The quick-witted Chen Xiaomai immediately ran into the kitchen, lit the oil lamp, and then lit the fire in the stove to boil water.

Chi Yu had already gone to open the door. As soon as she opened it, in the dim moonlight, she saw three old men standing at the door.

She hurriedly welcomed them in: "Uncle Clan Chief, Elders, is there something urgent that you have come so late?"

Come in, come in quickly.

"By the way, have you eaten yet? Why don't you grab something to eat here?"

Without waiting for a reply, she called out to the kitchen:

"Third Sister-in-law, the clan chief and the others have arrived. Please cook more food."

Chen Xiaomai's voice immediately came from the kitchen: "Alright!"

Chi Dongyi quickly waved his hand: "No need, no need, we've already eaten the small fish."

As he spoke, he raised his voice and said, "It's from Sanbao's family. No need to cook much; we've already eaten at home."

We just came to talk to Xiaoyu, and then we'll leave.

Chi Yu was fast; before anyone could finish speaking, he had already entered the main room and lit the oil lamp on the table.

Chi Dongyi, Er Clan Elder, and San Clan Elder went in one after another and found a place to sit down.

After Chi Yu looked over, he didn't waste any words and directly took out twenty taels from his sleeve and placed them on the table.

Then, under the puzzled gaze of the fish in the pond, he said:

"Xiaoyu, we all know you are a good child, and you are always thinking of the best for the people of Chijia'ao."

You've only been down the mountain for two days, and you've already brought back so many winter melons and pumpkins for your people. We are very grateful.

These things are probably hard to buy in the county town, and they're not cheap either.

We are able to live better than people in other places because of your influence.

Under such circumstances, we absolutely cannot let you lose money.

I don't know if twenty taels is enough for you to buy those things, but the clan doesn't have much silver available right now.

Please accept these as payment for the winter melon and pumpkin.

As for those hatching eggs and chicken/duck eggs, you were intentionally helping everyone, so how could the clan possibly take your money?

After he finished speaking, the second elder took out an account book from his bosom and then untied two large bags of money from his waist.

Not only him, but even the three clan elders were the same.

Those large bags were filled with copper coins.

"Little Fish, this is the money for today's hatching eggs and chicken and duck eggs."

When we sold the goods in front of the ancestral hall, we specifically asked a literate servant from the Zhong family to help us keep accounts.

The sales figures for hatching eggs, chicken and duck eggs, and who bought them are all clearly written on the document.

The hatching eggs are all sold out now, and the chicken and duck eggs that were brought over from here are also sold out.

There are a total of 130 hatching eggs and 500 chicken and duck eggs.

Two chicken or duck eggs cost three coins, which is 750 coins.

The people of Chijia'ao bought 100 hatching eggs, which cost 200 coins.

The remaining thirty were bought by people from Xiechi'ao for ninety coins each.

In total, it amounted to 1,040 coins.

The money is all here, in strings of fifty.

There are twenty strings and forty coins in total. Count them yourself.

Chi Yu never dreamed that the three old men would come over late at night not only to express their gratitude, but also to give him money.

She stared at the silver coins on the table, remaining silent for a long time.

It was only after Chi Dongyi stuffed the twenty-tael silver ingot into her hand that she came to her senses.

“Uncle Chief, my pumpkins and winter melons don’t cost that much silver.”

Chi Dongyi pretended to be angry and said, "Do you think that because I don't go down the mountain, I don't know what's going on outside?"

Ahua told me everything, and I also learned some things from Song Xiucai.

The situation outside is not good, and people are trying every means to hoard various kinds of grain.