Chapter 8: The Century Eggs Are Coming

  "Hey, snap out of it! Don't look anymore, people have already walked so far away." Another person nudged his shoulder.

  "Just now I must have been very rude, that little girl is so clever, she must have seen something, but where does her family live? How come I've never seen them before?" Wang Zihan recalled the woman he had just seen, although not yet fully grown, already had an indescribable charm. Her apricot face and peach cheeks were soft and delicate, paired with those big eyes that made his heart suddenly thump wildly, and he couldn't take his eyes off her.

  He was just so reckless, the beauty must have a bad impression of him. Alas. Now he can only think about hugging the pillar and having an intimate contact with it.

  The more he thought about it, the worse his complexion became. At this time, the shopkeeper hurried over, bowing and saying: "Young master, what's wrong? Are you dissatisfied with me? Please instruct me, whatever you do, don't tell the mistress. I have an old mother and young children at home..."

  "Never mind, it's not your problem. Let's just stop here for today. I'm also not in the mood to entertain guests anymore. Haizi, let's go." Haizi is the person who was just told not to look again.

  The shopkeeper wiped the sweat after they had gone far. He thought to himself, "Ancestor, why did you choose this place among so many shops in your family? The more he thought about it, the more it didn't feel right. He must have been possessed by a small person recently, and when he got home, his wife would definitely burn incense to ward off evil spirits.

  And not to mention them, what about Xi Mei and Zhao Shi's embroidery? Are they going to make a profit from it? Will they be able to sell it at a good price? Pan, Qian, Nan, and the others are all waiting anxiously. The courtyard is filled with the sound of looms and shuttles. Spring is approaching, and the snow is melting. The plum blossoms are blooming, and the willows are sprouting new leaves.

  "Just be careful of wolves, I haven't even asked how much money we made yet," she said with a sweet smile, looking up at her mother. "Mom, how much did we make this time? Let me see quickly."

  "Silly girl, don't look around at all the people on the street, be careful or a thief will steal our stuff and we'll have to cry. Let's go, we still need to visit your second sister."

  Yes, Second Sister is still selling eggs. After selling the eggs, there will be income for the family again. Thinking of this, Xi Mei smiled with her hand covering her mouth like a little mouse that had stolen oil, and chuckled.

  Walking to the most prosperous place in the market, I saw Qian Shu and Xi Mei still selling a lot of eggs.

  Don't misunderstand, the two piles are actually just a small pile of Chens', because most of the eggs were eaten by Xi Mei, that little girl.

  Seeing them coming, Qian Aunt waved and gazed at the eggs in front of her with a faint sigh. There were many people selling eggs around, when could she sell out hers?

  Xī Jiě knew what she was thinking about and said in a clear and crisp voice: "Qián Shěn, don't worry, look at me."

  "Hey, uncles and aunts, brothers and sisters, come take a look! Don't miss out when you're passing by. Come see the authentic farm-fresh eggs! Delicious and affordable, 3 cents for 2!"

  Originally, people who didn't plan to buy stopped in their tracks after hearing this little kid's shouting. Jie Mei took advantage of the situation and shouted again, "Sisters and mothers, look at why my face is so bright and white! It's all because my mother gives me our family's eggs to eat every day. Go home and give some to your own daughters, wives, and I guarantee you'll be as beautiful and lovely as me."

  Everyone who heard it burst out laughing, "Since you said so, we can't say no to buying. Come on, give me 2 catties." A burly man spoke up first.

  "Yes, give me 10 too." Everyone chatted and bought eggs. Before long, they were all sold out. The little girl sweetly said to everyone, "Thank you for your support! May our friendship last forever. See you again!"

  The little girl swung her hand with a flourish, and indeed had some momentum. Seeing others laughing, Zhao hurriedly hugged her and walked away. Goodness, this little girl is getting more and more unruly, could it be the inheritance of her father's family?

  "Embroidered leaf, it's noon, let's go eat, thanks to Little Xi today, otherwise Auntie wouldn't have been able to sell out so quickly, I'll buy you candy later."

