Chapter 61: Collecting and Slaughtering Chickens

While Jiang Liyun was busy, Feng Yi was selling fried chicken.

Previously, when Jiang Liyun came to sell fried chicken, he was always there, and regular customers mostly knew him.

“Hey, young man, why are you alone today?”

“Where’s that girl who sells fried chicken?”

“Is she busy with shop matters?”

…

Previously, when Jiang Liyun was there, she would chat with them. These customers hadn’t paid much attention to Feng Yi before, but now they noticed that he was good-looking and very likeable.

What made them even happier was that Feng Yi could call out their names just like Jiang Liyun.

This young man is really good!

Meanwhile, in a private clothing workshop, the boss, a woman in her thirties, frowned at Jiang Liping. “Jiang Liping, it’s bad enough that you don’t work properly when you come to work, but you’re doing other things during work hours. What are you doing?”

This private workshop was run by a married couple, operating out of their own home.

The wife managed the female workers who worked in their home, handled the finances, and also made clothes herself.

As for the husband, he was responsible for taking orders outside and delivering goods.

When they saw new styles of clothing outside, they would buy them and then make similar ones. These clothes were mainly supplied to clothing stores and stalls in the town and county.

It wasn’t easy to find opportunities to earn money nowadays, so the female workers making clothes here were generally very diligent, except for Jiang Liyun.

She only came quite late every day, took a long break at noon, and left work early in the evening.

Compared to those around her who worked from seven in the morning until seven at night, sometimes even overtime, she really didn’t fit in.

Today, her behaviour was even more unacceptable to the boss.

She didn’t know where she got a worn-out suit from and then used their fabric scraps to alter it.

Jiang Liping said, “We’re paid by piece rate here, not by the day. If I don’t work properly, it’s my own loss of income. What does it have to do with you? Why do you care what I do?”

The boss was left speechless.

Jiang Liping continued, “Even the sewing machine I use is from my own home. I’ve only used a little bit of your fabric scraps. Other people have used them too. If you want to complain, then complain about everyone, not just me.”

The boss could only remain silent.

Indeed, they were paid by piece rate here, and the female workers had to bring their own sewing machines. Jiang Liping worked less, which had no impact on them.

Seeing that the boss stopped talking, Jiang Liping took out some grey fabric, similar to the material of Sun Jinshan’s suit, and added a piece of sleeve to his black suit.

She had seen Sun Jinshan wear this suit before and found that the sleeves were a bit long. Adding a short piece would suffice.

After some thought, she also removed the collar of the suit and made a new one with the grey fabric.

As a result, the originally black suit now had grey cuffs and collars, making it look completely different from before.

The key was that the suit didn’t look bad at all.

Jiang Liping was very satisfied with her work.

The boss’s eyes lit up when she saw it. “This suit looks really good, and the fit is great.”

“That’s right,” Jiang Liping said.

“Let me borrow the suit to take a look,” the boss said.

“Then can you pay me for an extra piece?” Jiang Liping made a request. Recently, the boss had them make clothes and only paid five cents per piece, meaning five cents for one garment.

“Okay!”

Having obtained what she wanted, Jiang Liping generously handed the altered suit to the boss. “Just be careful not to damage it.”

The boss examined the suit for a long time, made a sample, and then said to her younger sister, who was the most skilled in their small workshop, “Make a few suits like this and try selling them.”

Her younger sister asked, “The same colour?”

The boss replied, “Yes. Our fabric isn’t great, and if we make ordinary suits, people won’t be interested. Making suits like this might catch their attention.”

She thought that the suit altered by Jiang Liping looked better than the typical suits on the street.

So, let’s make a few and see how they sell.

Jiang Liping, unaware of the boss’s plan, carried Sun Jinshan’s suit and went to the Li family after work.

Initially satisfied with her work, Jiang Liping was now somewhat dissatisfied, much like her dissatisfaction with the Li family.

When she arrived home, she happened to see Li Xuyang clamouring for fried chicken, looking exactly like a child in kindergarten.

“You’re back. Comfort Xuyang for me,” Li’s mother said to Jiang Liping.

Jiang Liping used to work as a nanny for a couple near the Li family, helping them with cooking and cleaning. She had a sweet mouth and could easily coax people, and the elderly couple treated her well. She could also eat well there.

She had inadvertently met Li Xuyang there.

