When Ye Li and Jiang Ji returned home, a mule cart was parked at their doorstep. This mule cart had been rented by Ye Liang.

He had promised yesterday to sell the preserved eggs to Gong Lisheng, so today he rented the mule cart to deliver all 1,000-plus preserved eggs. In the kitchen, Ye Liang was having lunch with Jiang Mai and Jiang Ya.

Ye Liang had stir-fried the eggplants the villagers had given them yesterday with green peppers. Knowing how Ye Li usually cooked, he had used plenty of oil. Though his cooking skills were average, the generous amount of oil combined with the eggplants’ natural flavor meant the two little ones were eating with great relish.

The Jiang family had only been living the good life for a few days, so the two hadn’t yet developed picky eating habits. Seeing Ye Li and Jiang Ji return, Ye Liang hurriedly offered them some pumpkin soup.

The pumpkin chunks had simmered for a long time, and when it was ready, Ye Liang took a spoon to mash them into a puree. The pot was full of soup, and even without added sugar, it had a faintly sweet flavor.

It was perfect for quenching their thirst.

Ye Li and Jiang Ji were indeed both thirsty and hungry. They sat down at the table, drank more than half a bowl of pumpkin soup, and only then picked up their buns to eat them slowly.

Ye Liang picked up a piece of eggplant with his chopsticks and popped it into his mouth. It was a bit salty, so he took another big bite of the flatbread. Chewing, he asked, “Li-ger, what did Boss Gong say?”

“He’s willing to knock two hundred wens off the price. But Jiang Ji and I think we should split it fifty-fifty.”

Ye Li explained the request for a fifty-fifty split and finally said to Ye Liang, “Brother, why don’t you give the preserved eggs to Boss Gong?”

If they really split the profit fifty-fifty, then the villagers’ share would be the same as Ye Liang’s profit from selling each portion for six wen, two hundred and fifty wen. If that were the case, why go to all this trouble?

“Um… When I went home yesterday, I already talked about this with your second brother and Yu-ger. Yu-ger was really happy about it; he’s quite willing to take on the job.” Ye Liang looked troubled.

Ye Li immediately said, “In that case, you should sell them for seven wen each.” 

“Seven wen? There’ll definitely be fewer buyers.” Ye Li looked even more troubled.

“Sell them gradually. If we’re lucky enough to run into a merchant caravan, they’ll sell quickly.”

Ye Li said.

Ye Liang frowned. “I’ll go back and think it over.” In truth, he was quite confident in the cold-served preserved eggs.

Because there was one special ingredient in it: cane sugar.

To be honest, even a rough-and-tumble guy like him could clearly taste the difference between adding sugar and leaving it out. With cane sugar, the dish was simply more delicious.

But how could ordinary households afford to use sugar when cooking?

Setting aside whether they’d be willing to spend the money, even if they were willing, he dared say that even in Baxian Town, most households didn’t know that cane sugar could enhance the flavor. That being the case, while his cold-served preserved eggs might not be the only ones of their kind, they would certainly leave a lasting impression on customers.

Since ordinary households can’t replicate the same flavor, they have no choice but to come to his stall to buy it.

Take Mr. Gong, for example. Since his cutting board was right outside his shop, he was worried someone might catch a glimpse of the exact recipe. Ye Li even gave him a tip: dissolve the cane sugar in the vinegar bowl.

Otherwise, why not start by selling them for seven wen to test the waters?

It didn’t matter if it took a little longer; after all, it took half a month to make a batch.

Ye Liang had made up his mind. After lunch, he first confirmed with Ye Li the number of preserved eggs he’d brought that day, and then he went to fry the tofu puffs, while Ye Li went with Jiang Ji to Jiang Fuzheng’s house.

Actually, it didn’t matter whether Jiang Ji went or not.

But Jiang Ji had already decided not to go home after returning to the private school this time; he wanted to spend a little more time with Ye Li, so he left with him.

When the two arrived at Jiang Fuzheng’s house, the family had just finished lunch. The two relayed Gong Lisheng’s terms, and upon hearing them, Jiang Fuzheng was quite satisfied.

