Chapter 46 The Whole Village Makes White Eggs - Jiang Ji Returns to the Village
Deep down, Jiang Fu was hoping Ye Li would agree.
However, the more people who know the recipe, the greater the risk of it being leaked.
Even as the clan chief, Gari-chang, he dared not make any promises he was not sure of.
If it leaks out, it will be Yeli's loss.
Therefore, he didn't say who asked him to deliver the message, and if Ye Li really disagreed, he wouldn't force him.
We'll still be good neighbors then.
Ye Li naturally understood this principle.
He gently massaged Jiang Ya's head with both hands, but his thoughts were weighing the pros and cons.
Preserved eggs, that's really a small business.
There were no large-scale chicken farms at that time, and eggs from other places could not be transported to Beiyang County.
The few eggs sold daily by each household in Beiyang County don't really earn them much money.
Even if the formula is leaked, his losses won't be significant.
He was figuring out how to charge.
He taught Jiang Tong, Jiang Liu, and Jiang Yu; they were family, and he only took a small cut of meat from each of them.
What others say...
Sigh, isn't this a case of a good husband burdened with debt?
Even if everyone shares the surname Jiang, one cannot learn this method simply by eating two pounds of meat.
But his eating manners shouldn't be too unsightly.
The incident with Jiang Tong last time proved that the Yezaopo community can be used in critical moments.
Jiang Fuzheng, who is both the village head and clan chief, is truly capable when it comes to matters.
He looked at Jiang Fuzheng and said, "Uncle Jiang, actually, you can't make much money selling eggs. If you want to make more, you have to do it in large quantities. Since the villagers have asked you to ask, I certainly can't let your words go to waste."
"But how to collect the money... well, I'm young and inexperienced, and I'm worried about hurting feelings. What do you think I should do?"
Jiang Fuzheng was somewhat surprised by his quick agreement: "You agreed so easily? Aren't you going to discuss it with that kid Ji?"
“He’s only responsible for his studies; I take care of things at home. But as you know, he had a tough time in recent years. He went into debt to pay for his studies, and he’s about to take the imperial examinations…”
Ye Li looked honest, but hesitated to speak.
But Jiang Fuzheng understood what he meant.
Jiang Fuzheng was very happy.
If Ye Li is willing to give him face, then he absolutely cannot let Ye Li suffer a loss.
Moreover, Ye Li has indeed had a tough time. Ji Xiaozi's parents passed away early, and the two of them had no elders to help them.
He pondered for a moment and asked, "If we focus all our efforts on making eggs, how much profit can we make in a month?"
"If you're going all out... it depends on whether you have the guts. Take Brother Datong, for example. He has money, but he doesn't dare to invest it all. Every few days, he goes to the county town to buy a few baskets of eggs, trying to earn a little over an ounce a month."
"As for me, I don't dare to do too much. If any jar fails, the loss will be considerable. I do it twice a month, a total of a thousand, which can earn me more than eight hundred coins."
"So, according to you, under normal circumstances, one can earn one or two taels a month?"
Jiang Fu was somewhat surprised.
"Yes. And the amount of money invested wasn't much; the majority went to buying eggs, and the rest didn't cost much."
Earn a lot.
Low investment.
Jiang Fuzheng didn't think much of it and quickly said, "Hmm... how about this, we'll follow the example of the foreman in the county town assigning work, where the foreman takes 20% of each job assigned. We're all from the same village, so 20% is too much. How about you take 10%?"
“If the villagers earn one or two taels a month, then you shall charge one hundred coins.”
Ye Li was surprised by the generous terms offered by Jiang Fuzheng: a 10% cut?
He instinctively gripped the hair in his hand, causing Jiang Ya to hiss involuntarily.
"Oh dear, Ya-ge'er, I was wrong." Ye Li came to his senses and quickly admitted his mistake. He rubbed the spot that had been pulled sore and even blew on it, saying, "It doesn't hurt anymore, blowing on it will make it stop hurting."
The cool breeze blowing on my head effectively soothed the pain.
Besides, it didn't hurt that much to begin with.
Jiang Ya tilted her head slightly: "Brother Li, how about I ask Second Brother to help me wash? A quick rinse will do."
