Starting double updates today! Thank you all for your support! Bow!
A few more people came over to buy bowls, looks like this business is doing quite well. Well, it's not long until New Year, after all, it's time to add some items to the household.
Couldn't see anything else, the crowd is just too large, but this lively scene feels very comforting to Su Yuanyuan.
Listening and watching with great interest. It finally feels real.
"Little girl, your folks are here."
Su Yuanyuan stood up with a smile. Seeing the smiles on the three faces, they probably got everything they wanted.
"Yuanyuan, is there anything else you want to buy?" Hu Chunhua asked.
"Aunt, I want to take a look over there, can you come with me?"
"You ladies can leave your things here if you like, I'll watch over them."
How could these women be so careless?
Meng Xiangtian's wife nodded with a smile, "The two of us need to borrow your space to rest for a while."
"Sure, come in and have a seat, but there's only one little bench."
Hu Chunhua also left her purchases here, feeling at ease with someone she knows watching over them.
The bowl seller smiled good-naturedly.
Hu Chunhua held Su Yuanyuan's hand as they headed towards the livestock market.
"Aunt, I want to buy a little donkey."
Hu Chunhua looked at Su Yuanyuan disapprovingly, "Families in our village with over ten acres don't even use livestock. You only have two acres, what do you need a donkey for? A donkey costs over a hundred bucks.
I know you have money, but aren't you worried about someone targeting you at such a young age?
Besides, you have to buy food for yourself, how are you going to feed a little donkey?"
After Hu Chunhua's rapid-fire comments, Su Yuanyuan felt she probably couldn't buy the little donkey, but she wanted to make one last attempt.
"Aunt, I can't handle two acres on my own."
Hu Chunhua sighed, "Yuanyuan, think about it, with your little frame, you couldn't even manage a little donkey."
Su Yuanyuan dejectedly lowered her head, realizing she really hadn't considered her capabilities.
"Aunt, then can I buy a sheep? I'm all alone at home, and I'm scared."
Hu Chunhua looked at Su Yuanyuan with sympathy, "Alright, let's go to the livestock market and have a look. But I'm no expert, either."
"You'll definitely pick better than me."
Praise never gets old, as the saying goes.
The market truly has everything; there's even someone selling soybean oil. Su Yuanyuan thought she could really buy some, but seeing Hu Chunhua beside her, she gave up the idea.
"Aunt, I want to buy some dates and walnuts."
"Sure, we'll get some when we come back; you should indeed eat a bit."
Also saw someone selling Sichuan pepper and chili. Su Yuanyuan had some in her space, so she wasn't tempted.
The two squeezed out, and the livestock market wasn't as crowded anymore.
Hu Chunhua led them around; there were quite a few people selling sheep.
Su Yuanyuan took a liking to a big-bellied ewe, thinking she could get several in one go.
Hu Chunhua also thought this sheep was a good deal. So the two of them, after asking around, went back to this stall.
"Brother, how much for this ewe?"
"Sister, I see you've already made a round, and you know the prices. I'm not trying to deceive you, this sheep is due to lamb in a month. If it weren't for my son getting married and needing money, I'd never sell it.
If you're sincere about buying, it's sixty-five bucks.
To be honest, it'll be several sheep in a month."
"Brother, in a month, it'll be so cold, who knows if the lambs will survive." The sheep seller, too, was probably worried the lambs wouldn't survive the winter.
"Sister, I'm being honest with you. If you like it, take it; otherwise, I won't say more."
Su Yuanyuan saw that the seller was genuine in his reluctance to part with the sheep, so he must be telling the truth.
"Alright, I'll take it, but you'll have to give us a rope to lead it back."
Su Yuanyuan handed sixty-five bucks to Hu Chunhua, and the sheep was as good as hers.
Hu Chunhua led the sheep, and the two of them didn't squeeze through the market, opting for another way out. She tied the sheep to a tree and instructed Su Yuanyuan, "I'll go call your aunts to get the stuff, you just wait here."
"Okay, I'll wait here obediently."
"Alright, I'll bring you back some dates and walnuts."
Su Yuanyuan quickly took out two bucks, "Aunt, get me a dollar's worth of each."
"Alright, just wait, we'll be out soon.
And just say that I lent you forty bucks."
Su Yuanyuan nodded hurriedly, very grateful to Hu Chunhua.
While waiting aside, she felt it must be around ten, and her stomach was a bit hungry, especially since she could smell deep-fried dough sticks.
She didn't dare buy snacks to eat, as that would seem wasteful to others. She decided to just stick to the rules.
She secretly pulled out a handful of soybeans from her space and held them out to the ewe.
With just a small handful, the ewe licked it up in two swipes and it was gone.
Su Yuanyuan patted the ewe's head and whispered, "I'll give you more to eat once we're home."
Hu Chunhua bought a dollar's worth of dates first. It was three pounds, quite a bit. Four pounds of walnuts.
Without any container. They had no choice but to buy a basket, putting walnuts at the bottom and dates on the top.
Their haul was substantial, but the three women were all strong, so it wasn't much trouble.
"What about the girl?"
"Just borrowed money from me to buy a sheep."
Though it was hard to believe, considering how thrifty Hu Chunhua was, how could she have money to lend? But you just went along with whatever they said.
The group squeezed out, and Su Yuanyuan quickly tried to shoulder her own basket, but was refused.
Hu Chunhua handed her a basket with dates and walnuts, "No need for you, just carry this new basket. You're still too young; don't want to stunt your growth."
The four walked quite quickly, feeling the cold now that they weren't hustling in the crowd like earlier.
On the way, they met many returning from the market. Everyone was curious about why Hu Chunhua bought a sheep.
"Oh, it's just that the girl's too young, needed a living creature for company."
Back in the village, the three didn't go home but helped carry Su Yuanyuan's things back to her place.
"Yuanyuan, where are you going to keep the sheep? It definitely won't do outside; the weather's too cold. The lambs wouldn't survive if they're born outside."
"Aunt, I'll keep it in the woodshed, there's no other place."
"Alright, tomorrow let's have your uncle make a pen for the sheep. Don't neglect the sheep. Also, if it births lambs, you'll need to bring them inside; otherwise, they won't survive. That's why the previous owner sold it, afraid the lambs won't live through winter."
"I see, I understand. I'll tidy up." Thinking about living in the same space with the sheep made Su Yuanyuan feel uncomfortable. But leaving it outside would really risk freezing it to death.
We'll talk then; there's no point discussing more now.