| TBBOTOF | 278
There were no major surprises, except that the group had to accommodate Old Doctor Wu and the two others who were looking after him, so they had to slow down a bit.
Since they had been on the road for a while, the other members of the caravan returned ahead of them.
The journey there had been smooth, and the return trip didn’t have much cargo. The road was also clear, so the steward suggested that they move ahead.
There were fewer of them, so one cart was used for resting, two others had some medicinal herbs, and there was also a box of books.
These books were brought specifically because Old Doctor Wu heard that Old Sun was also there. Some of the books were medical ones, meant for him to study with Old Wen after they arrived.
Traveling was always tiring, so Wei Dong intentionally slowed the pace.
Wei Zhonghong was still thinking about the chickens and ducks back at home. Although she had instructed her two reliable daughters-in-law to take care of them when she left, after being away for some time, her mind started to wander.
She worried that they might neglect to feed the chickens and ducks or that the two women might argue over how to care for them.
“Hong’er!” Wu Qiang called out loudly.
Wei Zhonghong came to her senses. In front of him was a thick column of black smoke. She quickly poured the vegetables into the large iron pot.
With a sizzling sound, followed by popping and cracking noises.
She hurriedly stirred them a couple of times, added some salt in a panic, and then poured in a little water. Only then did she manage to prevent the vegetables from burning.
This iron pot was brought by Wei Dong when he left, as Tang Xu had asked him to take it. Since they would need to make a fire anyway, it was convenient to bring an iron pot for cooking and boiling water.
She had originally planned to stir-fry some vegetables, but now it seemed like he could only make vegetable soup.
Wu Qiang, standing nearby, asked, “Why are you still in a daze? I’ve called your name several times.”
Wei Zhonghong covered the pot with its lid and then took the mushrooms, which she had prepared for the soup, from a nearby bowl and added them to the pot.
“Mixed soup.”
“Huh?” Wu Qiang said, realizing what she meant.
Were they talking about the same thing?
Wei Zhonghong turned to look at him, pulling at the corner of her mouth, “I was thinking about the chickens and ducks at home. It’s been so long, I wonder if the two of them are feeding them properly.”
“When you left, you said that if one goes missing, they’d have to pay. They’ll definitely take good care of them.”
Although Wu Qiang was concerned about the relationship between the mother-in-law and daughters-in-law, he understood things clearly.
For example, the chickens and ducks raised at home weren’t just for show; they were meant for the family to eat, for eggs, and to make stewed duck and chicken to earn money. Even if the two daughters-in-law had other thoughts, they wouldn’t dare mess with this.
Wei Zhonghong thought about it and felt that he was right. Her expression relaxed a lot.
“You should go rest in the cart. The mountain wind is strong here. If you stay out too long, you’ll start coughing again.”
Although it cost some money for treatment, seeing that her husband’s health was improving every day, Wei Zhonghong didn’t mind the money.
Money can be earned again, but if the person is gone, then they’re really gone.
Wu Qiang shook his head. When he saw Wei Zhonghong reaching for the cabbage at the back, he picked it up and handed it to her. “I can’t lie in the cart all the time. I asked Doctor Wu, and he said walking around a bit is good for the body.”
Upon hearing this, Wei Zhonghong didn’t try to stop him. She took the cabbage, tore the leaves off, and put them in the wooden basin. Then, she scooped some water from a bucket and poured it on top. “Then find a sunny spot, don’t go too far. When the meal is ready, I’ll call you. Don’t complain if you don't hear me.”
Wu Qiang smiled and replied, “Okay.”
He slowly walked towards the direction where the donkey carts and horse carts were parked.
Except for Wei Dong’s mule, the other carts in the caravan were pulled by large horses. Horses were faster and stronger than donkeys.
Usually, the horses used for pulling the carts were taken back home by a few men to be fed, and when the caravan was ready to travel again, they would bring the horses out.
Wei Dong’s mule, on the other hand, was truly something that made others look at it differently. If you said it was weak, then it could run as fast as a horse.
If you said horses were smart, Wei Dong’s mule was equally intelligent. Having accompanied Wei Dong up and down mountains, it had seen far more than other horses.
When there were many people around, it would deliberately avoid letting anyone pull its reins. It was especially fond of cleanliness, and it had never been seen relieving itself while walking.
At the time, the other members of the caravan found this quite surprising. Typically, donkeys and horses aren’t able to control their bowels and would often relieve themselves as they walked.
They usually had a cloth bag attached to their behinds to catch the waste. Wei Dong’s mule also had one, but it was more like an ornament—it had never been soiled.
Some curious people had asked Wei Dong about it, wondering if it was because the mule was being underfed, but that didn’t make sense. After all, if it were underfed, it wouldn’t have grown so large and strong, with such powerful limbs.
Wei Dong knew the reason, though. He just figured it was because the mule naturally liked to be clean.
Wu Qiang particularly liked the mule. Whenever they stopped and he got out to stretch his legs, he would always look for some tender grass along the roadside to feed it.
Now, it was the same.
He had picked fresh grass leaves and a carrot for it.
The mule chewed the grass, casting a sidelong glance at the carrot in his hand. Its large eyes had a calm expression, and it didn’t seem to show any interest in the carrot.
Wei Dong was busy securing the large hemp ropes to fasten the boxes. The road was bumpy, so the ropes had to be retied frequently to prevent the boxes from falling off during the journey.
He tossed the thick hemp rope over the top of the cart. The strong men on both sides caught it, threaded it through the bottom of the cart, and then crossed it back to hand it to Wei Dong.
Once he tied it securely at the top, Wei Dong tugged on it to check if it was steady.
He jumped down from the box and said, “The others are done tying. Let’s rest for a while, we’ll set off after lunch.”
When Wei Dong reached the mule cart, he saw Wu Qiang and greeted him, “Uncle Wu.”
Wu Qiang turned his head, smiling as he asked, “Finished with your work?”
“Mm, there’s a lot of wind here. Uncle Wu, you should wear a jacket next time,” Wei Dong advised.
For someone in good health, the mountain wind could be quite harsh, and just a couple of gusts could make someone sick.
Wu Qiang nodded in response and fed the carrot to the mule.
The mule chewed the carrot loudly, its eyes glancing at Wei Dong.
As Wei Dong walked past it, the mule mischievously flicked its tail at him.
Wei Dong was used to it, so he gave the mule's muscular hindquarters a light slap.
It wasn’t hard, just a sharp "smack."
The mule was startled, stamping its hooves a few times, and then snorted through its nostrils.
Wei Dong let out a soft grunt. “Go find your own grass to eat. You’re so precious, yet still expect to be fed.”
After finishing the carrot in its mouth, the mule gave a few annoyed "heehaw" sounds towards Wei Dong, clearly expressing its dissatisfaction.
Why did the horses get fed, but it had to go find its own grass?
It seemed like it was being treated unfairly!
Wei Dong didn’t bother to respond. Having raised this mule for a while, he knew its temper. If he really pissed it off, it might just stop working altogether.
“I’ll bring you some fruit when we get home,” he said to placate it.
The mule made a couple of "heehaw" sounds again and flicked its tail at him once more.
This time, the mule seemed even more homesick. From the way it rushed to pull the cart, it was clear it was eager to go back home!
At home, there were fresh vegetables and sweet fruits waiting for it!
"Dongzi, tell them to come over, it's time to eat!" Wei Zhonghong’s voice called out from a distance.
Wei Dong turned and shouted, “Lunch is ready!"
1 Comments
Thank you for all of the updates!!!
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