Prices in Luohe Prefecture were more expensive than those in Liutun Town. An egg costs two wen, while a hatched chick cost eight wen. After two laps in the West Market, You Jin sisters found a chick seller. After some bargaining, they finally bought 14 chicks at a price of one hundred wen. On an average, a little over seven wens each.
The chicks were placed in the empty wooden barrel. The sisters detoured to the pork stall to buy three jins of suet and the butcher sold two pig trotters cheaply to them. One carried the bucket of chicks while the other held pork wrapped in lotus leaves. They merrily walked out of the South City Gate and returned to Wuliqiao.
Wuliqiao was only five miles away from Luohe Prefecture. That was why it was named Wuliqiao. Although the two sisters didn't walk fast, it took them around half an hour to reach home on the official road.
At home, the littles doll, who were full of anticipation, caught sight of Eldest Sister and Second Elder Sister in the distance. The older ones ran over with the younger ones in tow. Seeing You Jin's hand carrying a dozen chicks in the bucket, all of them cheered: "It's little chicks!"
You Jin smiled and stopped to rest for a while. Then a group of six-seven people walked home. They chatted as they went, "Eldest Sister, can I raise chicks?"
"I want to raise them too!" The sisters quarreled with joy.
"We all raise them together. Once we get home, let's go to the mountain behind to chop some bamboo back to make a chicken coop. Later, You Zhu, you take the lead. You, You Bao, You Ling, and You Luo are responsible for finding something for the chicks to eat every day." You Jin jollily assigned the work to the few younger sisters. Hearing this, the few all stood up and seriously expressed that they would definitely complete the task.
On the other hand, little You Chou was a little displeased: "Eldest Sister, and me!?"
Before You Jin could speak, You Zhu laughed: "Little Seventh, aren't you afraid of the little chicks pecking you?"
Little Seventh was pecked by Yue Family's big rooster before. So she still had some shadows of fear toward the big rooster. Sure enough, when she heard that she would be pecked, little Seventh lowered her head with slight embarrassment. She wanted to help, but she was afraid of being pecked.
You Jin smiled and stroked little Seventh's little head and amusedly responded, "Little Seventh can help Third Elder Sister do the work together. Just don't get too close to the little chicks."
Hearing what Eldest Sister said, little Seventh perked up and nodded.
In the main room, Mrs. Su listened to the daughters happily talk about how to raise chickens in the yard outside. Her heart was filled with joy. This kind of life! When compared with the former life at Yue's house, it was a difference of earth and hell! Thank God, they can escape from those days!
***
After Su Family moved in, all the items were purchased immediately. The iron products such as hoes, sickles, and hatchets were also newly purchased. When they bought them, nearly two silver liang was spent. A distressing amount. Seeing the bamboo, it became very convenient now. You Jin feels that the money was well worth it.
There was an entire bamboo forest on the mountain behind Su's house. You Jin brought You Yin and You Zhu to the bamboo mountain. Hands moved and knife fell. Soon three adult bamboos of 17 or 8 meters high were chopped down. You Jin had deliberately come with a bucket and a hoe on her back. After cutting the bamboo, she wandered around for a while and dug up four white and plump bamboo shoots. Only then, the three sisters head down the mountain and returned home with their bountiful harvest.
There was no bamboo in Cuifeng Village. So every one in Su Family, including Mrs. Su, didn't know that the bamboo shoots were edible. Watching You Jin's hand swiftly remove the dark green outer shell and reveal the white and tender inside, they couldn't help but find it a little novel. You Yin, who was busy building a chicken pen, asked, "Eldest Sister, what are you doing?"
"It's called bamboo shoots. Today, let's eat stewed bamboo shoots with pig trotter. It's delicious." You Jin answered her questions while working away.
Hearing that it was food, the few little girls who had never seen this thing gathered around: "What yummy thing is this?"
Mrs. Su was also a little worried: "Jin-er, can this be eaten? It can't be that there's a problem?"
You Jin shook her head and replies, "I saw someone selling it at the market today. So there's no problem."
Just when You Yin wanted to ask her why she didn't see it today, she was stopped by You Jin's gaze and obediently closed her mouth.
Now that spring had just started and edible green vegetables haven't yet grown, You Jin came up with another way to earn money when she saw the bamboos in the mountains and plains today. It was possible to dig some spring bamboo shoots and sell them in the city. As long as it can earn money, it can be done. For dinner that day, You Jin stewed a pot of pig trotter and spring bamboo shoots. Su Family's eyes lit up from the taste: "These bamboo shoots are so delicious! It's even better than meat!" The spring bamboo shoots absorbed the pork flavor. Mixed with the deliciousness of the bamboo shoots themselves, it was better than meat, no?
You Zhu's cheeks were bulging like a small hamster. Her eyes were shining: "Eldest Sister, can this be sold in the city?"
Listening to her daughter's remarks, Mrs. Su Shi, who started to come out to eat with the children today, could not help but feel a little knotted and a little satisfied. Knotted because she was incompetent. The several children want to make money all day long. Satisfied as they were very sensible and never need to distract her too much. Instead, they were all thinking of ways to make the family better.
You Jin let out a slight chuckle. Sure enough, You Zhu's temperament was most like her own and understood her mind the best. So she gave her an approving look: "Think about it. It's only spring now and we all saw the situation in the city a few days ago. In the city, cabbage and potatoes are the only things sold now. It's not easy to eat fresh and tender vegetables, let alone bamboo shoots. Even if we pick some locust flowers and wild vegetable, we can sell them in the city for money, right?"
