My current donkeys are sufficient, and we don't need to buy any more for the time being. However, a donkey only gives birth once a year, and only one foal at a time. Plus, they need to be raised for at least ten months before they're ready for market, and about two years before they can pull a plow. Are you sure you want them?
This is what she read in the book on raising donkeys. Her donkeys haven't given birth yet, which means it will be at least two or three years before they give birth, but they are willing to wait.
Hearing that Shui Qing had agreed without even discussing the price, the four elders were all extremely excited.
"Yes, decades have passed in the past, it can't be that we can't wait two or three years."
"As long as you're willing to sell, it's fine. Waiting is no problem; time isn't an issue."
"If I don't have enough money by then, can we deduct it gradually after selling the rabbit?" Master Fan said somewhat ashamedly.
The family has some savings, but Xiao Liuzi is going to be married, and if the marriage is arranged, it will cost seven or eight taels of silver. Buying a donkey is very important, but they can't bear to delay Xiao Liuzi's marriage because of the donkey.
Fortunately, the family has recently started earning money from selling rabbits, and he can guarantee that he will deliver the money as soon as he has it.
Shui Qing smiled and said, "It's alright if we don't have enough money. I happen to have a suggestion. What do you think?"
The four of them looked at Shui Qing at the same time, their old eyes filled with doubt.
Did they hear me right? How could it be okay if there wasn't enough money?
Shui Qing continued, "Actually, we don't need to wait for the donkey foals to grow up. We can use oxen and donkeys to plow the fields now. To be precise, we can use livestock to plow the fields while waiting for the donkeys to give birth and for the foals to grow up."
The four old men looked bewildered, and at that moment they deeply felt how old they were.
Otherwise, why would I not understand a single word of what they are saying?
Shuiqing explained her plans for the next few days: "Look, the soil for my family's fields has been transported. Now all the oxen and donkeys are being used for plowing. My family's fields total a little over 100 mu. One ox can plow five mu a day, and one donkey can plow two or three mu a day. With one ox and ten donkeys, that's eleven in total. If we calculate it this way, that's thirty mu a day. It will take at most three or four days to plow them all."
"We won't need the oxen and donkeys anymore; they're just sitting there idle. I was thinking, could we exchange them? I'll lend you my donkeys to plow the land, and after the busy farming season, during the off-season, I need to build a house. You can send some people to help, okay?"
Farmers attach great importance to the busy farming season. Everyone and everything must give way to it. In order to rush planting and harvesting, they are not afraid of hardship but only afraid of not finishing the work. The addition of oxen and donkeys will not only make things easier but also speed up the progress of the busy farming season. They should be tempted to agree.
The same applies to the four old village chiefs.
Upon hearing that Shui Qing was willing to lend them the donkey, Old Master Wang excitedly stood up and calculated, "Alright! The men can plow half an acre to a acre of land a day. Since a donkey can plow two or three acres a day, then one donkey a day is equivalent to three men a day or one man three days. What do you think?"
Farmers have nothing to do during the off-season, so building a house is no big deal.
Moreover, building a house is much easier than plowing a field.
Building a house?
Grandpa Wang belatedly realized what was happening and asked in surprise, "You're going to build a house?"
They already have a large house with more than ten rooms and a courtyard, why do they need to build another house?
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