Chapter 97

Chapter 97

A couple of weeks later, the busy spring planting finally came to an end.

When you really think about it, this year's spring planting had been delayed. During that time, the Village Head even sent someone around to check, and when he found out other villages were in the same boat, several Village Elders let out a big sigh of relief.

Good, good—if one guy's late, it's a delay; if everyone's late, it's just the right time for everyone.

If the county officials come down on anyone, everyone would bear it together. For now, their village didn't dare and didn't want to be the one to stick out. Since they dodged the draft, folks in other villages were jealous and resentful. Their own sons and grandsons got taken as able-bodied men, and nobody knows if they're alive or dead, while the men of Evening Glow Village all came down from the mountains in one piece, just barely dodging the whole mess—who could blame them for being pissed?

Luckily, Evening Glow Village was out in the sticks, and the villages barely ever talked to each other, which kept a lot of fights and bad blood from happening.

One morning, walking through the morning dew, Old Man Zhao took his oldest son and youngest daughter, the three of them leaving the village early.

After spring planting, the weather had been hot and dry for days, not like it was blazing, but you just felt off. Going up into the mountains to gather firewood, even in the shade, just moving a little made you start sweating. Old Man Zhao figured it might be all in his head. He asked around the village, and everyone said they didn't feel it much, but one by one they ditched their padded jackets for thin shirts, which didn't match what they said, so you couldn't tell if it was actually hot or not.

Passing through Falling Stone Village, the three of them didn't stop, but on the way they met Brother Sun, who was carrying a basket back from the market in Qinghe Town. From way off, he waved his arm and yelled, "Hey, in-laws! Brother-in-law! Where you headed?"

When they got closer, they saw Zhao Xiaobao in the basket, and he wiped his sweat and smiled, saying, "Little sister-in-law's here too."

"Just getting back from market?" Old Man Zhao didn't say he was going to Stone Forest Town to buy an ox—he still hadn't figured out what to do about that. But since the donkey would be kept outside, he just said, "I'm heading to Stone Forest Town to see if I can find a good donkey to buy."

A donkey wasn't cheap—at least eight or nine silver taels. Brother Sun was a bit surprised; he didn't expect his in-laws to have that kind of money. Given how Evening Glow Village was, buying a donkey didn't make much sense. The only road into the village was real narrow, and even hitching it to a cart to haul people for a few coins would be a pain. At best, the donkey could help carry heavy stuff. But with all the men in the family and just a few acres of land, they really didn't need the extra muscle.

Back when his parents picked the Zhao family, they were drawn to all the big, strong men, hoping their grandkids would take after their dad and grandpa, not their own family, which was full of short, stocky folks—a trait they got from their ancestors.

Even though they knew the Zhao family was poor, his parents didn't care, as long as they had good kids.

Over the years, his younger sister had come back to her folks' place with her husband and boys, never saying a word about her in-laws' situation. When asked, she'd just say life was good, no trouble or mistreatment—good in-laws, good brothers-in-law, obedient nephews, and she was the best... As for their wealth, what they ate, wore, or used, she never said a word, keeping her mouth tight.

Unexpectedly, they were doing well enough to buy a donkey.

He was happy for them and warmly said, "It's almost noon. Since you're here, come to my place for lunch and rest a bit before continuing?"

"No need, it's still early. We need to hurry and find a good place to stay overnight on the road." Old Man Zhao patted his shoulder and asked about the grain exchange. Learning it was done at Qinghe Town, which was close to their home and didn't take much effort, Old Man Zhao didn't ask how much was exchanged—as long as it was done, that was enough.

As they left, Brother Sun pulled a packet of maltose candy from his basket and shoved it into Zhao Xiaobao's hands. Before Old Man Zhao and Zhao Dashan could react, he ran off, laughing and waving, as if afraid they'd refuse, "After you buy the donkey, come by for a meal before heading back. I'll go tell my parents and wait at the crossroads—you must come!"

"Haha, sure!" Old Man Zhao waved back, not standing on ceremony. "Don't wait around—we'll just show up!"

"Haha, great!"

The three of them continued on.

The market days for the towns were staggered: today was Qinghe Town's market day, tomorrow Tongjiang Town, and the day after Stone Forest Town. Along the way, they met many people. A villager from Falling Stone Village recognized him and said warmly that Brother Sun had also gone to town today but hadn't returned with them. Old Man Zhao said he'd already seen him.

"Oh, men are faster at market—buy and go, unlike us women who have to browse around," a woman said with a laugh.

