As dawn's light began to break, Chen Xiaobei set out. He carried thirty wild eggs with him, hoping to try his luck at the market, and also had fifty copper coins—enough to buy a few things in the county.
His luck seemed to be quite good.
Old Wu cleared a corner of his vegetable stand and allowed Chen Xiaobei to set up his wild eggs.
What made him even happier was that, not long after, the goddess of wealth, Miss Liu Rumei, appeared again.
This time, Chen Xiaobei was bolder. While Liu Rumei was picking vegetables, he smiled and said, "Miss Liu, these wild eggs were laid by the wild chickens you bought a few days ago. Eating them can strengthen the body."
Liu Rumei's eyes flashed with surprise.
She extended her delicate hand, picked up a wild egg, and carefully examined it.
Just that brief moment almost made Chen Xiaobei drool.
Her arm was as white as lotus root, with long fingers, flawless and clean. Her nails were painted a bright red, and Chen Xiaobei couldn't help but wonder what kind of material they used for nail polish in this era.
As her hand reached over, a faint, pleasant fragrance followed, making him feel a sense of calm and distracting his thoughts.
Ah, why couldn't I have crossed into this world to be by Liu Rumei's side?
Liu Rumei looked up to ask the price, only to see Chen Xiaobei staring at her foolishly.
She coughed lightly, but Chen Xiaobei was still lost in thought.
At this moment, Liu Rumei's long-haired maid, Xiao Qing, grew angry. She picked up a vegetable leaf and slapped it across Chen Xiaobei's face. "You rude scoundrel! Who told you to stare at my mistress like that?"
Seeing this, Old Wu hurried over and pulled Chen Xiaobei's arm. "What's wrong with you, kid? Miss Liu is talking to you, and you're just standing there grinning like an idiot."
In his mind, Chen Xiaobei thought, "I'm not grinning; I'm trying to think of an excuse."
A few thoughts flashed through his head, and he finally cupped his hands and said to Liu Rumei, "Sorry, Miss Liu. I got distracted for a moment. I was suddenly thinking about how adding two wild eggs while stir-frying cucumbers would surely make it taste amazing."
Chen Xiaobei's pitch genuinely caught Liu Rumei's interest.
"That's true. I've never tried stir-fried cucumbers with wild eggs."
"Alright, please send your wild eggs to my residence later."
She then turned to her long-haired maid, "Xiao Qing, go apologize to this young man."
Young man?
Xiao Qing looked at him with a clear hint of disdain, and Chen Xiaobei understood—dressed as he was, he hardly looked like a young master. He looked more like a beggar. He quickly waved his hands. "No, no, it was my fault. I really spaced out. Please forgive me, Miss Liu."
After Liu Rumei left, Old Wu gave him a glance. "Little brother, you're not married yet, are you?"
Chen Xiaobei sighed. "Sigh, my family is so poor, what do I have to marry a wife with?"
"Doesn't matter whether you have a wife or not. In the future, when you see Miss Liu, don't stare at her so blatantly. If she gets angry and sends you to the authorities, you won't be able to get away so easily."
Chen Xiaobei sent the wild eggs to Liu's residence, and thirty wild eggs were exchanged for thirty copper coins.
With the thirty copper coins in his hand, Chen Xiaobei felt a little happier.
Besides buying salt, he also bought some grains and went to a cosmetics shop to buy a box of rouge. On his way out of the city gate, he also bought six buns.
By noon, Chen Xiaobei was back. When he saw the meat buns, Chen Qiao'er jumped up clapping her hands in joy and grabbed one to stuff into her mouth.
"Aiya, Qiao'er, don't choke! I'll go get you some water." Cui Hongyu quickly stood up and went inside to fetch some water.
Chen Xiaobei took the opportunity to follow her inside. From his sleeve, he pulled out the hidden rouge and handed it to Cui Hongyu.
"This is for you!"
"Rouge."
Cui Hongyu instinctively gasped in surprise.
She was knowledgeable, and this wasn't just any rouge—it was from the best shop in the county, Zhao's brand.
This box of rouge cost five big coins.
From the surprised look in her eyes, Chen Xiaobei knew he had made the right choice.
"Do you like it, Hongyu?"
Cui Hongyu nodded, but then shook her head. "No, no, husband, this rouge is too expensive. I..."
Chen Xiaobei smiled calmly. "It's not expensive at all. My woman deserves the best."
His words carried confidence, with a hint of dominance.
Cui Hongyu was stunned.
They always said that Chen Xiaobei was timid, fearful, and weak. He was supposed to be useless. But the gift he gave her today was so surprising, and his words just now were firm and resolute.
This seemed different from what the legends described.
But thinking about Chen Xiaobei's words from last night, Cui Hongyu hesitated again.
After lunch, Chen Xiaobei went to take a nap.
After all, he had gotten up early and made a trip to the county.
While he slept, Cui Hongyu did not. It wasn't that she wasn't tired, but rather, she had decided to do something important.
As the saying goes, "No merit, no reward." Chen Xiaobei had given her such a precious gift of rouge, so she felt that she should contribute something to the household as well.
Cui Hongyu took out a bundle from her dowry, which contained the silk she had bought from the county.
This silk had cost several dozen copper coins. She had dreamed of wearing it, having a bright red wedding dress made from it to marry in style, but now, that silk was no longer needed.
So, the only purpose left for it was to be exchanged for money to help with household expenses.
"Qiao'er, when your brother wakes up, tell him I went back to my family. I'll be back before dark!"
Qiao'er nodded obediently, continuing to play in the yard. What did a young child know?
As soon as Cui Hongyu left Hetou Village, Chen Ermao and the others followed her.
After leaving the village by about three miles, and seeing that no one was around, Chen Ermao waved his hand, and a few of his companions rushed forward, surrounding Cui Hongyu in the middle.
Seeing Chen Ermao and his group, Cui Hongyu felt a rush of panic.
She quickly picked up a stone from the ground and held it in her hand, deliberately raising her voice and shouting, "Chen Ermao, what do you want now?"
Chen Ermao chuckled. "Miss Hongyu, don't be scared. You married Xiao Bei, and as the saying goes, 'A big brother is like a father.' Since I'm Chen Xiaobei's brother, that makes me your father."
Cui Hongyu glared at him. "Chen Ermao, you're talking nonsense. Aren't you afraid of divine retribution?"
Chen Ermao looked around and saw no one coming, which made him bolder. "Divine retribution is for later. Right now, all I want is to have some fun with you."
As he spoke, he lunged forward, trying to grab Cui Hongyu.
Cui Hongyu was after all a weak woman. Though she tried to stay calm on the outside, she was panicking inside. Seeing Chen Ermao come towards her, she immediately panicked and threw the stone in her hand.
The stone hit Chen Ermao's eye squarely. The pain made him shout, covering his eye and crouching down on the ground.