Chapter 76: Appraising the Ox

The cattle market, to put it simply, was a comprehensive trading ground for large livestock. It didn’t just deal in cattle; horses, donkeys, and even pigs could be found there. Yet, cattle and pigs made up the majority, so for ease and pleasantness of speech, people simply called it the cattle market.

Located in the west of Sanyuan County, it was the only livestock trading venue in the area. The county office was only a few hundred meters away, so when Liu Yitiao led Gongsun Helan, they arrived after barely a few steps.

Livestock abounded in the market, and the air was inevitably thick and foul. Liu Yitiao, accustomed to the odors after tending to his own oxen at home, barely minded. But for Gongsun Helan, the pampered young master, it was misery. He had never in his life inhaled such stench. From the moment he entered, he pinched his nose and covered his mouth, even tucking away his beloved fan into his chest. The excitement he’d shown earlier was nowhere to be seen.

“You’ll get used to it,” Liu Yitiao said, reaching out to pull Helan’s hand away from his nose. “Look at me, and the merchants around us bargaining—none of them act like you. You’re practically announcing, ‘I’m a novice and I have money,’ aren’t you?”

Liu Yitiao began to regret bringing along a young noble, especially one so finely dressed and clueless. Aside from getting fleeced, there was little else to expect.

Gongsun Helan cast Liu Yitiao a resentful glance, again covering his nose, whining, “Brother, this place is unbearable. Let’s just go. It’s only a few oxen—later, I’ll have my servants buy them for you and send them over. Let’s hurry out, I really can’t take this.”

Seeing Helan’s melodramatic distress, Liu Yitiao frowned. Another child spoiled rotten by his parents. Were it his own brother Ertiao, Liu would have smacked him already; if one couldn’t endure even this minor discomfort, how could he ever accomplish anything great? But recalling how kindly old Gongsun Wendai had treated him, and that Helan had accepted him as an elder brother, Liu Yitiao felt obliged to teach the boy a lesson.

If Helan couldn’t endure even a whiff of foul air, how would he ever manage the Gongsun family business, much less face adversity or calamity in the future?

So, there was no choice but to let him suffer a bit. With mischievous intent, Liu Yitiao approached Helan, a faint smile curving his lips.

“Brother, what are you planning?” Helan, alert, sprang back a step. Years of martial training lent him an instinct: Liu Yitiao was up to no good.

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“Helan, my dear Helan,” Liu Yitiao said, pleased at Helan’s vigilance, nodding approvingly. The boy’s sixth sense was not bad. Smiling, he stepped forward. “Why so nervous? Could I ever harm you?”

Seeing Helan’s tension ease, Liu reached out, lightly patting his shoulder. “I just want to cure your delicate constitution.”

Crack!

The sound of a joint dislocating. Liu Yitiao had deftly pulled Helan’s left shoulder out of its socket.

Helan’s mouth twisted; the cry he was about to let out was swallowed. It wasn’t even that painful? He stared at his limp left arm in disbelief. How could such a thing hurt so little?

Crack!

Another sound: the right shoulder dropped.

Now, Helan’s nose and mouth were fully exposed to the market air. But he was so stunned by Liu Yitiao’s unique technique that he hardly noticed.

“Brother, how did you do that?” Helan’s martial obsession was piqued by Liu’s skill.

Seeing his purpose accomplished, Liu Yitiao cheerfully clapped his hands. “Just some tricks for misplacing joints. If you’re interested, I’ll teach you sometime.”

“Yes, yes, why not start now?” Helan, arms dangling, excitedly pressed close, full of hope. He’d forgotten entirely why Liu had dislocated his shoulders.

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Liu Yitiao patted Helan’s limp shoulder. “No rush. Experience the feeling first; it’ll make learning much easier later.” With that, Liu strode towards a herd of cattle.

“Are you gentlemen here to buy cattle?” The owner, seeing them approach, greeted them warmly. “You two have a keen eye! Look at these oxen—tall, sturdy, each one worth two ordinary beasts in the field, and the price is fair: fifteen strings per head. How many would you like?”

Liu Yitiao said nothing, merely circling the dozen or so oxen twice. Then he shook his head and walked away.

“Hey, Brother, why leave? I thought those oxen looked great—bigger than the others, and the price isn’t bad. Why not buy them?” Helan chased after him, puzzled.

“Helan,” Liu Yitiao said as they walked, “Your Gongsun family made its name in martial pursuits; I imagine many ancestors served as generals. Did any of them pass down the art of judging horses?”

“Judging horses?” Helan replied, “My second uncle mentioned it once. A horse is a warrior’s second life; a fine mount can mean survival on the battlefield. But what does that have to do with buying cattle?”

“Buying cattle is much the same as buying a horse. You need discernment,” Liu explained. “Judging cattle is very similar to judging horses: first, observe the spirit; then the sinews and bones; lastly, examine appearance and coat. Those oxen, though large and seemingly robust, lacked spirit, their bones and sinews were weak, and—most importantly—each had a crust of discharge at the corner of its eyes. Clearly, they suffer from some illness that makes them appear bigger, or perhaps the owner fed them some drug. They look impressive but are useless for plowing.”

“Uh?” Helan was dumbfounded by Liu’s explanation. Judging cattle? Why had he never heard of it before? “Brother, what you say sounds reasonable, but I’ve never heard anyone mention it before.”

Liu Yitiao stopped, seeing Helan had fully acclimated to the market’s odor, and restored his arms. “Never heard of it? That’s normal. There are countless things you don’t know or haven’t heard of in this world. Remember: understanding the ways of the world is knowledge, and mastering human affairs is wisdom. If you knew everything, you wouldn’t be Gongsun’s son, you’d be a sage.”

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