Chapter 46 : Buying a ox

Jiang Sui found Mother Xiao and discussed the matter of buying ox with her. She also asked Zhou and Xiao Lanlan to listen in.

It was agreed that this would be a business decision between the four of them, so everything had to be discussed together.

Jiang Sui explained in detail the reasons and benefits of buying a ox.

“To do business, we have to go to town every day, leaving early and returning late. We definitely need an ox cart to carry all these things. Otherwise, it would be very difficult for just a few of us to handle it. Furthermore, with an ox cart, it will be more convenient for the family to travel back and forth for business in the future. It will also be easier to go to other places for work. There’s no need to struggle with heavy labor, and it can also be used for plowing the fields in the future. In short, buying an ox is definitely worth it, but it might take some time to recoup the investment.”

When Mother Xiao heard about buying a ox, she had the same idea.

She also thought of what Jiang Sui had considered. If they wanted to set up a stall in the town and do business, an ox cart was absolutely necessary.

Moreover, once a family owns a cow, their status in the village changes. Only three families in the village have ox. One is the old village chief’s family, one is Ermazi’s family, and the other is the richest family in the village, the Zhang family, who own two ox.

There are only four ox in the village. During the busy farming season, every household has to borrow ox to plow the fields, and the Xiao family is no exception.

Mother Xiao had actually wanted to buy a ox for a long time. Their family had many people and they were allocated a lot of land. But every year during the busy farming season, they were always the last in line to borrow a cow.

“Suisui, what a coincidence! I was just about to bring this up. Since you think the same, let’s not wait any longer. We’ll go to the town tomorrow to buy a cow.”

Since Mother Xiao had no objection, Zhou and Xiao Lanlan naturally had no objections either.

Moreover, if the purchase of the ox is successful, it will bring honor to the village. Who wouldn’t want to own a ox? If you have a x, you can hold your head high when you walk outside.

Ermazi makes a lot of money each month by pulling carts around town with his ox cart. He is getting richer and richer, and is almost catching up with the Zhang family.

The Zhang family has a large fish pond, which is why they are the richest family in the village.

To buy a ox, you need to go to the town because there is a large cattle farm there. They have calves, mature cattle, and old cattle. It all depends on your needs.

If Jiang Sui wants to buy a ox, she will definitely go for a strong one that can pull goods.

Since they were already in town, she also inquired about renting a stall.

But what they didn’t expect was that just as they were discussing buying a ox, Mr. Zeng brought a ox from somewhere.

Mr. Zeng had gone back to town in the afternoon, saying he was getting some things. But when he returned in the evening, he brought a ox with him to Xiao’s house.

He had specifically prepared this ox for Jiang Sui and the others.

The reason was simple: he knew Jiang Sui and the others were planning to set up a stall in the town to do business, and they would definitely need a ox to pull the cart, so he had gone to get one.

When Mother Xiao and Jiang Sui saw the strong bull in the yard, they were both shocked and found it hard to believe.

“Is this ox for us?” Mother Xiao asked incredulously.

Mr. Zeng heard this and nodded with a smile.

“Yes, it’s for you. Don’t be polite with me and don’t mention money, or I’ll be upset. My nephew and I have been troubling your family for over half a month. Thanks to Madam’s care, Lin Xu has recovered so quickly. He can move around now. We plan to return to Huaxi County to recuperate in two days, but before we leave, he wants to do something for everyone.”

“The ox was the first thing. He knew you were going to the town to do business, so he thought of preparing a ox for you. He originally wanted to prepare a horse because horses are fast and can travel far, but then he thought that horses might not be as practical as ox for you. After all, horses eat expensive food, are difficult to take care of, and can’t work in the fields, so he changed to a ox.”

“I personally selected this ox. It’s less than two years old and in its prime. It’s very capable of pulling goods and has a gentle temperament. It only needs some grass to keep it alive.”

Mr. Zeng said this and gently patted the ox.

He had fallen in love with this ox as soon as he entered the cowshed. It had to be a good ox that could work.

When Xiao Yi saw the ox, he couldn’t help but step forward and touch it, his eyes filled with affection.

Every year, he had to borrow ox from others to plow the fields, and sometimes he had to endure people’s cold stares. He had always dreamed of owning a ox at home so that he would no longer have to rely on others.

“Mr. Zeng, you and Mr. Su are so kind and considerate to our family. We don’t know how to thank you enough.”

Mother Xiao looked at the ox and felt very embarrassed. It was clear that the ox would cost a lot of silver, and she would definitely have to pay at least five taels.

The ox was given to them as a gift, but it clearly cost five taels of silver.

No matter how smart she was, she was just an illiterate country woman, and it was hard for her to understand why these wealthy people were so generous.

She had already asked for thirty taels of silver, so why would they ask for more?

Oh, her old face was really burning.

“Mrs. Xiao, what you say is too polite. We should be extremely grateful. If you hadn’t saved Lin Xu, he would have become a ghost in the mountains, how could he still be alive today? How can this be considered a reward?”

“This ox is nothing, just accept it. Otherwise, Lin Xu will be uneasy and have trouble sleeping at night. Anyway, we’ve brought the ox here, so please make arrangements quickly and decide where to tie it!”

Mr. Zeng and Su Yanqing were still holding back their big moves, but this talented person was not good enough to repay the favor.

Mother Xiao wanted to say something, but she saw her third son, Xiao Yi, so happy that he kept touching the ox and couldn’t let go.

Hearing what Mr. Zeng had said, he quickly spoke up: “Don’t worry, sir. I will take good care of the ox. I’ll go to the mountain tomorrow and chop wood to build a cattle pen.”

Now his mind and eyes were completely filled with the cow, and he had even forgotten about the other troubling thoughts in his heart.

“Okay, I believe you can do it. Well, it’s getting late. I’ll go back to my room to rest.”

After Mr. Zeng finished his business, he returned to Su Yanqing’s room.

There was a kerosene lamp in the room, and Su Yanqing was reading a medical book.

As soon as Mr. Zeng entered, Su Yanqing didn’t even raise his eyelids

“Uncle, when will they arrive?”

Mr. Zeng placed his hands on his waist and sat down on the kang. Without thinking, he knew who Su Yanqing was asking about.

“They will be here the day after tomorrow. Don’t worry. Your grandfather has sent all his best students here. Just wait!”