Chapter 216

Chapter 216

"Stars, big-eyed stars."

Bamboo Brother cooed at Little Star, and as the child giggled, he smiled warmly.

In early winter, the world was desolate, and with no urgent farm work to attend to, the peasants could finally catch a break. With enough firewood, grain, and fodder stored for the winter, there was no rush to dig up roots or gather firewood. They could now venture out whenever they pleased.

With someone to help hold the baby, Gu Lanshi finally had his hands free to wash Little Star's clothes and diapers in the courtyard.

"When you left, did you tell your mother you were coming here?" He asked while scrubbing clothes in front of a wooden basin.

"I did, how else would I have come out?" Bamboo Brother said, walking over with Little Star in his arms.

"It's almost time for lunch. Why don't you hold the baby for a bit? I'll finish washing these and start cooking. We can eat here for noon." Gu Lanshi suggested.

"Alright," Bamboo Brother agreed readily, adding, "When I came over, Mother mentioned that I should be more observant. If I don't return home for meals, she'll know I'm eating here."

Gu Lanshi chuckled, not stopping his hand movements.

Pei Yan had gone to town to deliver eggs. Just like last year, restaurants and taverns required large quantities of eggs and dried vegetables. If he didn't act quickly, the prices for eggs and vegetables would rise. He had packed several baskets of dried vegetables, planning to sell them in the city after delivering the eggs, where the prices were better. Therefore, he wouldn't be back until the afternoon.

Liu Dagé had gone up the mountain to cut bamboo, leaving only Gu Lanshi at home.

Before Bamboo Brother arrived, Gu Lanshi had been contemplating how he'd need to place the cradle by the kitchen door when cooking. Otherwise, if Little Star woke up and found no one nearby, he would cry incessantly. As long as he heard some noise and someone occasionally checked on him, he would lie quietly in the cradle, playing by himself.

"Lanshi Brother, did you know that Mei Brother went back to his maternal home yesterday?" Bamboo Brother asked.

Gu Lanshi looked up. "I didn't leave the house yesterday, so I didn't see him. But I did hear from your Brother Pei Yan that he saw Mei Brother's husband."

Bamboo Brother continued, "They didn't stay long before leaving again. I only heard about it from Mother. Mei Brother is pregnant, already four months along."

Gu Lanshi was surprised yet unsurprised, smiling. "Mei Brother has truly endured hardship and now enjoys good fortune. The Zhao family doesn't dare cause trouble anymore, and even their household's situation has improved."

Bamboo Brother adjusted Little Star in his arms. "Indeed. When Mother mentioned the Zhao family yesterday, she was still seething with anger. They ruined perfectly good clothes, making them stink. If it weren't for Fang Cuiqiu's family now keeping a low profile, they would have suffered consequences."

He paused but couldn't resist continuing, "Lanshi Brother, do you know about Pei Huizi's husband?"

Pei Huizi?

Gu Lanshi fished out a small pair of pants from the wooden basin, scrubbing as he spoke. "Yes, wasn't he the one exchanged for Pei Chunyan?"

"That's him, Wang Ya'er from Wang's Gully, on the other side of town, quite far away. He's quite adept at socializing, getting along well with all the neighbors. He's much better at handling people than those few from the Pei family. The other day, Mother and I passed by his house, and Wang Ya'er called out to Mother as Auntie."

"Mother, who was originally cold towards the Pei family because of Brother Pei Yan, especially Ye Jinrong, said that since he's newly married, he might not know certain things. Since he greeted us with a smile, she responded to maintain face. Mother also mentioned that the Pei family has always been plagued with troubles, so it's best to keep our distance."

"I've heard he's quite capable, keeping a tight rein on food and drink. Not even Ye Jinrong, let alone Fang Yun, can match his authority over his wife. He has Pei Huizi completely under control. But these are just rumors; who knows what he's really like."

"Mm-hmm." Gu Lanshi nodded vaguely. In truth, he had met Wang Ya'er. Being from the same village, it was inevitable to bump into each other when visiting the village. He never spoke, and Wang Ya'er seemed to know something, remaining silent as well.

"Wang Ya'er is alright, but his brother, Pei Chunyan's husband, is another story. The last time he brought Pei Chunyan back to her maternal home, my younger sister-in-law and I were working in the fields and ran into them."

Bamboo Brother sighed. "Lanshi Brother, you didn't see it. That man was clearly older, and Pei Chunyan was so thin. Even though they were returning to her maternal home, she wore a blank expression, not speaking to anyone, just lowering her head as she passed by."

