Chapter 38: Too Many Eggs

Last night she had already given fifty copper coins to her eldest son so they could buy the customary engagement gifts.

It was usually the same three items: malt candy, salt, and eggs.

Since their family already had plenty of eggs, they only needed to buy the malt candy and half a jin of salt.

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“Grandma, did the hens lay eggs today?” Jiang Fubao asked at breakfast, pretending she didn’t already know.

“They did, another twelve eggs! These six hens are really something. Today I must send your brothers up the mountain to look for bugs and give them some extra nourishment. Yesterday I was too busy and forgot, but I can’t forget again today. Eating just grass seeds won’t do. What if they stop laying eggs?”

At the mention of this, Zhang Jinlan grew excited.

With her granddaughter the lucky star around, not only had eight chickens descended from the heavens, but now the family was also getting twelve eggs every day.

Half could be kept to nourish the children, the rest stored up and sold in town every half month.

One egg was worth two copper coins.

That added up to three hundred and sixty coins a month—more than farming brought in.

The chicken coop would be finished in two days.

And with a rooster among them, they’d need to leave some eggs in the nest. Once the hens hatched chicks, there would soon be even more chickens.

Chickens laid eggs, eggs became chickens, chickens laid more eggs—

The cycle would only keep bringing in more money.

There was just one thing Zhang Jinlan found odd: the eggs weren’t the same size every day. Some were unusually large, like the ones she had picked up in the mountains, and two were much smaller than the rest.

After puzzling over it for a while, she gave up thinking.

They were free anyway, not a single coin spent. However big or small the hens wanted to lay them, so be it.

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After breakfast, Jiang Fubao and her brothers went up the mountain to hunt for bugs.

With her golden finger ability, she just needed to turn off the shielding and listen.

Wherever she pointed, there would definitely be fat bugs in the grass.

This made her brothers worship her even more.

When they returned with half a basket of worms, Zhang Jinlan was stunned.

“Heavens, where did you find so many? Did you go and steal them all from someone’s nest?”

“Grandma, Fubao just pointed and there were loads of worms there! It’s all thanks to her, otherwise we couldn’t have found so many. Grandma, quick, feed them to the hens so they’ll lay more eggs. Tomorrow I want to eat boiled eggs!”

Jiang Tongtu licked his lips.

Eggs were so delicious.

He wished he could eat them every day.

He had worked the hardest catching bugs.

“You children are amazing. Since you didn’t eat eggs this morning, tonight Grandma will steam an egg custard for you, with six eggs. Everyone will get a small bowl! And as for boiled eggs, we’ll cook them tomorrow morning. I’ll take out two more eggs, and each of the eight of you children gets one. No snatching!”

Seeing the children so thoughtful, bringing back so many bugs, and with her eldest grandson’s engagement about to be settled, Zhang Jinlan was in such a good mood she was uncharacteristically generous.

No sooner had she spoken than the greedy Jiang Tongtu jumped for joy.

“Hooray, Grandma! Egg custard is my favorite!”

She had said each of them would get a small bowl. That would finally be enough to satisfy him.

Jiang Fubao watched quietly.

The family meals had already improved a lot compared to when she first arrived.

Her brothers’ eyes even shone with excitement now.

Just earlier while catching bugs in the mountain, they had been chatting about what they might eat for dinner.

Not like before, when it was always coarse rice porridge and wild greens.

Nothing but monotony.

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The next morning, as the sun rose, Jiang Fubao stashed away four basins of eggs from under her bed.

There were so many now they wouldn’t even fit—she had nowhere to put them.

Too many eggs!

And since Grandma hadn’t gone up the mountain recently, she hadn’t had the chance to sneak them out.

Yesterday she had gone bug-hunting with her brothers, so she couldn’t take the eggs out in front of them.

It was giving her a headache.

She only had four basins in her space: two for washing vegetables, one for washing her face, and one for her bottom.

If only she had a secret base somewhere.

Unfortunately, her body was too small, she couldn’t go anywhere, much less climb mountains. She’d have to wait a few years.

Once she grew up, she was determined to find a secret cave in the mountains, fill it with food, enough to last forever.

Then she’d never fear famine again.

She’d be the grain queen of this world!

The thought of growing up made her excited.

After putting the basins back into her space, she happily went out to wash up and eat breakfast.

Today’s breakfast was coarse rice porridge with boiled eggs.

Grandma had kept her word: eight eggs, one for each child.

Even her fifteen-year-old eldest cousin got one.

Sigh.

She wished everyone in the family could eat eggs.

But she couldn’t take the extras out. No one would believe it if a hen laid dozens of eggs a day—they’d think the family was raising demon chickens.

She’d have to think of another way.

As long as the family had enough money, Grandma would surely keep the eggs for them to eat.

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While she was mulling it over, she saw Grandma and the others heading out.

Zhang Jinlan, together with her eldest son, eldest daughter-in-law, and eldest grandson, went to the neighboring Zhou family’s village.

It was less than a half-hour’s walk, and they soon reached the entrance.

Matchmaker Zhou was already waiting, and she led them to the Zhou family’s home.

The Zhou family lived in the middle of the village, in a house slightly larger than the Jiangs’. Not as grand as the tiled brick houses near the entrance, but still a mud-and-wood structure.

The main gate was left open.

Since they knew the Jiangs were coming, Matchmaker Zhou didn’t bother knocking and brought them straight in.

The main hall was already full of men and women.

“Oh my, you’ve come so promptly! See, Sister Jinlan, how much Sister Zhou values your family.”

If a matchmaker wanted, her tongue could blossom into flowers.

Even small words could raise the Jiangs’ opinion of the Zhous.

After all, who didn’t like feeling respected?

“A small meeting gift, I hope you won’t mind,” said the Jiangs as they handed over the gifts.

The Zhous’ smiles grew even warmer.

“You’re too polite. Please, sit.” Zhou Chenshi said warmly.

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Meanwhile, after breakfast, Jiang Fubao went bug-hunting with her brothers again.

They needed to catch more worms.

Those hens could really eat—yesterday’s big haul had already been gobbled up.

But this morning, one hen had actually laid an extra egg.

Zhang Jinlan was overjoyed.

She had lived for decades and never seen a hen lay three eggs in a single day.

“Second Cousin, let’s go deeper inside, there aren’t any bugs here anymore,” Jiang Fubao suggested.

She had turned off the shielding at the foot of the mountain.

Yesterday’s bug-catching spree had nearly wiped this area clean.

Only a few stragglers were left, and without listening carefully, their sounds were faint and hard to find.

So she had her eye on the inner part of the woods.

“That’s not a good idea, it’s too dangerous in there,” Jiang Tongmu hesitated.

Grandma had strictly warned them not to go deeper.

“Second Brother, just a little further! Otherwise the hens will have nothing to eat. If they stop laying eggs tomorrow, it’ll be terrible. I’m counting on having eggs every day,” urged greedy Jiang Tongtu.

“Yeah, we’ll be fine. If there’s any danger, I’ll take Fubao and the younger ones and run first. You can cover the rear,” another cousin added.