“That’s fine.

A fifty-fifty split—that’s the fairest way.

That way, he wouldn’t have to keep thinking about how much his family had lost. Sigh, the sum was too large; he couldn’t pretend to be nonchalant.

After they parted ways the day before, his family had been in a state of turmoil, each offering suggestions on how to maximize profits. But mindful of his status as a village head, they knew it was out of the question for him to set up a stall on the street.

Therefore, his family had been leaning toward selling to Gong Lisheng—it was hassle-free, and the profit wasn’t bad either. Now that Ye Li had proposed splitting the profits evenly, he was genuinely pleased.

After praising Ye Li, he had Jiang Mantang grab the gong to gather the villagers.

Yesterday, only one person from each household had come out, but today, as soon as the gong sounded, almost every family—except for Ye Li’s—turned out in full force. The sum of money involved was too great; aside from the clueless little kids, everyone else wanted to know the final outcome.

Earning too little would be hard to swallow.

They wanted to earn more, but there was no surefire, hassle-free way to do it. What a headache.

So, the moment they heard the gong, everyone stopped whatever they were doing and headed toward Jiang Fuzheng’s house.

Twenty-one households, more than a hundred people, gathered at Jiang Fuzheng’s doorstep. Everyone stood in a circle around the great locust tree, while some nimble children climbed up the tree to watch the commotion below from their vantage point.

It was hot, and the shade cast by the great locust tree wasn’t enough for everyone, but not a single person was willing to leave; they were determined to hear what Jiang Fuzheng had to say, even under the blazing sun.

Just as he had done the day before, Jiang Fuzheng cleared his throat and said, “Ji Xiaozi and his wife went to the noodle shop today, and Mr. Gong agreed to add fifty wen.”

Before the villagers could discuss the fifty wen, he continued, “But the Ji couple proposed that if we can guarantee the cold noodle shop sells three hundred servings of cold preserved eggs a day, then we’ll split the profits.”

“In other words, for every five hundred preserved eggs we sell to Mr. Gong from now on, we’ll earn an extra two hundred and fifty wen.”

“I think the numbers work out, and it’s fair, but as I said before, I’m not forcing anyone. How we proceed is up to you all.” 

“If anyone has a better idea, go ahead and give it a try.”

“Also, since none of you can read, I’m worried you might not be able to figure this out, so I’ll point out: if Mr. Gong sells 300 portions a day, that’s only 18,000 preserved eggs a month.”

“Alright, you guys discuss it among yourselves.”

He didn’t say a single unnecessary word; once he’d spoken, he fell silent, leaving the villagers to discuss it among themselves. After all, everyone had turned out in full force today, and it was easier to reach an agreement with the whole family standing together.

Ye Li and Jiang Ji stood beside Jiang Fuzheng. Aunt Lu pushed her way through the crowd, came up to the two of them, and said with a smile, “Brother Li, you did a great job getting us a fair share!”

Hearing this, Ye Li smiled back: “Auntie, I’m glad you’re satisfied. I’m from Yezaopo too, so of course I’m on our side.”

“So will Boss Gong come over tomorrow to draw up the contract?” Auntie Lu asked.

Ye Li nodded. “That’s right. If you’re willing to sell your preserved eggs to him, he’ll pay a deposit of three hundred wen.” 

“My family’s willing, Brother Li. When Boss Gong arrives, make sure to buy ours first.”

Aunt Lu hurriedly said.

Ye Li found it somewhat amusing. “Auntie, don’t worry. No one’s going to compete with you. We don’t even know exactly how many people are willing to sell.”

“Don’t you have Datong, Xiaoliu, and Yu-ger, who are also selling to Mr. Gong? Add my family to that, and the four of us alone are enough to guarantee Mr. Gong sells three hundred portions every day.”

Her son had gone into town to buy eggs before dawn today.

Just this morning, her family had bought two thousand eggs, ready to roll up their sleeves and get to work.

The reason they only bought two thousand today was that they could only get that many; other families in the village had also gone into town before dawn.

Her son would go buy more tomorrow—at least another three thousand!

