The aftermath of the old lady's feigned illness was something Wang Youfu remained unaware of, but from that day forward, the patriarch’s discipline towards Wang Youliang tightened considerably.

Upon returning from the academy, Wang Qingchen heard of the matter and couldn't help but recall that time when their second branch and the third branch used Uncle Three Wang Youtian's "severe injury" as an excuse to flee the old homestead. This time, the protagonist was merely the old lady, leading him to sigh internally—truly, they were one family, even using nearly identical schemes.

Thinking the old homestead wouldn't bother them any further, Wang Qingchen inquired about buying the ox. Wang Youfu didn't hide anything, informing Qingchen that he planned to enlist the help of Qian Yaji, the broker in town.

Wang Qingchen was somewhat puzzled; why involve a broker even for buying an ox? Later, he learned that in this era, any family raising cattle had to register them with the government, and they couldn't be slaughtered arbitrarily. Even when an ox grew old, permission had to be obtained from a government official before it could be put down.

Wang Youfu decided to seek Qian Yaji's help precisely because the ox purchase required government registration. Once the government was involved, farming families preferred spending a little extra money rather than dealing directly with officials. Although Wang Qingchen highly disagreed with this sentiment, it was the common mindset for farming households in this time, so he refrained from saying more.

With the crops nearing maturity, Wang Youfu was growing anxious about acquiring the ox, fearing it might take time. Thus, while there was still time, Wang Youfu approached Qian Yaji for assistance. Seeing a regular customer, Qian Yaji was quite diligent, and soon found a young bull that had just reached maturity. The seller initially asked for eight taels of silver, but Qian Yaji negotiated the price down to seven taels and five hundred cash.

Wang Youfu was very satisfied with the ox Qian Yaji selected, so he settled on it, paying Qian Yaji nearly nine taels, which covered the government fees and commission. After receiving the money, Qian Yaji arranged the official registration and even recommended which vendors had good ploughs and excellent ox carts.

Wang Youfu decided that a plough was immediately necessary, but an ox cart could wait until they needed it later. He only purchased the plough, which cost one tael of silver, and after some lengthy haggling, managed to secure a bullwhip thrown in as part of the deal.

Once everything was settled, Wang Youfu figured the ploughs would be awkward to carry, so, uncharacteristically, he took an ox cart back home. Thus, the travelers on the road that day were treated to the sight of a farming man riding in an ox cart while leading an ox by a tether.

Wang Youfu's arrival home caused quite a stir. For a farming family to own an ox indicated a significant step up in their circumstances. Many villagers came over to touch the ox Wang Youfu had bought, feeling both envious and wondering when they too could afford such prestige.

Madam Yang couldn't contain her joy either. She had never imagined her household could ever own an ox. Thinking back on their past life now felt like a dream, and the hardships endured were washed away by this delight. Considering their current means, what future troubles could there be?

Those from the old homestead and the third branch also came to look. Upon seeing the ox, which was clearly the right age for fieldwork, Wang Youliang exclaimed happily, "This is great! Since the second brother bought the ox, we won't need to rent anymore; we can just borrow from the second brother's place."

Wang Youfu heard Wang Youliang’s words and glanced at the patriarch, who presumably shared the same thought and saw nothing wrong with the suggestion. This made Wang Youfu feel a distinct prickle of displeasure.

Madam Zhang had always disapproved of the grasping nature of the eldest branch couple. Hearing Wang Youliang speak, she immediately stated, "Eldest brother, that’s not right of you. This ox couldn't have cost less than seven or eight taels. Second brother could earn over ten cash a day renting this ox out; that income could at least offset the purchase price. For you to just borrow it without payment, without contributing to the purchase price, and without helping with feeding or cleaning the shed—that’s unacceptable. If everyone were like you, second brother would essentially be buying an ox for others while also feeding it for them."

Wang Youliang was left utterly embarrassed by Madam Zhang’s words, unable to find a rebuttal.

"Oh, Third Aunt, it’s not quite like you say," Madam Tian chimed in with a smile. "Aren't we all family brothers? I imagine Second Uncle would be too embarrassed to charge us, right, Second Uncle?"

This statement left Wang Youfu and Madam Yang feeling stifled. Seeing Wang Youliang assume he was entitled to borrow the ox naturally irritated the couple. Now Madam Tian’s words implied they were too polite to accept payment—they wanted the benefit without paying, yet wanted to save face. Furthermore, the couple couldn't openly contradict her by saying they would be happy to charge them, so they swallowed their irritation.

"Eldest sister-in-law," Madam Zhang continued with a laugh, "even blood brothers keep clear accounts. Besides, this ox only helps earn a bit more during the busy season. I assume Eldest Sister-in-law is also too embarrassed to borrow it for free during the busy season?"

"Haha, I suppose so," Madam Tian replied with a strained laugh, moving to another spot.

Wang Youfu and Madam Yang looked at Madam Zhang with gratitude, but she didn't consider her intervention a major deed. "I just can't stand how the eldest branch assumes the rest of us branches should always support them. It angers me, especially since the old couple always sides with them."

While the adults admired the ox and chatted, Wang Qinghua and Caiyun were equally fond of the newly acquired animal. However, with so many villagers crowding around it, the two children felt shy about vying with the adults. Still, the ox was theirs, and they could admire it to their heart’s content once the crowd dispersed.