Although Li Xuyang had a young mentality, he was already physically mature, like other men around him, and would have feelings for women.

He took the initiative to approach Jiang Liping, giving her any delicious food he could find. Jiang Liping was willing to coax him in return.

Now, Li Xuyang listened to Jiang Liping the most.

Jiang Liping gave Li Xuyang a coin. “Xuyang, take this money and buy fried □□.”

Li Xuyang couldn’t ride a bicycle and dared not go far. However, he could manage to go nearby to buy things like soy sauce. Going alone to buy fried chicken near the kindergarten where Jiang Liyun and the others sold it was not a problem.

Li Xuyang happily left with the money.

After he left, Jiang Liping said to Li’s father and mother, “I won’t get a marriage certificate with Li Xuyang.”

Li’s father’s and mother’s faces changed dramatically. “No! You’ve taken so many things from our family, and we’ve bought you a sewing machine and a bicycle.”

“I didn’t know that Li Xuyang’s illness would be hereditary! You didn’t tell me clearly from the beginning. This is a deceitful marriage!” Jiang Liping coldly snorted.

“How is it a deceitful marriage? You knew about Xuyang’s situation from the beginning!”

“You told me he was mentally disabled due to a fever!” Jiang Liping retorted.

A mentally disabled person giving birth might have a child with a disability as well.

In their village, children born to less intelligent parents tended to be less intelligent themselves. 

Jiang Liping had always looked down on her parents, but they were still capable of keeping accounts, unlike some people in the village who were too dumb to understand anything.

Li Xuyang was even dumber than those people.

Li’s parents had carefully chosen a smart and good-looking daughter-in-law for their son, but now, not long after, everything was falling apart. Naturally, they were unhappy and started arguing with Jiang Liping. Li’s father even wanted to slap her.

Jiang Liping said, “Go ahead, if you dare. If you hit me, I’ll leave and report to the police that my father-in-law wants to hit his daughter-in-law. Let’s see how people will judge you then, and if Li Xuyang can find another wife.”

“You…”

“I haven’t gotten a marriage certificate with Li Xuyang, so we’re not legally married. I can leave whenever I want, and there’s nothing you can do about it. I’m just letting you know out of kindness,” Jiang Liping said.

“You’ve taken so much money from our family…”

“I’ve been Li Xuyang’s wife for some time! The money you gave me was used to buy a sewing machine and a bicycle, right? I won’t take them away. Let’s part ways amicably,” Jiang Liping said. “If you don’t agree, don’t blame me for causing trouble. I don’t have a good reputation anyway. When the time comes, I’ll expose everything about your family and talk about how stupid Li Xuyang is.”

Indeed, Li’s family had spent quite a bit of money on her, but the money actually given to her was not much. The so-called “dowry” and red envelopes combined amounted to at most a hundred yuan.

However, because of the impending marriage, Li’s family spent a considerable sum on clothes and furniture for her, followed by a sewing machine, a radio, and a bicycle.

She definitely couldn’t take these things with her.

After a heated argument, they called a truce when Li Xuyang returned.

Completely oblivious, Li Xuyang happily showed Jiang Liyun a package of chicken frames and chicken drumsticks given to him by his brother-in-law. “My brother-in-law gave me chicken frames and drumsticks!”

“Give me the drumsticks to eat,” Jiang Liyun said.

“Okay,” Li Xuyang obediently handed her the drumsticks.

Li’s parents felt uncomfortable watching this scene and could only reluctantly say, “You can’t take away the things, and you owe our family 400 yuan!”

Jiang Liping remained silent. She couldn’t come up with 400 yuan; she was broke.

She hadn’t planned to confront Li’s family so soon, but now that she had a goal in mind, why wait?

She wanted to marry Sun Jinshan.

Her reputation was bad, but she had noticed that Sun Jinshan didn’t hold any grudges against her.

Before, she had been fixated on people from the town. But marrying a wealthy man from the countryside wouldn’t be bad either. He wouldn’t go hungry, and if she didn’t want to do farm work, no one could force her to do so!

Sun Jinshan was indeed a big shot; he could even get the manager of a food factory to treat him to dinner!

If she could marry Sun Jinshan… She would definitely be wealthier than her younger sister and brother.

Sun Jinshan’s suit cost over six hundred yuan, and he even lost several hundred yuan when he went to the county town. Wasn’t this much better than the Li family?

