Chapter 21

The little one kept leaning against the basket, staring at the chicks and ducklings inside, and Lin Xi didn’t bother to stop her.

When they got home, the old man driving the ox cart saw she had bought so many things that he even took the trouble to deliver them right to her doorstep. Lin Xi thanked him repeatedly, and Tian Yufen stuffed two scallion pancakes into his hands.

Seeing Lin Xi had bought so much, Tian Yufen went back inside and dug out ten yuan to give her.

“Mom, what are you doing?”

“Xiaoxi, I know you only like eating white rice. From now on, the white rice we eat at home will be the kind you buy. As for the kids, it’s fine as long as they’re full. If they eat too many treats, they’ll get picky.

We’ll save wherever we can. As for meat, let’s just go get some twice a month. Does that sound alright?”

Lin Xi understood. Yes—most families in this era were just trying to fill their stomachs. Who could afford to buy like she did, picking up meat every couple of days?

She didn’t take the ten yuan. Instead, she asked:

“Mom, do you know how much I sold today?”

Tian Yufen hadn’t expected her to sell out. The seasoning and milk powder in the blue cloth bag beside her, she assumed, were leftovers that didn’t sell. So she asked:

“How much?”

“Around a hundred or two, I guess! I didn’t count carefully. We can count later and see exactly.”

“How much?!!”

Tian Yufen was stunned.

“You put these chicks and ducklings away first, and then we’ll go count the money.”

In a daze, Tian Yufen put the poultry into a bamboo basket, then carried the whole basket into the main room.

Once Gu Yang saw his little sister was safe, he relaxed. The siblings were now happily eating candied hawthorn skewers.

Pulled into the bedroom by Lin Xi, Tian Yufen saw her pull a large wad of cash from inside her underclothes and place it on the bed.

“All this… this money really came from selling those things today?”

“Mm. And not just this—what I used to buy things also came from here. The fifteen yuan you gave me is still here!”

They counted it all, tied it with rubber bands, and found that today’s income came to 165 yuan and 30 cents.

Tian Yufen was in disbelief.

“How could it be that much?”

Lin Xi smiled.

“That’s only because we didn’t have time to make more. If we’d made more, we could’ve sold even more.”

“Then I’ll head to the fields earlier these days, and once I’m done, I’ll come back and help you make things. We’ll make more.

It’s just that we don’t have much cloth left, though there’s still enough yarn.”

“No problem. Once the cloth’s gone, we just won’t make the fabric ones anymore. We’ll only make the yarn ones.”

Tian Yufen, still delighted by how profitable this all was, looked puzzled.

“Why not keep making them? They make so much money!”

She wasn’t complaining—just couldn’t understand why Lin Xi would suddenly stop, especially since a few days of work at home brought in far more than backbreaking fieldwork.

Lin Xi understood her and patiently explained:

“Mom, the cloth ones are too easy to make. Once people buy them, they’ll figure out how to make them themselves.

When more people start making them, we won’t be able to sell at a high price anymore. Cloth is expensive—if we can’t make a profit, what’s the point?”

Tian Yufen finally understood and nodded.

“That’s true. We’re making money now because we’re the only ones selling. If others sell too, the price will get driven down.

But still… such a profitable business! It’s a pity to drop it.”

“It’s fine. The yarn ones aren’t so easy for them to copy yet.”

“Alright then. Let’s finish up the cloth we have left first.

How much do you think we can make? You didn’t even bring half of what we have today—just more hairbands than anything.

Xiaoxi, you’re so clever. There’s no young wife in ten villages around with your skills. I’m so lucky.”

“You treat me so well too, so I’m lucky as well.”

“……”

“Grandma, grandma, the duckling died!”

“Grandma, the ducky got a bath!”

The two little ones were wailing. When they heard “duckling died,” both Tian Yufen and Lin Xi rushed out to check—

“You rascal, what nonsense are you spouting? The duck’s fine!” That was to Gu Yang.

“Xingxing, be good. The ducky’s fine, it was just sleeping,” Lin Xi coaxed the little girl.

Gu Yang still had tear streaks on his cheeks as he stared blankly at the flock of poultry.

“They all stepped on it, and then it just lay there not moving. Me and sister thought it got squashed to death… How come it’s alive again?”

“Don’t talk nonsense. They’re all fine! Take Xingxing to play. I’ll cook noodles for you later.”

Hearing “noodles,” the two immediately brightened, forgot to wipe their tears, and ran off hand in hand.

Lin Xi and Tian Yufen tidied up the things they’d bought. That’s when Tian Yufen noticed there were still many seasonings in the blue cloth bag.

“Xiaoxi, we still have the star anise and cinnamon we bought earlier, and we haven’t even used them yet. Why’d you buy more?”

Looking at the seasonings, Lin Xi knew why—she hadn’t used the ones from before because the meat they’d bought recently was especially fresh and lean. She couldn’t bear to braise it with heavy spices—stir-frying kept it fragrant, and soups kept it fresh.

But this time she planned to make some braised meat to try, and next time she went to town, she could take some to sell.

Living in such a remote village with inconvenient travel meant there weren’t many chances to make money. Since she wasn’t sure if she’d be staying, small business was the way to go for now.

“Mom, I’ll keep these. I’ll make something tasty for you to try later.”

She didn’t say what exactly she planned to make, just told her to let her know a day in advance when the village was going to slaughter pigs.

After putting everything away, they went to the kitchen to make noodles for dinner. Lin Xi wasn’t very hungry—she and little Gu Xing had already had small wontons in town at noon.

When the egg noodles were nearly done, Tian Yufen called out from the doorway. The two children came running from who knew where.

The little rascals were covered in leaves and mud. After Tian Yufen washed them clean, the noodles were ready.

The egg noodles had a few tender greens, garnished with chopped scallions, looking fresh and appetizing. Lin Xi had made some chili oil from dried peppers and spices; adding a little to the two big bowls made the color even better.

The family was eating happily when Gu Yang suddenly asked:

“Grandma, what’s a little demon?”

The question made Tian Yufen pause mid-bite, and Lin Xi almost choked on her noodles. Was it the kind of “little demon” she was thinking of?

Instead of answering, Tian Yufen asked him:

“Who told you that?”