Chapter 324: Rebirth in the '90s: The Tyrannical Flower, Chapter 325

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Protagonist:

Chai Mi

Song Qingshan didn't dare agree to this matter. He felt that doing so would be taking too much advantage, and it wouldn't sound good if word got out.

Making money was something he had pondered when he was young, but now that he was older, he didn't have so many pursuits.

Now his own daughter could earn some money, and he was quite happy about it; Song Qingshan was satisfied.

Seeing that Song Qingshan really wouldn't agree, Chai Mi thought she'd bring it up again at night.

Afterwards, Chai Mi went home to rest for a while.

By then, Chai Mi had actually already put the twenty White Feather Chickens delivered into Song Qiushui's House.

At this moment, Song Qiushui stared at that flock of chickens, her head buzzing.

"Mom, do you think these chickens lay eggs? How about we do a cycle of chickens laying eggs and eggs hatching chickens? We raise these chickens, wait for them to lay eggs, then hatch chicks..."

Meng Shi came out of the room, looking a bit bewildered: "Chickens should all lay eggs, right. But these chickens are being kept for future use; in a bit, I'll have your father kill a chicken."

Song Qiushui looked up at Song Qingshan, who was still laying bricks inside. This afternoon, no one else was around; only two clansmen were helping.

It was impossible for someone to come help every day.

Those who came were too embarrassed not to.

More people helped out a bit, then later found an excuse not to come.

After all, they weren't being paid.

"Dad, Mom is calling you to kill a chicken."

Song Qiushui shouted toward her father Song Qingshan.

Song Qingshan put down his tools, washed his hands, and prepared to kill a chicken.

Back then, Chai Mi had mentioned this matter. Although Song Qingshan didn't agree to the matter of sharing money, he still had to do the work.

After all, they couldn't expect Song Qiushui to do it...

Song Qiushui kill a chicken?

Song Qingshan simply didn't believe it. How could his own daughter kill a chicken? She didn't even dare kill ants—to avoid stepping on ants, she wore high heels.

Song Qingshan occasionally killed chickens during holidays and festivals. Compared to others, his courage was still quite great.

Song Qingshan looked at the White Feather Chickens crowded together in the cage, clucking and calling. He scratched the dust off his head. He was used to heavy labor; laying bricks and paving ground was no problem, but this delicate work of killing and bleeding a chicken always felt a bit off. Meng Shi handed over a kitchen knife sharpened to a gleam: "Hurry up, Qiushui said it's needed tomorrow."

"I know, I know." Song Qingshan agreed, took a deep breath, and reached out to grab the fattest chicken at the edge of the cage. The chicken seemed to sense doom approaching, suddenly shrank its neck, flapped its wings, and dove deep into the cage, feathers and dust flying everywhere, causing the other chickens to cry out in alarm.

"Ouch! This little scoundrel is slippery!" Song Qingshan spat, shoved his whole arm in, and after great effort finally pinched the root of a chicken's wing, dragging it out by force. The chicken struggled desperately, its claws kicking wildly, feathers flying out like snowflakes, sticking all over Song Qingshan's face.

"Dad! Be gentle! Look how scared the chicken is!" Song Qiushui leaned against the doorframe with her arms crossed, saying this with her mouth but not moving a single step with her feet, showing no intention of helping at all. Instead, she watched with great interest: "Mom, look at how clumsy my dad is—killing a chicken is like going to war."

Meng Shi glared at Song Qingshan and scolded: "I've had such a bitter life in this generation; marrying him was truly my bad luck. Your father really can't do anything right, but he's number one at eating. Killing a chicken, look how hard he's making it for himself. Good for nothing..."

Though she said that, Meng Shi still felt sorry for Song Qingshan. After all, Song Qingshan had been working hard these past two days, and he was already so old; being flustered was normal: "Qiushui, you go watch the cage."

"I'm not going!" Song Qiushui shook her head like a rattle drum. "I'm just responsible for eating."

Song Qingshan finally dragged the chicken out of the cage and pressed it onto a makeshift wooden block he'd found. He gripped the chicken's neck and wing tightly with one hand, raised the kitchen knife with the other, and aimed at the chicken's neck. The chicken seemed to know its end was near, crying out especially shrilly, shrinking its neck desperately, and its claws scratched several white marks on Song Qingshan's hand.

"Stay still!" Song Qingshan was also getting annoyed and pressed harder with his hand. Just as the knife was about to touch the chicken skin, the chicken somehow found strength and suddenly broke free! Song Qingshan felt his hand slip, and the chicken actually escaped its restraint. With a "ge ge dun" shriek, flapping its wings and trailing messy feathers, it flew straight toward Song Qiushui!

"Oh my god!" Song Qiushui was terrified out of her wits, screaming and clutching her head as she scurried away.

The frightened chicken, panicked and choosing no path, hit the doorframe and bounced back, flying and crashing wildly all over the courtyard, feathers mixed with dust dancing through the sky.

