When the pears are green

Chapter 219 Buying a Donkey

Kai Xin, Zhang Er and Jiang Qingzhou, who had asked Hu Zhimin for leave, walked towards the town's donkey shop while discussing how to choose a donkey.

The so-called brokerage shop is actually the same as the market in the town. It is a place specializing in trading large livestock such as donkeys, mules and cows. Both parties can buy and sell independently or through a broker.

As the three of them walked into the dental shop, a middle-aged square-faced dental hygienist wearing a gray-blue thin shirt came up to them and asked with a smile: "What do you three want to buy? I have strong donkeys and mules in my hands. I guarantee that they are the most affordable in the dental shop."

"I want to buy a donkey." Jiang Qingzhou had previously learned from Zhang Er that the best livestock in a brokerage shop are generally in the hands of brokers, and brokers will only not take over those that are old, disabled, or sick.

After hearing this, Ya Lang hurriedly led Jiang Qingzhou and the other two to the locust tree forest in the west, from which came the constant sound of donkeys braying "ah, ah".

"The donkeys are all here. I wonder if you want to buy a female or a male donkey?" Yalang asked Jiang Qingzhou with a smile.

Zhang Er, who was standing by, heard this and answered on behalf of Jiang Qingzhou: "It is said that it takes ten years to buy a straw donkey and ten years to sell a barn donkey. Let's take a look at the female donkey first."

"Brother, you know what's good. Female donkeys are generally docile, hardworking and long-lived. Most importantly, they can give birth to donkey cubs. The three in the south are all female donkeys, one is three, six and eight years old." The broker said as he led the three people to the locust tree where the three gray-brown female donkeys were tied.

Since Jiang Qingzhou didn't know how to choose a donkey, he asked Kai Xin and Zhang Er to help him choose.

Kai Xin looked at the three female donkeys and said to Jiang Qingzhou, "Brother Jiang, when choosing a female donkey, you should choose one that is tall, has a wide hip and a gentle personality. The most important thing is to look at its teeth. A donkey can basically work before the age of ten. Don't consider the eight-year-old one. Let's look at the three-year-old one first. Donkeys can usually work at the age of one, so three is the best age to work."

"Although this little brother is young, he knows a lot. It seems that Chen has met an expert today. Please wait a moment, I will go from somewhere else and bring you a few three-year-old donkeys so that you can choose carefully." Chen Yalang gave Kai Xin a thumbs up, then walked to the thatched shed in the east, took three female donkeys and tied them under a locust tree.

With the help of the tooth carrier, Kai Xin and Zhang Er carefully looked at the teeth of the four donkeys and finally chose the donkey lying on the ground at the southernmost end.

The two asked Jiang Qingzhou for his opinion. Jiang Qingzhou smiled and nodded, then asked the broker about the price of the donkey.

"Eight taels. The smaller the donkey, the more valuable it is. The eight-year-old one can be given to you for four taels." The broker answered, pointing to the donkey tied at the back.

The three of them thought the price was too high. Zhang Er smiled and bargained with the broker: "Brother, don't fool us. My family also bought a donkey two days ago. The four-year-old one was only five taels and two cents of silver. You want eight taels for a three-year-old one. You're making too much. I also know that the donkey is not yours. You're just making some money. Why do you want such a high price?"

"Brother, this is not the price we set, it's the price the seller wants. If it's cheaper, we can't explain it." Yalang explained to Zhang Er with a smile.

The three of them obviously didn't believe it, so Jiang Qingzhou continued to say to the agent, "To be honest, big brother, I didn't prepare so much silver when I came here, and I thought I could buy it with five or six taels. Since big brother wants such a high price, let's go somewhere else first."

Jiang Qingzhou pretended to pull Kai Xin and Zhang Er to another stall selling donkeys.

The broker quickly stopped Jiang Qingzhou and asked with a smile how much silver he would accept.

"Five taels and six cents." Zhang Er replied with a smile.

The tooth groom frowned and whispered that the minimum was seven taels.

After several rounds of bargaining, the donkey and the equipment for the donkey cart were sold for a total of six taels and two cents of silver.

After Jiang Qingzhou paid the silver, the broker called the donkey seller who was waiting on the side, and the three of them signed the contract issued by the government office together.

The donkey dealer complained to Jiang Qingzhou and the other two while pressing his handprints: "I really didn't make any money from this donkey. I only made two coins in total, and I still have to pay the donkey tax to the government office."

Jiang Qingzhou saw through it but didn't say anything. He just smiled and said that he would come to the broker again if he wanted to buy livestock in the future.

The broker smiled and sent the three people out of the pharmacy and continued to look for new customers.

The three of them led the donkey back to the backyard of the restaurant. Zhang Erhe happily helped Jiang Qingzhou harness the cart to the donkey, and then taught Jiang Qingzhou how to drive the donkey cart in the alley.

Fortunately, the donkey was gentle, and Jiang Qingzhou was able to drive the donkey cart steadily after repeating the operation two or three times under the cheerful guidance.

