was a three-year-old mule, in its prime, fat and strong. So he asked, "How much is this mule?"
The broker saw that there was a good chance, and said with a smile: "Not expensive, not expensive, this mule is much cheaper than a horse, only twelve taels of silver."
An Dashan shook his head and said, "You are joking, Mr. Wangya. Although this mule is in its prime, as far as I know, the rich family doesn't like it, so they won't buy it. Ordinary people with money will also buy cows, so this mule is in the middle and is the hardest to sell. We are sincere in buying it, Mr. Wangya, please give us a fair price!"
The Wangya man didn't expect that An Dashan looked like an ordinary farmer and knew so much, so he said, "In that case, you can give him ten taels of silver and take him away."
An Dashan shook his head and said, "Nine taels of silver. If Wang Ya agrees, take me to see the carriage again. If not, forget it. I'll go to another place to look."
When the Wang Ya heard that he wanted to buy a carriage, he gritted his teeth and said, "Since you are sincere in buying it, I will not bargain. I will sell it to you for nine taels of silver. Don't forget to come to me next time you buy a carriage."
An Dashan nodded and said with a smile: "Okay, Wang Ya people are happy, let's go and see the carriage!"
The two of them also bought a carriage that looked sturdy but simple in appearance, spending a total of twenty-five taels of silver.
After they bought the carriage, An Dashan harnessed the mule and went to the market again because An Ning wanted to buy a millstone. According to An Ning's request, they bought a medium-sized millstone. After buying the millstone, An Dashan went to the brick and tile shop to inquire about the price.
After inquiring about the price, the two did not rush to make a decision, but returned to Master Mo's home and took Master Mo back to Huaishu Village.
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