"No need, I'll wash it, it'll be done in no time."
Ye Li gestured for Jiang Mai to step forward and scoop water to pour onto Jiang Ya's little head.
Jiang Fuzheng also said, "Let's wash Ya Ge'er's hair first."
After saying that, he drank the sugar water in the bowl in one gulp, and then took the bowl into the kitchen.
Ye Li quickly rinsed Jiang Ya's hair, then pulled her down to sit, drying her hair while glancing at Jiang Fuzheng: "Really, you only collect money once a month?"
Isn't that too much...?
He felt somewhat guilty.
“We collect it once a month,” Jiang Fuzheng nodded.
He had some understanding of the process of making preserved eggs.
After all, he really loves to eat.
"This money is easy to earn. It only takes a short while, and if you include the time spent buying eggs, it only takes a day or two. You can earn nine hundred coins a month by working only one or two days. Where else can you find such a good job?"
"This money is practically free."
“Um…selling preserved eggs takes effort too,” Ye Li reminded her.
Even if you factor in the time spent selling it, the money is practically free, and there's no worry about selling it.
"It's settled then. Anyone who refuses to pay the fee won't be able to learn."
Jiang Fu waved his hand, having made his decision.
Ye Li thought about it and didn't refuse anymore.
Indeed, he smoked a bit too much, but the job was easy.
He hurriedly thanked him, saying, "Uncle Jiang, thank you for taking care of this. There's nothing special at home. Xiaomai, go and pack up all the preserved eggs and take them to Uncle Jiang's house."
“No need.” Jiang Fuzheng waved his hand again: “I’ll go find those families now. If they are willing, they can come to my house after breakfast tomorrow, and I will bring them over.”
As he spoke, he strode toward the courtyard gate.
Seeing this, Ye Li had no choice but to stuff the cloth into Jiang Ya's hand, saying as she saw him off, "I'll thank you properly once things are settled."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Fuzheng seemed to remember something, stopped in his tracks, turned around, and asked, "Is making preserved eggs complicated?"
"It's not complicated. To be honest, even Ya-ge'er can do it." Ye Li pointed to Jiang Ya behind her, who was wiping his hair with a cloth.
Jiang Fuzheng frowned: "That simple?"
“That’s right.” Ye Li nodded.
"Alright, I'll go first." Jiang Fuzheng stroked his beard and strode out of the courtyard.
Ye Li escorted him to the door, then turned and went into the courtyard.
Jiang Mai immediately shouted, "Brother Li, come and learn to read."
After saying that, he instructed Jiang Ya to pour out the water he had just used to wash his hair.
Ye Li: "..."
He slowly approached the well.
Jiang Mai wrote the characters very large, so he could see them without bending over.
"Brother Li, do you still recognize those words at the top? We learned them yesterday."
Jiang Mai picked up the branch again, pointed to the words at the top, and asked with a serious expression.
"...Ye Li, Jiang Ji, Jiang Mai, Jiang Ya."
Ye Li reached out and tapped the top line of text one by one.
Jiang Mai was immediately surprised: "Brother Li! You have such a good memory!"
Ye Li said modestly, "It's all thanks to Master Xiaomai's excellent teaching."
"You have a good memory. I spent many days learning these names."
"That might be because I'm older, so my memory is better than when you were a child."
"Anyway, you're the best teacher. I'll make you a bowl of boiled egg water later."
This little guy actually learned the characters "叶厘" ahead of time.
How disappointed he must have been after the original owner married into the family.
Poor little guy.
Jiang Mai, unaware of his thoughts, was delighted to hear there was egg water to drink: "Thank you, Brother Li!"
Egg water is made by cracking eggs into a bowl, whisking them, and then pouring in freshly boiled hot water.
Hot water will cook the egg mixture.
This egg drop soup tastes good even without any seasoning.
If you add other things, such as sesame oil, salt, or sugar alone, the taste will be even better.
This is a simplified version of egg drop soup!
After receiving the reward, Jiang Mai taught even more diligently.
He pointed to the large characters on the ground and read them over and over again to deepen Ye Li's impression.
