Expelled from the Duke's mansion, the fake heiress is richer than a country.

Yu Wanran gave a brief introduction to the red grass mats, and described how many mats there were and their total weight.

After careful calculation, Wu Jian said, "A mule cart can carry about twenty shi (a unit of dry measure), so it can't be fully loaded, since it's a long journey. Including luggage and passengers, we need to leave at least one cartload of spare space."

He looked up at Yu Wanran with a questioning gaze.

"In other words, Miss Yu, you will need to hire at least five carriages. Are you willing? For ordinary goods entering the capital, the fee for escorting one carriage is ten taels of silver. The escort agency has already stated that it will only charge Miss Yu half price, which is twenty-five taels of silver."

Yu Wanran already knew about this. However, she still pretended to be a novice and asked, "So, how do you get through the checkpoints, and how does the government collect taxes?"

“If Miss Yu has not yet registered as a merchant, the government will levy customs duties and accommodation taxes according to the regulations for traveling merchants.”

Wu Jian thought she really didn't understand, so he patiently explained: "Customs duties are levied at twenty per thousand coins based on the value of the goods."

Yu Wanran presented the contract given to her by Hong Lizheng of Datong Village. Wu Jian glanced at it and calculated the result after a while.

"One thousand nine hundred and twenty straw mats, each costing twenty coins, totaling thirty-eight taels and four mace. The tax payable is seven hundred and sixty-eight coins. In addition, if you sell them in the capital, there will be a residence tax."

Yu Wanran nodded. She and Wei Yucai were both just pretending; the government wouldn't be able to collect this tax.

Wu Jian reminded her.

“Miss Yu, if you intend to engage in long-term business, it would be best to register as a merchant. The government has additional protection and preferential treatment for merchants, but this may slightly affect your descendants' chances of passing the imperial examinations. You should consider this carefully.”

Yu Wanran thanked Wu Jian, took out thirty taels of silver, and entrusted the escort agency to handle all the travel procedures.

The Tongcheng government was an insurmountable obstacle for her. Fearing that the Duke's mansion might cause further trouble, she preferred to spend more money to have a security escort agency mediate and handle the border crossing procedures.

After paying the escort fee, customs duties, and travel permits, the remaining money was used to bribe the guards at the capital's checkpoints. This was to prevent the cargo, even if it was high-quality goods, from being deliberately punctured and damaged by the soldiers during inspection.

Wu Jian told Yu Wanran to wait three days before setting off. During those three days, the escort agency needed to secure a few more jobs traveling to the capital. Otherwise, focusing solely on escorting Yu Wanran would be a loss.

Yu Wanran bought some grain and carried it back to the market. She found that her father and elder brother had already driven the oxcart quite well.

Thinking they could finally go home, the two men, in a state of anxiety, drove the oxcart straight into a ditch by the roadside as soon as they left the city.

After finally managing to get the oxcart back on the right road, Yu Man, who couldn't bear to whip the ox, had no choice but to take turns getting off the cart and leading the ox back to Qingping Village with his son.

It was completely dark when they arrived home, but the ringing of bells still attracted many villagers who came to see what was going on. Despite the Yu family's remote location, they surrounded the Yu family's new courtyard in layers late at night.

Many people are extremely envious.

"Yu Lao Er, how come your family suddenly became so rich?"

"They even bought cattle! Where did the money come from?"

"I heard they even sent their youngest son to the school in the next village!"

"You people are so strange! What was my Ranran's status before? Now she has met important people in the capital and is living a life of wealth and luxury, which is what she deserves!"

Ji Chunhua threw down her spatula and ran out to check on the cattle, but upon hearing this, she immediately became displeased. She put her hands on her hips and glared angrily at the chattering villagers.

"When one person attains enlightenment, even their chickens and dogs ascend to heaven. It's only natural that my daughter brings us a good life! What, are you jealous? If you're so capable, let your own children achieve something too!"

Those who were envious were forced to shrink back after being criticized.

However, some of the smarter ones will seize the opportunity to flatter Yu Man and his wife.

