Chapter 11: Pigeon Eggs

There were eight eggs in total. If they could really sell for twenty wen apiece,

that would be 160 wen.

Enough to cover four days of carrying grain bags for the children and grandchildren.

One bird egg could be exchanged for four large meat buns.

Zhang Jinlan curled her lips.

The rich people in town must be idiots. Bird eggs are nowhere near as tasty as meat buns.

Spending so much money on these lousy bird eggs—what a waste!

“Just last month, I went to town to buy grain and met an old woman selling bird eggs. I saw her exchange five bird eggs for fifty chicken eggs, and I was curious, so I asked her. She said they were pigeon eggs, extremely expensive. I remembered it because your Fubao found eggs that were pure white, exactly like the ones I saw that day—they should be pigeon eggs.”

Ma Chunxia explained slowly.

“Fubao, you really are a blessing for our Lao Jiang family! Come on, let’s go back quickly. We have pigeon eggs—who needs to dig for wild vegetables anymore?”

Seeing Ma Chunxia staring at the pigeon eggs in her bamboo basket with burning eyes, Zhang Jinlan hurriedly urged her daughters-in-law to leave.

“Grandma, can we go pick pigeon eggs too?”

Ma Chunxia’s eldest granddaughter, Jiang Yongfang, was extremely envious.

“Pick? Ha! After going up the mountain so many times, when have you ever found any? I have to admit, Fubao is really lucky. She fell into the river, and her eldest cousin just happened to save her. Then, wandering around nearby, she found pigeon eggs. I remember when she was born, the sky was full of auspicious clouds, which is why her grandma named her Fubao. Could it be… a reincarnation of a deity?”

The more Ma Chunxia thought about it, the more uncanny it seemed.

If Jiang Fubao heard this, she would only laugh.

Auspicious clouds?

It was just a cloudy day.

“Grandma, do we really have to sell these bird eggs? If we sell them, can Dad buy some meat with the money?” Jiang Fubao asked, a little helplessly.

Grandma was a miser.

Although she treated Fubao well,

she wouldn’t spend the money from selling eggs on meat.

She would just save it.

The family hadn’t eaten meat in ages.

If Fubao wanted to help, the first step was to improve the family meals.

“Fubao wants meat? Fine, if you want to eat it, tomorrow I’ll have your uncle bring some meat back, and Grandma will make shredded meat noodles for you.”

Hearing this,

Jiang Fubao knew that the meat would probably be for her alone.

“No, I don’t want to eat it by myself. Grandma, have Uncle buy more so we can all eat together, okay?”

“Alright, we’ll buy! Without Fubao, we wouldn’t have gotten these eggs anyway. No matter how expensive, Grandma will buy them! After selling the pigeon eggs, we’ll have your uncle buy a pound of meat. When we get home, we’ll fry it up to eat!” Seeing her granddaughter’s hopeful eyes,

Zhang Jinlan gritted her teeth and agreed.

It hadn’t rained, and the land was dry.

People were barely full, and the pigs had even less to eat, so they weren’t fattening up. Their weight was down by over twenty percent compared to previous years.

Not only was grain expensive, pork prices were ridiculously high as well.

Before the New Year, when she went to town to buy meat, it was thirty wen per jin.

If it weren’t for the New Year, she wouldn’t have bought it at all.

The little bit of lard in the jar came from the fat of meat.

Occasionally, she would scoop a bit with chopsticks into the dishes to add some oil for the family.

“Mom, we’re back—”

In the evening,

the sun tilted west.

Jiang Dahe returned from town with his younger brother and sons.

Before they even entered, his loud voice carried into the house.

Jiang Fubao was sitting on a small stool in the courtyard, lost in thought.

Hearing her uncle’s voice, she sprang up immediately.

She ran toward the door on her short legs, shouting:
“Uncle, Dad! I found bird eggs again! Granny Xia next door said they’re pigeon eggs, and one can be exchanged for many chicken eggs. Grandma agreed and said you could take the pigeon eggs to town to sell and buy meat with the money! Dad, am I amazing?”

Jiang Fubao proudly lifted her chin,

like a victorious little rooster.

“Oh, Fubao is so amazing! Where are the eggs? Let Dad see.” Seeing her adorable, boastful face, Jiang Siyin scooped her up,

and playfully rubbed her little nose.

His affection nearly overflowed from his eyes.

“They’re in the kitchen. Grandma put the pigeon eggs in a bamboo basket and lined it with soft straw. Dad, tomorrow remember to buy meat with Uncle. Grandma said she’ll make pickled vegetable fried meat slices for us.”

Jiang Fubao licked her lips, looking ravenous.

At the start of spring, the home garden vegetables had just been planted.

Vegetables could only come from tender mountain shoots or last autumn’s pickled vegetables.

Salt was expensive,

so there was only a small jar of pickles.

Usually, they barely dared to eat it.

Only when there were no vegetables left would they fry a little as a simple dish to accompany porridge.

“You’re amazing, little sister! How did you find bird eggs again? Your luck is incredible. Starting tomorrow, I’ll take you to the mountain to pick bird eggs, we could sell quite a lot. That’d make more than carrying grain bags. Dad, I won’t go to town tomorrow!”

Hearing this, Jiang Tongmu’s eyes lit up.

He immediately thought of a way to make money.

“Go, go, go, get lost. Our home doesn’t need Fubao to earn money, she’s only three! You just want to slack off. Jin, take your brother to chop the firewood at home. Don’t let him eat until it’s done! He must not have finished the scattered work today, otherwise, his brain wouldn’t be spinning so cleverly.”

Seeing his second son trying to pin it on his niece,

Jiang Dahe’s face darkened.

He slapped his son’s head,

not too hard, not too soft, just right—confused but not hurt.

Of course, Jiang Tongmu was a little drama king. He gritted his teeth and touched his head, pretending it hurt intensely.

He timidly said, “I was joking. Dad, do you have to hit me? I’m exhausted from carrying grain all day, I don’t have energy to chop wood. Today, there were more people looking for scattered work than yesterday, and the pay is lower.”

“What? Pay is lower? How much did you earn today?”

Hearing the wage drop, Zhang Jinlan immediately peeked out from the kitchen to ask her eldest son, barely putting down her spatula.

“It’s lower. The five of us earned only thirty wen.” Jiang Dahe’s voice was a bit muffled.

Ten wen less—enough to buy a dou of coarse rice.

But there was no choice; if they didn’t work, someone else would.

If he hadn’t flattered the foreman yesterday, they probably wouldn’t have been able to get work today.

“Why is it suddenly so low? That’s ten wen gone, two large meat buns lost! It must be because it hasn’t rained these few days during spring plowing. People panic and go to town early to do odd jobs, trying to earn extra just in case. Looks like we’re not the only family thinking this way. Mom should have guessed this. By the way, did you meet anyone from the village?”

Zhang Jinlan’s expression sagged.

If it didn’t rain soon,

what would they do?

Wouldn’t there be a drought?