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墨書 Inktalez
"Oh! There are Ox Carts! There are Ox Carts!" In the blink of an eye, several children appeared in front of Zhang Wuliang and the others.
"Village Chief, you're back! Can I ride on the Ox Cart?"
"Hahaha, you little rascals want to ride? Come on, today we have enough room. If this cart can't fit you all, you can go to the back." Zhang Wuliang's hearty laughter echoed far and wide.
The children cheered and climbed onto the Ox Cart, unable to contain their excitement as they sat at the front, looking around and touching everything.
As the Ox Cart moved, they clapped their hands in joy: "Our cart is fast! Look, look, the ox is running really fast!"
"Our cart is faster than yours, Brother Quanyong! Hurry up, let's go!"
With the children's enthusiasm, the young drivers were suddenly overwhelmed by their admiring gazes. One of them cracked the whip beside the ox to urge it on, increasing its speed.
The wind rushed past their ears as the bushes along the roadside flashed by, quickly left behind. Before long, they arrived at the village entrance. At that moment, Ten Li Pu was livelier than a big meeting.
Men and women alike, anyone at home had come out to watch the excitement.
"Oh my, I thought Qingxi was just joking. I didn't expect she actually bought them."
"Isn't that right? This Girl is really impressive; so many Ox Carts all at once. I initially thought she was just boasting. Look at them, they're all sturdy!"
"Exactly! Those who follow Liu Qingxi are really getting a good deal. Hey, do you know why she bought so many oxen?" A woman watched the Ox Carts with sparkling eyes.
Raising her eyebrows and gossiping animatedly with those nearby: "She did this for the Construction Team. Apparently, with strong laborers in the family, the remaining women were working too hard. Qingxi directly bought these six Ox Carts so they could take turns using them during harvest time."
What??? Several women widened their eyes in disbelief. How could this be possible? This is not just anything; it's an Ox Cart, worth nearly ten taels of silver. How could it be casually lent to someone else?
"Is it not true? Why would I lie to you? Those whose families have someone in the Construction Team are feeling quite proud right now." One woman shook her head, her face showing a look of longing and envy. "If only someone in my family were in the Construction Team, I wouldn't have to work so hard."
But there was nothing to be done; not everyone had such good luck.
Sighs echoed from several women in unison.
At this moment, what about the families of those in the Construction Team? Their expressions were filled with pride, as if they owned the Ox Cart themselves. They felt honored and their faces shone with glory.
Fortunately, they had worked hard to join the Construction Team; otherwise, such a great benefit would belong to someone else.
The problem is that Ten Li Pu is a relatively large village. Although there are dozens of people in the Construction Team, they are just one group among many in the entire village.
Liu Qingxi's actions undoubtedly fueled the remaining villagers' fantasies.
Faced with such benefits, it was impossible for them not to be tempted. People often have this mentality: most prefer to take advantage of situations, even if it's just a small gain rather than suffering a loss.
A few eager individuals hid among the crowd, practically drooling at the thought.
What does having an Ox Cart mean? It means that during harvest time, there’s no need to carry bundles out by hand; it means not having to rely solely on manual labor to haul everything to the Threshing Ground. One trip with an Ox Cart is equivalent to countless trips made by a person.
If only they could borrow an Ox Cart for harvesting wheat!
"Well, how about you?" A woman whispered sneakily, nudging the person next to her.
"I don't want to, I want you to go."
At that moment, speaking up would only annoy everyone, even though the questions in their minds were what everyone wanted to ask.
They all wanted to know if they could borrow the Ox Cart when it was time to harvest the crops.
The earlier woman puffed out her chest and said defiantly, "If you’re not willing, then don’t borrow it later. Honestly."
She pushed her way through the crowd and stopped in front of Zhang Wuliang. "Village Chief, we know that this Ox Cart was bought by Liu Qingxi for the Construction Team. I want to ask if we can borrow it when the time comes?"
The buzzing noise that had been annoying everyone suddenly ceased, and the scene became so quiet that one could hear a pin drop.
About thirty families were not worried; those following Liu Qingxi had received assurances that they would be prioritized for borrowing. However, those not part of the Construction Team felt anxious.
They feared Zhang Wuliang would refuse their request. Even if he did refuse, there was nothing they could do since the Ox Cart belonged to Liu Qingxi, and it was her right to decide how to distribute it.
No one could interfere, nor did they have the right to do so.
Zhang Wuliang smiled. The first person to ask this question didn't mean any harm; he was the village chief, and Liu Qingxi had given him this opportunity, which was a benefit he had received.
What if he were not the village chief? If he were just an ordinary villager? He would still have the same questions in his heart and would be unable to hold back from speaking out.
He understood, and only saw Zhang Wuliang waving his hand to the crowd. "Big Kid, don't worry. I know what you want to ask, and I know you want to borrow the Ox Cart. Qingxi has already discussed this with me, and I will definitely tell Big Kid all the details later."
"However, I guarantee that as long as there is enough time, the Ox Cart will definitely be lent to Big Kid. You can count on that." Before he could finish his last sentence, thunderous applause erupted from the crowd.
This news was truly wonderful.
Zhang Wuliang looked at such a scene, extremely pleased. "Big Kid, please step aside for a moment. We need to get the Ox Cart home first and add some fodder. Later, you all come to my house so we can discuss some arrangements."
This time, Big Kid did not crowd around the Ox Cart, touching this and looking at that, blocking the way.
They consciously made way for the Ox Cart to pass.
Although several elderly people were somewhat hard of hearing, the loud discussions allowed them to understand the situation to some extent.
Having worked in agriculture for most of their lives, they had a special affection for oxen. Even if they had never owned one, they felt happy for their descendants now that the Village had acquired so many.
An elderly man with white hair, a face full of wrinkles, and drooping eyelids approached unsteadily, his dry hands gently brushing against the Yellow Cattle. Perhaps sensing no malice from the newcomer, the Yellow Cattle was unusually obedient.
"Not bad, not bad. A good beast of burden," the old man said with a smile that resembled a withered chrysanthemum but radiated warmth from within.
"Five Grains, you're doing well as village chief. And Qingxi, this girl—although you weren't from Ten Li Pu before, you've done so much for us that we recognize you as one of our own."
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