214 Buying Milk
The cook repeatedly waved her hand and refused, “I can’t take this! That milk is not worth anything. If I go and ask for some, he will give it to me for free. How can I take your money?”
Jian Qingqing asked in puzzlement, “Is milk very cheap?”
The cook said, “Yes, I only spent three copper coins for the bucket before. Miss Jian, you don’t know that the cows of Old Wang’s family have enough milk. The kids of his family also can’t finish it. It’s a waste to squeeze it out. So I went to ask him for three copper coins and he gave me a bucket.”
“Is that so…” Jian Qingqing thought and said, “Why don’t I go with you? I want to see how much milk there is.”
The cook said without hesitation, “Okay!”
Old Wang’s family was not far from the Yan family, so they arrived after walking for 15 minutes.
The cook knocked on the door and shouted, “Old Wang! Old Wang!”
“Coming, coming!” An impatient voice came from inside. Then, a thin and small old man opened the door and looked at the cook. He asked loudly, “What’s the matter? Do you want milk again? How come your cubs can eat so much?”
The cook said with a smile, “I want milk, but it’s not for my kids. I want to drink it myself.”
Old Wang said disdainfully, “You must be crazy from hunger to actually consume milk!”
The cook proudly repeated Jian Qingqing’s words to him. Old Wang waved his hand impatiently, “What nonsense, do you want it? Give me the money and I’ll squeeze it out for you.”
The cook hurriedly handed over the three copper coins. Jian Qingqing suddenly said, “Uncle, can I go and take a look at your cow?”
Old Wang looked at Jian Qingqing, who did not have much presence behind the cook. He asked with puzzlement, “Who is this? Why haven’t I seen her before?”
The cook quickly said, “This is…”
“I’m a relative of her family,” Jian Qingqing interrupted her and said with a smile.
“Oh.” Old Wang retracted his gaze and said carelessly, “Alright then, follow me.”
Jian Qingqing followed him to the cow shed. The shed was very dry and clean. There was only a calf and a cow inside, and it was very spacious.
Cows had a very high status in this era, and they lived better than people.
Seeing that someone had arrived, the cow raised its eyes slightly and glanced at them, then lay down again.
Old Wang took a wooden bucket and went in. He patted the cow’s body to comfort it, then stretched out his hand and squeezed it out.
The cow did not get angry. Instead, it snorted in enjoyment.
The cook explained, “The cow feels good. It has too much milk, and it’s uncomfortable not to squeeze it out.”
Jian Qingqing nodded. The cow did have a lot of milk. Old Wang squeezed it a little, and it sprayed out a lot. In just a short while, the bucket was full.
Old Wang stroked its head and then grabbed a few handfuls of grass and put it to its mouth. The cow seemed to be happy and began to eat it docilely.
Jian Qingqing looked at it for a while and said, “Uncle, are you selling this milk?”
Old Wang narrowed his eyes and looked at her for a while before he said slowly, “Why? Do you want to buy it?”
Jian Qingqing nodded. “You have so much milk. It’s a waste to squeeze it out and throw it away. Why don’t you sell it to me?”
“How much do you want? Three copper coins a barrel. Do you want it?”
Jian Qingqing nodded and said, “Yes! After you sell the milk to Auntie, I want whatever that’s left. I want as much as I can get.”
Old Wang looked at her suspiciously and snorted. “I’m not selling it!”
Jian Qingqing thought it was a done deal, but she did not expect to be rejected. She asked in confusion, “Why?”