Chapter 162: The Kitchen.

Chapter 162: The Kitchen.

Previously, to facilitate the transportation of eggs, they had made numerous bamboo trays lined with straw and wooden bases, as well as woven bamboo bases that were sewn on. These were all crafted by themselves.

The bamboo baskets they wove had the same number of coils and were roughly the same size, but there were still slight differences. Therefore, each basket had its own fixed egg tray, which made it convenient for handling eggs and easy for counting without having to transfer them back and forth.

In the corner opposite the stove, several jars and crocks of varying heights were placed. This area was far from both the water tank and the fire, and there were no windows for wind or rain to enter. These containers held either rice, flour, firewood, beans, or other rations.

Gu Lanshi brought in two egg baskets, closely followed by Pei Yan.

The two of them approached the corner where a large pot with a wooden lid was sitting. After removing the lid, they revealed the eggs stored inside.

Beneath the eggs was a layer of rice husks, with several more layers underneath.

In the past, when they didn't have many chickens, they used bamboo baskets to store the eggs. Later, they repurposed a large pot, which could hold more eggs without worrying about accidentally knocking it over, considering the pot itself was quite heavy.

"Today's eggs haven't been collected yet, let's fill these first," said Gu Lanshi, taking out all the empty trays from the two bamboo baskets except for the bottom layer.

Pei Yan did the same, placing each basket's tray next to it, ensuring they wouldn't get mixed up.

Standing on either side of the large pot, they began filling the bottom layer of the trays with eggs. Once finished, they replaced the upper layer of trays, gradually filling the baskets.

Six large bamboo baskets were woven, each capable of holding seventy-six eggs. There were five smaller baskets, each able to accommodate forty-eight eggs. The numbers were predetermined, so there was no need to count them now.

"How did the restaurant suddenly require so many?" asked Gu Lanshi.

Due to the small opening of the pot and the fragility of the eggs, they took turns reaching in to retrieve them.

Pei Yan took out three eggs and placed them into the tray, saying, "In half a month, when it gets colder and there's no fresh grass or vegetables, the hens won't lay eggs. We need to buy more now while it's cheaper."

Gu Lanshi nodded in agreement. Even for farming households, if they wanted to have eggs after early winter, they needed to start stockpiling now.

Considering the scale of the restaurant's business, buying several hundred eggs at once made sense. He was initially surprised by the quantity, finding it too large.

"How much were the eggs sold for today?" he casually asked.

Pei Yan smiled and said, "Four coins. I originally planned to sell them for five coins, but after listening around the street, most were selling for four coins. Those selling for five coins were rare. People felt four coins was already cheap and rushed to buy them. Two people selling eggs in baskets didn't bring many, but before I even turned the corner, I heard them shouting that they had sold out."

They had emptied the top layer of eggs from the pot. Gu Lanshi and Pei Yan scooped out the remaining rice husks with their hands and poured them into a wooden bucket. Pei Yan continued, "In a few days, they will definitely be sold for five coins. The restaurant is also thinking of taking advantage of the current low price to buy in bulk."

"I also considered holding onto them and not selling so many, waiting for the prices to rise to make more profit. But the owner of Lai Fu Restaurant implied that if we didn't provide enough, he would find someone else to source eggs. I thought about building a long-term business relationship and decided to agree, ensuring we could secure this deal continuously."

"Four coins is already pretty good," reflected Gu Lanshi. Initially, upon hearing the price of five coins, he felt a bit regretful, thinking they should have waited longer.

However, hearing Pei Yan's explanation, his lingering thoughts dissipated. What was the point of overthinking? He said, "We've been selling them for three coins for so long, and no one complained about the price being too low. Let's focus on earning the four coins first. Who knows what the price will be in a few days. Five coins is still uncertain."

Pei Yan smiled, agreeing that it was pointless to dwell on potential earnings. The so-called loss of one coin was merely an ephemeral shadow.

Currently, four coins could be firmly grasped in their hands, already one coin more than usual. This was genuine wealth, whereas greed would only lead to increasing discomfort. Why suffer unnecessarily?

Not a single egg was left in the pot; they all went into the bamboo baskets.

Gu Lanshi then picked up a bamboo basket to collect more eggs. The weather had been sunny and relatively warm for the past two days, encouraging the hens to lay eggs. He gathered ten eggs, making it exactly two hundred.

Two large bamboo baskets plus one small basket could precisely hold two hundred eggs.

"We'll take thirty duck eggs, selling them for five coins each today," said Pei Yan, pulling out his money pouch. This contained the earnings from the morning's vegetable and egg sales, which wasn't a significant amount.