When Wang Qingchen returned from school, the villagers had mostly left, leaving only Wang Qinghua and Caiyun lingering, occasionally stroking the ox or circling it a few times.

Soon, Wang Qingchen joined them. Despite their enthusiastic efforts, the young bull was uncooperative, ignoring the three of them entirely as it focused on grazing. Thus, the siblings turned it into a competition: who could first win the bull's favor. Naturally, Wang Qinghua was the ultimate victor in this contest. Wang Qingchen loudly declared it unfair, pointing out that he had to attend school daily and lacked the time to build rapport with the bull, whereas Wang Qinghua often took on the task of herding cattle, spending far more time with the animal. Wang Qinghua and Caiyun merely laughed; of course, this was a story for later.

The Luo family heard the news that Wang Youfu’s household had bought an ox. Old Man Luo’s wife was so furious she lost her appetite, though Old Man Luo remained surprisingly calm and genuinely couldn't understand what was making his wife so upset. Realizing they rarely saw eye-to-eye, the wife stopped talking and stewed in silence elsewhere. Luo Yin, however, was quite composed; she had adjusted her state quite well recently, thinking little of it, simply maintaining the demeanor of one awaiting her wedding.

The household of the second Luo son was different. When Madam Chen heard the news, she was ecstatic. While pleased that her daughter had secured a good match, she immediately began plotting how they could borrow the Wang family’s ox during the busy farming season to save on rental fees.

When the second Luo son heard his wife's plan, he bellowed, "Don't go causing trouble, I’m telling you! Borrowing an ox? There are three brothers in that family; do you think the ox will be waiting for you to use?"

Madam Chen retorted defiantly, "How am I causing trouble? Isn't it the absolute right thing for a son-in-law to help his in-laws?"

"If the son-in-law chooses to help his in-laws, that’s fine, and no one can criticize him. But why are you so eager to demand help? You must think about your daughter; she’ll be marrying into that family. If you shout for the son-in-law to help like this, what will the Wang family think? They'll surely assume we’re trying to take advantage for free, and won’t they look down on your daughter later?"

Although Madam Chen was a bit flighty, she loved her daughter. After considering his words, she sighed, "Ah, forget it then!"

Luo Qing, listening from her room, felt deeply pleased that her parents were being so thoughtful of her future. She recalled Wang Qinghua at the engagement banquet; he seemed honest and forthright, and her future mother-in-law, Madam Yang, didn't appear cruel. Combined with the Wang family's general prosperity, marrying in should mean she wouldn't suffer. With these thoughts, Luo Qing’s anticipation for the future grew stronger.

A few days after buying the ox, the Mid-Autumn Festival was fast approaching. Considering their current improved circumstances, Madam Yang resolved to celebrate properly. In the area where Wang Family Village was located, Mid-Autumn customs included worshipping the moon, lighting decorative lanterns, eating mooncakes to symbolize reunion, eating taro root to ward off evil and disaster, as well as consuming water chestnuts, drinking osmanthus wine, and eating various fruits like persimmons and pears.

Madam Yang not only had to prepare these items but also the festival gifts: for the old homestead, for the second Luo family, and for the tutor at the academy—each recipient was to receive five catties of rice, two small jars of osmanthus wine, and one cut of meat. For a farming family, this was quite a generous offering.

Since the academy closed for the day during the festival, Wang Qingchen delivered the gift for the tutor the day before.

On the day of the Mid-Autumn Festival, Wang Qingchen went to the old homestead early to deliver their gift, while Wang Qinghua went to the second Luo family’s house for the same purpose.

After delivering the festival gift to the old homestead, Wang Qingchen was immediately dragged off by Wang Qingtong to play. Meanwhile, Wang Qinghua, after delivering the gift to the second Luo family and receiving their return token, didn't linger and headed straight back.

What Wang Qinghua didn't know was that shortly after he left the second Luo household, Old Man Luo’s wife arrived, her sole objective being to ascertain how much the second Wang branch had sent as gifts.

When Madam Chen proudly displayed the festival gifts sent by Wang Youfu's household, the color drained from Old Man Luo’s wife’s face. Though she offered words of praise, mentally she cursed Wang Youliang’s family fiercely. The reason? Old Man Luo’s wife knew her own daughter’s in-laws were not as well-situated as the second Luo daughter’s. Since that couldn't be changed, she had hoped that at least their festival gifts would surpass the second Luo family’s. Upon seeing that Wang Youfu’s gifts were significantly grander than Wang Youliang’s—which amounted only to a small jar of osmanthus wine, a catty of white sugar, and two catties of meat—her sense of imbalance flared up again.

This was understandable. Previously, the eldest Luo branch had always lorded it over the second branch. Old Man Luo’s wife believed the eldest branch was superior in every aspect, so finding an area where they were now inferior was intolerable.

Old Man Luo’s wife offered Madam Chen a few perfunctory remarks and left. Naturally, upon returning, she proceeded to complain to Old Man Luo. True to form, Old Man Luo didn't quite grasp his wife’s distress. In his view, since the second Wang branch was currently wealthier than his elder brother, it was hardly surprising they sent more substantial gifts. However, seeing his wife verge on hysterics, he held his tongue.