After Jiang Ya poured out the shampoo, she also ran over to listen.
He doesn't know enough characters.
He'll have to work really hard to earn enough to buy eggs and water by being a teacher!
However, Sister Liu is too busy and doesn't have time to learn to read.
While the family of three was diligently learning to read, Jiang Fu was running around to several other households, explaining his and Ye Li's conditions to them.
I only have one night to think it over.
If he's willing to hand over 10% of the profits, then I'll go see him tomorrow.
The next day, after Ye Li finished breakfast and pressed down the tofu, before she could even clean the yard, Jiang Fuzheng arrived with several people.
Ye Li was somewhat surprised to see Wang Qiumei.
It turned out that Aunt Qiumei wanted to learn.
But like the other villagers, Aunt Qiumei approached Jiang Fuzheng indirectly, instead of asking him directly, to avoid putting him in a difficult or awkward position.
He appreciated the sentiment.
He couldn't help but smile at Wang Qiumei.
But Wang Qiumei was too embarrassed to even look at him.
He then called out directly, "Aunt Qiumei."
Wang Qiumei looked over.
Seeing him smiling as always, she couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.
She didn't want to take advantage of the younger generation, but she really coveted these preserved eggs. They sold well and were easy to make.
Therefore, after thinking it over and over for several days, she finally couldn't resist asking Jiang Fuzheng to come to her door.
Alas, poverty limits one's ambition.
Seeing that Ye Li's attitude remained unchanged, she felt grateful.
Li Ge'er is so nice.
She also smiled at Ye Li.
The two exchanged a smile, and the slight awkwardness was quickly forgotten.
Ye Li looked at the other people, including the two older women who had gone to the Wang family to argue with her last time.
There was also Jiang Fuzheng's cousin-in-law and his eldest granddaughter-in-law.
Including Wang Qiumei, there are six people in total.
Jiang Fuzheng made these choices after careful consideration. The method of making preserved eggs is simple and easy to learn, and these people are old, have children and grandchildren, and will not easily side with their maternal relatives.
As for his eldest granddaughter-in-law, with him personally overseeing her, she would never report the matter back to her parents' home.
Even so, after Ye Li greeted each of them, he didn't say anything else but gave them a lecture: "The first few times you make preserved eggs, after you buy the eggs, pick them out and make them at Ji's house, so that no one else can see it."
"Furthermore, you all keep an eye on each other. If anyone spreads this practice to other villages, I will drive her out of Wild Jujube Slope and she will never be allowed to enter the ancestral graveyard after she dies!"
This threat is extremely serious for people today.
poison!
That's incredibly toxic!
For a moment, the expressions on the faces of the six people turned rather unpleasant.
Especially Jiang Fuzheng's cousin-in-law, Zhang Shi, felt that these words were mostly directed at him.
Isn't he just someone who's the cousin-in-law of the neighborhood chief?
Is it really necessary to make such a strong statement?
But he only dared to mutter a few words to himself and didn't dare to refute them.
What happened to my cousin's husband?
Even her cousin-in-law wouldn't dare to cause trouble in front of Jiang Fuzheng, a man who had actually killed bandits.
Jiang Fuzheng continued with a stern face, "Don't be upset. The fact that Ji's son is willing to teach you means you're making money for free. You can make an ounce of silver a month. Only in our village can you find such a good thing."
As soon as he finished speaking, Wang Qiumei immediately said, "Clan leader, I have no objection. If I spread the word about the ritual, I am willing to leave the village."
She knew this job was easy; it was practically free money.
Although Jiang Fuzheng's words were unpleasant, she had no intention of spreading them.
Just pretend those harsh words weren't meant for her.
Anyway, she wouldn't give up such a good thing just because of a few words. Since Brother Li has agreed, she's just waiting to make money.
Jiang Fuzheng's eldest granddaughter-in-law, Li Lu, also nodded hurriedly: "I'll listen to Grandpa."
As a granddaughter-in-law, she would never dare to disobey Jiang Fuzheng's words.
The remaining two elderly women, along with Zhang Shi, also promised that they would never reveal the method to outsiders.
