After both parties completed the contract, Mr. Yang left with the silver.
"Mr. Yang is a pitiful soul too. His son got into gambling and lost all the family’s silver. Now, he’s even selling their ox; who knows if he can pay off his gambling debts," Liu Yazi sighed once Mr. Yang left.
"That’s why you shouldn’t spoil your children too much; they need to be properly taught how to live!" Mr. Gu lanted in agreent, completely forgetting how he spoiled his youngest son.
"Brother, now that you’ve bought the ox, do you need to buy a cart as well?" After their lantation, Liu Yazi noticed Mr. Gu leading the ox away and hurriedly asked.
Gu Chengyu realized that there was indeed a one-stop service. However, he thought it would be more convenient to buy a cart. Having already bought the ox, it was too late to start making one now, especially since there was only one carpenter, Lin Wu, in Shangling Village, and he didn’t want to ask him to make a cart.
"Dad, let’s buy a cart on the way back. It’s inconvenient to make one at ho."
"Alright, do you have any carpenter acquaintances, Brother Liu?" Mr. Gu knew that Liu Yazi probably knew a carpenter who made carts.
"You’ve co to the right person. My wife’s younger brother is a carpenter; his shop is just ahead, not far from here. If it’s convenient, I’ll take you there to have a look. Don’t worry, it’ll be a good deal." Liu Yazi noticed the small child next to Mr. Gu, who looked about four or five years old, yet was calm and decisive. However, what stood out the most was his good looks.
"Great! Let’s go take a look. How much does a cart from your brother-in-law cost?"
"There are three types. The cheapest one costs six hundred wen; the wood is not the best, but it’s solid enough to last a few years. The second type uses better wood and costs eight hundred wen, lasting longer. The third type cos with a detachable carriage, which is more expensive, costing one tael and five qian of silver!"
Gu Chengyu noticed Liu Yazi’s detailed and practiced introduction of the carts, suspecting he surely could drum up so business.
They arrived at the tail end of South Street to a small carpentry shop, which was a bit off the beaten path.
"Dashan, I’ve brought you soone!" Liu Yazi shouted from outside the store.
"Coming, brother-in-law." A much younger man than Liu Yazi erged from the shop. He was tall and robust, with a straightforward appearance.
"Brother-in-law, is this custor looking to buy a cart? Please co in and have a look."
Gu Chengyu stepped over so scattered wood on the ground and reached the area where the carts were displayed. The carts were much as Liu Yazi described, with particular attention to the carriage type, which was easy to detach. For farming, the top portion could be removed, leaving the bottom fra intact, with a large wooden board laid across it. It was indeed a convenient and practical dual-use cart.
"Dad, let’s buy this one! That way, we won’t have to worry about getting wet in the rain."
"Your young master has a keen eye; although this cart is more expensive, it’s the most practical," Dashan said, looking at the refined young boy, genuinely seeing him as similar to a young master from a wealthy family.
Gu Chengyu glanced up at Dashan, sensing that despite his outward honesty, the man was not entirely straightforward!
"What young master? We’re all from farming families, don’t call him that, or people will laugh," Mr. Gu was uneasy hearing soone call his son a young master for the first ti.
"Since you all say this is good, let’s buy it! But, can’t this price co down a bit?" Mr. Gu thought that since they were already spending a lot of silver today, they might as well buy everything they needed.
"Isn’t it because your young son looks good? You’re brought here by my brother-in-law, and I’ve already lowered the price to one tael and five qian of silver. Tell you what, I’ll give you a discount of fifty wen. Ask around this area, and everyone knows that my Dashan’s shop has the most honest carpentry," Dashan said, his honest appearance belied by his eloquence.
Gu Chengyu thought about the soap he was planning to make, realizing he still needed molds. He wondered how Dashan’s carving skills were, and after looking around the shop, he didn’t see any carved items, just carts and tables, with only simple lines carved into them, no detailed carvings.
"Uncle Dashan, can you do carvings? I want to make a few molds."
"Of course! Don’t let the lack of carvings in my shop fool you. While my carving isn’t considered exquisite, it’s passable. Wait a mont, and I’ll show you," Dashan said, quickly returning with a small wooden figurine in hand. Gu Chengyu took it and saw it was quite delicate, with finely carved strands of hair.
"Do you have paper and pen? I’ll draw out the molds I want to make. At least five for now. How much would that cost?"
Gu Chengyu sat on the ox cart driven by Mr. Gu, heading back to Shangling Village. Initially, he intended to buy so materials for making soap, but his father had run out of money, so he gave up for now.
He ordered five soap molds, all in square, oval, and round shapes, each with patterns on the side. Without exception, each mold was carved with the word Gu Family and a logo he drew, which was a rose design. He knew that roses didn’t exist in this era, only similar types like the Chinese rose. Each mold needed intricate carving, so the price was set at five hundred wen each, totaling two taels and five qian of silver. Before leaving, Mr. Gu paid five hundred wen as a deposit and agreed to pick them up in five days.
"Dad! How did you learn to drive an ox cart?" Gu Chengyu asked curiously.
"I learned how to do it many years ago." Mr. Gu, driving the ox cart, felt a myriad of emotions. There were only two families in the village with oxen, and now that they had bought an ox cart, certainly so people in the village would feel envious.
"Xiao Bao, do you think the soap you ntioned can really make money?" Mr. Gu asked Gu Chengyu, who was sitting in the cart, pondering the two taels and five qian of silver spent on the molds, unsure if it could even be made.
"Dad, even if you don’t believe , at least believe the person in the dream! That person used scented soap for bathing every day! Slled so fragrant. Let’s try making a basic one first, then later one with flowers." Gu Chengyu rolled his eyes; his dad had already asked several tis on the way.
"It’s not that dad thinks it’s difficult to make. Even if we can make it, will people buy it?" Mr. Gu expressed his doubts.
"Dad! Do you think the bath beans mum uses are expensive?"
"Of course, they’re expensive! Three hundred wen! And just a tiny bit!" Mr. Gu thought of the bath beans Mrs. Lv used at ho, feeling his heartache.
"Soap cleans much better than the bath beans do! Dad! Don’t worry, it’s guaranteed not to be a loss."
By the ti the ox cart reached Shangling Village, it was already early noon. The Gu Family had already finished their midday al. After parking the ox cart in front of the Gu Family’s gate, Mr. Gu lifted Gu Chengyu off the cart.
"Is Xiao Bao back?" Mrs. Lv, who was doing needlework in the main house, heard the cart stop in front of the courtyard gate and hurriedly put down her embroidery fra to look out the window, calling towards the courtyard.
"Mum, it’s and dad back." The courtyard gate of the Gu Family was half-open, and Gu Chengyu pushed it open a bit more to allow the ox cart to enter.
Hearing the sound of the ox cart, the Zhang family’s daughter-in-law next door ca to their gate and peered outside. She noticed an ox cart parked in front of the Gu Family’s gate, with a carriage as well! Then, she saw the Gu Family’s youngest son alighting from the ox cart.
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