Chapter 315

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Protagonist:

Chai Mi

The old smokers in the East Wu Zi puffed away one after another; as soon as one finished, another lit up.

Chai Mi coughed incessantly.

After boiling hot water for the big fellows, brewing tea, and serving it, Chai Mi finally couldn't help but pull Song Qiushui into the West Wu Zi.

She then asked Liu Zhijing, who didn't smoke much: "Da Zhi, why don't you go wait in the West Wu Zi for a while? The East Wu Zi is too smoky."

The room was too small; with five or six smoking pipes sitting there, dry tobacco and rolled cigarettes were smoked nonstop. At first it was bearable...

Later Liu Zhijing went home and called his father Liu Zhanggui over, and then it was completely unbearable.

The Village Chief's smoking was truly frequent, frighteningly frequent. Others smoked a few puffs per bowl of tea, but Liu Zhanggui smoked several pipes per bowl of tea.

The room instantly became even more smoky.

Even Taishang Laojun's alchemy furnace would be smoked out.

Liu Zhijing gave a sheepish smile, a bit embarrassed, and followed Song Qiushui into the West Wu Zi.

Song Qiushui pursed her lips and let out a barrage: "Da Zhi, are your dad and your mom getting divorced again? Your dad smokes with such gusto, no one else dares say anything... If there's something going on, everyone can help talk some sense into your dad."

Liu Zhijing laughed awkwardly: "No. It's nothing, they've been fine lately. No trouble..."

Liu Zhanggui indeed hadn't had any falling-out with Xue Haiyan.

Of course, they'd been divorced for many years, and now remarried because of the child. Many living habits were indeed quite different.

There were small conflicts, but no major ones.

However, the couple didn't have much in common to talk about, and being older, there wasn't much affection either.

They lived a bit like partners just getting by.

Lukewarm.

But divorce was unlikely.

Liu Zhanggui's smoking habit had just become outrageous lately, four or five packs a day, one after another.

"He recently... seems to think that the big-production cigarettes are better to smoke, so he smokes more."

Chai Mi was busy cooking and had no time to idle-chat with these two immortals, so she busied herself.

Liu Zhijing had never been to Chai Mi's house before; upon entering, he found it clean and tidy, and quite refined.

And Chai Xiu, who kept rolling her eyes...

Chai Mi didn't linger in the smoke-filled East Wu Zi; she had several urgent matters on her mind. Old Niu's calving went smoothly, just a minor episode; the real big deals were the warehouse and the fried chicken business.

She grabbed Song Qiushui, who had just poked her head out of the West Wu Zi, and lowered her voice: "Qiushui, don't stand here watching the excitement. Tomorrow morning, come with me to the city!"

"To the city? To do what?" Song Qiushui was pulled into a stumble, looking completely bewildered.

"To find Liu Zhangshun!" Chai Mi's eyes shone amazingly. "Our fried chicken has the flavor, but those free-range chickens are too old—hard to fry and wasteful of oil! We need tender meat chickens! Liu Zhangshun has wide connections; he must have a lead! And while we're at it, buy the oilcloth paper and secondhand doors and windows for the warehouse."

Hearing there was a lead for fried chicken, Song Qiushui immediately perked up: "Deal! We should've gone long ago! That old chicken meat makes my cheeks hurt chewing! If he can't find any, try looking in our village; some people raise meat chickens there, though not many."

Sanjiacun indeed had many people raising chickens, but most were egg-laying hens.

Egg-laying hens and meat chickens are different; they're raised longer, and the meat is tougher.

"Also," Chai Mi turned to look at Liu Zhijing, who had just come out of the West Wu Zi, "Da Zhi, you'll need to make another trip tomorrow. After the sand is delivered, the cement needs to be brought back. This afternoon, if you have time, go to the scrap pile by the riverbank, pick out some usable crushed stones, and bring them back to save on bricks for the foundation. I'll calculate the labor and fuel costs for you later."

Liu Zhijing waved his hand honestly: "What labor fee? It's a small matter. I'll take care of the stones; I'll pick up some large goose egg stones from the He Tao area, good enough for the foundation. I'll get the cement first thing tomorrow morning and deliver it straight to Song Shu's courtyard."

Reassured, Chai Mi rushed into the East Wu Zi again. The room was thick with smoke; Village Chief Liu Zhanggui was spitting words as he recounted a "major case" he had mediated, while Chai Youqing and Song Qingshan listened, stunned.

"Uncle!" Chai Mi raised her voice, overpowering the conversation, "The warehouse work starts officially tomorrow! The sand is piled at Qiushui's house, and Da Zhi will get the cement tomorrow morning. Bricks and oilcloth paper—I'll buy them when I go to the city tomorrow. How about you help find a few experienced bricklayers? Wages by the day, and two meals provided!"

