The Country Maiden: Fields and Leisure
Chapter 364 - 365

Chapter 364: 365

He nodded busily, "I’ll pay, I’ll pay."

One tael of silver for the commission was enough; naturally, he was willing to part with it.

"Then it’s settled, please ask Brother Zhao to have someone draw up the contract," Wang Yongzhu said, feeling a bit uncomfortable as he saw the seller’s eyes were red.

The seller wiped his face and agreed shakily, then went off to find the steward of the Horse and Carriage Shop.

Wang Yongzhu patted his chest and quietly asked Song Chongjin, "I didn’t pay too much, did I?"

Song Chongjin, with laughter in his eyes and voice, said, "No, this mule, if he wasn’t in a hurry to sell, could fetch fifty taels in a few months. He didn’t ask for a high price, and you didn’t bargain; it’s quite good..."

Wang Yongzhu definitely detected a hint of teasing in Song Chongjin’s voice.

"When did you come back? Brother Zhao wasn’t arranged by you, was he? And when did I ever say to you that I wanted to buy a mule?" Feeling relieved as long as he hadn’t paid too much, Wang Yongzhu bombarded him with a string of questions.

Song Chongjin’s eyes crinkled with a smile that was all for Wang Yongzhu. "I came back yesterday, I met him on the road, clutching the mule and crying by the roadside, so I asked a few more questions. Thinking about your family business, sooner or later you would need a horse-drawn carriage, and this mule is in the prime of its strength. Believing it would be just right for use by the time of the autumn harvest, I took the liberty of bringing him here."

He answered patiently, one question at a time.

Wang Yongzhu gave him a look, fine, he’d take his word for it.

By now, the seller had already brought the Horse and Carriage Shop steward over, with the contract in hand that specified when and to whom a four-year-old green-colored mule was sold. It also included detailed descriptions of the mule’s physical traits, the shop’s seal, and the seller’s thumbprint.

Two copies of everything.

Wang Yongzhu checked the contract, passed it to Song Chongjin for a look, found no issues, and signed his name and thumbprint.

Then, one contract for each person.

Wang Yongzhu carefully stored his copy and took out four ten-tael silver ingots to hand over to the seller.

The seller, hands trembling, received the silver and said, "Thank you!" He then extracted a small, worn, frayed booklet from his bosom.

"This is my family’s inherited notes on mule care, including how to feed the mule and some common methods to prevent and treat minor illnesses. I’ll leave it for the young lady as a token of gratitude for your kindness!"

Wang Yongzhu could not accept it, realizing it was a family heirloom passed down through generations.

Not wanting to directly hand it to Wang Yongzhu, the seller, thinking that Song Chongjin and Wang Yongzhu were well acquainted, pushed it into Song Chongjin’s hands, "Thank you, Brother Song!"

And with that, he turned and left.

The steward of the Horse and Carriage Shop gazed at the little booklet with envy, his eyes nearly turning green with regret.

If only he had known, he would have gladly paid fifty taels for the mule if it meant getting that booklet too.

Unfortunately, with a sigh, he followed the seller to collect his commission.

On this side, Song Chongjin glanced at the booklet in his hands and casually flipped through it, his interest piqued, recognizing it as a valuable asset.

But he immediately collected himself, "Keep it, it represents the seller’s kind intentions."

Wang Yongzhu noted the slight change in Song Chongjin, who, despite being moved himself, still passed the booklet to her.

Indescribable feelings stirred within her.

Turning on her heel, she said, "I don’t want it, you hold onto it and have a look!"

With those words, she walked toward the house.

Song Chongjin watched her retreating figure as the corners of his mouth lifted higher, his eyes filled with joy.

Clutching the booklet, could this be considered a token from Yongzhu to him?

Song Chongjin tucked the booklet into his chest and hurriedly followed after her.

Having entered the Horse and Carriage Shop, the seller had already paid the commission and hastily took his leave.

Wang Yongzhu was discussing with the steward the purchase of a carriage.

Although the steward missed out on the mule and the booklet, he considered that the booklet might just be some rudimentary folk remedies from the countryside. With that thought, his regret faded away.

Seeing that Wang Yongzhu was also interested in buying a carriage, the steward immediately perked up and took her to have a look.

Wang Yongzhu didn’t really know much about carriages, simply putting forward her own requirements: it had to be capable of carrying goods and seating people, somewhat spacious, and well made with good materials.

In business, what you least fear is the customer making demands; demands signify intent to buy.

The more demands there are, the more you earn.

Therefore, the steward didn’t show the slightest impatience and explained everything in detail.

Finally, under Song Chongjin’s advice, a carriage was purchased for ten taels of silver.

Although it didn’t look very impressive, it was well-built, made with good materials, and sturdy.

On ordinary days when it transported people, it served as a passenger carriage; when it needed to carry goods, the carriage body and roof could be dismantled.

Wang Yongzhu was very satisfied and paid promptly, asking the steward to harness the carriage so that she could ride it home later.

With the silver in hand, things went smoothly; the steward hastened to the backyard, where they branded the outer legs of the big green mule with a red-hot iron, marking it as an animal sold through their Horse and Carriage Shop, thus giving the mule its own status.

Then they hitched up the carriage, all set to go.

But then the question arose, who would drive the carriage?

Wang Yongzhu looked towards Song Chongjin.

Song Chongjin reluctantly nodded.

Only then did Wang Yongzhu clamber happily onto the carriage, with Song Chongjin sitting in front, lightly flicking the whip, slowly driving out of town.

Initially, Wang Yongzhu was worried about Song Chongjin’s driving skills but soon saw he was quite adept; sitting upfront, he appeared relaxed, and the big green mule ambled along at an easy pace.

Only then did she relax. In her mind, the Xiao Tiantian System couldn’t wait: "Congratulations, Host, on completing the main mission: ’A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.’ The Host has acquired a means of travel for herself, rewarding 30 points."

Subsequently, the data on the system panel was updated to:

Current Host Status:

Clothing: Level 2, 0 points

Food: Level 2, 0 points

Lodging: Level 1, 0 points

Travel: Level 1, 0 points

Available points: 69 points (Points can be freely distributed among the above options)

Just as Wang Yongzhu heaved a sigh of relief, thinking it was all over, she heard the Xiao Tiantian System’s voice, filled with excitement: "Congratulations, Host, and joy to you! Finally, your patience has paid off, and the iron tree has bloomed! Your romantic relationship’s affinity has now reached intimate achievement! Host, are you happy? Surprised? Unexpected?"

Wang Yongzhu was dumbfounded. What? What did she do to achieve intimacy?

Are you kidding?

"Congratulations, Host, on your rural love story reaching intimate achievement, awarding a thousand points."

Then the system panel seemed to glow even brighter, and the fonts looked bolder.

Current Host Status:

Clothing: Level 2, 0 points

Food: Level 2, 0 points

Lodging: Level 1, 0 points

Travel: Level 1, 0 points

Available points: 1069 points (Points can be freely distributed among the above options)

Happiness came too suddenly, and Wang Yongzhu felt like she couldn’t handle it.