Chapter 85: Liu Yitiao’s Method

“Shill? What is a shill?” Old Liu was full of confusion as he looked at Liu Yitiao. His mind was already tangled in knots, and how could he possibly understand Liu Yitiao’s postmodern expressions?

“A shill, well, a shill…” Liu Yitiao was momentarily at a loss for words, pondering how best to explain the meaning of ‘shill’ to Old Liu, who belonged to another era. After much deliberation, he finally managed to squeeze out an explanation: “Father, when someone sells clothes, there’s a clothes shill; when someone sells medicine, there’s a medicine shill; when someone sells food, there’s a food shill. So naturally, when someone sells cattle, there’s a cattle shill. Do you understand?”

“To put it plainly, a shill is just a swindler!”

“A swindler?!” At last, Old Liu understood the final sentence. His face turned pale as he asked Liu Yitiao, “Are you saying that the man selling the cattle and those fighting to buy them are all in cahoots? That they teamed up to cheat me?”

Bingo! Correct answer, but unfortunately there’s no reward—only the loss of fifty taels of silver.

Seeing Liu Yitiao nod, Old Liu pointed at the cattle, “Then, as you say, all these cattle are stolen property?”

Liu Yitiao nodded again.

“Does that mean all these cattle must be handed over to the county office? And my fifty taels of silver have gone to waste?” Old Liu’s heart twisted in pain as he spoke, his legs trembling, almost to the point of fainting.

Liu Yitiao saw that his father had been frightened enough and likely learned his lesson, so he began to comfort him, “Father, there’s no need to send them to the county office. As long as no one from the county comes looking for us, these cattle are perfectly legitimate—they were bought with our hard-earned money. Use them as you see fit. Even if the authorities do come, we can claim ignorance and shift the responsibility. After all, we are victims too; no one will blame us.”

“So, Father, if you don’t want your fifty taels to go to waste, and want these cattle to remain undiscovered for as long as possible, you must completely forget that you bought them for five taels each. From now on, you must believe, deep in your heart, that these ten oxen were bought at fifteen taels apiece. They are the Liu family's oxen. They are not stolen property. No one can take them away.” Liu Yitiao gently coached Old Liu into beginning his own self-hypnosis.

This was the best solution at present. Set a reasonable price for each ox, make it appear plausible. After all, the true price was known only to him, Old Liu, and their accomplices in the swindle. Since the cattle seller was a swindler, he would surely never show his face again. As long as father and son kept their mouths shut, no one else would ever know. The chances of these cattle being discovered would decrease.

Liu Yitiao was no saint; at the very least, he wasn’t the sort to treat money as mere dirt. The Liu family wasn’t so wealthy as to squander money for fun. So being cheated out of money hurt him, too. If he could minimize the loss, so much the better.

“Yes, yes, those cattle belong to the Liu family. No one can take them—they were bought by Old Liu at a high price!”

Hearing Liu Yitiao’s words, Old Liu seemed to grab hold of a lifeline in the midst of an endless sea. He became smarter, more spirited, and muttered to himself, “Fifteen taels for one ox, ten oxen is one hundred and fifty taels, spent all our family’s savings. Even the money for marrying off the eldest son is gone. These cattle belong to the Liu family—no one can take them!”

Seeing Old Liu finally enlightened, Liu Yitiao nodded with satisfaction, supporting Old Liu and repeating, “That’s right, Father. We know nothing. These cattle were bought for farming, not stolen property—they are the Liu family’s oxen. No need to worry about anyone taking them.”

As Old Liu’s complexion eased a little, Liu Yitiao said, “Alright, Father, let’s go inside and sit for a while. By the way, where’s Mother? She’s not home?”

If Liu Heshi knew about this, he’d have to explain to her as well.

“Your mother took Xiaohui early this morning to Little Xin Village,” Old Liu replied, feeling calmer. “She said she wanted to measure Chuchu’s size, so she could prepare some clothes for her. When she marries in, she’ll have something decent to wear. And she can chat with her future in-law, exchange pleasantries. After all, in a few months, we’ll be one family—it’s good to visit more often.”

“Oh,” Liu Yitiao nodded, and involuntarily the image of Zhang Chuchu’s delicate figure floated into his mind. In two months, this woman would be his. He’d have a wife and a home of his own, though admittedly, his wife would be rather young.

Returning inside, Liu Yitiao saw Old Liu’s face still clouded with worry, afraid he might fret himself sick. He tried to console him, “Father, you don’t need to worry. As long as we don’t tell, no one will know about the cattle. Even if someone does find out, so what? At worst, we lose fifty taels. It’s not a big deal; we’ll earn it back in a few months.”

Indeed, nothing serious would come of it, but being cheated left a knot in the heart, hard to swallow. And fifty taels was no small amount, all earned through Liu Yitiao’s hard work. If it was wasted, Old Liu would always feel guilty.

Old Liu forced a smile and said to Liu Yitiao, “I understand, son. Don’t worry about me—I’m fine.”

With that, Old Liu stood up, saying, “Maybe I stayed up too late last night—I’m feeling sleepy. I’ll go lie down for a while. No need to call me for lunch. Just have your mother save me a portion.”

“Alright, Father. Rest well.” Liu Yitiao escorted Old Liu to the inner room, shook his head as he watched him go. Being cheated was a bitter feeling; it would take Old Liu several days to recover. Consider it a costly lesson learned. Alas!

“Wow! Mother, we have so many oxen now! Look, look! So many, even more than this morning!” Liu Xiaohui exclaimed excitedly at the door. Liu Heshi gently patted her little head, smiling, “Yes, so many oxen. In less than two months, our family has acquired such a herd. When you think about it, it’s all thanks to your big brother.”

“Mhm! Big brother is the best! Xiaohui knows it! Sister Chuchu says so too!” Liu Xiaohui raised her hands and nodded her little head with pride, her voice sweet.

“Mother, you’re back!” Liu Yitiao heard the voices and came out, taking Liu Xiaohui from Liu Heshi’s arms. He smiled, “Was the journey alright?”

“Yes,” Liu Heshi nodded and smiled softly, “It was peaceful all the way. Getting along with Chuchu and her mother was very pleasant. Especially Chuchu—she’s gentle and lovely, and she’s skilled with needle and thread. Her handiwork is just as good as mine, if not better. She even said she’d make me a set of clothes. Such a good child—when you marry her, she’ll take good care of you, and I won’t have to worry anymore.”

This little girl truly knew how to win people over. Liu Yitiao’s lips curled into a smile. Every time she visited, Liu Heshi liked her more and more, almost as if she were her own daughter. Chuchu was indeed remarkable.

“Alright, Mother, you must be tired after the journey. Let’s go inside and rest.” Liu Yitiao carried Liu Xiaohui and escorted Liu Heshi into the house.

Liu Heshi asked, “Yitiao, are the oxen in the yard newly bought? Must have cost quite a bit?”

“Oh, Father bought them this morning, ten in total, for one hundred and fifty taels.” Liu Yitiao replied without batting an eye, “Each ox is strong and ideal for plowing the wasteland.”

“Good, as long as they’re useful.” Though she thought the price was steep—in her eyes, it was a fortune—Liu Heshi didn’t say much. Buying cattle was always decided by the men of the family; as a woman, she had no say.

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Friendly recommendation: “Dragon’s Desire in the City,” book number: 1011166