Song Qingshan coughed twice from the smoke, patting his chest: "Cough... cough... Don't worry! People are ready! My few boys, plus my clansmen's nephews, are all good labor! I won't say their masonry skills are superb, but building a warehouse wall, setting beams, and roofing is no problem! No need for wages, just feed us—it's family business!"

"That's wonderful!" Chai Mi felt relieved. "Tomorrow when everyone's gathered, you take them to lay out the lines and dig the foundation! Da Zhi will bring the stones this afternoon. As soon as I buy the bricks, tiles, doors, and windows, we'll start right away! Aim to finish it all in three to five days!"

"Got it! Leave it to me!" Song Qingshan declared heroically.

Liu Zhanggui also flicked his ash and interjected: "This is a good thing! Need any village certificates? Building a house, the land is the Song Family's, but... well, anyway, just speak up if you need anything."

Liu Zhanggui felt he'd said a bit too much, after all, the village official seal was in Song Qingshan's hands; he could stamp it whenever he wanted. Did he have no shame, building the house at his own place, and then he'd have to say he supported...

"Thanks, Uncle Zhanggui! Not needed for now; let's build first." Chai Mi declined; she didn't want complications at this time. She turned to Chai Youqing: "Dad, tomorrow you go with Song Shu and them to help dig the foundation, mix clay, and carry bricks—don't be idle. Xiu'er stays home to watch the calf and Old Niu, and the third child."

Then Chai Mi told Su Wan: "Mom, you're in charge tomorrow; get up early and cook! Steam some buns, and stew cabbage vermicelli with potatoes for the dish—plenty and filling!"

Dinner was ordinary, with nothing much to say.

The next day, at dawn, Chai Mi and Song Qiushui set off riding the inverted donkey. The morning breeze carried a chill, refreshing the spirit. They headed straight for Liu Zhangshun's stall at the big market.

Liu Zhangshun had just set up his stall and was butchering a few featherless chickens; seeing them, he was quite surprised: "Yo! Chai Mi, Qiushui, so early? How's the fried chicken?"

"Brother Shun, we've tested the flavor—it's fragrant!" Chai Mi got straight to the point. "It's just that the meat is too tough. We used free-range chickens raised for a long time; they're hard to fry, and the flavor doesn't penetrate easily. I want to ask you—do you have chickens that grow fast with tender meat? The kind raised specifically for eating?"

Hearing this, Liu Zhangshun chopped his knife onto the cutting board and laughed: "Hey! You've finally asked the right person! Meat chickens! A new thing in the city! I know a breeding farm boss, right in the suburbs, specializing in this! They're called 'White Feather Chickens'; they can be marketed in about a hundred days, and the meat is tender! Not good for soup—no flavor—but perfect for stir-frying or frying! How many do you want? I'll contact them for you!"

Chai Mi said happily: "No rush to buy chickens yet. Give me an address; I'll go see for myself. We want to inspect the goods first, negotiate the price, and ask if they can supply steadily—we plan to buy long-term!"

Mainly to bring back a few chickens to try.

Only after trying can we decide.

Chai Mi wasn't so easily impulsive to decide on such a big matter.

Liu Zhangshun gave the address.

Chai Mi and Song Qiushui first went to their stall; after closing up, they went to that breeding farm.

The place was in Xiaochengzi, not far from the county seat—about seven or eight minutes away.

The breeding farm was sizable, with rows of neat chicken coops. Wang Laoban was a capable middle-aged man; hearing they were introduced by Liu Zhangshun, he was very warm.

"Small business, the volume might not be big at first, but if it sells well, we definitely won't lack orders later!" Chai Mi spoke generously, not at all like a country girl who hadn't seen the world. "Wang Laoban, we want to take a look at the chickens first and discuss the price and delivery method. It's best to deliver fresh ones every day or every other day; we guarantee they'll be killed and used fresh."

"Of course, this time I'm thinking of taking a few back first to try if they taste good. The price is normal; sell it to me however you usually sell."

Wang Laoban took them around for a tour and introduced the characteristics of the meat chickens. Chai Mi carefully looked at the chickens' size, feather color, and spirit condition, and asked about the feed and epidemic prevention situation, basically having a clear idea in her heart. Both parties were straightforward people and didn't beat around the bush.

When leaving, the boss directly gave Chai Mi ten chickens and said if they didn't taste good, no money needed.

Chai Mi did not refuse.

His chicken farm had two or three ten thousand chickens anyway; selling to his designated buyer was more expensive. It was still more expensive than selling to middlemen, so giving a few now as a gesture of goodwill was only natural.

"Pretty smooth, the boss is damn easy to talk to!" Leaving the breeding farm, Song Qiushui excitedly punched Chai Mi, "Chai Mi, let's come again another day and eat him up!"

Getting ten chickens for free, Song Qiushui was naturally very happy.

For the matter of eating and drinking for free, Song Qiushui was happier than anything.