"But her clothes were nice, clean without any patches. Her hair, tied up, had a silk flower pinned in it. It was much better than when she was at the Pei family's."

Regarding Pei Chunyan, even without her connection to Pei Yan, viewing her as a stranger, Gu Lanshi felt the same sympathy as Bamboo Brother, sighing. "Everyone has their own destiny, which others cannot interfere with. Perhaps her husband is a good person."

"Hmph, who knows for sure." Bamboo Brother sighed in an old-soul manner, clearly mimicking his mother's tone.

Gu Lanshi couldn't help but curve his lips into a smile.

After finishing the laundry, he got up and entered the kitchen to cook. During this time, Liu Dagé returned with the bamboo. As Pei Yan had said in the morning, he didn't show up until lunchtime.

Liu Dagé fed the pigs, donkeys, chickens, and ducks, then thoroughly cleaned the chicken coop.

Pei Yan had instructed that the chicken coop must be kept clean due to its stuffy environment. The chicken droppings and dirt had to be cleared regularly, or it would harm the hens.

Thirty hens slept on warm low platforms at night, the heat warming the layer of straw above. During the day, when hungry, they would come down to eat and drink water. Gu Lanshi could find eggs daily in the straw, sometimes as many as thirty in a single day.

Having gained experience from raising chickens last year, both he and Pei Yan knew how to feed them properly. Whether it was herbs or garlic, they would grind and chop them, mixing them into the chicken feed. They also fed fish scraps frequently. With these provisions, the hens laid eggs prolifically.

Not long after lunch, Bamboo Brother returned home. There was work to be done, and he couldn't play with Little Star all day.

Gu Lanshi fed Little Star some breast milk, soothing him to sleep. Seeing Liu Dagé chopping bamboo outside the courtyard gate, he closed the east room's doors and windows securely, then lay down to sleep with the child.

*

Pei Yan and the wind and snow entered together.

The first snow wasn't very powerful, with snowflakes and sleet mixed, drifting lazily down.

Liu Dagé helped untie the cart harness, and Pei Yan lifted down a dozen or so bamboo baskets. Snowflakes landed on his shoulders, quickly melting into his thick clothing, disappearing without a trace.

Gu Lanshi put on his clothes and shoes, rushing out of the room with a smile. "You're back."

"Mm-hmm." A smile appeared in Pei Yan's eyes as he said, "All the eggs are sold. There's half a basket of dried vegetables left."

"Good luck," Gu Lanshi said with a smile, moving forward to help.

"This one contains a dozen or so cracked eggs that I brought back." Pei Yan lifted a small egg basket.

Gu Lanshi asked, "Didn't you sell them at a lower price?"

Pei Yan placed the small egg basket at the kitchen entrance. After Liu Dagé finished untying the cart harness, he pushed the empty cart toward the woodshed, using force to prop it upright against the eaves. Finally, he patted off the dust on his body, saying, "I intended to sell them, but I encountered an incident in the city."

Gu Lanshi looked curious. He opened the egg basket, removing the top layer of egg trays, revealing the layer below. Two eggs had broken, with yolk and liquid oozing out. He made a sucking sound.

The three dogs immediately surrounded him. He took out the rotten eggs and let the dogs lick and eat them.

"There was a disturbance in front of a restaurant. Someone claimed that after eating the food, they vomited and had diarrhea, blaming it on the unclean dishes."

Pei Yan moved seven or eight empty bamboo baskets into the new storage room. With the snow falling, it wasn't ideal to leave them outside. Upon exiting, he added, "I overheard some talk about the food and meat at that restaurant being unsatisfactory—apparently, they had been sitting around for days, and even the eggs were rotten."

"Regardless of whether this is true or not, it did give me a reminder. Consider this: although the eggs cracked on the way, if someone buys them and later claims they're bad, blaming us for their stomachache, it's better to bring them back. We can eat them ourselves or feed them to the dogs."

Upon hearing this, Gu Lanshi nodded in agreement. "Indeed, we should stop selling eggs altogether. Why risk trouble over a few coins?"

He fetched a bowl from the kitchen, removing bits of straw from the eggs before carefully placing all eleven into the bowl. He then asked, "Have you eaten?"

Pei Yan lifted the remaining baskets, replying, "Yes, I ate in the city. At a mixed offal stall, I ordered a bowl of mixed offal soup with meat and two baked flatbreads. It cost twenty-five coins."

Aware of his appetite, Gu Lanshi inquired further, "Are you full? If not, I can start cooking right away and make some egg pancakes with these eggs."

