Yuan Zhao looked at their full baskets and felt a surge of joy. They had gathered even more than last time, and they had listened well—picking only the largest and best-looking ones. He could easily sell them for an extra wen per jin!
“I’ve also got some bamboo shoots. We don’t lack food at home right now—let’s take it all to town and sell it!” Yuan Zhao’s eyes curved with delight, as if he were looking at silver rather than mushrooms.
Hearing they could go to town to sell, the children were thrilled—even Shi Qingyue let out a few excited shouts.
But when asked if they wanted to go with him, the Shi siblings fell silent. They still couldn’t ignore the gossip of others the way Shi Wuxiang could.
Falling from such heights had dealt a heavy blow to the Shi family.
Yuan Zhao thought that perhaps Shi Wuxiang couldn’t completely ignore those rumors either—but for the sake of survival, he had no choice but to step forward. Otherwise, the whole family truly wouldn’t make it.
“Then I’ll go by myself. But your share of the money will be smaller than mine!” Yuan Zhao said with a playful snort, as if quite pleased with the extra few coins.
“Sister-in-law, if you want money, I’ll give you mine!” Shi Qingran quickly ran up to him, speaking sweetly.
At twelve, she was at the age of loving pretty things—but the ribbon tying her braid was already worn.
Yuan Zhao could never take her money. He patted her head with a smile. “Peddlers often come through the village—you should keep your coins to buy little things. If there’s anything you want, just tell me.”
Shi Qingyue, meanwhile, showed rare manliness. “Mine can be used for you and Yuan Yuan.”
“Since none of you are coming with me, don’t delay me from going to town. Take the tools back first—I’ll go borrow the ox cart from the village head,” Yuan Zhao said, hurrying off after giving his instructions.
This batch of mushrooms and wood ear sold just as well as before. Even the bamboo shoots were snapped up the moment he took them out—he barely had to put in any effort before he was ready to head home with an empty basket.
Suddenly, he heard a chorus of chirping.
Yuan Zhao turned sharply and saw a peddler squatting on the ground, with a cage full of chicks and ducklings in front of him.
The fluffy yellow chicks immediately caught his eye. If they raised some at home, they could eventually get eggs and wouldn’t have to buy or trade for them anymore.
“Customer, want to buy a brood to raise? The more you buy, the cheaper it gets!” the poultry seller greeted him warmly, showing no disdain just because he was a ger.
Yuan Zhao did want to buy some, but he had come straight from the mountains and hadn’t brought any coins. And the money he currently had needed to be shared with the children—he couldn’t just decide on his own.
Squatting down, he gently touched the chicks and asked, “What’s the price now?”
Seeing his interest, the seller immediately said, “Ten wen per chick!”
“Not exactly cheap.” Yuan Zhao raised a brow—he came to town often and knew the prices fairly well.
“If you’re serious, I can throw in extras. How about twelve chicks for one hundred wen?” The seller put on a pitiful expression. “I really need money at home. If you don’t want chicks, I’ve also got eggs! Three for one wen!”
The eggs were indeed cheap—practically a bargain.
Yuan Zhao felt tempted. After thinking it over, he asked, “I can’t carry them today. Do you deliver to villages? If you can bring them to my village, I’ll buy.”
The seller lit up. “I can deliver! Which village? When should I bring them?”
“Qingluan Village—do you know it?”
“I do.”
“Then come early tomorrow morning and ask for Zhao boy’s house—they’ll point you to me.”
“Deal!” the seller said happily, then added, “But for trust’s sake, could you leave a ten-wen deposit?”
“Alright.” Yuan Zhao agreed, taking it from his own share.
With everything settled, he hurried back to the village.
After returning the ox cart and delivering a bundle of grass to the village head, Yuan Zhao arrived home to find Shi Zhangshi helping Yuan Yuan try on new clothes.
Aside from Shi Wuxiang, he was the first to get new clothes.
Yuan Zhao knew Yuan Yuan was lovable, but also that Shi Zhangshi favored him partly because she knew how much Yuan Zhao cared about Yuan Yuan.
Even relatives couldn’t always do that—but a good mother-in-law could.
“Brother, look! Aunt made me clothes—do they look good?” Yuan Yuan ran up happily, spinning in circles to show off.
Though it was just simple coarse linen, the light brown color was clean and pleasing.
“They look great,” Yuan Zhao said. “Wear them for now—when we earn more money, we’ll buy new fabric and make more clothes for all of you!”
“Fabric is expensive—having clothes to wear is already good enough,” Shi Zhangshi said.
Yuan Zhao nodded, though he already had plans in mind.
“Mother, I want to clean out the chicken coop next door and raise some chicks. Later, when they lay eggs, we won’t need to buy or trade for them,” he said.
Chickens lay eggs, eggs hatch chickens.
