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墨書 Inktalez
As July approached its midpoint, Qi Chong had finally managed to walk without crutches and no longer needed to rely on Bone Paste. He could hobble along, albeit with a limp, as long as he didn’t carry anything.
Qian Duo Duo had been waiting for several days without seeing Qi Rong, feeling rather listless and not very lively. Yu Chunmiao had bribed Rou Rou a few times, and it had begun to accept her. Not only did Yu Chunmiao teach it to sit, but she also instructed it to stay, withholding food if it didn’t comply.
Qian Duo Duo thought to herself that while this person might be difficult to deal with, she also offered plenty of praise. Every time the animal did something right, it was rewarded with tasty treats and gentle pats on the head and belly.
At home, the firewood consumption was high, so Qi Yuan was busy chopping wood on the mountain. He was clever; each time he chopped wood, he would leave it to dry naturally on the mountain before carrying back the already dried pieces.
The workers came daily to collect goods and often brought news of Qi Rong. Sometimes they even wrote letters. Chen Ruolan couldn’t read all the characters yet; it was Qi Fu who had taught her a few before, and she relied on Qi Chong to help her read them.
Shi Song hadn’t come by; he sent word that Youyi had gone to visit the village chief, likely having faced some difficulties there.
Qian Duo Duo not only learned to stay but also mastered rolling over and following commands. Yu Chunmiao felt that this was sufficient since it wasn’t a Police Dog; good obedience was enough.
Zeng Granny still visited every three days, bringing along her granddaughter instead of her grandson. Her daughter had passed away, and her son-in-law remarried, leaving the granddaughter abandoned. In an era that favored sons over daughters, Yu Chunmiao felt fortunate.
Yu Chunmiao planned to buy a Donkey Cart for her family. In this era, purchasing cattle required registration; farmers without land deeds couldn’t buy cows.
One morning, she entrusted the house to Chen Ruolan and Qi Yuan while she took Qi Chong with her to the town in a cart for goods collection. At the livestock market, most animals were cattle or donkeys; only two horses stood alone in their stalls, ignored by all.
Yu Chunmiao knew little about donkeys and left the selection to Qi Chong. He chose the largest and most docile Black Donkey, examining its mouth and teeth before saying it was about three years old.
The owner smiled broadly and said, “Indeed! A donkey can live for thirty years; this one is still young and gentle. Look at it—no matter how you touch it, it’s not stubborn at all. Such a donkey is quite rare.”
He led the donkey around for a bit to show its good legs.
Yu Chunmiao asked him, “How much is it?”
“Ten taels.”
“How much?” Yu Chunmiao asked, a bit surprised. “Ten taels? I could buy a cow for that. Can you lower the price?”
The owner stroked the donkey's neck and replied, “You get what you pay for. This donkey is good, weighing nearly six hundred pounds. It's a large breed from the north, used for plowing fields.”
Although Yu Chunmiao didn’t know much about donkeys, he had eaten them before. This donkey was indeed larger than the average meat donkey and looked strong. However, ten taels was still too expensive; he needed to negotiate a lower price.
“Boss, this donkey is used for plowing in the north because they grow Sorghum Wheat there and use dry land. Here, we have Shuitian; asking it to plow would be unreasonable. So, this donkey can only pull carts.”
Qi Chong chimed in, “Exactly, we can’t use plowing donkeys here.”
The owner thought to himself that this young girl was quite knowledgeable. “How about I lower it by one tael?”
Yu Chunmiao countered, “Ten taels!”
The owner frowned. “Are you serious about buying? You can’t negotiate like this!”
Yu Chunmiao stood her ground. “You’re not serious about selling either if you’re pricing it like a cow. Just give me a fair price; if I can accept it, I’ll buy it without haggling.”
The owner’s eyes darted around before he finally said, “Sixteen taels.”
Qi Chong, unusually assertive, spoke up, “Boss, I’ve bought donkeys before, and this kind is worth only thirteen taels. If you won’t give a fair price, I’ll go elsewhere.”
He remembered when the Qi Family had their own Donkey Cart and how they had brought him along to buy a donkey back then.
With that, he pulled Yu Chunmiao and started to leave.
Yu Chunmiao thought to herself that he really knew how to negotiate.
The owner called after them, “Alright, thirteen taels. But you’ll have to buy the cart from me too.”
Qi Chong turned back to the owner and said, “Let’s go look at the cart.”
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