Pei Yan paused for a moment, smiling as he said, "No need. A few pastries will do. Let's save the egg pancakes for dinner. Otherwise, if I make them now, I won't finish them, and by dinnertime, they'll be cold. The mixed offal soup was expensive, served in a large bowl. I even got a refill of hot soup for free. After eating, I headed back, so I'm not very hungry."

Gu Lanshi nodded. "That's fine. We have plenty of plum cakes and apricot preserves."

After securing everything in the yard, the snowflakes grew larger.

Seeing Liu Dagé emerge from the backyard—he had just tethered the donkey—Gu Lanshi thought for a moment and placed four eggs in another bowl, handing it to Pei Yan.

Pei Yan understood immediately, saying, "Brother Liu, these eggs may have cracked, but they're still edible. Take them back while the snow isn't too heavy."

"Sure thing," Liu Dagé replied, rubbing his hands together gratefully. His eyes filled with appreciation as he took the bowl and hurried out.

This summer, he earned more than one tael of silver by catching scorpions, nearly reaching two taels. He was cautious, never venturing deep into the mountains like Pei Yan and Gu Lanyu, who dared to search for venomous insects in the mountain ravines, each earning over three taels. Despite this, he was content.

Their family's living conditions had improved significantly. He and his husband had agreed that this year, they would buy a piece of cloth to make new shoes for both children and purchase two red ribbons for Little Jujube.

They were poor, and even their children looked unkempt. This year, they could finally dress up for the New Year.

*

Inside the house, Little Star had just woken up, held by his father, staring with wide eyes at his mother, who was counting money with a smile.

Pei Yan was adept at holding his son, who remained quiet in his arms. He kissed his chubby cheek, making Little Star grin.

He learned this from Gu Lanshi. Initially, he was a bit awkward, but now, he would kiss his son without hesitation. Gu Lanshi sometimes gently nibbled on his little hands and face, showing how much he adored him.

Pei Yan gently shook his son's small arm, chuckling. "We didn't sell the eggs individually in town today. We sold 220 to Lai Fu Restaurant, calculating at 200, which is one tael. Tong Chun Restaurant bought fewer, 110 eggs, for five hundred cash."

That adds up to one tael and five hundred cash. Gu Lanshi held the white, fragmented silver pieces in his hand, grinning widely.

Pei Yan continued, "The rest were taken to the city. Brother Hua wanted 200 eggs, at six cash each, totaling one tael and two hundred cash. I also gave him that basket of dried vegetables, which he said would come in handy for drinking sessions with the kitchen staff."

Those were the items Gu Lanshi had asked him to take along—dried bamboo shoots, gourd strips, and other such things. Homemade dried vegetables weren't worth much, but in winter, fresh vegetables were scarce in the city.

"I also went to Golden Orchid Lane, where two households had run out of eggs. The maids and servants came out, and one household bought sixty eggs at seven cash each, earning eight hundred and forty cash. Then, I sold thirty-six more eggs individually, which should amount to two thousand five hundred and twenty cash."

"As for the dried vegetables, prices for items like purslane were the same in the city and town, not very valuable. The value lies in the quantity. When I encountered a buyer who wanted a lot, I gave them an extra handful."

Today, they brought nearly seven hundred eggs, accumulated over some time, and finally sold them all. From now on, only the thirty hens in the chicken coop would lay eggs.

However, when the weather was good, they might occasionally find a few eggs in the coop, which felt like discovering treasure—a rare treat indeed.

They carried around eleven egg baskets of various sizes. The cart had limited space, so they packed several baskets of dried vegetables and half a basket of radishes and a dozen Chinese cabbage tightly inside.

Pei Yan shook the rattle drum for his son, then said, "The vegetables, plus a few braids of garlic, sold for around three hundred cash. Considering Brother Liu will be joining us for meals this year, I plan to sell a couple more rounds. After that, we'll keep the rest. It's still early before spring greens sprout, so having more food at home isn't a problem."

Gu Lanshi nodded in agreement, waiting until he finished speaking before beginning to count the money.

Pei Yan fell silent, understanding that counting money was a significant task, especially for Gu Lanshi, and he didn't want to disturb him.

They had three taels and five hundred cash in silver fragments and five hundred and ninety copper coins. Without considering the change, they earned four taels today.

Gu Lanshi sighed contentedly, saying, "Since early autumn, with a hundred hens laying eggs, we've made over ten taels. Raising chickens is truly profitable."

Experiencing success, the hard work seemed insignificant.

