Chapter 22: Continued Development of the Ox’s Functions

“You’re right, Xiaoyu.” Li Xuemei said seriously, “Now that our whole family is living together, Eldest Uncle keeps track of how much money we have. If we suddenly take out a sum, he’ll just assume we’re recklessly spending again. Don’t forget, Second Brother Yan just squandered twenty taels.”

Second Brother Yan sighed. “I understand your concerns—safety comes first. But if we all travel together, we’ll barely have the chance to carry anything on us. Are we just going to let these things rot away unused because we’re afraid of being found out?”

He took a deep breath and put on a tragic expression. “Have you all forgotten who I am? I’m Second Brother Yan! Famous for being lazy and gluttonous, good for nothing, a money-wasting scoundrel who leeches off my elder brother’s livelihood…

“Given my reputation, don’t you think I’d have some hidden treasures? Don’t you think I’d have a stash of private silver? Don’t you think I’d know some shady ways and be acquainted with some capable people?”

Yan Yu was stunned by his logic.

“Dad! You’re amazing! How did you come up with this?” She clapped her hands in excitement. “That’s right! Second Brother Yan must know a bunch of good-for-nothing friends. We know he’s always broke, but others don’t! Even Eldest Uncle probably can’t be sure!”

“This character setting is perfect! Squeezing money from Eldest Uncle, draining his blood, sucking him dry—”

“Hey, hey! Stop right there!” Second Brother Yan quickly covered his daughter’s mouth before she got too carried away. “Just stashing some private silver and finding some cover-ups is enough. You want me to completely ruin your Eldest Uncle?”

“Heh heh!” Yan Yu chuckled foolishly, as if all their worries had suddenly been solved. It wasn’t that she only thought about herself—she was just afraid of exposing their secret.

“Alright, hurry up and get some rest. Don’t we need to leave early tomorrow?” Li Xuemei glanced at their empty room and added, “I’ll go with you in the morning. If I stay home, I’ll have to guard against Da Ya coming over. If we all leave and lock the door, given Eldest Uncle’s family discipline, they won’t come in, so they won’t find anything suspicious in our room.”

“But I haven’t even looked at the bamboo slips yet!” Yan Yu protested. Now that their problem had a solution, she had completely put it aside. Looking at all the goods they had traded for, she was too excited to sleep.

“We sold the oil lamp! You want to go blind squinting under the moonlight? Go to sleep!”

The moment Li Xuemei put her foot down, Yan Yu obediently rolled onto her bedding.

Second Brother Yan was also feeling excited and couldn’t fall asleep immediately. “Do you guys know why I got all that dirt so quickly? Our new ox dug it up for me!”

Yan Yu immediately rolled over to her father’s side and whispered, “What happened? Tell me, tell me!”

“I was digging near the ox, thinking it could help block the view so no one would notice me. But then, the ox—it’s really smart—saw me working and started using its hooves to help. In no time, we had a big sack full! It was so fast!”

“This ox really has good instincts!” Yan Yu praised.

Her eyes sparkled as she nudged her father. “Dad, do you think it’ll let me ride it? I’ve never ridden an ox before! Hahaha! I bet it’ll work. I have to try it tomorrow!”

Second Brother Yan was equally eager. “I’ll go first. If it works, then you can have a turn. Haha, when I was little, I always wanted to ride those big dogs people kept. You definitely take after me—when you were tiny, you used to grab onto our cousin’s dog’s fur and try to climb up!”

“Both of you, shut up and go to sleep!” Li Xuemei couldn’t take it anymore. What nonsense were they talking about? One wanted to ride an ox, the other wanted to ride a dog—could they be any less serious?

—

Before dawn, as usual, some rooster in the village was eager to be the first to crow.

Second Brother Yan sprang up, still groggy, and saw that his wife and daughter were still fast asleep. Quietly, he grabbed the canned luncheon meat and slipped into the kitchen.

He planned to chop the meat into tiny bits and make porridge.

He had taken Physician Cui’s advice to heart—Old Yan needed more nutritious food.

Not just Old Yan, the whole family did.

He lit the fire, rinsed the rice, and finely chopped the luncheon meat.

Standing in the doorway, he looked at the ox in the courtyard. The ox looked back at him.

He beckoned to the ox. It trotted over steadily.

“Watch the fire for me. When the water boils, call me. Can you do that?”

The ox nodded.

Second Brother Yan was overjoyed—he had only asked on a whim, but it actually worked!

He rushed back inside to wake his wife and daughter, then began moving their things outside.

A moment later, he heard a loud “Moo!”

Hurrying to the kitchen, he pulled out two firewood sticks, reducing the flames to a simmer.

Patting the ox’s head, he praised, “You’re really useful!”

He then hitched the ox to the cart and spread a thick layer of wheat straw over it, secretly hiding their goods underneath.

After that, he brought a bowl of water to his wife and daughter.

He quickly rinsed his mouth, splashed some water on his face, and ran his fingers through his long, unwashed hair. It was getting unbearable.

Why did ancient people keep long hair? Short hair was so much more convenient!

In this scorching heat, without a way to wash it, he was seriously tempted to shave it all off.

The family had a bowl of hot porridge in the kitchen before Li Xuemei decided to inform Da Ya, so their relatives wouldn’t worry.

Second Brother Yan also woke up his nephew and told him they were heading to town, leaving porridge in the kitchen for them.

Before the two kids fully woke up, he hastily rushed out with his family.

—

“I never thought I’d get to experience self-driving technology in this lifetime!” Second Brother Yan exclaimed.

The family lay side by side on the ox cart.

It was still early, and the weather was pleasant. The ox trotted along at an even pace, a gentle breeze blowing past. With the thick straw cushioning them, the ride was only slightly bumpy.

Humming a tune off-key, Second Brother Yan sang,

“Speed of twenty miles, feeling free and wild…”

After mumbling the wrong lyrics for a while, he stopped and said, “We’ve traveled pretty far. If we go any further, we’ll reach town.”

Yan Yu sat up, her hair covered in wheat straw, and looked around.

“Let’s go that way.”

The ox obediently turned in the direction she indicated.

Finding a secluded spot, Second Brother Yan started setting up a fire.

They planned to salt and smoke some meat into jerky.

They couldn’t just think about the present—they needed to prepare for the journey ahead.

While Li Xuemei was rubbing salt into the meat and Second Brother Yan was gathering dry branches and grass, Yan Yu’s eyes sparkled mischievously.

She clambered onto the ox, mumbling, “Ox, you know who I am, right? I’m the Red Boy! Don’t move—let me get up first. Then you can take me for a spin.”

The ox stood still.

Once she finally got on its back and grabbed the reins, her voice turned sharp with excitement. “Turn left! Walk slowly.”

“Hahaha! Now turn around! Go back and forth again!”

“Jog a little! But not too fast.”

“A little faster.”

“Ah! This is amazing! Run! Giddy-up!”

Li Xuemei had been ignoring her, knowing the ox was smart. But when her daughter started dashing around wildly, kicking up a cloud of dust, she couldn’t take it anymore.

“Yan Yu! Get back here!” she roared.