"Yeah, leaving the village at the same time, Brother Sun is already home while we're still on the road. Haha, no more delays—let's go, the kids at home must be waiting."

They said their goodbyes and parted ways.

Once they were far off, Old Man Zhao suddenly remarked, "People really can adapt to their circumstances."

Having been away for so long, he didn't know how things were outside. Among the people they'd met, there were few men, mostly women and elderly women, but their faces showed no gloom—they were all cheerful. A single winter could smooth over many things. Tears and worry might not seem as important compared to the crops in the fields.

Life had to go on.

After a journey of two days and one night, they arrived at Stone Forest Town in the afternoon of the second day, before the city gates closed.

The cattle market usually opened in the morning. Old Man Zhao had scouted the area before, including the inns—a single room cost fifty coppers a night, which Xiaobao said was the same as Qinghe Town. Before, when only one person could enter the Divine Land, they'd have to stay at an inn. But now that two could enter, they could save that money. The three of them strolled through the cattle market, asked the locals, and confirmed that the market would open the next day with a batch of cattle, donkeys, and mules for sale. Since many rural men had gone to war, the cattle market had been busy in recent months, with good cattle available—as long as you had money, you could buy some.

Old Man Zhao thought there was no connection—if rural men were scarce, how many country folk could afford an ox?

This reasoning didn't hold up under scrutiny; it was full of holes.

He muttered to himself but didn't show it on his face. He thanked the locals, took another look around, and left town just as the gates were closing. Finding a secluded spot in the woods outside town, Zhao Xiaobao grabbed her father and eldest brother by the hand and took them into the Divine Land.

They fetched dinner from the kitchen, and the three of them, along with their dog, sat on the ridge of the field, gazing at the lush seven acres of land, eating with great relish.

After the meal, Zhao Xiaobao picked a basket of fruit from the small orchard. Full and satisfied, the sky in the Divine Land was still bright, with no sign of darkening. Old Man Zhao couldn't hold out any longer and yawned as he went to sleep.

The next day, on the main road, farmers carrying baskets and shoulder poles came from all directions—villagers from nearby hamlets, with chickens clucking, ducks quacking, and eggs nestled in straw mats, all hurrying to get through the city gates early to secure the best spots in the market.

Buyers weren't usually out that early; it was always said that there was never a shortage of things to buy, only things that couldn't be sold.

Old Man Zhao and Zhao Dashan each munched on a steamed bun. They'd gotten up early and had breakfast in the Divine Land, so now they were just eating out of boredom. When the city gates opened, a crowd jostled to get in. They hung back to avoid bumping into someone's eggs and having to pay compensation—that would be a loss.

Their family had so many eggs they couldn't finish them all.

Arriving early, many breakfast stalls weren't set up yet, but pots were already boiling and oil was heating. Passing a steamed bun shop, the steam from the steamer hit them in the face. At a noodle stall, the aroma of minced meat sauce was irresistible.

The cattle market was open. Horses, cattle, donkeys, mules—things that used to be rare to see even one were everywhere here.

Some people were even earlier, already picking out animals, speaking like experts, checking eyes, hooves, and even examining the animals' droppings, making the cattle swish their tails and kick...

There were also many onlookers, mostly men. Whether they bought or not, they had to join in the excitement. Even if they couldn't afford it now, maybe they would later, so they needed to know the market. Old Man Zhao used to be one of those onlookers, but now he was the one being watched. After looking at two cattle, he couldn't tell good from bad—they both seemed fine, with big, clear, innocent eyes and a lively spirit. He didn't know the jargon, so he imitated the checks, examining the hooves, finding no issues—all good.

But he was cautious. No matter how the seller boasted, he didn't commit immediately, deciding to observe more.

And observe he did, spotting a problem. With the same two cattle, which had seemed spirited earlier, now from a distance, amid the noisy crowd haggling and chatting, someone would suddenly shout. The left ox would startle and pace nervously, while the right one showed no reaction, as if dumb.

Unlike people, cattle don't have concepts of steadiness or unsteadiness—only sharpness or dullness. Some sick cattle react slowly or have hidden issues, with sellers perking them up the night before so outsiders can't tell.

Midway, someone went to look at those two cattle. While Old Man Zhao was scouting for a donkey, he kept an eye on them, his heart racing, afraid the one he liked would be taken. Fortunately, over ten taels was no small sum, and everyone was cautious, not deciding on the spot. The man moved on to another area.