Gu Lanshi carried a small bamboo basket into the kitchen and filled it with duck eggs, asking, "The price has also increased by one coin. Are we still collecting duck eggs from others?"

Seeing that Gu Lanshi couldn't immediately respond, Pei Yan placed the money pouch on the countertop and said, "We only need to collect thirty more. We have fewer ducks, and they know that. I told them I could take sixty eggs. If we collect too many duck eggs, we won't make much profit, and it's a long distance. Even with the trays protecting them, if we encounter any bumps along the way, the eggs might break, resulting in a loss."

Most of the eggs came from their own chickens. Sometimes, due to driving the cart too fast or improperly placing the baskets, a few eggs would crack. Although they couldn't be sold, they didn't incur a loss.

For items like duck eggs and chicken eggs, if they didn't purchase them at market prices, the villagers wouldn't be willing to sell. Moreover, most of the time, they prioritized buying from relatives, treating it as a favor. For family members like Miao Qiulian, they couldn't arbitrarily set prices.

Duck eggs were priced slightly higher, and collecting more wouldn't increase their profit margin. They were mainly doing it to maintain business relationships and help others sell their products. Their primary focus remained on selling chicken eggs.

As for Lai Fu Restaurant, there weren't many large-scale chicken and duck farmers. Buying duck eggs from small vendors and merchants was sufficient. Thus, Pei Yan wasn't worried. Just like in the village, people in Ning Shui Town consumed more chicken eggs.

Gu Lanshi agreed, "Alright, I'll ask Mother later to see how many duck eggs she has."

After packing all the eggs, Pei Yan carried a large bamboo basket out the door. Dahei and the others were guarding the donkey and cart tightly at the entrance.

There were still two vegetable baskets on the cart. After Gu Lanshi placed a small egg basket on it, he took down the empty vegetable basket. Looking at Pei Yan, he said, "You stay here and move things. I'll go ask Mother and Sister-in-law. I'll take the egg baskets with me to see if we can gather another hundred eggs."

"Okay," Pei Yan agreed, reminding him, "I'll lead the cart over later. Once we load the eggs, we'll leave. Remember to take the key, or you won't be able to get back in."

"Alright, got it," Gu Lanshi nodded. Together, they went back inside. He grabbed the key from the house and carried several empty baskets.

Upon arriving home, he found the courtyard gate locked, with no one around. Asking the neighbors, he learned that his parents had taken their hoes, presumably heading to the fields. Gu Lanshi left the baskets inside the Zhou family's courtyard, entrusting them to keep an eye on them, before hurrying off to the fields.

*

Upon hearing about selling eggs, Miao Qiulian accompanied him back. Not long after they entered, Gu Lanyu, Hua Xishuang, and Zhu Ge'er arrived, leading the donkey and cart.

The cart was fully loaded with grass, leaving no space for anyone to sit. Gu Lanyu led the donkey in front, while Hua Xishuang and Zhu Ge'er followed behind, occasionally helping to push the cart or picking up fallen grass.

Similar to Gu Lanshi and Pei Yan, they had traveled a long distance to cut grass, utilizing the donkey to pull the cart. This method was much easier than manually carrying everything back, and they could even ride on the cart on the way there.

Now that the autumn harvest was over and there was no need to use the stone roller to flatten the fields, Gu Lanshi and Pei Yan would also bring the donkey along when cutting grass.

They didn't raise cattle, only owning a single donkey. They often traveled to town, sometimes feeling sorry for the animal, who couldn't speak and was forced to work tirelessly under their command.

Zhu Ge'er removed the threshold, allowing Gu Lanyu to lead the donkey cart inside. Seeing Gu Lanshi and Miao Qiulian packing eggs in the kitchen, he inquired.

Gu Lanshi briefly explained the situation, counting the eggs his mother had saved—only thirty-two chicken eggs and fifteen duck eggs. He stood up and said, "Then I'll go ask Eldest Sister-in-law and Second Sister-in-law."

"Okay, go ahead," Miao Qiulian responded, helping him carry the bamboo basket filled with eggs to the courtyard. She added, "If it hadn't been for the stir-fry dish we made a couple of days ago and your father's craving for boiled eggs yesterday, we would have had forty eggs."

Before leaving the house, Liu Guihua stood at the courtyard gate, wiping her sweat and catching her breath as she asked with a smile, "Brother Lan, are you collecting eggs?"

Gu Lanshi spoke up, "Yes, Auntie, do you have any eggs?"

