7. Gifting Chicken Eggs

Translated by Maggie Edited by Pete  Proofread by Simple

And there's no chapter 8!

Lian Fang Zhou laughed to herself bitterly: This ‘respected one’ really is----

What could she say!

She could only endure!

Aunt Zhang and her husband, Li Da Mu were frank people. Seeing her they smiled charmingly in greetings.

Aunt Zhang knew that Fang Zhou definitely wouldn’t drop by just to play and also being afraid that the girl was shy, she took the initiative instead of waiting for the visitor to speak and prompted with a smile: “If there’s something that you need from us just ask, we are not strangers, no need for fake courtesy or to feel embarra.s.sed!”

Lian Fang Zhou suddenly felt warmth in her heart; she wasn’t easily moved by other people, but at this moment she felt heat and flutters in her chest. And the overwhelming warmth, the kind brought by the best of humanity.

She couldn’t help but secretly make a vow: If in the future her family becomes rich, she would definitely pay them back well.

“Since you said it like this, it’s just that there’s something I want to trouble you with!” Lian Fang Zhou smiled as she said: “It’s like this, since winter is nearly here, I want to fix the roof and the windows in our house. But I don’t know where to buy the tiles and the timbers, I also don’t know the proper the price, so I wanted to inquire with Uncle Li……”

Once Aunt Zhang heard this, she slapped her leg, nodded and said, “Of course, your home’s windows definitely need fixing! You’re all young, when winter comes, you shouldn’t be cold. It was thoughtful of you to think of this at this time!”

“That’s right” Li Da Mu also smiled and said: “The temperature is high this autumn, the price of tiles and the like is lower now than when buying in the winter. Approximately twenty Li from here is a stone quarry that has a manufacturer specializing in tiles and bricks. Tomorrow when I have time, I’ll take Lian Ze for a trip. Our family has an oxcart, I’ll help you transport them back.

[ TL Note : 1 Li is roughly 500 meters. ]

“Uncle Li, that’s very kind of you! I'm sorry to trouble you so much!” Lian Fang Zhou felt both grateful and guilty in her heart. With a smile, she said: “I can’t really refuse. Thank you……”

“Oh, no need to be polite! That one time your parents helped us a lot. So in the future don’t say these kinds of words, please” Li Da Mu shook hands, his tanned face breaking into a simple and honest smile.

Lian Fang Zhou nodded, promised with ‘Ah’ and agreed on a time for departure; then took Lian Fang Qing to return home.

Once they got back and discussed this matter, Lian Fang Zhou asked Lian Ze: “Our family has two old hens, right? Have they laid any eggs yet?”

“Are we going to have eggs tomorrow morning?!” Lian Fang Qing’s eyes lit up. Her face was full of expectation and excitement.

Lian Fang Zhou couldn’t bear to see her disappointed, so she smiled as she nodded: “Yes, tomorrow morning sister will make some fried eggs for you all to eat, are you happy?”

“Really! It’s great!” Lian Fang Qing clapped her hands as she cheered.

Lian Fang Zhou and Lian Ze looked at each other, the two of them smiled faintly, but their hearts were clouded.

“The eggs are here.” Lian Ze turned around, brought over a basket and seeing that Lian Fang Zhou was counting, offered: “A total of 41. The salt we use, the oil and sister’s needle and thread were all bought with the money from selling the eggs. I originally wanted to save up to a hundred and then take them all to the city to sell.”

Fang Zhou couldn’t help sighing: “In the future don’t sell them! For the matter of salt and oil, we’ll think of another way! In the future, besides leaving some for hatching chicks, keep the rest for Qing’Er and Che’Er to eat! They are still young, right now their bodies are growing, it’s not allowed to let them suffer poor meals! Or else in the future, we will regret it!”

“Alright, I’ll listen to sister!” Lian Ze nodded.

“In fact, you are also a big child, we should also really give you some nourishment, it’s a pity that our family now---”

“SISTER!” Lian Ze was noticeably angry and interrupted Lian Fang Zhou’s sentence, he said unhappily: “I’m not little! I’m a man. I should be taking care of the family. In the future, I need to marry sister off!”

Once Lian Fang Zhou saw his reaction, she regretted what she just said a little bit, knowing that he was a person with high self-esteem, and said quickly: “Yes, yes. Sister spoke wrongly! You are truly a big reliable man.”

Lian Ze didn’t forgive her for her previous words just because she said this. He looked at her and said: “There will be a day when sister will believe me!” and turned to leave.

Lian Fang Zhou slightly shook her head and laughed. She took a clean basket, picked 30 eggs carefully placing them inside and stored the rest for later.

Then, carrying the basket with eggs inside, she went out toward Aunt Zhang’s house.

She lightly knocked on the courtyard’s door. When Mrs Zhao opened the door and saw her, she couldn’t help but give the girl a killing glare: “Why did you come again? Making so many trips today to my house, are you taking this for a city’s gate?!”

“I’m sorry to disturb you, Sister Zhao!” Lian Fang Zhou hurriedly apologized with a smile. She glanced at the basket in her hands and said: “Tomorrow I will trouble Uncle Li, so I felt I couldn’t do nothing in return, but our home doesn’t have much money. These eggs are to show some grat.i.tude, there’s not much, but please accept them sister Zhao. Don’t reject!”

Mrs Zhao was stunned, let out an embarra.s.sed ‘Oh’,and smiled: “So it’s like this... Then you can bring it in and tell Uncle and Aunt...

“No need be this troublesome! I still need to return to make dinner! Handing it over to Sister is all the same!” Lian Fang Zhou smiled as she said. Then she handed over the basket.

“This, that’s too kind of you! It’s better that you take it back!” Mrs Zhao glanced at the basket of eggs, rubbed her hands and smiled.

“Sister if you say words like this I will feel awkward!” how could Lian Fang Zhou not hear the pretense of refusal in Mrs Zhao’s words. With a smile, she forced the basket into the woman’s hands.

“Ah!” Mrs Zhao smiled as she held the basket, saying happily: “Early tomorrow I’ll send the basket back!”

“Sister, you can send it back anytime, it’s just a basket!” Lian Fang Zhou smiled as she took her leave.

Mrs Zhao closed the yard’s door, happily count the eggs in the basket, then saw her husband, Li San Ge coming over rather abruptly: “What are these?”

“Aiya!” Mrs Zhao was startled, patted her chest and stared at him saying: “You scared me to death! Where did you pop out from!”

She giddily retold Li San Ge the situation with Lian Fang Zhou and eggs. She sighed happily: “Now that I think about it, this Fang Zhou, ah, this is the first time she came over to offer something and not to ask for something! She seems liked a changed person now and understands how to be a human!”

Li San Ge hearing this started to wrinkled frown, he asked in an accusing tone: “Who told you to take those, those siblings already don’t have it easy!

Mrs Zhao unhappily said: “What are you saying? In this village, isn’t everyone barely able to survive? You tell me, who has it easy? Do we have it easy?”

“Aiya, I can’t explain everything clearly in one hour and a half!” Li San Ge said: “In short, you are not allowed to accept! Return it quickly and be careful, because if father and mother learn about this, you’ll be scolded!”

“I’m not returning! I just won’t!” Mrs Zhao was dissatisfied: “It wasn’t like I asked for it, they took the initiative to gift it! Only idiots would give this back! Anyway, if you don’t tell father and mother, how would they know?”

“What won’t you tell us? Huh, what is that in your hand, Mei Zi!” Aunt Zhang just came out of the house, and hearing the last sentence couldn’t help asking.