An old hand came to buy a donkey, and Old Man Zhao shamelessly followed to learn. First, like with the cattle, he'd suddenly raise his voice or knock on a wooden board to see which donkey reacted fastest. Second, he had the owner walk the donkey around to check its gait for limping. Third, he examined the donkey's nose and droppings—a dry, cracked nose or reddish droppings likely meant a sick donkey. Fourth, he observed its overall state, including its eyes—this required careful observation; a donkey that looked listless at first glance was best avoided.

The same applied to cattle. Old Man Zhao actually knew all this—raising pigs and chickens at home, he was familiar with spotting signs of illness. But he was still afraid. Cattle and donkeys weren't cheap. If he paid and brought home a sick one, the seller wouldn't listen to reason—once the deal was done, the loss was his.

Losing over ten taels could ruin an ordinary family.

"Dad, buy this one." While Old Man Zhao was hesitating, Zhao Xiaobao, held in Zhao Dashan's arms, pointed at the donkey behind him and suddenly spoke.

Old Man Zhao turned to look. After observing for so long, he'd actually taken a liking to two donkeys: a young one not yet fully grown, priced at seven taels, and a just-matured adult donkey, priced at nine taels. He favored the adult one—it could work right away and caught his eye. But since there wasn't much work to do now, buying the young one and raising it for a few months would have it ready by autumn harvest.

In terms of value, the young donkey was more economical.

But Xiaobao pointed at the adult one.

His daughter's word was law. Out of earshot, Old Man Zhao quietly asked, "Xiaobao, why this one?"

"It's spirited." Zhao Xiaobao covered her nose—the cattle market stank. "Dad, Xiaobao likes this one."

"Alright, then we'll buy this one." Old Man Zhao decided without hesitation, turning to haggle with the seller. After wearing down his lips, he only managed to shave off one qian, finally settling on eight taels and nine qian.

After buying the donkey, they went for the cattle. After a full circuit, he still had his eye on the first two.

This time, Xiaobao didn't say which ox was spirited—she seemed only interested in the donkey, not the cattle. Old Man Zhao observed again and still thought the left one was better. While they were buying the donkey, another pile of droppings had appeared on the ground. Not minding the dirt, he crouched down, poked at it with a stick, and found the color and smell normal. After discussing with his son, they decided on that ox.

The price was a bit steep—sixteen taels, and it was still a calf, not even grown yet.

"Next door, an adult ox is only sixteen taels. Yours is way too expensive!" Old Man Zhao haggled with the seller. "No way, no way. Lower the price; that's just not right."

"Then why don't you buy his?" The seller, an old man, talked real nasty. "A good ox is worth this price. Not a penny less!"

"Not a penny less?" Old Man Zhao had never seen anyone do business like this. If he sold eggs with that attitude, folks'd throw 'em right back at his head. This old guy was a piece of work. "If this ox is really that good, shouldn't it have been snatched up the moment it was brought out? How's it still here waiting for me?"

The old man snorted coldly, his face full of displeasure. "Then you're just lucky, what can I say? Do you want it or not? If not, step aside—there are others waiting to see it. Don't block my business."

Old Man Zhao wouldn't budge, refusing to give up on bargaining. But no matter how much he talked until his lips were dry, the old man wouldn't lower the price. Finally, annoyed, he just stopped talking altogether, watching him talk with spit flying as if to say, "Buy it if you want, or leave it—I don't care."

Though infuriating, Old Man Zhao still paid up and bought it. A calf was fine—it was sturdy enough. He'd thought it was full-grown at first.

The old man being so stubborn must mean this ox is really good, right? Good oxen never go unsold. He'd rather believe he was lucky than think the old man was bluffing.

Still, it wasn't all bad. After buying the ox, he didn't have to worry about the series of registration procedures. The cattle market had dedicated staff, and the old man had his own connections. Seeing that Zhao paid fairly quickly without making a fuss, he handled everything, calling over a young man and telling Old Man Zhao to just follow his instructions.

One ox and one donkey—over twenty taels spent. Walking down the road, they sure drew some looks.

They had arrived early and bought without dawdling. By the time everything was done, it was just past noon.

Without lingering, Zhao Dashan carried his little sister on his back, led the donkey, and slowly made his way out of the city with his father, who was leading the ox.

The city gate was crowded and bustling. A long line of carriages waited orderly to exit, with guards and porters carrying chests and bundles trailing behind. How many people were inside the carriages was unknown, but just the escorts and the armed escorts up front numbered over a hundred at a rough glance.

And that wasn't even counting the people carrying bundles walking behind the carriages—too many to count.

Was this a clan relocation?