Jiang Fuzheng was now satisfied.
After he finished playing the villain, he stepped back two steps and let Ye Li say a few words.
Ye Li stepped forward and said with a smile, "Auntie, Auntie, Uncle, and Li Lu, don't be angry. Making preserved eggs is really super simple. Even Ya Ge'er knows how."
"Although we don't have to worry about selling our preserved eggs now, things might change when we have a lot of them. If we can't sell them, we'll be stuck with them. We'll be the ones who suffer losses then."
"Brother Li, we understand this principle, we're really not angry. Just tell us exactly what to do."
Wang Qiumei spoke first.
The others also spoke up.
Seeing this, Ye Li walked towards the mill: "Alright, then I won't waste any more words. It just so happens that I still have some lime and sawdust left over from last time. I'll take them out and demonstrate."
He took out half a basket of eggs, a small jar, and quicklime and sawdust.
He followed the steps, coating the half-basket of eggs with lime and sawdust, and then sealed it in a jar.
In another half month, the preserved eggs will be ready to be sold.
After reading it, Wang Qiumei and the others were all somewhat incredulous: "Brother Li, it's done already?"
"Yes, don't open it in the middle, don't be curious. Just put it in a cool and ventilated place and let it change slowly. If you are really curious, you have to wait thirteen days before you can open the jar."
Upon hearing this, Wang Qiumei and the others looked at each other, and finally Li Lu sighed, "This really is like picking up money for free."
Zhang Shi had completely calmed down and no longer felt that Jiang Fuzheng's words were too harsh.
It's so simple, but if I don't say a few strong words, some people might not take it seriously.
He laughed and said, "Brother Li is really capable, coming up with such an easy way to make money. Let's not delay any longer, shall we? Let's go to the county town to buy lime and try to make a jar today."
“Okay,” Wang Qiumei immediately agreed.
If you're not proactive in making money, there's something wrong with your brain.
Now that we've learned them all, we can't delay any longer!
“Let’s go together, using my mule,” Zhang Shi said.
The others naturally had no objections.
As for eggs.
Buy a basket and that's it. It's my first time making this, so I can't be too hasty.
The group left quickly, and Jiang Fuzheng also left.
Ye Li put the newly made jar of preserved eggs into the mill, and then he swept the yard, washed clothes, and busied himself with housework.
The group returned before noon.
The first few times you make preserved eggs, you need to do it at Ye Li's house.
However, since villagers would come to buy tofu now, Ye Li would close the courtyard gate and not sell tofu today.
This time, the villagers who came to buy tofu were turned away.
But when he learned that Ye Li was teaching Wang Qiumei and the others how to make preserved eggs, he was immediately tempted.
He wants to learn how to do something so great!
So when Jiang Ji returned the following evening, he was greeted by a tightly closed courtyard gate.
He stood in front of the courtyard gate and subconsciously pushed it.
But it didn't get off the ground.
The bolt inside the door was bolted in.
He bent down slightly, trying to squint and peer through the crack in the door into the yard. The sun hadn't even set yet, so why was the door locked?
Just then, Ye Li's voice rang out from the courtyard: "Who is it?"
Didn't I sleep?
He patted the courtyard gate: "Why is the gate locked from the inside?"
Ye Li was surprised to see him return and hurriedly went over to open the courtyard gate.
Why are you back again?
Jiang Ji didn't answer. As soon as the courtyard gate opened, he stepped inside.
His dark eyes darted around, scanning the yard.
Upon looking at him, he found himself facing several pairs of eyes.
Several uncles and aunts from the village were sitting by the well, watching him with smiles.
Among them, Aunt Lu, Jiang Dahe's neighbor and someone he knew fairly well, said with a smile, "Little Ji, you're back at this time, are you missing Li Ge'er?"
His words made the others laugh.
Ye Li glanced at him and slightly curled the corners of her mouth.
Is there even a question?
She's coming back so often, she must miss me.
But weren't this person's eyes moving a little too fast just now?
Jiang Ji: "...Auntie, what's going on here?"
He suppressed his embarrassment and, instead of looking at Ye Li, pointed to the eggs, lime, and sawdust beside the well.