Liu Guihua had just returned from gathering grass, and her basket was still in front of his house; she hadn't even gone inside yet. Hearing her daughter-in-law say that Gu Lanshi might be collecting eggs, she hurried over to ask.

Hearing that there was a possibility, she hastily replied, "Yes, yes, I have two or thirty at home, and there are duck eggs too."

Gu Lanshi thought for a moment and said, "If Auntie is willing, I'll come over and count them."

"Alright!" Liu Guihua beamed with joy.

Miao Qiulian followed her to the next door, while Zhu Ge'er and Hua Xishuang also came to join in the fun. Seeing this, Liu Guihua asked her daughter-in-law to bring out the egg basket from the kitchen to count them in the courtyard.

"Brother Lan, what price are the eggs selling for?" Liu Guihua asked.

Gu Lanshi didn't hide anything and said, "Auntie, four coins each. That's how much the store buys them for, and others sell their eggs for the same price."

Looking at her husband Zhou Ping, Liu Guihua glanced at him. Zhou Ping nodded; he hadn't been to town these few days, but the price was the same as previous years.

Doing business for others was different from doing it for oneself. Miao Qiulian noticed their expressions but didn't say anything. She thought to herself that their Lanshi never deceived anyone; he couldn't even make a profit from collecting other people's eggs.

However, Pei Yan and Gu Lanshi did benefit from this, but she didn't show it on her face since it wasn't a big deal.

"Twenty-five eggs, ten duck eggs," Gu Lanshi put all the eggs into the compartments and stood up, saying, "Auntie, duck eggs are five coins each. These total one hundred fifty coins. Once Pei Yan sells them in town, he will settle the payment immediately."

Living so close and having watched him grow up, if it were someone else, Liu Guihua would be a bit uneasy, but Gu Lanshi was different. She smiled and said, "That's fine, that's fine."

With fifty-seven eggs now, they only needed five more duck eggs. Seeing his brother nearby, Gu Lanshi said with a smile, "Zhu Ge'er, go ask Da-ge and Er-ge's wives to see if they have any eggs. If they do, five duck eggs will be enough. Help carry them to our house. Pei Yan will go straight to town from our doorstep, which will be convenient."

"Okay." Zhu Ge'er didn't refuse.

Gu Lanshi carried the bamboo basket out, and when the old man across the street saw him, he asked if he was collecting eggs.

Because the old man was a bit hard of hearing, Gu Lanshi shouted, "Old man, how many do you have?"

The old man took a moment to react, clearly not hearing clearly. After Gu Lanshi walked over and asked again loudly, he held up two fingers and said, "Twenty."

Zhang Chunhua and Li Yue had fewer hens, about twelve or thirteen, and with children at home, they would occasionally boil eggs for their little ones to eat. The eggs they saved wouldn't be too many, so he collected the twenty eggs from the household across the street.

Because the old man's hearing was poor, he explained several times that the money would be paid once Pei Yan returned. Only then did the old man stop asking when he could get the money.

Unlike chickens and ducks, they didn't earn a markup on eggs and duck eggs. If the eggs broke on the road, it was their problem. Several households nearby came to inquire about selling their eggs to him.

Gu Lanshi thought about it and, with seventy-seven eggs, said it was enough and stopped collecting.

Coincidentally, Zhu Ge'er called over Zhang Chunhua and Li Yue. Both of them brought half a basket of eggs. He collected from his family members, and others couldn't cause trouble; they just watched from the side.

Pei Yan led the donkey into the village from the back. Seeing everyone gathered in front of the Gu family's house, he parked the cart in front of Zhou Ping's house first.

"These are five duck eggs, and twenty eggs each, all counted," Zhang Chunhua said with a smile. She and Li Yue had discussed it; whole numbers were easier to remember and settle accounts, so Gu Lanshi and Pei Yan wouldn't have to bother counting them again.

"Good." Gu Lanshi agreed and, together with them, stuffed the eggs into the compartments.

Seeing Pei Yan standing behind the crowd, he pointed to the basket containing the duck eggs and said, "Thirty duck eggs are enough. Put them together with the earlier ones. There are a total of one hundred seventeen eggs. Is that enough?"

"That's enough." Pei Yan nodded. Without him needing to do anything, Dog helped carry them over and placed them in the duck egg basket with him.

Gu Lanshi instructed, "Auntie Guihua has twenty-five eggs and ten duck eggs, totaling one hundred fifty coins. Old Man Wang has twenty eggs, eighty coins. Settle everything upon your return."

There were quite a few people around, and by stating the amounts clearly, everyone could hear, serving as a witness so that no one could say that the money was short behind their backs.