Chai Mi helplessly nodded. "Alright. Let's go, buy oilcloth paper and doors and windows! Then hurry back; we still have to watch over the warehouse this afternoon! You, don't think too much, who can give you ten chickens every day for free? That's because he has something to ask."

The two went back to the building materials market, compared three shops, chose several rolls of oilcloth paper with the best cost-performance ratio, and in the second-hand area found two fairly sturdy old wooden doors and several old window frames, agreeing on the price.

Then they went out again to find someone to haul the goods.

The building materials market was full of people riding inverted donkeys, but they were all trustworthy people.

Chai Mi casually found a cheap one, paid twenty yuan in labor fees, and asked that person to deliver them there.

After giving the address, Chai Mi and Song Qiushui went home first.

Chai Mi and Song Qiushui rode the inverted donkey, carrying the ten white feather meat chickens whose feet were tied with grass rope and squeezed in the basket clucking softly, heading to Sanjiacun under the afternoon sun. The cart creaked on the dirt road, jolting the chicken basket back and forth, and Song Qiushui occasionally reached in to touch them, clicking her tongue in admiration: "Oh my, these chickens feel different! Smooth and slippery, plump meat, fine bones! Chai Mi, shall we fry them tonight?!"

Chai Mi held the cart handle with one hand and wiped the sweat from her forehead with the other, glancing at the listless chickens in the basket: "What's the rush? First check how the warehouse foundation digging is going when we get home. These chickens need to catch their breath too; kill and cure them tonight, and we can try them tomorrow morning. Haste makes waste; frying chicken also requires proper heat and flavor absorption. Last time it wasn't tasty because the curing wasn't enough."

"I know, I know!" Song Qiushui drew out her tone, her eyes still glued to the chicken basket, "I understand the logic, but this meat looks really tender! Much better than our old firewood sticks at home! You say Wang Laoban is too generous, giving ten chickens for free! How much money this saves!"

"The money saved is also a cost." Chai Mi looked ahead, calculating in her heart, "Human relations should be remembered, but business is business. Once it's successful and the volume is large, the price still needs to be negotiated well. These white feather chickens grow fast, and the cost should be much lower than free-range chickens; pricing our fried chicken cheaply will give us an advantage."

The two were talking as the cart turned into the village entrance. Before reaching Song Qiushui's house, they heard from afar the noisy voices over there, mixed with the scraping sounds of iron hoes digging soil and the men's loud shouts.

By the side of the Song family courtyard, a conspicuous white lime line had already been drawn. Song Qingshan was leaning on an iron hoe, directing several clan nephews to dig the foundation with sweat pouring down.

"Yo! Back already!" Song Qingshan had sharp eyes; seeing them, he straightened his waist and greeted them, "How is it? Did you buy the things?"

"Bought them, Uncle!" Chai Mi jumped off the cart, pointing to the cart bed, "The oilcloth paper has been brought back, and the doors and windows have been found as old ones; someone will deliver them in a while." She then looked at the foundation pit and nodded with satisfaction, "The progress is fast enough! Uncle, thanks for everyone's hard work!"

"Fast what, just started to take shape!" Song Qingshan kicked the wet soil dug up with his foot, "The soil is okay, not too sticky! Quite easy to dig."

Chai Mi felt relieved more than half. She went to look at the cement again, walked straight to the wall corner, lifted a corner of the plastic cloth to look; the bagged cement was stacked neatly. She then went around to the other side of the courtyard and saw that the pile of sand should be enough too.

Except for the bricks, the materials were basically enough.

At this moment, a "squeak" sound came from outside the courtyard; a hauling inverted donkey stopped at the door. The person pulling the cart was a dark and thin man, and the cart was loaded with the old doors and windows Chai Mi had bought.

"Miss Chai Mi, right? Your doors and windows are delivered! Take a look!" The man jumped off the cart and nimbly untied the ropes.

Chai Mi walked over and carefully checked them once. The two old wooden doors, though some paint was peeling, had sturdy frames and the door pivots were not broken. Several old window frames, the glass was basically intact, just the screens were a bit broken; they would need to be replaced later. Overall, it met her expectations and had a high cost-performance ratio.

"Alright, unload them in this courtyard, thank you." Chai Mi paid the agreed twenty yuan labor fee.

The man happily took the money, and together with Chai Youqing and Liu Zhijing, unloaded the doors and windows into the corner of the courtyard.

"Chai Mi!" Song Qiushui strolled over, leaning close to her ear, "You see, the foundation has been dug, and the things are all here; shouldn't we... huh?" She winked toward her own home, the meaning was obvious beyond doubt.

Chai Mi knew she was thinking about those white feather chickens and couldn't help but smile: "Look at how ambitious you are! Alright, it's almost dark; your father is watching over this side. Come, go home, deal with the chickens! We'll cure them tonight!"

"Mm, cure nine of them. Leave one to stew for you to eat tonight. How about it?"