Chapter 111: Buying a Horse and an Ox

A few days passed like this, and the small courtyard gradually returned to its former tranquility. The once-fierce Liu Cuicui had wilted like a frostbitten eggplant.

She no longer strutted about arrogantly, her sarcastic barbs had ceased, and she had lost all her bluster for berating everyone in sight.

As for Wu Wei, she continued to treat the Liu mother and daughter with courtesy, feeding them well every day and occasionally chatting amiably with Old Lady Liu. But at night, Wu Wei would sometimes sharpen her knife outside the west room window. Other times, she would pace circles around the courtyard with a cleaver in hand or hack at the air with a creepy grin. Of course, she “remembered nothing” about any of it.

After that, Liu Cuicui reacted to the sight of Wu Wei like she had seen a ghost, terrified that the woman might snap and start picking her bones clean, one by one.

Finally, on the tenth day after Wu Wei’s return to the courtyard, Liu Cuicui could bear it no longer.

She rose early that morning and declared that harvest time had arrived. There was still so much work to do in the fields, and Liu Dahu needed looking after, so she was heading back first.

As for Old Lady Liu, the weather was too hot for mountain roads right now. Once their family’s fields were harvested, Liu Cuicui would return with Li Tieniu to pick her up.

Wu Wei neither approved nor objected. Instead, she turned to Embroider Maiden.

Embroider Maiden glanced at her own white-haired, slightly stooped mother, then at Wu Wei. “Then you should head back first, Eldest Sister,” she said. “Don’t delay the harvest. I’ll take care of Mother for now.”

Liu Cuicui nodded vigorously. After breakfast, she grabbed some dry rations and took her leave.

…

Old Lady Liu said nothing. She simply walked her daughter partway down the mountain path before returning alone and retreating silently to the west room.

Liu Cuicui’s departure delighted no one more than Er Ya. She circled Wu Wei with eyes full of adoration. “Weiwei Sis,” she asked, “how did you chase off that she-demon? Before, my mom and I tried everything, but she acted like she couldn’t hear us. Her skin was thicker than a city wall!”

Wu Wei ruffled Er Ya’s hair. “This is what they call subduing the enemy without a fight,” she replied. “Er Ya, do you want to learn to read? Once the harvest is done, I’ll have Embroider Sis set up a little school right here in the courtyard. You and your sisters can all come study and practice writing. Sound good?”

A flicker of doubt crossed Er Ya’s young eyes. “But I’ve heard grown-ups say girls don’t need to read. It won’t help us pass the imperial exams anyway.”

Wu Wei grew serious. “Who says it’s useless? Your Weiwei Sis only managed to send Eldest Sister Liu packing because I’ve read a few books. Even if you three can’t take the exams, knowing a few characters and understanding some principles from the books will always do you good. You’ll need to protect Eldest Sister Li—and yourselves too. Fight with your wits if you can, or with your fists if you must.”

“I want to learn! I’ll protect Mom, Big Sis, and Little Sis. When I grow up, I want to be as awesome as Weiwei Sis!”

Wu Wei nodded in satisfaction. With Liu Cuicui gone, she and Embroider Maiden could finally attend to their own business. They left the courtyard in Er Ya’s and the four dogs’ care before heading out.

Wu Wei slung a bamboo basket on her back and placed fifty taels of silver inside. She told Er Ya they would likely be gone three to five days and that she could help herself to the food in the cellar.

According to plan, Wu Wei and Embroider Maiden were off to buy a horse and an ox, along with vegetable seeds for next year’s garden. Since the children had expressed interest in studying, they would pick up some Four Treasures of the Study as well.

Ordinary markets didn’t sell draft oxen or horses, so they had to go to the Mule-Horse Market to pick them out. The nearest one to Zhang Family Village was in Clear River County. With their walking pace, they would have to spend a night on the road. Wu Wei had packed thoroughly: silver, the dagger that had seen no light in ages, dry rations, water, a fire lighter, changes of clothes and shoes for both of them, a bar of soap, and a small jar of salve for wounds.

Embroider Maiden, concerned about Wu Wei’s lingering back injury, insisted on carrying the basket herself.

This was Embroider Maiden’s first time leaving Qinglu County, and Wu Wei was no better with directions. On the first evening, they found a household to host them only as dusk fell.

The next day, they didn’t reach Clear River County until past noon. Inquiries revealed that the Mule-Horse Market opened at the Hour of the Ox and closed at the Hour of the Horse—they would have to spend another night at an inn in the county.

Wu Wei booked an upper room and ordered two tubs of hot water. She and Embroider Maiden luxuriated in baths before collapsing into bed while the sun was still up. They slept through until full dark. After eating some of their packed rations and pickled vegetables, they calculated that the market would open in about an hour.

Embroider Maiden suggested, “Weiwei, let’s head out. We don’t want to miss the timing again. Eldest Sister Li is waiting for the ox to haul our grain. We’ve had a good harvest this year.”

“I can go alone,” Wu Wei said. “You wait here at the inn.”

“Why?” Embroider Maiden looked puzzled.

“We’re strangers here, and carrying all that silver makes us a target. Places like the Mule-Horse Market are full of shady characters. Two young women would stand out too much. I’ll take five taels to scout around first—check the prices and customs. If I see something good, I’ll place an order and have them deliver the ox and horse right to the inn for the deal. The inn is safer, but we can’t leave the silver unattended. You bolt the doors and windows and wait for me.”

“Alright. Just be careful.”

“Mm.”

Wu Wei handed the dagger to Embroider Maiden—sharp blades weren’t convenient on the streets anyway—and tucked five taels into her bosom before setting out. She borrowed a lantern from the inn waiter in the main hall and hurried toward the Mule-Horse Market.