The rattle drum echoed, capturing Little Star's attention. He laughed occasionally, delighted by the sound. Pei Yan sat down on the edge of the kang bed with his son in his arms, saying, "When things calm down later, Brother Liu and I will tidy up the pigsty area to the east. Next spring, we'll raise another batch of chicks. Hens lay the most eggs during their first couple of years."

Gu Lanshi nodded cheerfully, a decision they had discussed before. Each time it was mentioned, however, his heart still swelled with joy.

He emptied the silver fragments from the money bag and counted them. Including today's earnings, they had a total of thirteen taels and eight hundred cash.

As for the copper coins, most came from vegetable sales. Strings of coins were mostly whole sums of one hundred cash, totaling approximately three or four taels. In rural areas, copper coins were used most frequently for daily expenses.

With just this amount, they could enjoy good food and drink for half a year. If they were slightly frugal, it might last them an entire year.

After putting the money away, Gu Lanshi felt a sense of security. Locking the chest, he took the rattle drum from Pei Yan and shook it for Little Star, saying, "If we raise more chicks next year, we'll have fifty or so old hens. Before selling them, we'll still need to feed them, so we'll need to gather even more grass."

"It's perfect timing. With the snow outside, you can entertain Little Star while I make a cloth carrier. By next year, when he's a bit older, we can carry him while working."

Without delay, he handed the rattle drum back to Pei Yan.

Dong dong dong—the sound slowed as Pei Yan seemed lost in thought. Little Star reached out to grab the rattle drum. His tiny hands couldn't hold it, so Pei Yan inserted the wooden handle into his plump palm and helped him hold it steady.

"Why don't we hire another long-term worker next year?"

Gu Lanshi had just found two pieces of cloth, contemplating whether to choose a brighter or darker color. Embroidering a tiger head on it would be even better, and he planned to add some decorative patterns to the straps. Since it was for carrying a child, he wanted to make it beautiful. There was less work during the winter, so he had time to make it look nice.

Hearing this, he raised his head, looking somewhat puzzled. Didn't they already have a long-term worker?

Pei Yan spoke calmly, "With Little Star here, there will be one more mouth to feed. I'm thinking of buying another two mu of land, preferably dry fields. Wheat and soybeans can be planted twice a year, increasing our food supply."

"This way, we'll have six mu of land, and we'll still have pigs and chickens to raise. Having another long-term worker means there will be help with gathering grass and fieldwork. I can manage the vegetable garden at home without worrying about accommodation. They're all men, so they can sleep in the west room with Liu Dagé."

"As for you and the child, you can focus on gathering wild vegetables occasionally and gathering grass when needed. You won't have to work too hard."

Noticing Gu Lanshi's thoughtful expression, Pei Yan smiled and added, "Even if a long-term worker costs two hundred cash per month, it's only two taels and four hundred cash annually. It's comparable to raising an additional pig."

"If we really hire two full-time workers next year, raising ten pigs wouldn't be an issue—it'd all balance out."

This year, Fei Yan was quite exhausted from tending to eleven or twelve pigs and gathering grass for them. Having an extra pair of hands indeed sounded appealing, except for the matter of cultivating two more acres of land and rearing forty to fifty chicks next year.

Gu Lanshi gradually became convinced, hesitatingly speaking up, "It does sound good. By the way, will you raise Brother Liu's wages next year?"

Fei Yan replied, "He's done well, very dedicated. Let's increase his pay by thirty wen. Starting from February next year, it'll be one hundred and eighty wen per month."

If a full-time worker performed well, a raise of twenty to thirty wen in the second year wasn't uncommon. They were here to sell their labor, relying on wage increases as a source of hope.

They weren't wealthy landowners, and hiring two full-time workers in the countryside was somewhat excessive. Afraid that Gu Lanshi might have second thoughts, Fei Yan pressed while the iron was hot, adding, "With two full-time workers, I can manage the vegetable garden at home. There won't be a need for Grandma to call over Old Lady and Old Man to water and fertilize the vegetables. I can handle it all myself and still have time to rest. When running errands in the capital city, I won't have to worry about neglecting the fields."

At the prospect of having some downtime, Gu Lanshi was immediately swayed. In summer, Fei Yan would still go out at night to catch venomous scorpions and cicadas; with this arrangement, he could work less during the day.

Laying the cloth flat on the kang bed, he said, "Alright then, let's hire another person. We should inquire around more thoroughly and find someone reliable and honest."

"Of course," Fei Yan agreed with a smile, sealing the deal on this matter.