As soon as You Jin said this, the eyes of the sisters all shone brightly:
"Really? Wild vegetables can also be exchanged for money?"
"Then let's go pick wild vegetables tomorrow, okay?"
"Although it won't bring much money, no matter how thin the mosquito's legs are, it's still meat, right?" You Jin drummed lightly on the wooden table with her fingers curled. "Even a wen is still money!"
The sisters nodded one after another; finding what Eldest Sister said very reasonable. The voiced in unison:
"I'll go pick wild vegetables tomorrow!"
"I'll go pick locust flowers!"
"I'll go too!"
Each and every one of them scrambled like they fear of being left behind at home by You Jin.
"Okay, okay. Let's finish the meal first. The food will be cold in a while, right?" Mrs. Su clipped some food for each child and smiled very softly: "Before you go to pick wild vegetables, you have to eat your stomach full, no?"
Hearing Mrs. Su's words, You Jin nodded in agreement. Then the children hurriedly held the thick porcelain bowls and ate their meals in big mouthfuls. Shortly later, a large pot of stewed spring bamboo shoots with pig trotter was all eaten up.
***
Early the next morning, before the eastern sun climbed into the sky, the door of the east wing opened quietly. A thin figure walked out with gentle steps and closed the door again. Although it was March, the mist-shrouded morning was still a little cold. You Jin breathed out, rubbed her hands, and went to the kitchen. She wanted to make breakfast before everyone got up. After all, the whole family except Mrs. Su had to go out to work today.
Some villagers who got up early in Wuliqiao had already carried their hoes and went down to the field to work. Looking at the smoke rising from the west of the river, they weren't as frightened as they used to be. Qin's house used to be a haunted house. Su Family consisted of old, weak women and children and nothing strange was reported. Now people in the village say Su Family have a good fate with Qin Family's girl. Qin Family's girl was willing to let them live in peace!
Of course, these words were said by the villagers in private. No one went to the door of Su's house to say it. Besides, Su Family had just moved here and weren't familiar with the villagers. The only ones who dropped by once were Mrs. Ge and the few. So Su Family didn't know what was going on outside. They, themselves, found it more comfortable here than the time at Yue's house.
You Jin cooked a large pot of coarse grain porridge today. Then cabbage were fried with oil residue. Afterward Mrs. Su's carp fish soup was put on the stove and simmered over a low heat. After being busying for a while, everyone in Su Family who smelled the aroma of the food also woke up before the dishes were served. and. The little ones obediently rinsed their mouth with water and washed their face with the assistance of You Yin, You Zhu, and You Bao. The well water in the early morning in spring was still slightly warm; which was very comfortable.
After everyone in Su Family had washed up, You Jin was finished with breakfast preparation. After the whole family gathered together to eat breakfast, they were divided into three groups; locust flowers picking, wild vegetables picking, and bamboo shoots digging. You Yin, You Ling, and You Luo searched for traces of wild vegetables on the ridge by the river. You Zhu and You Bao carried a basket to the foot of the mountain to pick locust flowers. You Jin carried a hoe and a basket to the bamboo forest. The remaining, You Chou and Mrs. Su, mind the house.
In fact, the villagers of Wuliqiao dug bamboo shoots and pick wild vegetables to eat too. However, since Qin Family's mishap, many people would come to the west of the river as little as possible. So whether it was wild vegetable or locust flower, they gathered a lot in one morning. You Jin, who went up the mountain to dig spring bamboo shoots, harvested more than a pile of spring bamboo shoots. She also harvested two large bamboo rats!
Carrying a basket full of spring bamboo shoots and two bamboo rats tightly bound by rattan hanging from one end of the hoe on her shoulder, You Jin went home humming a little tune. Before reaching home, she encountered You Zhu and You Bao with a basket full of locust flowers. As soon as the two saw You Jin, they happily waved to her: "Eldest Sister!"
You Jin also waved at the two of them and then quickened her pace to catch up with them. When she got closer, they noticed the two big bamboo rats tied to one end of her hoe and couldn't help but be startled: "Eldest sister, what is this?!"
"It's called bamboo rat. The meat is delicious!" Upbeat, You Jin explained: "I'll bring it along to the city tomorrow to sell too. It should sell for some money."
"Bamboo rat? Then it's a rat? Why would anyone want to eat a rat?" Timid You Bao grabbed the corner of You Zhu's clothes tightly, hid behind her, and asked cautiously.
Seeing that she was afraid, You Jin took the bamboo rat down and held it in her hand to avoid scaring her: "It's not a rat. But the name is a bit similar." Although You Zhu was a little curious, she was also a little scared. You Jin distanced herself six or seven steps away and the three sisters went home together.
After returning home, the two bamboo rats aroused the curiosity and stirred slight unease among the rest of Su Family. Still, You Jin placed the two bamboo rats along with the water celery, locust flower, and bamboo shoots that she was going to bring to the city tomorrow to sell in Su Family's storeroom. In the early morning of the next day, she brought You Zhu with her to the city as she pestered to follow. Each person carried a bamboo basket. You Jin also carried the two bamboo rats that weighed nearly 2 jins. The sisters went to sell things in the city.