"Mm, understood." Pei Yan remembered the amounts, said goodbye to Miao Qiulian and the others, and left with the donkey.

After the rush, they finally got everything ready. Gu Lanshi sighed in relief and chatted idly with his two sisters-in-law, telling them that the egg money would also be given after Pei Yan returned.

Li Yue smiled warmly and said, "What's the rush? Delivering them to people should be the priority."

Miao Qiulian chatted with others at the door, mentioning how her son and son-in-law's business was getting better and better. Although she was modest, her laughter was clearly more cheerful.

*

Big Black lazily lay in the courtyard basking in the sun, while Gray and Gray Jr. did the same. The three large dogs each occupied a spot, not disturbing each other.

At noon, the sun was a bit strong. Gu Lanshi sat in the main room drinking tea. Pei Yan would take some time to return, so cooking would have to be delayed.

Not counting the collected eggs, they had two hundred chicken eggs and thirty duck eggs of their own. At four coins each, they could sell nine hundred fifty coins today.

Adding fifty coins would make it one tael.

Without calculating, it was fine, but once he did the math, Gu Lanshi's eyes shone brightly, and he grinned foolishly, even laughing out loud.

Two hundred eggs usually sold for only six hundred coins. With such a significant increase, how could he not be happy?

Villagers sold eggs to supplement their household expenses. Even raising a few less could earn a bit. They raised more, so they could make a substantial profit when egg prices were high.

Suddenly, remembering the money bag Pei Yan had left on the table, he jumped up almost running into the kitchen to fetch it.

The money bag wasn't very heavy. He weighed it in his hand and happily returned to sit in the main room.

They didn't pick many vegetables this morning, and only forty-eight eggs were taken. Now it was good; he opened the money bag and poured all the copper coins onto the table. Didn't he have exactly fifty coins now?

Big Black heard unrestrained laughter and twitched his ears, looking towards the main room in confusion.

Gu Lanshi was immersed in the joy of earning one tael and didn't notice the dog watching him at all.

*

Snap—

The whip cracked in the air, and the donkey pulling the empty cart ran faster.

Compared to the caution on the way there, he could now run completely unrestricted.

All the eggs had been delivered to Lai Fu Restaurant, leaving only three broken ones in the basket, one of which had its yolk oozing out. But Pei Yan didn't mind; his heart was filled with an indescribable warmth and vigor, urging him to rush back home to count the money with his husband.

Since some of the egg money belonged to others, he asked Chef Wu to mix silver fragments and copper coins when settling the accounts. Gu Lanshi had instructed him to clear everyone's debts upon returning to the village.

This worked out well; after going back, the remaining money would be theirs alone, no need for further calculations.

The wind whistled past his ears as the sun shone brightly, casting a warm glow on his body. The sky was a brilliant blue, the ground flat, and the donkey cart raced towards Xiaohe Village.

*

Without the weight of goods, it ran faster than usual, causing the wooden cart to rattle loudly. Pei Yan only slowed down the donkey by pulling on the reins once they entered the village.

The hooves clattered against the ground, the donkey tired from the journey, moving slowly forward.

A few people were by the roadside, acquaintances at best. Pei Yan greeted them, mostly elders, but since Fang Honghua wasn't seen chatting at the ancestral home's entrance, he didn't stop.

Seeing Pei Huzi emerge from the Pei residence carrying a bamboo basket and a sickle, Pei Yan's enthusiasm remained undiminished, but his gaze grew distant, sweeping past the other without any pause.

Pei Huzi froze like a mouse encountering a cat, his heart pounding, not daring to move until the donkey cart passed. Then, he wiped away the cold sweat that may or may not have been there.

Pei Yan and Gu Lanshi's business was thriving, earning them a substantial amount. They bought chickens and ducks from villagers to sell for profit, a fact known to all the Peis, yet none dared to get close to them. Living in the same village, even if they didn't see each other every day, they would occasionally run into each other on the road.

No one in the family dared to approach Pei Yan; that would be asking for trouble. They pretended not to know him, making life a little easier.

Pei Yan didn't provoke many people, but those who did have a grudge against him. There were a few in the village who enjoyed kicking someone when they were down. Seeing Pei Sheng crippled and Pei Huzi as the only able-bodied man in the family, they openly mocked and ridiculed them, sometimes even bullied them. It was only because Fang Yun had two sons, the elder already seven or eight years old, that the family had male descendants to protect them from being too harshly bullied.

Pei Huzi scurried away, not daring to look back.