Her family alone could supply five thousand a month. Add in Ye Li, Jiang Tong, Jiang Liu, and Jiang Yu, and would they really struggle to reach eighteen thousand? It’ll be a breeze.

She wasn’t the only one who delivered vegetables to Ye Li the day before yesterday.

If you’re late, Mr. Gong won’t take them—it’s just him and his wife running the noodle shop, and their daily sales volume is limited. Someone has to pound the garlic paste, and someone has to buy the cucumbers and various seasonings.

Besides, the noodle shop isn’t right by the city gate—how many customers could possibly wander by every day? And would anyone go there to eat it every single day?

Unless they absolutely love this cold-served preserved egg dish.

Right now, there aren’t enough preserved eggs, and they’re fresh, so many people are buying them. But once there are preserved eggs every day and the customers get tired of them, business at the noodle shop will slow down.

That’s why she’s genuinely afraid that if there are too many preserved eggs, Boss Gong won’t take them anymore. By then, she’ll have to find her own way.

She doesn’t have many options.

Her family owns a relatively large amount of farmland, so they can’t spare the manpower to set up a stall.

As for trying to sell them to other restaurants, with the noodle shop in the picture, those places wouldn’t offer a high price. Besides, she felt that preserved eggs wouldn’t fetch the price of meat—a serving was only seven wen. Given that, it was certainly easier to just sell them to Mr. Gong.

Aunt Lu thought this through, and the few households that had delivered vegetables to Ye Li yesterday could also see the logic in it. They had intended to sell to Gong Lisheng anyway, and now that Ye Li had negotiated an extra 100 wen for them, they were quite satisfied.

Seeing Aunt Lu talking with Ye Li, they pushed their way out of the crowd to ask about signing the contract tomorrow. And the villagers who had been undecided, seeing Aunt Lu and the others gathered around Ye Li, couldn’t help but step forward as well.

Originally, they’d thought there’d be no trouble selling the preserved eggs—they’d even been eager to borrow money to make more and earn a bigger profit.

But now that Jiang Fuzheng had crunched the numbers, they were starting to feel a bit anxious.

Eighteen thousand—according to the original plan, each household would produce just a thousand a month. That meant only eighteen households could supply the noodle shop.

What about the rest of the households?

Moreover, now that each household has multiplied that thousand-egg quota several times over, the number of households that can actually sell to the noodle shop has dwindled even further. If they can’t sell to the noodle shop, they’ll have to find their own markets.

This doesn’t make sense!

Just yesterday, after hearing what Jiang Fuzheng had to say, they were even eyeing the Drunken Immortal Restaurant—they certainly didn’t think much of Boss Gong’s little cold noodle shop. How is it that, in just one day, things have gone back to how they were when they first learned to make preserved eggs?

Do they really have to find their own way out?

Soon, someone asked Jiang Fuzheng, “Clan Chief, now that Boss Gong has bought up all the preserved eggs, who should the rest of us sell ours to?”

“You can all push your carts to the county town to sell them yourselves. Whether you sell the preserved eggs as is or as a cold salad, it’s up to you. This matter is entirely up to you all.”

Jiang Fuzheng said.

Hearing this, those willing to set up stalls didn’t give it a second thought. But those who were on the fence were genuinely worried.

Although everyone had spent plenty of time working in the county town during the off-season, carrying heavy loads only required finding a foreman. But now that they were being asked to run a business, it was a real headache.

“Clan Chief, why don’t you take the lead and ask around at a few restaurants?” someone else suggested. As soon as this suggestion was made, it drew a chorus of agreement.

“Exactly! The clan chief is the village head—he goes into town for banquets all the time. He’s been to plenty of restaurants and has connections!”

Jiang Fuzheng looked at all those hopeful eyes. He didn’t refuse; he agreed: “With the enthusiasm everyone has for making preserved eggs, even Boss Gong couldn’t possibly eat all the preserved eggs the whole village produces.”

“In that case, once everyone’s preserved eggs are ready, I’ll go into town and ask around.”

“We can’t go now—we don’t have any samples.”

It’ll be another few days before everyone’s preserved eggs are ready.

