The chestnuts on their side had an outer fuzzy layer that stuck like glue—impossible to peel off.
But these chestnuts were different—they came off easily.
Lin Xiaohe tried a couple herself—they really were a breeze to peel.
“There’s quite a bit. Once we’re done peeling, should we give some to Aunt Fang? They’re mountain goods, and they taste good too—she should like them.”
“Great! Let me peel faster—let’s get them all done.”
The two crouched on the ground and peeled all afternoon.
When they were done, they weighed out a little over 4 jin—about 5 jin total.
“Set aside half for Aunt Fang, and the rest we’ll use for a meat stew tonight. Chicken would be best, but we don’t have any chicken on hand—pork stew works too.”
In Lin Xiaohe’s memory, chestnut stewed with chicken was delicious—Aunt Wu Xiang had made it once. She and her sister each got a piece of chicken and a few chestnuts.
So fragrant—the taste had stayed with her all this time.
Tomorrow, she’d keep one chicken and find some chestnuts for chestnut chicken stew.
It was too late today.
“We’ll go over after dinner—you wanted to see what it’s like over there at night, right?”
They hadn’t had a proper lunch, so they’d make up for it with a good dinner.
“We’ve still got two jin of meat—one jin for stir-fry, one jin for stew. Let’s eat well tonight.”
Two jin of meat cost just over 10 yuan—about the same as a jin and a half of wild greens.
Eat up—eat to your heart’s content!
Taian Village
Starting from Old Man Shen’s generation, the village had only a dozen or so households.
Families with elders still alive usually hadn’t split up, so every household had plenty of people.
At home, Old Man Shen divided up the goods based on the chickens and eggs each household had brought.
He delivered them door to door, letting everyone know they’d need the same amount tomorrow.
Those who received their goods were grinning from ear to ear.
Those who hadn’t believed it and hadn’t brought anything were slapping their thighs in regret.
They quickly picked their fattest chickens and biggest eggs, offered them with a sheepish smile, and headed over to the Shen house.
Who would’ve thought—good fortune really did fall from the sky!
For a while, the Shen family’s doorstep was practically worn down by visitors.
Old Man Shen did some mental calculations and set quotas: one chicken per household per day, and twenty of the best eggs each day.
If anyone didn’t have enough eggs, they’d let him know and he’d see if other households could make up the difference.
But this arrangement couldn’t last long—each household only laid a few eggs a day. Even if they saved every egg for trading, once their current stock ran out, there’d be no more.
By then, he’d have to talk with Xiaohe in advance and figure out how to handle it.
Better to discuss it ahead of time than to suddenly run out and strain their relationship.
The old man sat alone on the doorstep, mulling it over for a long while.
Only after he’d thought it all through did he pat his pants and stand up.
“Alright, everyone—no slacking off. Do what you need to do. If you’ve got nothing else, go catch some bugs, cut some grass, and feed the chickens well. More eggs mean more to trade.”
“And this fall’s mountain clearing is starting soon. Eat well the next couple days—build up your strength. We’ll drive the big animals deeper into the mountains so they don’t come down and cause trouble over winter.”
The main goal this time wasn’t hunting—it was intimidation, to scare the animals deeper into the mountains.
Drive them into the remote wilderness.
Otherwise, when winter came, those big animals might wander into the village and hurt people.
This had been their practice for years.
And thanks to it, there hadn’t been any incidents in a long time.
…
After dinner, dusk was just settling in.
“Let’s go—bring the stuff. We’re heading over.”
At this hour, the market wasn’t quiet—quite a few people were out and about, though they were all younger compared to the morning crowd.
“Let’s go to Aunt Fang’s shop first, then we’ll browse.”
This honey was expensive—couldn’t risk spilling it.
“Aunt Fang—we brought the rest of the honey!”
“Oh, wonderful! I’ve been waiting for it.”
After her husband’s deliveries yesterday, there was barely any left.
Good thing this girl brought more today.
“Oh, and we got some chestnuts from the mountain—thought you’d like to try them.”
“Always so polite—why do you keep bringing us things?”
“Really—don’t be so formal!” Yuan Zhiqiang chimed in.
“It’s nothing valuable—just some mountain goods. Keep them—don’t worry about it. We’re heading to the supermarket, so we’ll be going now—time’s ticking.”
“Alright. Here’s the money—don’t lose it.”
Back when she had just one bill in her pocket, Lin Xiaohe’s hands would tremble with excitement. Now, with so much, she wasn’t nervous at all.
She was used to it.
“Sis, are we going to the supermarket or the 2-yuan store?”
“2-yuan store first, then the supermarket. We’ll buy plenty—we’re empty-handed today.”
“Yay—let’s hurry!” Xiaogu was full of anticipation for the 2-yuan store—so many good things they’d been eyeing but never bought.
“Let’s go!” The store was the same as always—the owner behind the counter scrolling on her phone, no customers in sight.
Seeing them walk in, she greeted them warmly.
“Don’t miss out—come on in! Everything’s cheap—if it’s not, it’s free!”
“Sis, can we get another flashlight? If it gets dark, we can keep one where we’re working and one by the bed so Mom and Dad can see too.”
“Sure—it’s not expensive. Let’s get a big one! The small ones are convenient and compact, but the big ones are brighter.”
“Okay!” The big one was pricier—15 yuan, with one battery included.
She wondered how long it’d last.
“Let’s go with this one—looks like what we have at home. Could even take it outside if needed.”
Just as Xiaohe picked one, she saw her sister already holding an armful.
“Hehe—I got a box of pencils, two notebooks, and a pencil sharpener.”
“Great—all useful. Let’s grab a basket—we’ve got too much to carry.”
She’d seen baskets by the entrance when they came in, but hadn’t grabbed one since she didn’t think they’d buy so much. Turns out she underestimated herself.
With a basket, they kept shopping.
Lin Xiaohe grabbed another pack of hair ties. “We’ll use some and share the rest. That last pack ran out fast—better stock up.”
“Okay—hehe, Sis, can I get another hair flower?”
Xiaogu rubbed her hands together. “I want a pink one.”
“Sure—pick one out yourself. If you want something, just take it—as long as it’s not too expensive.”
“Hehe, I’ll take this one.”
Xiaogu happily grabbed a pink one.
“Wait—I’ve never seen you wear yours.”
“I’m saving it! I’ll wear it for special occasions—like how people save their patch-free clothes for visiting relatives.”
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