On the other side, after arriving at the Gu residence, Pei Yan first parked the donkey cart in front of the door. Old Lady Wang sat on the threshold waiting. Upon seeing him return, she hurriedly waved and called out, "Boy Yan."

Pei Yan got off the cart, patted the donkey's neck to keep it there, then headed to the opposite door. He took out a money pouch from his chest and said, "Old Lady, eighty cash for twenty eggs."

Seeing her cupping her ear to listen intently, he smiled and held up his thumb and index finger to form an "eight," allowing the elderly lady to understand.

Pei Yan took out a handful of copper coins from the pouch and squatted down, counting them in front of her.

When collecting the eggs, Gu Lanshi had told Old Lady Wang that one egg was worth four cash. Seeing Pei Yan place the money meant for him on the ground, Old Lady Wang quickly squatted down, her eyes fixed tightly on the coins, muttering to herself.

"Seventy-nine, eighty." Pei Yan pushed the small pile of copper coins closer to the old husband, pointing with his fingers and saying, "Old Lady, you count it."

His voice wasn't very loud, and Old Lady Wang didn't hear clearly, but she understood the meaning. She counted them herself, and after finishing, her wrinkled face broke into a smile. "It's enough."

Pei Yan didn't linger long, getting up to head to the Zhou residence.

Bamboo Brother saw the donkey cart coming out of the gate and laughed. "Brother Yan, I said it, the donkey is back."

"Is Mother-in-law at home?" Pei Yan asked.

Bamboo Brother nodded. "Yes."

Pei Yan walked while saying, "Good, I'll settle the payment with Auntie and then come in."

*

At the wicker gate, Gu Lanshi anxiously awaited his return, calculating the time, knowing he should be back soon.

Big Black ran back from the riverbank, seeing Gu Lanshi still there, growling softly in his throat. Upon reaching him, the furry head rubbed against Gu Lanshi's leg.

"Woof!"

Gray and Gray Jr. chased each other through the woods, occasionally snapping at each other or fighting. As long as it didn't get too violent, Gu Lanshi left them be.

Suddenly, Big Black's ears perked up, running towards the forest. Gray and Gray Jr. also seemed to sense something, barking incessantly in the direction of the village.

"Pei Yan?"

Gu Lanshi hadn't seen anyone yet, but seeing the dogs' reaction, he shouted towards the forest.

"It's me."

Hearing the drawn-out reply, Gu Lanshi burst into laughter, walking a few steps towards the forest, where Pei Yan's figure, leading the donkey cart, gradually became clearer.

As he approached, Gu Lanshi's face lit up with joy. "Dinner is ready. After you left, two more hens laid eggs. I scrambled them into several pancakes; not many, just enough for this meal."

"Mm-hmm." Pei Yan's eyes also held a smile. "All the accounts have been settled."

Gu Lanshi was so delighted he didn't know what to say, rushing ahead to open the wicker gate wide for the donkey cart to enter.

Once inside their own home, he asked with joy, "Eat first or count the money?"

Pei Yan's heart was still warm. "Count the money first. This time, I gave out a few silver fragments; it will be quicker to count."

Gu Lanshi was almost giddy, smiling foolishly, spreading his arms wide like a child, taking two playful steps forward.

Pei Yan had long discovered that his husband would act like a child when overly happy, not knowing what else to do. His star-like eyes slightly curved as he watched, finding nothing ridiculous about it.

Even though he was in a hurry, Pei Yan first untied the harness, leading the donkey to the backyard to rest before sitting down with Gu Lanshi to count the money.

Copper coins clattered onto the table as he said, "The silver fragments are all one tael each."

Gu Lanshi picked out the silver fragments first, a total of eight pieces. He exclaimed happily, "Eight taels."

"Mm-hmm, there should be one hundred fifty cash in copper coins." Pei Yan had calculated this on the way, remembering the three eggs in the basket. He added, "No, twelve cash less. Three eggs were broken, so they weren't accepted."

"In that case..." Gu Lanshi pursed his lips in thought. "One hundred thirty-eight cash."

He took out the money pouch Pei Yan had left in the morning, his eyes curving into a smile. "I've counted this; there are over two hundred cash here. Perfect, it adds up to one tael of silver."

Almost forgot about this; they had taken forty-eight eggs this morning, hence the earnings.

Hearing Gu Lanshi exhale deeply, Pei Yan chuckled. "What? Not happy?"

Gu Lanshi looked up, his eyes sparkling. "I'm too happy. Just eggs, selling for a thousand cash in a day. I never dreamed of this before."

Pei Yan gazed at him without blinking, the corners of his lips curving upwards, his eyes brimming with tenderness.