In Wu Wei’s mind, ancient times surely had horse thieves aplenty, with ruthless methods. She didn’t want Embroider Maiden taking any risks with her. If trouble arose, at least Wu Wei knew a bit of grappling.

As it turned out, she had worried needlessly. The Mule-Horse Market was a bit filthy, but far less chaotic than she had imagined. There was even a dedicated Contract House, much like a modern broker on Blue Star. Buyers and sellers signed deeds there, completing transactions under the broker’s witness.

Once she understood the setup, Wu Wei rubbed her nose and headed toward the oxen section.

The air reeked of cow dung, and the ground was a muddy mess. Oxen of varying quality were confined in wooden pens—some in solitary stalls, others sharing space.

Buyers and sellers mingled in lively throngs.

Wu Wei watched the bustling scene with fascination. She even witnessed the legendary Sleeve Universe technique: buyer and seller inserted their hands into a third party’s sleeve, negotiating prices through special finger signals.

Word had it that big deals were always sealed this way.

Watching this nearly lost art from Blue Star, Wu Wei’s eyes nearly popped out. The two parties remained outwardly calm, but their sleeve writhed with activity. After several back-and-forths, they struck a deal.

The seller even cupped his hands to the buyer in admiration, while the latter grinned smugly.

Wu Wei couldn’t help sighing to herself: He must have guessed the buyer’s bottom line and closed at rock-bottom price. Three hundred sixty trades, each with its own master.

While enjoying the spectacle and browsing for a draft ox, Wu Wei’s eyes suddenly lit up. She spotted a magnificent specimen that looked like a work of art. This plow ox was uniformly gray-blue, with sickle-like horns crowning its head, eyes large as bells and bright with intelligence, a bellow like thunder, and a tall, perfectly proportioned frame rippling with muscle. Whether on Blue Star or here, it was the handsomest ox Wu Wei had ever seen.

“This… isn’t this the legendary mount of Laozi?” Wu Wei said excitedly.

“Boss, how much for this ox?”

The owner sized her up and shook out his sleeve, extending it toward her.

Wu Wei realized: A big transaction, then?

“Sorry, boss, I don’t know Sleeve Universe. Could you just tell me the price quietly?”

The old man frowned and held up three fingers. “Thirty taels! No haggling.”

Wu Wei nearly stumbled backward. She cupped her hands to him and walked away.

In the end, she bought a two-year-old yellow ox—just shy of maturity but already able to work—for two taels of silver. They drew up the deed at the Contract House, with the names of buyer, seller, and broker all clearly recorded, along with a detailed description of the ox.

That was when Wu Wei learned that in the Liang Dynasty, draft oxen had “household registration.” Their deaths had to be reported to the authorities for deregistration, lost oxen could be reclaimed using the deed, and privately slaughtering one was a grave crime.

Wu Wei spent two copper coins on fodder, fed the young ox, and it docilely followed her from the pen.

With the draft ox secured, Wu Wei headed to the horse market. The price of that earlier ox had already stunned her, but the horses were even pricier!

She had seen fine steeds before—like Official Dongfang Rui’s mount or those of Zhang Wei and Zhang Meng. Yet this vast market had nothing of that caliber, and even the lesser ones went for seventy or eighty taels, up to a hundred!

Wu Wei’s budget was thirty taels… enough only for an older mixed-breed nag!

Wu Wei’s mind flashed with an image of Dongfang Rui riding that beast to make a getaway. Forget it—she’d be caught before she could even catch her breath!

The picture was just too vivid. Wu Wei didn’t dare imagine it any further.

Still, now that she’d be traveling back and forth between the two counties from here on out, a horse was an absolute necessity.

Fortunately, this mangy little nag might have been ugly, scrawny, and undersized, but it was incredibly docile. Gritting her teeth, Wu Wei handed over two taels as a deposit and led the horse and ox back with her.

Once they reached the inn, she handed them off to the waiter along with five wen for fodder money, then hurried upstairs to find the Embroider Maiden.

Seeing the gloomy look on Wu Wei’s face, the Embroider Maiden gave her a once-over and confirmed she wasn’t injured before asking, “What happened? Weren’t you perfectly fine when you headed out this morning?”

Wu Wei pouted and plopped down on the bed with a huff, recounting the whole ordeal. Unable to stifle her laughter, the Embroider Maiden coaxed her gently. “Lord Dongfang holds such an exalted position—even the guards at her side are no ordinary folk. How could we ever compare to them? But didn’t you say that horse has a gentle temperament? Isn’t that perfect?”

Wu Wei grumbled a couple more times, then tugged at the Embroider Maiden’s sleeve in a pouty whine. “But it’s so ugly! Especially when it grins—its whole upper lip flips right up! It’s just… ugh. The owner took one look at it and immediately threw in a saddle and stirrups for free. Everyone else rides around looking majestic and imposing, but I’d look like some deranged cartoon mascot on that thing!”

She fumed on. If Dongfang Rui’s mount were a sleek supercar, hers would be a third-hand minivan with half the paint scraped off!

The Embroider Maiden had no idea what a “cartoon mascot” was, but she found Wu Wei utterly adorable in that moment. Softly, she said, “Well… can that horse carry two people?”

Wu Wei quit her fussing and tilted her head to look at the Embroider Maiden.

The Embroider Maiden licked her lips and continued, “I mean, can it carry you and me?”

For some reason, all the frustration and inner turmoil in Wu Wei’s heart vanished in an instant, replaced by a spark of anticipation.

“Why don’t… we go give it a try?” Wu Wei’s eyes sparkled.

“Sure! I’ve never ridden a horse before.”