Her sister would definitely envy her then!

That night, Jiang Liping still slept at Li’s house and took Li Xuyang back to their room early.

She guarded against Li’s parents, not letting them talk to Li Xuyang to prevent them from inciting him to lay hands on her. Although Li Xuyang was silly, he was very strong, and she was a little afraid.

Of course, if Li’s parents didn’t say anything, Li Xuyang would listen to her, and she wouldn’t have to worry.

The next day, Li’s family went to work, and Jiang Liping quickly packed up her things and went straight to Qiaotou Village, intending to stay at her mother’s house for a few days.

Jiang Liyun didn’t go to sell pan-fried dumplings that day. She had already bought a gas stove, which made it more convenient to make pan-fried dumplings. Gu Dafa could handle selling them alone.

In this case, it was fine for her not to go to the town and let Feng Yi take care of selling the pan-fried dumplings.

As for her, she planned to stay in Qiaotou Village for a while and buy white-feathered chickens from the villagers and hire someone to slaughter them.

Jiang Liyun wore new clothes yesterday, but today she had to deal with dirty work.

She changed into old clothes and got to work. Shortly after, she saw Jiang Liping arriving.

When Jiang Liping arrived, Jiang Liyun had already started collecting chickens, and the scene was chaotic, with feathers flying and a foul smell lingering.

Jiang Liping didn’t dare to approach and found a clean place to stand, waving at Jiang Liyun. “Liyun! Liyun!”

“Why are you here?” Jiang Liyun asked curiously. Her sister had always been up to something when she visited.

“I want to divorce Li Xuyang, so I came to tell you,” Jiang Liping said.

“Why have you suddenly decided to do that?” Jiang Liyun asked.

Jiang Liping glanced at her younger sister and whispered, “Li Xuyang is really useless. I don’t want to spend my life coaxing him. Liyun, where is Sun Jinshan from, and what does he like?”

“Are you interested in Sun Jinshan?” Jiang Liyun asked. She had noticed that Jiang Liping’s attitude towards Sun Jinshan was strange.

“Yeah!” Jiang Liping said.

Jiang Liyun said, “You should think carefully. He’s a boastful person and not as rich as you think.”

Sun Jinshan had lost over a hundred yuan yesterday, despite claiming to have lost several hundred.

“Are you trying to ruin my happiness?” Jiang Liping asked.

Jiang Liyun said, “…”

“The clothes and shoes he wears are not cheap at all. I’ve never seen fabric like the one on his clothes before!” Jiang Liping said, looking forward to it.

Jiang Liyun said, “Do as you please, but he’s not the type to settle down.”

Men like Sun Jinshan were common in this era. They often became nouveau riche, but their personal lives were chaotic. Even if they had a red flag at home, they would still pursue other women outside.

Jiang Liyun had encountered many men like Sun Jinshan in her previous life.

In this era, it wasn’t safe for a woman to be out alone. Sun Jinshan could indeed handle many things on her behalf, and he was well-suited for sales. However, she wouldn’t consider him a husband.

Of course, if it were her in her previous life, who had not seen the world, she might have considered it.

Jiang Liping sensed Jiang Liyun’s meaning and said, “It’s no problem. I’ll keep an eye on him.”

Jiang Liyun remained silent.

Everyone has different thoughts and preferences, and Jiang Liping, being an adult, cannot change Jiang Liyun’s mindset.

Moreover, no matter what, Sun Jinshan is still better than Li Xuyang. At least Jiang Liping won’t end up with a silly son. Besides, Sun Jinshan, despite having some quirks, is not a bad person. Previously, when Feng Yi joined the brick factory and Sun Jinshan saw his pitiful situation, he took good care of him.

Jiang Liyun warned her sister, “I won’t meddle in your affairs. If you want to know about him, find out yourself.”

“You’re so petty,” Jiang Liping said.

Coincidentally, just after Jiang Liping finished talking to Jiang Liyun, Sun Jinshan arrived.

Jiang Liping immediately put on a gentle smile.

Jiang Liyun sighed inwardly. Sun Jinshan was someone who cared about his image. Although he usually listened to Jiang Liyun privately, now, with so many people around, he held his head high and spoke to Jiang Liyun with the tone of someone instructing a subordinate, “Liyun, I need your help with things here. I’m going to the food factory in town.”