Jiang Qingzhou thanked Kai Xin and Zhang Er repeatedly, and as they watched him leave, he whipped the donkey cart and headed home.

"Brother Zhang, Brother Jiang is about the same age as you. He is about to become a father, but you don't even have a fiancée." Kai Xin teased Zhang Er while knocking on the side door.

Before Aunt Chen opened the door, Zhang Er rewarded Kai Xin with a few chestnuts. Kai Xin held his head and went to the kitchen to complain to Zhang Da with a wronged look on his face.

When Jiang Qingzhou drove his donkey cart to Jiangjia Village, he was surrounded by a group of children who were playing at the entrance of the village.

After getting Jiang Qingzhou's consent, five or six children carefully touched the donkey that was screaming "ah... uh... ah... uh..." and asked in unison what kind of donkey it was and how much it cost.

Jiang Qingzhou smiled but did not answer. After the children had felt almost everything, he drove the donkey cart back home.

At this time, Song Li was lying on the bed, counting her fingers boredly. When she heard the knock on the door, she hurriedly put on her shoes and went to open the door for Jiang Qingzhou.

After Song Li opened the door, Jiang Qingzhou jumped off the donkey cart. He took the basket and wooden box on the donkey cart to the kitchen, ready to take Song Li to the mulberry field to see the blooming rapeseed flowers.

Jiang Qingzhou was afraid that the donkey cart would bump into Song Li, so he spread the unused reed mats from building the straw hut on the donkey cart. After Song Li sat down, he drove the ox cart while telling Song Li what happened in the dental clinic.

"We really have to thank Kai Xin and Second Brother Zhang. It's almost the season for planting watermelons. Let's level a piece of land in our new house to grow watermelon seedlings in the next few days. When the watermelons are ripe, we can give them some more." Song Li suggested to Jiang Qingzhou with a smile.

Jiang Qingzhou turned his head and looked at Song Li and said, "Of course. It will be very busy during this period. In a couple of days, I will ask Uncle Ji and Uncle Heng to help dismantle the pig pen, chicken coop, and rabbit hutch in the yard, and then rebuild them in the new house. You have to take good care of yourself and our children. I may not be able to take care of you."

Song Li leaned on Jiang Qingzhou's back and whispered that she would.

The donkey cart stopped in front of the mulberry field. Song Li and Jiang Qingzhou stood on the ridge of the field and looked at the golden rapeseed flowers blooming among the green mulberry leaves.

Song Li leaned over to smell the rape flowers, then looked at Jiang Qingzhou with a gentle expression and said, "Qingzhou, the flowers are so fragrant, come and smell them too."

Jiang Qingzhou lowered his head and smelled the same flower with Song Li, forehead to forehead, nose to nose, and his cute giggles and hearty laughter floated on the quiet river beach.

After Lingling, Yang Jing and Wu Mingshu learned that Song Li was pregnant, the three of them went to see Song Li together.

Wu Mingshu placed the gifts brought by the three people on the eight-immortal table, then took Song Li's hand and asked with concern: "Xiao Li, I learned about your happy event from Yang Yu yesterday, so I thought of coming to see you today with Lingling and Jing'er. I have seen other pregnant women before, some of them vomited and couldn't eat, and some felt dizzy and nauseous all day long. How are you?"

"I'm fine, I just like to sleep." Song Li answered and then asked about the three people's recent situation. Song Li had not seen them since the wedding banquet of Yang Jing and Li Yun'an.

Lingling happily told Song Li that she and Yang Jing were now together day and night. During the day, she taught Yang Jing how to use an abacus and check accounts in the shop. At night, the two of them lay on the same bed and read the miscellaneous books that Li Yun'an bought for Yang Jing from the county town.

The last time Li Yun'an went home, he wanted to take Yang Jing to the county town, but was rejected by Yang Jing. Yang Jing didn't want Li Yun'an to be distracted by love affairs when he should be concentrating on studying, but in order to comfort Li Yun'an, she would visit Li Yun'an in the county town every half a month.

Wu Mingshu's life became much more ordinary. Yang Yu went to the bookstore to teach every day, and Yang Zhang did not restrict Wu Mingshu. Wu Mingshu sometimes followed Yang Zhang to spin cloth at home, and sometimes hid in the room to read Yang Yu's books.

After a conversation, Wu Mingshu saw that Song Li looked tired, so she took Lingling and Yang Jing and said goodbye, and said that she would visit Song Li again when she had the chance.

Song Li sent the three people to the village entrance. When she was returning and passing by Jiang Ping's house, she was stopped by Zhang Ying who was holding Jiang Zhong.

"Second sister-in-law, what's the matter?" Song Li asked Jiang Zhong teasingly. Jiang Zhong was already half a year old and liked to be carried around by Zhang Ying.

Zhang Ying said to Song Li a little embarrassedly: "Sister-in-law, I, I am pregnant again, but I don't know whether to keep the child."

Song Li looked at Zhang Ying in surprise. During the Chinese New Year, Zhang Ying was still having conflicts with Jiang Qian, and now they had a child. She really couldn't figure out what was going on between the two of them.