Reborn with a Space: Building a Fortune Amidst Famine

Chapter 64: 64 Harvest

Su Yuanyuan frowned. She had to train the ducks to come home to lay eggs, but they shouldn’t lay them outside.

Apparently, she was overthinking it. These chickens, ducks, and geese, though not enlightened and having only drunk the Spiritual Spring Water once, were quite clever.

There were eighteen female ducks at home. From the start of laying eggs, she observed them. On the first day, ten laid eggs, yielding ten duck eggs; on the second day, it was fifteen, and by the third day, it was eighteen.

Only then was she relieved. The big goose would probably lay eggs next month. Out of these five big white geese, four were female, strutting majestically with great presence. Whenever a stranger entered, they would flap their wings, attempting to fly out of the chicken run.

Only when Su Yuanyuan came over to comfort them with a few words would they calm down.

The little goat’s belly was already two months along, now a priority for protection.

The big ram was responsible for labor tasks, grinding at home was its job.

The pigs, over three months old, already weighed over a hundred pounds. Zhao Yanli came over a few days ago and said her family’s two pigs matched three of theirs.

Su Yuanyuan didn’t keep it a secret and told her she used water plants instead of skins, fed the pigs crushed soybeans, and added small miscellaneous fish when cooking pig feed. She even let her see their pig feed.

The girl exclaimed, saying it’s better than what she eats.

Returning home, she told her parents. Zhao Tian, hearing his eldest daughter, was quite tempted, using water plants instead of feeding pigs cornmeal and soybean meal.

With the weather so hot, going into the water wasn’t a problem. So he called his two sons in the next morning to gather water plants.

The three of them arrived early and saw Su Yuanyuan setting up fish traps.

They didn’t expect the girl to be so capable.

”Uncle, big brother, second brother,” Su Yuanyuan greeted simply.

Though the villagers avoided her, the village head’s family, Hu Chunhua’s family, and the Zhao family’s attitudes remained unchanged.

”Girl, keep an eye on your fish traps. Don’t let the kids mess with them.”

Su Yuanyuan laughed, ”Uncle, many know I set fish traps here, so no one will touch them.”

Zhao Tian, recalling the girl’s reputation, said nothing more.

Fourteen-year-old Zhao Qingjie looked at the small fish, envious. They had to taste better than pickled vegetables.

Su Yuanyuan noticed, ”Uncle, take half the fish for your family to change up the flavor.”

”You keep it for yourself,”

Zhao Qingxiang nodded, ”Yes, you take it back. Otherwise, we’ll never eat any.”

Zhao Tian, a bit embarrassed, left on his own, and the two boys followed.

Su Yuanyuan carried two buckets home. Once back, she spread out a plastic sheet to sort out the shrimp. She had amassed about two hundred pounds by now.

She also sorted out the fish that didn’t need to be gutted to be edible; these could still be sold in winter.

Su Yuanyuan now viewed everything with a money-making mindset. Everything seemed sellable to her.

She took the sheep to graze at the foot of the mountain, let the ducks and geese out, fed the chickens, and then gathered eggs in the basket; it was her favorite time.

Finally, she fed the pigs. The three pigs now consumed three buckets of pig feed per meal. Su Yuanyuan came up with a method by purchasing a medium-sized jar, placing it outside the pigpen, and mixing the feed with water there, making the task much easier.

The pig feed included a small bowl of goat milk and a bowl of small miscellaneous fish, the latter simmered to pieces before adding cornmeal.

Now, there was a cold stove in the yard, built with Yang Minggang’s help. Otherwise, if she cooked inside, she’d have to sleep in the yard.

After feeding the pigs, she cleaned the jar, giving the water to the sheep to drink.

She followed her routine to check around. Taking a turn in the fields, she knew no one would steal her corn cobs, but she still checked every day.

In her mind, Su Yuanyuan was already planning to clear the riverbank for planting peanuts and sweet potatoes next year; they would be delicious. There were no peanuts to eat this year. She’d have to buy some at the big market come autumn.

She had no grand ambitions now, just thoughts of delicious food and ways to earn more money.

As for Zhao Tian and his sons, they gathered quite a lot of water plants, placing them all on the sandy shore to drain.

”Dad, I’m done. These water plants are ours only. If my uncle wants them, he should gather his own. Why should they get something for nothing?” Zhao Qingjie, tired, threw a tantrum.

They hadn’t eaten yet.

Zhao Qingxiang felt the same, ”Dad, let’s go home and eat. We’re hungry.”

Zhao Tian, simple-minded, hearing that his sons were hungry, went home with them.

”Dad, I agree with Qingjie. We won’t give these water plants to anyone.”

Zhao Tian had no choice. His eldest son was sixteen this year, and he couldn’t ignore the boy’s opinions as he was an adult now.

”Alright, we won’t give them away. If big brother wants them, he can come with his nephew to gather them.”

The two sons knew what their father was thinking.

”Dad, we don’t care, but don’t help them.”

Zhao Tian said nothing. To him, that was his real older brother, lazy since childhood. Their mother always told him to do more, being brotherly kin.

He wasn’t a fool either. His brother always fooled him, but out of habit, whenever his brother opened his mouth, he didn’t know how to refuse.

The three of them got home, where breakfast was left for them, specially prepared with pancakes. Even with just steamed pickled red with spring onions, it tasted delicious when hungry.

After eating, the three didn’t rest. They pushed the cart over to the riverbank to bring back the water plants. Things were safer at home, and it was easier to use.

Qingjie felt like catching fish, even small ones, since he couldn’t catch big ones.

By noon, he went to the reservoir bank by himself, where the water was shallow and catching fish was easier.

After much effort, he only caught less than a bowl of small fish, thinking of the girl with her two half-buckets, and couldn’t help but envy her.

The next day was a big market day, and Su Yuanyuan planned to go today. She mainly wanted to buy two large wicker sifters and sieves for flour.

Moreover, having given away her plates and bowls to Hu Chunhua’s family last time, she thought she’d buy a few more now.

Come winter, she’d have to cook for herself anyway. After all, she’d be using fire, eating from her space for three seasons a year, and saving up for winter.

With a basket on her back, she reached the big market, heading first to the stall of the uncle selling plates and bowls.

”Well, young lady, what do you want to buy?”

”Uncle, do you remember me?”

”Of course, I have sharp eyes,” he replied.

”Uncle, I want four blue-rimmed bowls, and four each of the flat and soup plates.”

”Sure, I’ll give you the same price as last time,” he responded.