Sun Jinshan was still wearing a suit today, but it was a cheaper one he had bought before. After speaking, he pulled at his clothes, sighing quietly.

Jiang Liyun said, “I’ll take care of things here.”

“Then I’m off,” Sun Jinshan said.

At this moment, Jiang Liping spoke up, “Brother Sun, I’ve altered your suit. Do you want to take a look?”

“Altered?” Sun Jinshan was curious and then didn’t hesitate to say, “Of course, I want to see.”

Jiang Liping led Sun Jinshan back to the Jiang family, showing him the altered suit and fabricating a story: “I work at a clothing factory, specialising in making clothes. Our boss brought this back from a catalogue, and it looks like this kind of suit is called casual wear. It’s particularly suitable for young people and is different from other old-fashioned suits.”

Sun Jinshan was someone who liked to keep up with trends, and he usually wore whatever was in fashion. The expensive suit he had bought was to maintain appearances, not because he genuinely liked it.

Floral shirts and bell-bottom pants were his favourites!

Now that Jiang Liping had transformed his suit into distinctive casual wear, he found it even more appealing than before.

Sun Jinshan quickly changed into the suit and asked, “How do I look?”

“You look exceptionally handsome in this outfit,” Jiang Liping said with a beaming smile.

“Thank you for altering my suit. Here’s some money for your hard work.” Sun Jinshan took out ten yuan and gave it to Jiang Liping.

Considering that he had spent over three hundred yuan on this suit and Jiang Liping had fixed it for him, ten yuan was a fair compensation.

Jiang Liping was ecstatic. Living in the Li family, even though life was good, Li’s parents were wary of her and unwilling to give her money. Sun Jinshan, on the other hand, gave her ten yuan right away!

She resisted the urge to take the money and said, “This money is too much; I can’t accept it. You’re a friend of my brother, and helping out is the least I can do.”

“It’s not much money; just take it,” Sun Jinshan insisted, handing the money to Jiang Liping.

“Thank you. I’ve been short on cash lately, so this will help me not worry about having meals in the coming days,” Jiang Liping expressed with a hint of bitterness.

“Is something bothering you?” Sun Jinshan asked with concern, recalling the first time he met Jiang Liping when she was crying after being mistreated by an old lady.

Jiang Liping replied, “It’s nothing much; I just want a divorce. You know about my husband’s situation; he’s always been like a child, and I find it challenging to go on like this. Actually, it’s my fault. Back then, my reputation wasn’t good, and in a rush to get married, I didn’t care whether we were a suitable match and ended up with him.”

Sun Jinshan knew about Jiang Liping’s husband’s simple-minded nature; Jiang Lihai had mentioned it before.

In the past, Sun Jinshan had the impression that Jiang Liping was a woman who was determined to marry into the town, even if it meant marrying a foolish man. Now, he couldn’t help but feel sympathy for her.

Jiang Liping had a tough life.

Sun Jinshan had to rush to the food factory to lease the cold storage, so he didn’t talk much with Jiang Liping. He left in a hurry.

As she watched Sun Jinshan leave, Jiang Liping felt more certain in her heart.

Jiang Liyun was unaware of her sister’s connection with Sun Jinshan. After receiving the white-feathered chickens, she arranged for someone to slaughter them. In her previous life, chickens were mechanically plucked, but now it had to be done manually.

Fortunately, labour was inexpensive at this time, and finding people to help slaughter chickens and pluck feathers wasn’t costly.

There was a kitchen in the temple, and Jiang Liyun had someone light the stove and bring a large water basin. After the chickens were slaughtered, they were all placed in the basin. Once the basin was half full, boiling water was added. The chickens were soaked in hot water for a while, making it easier to pluck feathers.

Chicken feathers could be sold, and they were collected.

As for chicken blood, no one wanted to waste it. Jiang Liyun had already told them that the chicken blood would be distributed among them later.

Oh, and the chicken heads could be taken to eat. Even though chicken heads didn’t have much meat, they were considered a delicacy.

Seeing Jiang Liyun cutting off some chicken skin while dividing the chicken, someone asked, “Can we take this chicken skin?”

Jiang Liyun replied, “Of course.” She had no use for the chicken skin!

Moreover, in her previous life, for the sake of health, she didn’t eat chicken skin.

Those who came to help slaughter chickens were even happier now.

Chicken skin was so delicious—even better than chicken meat!