Although they were not cattle or sheep, with the mule cart he could take the sheep back faster.
Otherwise, he would have to rely on his legs to drive the lambs, which would be a long journey. When he returned home, he could directly attend the baby's full moon banquet...
The man selling the mule was selling his family property because they were in dire straits. Taking it to the livestock market in the city would require paying a management fee, so it would be better to sell it directly at the large market outside, where the merchants there have money and can get a good price.
His eyes were red and he kept stroking the mule's back, obviously reluctant to leave.
Many people wanted to steal the mule, but Jiang Nian had plenty of money and was quick to intercept them at the market entrance. He was quicker than most, knowing he had to make a quick decision, so he bought the mule and the carriage together for 20 taels.
Back then, their family only spent seven taels of silver on the new carriage...
Jiang Nian paid the bill, and since he looked fierce, no one dared to snatch it.
The former owner looked at the mule reluctantly and quickly left with the silver in his pocket. The mule recognized its owner and raised its front hoof to let out a long breath.
Jiang Nian patted the mule's head to comfort it. The previous owner said it was a seven-year-old mule, in its prime. Their first mule was fourteen years old, old enough to be its grandfather.
Jiang Nian led the mule back to the inn and asked the waiter to feed it well for two days before it stopped drooping.
And the three of them finally came back in a hurry.
Not only did they bring back eight lambs, but they also brought back a pair of half-grown calves.
This was sold by a neighbor who was in a hurry to marry off his son. He would not sell it for less than thirty taels of silver.
These people on the grassland didn't know whether the other party would think it was too expensive. It was normal to sell a raised cow for fifteen or twenty taels of silver in the Central Plains, but it was indeed a bit expensive for this half-grown calf.
But despite this, they still brought it with them, because they knew that it was impossible to buy cattle outside now.
Normally, a cow is pregnant for about nine months, giving birth to a single calf, which is about the same as a human pregnancy, so it's quite rare.
Jiang Nian checked carefully and found that the calf had a soft but loud cry, strong calves, and neat teeth, indicating that it was healthy.
After the experience of robbing a mule at the market, he did not bargain and readily took out the silver to pay the bill, and gave each person one or two taels of silver as a thank you.
The three men's eyes widened. They didn't expect the young man to give so much and were stunned.
Jiang Nian felt that they kept their promise and saved him a lot of effort, so they were worth paying him so much.
He has been away from home for more than half a month. He misses Jiang Yue every day and wishes he could fly back immediately.
In the end, the two sides left their addresses with each other. If they were destined to meet, they might have more contact in the future.
Jiang Nian touched his deflated purse and breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, Jiang Yue had stuffed enough silver into his pocket, otherwise he would not have been able to complete her task.
He looked at the hungry lambs and calves, and felt a headache. How could he get back after such a long journey?
Jiang Yue: I didn't expect you to actually reach the edge of the grassland...
Jiang Nian spent some money and asked the waiter to prepare a lot of wheat bran, hay and multi-grain cakes for him.
He stuffed the lamb and the calf onto the cart, filling it so full that there was no room for one more.
Finally, they had to hammer and bang, and erect high wooden boards around them to block the wind and prevent them from jumping off the car. Finally, they had to use a rag to block the sun.
Jiang Nian leaned against the mule, sweating profusely. He himself didn't even have such treatment...
It was a scorching July, the sun so intense during the day that the ground was scorching. At night, when he could see again, he would reverse his days and nights and travel exclusively at night.
If the mule had not been unable to hold on, he would have been on the road during the morning and afternoon.
Along the way, Jiang Nian, with his sheep and cattle, was a sitting duck. Passing civilians, refugees, and officials all wanted to take a bite of his flesh.
Regardless of who came, whether they were asking for alms or trying to pressure him, Jiang Nian would always hold the knife to his chest, keeping his distance. He wouldn't even dare to attack the police.
Anyway, he was wearing a mask and ran away after hurting someone. Who could catch him?
If we can’t even catch the bandits on this road, how can we catch him?
He was eager to go home and just kept rushing forward along the way.
…
When Jiang Nian was around, Jiang Yue was too hot to sleep. But when Jiang Nian wasn't around, she couldn't sleep even more, tossing and turning every night. Even the baby could sense her irritability, and it was restless in her belly, which made her even more angry.
The man had been away from home for more than two months and still hadn't returned. Jiang Yue couldn't help but feel a little regretful. She blamed herself for being so fickle and doing whatever she wanted.
She wanted Jiang Nian to understand responsibility and help him grow. But now she was starting to doubt herself again.
Does this have to be the only way to show his father's love? If there is no milk, then drink rice soup. It's not like he will die!
Jiang Yue wondered if all pregnant women were like this. Her moods fluctuated, and she tended to get stuck in a rut, dwelling on a problem. Not only was she irritable, she felt like crying.
In this day and age, once you leave the house, there is no news from anyone, which is really an endless torture.
Late one night, the sound of mule hooves and sheep bleating were heard in the quiet village.
Those responsible for clearing the wasteland had already moved back to the houses at the edge of the field, while Fan Bai still lived in the servants' quarters, guarding the yard. He was the first to hear the noise at night and left the yard.
Yuan Zhuangtou thought that the refugees who had not appeared for a long time had come to cause trouble again, so he quickly called his son to get up.
Jiang Yue couldn't sleep late at night. She stood at the window and looked down, and her eyes met those eyes that were still bright in the dark.
Jiang Nian is finally back!
Jiang Yue was a little excited, her hands were shaking. She put on her coat and went downstairs carefully.
The exact date of her pregnancy was unknown, but Aunt Yuan looked at the size of her belly and said she was probably more than seven months pregnant.
Now that her husband was away, the lady refused to move downstairs to live in the room. She walked up and down the stairs with her big belly, which was very frightening. She was worried, so she moved to the first floor to take care of the lady, fearing that something might happen.
At this time, Aunt Yuan didn't know that her husband had returned. When she heard her wife calling, she went upstairs to help her down.
"Ma'am, what's wrong?"
"Aunt Yuan, An Nian is back. You and Ping An should hurry up and prepare some water and food. Cook the noodles left for tomorrow, as they cook faster, and add more vegetables. Also, fry a plate of eggs and steam two fish..."
Although Jiang Yue was anxious, she knew the seriousness of the matter and looked carefully at the stairs under her feet.
"Oh, good!" Aunt Yuan was also happy when she heard this. Her husband said he was out on business and hadn't come back for so long, which made them feel uneasy. Now he's finally back!
Ping'an lit the lamp and helped his wife walk, and she began to light the fire and fetch water with swift movements.
It was early June when Jiang Nian left home, and it was already the end of August when he returned home, and most of the summer heat had passed.
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