Chapter 125: Chapter 125: Lin Jing’er Pays a Visit
"Did you ask how much a single sheep approximately costs?" Gu Nian asked him.
Erhu had already found out, "There’s a rather fat one, which costs about one tael of silver. Then there’s a leaner one, older and with a longer production period, so it produces less milk, priced at about seven hundred copper coins. This was Old Mr. Li’s estimated price, but the exact price will only be known when it’s weighed."
Gu Nian ran inside the house and came back out with roughly three taels of silver, thoughtfully including some copper coins. She handed it all to Erhu and said, "Second brother, we want to buy the sheep that produces more milk. Check it out, and if there are a couple of suitable ones, buy two. If not, just buy one."
Erhu seemed a bit hesitant, "You’re just buying like that? Are you sure you don’t need to discuss it with mom and dad?"
He was a bit afraid that when dad came back, his butt wouldn’t be safe.
Seeing his apprehensive expression, Gu Nian laughed unceremoniously, "Don’t worry, dad said I can decide what to do with my own money. Besides, buying two sheep for the family counts as an investment, not squandering. Mom and dad won’t say anything."
"Well... okay then, but just to be clear, if dad comes back and hits me, you’ve got to stop him for me!" Erhu said.
"Got it, hurry and go. The sooner you go, the sooner you’ll be back. I can’t handle all this venison by myself. I’ve got to rely on you, second brother," Gu Nian said with a grin.
"If you can’t handle it, just leave it. I’ll tackle it when I get back. It’s hot anyway, so go rest in the house for a bit."
With that, Erhu headed out, grumbling as he walked, "I wonder where Sanhu and Little Hu ran off to. They were just here a moment ago. Really, when you don’t need them, they’re always around; when you do, they’re nowhere to be found!"
Gu Nian, left alone at home, found a clean bowl and moved the venison in the basket into it, setting aside a particularly nice piece.
The mushrooms the family picked a while back had been dried. She took some out and soaked them in the bowl, adding a pinch of salt.
There were green onions growing in their yard. Gu Nian took a trowel, dug out a few stalks, and just as she was about to stand up, someone called out, "Third Aunt... Third Uncle... are you home?"
Gu Nian stood up and saw a head peeking over the garden fence, "Jing’er, mom and dad aren’t home. Do you need them for something?"
Lin Jing was the elder daughter of the first household and she was engaged, so she was staying at home to rest and prepare for the future, rarely going out.
At the moment, Lin Jing’er smiled gently, raising the vegetable basket in her hand and taking out some water celery, "Huan’er just picked this water celery by the mountain stream. We can’t finish it all at home, so my mom asked me to bring some over for you. Niannian, what are you doing crouching in the garden?"
Gu Nian raised her hand showing the green onions, "I’m here to pick some green onions for cooking later."
Gu Nian opened the garden gate and came out, taking the water celery from Lin Jing’er, "Thanks to aunt and Jing’er. I’ll tell my mom later."
Lin Jing’er nodded, a bit embarrassed, "Niannian, the milk tea Erhu brought over today was well received by everyone in our family. I heard it was made with goat milk, but we didn’t taste any of the usual muttony flavor. My mom was wondering if you know other ways to remove the goat milk smell besides making milk tea?"