"Aunt Ji, your daughter is so filial! She's only been back for less than six months, and she's already built you a new house, bought you new clothes, and even arranged for a cow?"

Yu Wanran felt like she was being insulted...

The house is a thatched hut, and I dare not wear my fine clothes out. What does it mean to be assigned a cow?

However, another villager spoke up, dispelling her doubts: "Spring is just around the corner, Brother Yu, you bought this ox at the perfect time! You must borrow it from us when spring comes!"

So that's what they're after.

The other villagers burst into laughter.

"Old He, you've got some nerve! This is outrageous! Outrageous! How dare you just ask to borrow it? Why didn't you just ask Brother Yu to give it to you?"

When He Laosi's little scheme was exposed, he turned red in the face and started arguing illogically.

"Who said it was a free loan? I'll pay you the same amount you used to borrow a cow for a day, plus two meals a day for the cow. Is that not enough?"

Yu Tai came over and looked around the ox for a long time without saying anything. He glanced at his second brother, then, with his hands behind his back and hunched over, went straight home.

Yu Wencai and Yu Wenshan were incredibly excited about the first cow in Qingping Village, and they took the initiative to cut a large basket of fresh grass to help their second uncle's family feed the cow.

The loving gaze of the old mother cow fixed on the calf was almost making the little black calf fuming.

Su Li mingled in the crowd, her eyes blazing with fury; jealousy had completely distorted her features.

The villagers didn't leave until it was so dark they could no longer see their fingers in front of their faces and the outlines of the cows were no longer visible.

Yu Man was worried that it was unsafe to keep the cattle tied up in the yard, so he cleaned up half of the warehouse and put the cattle in a pen there.

Yu Wanran had a headache: "Dad, be careful the cow doesn't bite my red straw mat! It's for delivery to the capital in three days!"

"Ranran, don't worry!"

Yu Man said with great confidence, "Didn't you see that this cow is already stuffed? Even if you put another pile of hay on it, it won't want to eat it, let alone gnaw on the burlap sack!"

What name should we give the cow?

Yu Wenrong excitedly interjected, "From now on, it will be our most important family member!"

"Call him Xiao Hei!"

Along the way, Yu Wenbin had called out "Xiao Hei, Xiao Hei" affectionately countless times. Just thinking about how Xiao Hei's arrival would make farming much easier for him made him want to hug and kiss Xiao Hei a few times.

"Aren't its hooves white? The seller also said it's very rare..."

Yu Man stroked his stubble-covered chin thoughtfully: "How about calling him Big White!"

"It has a ring of yellow hair around its ears..."

Yu Wenrong reminded his father and brothers.

"Your name is Ahua?"

Ji Chunhua answered without hesitation.

The group fell silent. Then, they all turned to look at Yu Wanran.

"Ranran, you can read and write, why don't you name her?"

Faced with the trusting looks in her family's eyes, Yu Wanran's lips twitched.

"This ox... has four snow-white hooves, how about naming it Snow Treader? Its ears are like bamboo shoots, and its hooves are light as the wind."

She casually recited a line from a poem by Du Fu, without reminding her family that it was used to describe a fine horse. Upon hearing this, the family was immediately impressed by the sophisticated poetic description and unanimously agreed.

"Treading on Snow, not bad, a good name!"

"From now on, we'll call it Snow Treader!"

"Ta Xue, Xue Xue, are you happy to have this new name?"

Yu Xiaoxiang secretly touched the hard, round beef leg.

The more people looked at Ta Xue, the more they liked it. They thought it was so well-behaved that even when surrounded and petted by a group of people, it didn't kick anyone.

Yu Wanran watched coldly, wondering if the cow had been overfed and was too lazy to move.

She ignored her family's continued tending to the cattle by lamplight, washed up, and went to bed. This past month had been filled with harvesting, building houses, and moving; she was utterly exhausted.

I was half asleep when I was suddenly awakened by an unusual warning sign in the middle of the night!

Opening my eyes, I looked out the window. The hazy moonlight cast a dark, human-shaped silhouette on the window paper.