"How many did you say?"

Shen Yuexi stopped and stared at Feng Zhang in disbelief with a pair of bright black eyes.

Feng Zhang stuttered when she saw him, and said: "I guess the most... at least four... four... forty taels."

After the two left Feng's house, Shen Yuexi and Feng Zhang mentioned that they would be leaving here in two days and needed to buy a horse. Feng Zhang told her that buying a horse would cost at least forty taels of silver, which shocked her.

"How can it be so expensive? Forty taels!" Shen Yuexi said while touching the silver in her arms guiltily.

He was only in his early thirties, and with the twenty taels given by Mrs. Lin, the total was thirty-two twenty-five cents.

Feng Zhang stiffened his neck and said: "Ms. Pei, this is still the lowest price. A better horse costs more than a hundred taels of silver. The young master once said that if it is a divine horse that can travel thousands of miles a day, even a hundred taels of gold may not be able to buy it. arrive."

"Don't be so exaggerated. It's just pulling a cart. You don't need a horse."

"Yes, that's why I said forty taels."

"That's too expensive. We don't have that much money at all."

"Let's go to Old Man Sun first. Chat with him. Maybe we can negotiate the price."

The two argued all the way to the door of a farmhouse at the end of the village. Before they reached the door, the smell of horse manure blew into Shen Yuexi's nose. She subconsciously raised her sleeves to cover her nose.

Feng Zhang did not lie, this family did have a horse.

Feng Zhang smiled and said: "Ms. Pei, I'll call the door."

The gates in the countryside are usually rarely closed and are not locked during the day. But the gate of this house was tightly closed. But Feng Zhang had a loud voice and shouted through the gate, and then he heard the sound coming from the yard. Here comes the voice of an old man:

"Feng DaDa, please keep your voice down, don't scare my horse."

Shen Yuexi was startled, Feng Zhang's nickname was Feng Daudao?

The courtyard door opened a crack, and an old man wearing an old felt hat poked out. He was an old man in his sixties. A pair of mung bean eyes darted around. He glanced at Feng Zhang first, and then looked at Shen behind him. On Yue Xi.

"Feng DaDa, it's such an afternoon, why are you shouting at me?"

Feng Zhang was not polite. He raised his hand to push the door open and said, "Old man Sun, isn't your old horse for sale?"

Old Man Sun stuck at the door and refused to let him in, saying:

"Don't go into the yard. My horse can't help being frightened and will have diarrhea when frightened. I will drive to the county to sell it later."

"Where are you going? We're looking for a buyer for you." Feng Zhang turned around and pointed at Shen Yuexi, "Mr. Pei and his wife passed by us on business and met bandits. Now they want to go home and they happen to be short of a carriage. You Don’t they happen to be all available?”

Old Man Sun looked at Shen Yuexi, his eyes rolled, and he hurriedly opened the courtyard door with a smile on his face.

"Come in quickly. Fortunately, you came early, otherwise I would have taken them to the city to sell them."

"You won't let me in," Feng Zhang greeted Shen Yuexi while not forgetting to confront Old Man Sun, "Aren't you afraid that your horse will become thin?"

Old Man Sun chuckled and said: "How is it possible? My horse is fine. I was just afraid that you would wake up my wife by yelling."

Shen Yuexi followed Feng Zhang and entered the yard of Old Man Sun's house. She immediately saw the horse tied under a jujube tree, bowing its head and making a trough there.

Old Man Sun walked up to the horse, raised his hand and patted the horse's neck, and said:

"I spent a lot of money to buy this horse back then. It has a fierce temper. If I wasn't in a hurry for money, I would never sell it. It's sentimental... Look at this horse. It's because I've been coughing for the past few days and haven't bothered to care about it. Take care of..."

Shen Yuexi was afraid that Ma Yi would kick her, so she stood a little further away to watch.

The black horse was skinny, with the mane on its neck in a mess, and its head hanging listlessly, chewing grass here and there. Even the ribs on its body could be clearly seen.

If this horse were compared to a human being, it would be old, frail and malnourished.

Shen Yuexi couldn't understand the horse, so she tilted her head and quietly asked Feng Zhang beside her: "Brother Feng, when did he buy this horse?"

