Zhao He Understood Mudbray, but Guessed Wrong Three Times First

The next afternoon, Zhao He brought only three things.

An old saddle, a bag of white pebbles, and three roasted beans.

The four horseshoes and stiff brush were left in the village. The roasted beans were in a small cloth pouch with two knots tied at its opening, and a wooden tag hung from the outside.

Three today.

Xia Che gave the tag an unusually long look. "Mudbray can read?"

"It's for me," Zhao He said. "If it nudges me with its head and my hand slips, three could turn into eight."

"At least you know yourself."

Just as Zhao He was about to offer a polite reply, Xia Che had already flopped back down.

A dozen or so people stood outside the shop.

The people from the West City Activity Grounds had spread the news yesterday, and everyone in Spirit City knew a donkey had arrived at the shop that ate dirt and even coated itself in mud.

An old man squeezed to the front. "How many pounds of mud can it swallow?"

"It only eats the clean soil it needs," Hu Liena said.

Someone else asked, "Can we scrape off a piece of the mud on its legs and take a look?"

"Why don't you scrape something off your own shoe first?" Zhao He said.

"My shoe isn't anything special."

"And it never promised to show you anything special."

The man sheepishly pulled back his hand.

Footsteps sounded behind the door. The moment Mudbray emerged from the rest area, the crowd fell silent.

It first took a few steps toward Zhao He, both long ears turning toward the old saddle.

Delight appeared on Zhao He's face. "See? It wants to try the saddle today."

"That's what it looks like to me," the old man said, nodding along.

"It