As soon as he stepped out of Huichuntang, Old Master Wu's legs felt a little weak.
The silver in his arms was heavy; he wasn't joking, he had never seen so much money in his life!
"Father, I'm taking Qingshan and Qingsong to buy an oxcart. Are you going back to the village, or..."
Having seen many storms, Jiang Yue wasn't flustered by a mere forty-eight taels of silver.
To be honest, she's been craving an oxcart for ages and wants to buy one!
Once she got the money, she couldn't wait to use it!
“Of course I’ll go with you to see the oxcart. You’re young, let your father give you some pointers.”
Grandpa Wu grinned, supported by his two sons on either side, and his strength slowly returned to his legs!
"Well, then I'll have to trouble you, Dad."
Jiang Yue nodded, indicating that Qingshan should pay the fare of the two oxcart families in the village, one hundred coins per family, so they wouldn't need to pull her back.
After taking the money, Wu Jiahu obediently left. It was obvious even to a fool that the Wu family had made a fortune.
The other family lingered, not leaving immediately. Only after Old Master Wu and his group had gone some distance did they hand the ox over to an old acquaintance they'd met, and then furtively slipped into Huichuntang to inquire...
The town's streets are very wide, and perhaps because the weather has cooled down, many stalls have sprung up.
However, Jiang Yue had no interest in shopping. She took her family straight to the place that sold oxcarts.
It's quite remote, and the place smells pretty bad.
There's nothing we can do about it; cows need to eat and poop, so it's bound to smell.
The boss is an old man, and he's incredibly shrewd.
Seeing that a woman wanted to buy an oxcart, he promoted the older oxen from his own farm.
Old Master Wu pried open the cow's mouth, took a look, and shook his head unhappily, saying:
“My wife is young and doesn’t know much, but I’ve been farming for decades and I’m not blind. This ox is too old to work!”
"Calm down, brother. I still have a few good cows I haven't shown you yet, what's the rush?"
Seeing that he couldn't fool them, the old man had no choice but to lead everyone to select young and strong oxen.
Of all the choices, Jiang Yue took a liking to a blue ox with a tuft of white hair on its head.
"Father, come and take a look."
Old Master Wu stood with his hands behind his back, looked around for a while, and then nodded and said:
"This one is alright, it's only recently reached adulthood and has strength."
Jiang Yue felt much relieved upon hearing this, and then asked loudly:
"Boss, how much for this cow?"
"This ox is excellent! You have a good eye! This ox is worth eighteen taels of silver, and it's sure to be a good worker!"
The old man looked at the group's clothes, stroked his beard, and quoted a price.
"What, eighteen taels? That's too expensive, ten taels would be more reasonable."
Grandpa Wu widened his eyes and gave his third son's wife a look.
"Father-in-law, let's go, I don't have that much money."
Jiang Yue understood immediately and made a move to leave.
Seeing that the guest was about to leave, the old man quickly stopped him, trying to persuade him:
"Hey~ wait a minute, we can talk about the price, how about seventeen taels?"
"Eleven taels."
Grandpa Wu calmly negotiated the price, his eyes gleaming with wisdom.
"No, that's too low. I've already lost all my savings for my funeral. Sixteen taels should be enough, right?"
"Boss, you're not being sincere. Although this cow is young, it's almost winter now. Buying it will just waste fodder. Sixteen ounces? We can buy it next spring."
"Exactly, it'll be much cheaper when we buy it then."
"Let's go then, we'll come again next year."
Jiang Yue looked undecided, and it seemed she was about to leave with her father-in-law and the others when the cattle seller finally relented:
"Fifteen taels, the lowest price, plus a free oxcart frame. Even if you buy a cow next year, it'll still be worth this price!"
After exchanging glances, Jiang Yue and her father-in-law both understood each other and agreed.
Fifteen taels of silver. Old Master Wu weighed the money in his pocket, thinking of how his children and grandchildren toiled every spring and autumn harvest. He gritted his teeth, beckoned his two sons over, and whispered something to them for a while...
Half an hour later, the boss was extremely distressed, and said with a bitter smile:
"Next time you're introducing business, don't mention this price!"
"Okay, I got it~"
"Yes, thank you."
Wu Dalang drove the brand-new oxcart, lovingly touching the ropes.
Wu Erlang helped his father sit in the back, staring at his elder brother's seat with eager anticipation.
Grandpa Wu beamed with joy, his face beaming with happiness. Finally, the Wu family had an oxcart!
"Dad, I'm taking the kids to buy some things before I go back. Are you coming with me or going home first?"
Seeing her father-in-law smiling broadly, Jiang Yue was happy for him too.
A cart that costs fifteen taels of silver isn't cheap!
In the past, how could anyone bear to buy an old house?
Today, I received forty-eight taels of silver. After deducting the amount for buying the oxcart, I still have thirty-three taels left. My mother-in-law shouldn't be too angry, right?
"Ahem, let's go home first, otherwise I'm afraid your mother-in-law will complain if we spend more money."
The men in the Wu family are afraid of their wives; there's no point in hiding it.
Grandpa Wu is feeling quite content and now he doesn't want to or dare to spend any more money. He's going home!
"Giddy up!"
Wu Dalang, though not very skilled at driving the oxcart, was clearly engrossed in it too.
"Mom, what are we going to buy?"
Wu Qingshan learns everything quickly, and soon he mastered the oxcart, his joy barely concealed in his voice.
"Didn't your mother tell you brothers about the new business our family is going to do? Come on, let's go find spices."
Jiang Yue tucked a stray hair behind her ear, raised her chin, and gestured for her son to drive forward.
"Da da da~"
The oxcart is parked. Fifteen taels. It has both an ox and a cart frame. What a bargain!
Half an hour later, the entrance to Wujia Village was crowded with people.
These people were all staring at the village entrance, watching for Grandpa Wu and his family to return.
"Da da da~"
I'm back!
Good heavens, Wu Dalang has a brand new oxcart!
Boom!
Seriously? The medicinal plants you planted could really be traded for an oxcart?
Those who planted it were overjoyed!
Those who lack courage live in a gloomy and miserable state!
Upon seeing this, the village chief, without saying a word, shakily got into the car and experienced it for himself.
I must say, the new car is really comfortable!
"Yongfu, you're so stingy! You've made a fortune this time, and you didn't even buy a bottle of wine so we could have a drink together."
"Oh, how could I dare? Do you know how much money I made today?"
"How many?"
If anyone else had asked, Old Master Wu certainly wouldn't have said, but since his old friend asked, he didn't hide it and whispered a number in the other person's ear.
Boom!
The village chief was stunned, and it took him a long time to recover. He said:
"Don't mention the numbers, lest it arouse jealousy. Just tell others that you all bought oxcarts."
"Yeah, I definitely wouldn't have said anything to anyone else. How about that, brother, am I loyal enough?"
Old Master Wu smiled, everything was understood without words.
The village chief stroked his beard and thought to himself that his son only earned thirty taels of silver a year as a manager in a restaurant. Why not ask his eldest son and his wife to come back to the village to grow medicinal herbs?
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