Feng Zhang calmly bent a finger and pointed at himself. Then he pointed at the horse.

Shen Yuexi didn't understand what it meant for a moment and looked at Feng Zhang in confusion.

Does he mean he bought the horse?

"My mother said that when Old Man Sun bought this horse," Feng Zhang simply explained, "I wasn't even born yet."

Shen Yuexi blinked and nodded.

Feng Zhang is one year older than Xiao Zhuo, which means that this horse was bought at least twenty-one years ago. In addition, it was not young when it was bought. It is estimated that it will be thirty years old.

She also knows a thing or two about the lifespan of horses. This horse is a real old man.

You won’t die halfway through, right?

She worriedly said to Feng Zhang: "Brother Feng, how about we go to the county seat..."

Except for Old Man Sun who sells horses in Daliang Village, other families have mules and the like, but they are not for sale. If you really want to choose some, you have to go to the county town.

Before she finished speaking, Old Man Sun raised his hand and shouted:

"Hey, Mrs. Pei, don't worry. This horse is a bit old, but it won't be a problem at all if it can walk hundreds of miles a day."

Shen Yuexi lowered her head and clicked her fingers. If it was a hundred miles a day, it would take about five days to reach the northern border. Considering that the horse was pulling a chariot, this speed was acceptable. But this old man Sun seemed a little unreliable. I don't know if he is telling the truth.

Feng Zhang circled the horse twice and said to Old Man Sun: "This horse is so thin, can it pull a cart?"

Old Man Sun slapped his chest loudly: "Feng DaDa, don't talk nonsense. You saw me going to the county town in the morning to pull goods at the beginning of this month, and I came back before noon. How far is it back and forth?"

"Forty miles round trip." Feng Zhang answered honestly.

"Forty miles in the morning, forty miles in the afternoon if you walk casually, and a little more in the evening, you're not bragging about a hundred miles, right?"

Feng Zhang turned to look at Shen Yuexi and said, "Ms. Pei, Old Man Sun is telling the truth."

"How much will it cost?" Shen Yuexi didn't hesitate and looked directly at Old Man Sun.

Old Man Sun held out four fingers: "If Mrs. Pei sincerely wants to buy it, I won't ask for more, forty taels."

Shen Yuexi swallowed, she didn't have enough money in her pocket.

She hesitated for a moment, then resolutely walked towards the black horse.

You have to find faults, even if there are no faults, you have to find faults. At least you have to bargain for a price, you can't just give them what they say.

She cautiously walked up to the black horse and immediately heard a grunting sound and heavy breathing coming from the horse's throat. It was extremely unstable, as if it had tracheitis.

"Is this horse sick?" She frowned and looked at Old Man Sun.

Are you treating her like a fool?

Seeing Feng Zhang also showing anger, Old Man Sun felt a little uncomfortable on his face, coughed dryly, and explained:

"I was a little tired last time doing the shopping. You can just buy it and take two pairs of medicines... So, thirty-six taels of silver, I'll pay four taels of medicine."

Shen Yuexi remained silent and lowered her head to make calculations.

Thirty-six taels was not enough, and the old horse was still sick and could not go on the road like this. It would have to be treated by a veterinarian. In this way, she would have no money at all.

When Old Man Sun saw her, he still remained silent, with a look of anxiety on his face: "Thirty-four! If you still don't want to buy it, I'll rush to the city and sell it."

Shen Yuexi thought there was something interesting, raised her head and said: "Thirty!"

"Thirty is too low, I won't sell it! It must be at least thirty-three..."

"Thirty-one, if you don't sell it, I will go to the county town with Brother Feng."

"Thirty-two, I really can't do it anymore..."

"Deal, I bought it!"

As Feng Zhang said, a horse costs at least forty taels. Although this horse is old and sick, it is only sold for thirty-two taels, which is fine. The most important thing is that she has thirty-two taels. two.

After the silver was finished, Feng Zhang went to untie the reins. Shen Yuexi smiled at Old Man Sun, who was checking the quality of the silver:

"Uncle Sun, since the horses have been sold, it is useless to keep the chariot and carriage. Can you give them to me as well?"

Old Man Sun's mung bean eyes suddenly widened.
Chapter completed!