That was something long-term.
Shi Zhangshi readily agreed. “Alright. The fields are a bit less busy now. Raising chickens will give us something to do at home. How many do you plan to raise? Do you know where to buy them?”
“A seller will bring them tomorrow—twelve for one hundred wen. I think it’s a good deal. His eggs are cheap too—I’ll buy some.”
“Up to you,” she said.
She truly had no money left. The three taels she had given as bride price had been her last savings. For anything else, they would have to rely on Yuan Zhao.
But she would also have to find a way to earn some money herself.
Yuan Zhao divided the coins again like before. This time, there was more, and even Shi Zhangshi received ten wen—after all, managing the household counted as work too.
Yuan Zhao was skilled at farm work. He cleaned out the dilapidated chicken coop, mixed mud and rebuilt it. Before long, he had made two coops—one large and one small—so the chicks could move between them.
At noon, he cooked a meat dish and delivered a bowl each to the village head, Da Liu, and Gouzi.
That night, Shi Wuxiang returned at his usual time. Seeing him put away his copied texts, Yuan Zhao asked, “How much have you copied? Is the time enough? If not, maybe tell them you’ll return it later?”
“It’s enough,” Shi Wuxiang replied. “Even for exams, not everything in the books will be tested. I’ve already read through these two books once. I’m only copying the important parts and what I haven’t fully memorized.”
Yuan Zhao didn’t really understand what counted as “important,” but to him, studying sounded easy when Shi Wuxiang talked about it. No wonder he had once been the most promising scholar at the academy—and no wonder Li Qingwei always tried to compete with him.
“As long as you’ve got it under control.” Yuan Zhao paused, then added, “By the way, I’m planning to raise chickens at home. Will it disturb your rest?”
“No,” Shi Wuxiang said. “Sometimes a bit of noise actually helps me sleep more soundly.”
“That’s good.” Yuan Zhao nodded and continued sharing his thoughts. “Once the chickens grow, they’ll lay eggs for you—to help you recover…”
Shi Wuxiang sighed softly. “You don’t have to always think about me. I’m an adult—I know how to take care of myself.”
“Oh…” Yuan Zhao responded stiffly, suddenly unsure what to say.
He had wanted to mention how he’d been gathering mountain goods to earn some money for the household…
Shi Wuxiang, with an adult’s mind, could see the emotions behind his expression. Unable to remain too cold, he added, “That’s not what I meant. Mother told me everything. You’ve done very well. There are many things you can handle—I’ll support you.”
“You scholars sure are good with words,” Yuan Zhao snorted, turning to face the wall.
Though his words sounded slightly annoyed, his tone was bright and pleased.
Shi Wuxiang smiled and shook his head, blew out the candle, and lay down under the moonlight. After saying goodnight, he soon fell asleep.
Morning came early, the air still damp. Yuan Zhao was planning to head into the mountains again to gather more goods—dried or fresh, they could all be sold.
But before he could leave, the poultry seller from yesterday arrived, carrying a cage full of chirping chicks.
“Customer, I’ve brought your chicks!”
“You came at the perfect time—any later and I’d have gone out,” Yuan Zhao said, welcoming him in. “Let me see the chicks first. If they’re not good, I won’t take them.”
“Don’t worry—they’ve been raised for a while, no sickness, eat and move well!” the seller assured him.
Hearing the commotion, the others came out—especially Ranran and Yuan Yuan, who hovered around the cage, wanting to touch but not daring to.
“I’m counting on hens for eggs—don’t give me too many roosters,” Yuan Zhao said.
“Don’t worry—eight hens and four roosters, including the extras,” the seller explained quickly. “Roosters crow, and if you don’t want them later, you can eat them. It’s good to have one or two extra—you wouldn’t slaughter a hen when you want meat, right?”
Yuan Zhao nodded thoughtfully—though in truth, if his family wanted to eat a hen, he’d slaughter one without hesitation.
He opened the cage and checked. The chicks were lively and skittish, scattering at the slightest movement.
“Alright, I’ll take them. I’ll get your money,” he said. “Sell me some eggs too—give me a better price. I’ll be buying from you again, and you can sell more around the village.”
“Deal!” the seller agreed readily.
After paying, Yuan Zhao placed the chicks into the coop he had built the day before. Inside, there was a gourd ladle filled with water, and Yuan Yuan and the others added vegetable leaves and even a handful of coarse rice.
Yuan Zhao pretended not to notice. These little things had to be well-fed—they’d lay eggs later, after all.
“Brother, can I name them?” Yuan Yuan suddenly asked. “They’re our chickens—they should have names.”
Yuan Zhao laughed. “Better not. What if you get attached—how will you eat them then?”
“Good point… then I’ll just wait until it’s time to eat!” Yuan Yuan swallowed.
The chicks: “…”