With Jiang Fuzheng’s promise, the people who had been anxious were suddenly put at ease; as long as there was a way to sell the goods, that was all that mattered. Once they had reached an agreement, the group quickly dispersed.

Everyone went their separate ways.

Ye Li said goodbye to Liang Erxiang, then called out to Jiang Tong, asking him to follow him home to lead the oxcart back. Jiang Tong’s family was planning to build a new house and would need the oxcart to go into town to buy bricks the very next day.

Ever since Jiang Tong had received those forty taels of silver, matchmakers had been flocking to his door to arrange marriages for him. However, his family’s old courtyard house was quite dilapidated, and the matchmakers all insisted that since he now had the money, he should build a proper new house.

“We can’t have the bride or Fulang living in a cramped, gloomy mud-brick house.”

Jiang Dachuan and his wife were quite anxious about Jiang Tong’s future, and since Jiang Da and Jiang Shun were of marriageable age, the family decided, after discussion, to build a new house first.

And they were going to build a house made of blue bricks.

Had it not been for the income from the preserved eggs, Jiang Dachuan and his wife would never have made this decision.

Of those forty taels of silver, ten went toward buying an oxcart, and the remaining thirty were meant to cover matchmaking expenses for their three sons.

But with the income from the preserved eggs—earning a few taels a month—Mr. Mrs. Jiang Dachuan changed their minds and decided to build a large house with blue-glazed bricks and tiles. And they would build several extra rooms.

In addition to the income from the preserved eggs, Jiang Tong also worked as a carpenter; though his small wind chime business didn’t bring in much, it provided a steady stream of income.

After seeing Jiang Tong off, Ye Li didn’t take on any of Ye Liang’s work. He dug out the fabric he’d bought that day, cut off a piece of noodles, called over Jiang Mai and Jiang Ya—who had already woken up—and then headed to Jiang Dahu’s house.

Since he didn’t know how to sew, he had to leave this task to Liang Erxiang.

Jiang Ji stayed home to do the laundry.

When they arrived at Jiang Dahu’s house, Jiang Dahu was already out in the fields with Jiang Liu and Jiang Yu.

Liang Erxiang took the fabric, fetched a measuring tape, and took the children’s measurements. Over the past three months, Jiang Mai and Jiang Ya had been well-fed and had clearly grown taller. And they’d put on some weight, too.

After measuring Jiang Ya, Liang Erxiang couldn’t resist rubbing his little belly: “You’ve really put on some weight—it’s so soft.”

Hearing this, Jiang Ya stuck out his little belly, looking rather pleased with himself. “Li-ge’s cooking is so delicious. I eat a lot every day.” He’d actually fed himself into a chubby little ball.

Ye Li was amused by his expression and gave his little tummy a gentle tap: “If you keep eating like this, you’ll turn into a little pig.” Hearing this, Jiang Ya lifted his little chin, completely unfazed: “What’s wrong with being a little pig? We can even slaughter it for meat during the New Year.”

He really loved the two little pigs at his family’s place.

However, he quickly added, “But you can’t eat my meat, okay?” This made Liang Erxiang laugh as well.

Ye Li chuckled as he crouched down, scooping the little one into his arms and giving him a few gentle rubs. This little guy was truly a delight. Jiang Ya giggled with delight at the rubbing, and for a moment, the room was filled with nothing but laughter.

Ye Li led the two little ones back home, where Ye Liang was already preparing to leave in the mule cart.

He cut a piece of cold noodles for Ye Liang as well—about half a pound. Chen Cuihua had given him plenty of cold noodles today; after sharing them with two families, he still had over a pound left. Just then, Jiang Ji finished washing the clothes and picked up a hemp rope, ready to gather firewood.

This was the two little ones’ job, so they immediately followed along.

Ye Li didn’t go. He had exchanged a silver note for Jiang Ji today, and he needed to sew this note into the lining of his clothes. This was a challenge for him.

Although he possessed the memories of his original self, he had never actually done this before. By the time he had fumbled his way through sewing it into Jiang Ji’s clothes, the sun was nearly setting.

He hurriedly put away the clothes and sewing supplies and went into the kitchen to cook.