Travel to the mountains and make a fortune in silence

Wang Qing'er was thinking to herself that if she were to pickle so many vegetables, she would need to buy several large vats. She wondered how expensive the vats would be.

So she asked cautiously, "Mother, if we pickle all those vegetables in the garden, we'll need to buy several large vats to make do. I wonder how expensive those vats are?"

Wang Cuiying replied, "We have plenty of those jars at home, there's no need to buy any more."

When Wang Qing'er heard that there were jars in the house, a huge weight was lifted off her shoulders. However, she was very puzzled as to why she had never seen them before and did not know where they were placed.

At this moment, Wang Cuiying pointed to the locked room next to the kitchen and said, "There are some items in there that we don't use often. Mu Nan can move them out and clean them tomorrow so we can use them. When there were more people in the family, we used jars to pickle vegetables."

"Oh, I see. That explains why I didn't see any jars at home. Mom, I see we have dozens of duck eggs at home. They'll spoil if we don't eat them soon. Why don't you pickle some salted duck eggs and try them out?"

Zhou and Wang Cuiying were taken aback at first, then asked in unison, "These duck eggs can be pickled?"

Wang Qing'er nodded earnestly and said, "Yes, salted duck eggs are delicious. If they're pickled well, they even have oil oozing out, all golden yellow!"

Wang Cuiying asked with a face full of curiosity, "Salted duck eggs? I've never heard of them before. Is the pickling method the same as pickling vegetables?"

After thinking for a moment, Wang Qing'er said, "Uh, it's pretty much the same. I'll tell you the specific details when you're pickling it."

Wang Cuiying was worried that she wouldn't pickle them well and would waste the duck eggs, so she said, "Alright then, I'll pickle a small amount first. I'm just afraid that my skills aren't good enough and I'll ruin these duck eggs."

"Mother, don't worry, I have complete confidence in your skills. The pickled food will definitely be incredibly delicious," Wang Qing'er said with a flattering smile.

Zhou looked up at the sky, which was already as dark as ink, and couldn't help but worry, "It's almost completely dark, why haven't the three of them returned yet?"

Wang Cuiying chimed in, "That's right! The food's all cold."

Looking at the three little ones sitting obediently to the side, their stomachs already growling with hunger, Wang Qing'er asked with concern, "Are you all hungry?"

"Yeah, a little, but it's okay, let's wait for Dad and Big Brother." Mu Lin replied weakly, as if the voice was being squeezed out of his throat.

"Can Muqin and Yao'er wait a little longer?" Wang Qing'er asked the two girls again.

"Yes, Mother, I want to wait for Grandpa, Father, and Second Uncle to come back before I eat." Yao'er's face was firm, as unwavering as a rock.

"Sister-in-law, me too."

Zhou smiled and said softly to the children, "Your sister-in-law still has some candy left. It's in the main room. Go and each of you take a piece of candy to tide you over your rumbling tummy."

Upon hearing this, the three little ones, like wild horses, immediately ran towards the main room to get candy.

When they came out, they gave each of the Zhou family members a piece of paper.

Wang Qing'er was actually starving, and she was thinking that she should buy some snacks to keep on hand so that her family and children could have something to eat when they were hungry.

There were actually a few potatoes left, and she wanted to fry them into fries or potato chips for the little ones to enjoy, but all she had at home was lard, which was definitely not suitable for frying.

So she asked Wang Cuiying, "Mother, is soybean oil expensive?"

Wang Cuiying said slowly, seemingly lost in thought, "Our family hasn't bought soybean oil for many years. It used to cost more than 100 wen per jin. I don't know if the price has gone up now."

Upon hearing the price, Wang Qing'er deflated like a punctured balloon, saying listlessly, "It's so expensive?"

Wang Cuiying asked, "Qing'er, you wouldn't be thinking of buying soybean oil, would you?"

Wang Qing'er had indeed intended to buy a few kilograms, but when she thought about the current situation of the Mu family—although they earned several hundred coins a day, they still owed several hundred taels of debt—she immediately gave up the idea.

She could only smile and say, "No, Mother, I was just asking casually. I've never bought it before and don't know the price."

Wang Cuiying said, "That soybean oil is not something ordinary families can afford. Let's just eat some lard instead."

Wang Qing'er naturally understood that her mother-in-law was subtly reminding her that her family couldn't afford soybean oil, so she quickly changed the subject and asked, "Mother, do we grow soybeans?"

Wang Cuiying replied, "Yes, I plant one mu (approximately 0.16 acres) every year to sell."

"Actually, soybeans can be intercropped next to sweet potato fields; there's no need to dedicate a separate plot of land to them." Wang Qing'er remembers that when she was little, her grandparents planted soybeans next to sweet potato fields, and they could also plant them along the edges of the fields.

Zhou asked in surprise, "It's okay to plant it like this?"

“Yes, my maternal grandparents intercrop soybeans along the edges of their fields. They can plant them on any wide enough field ridges. I planted a lot of other seeds along the edges of the potato field I planted yesterday, but there are still a lot left to plant, so I can sow soybeans on top of that.” Wang Qing’er had no choice but to bring up her maternal grandparents’ house again.

“Alright, I’ll talk to your father and the others. After the rice seedlings are transplanted, we can also plant some soybeans on the paddy field ridges. We won’t have to dedicate an entire acre to them!” Zhou Shi now obeys her granddaughter-in-law’s every word as if it were a royal decree.

Wang Cuiying said anxiously, "Mother, it's completely dark, why haven't they come back yet? I'll go out and meet them!"

Zhou quickly replied, "Okay, go and take a look. Wait at the foot of the mountain, but don't go too far."

“I know, Mother.” After saying that, Wang Cuiying got up and walked quickly towards the door.

"Mother, I'll go with you!" Wang Qing'er quickly stood up and followed her out.

"I'll go too." Seeing this, Mu Lin quickly got up as well.

“Me too…” Mu Qin wanted to follow, but then she heard Zhou Shi say, “Qin’er, the three of us will just wait at home.”

The three walked all the way to the foot of the back mountain, but still couldn't see the father and his two sons. As the sky gradually darkened like ink being poured, the three of them felt extremely anxious, as if their hearts were being scratched by a cat.

"Mother, I know the way to the sugarcane grove. Shall we go up a little further?"

“No, it’s already so dark. The mountains are full of dangers. The three of them should be fine together. They were probably so engrossed in cutting the sugarcane that they forgot about the time.” Although Wang Cuiying said this, her heart was pounding with anxiety.

The three waited a while longer, and Wang Qing'er couldn't contain herself any longer. "Mother, let's go up a little."

"Alright, then you'd better watch your step."

Just as the three were about to head up, they suddenly heard a clear bleating sound, "Baa baa baa!"

Hearing the bleating of sheep, Wang Qing'er asked, "Mom, does anyone in the village raise sheep?"

Wang Cuiying also vaguely heard it and was a little puzzled. "I've never heard of anyone raising sheep!"

Wang Qing'er: "Was that the sound of a sheep bleating just now?"

Wang Cuiying, "I think so..."

"Baa baa baa!" The sheep's bleating grew clearer and closer.

"Mother, sister-in-law, look, it's Father and Brother, and a few sheep!" Mu Lin walked at the front and immediately spotted the Mu family father and sons and the sheep.