"Hey! Catch it!" Song Qingshan also panicked, threw down the knife, and lunged. Meng Shi also lost her head, grabbed a nearby broom to help block, but instead startled the other chickens in the cages, which slammed desperately against their cages. For a time, the courtyard was full of chickens flying and dogs jumping, a complete mess.

Song Qiushui hid in the room: Damn! What Mom said is right—my dad really is good for nothing... Killing a chicken is more ridiculous than fucking war...

"Dad, run to the neighbor's house two... Mom, don't beat it to death. If you beat it to death, the meat won't taste good..."

"What's going on? Tearing down the house?" Chai Mi's voice sounded at the courtyard gate. She had just come from her home to check on the last bit of work in the storage room and happened to mention the fried chicken business to Song Qingshan and his wife, but as soon as she arrived, she saw this scene of chickens flying and eggs breaking.

Song Qiushui, as if seeing a savior, swooshed out and hid behind Chai Mi, pointing at the still-flapping chicken and the flustered Song Qingshan chasing it: "Chai Mi! Quick! My dad let the chicken run away! This chicken is crazy!"

Chai Mi frowned, watching Song Qingshan chase the chicken all over the courtyard, Meng Shi holding a broom at a loss, feathers flying all over the ground. Without a word, she took a few steps forward. Just then, the panicked chicken darted toward her.

Chai Mi was quick-eyed and quick-handed. She turned her body slightly, and in the moment the chicken brushed past her, she precisely grabbed the root of its wing, pressed down, and the chicken was firmly pinned under her foot.

"Uncle, killing a chicken requires being steady, accurate, and ruthless. Why is your hand shaking?" Chai Mi lifted the chicken, walked to the wooden block, picked up the kitchen knife from the ground, and with a clean motion chopped the chicken's neck. Then she bled it and scalded the feathers—all in one go—leaving Song Qingshan's old face red.

Meng Shi hurriedly handed over a basin of hot water: "Aiya, Chai Mi, thank goodness you came. Your uncle... he's really not good at this. Quick, wash your hands..."

"It's fine, Auntie. Everyone has their specialty." Chai Mi deftly handled the chicken feathers. "Auntie, about that matter I mentioned to your husband earlier..."

Chai Mi repeated the matter she had discussed with Song Qingshan.

Then she said: "You really should consider it. This fried chicken business is clearly taking off. Relying on me alone to kill and clean chickens, then fry them, there's just not enough time. You and my uncle stay home and do this prep work, and Qiushui and I will fry them—it'll be faster."

Song Qingshan walked over wiping his sweat: "Chai Mi, this money... is too much, isn't it? Just helping out..."

"Too much what, Uncle?" Chai Mi didn't stop with her hands, tossing the cleaned whole chicken into the large basin beside her. "Do the math. I sell one fried chicken, minus the cost, and I earn more than this amount. Auntie put in the work, so she should get the money. Besides, this work is fiddly and laborious, not that simple. But if it's done well and the volume grows later, we'll earn even more. Qiushui," she turned to look at Song Qiushui, who was still patting her chest to catch her breath, "don't just watch the excitement. Learn a bit, and help your mom out later."

"Huh? I have to work too?" Song Qiushui looked very unwilling.

"Nonsense! Your mom is too busy, and you won't help? You still want money for nothing?" Chai Mi glared at her.

Meng Shi looked at the cleanly processed whole chicken in the basin, then at her own daughter. She gritted her teeth: "Fine! Chai Mi, Auntie will do it! It's just killing chickens, plucking feathers, and gutting them—I've done it before! Don't worry, I'll definitely get it done cleanly and efficiently!"

"That's right, Auntie!" Chai Mi smiled. "Starting tomorrow, when the chickens are delivered, just put them directly in your courtyard. I'll prepare the knives, basins, hot water, and so on. After cleaning them, cure them and put them in a cool place. Qiushui, you're responsible for keeping accounts—how many are cleaned each day, weigh them on the scale. In case they cheat on the weight, we'll be the ones losing out. Don't be too honest in life. Don't believe everything they say. You yourself must keep everything clear and straight."

Hearing that she didn't have to kill chickens herself, just keep accounts, Song Qiushui immediately sighed in relief: "Fine, fine, fine. Keeping accounts is no problem. Leave it to me!"

Seeing his wife agree, Song Qingshan stopped opposing and just rubbed his hands: "Then... Chai Mi, the storage room is almost done too. I'll have Da Zhi bring back the lime for whitewashing the walls this afternoon, and we can paint it tomorrow. Then you can move your stuff in and do it in the storage room. It's spacious, and it'll save the cooking fumes from spreading all over the house, plus the chicken feathers and droppings are filthy."

"Fine."

Everyone busied themselves. After a while, they finally caught all the chickens back.

Of course, mainly this chicken is fatter, and also dumber.

Relatively easier to catch.

Otherwise, if it were the kind of free-range native chicken raised at home, it would probably be useless.

No need to do anything else this afternoon, just catch chickens.

Afterwards Chai Mi started killing chickens herself, then threw the second processed chicken into the basin, "The storehouse is fixed, from tomorrow on I won't bother with this anymore. Leave it to you and my aunt. I'm responsible for selling up front, our business is now fully opened."