"We're learning how to make preserved eggs from Brother Li. Now everyone in the village is learning how to make preserved eggs from Brother Li," Aunt Lu explained with a smile.
"Oh, I see..." Jiang Ji looked enlightened and immediately added, "I came back to turn into an egg."
“Someone in the county town has taken a liking to the preserved eggs and wants to buy the batch of preserved eggs that Ye Li has.”
"Who has taken a liking to the 'white egg'?" Ye Li asked curiously.
“Gong Lisheng usually takes good care of Bao Beiyuan. He runs a cold noodle shop, but business is bad because of the hot weather, so he plans to try something new.”
Jiang Ji explained.
Bao Beiyuan has already spoken with Gong Lisheng.
Although Gong Lisheng did not see the eggs, he trusted Bao Beiyuan and was willing to buy all of them.
"Oh my, has the fame of the preserved egg spread all the way to the county town?" Aunt Lu asked hurriedly.
Their preserved eggs don't compete with Ye Li's business.
We need to find out the details of this matter. They can only sell their own eggs after Ye Li has sold out.
"I guess so, since the county seat isn't far from Baxian Town."
Jiang Ji nodded.
“Aunt Lu, this is a good thing. I’ve only made a few preserved eggs. Once people in the county get used to eating preserved eggs, you can sell the ones you make.”
Ye Li said with a smile.
"Yes, yes, yes, this is a good thing, a great thing. It saves us from having to waste our breath hawking our wares on the street."
Aunt Lu nodded hurriedly.
The others thought for a moment and echoed in agreement.
The taste of preserved eggs is, of course, superb, and perfect for pairing with drinks on a hot summer day.
They're not worried about selling.
They're not worried about selling at all!
Aunt Lu and the others sealed the eggs in a jar, then carried the jar away.
The sun was setting, leaving only a sliver of its glow; it was getting dark.
Jiangmai also prepared dinner: rice and pumpkin porridge, and steamed buns.
Ye Li cut a piece of winter melon and took out a small stove to make winter melon stir-fried with eggs.
Jiang Ji's return was sudden, and Ye Li didn't buy meat every day, so she could only fry a few more eggs as a snack.
But Jiang Ji didn't mind at all, eating the pancake and vegetables with relish.
After the meal, he sent the two little ones to wash up while he helped Ye Li tidy up the kitchen.
Ye Li shook her head: "Light some mugwort and go fumigate the mosquitoes in the house."
"Okay," Jiang Ji replied.
He took out mugwort and used it to fumigate both the east and west rooms.
It's hot, so we can't let Jiang Ya and Jiang Mai sleep with him and Ye Li tonight.
With so many people crammed onto one kang (heated brick bed), it's impossible to sleep!
After taking a bath, the two little guys, Jiang Ya and Jiang Mai, came out of the small shed and entered the main room, where they smelled a strong scent of mugwort.
However, I didn't expect that there was one in the east room as well.
Jiang Ya was a little unhappy.
Jiang Ji patiently coaxed him for a few words, and Jiang Mai also brought up a legitimate reason: If Big Brother doesn't sleep with Li Ge, how can they have a baby?
Jiang Mai's reasoning is too compelling.
Jiang Ya immediately ran into the east room.
Sister Liu is too busy; she doesn't have time to be his student. He wanted to teach Sister Liu to read, but he simply didn't have the opportunity.
He was still hoping his eldest nephew would arrive soon.
Seeing that Jiang Ya and Jiang Mai had gotten into bed, Jiang Ji fanned them for a while to make sure they were both asleep. Then, Jiang Ji blew out the oil lamp and left the main room.
The kitchen light was still on, but the sound of water could be heard coming from the small shed.
Ye Li is taking a bath in the small shed.
He raised an eyebrow and strode towards the small shed.
However, as soon as he reached the entrance of the shed, Ye Li immediately shouted, "What are you doing? What are you doing?"
Jiang Ji: "?"
He said matter-of-factly, "Let's take a bath together."
Ye Li snorted: "I won't wash with you, I'll wash with some other man."
When this person first entered the house, his eyes were darting around.
This is catching someone in the act of adultery.
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