CHAPTER 280: CHAPTER 279: GETTING MARRIED (SECOND UPDATE)

"What’s going on?" Lu Yuanfeng came over, curiously asking.

"Raising chickens, you see, with such a big space, raising a few dozen chickens should be quite nice."

Mu Shuangshuang had seen others raising chickens on their own hills in the past, producing wild local chickens that were ridiculously expensive. However, back in the old days, it was all naturally sourced, so there weren’t so many concerns.

But if some effort was put into the chickens, they might sell for a bit more.

"Fengzi, have you ever heard of medicinal cuisine chicken?" Mu Shuangshuang blinked, asking with a mysterious look.

Lu Yuanfeng shook his head, "No, raising chickens is just raising chickens, I’ve never heard of medicinal cuisine chicken."

Perhaps because Lu Yuanfeng spent most of his time in the army, even when he came back, he didn’t know much about the market in town. These things weren’t something he understood well.

"Simply put, when the chickens are small, you feed them a bit of Chinese medicine or something. Eventually, when people eat the chicken, these chickens with medicinal effects end up in people’s stomachs, and the effects are quite good."

As Mu Shuangshuang spoke, she observed Lu Yuanfeng’s expression. Seeing his interested look, Mu Shuangshuang knew this could work.

"Unfortunately, I don’t know anything about Chinese medicine."

Being a modern person, Mu Shuangshuang had never really encountered Chinese medicine, although she had seen plenty of Western medicine.

But what she hadn’t seen didn’t mean Lu Yuanfeng hadn’t.

"I can go ask Uncle Zhang. He’s the village doctor, and he has a lot of herbs at home. We can also buy a few dozen chickens to try out Shuangshuang’s idea of medicinal cuisine chicken."

"Hmm!"

Mu Shuangshuang nodded vigorously. This was exactly what she was waiting for, and she knew how to make the medicinal cuisine chicken delicious. Most importantly, she planned to sell the method to Fat Chef at Jiu Si Xuan, while continuously supplying them with chickens.

"Then let’s not wait any longer. I know Aunt Ge in the neighboring village has a new batch of chicks. She was in the village yesterday asking if anyone wanted to buy."

In this era, raising chickens wasn’t such an easy task. An egg used to cost three coins, now it’s one coin, but that doesn’t mean chick prices have dropped. Chicks have consistently been three coins each.

Plus, chicks are the most prone to illness. With a bit of negligence, the whole batch could be wiped out, with not even one chicken making it.

Mu Shuangshuang and Lu Yuanfeng didn’t think too much about it. After all, investments without risk don’t make money.

Finding a wooden box, Lu Yuanfeng took Mu Shuangshuang to the neighboring village.

This was the closest village to Er Gui Village, Tie Dao Village. On ordinary days, there were quite a few people from Tie Dao Village visiting Er Gui Village, and many women from Er Gui Village married into Tie Dao Village as brides.

Aunt Ge’s family was well-known in Tie Dao Village, and the chicks in several nearby villages came from her family, although they couldn’t guarantee that all would survive. But grabbing about twenty chicks and having five or six survive was still quite certain.

Upon reaching Tie Dao Village, Mu Shuangshuang followed Lu Yuanfeng around and finally stopped in front of a thatched house.

"This is Aunt Ge’s place. Her son and I were in the same army camp, but he was in the Fire Head Army, and I was in the Charging Camp, but we’ve met."

That’s why Aunt Ge went specifically to Lu Yuanfeng’s house to ask him if he wanted chickens. Initially, Lu Yuanfeng hesitated since, being a man, it wasn’t feasible for him to regularly raise chickens and ducks.

Hearing Shuangshuang’s idea, Lu Yuanfeng decided to buy a batch of chickens. Even if it meant having more opportunities to see Shuangshuang daily, it was worth it.

Mu Shuangshuang followed Lu Yuanfeng into the Ge family’s house. Shortly, an elderly woman, over fifty, came out and greeted Lu Yuanfeng.

"Oh, Fengzi, is this your wife?" Aunt Ge exclaimed with surprise the moment she spoke.

Lu Yuanfeng blushed and hurriedly explained, "No, Shuangshuang, Shuangshuang..."

"Alright, no need to explain, I know what you’re thinking," Aunt Ge laughed at Lu Yuanfeng with a knowing look.

Mu Shuangshuang didn’t say anything, just listening to the conversation between Aunt Ge and Lu Yuanfeng.

Knowing that Lu Yuanfeng was there to get chicks, Aunt Ge, without a word, went into the house and came out with a bamboo box. Inside were over thirty chicks, with half their shells still stuck to them, and their feathers sticky and unkempt.

"Auntie, aren’t these the chicks from yesterday?" Mu Shuangshuang asked at a glance.

"You have a good eye, no wonder Fengzi likes you!" Aunt Ge was certain that Lu Yuanfeng liked Mu Shuangshuang the moment she spoke.

"Auntie, please don’t say that..." Lu Yuanfeng said anxiously from the side.

"You silly boy, what’s there to be embarrassed about? Look at our Ge Sandan; he got married right after returning.

Now my daughter-in-law Xiuxiu already has a baby in her belly. If you don’t work harder, you’ll just be a bachelor in your village."

"This..." Lu Yuanfeng was almost out of breath with anxiety. He had to stop Aunt Ge from continuing while observing Shuangshuang’s expression to make sure she wasn’t upset; otherwise, he would have to explain himself.

Fortunately, the only relief was that Mu Shuangshuang wasn’t upset and didn’t refute Aunt Ge’s words.

Mu Shuangshuang understood that enthusiastic village housewives liked to matchmake like they were pairing ducks, assuming people were together as soon as they saw anyone together.

"Alright, alright, I won’t tease you anymore. Look how nervous you are," Aunt Ge sighed with a helpless smile.

She had heard about Lu Yuanfeng’s family situation mentioned by her son Sandan and knew it was quite a touching story.

In front of her, this girl named Shuangshuang seemed obedient and sensible. Though she appeared a bit young and thin, if she was with Fengzi, they would make a good pair.

"Auntie, thank you for your concern. If the day ever comes for me to marry... to get married, I’ll definitely invite you," Lu Yuanfeng said earnestly.

He wasn’t just being polite. When he got married, he wanted to marry someone he liked and have a meal with familiar elders and friends, making it lively—definitely not with people he didn’t like.

"I knew you were a kid with a good heart. Here’s what I’ll do — there are thirty-five chicks here, give me a hundred coins, and those five coins can be my gift of two free chicks."

Aunt Ge was quite generous. She hadn’t done such a big business deal in a while, so it wasn’t much to offer a discount of five coins.

But Lu Yuanfeng insisted, "Auntie, whatever it is, that’s what I’ll pay you. Sandan has it tough too; you should save more money, maybe he’ll need it someday."

"Yes, Auntie, we’re here buying chicks from you not because we want to take advantage of you but because we trust you. Whatever the price, that’s what we’ll pay. So the next time Fengzi and I can continue doing business with you," Mu Shuangshuang chimed in.

Yet the old lady was stubborn. Upon hearing that Lu Yuanfeng wouldn’t take her bargain, she sat straight down on the ground, refusing to get up, clearly showing her determination to argue with them.