"Done!" Song Qingshan nodded.

He turned to get a broom: "I'll sweep up these chicken feathers."

"Dad, sweep it clean! Don't leave feathers everywhere!" Song Qiushui regained her spirits, directing her father, while she herself strolled over to Chai Mi's side, looking at the chickens in the basin, swallowing saliva: "Chai Mi, stew another one tonight? Let my mom taste what her own processed chicken tastes like?"

Chai Mi finished processing the last chicken, straightened her waist: "Alright, eat at your place tonight, taste something fresh. Auntie, you know how to stew chicken, right? Just stew it your usual way, make it however Qiushui likes to eat."

"I know, I know, I know!" Meng Shi's face bloomed with a smile, "Is stewing chicken not simple? Guaranteed fragrant! Afterward call your dad and your mom too, and call Xiu'er as well. I've said it long ago, wanted to treat you to a good meal, now that we're finally done being busy."

Dinner was set in the Song Family Courtyard. Two large basins of steaming dishes: pickled mustard stewed pork glistening with oil, chicken stewed with mushrooms fragrant to the nose. Two tables pushed together, Song Qingshan, Chai Youqing, Liu Zhanggui, and Liu Zhijing sat on one side, Chai Mi, Song Qiushui, Chai Xiu, Meng Shi, and Su Wan holding a child squeezed on the other side.

"Come come come, everyone dig in!" Song Qingshan raised his wine cup, "The storehouse is up, Chai Mi's fried chicken business is open, good news! We all pitched in, these days are sure to get more prosperous! Drink one!"

Everyone raised cups or held bowls in turn.

Chai Youqing took a sip of wine with his head down, picked up some pickled mustard.

Song Qiushui gnawed on a chicken leg proudly: "That's right! Doesn't matter who came up with the business! Mom, from now on you and Dad just do as Chai Mi says, process and salt the chickens, the frying work Chai Mi and I will contract, guaranteed to sell like hotcakes!"

Meng Shi nodded: "Fine! Chai Mi, rest assured, tomorrow the chickens will be delivered, Auntie will definitely process them clean and neat. It's just..." She rubbed her apron a bit embarrassedly, "this money..."

Chai Mi cut her off directly: "Auntie, what's agreed shouldn't change. The hard-earned money you and Uncle deserve, just take it." She turned to Song Qiushui: "Don't just focus on eating, from now on you keep the accounts, you're familiar with this, when the time comes you just give him the money directly. Afterward, the chickens delivered each day get weighed, the processed ones also get weighed, the weight must match, don't let anyone cheat you. I'm telling you, you must pay attention to one most critical thing, when we sell our own chickens, some actually stuff corn kernels into the chicken's mouth, making the chicken heavier. When you process chickens, watch closely, if he does that, don't give him money, talk to him properly."

Song Qiushui was gnawing with oil all over her mouth, mumbling in agreement: "I know, I know, leave it to me!"

Chai Xiu ate a few bites of food obediently, suddenly said to Liu Zhijing who was burying his head in rice: "Da Zhi, why are you just eating and not talking? Are you thinking that from now on the chicken-killing work will also fall to you? Practicing being a coolie in advance?"

Liu Zhijing was choked, his face a bit red: "Cough... Xiu'er, what nonsense are you talking! I... I'm just hungry..."

Song Qingshan laughed heartily: "Haha, Xiu'er's mouth! Da Zhi, don't mind her! But speaking of which, you've been running around a lot lately, doing all sorts of errands, and haven't even been given gas money."

After all, no matter how you say it, this storehouse was built at Song Qingshan's home, this human relation is actually owed by Song Qingshan.

Liu Zhijing quickly nodded: "Uncle, what's troublesome about this, just call me if there's anything!"

Chai Mi looked around, finally her gaze fell on Chai Youqing: "Dad, the storehouse side is basically tidy. Starting tomorrow, you help Mom feed the cattle and pad the rings in the morning."

Chai Youqing grunted an "en", muffled agreement: "Got it."

Meng Shi enthusiastically greeted: "Eat vegetables! Chai Mi's mom, don't just focus on the third child, you eat too! This chicken is stewed until falling apart!"

Su Wan smiled in response: "I'm eating."

Chai Mi looked at Song Qingshan and Meng Shi: "Uncle, Auntie, the storehouse can be used once the walls are painted. Move the stuff in, from now on processing and salting chickens will be done there, spacious and clean. Tomorrow when the chickens are delivered, just put them right at the storehouse door, Auntie, you can work there."

"Fine, Chai Mi, we'll listen to your arrangements!" Meng Shi readily agreed.

Chai Mi ate quickly, after finishing she sat idly chatting with Meng Shi and the others.

Over there Liu Zhanggui was drinking until dizzy, hugging Chai Youqing's neck and saying, Chai Youqing you really enjoy life, having such a good daughter... not like me, I damn well had a son who loses money, this damn these days marrying a wife for a son is truly hard...