  "Never mind, she's so young, what's the point of eating sweets? We need to save money for Tiger's marriage anyway." Zhao Shi brushed it off. It's not easy for any family these days.

  "This has nothing to do with you, am I bothering you by treating Xi Mei to a meal? Xi Mei, don't you think so?"

  After hearing what Qian said, Zhao also didn't say anything else. The two of them discussed where to go eat. Along the way, they passed by many small stalls. The fragrance spread throughout the entire street.

  The cries of selling buns, noodles and wontons rose and fell. Xi Mei sniffed her little nose, "Mmm, smells so good." Her stomach growled with hunger. "Mom, where are we going to eat? I'm starving!"

  "Alright, we're almost there. See that big restaurant up ahead? It's a place where only rich people can afford to eat, but the owner is clever and has set up some tables outside selling ordinary food at affordable prices. The stuff they sell is cheap and tastes good. Let's go buy some noodles from them later."

  So that's how it is. The shopkeeper really has a good head on his shoulders, grasping both hands. When staying in an ancient inn for the first time, you must try the flavor.

  "We're here, let's go over to that table, someone has finished eating." Several people walked together towards the corner of the wall.

  As soon as we sat down, the waiter came over to greet us. "Hey, how many of you are there? What can I get for you? Our head chef is very famous for his excellent cooking skills. What would you like to order?"

  Aunt Qian came over several times and said: "Bring us six bowls of chicken noodle soup. Hurry up, we're in a rush to get on the road."

  "Alright, six bowls of chicken noodle soup. You folks just wait a bit, it'll be right out."

  Several people waited for a short while before seeing the second servant bring in the noodles, "You all eat slowly, I'll be at the door, and when you're done, just call me." After the second servant left, several people picked up their chopsticks to prepare for eating. Xi Mei saw that the noodle soup was yellow and clear, and without even tasting it, she knew it must have been made with old mother chicken and old ginger. This kind of chicken meat is tender and flavorful, and the broth is clear and refreshing, with a few drops of chicken oil floating on top - if you add some pepper powder, it would be even better. Xi Mei thought to herself, but the flavor was already great just like that. The noodles were also very elastic, which made Xi Mei feel that Chinese food culture really is rich and long-standing. After finishing their meal, Zhao Shi gave 15 cents to the cashier. Xi Mei felt a pang of pain for a long time - she had earned 250 cents from selling hair ties and 120 cents from selling eggs, but eating out cost 15 cents, which was truly painful. Zhao Shi saw Xi Mei's strange expression and didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "Let's go, Xi Mei, next time I'll bring you here to eat again." However, Zhao Shi thought that this stingy girl definitely wouldn't be willing to come again, and indeed, "Mom, it's too expensive, I won't come again. If you want to eat, I can make it for you - this is enough for our family to eat for two days!" Ah, you say this girl is really a money-grubber! Zhao Shi said helplessly, "Okay, okay, whatever you say goes." After listening to the mother-daughter conversation, the second servant smiled and said, "This little sister, that's not right - our noodles are famous for being cheap and delicious. You see that small plate in that young man's hand? That one small plate costs 200 cents! And it's always sold out!" What?! 200 cents?! Xi Mei was shocked for a moment. Looking at the contents of the plate, it seemed to be... pickled eggs? No way, pickled eggs wouldn't be that expensive, right? She deliberately raised her innocent face and asked the second servant, "Big brother, what is that? Why is it so expensive? But the color is really pretty, like... like the agate my dad talked about." "Haha, yes, this is something our boss brought back from Beijing - we only get a few pieces at a time, and they sell out in just two days. Everyone who comes wants to try some of this rare thing, but nobody knows how to make it here." After hearing the second servant's words, Xi Mei almost fainted - this was clearly just pickled eggs! And it could be sold for such a high price? One plate wasn't even half a kilogram, and it was worth as much as several months' worth of hair ties that she and her mother made. No way, this news was too explosive - she had to calm down. She knew how to make pickled eggs - she had seen it in an online drama before, and she had even looked up the steps online. Now, her mind was filled with just one thought: get rich, get rich, get rich!