Chapter 15: Supporting the Launch of the Trading Platform

In the past, Yan Yu didn't care for pork fat scraps at all.

Now, she was salivating with craving.

As she received feedings from her father, Yan Yu stomped her feet in happiness.

It was so fragrant! So delicious!

Li Xuemei took Da Ya's hand and forced a piece into her mouth. Embarrassed, Da Ya chewed slowly, reluctant to swallow it for a long time.

Li Xuemei also chewed a piece herself; the more she chewed, the more fragrant it became.

Naturally, Yan Lao'er would not mistreat himself either. He poured the pork from the pot into a bowl and ate two pieces of the fat scraps in succession, finally satisfying his craving.

A few pieces remained, left for Old Yan and his eldest nephew.

Taking advantage of the oily pot, Yan Lao'er pulled out a cabbage.

One shouldn't underestimate this withered cabbage. According to the vegetable vendor auntie, it usually sold for two wen per jin, and even at three wen, he was getting a bargain. If he hadn't taken all her remaining wild onions and cabbage, she certainly wouldn't have lowered the price; at seven wen for two jin, it would have sold very well.

The wild onions were chopped and fried in the pot until fragrant.

The sliced meat was poured in, tossed a few times until it changed color, and then some freshly bought soy sauce and a little coarse salt were added.

The outer leaves of the withered cabbage were stripped off—not with a knife, but torn by hand. He poked the firewood inside the stove to make the fire burn brighter.

*Swish, swish, swish*—he continued to stir-fry...

By the time Yan Huaiwen returned leisurely with his son, the sky had already darkened. As soon as they entered the courtyard, they smelled the fragrant scent of meat.

Yan Huaiwen had a simple meal of porridge and soup: pig liver porridge cooked until soft, and a bone broth of moderate richness.

Regarding the few pieces of fat scraps specially left for the father and son, he only tasted one; the rest went into Xiang Heng's stomach.

The others had an extra dish of cabbage stir-fried with meat.

Li Xuemei had no choice but to serve everyone separately. Firstly, they hadn't bought much meat, and secondly, she was afraid that if the children were unrestrained and ate too much meat suddenly, their bodies would struggle to digest it.

"Second Uncle, did you actually cook this meal?" Yan Xiangheng was astonished. A gentleman keeps his distance from the kitchen; though Second Uncle was no gentleman, he always held himself to the strict standards of a "scholar." How could he be personally cooking?

"Haha, your Second Aunt is pregnant and cannot be overworked. My cooking is alright, isn't it?"

"Congratulations to Second Uncle and Second Aunt," Yan Xiangheng said with a smile. "It's more than alright—it's delicious!"

"If it's delicious, I'll cook more in the future." The reason of pregnancy was truly powerful; in the future, he could take over the cooking duties for his wife.

As for his "leader's" cooking skills... it was better left unmentioned.

Yan Huaiwen glanced at him but said nothing.

He thought to himself that his younger brother's appetite was truly severe—from loving food to learning how to cook...

His sister-in-law's pregnancy was quite unstable, so it was better for her to take it easy; if Lao'er could do it, he should let him.

As for Er Ya... this child ate with such gusto, her eyes never even lifting, just burying her head in her food.

As he watched her, he unconsciously drank half a bowl more of porridge.

He felt a bit full.

After the meal, Da Ya scrambled to clean up, while Yan Huaiwen and his son tidied the books and ink brought from the academy.

Yan Lao'er put the few cabbage leaves he couldn't bear to throw away into the straw to feed the ox, helped collect the drying quilts and clothes, and organized the wheat harvested today. After two trips, he carried back four buckets of water, took a stroll around his eldest brother's room, and only then went inside to rest.

"Did Big Brother not mention the family separation once today?" Li Xuemei couldn't help but ask.

It wasn't that she was looking forward to it, but rather that her heart was always in suspense. To be honest, none of them were ambitious people who dreamed of achieving great things.

Being content with modest wealth was enough; as long as the family was healthy, that was all the pursuit of ordinary folk like them.

"Not only did he not mention it, but he didn't seem very angry either." Yan Lao'er was also puzzled.

Li Xuemei asked again, "Does Big Brother still carry the land deed with him?"

"Of course! You didn't see the expression on the pawnshop manager's face back then, haha! Even he was shocked." Yan Lao'er said, "Regardless, selling the land is a good thing. Having money in hand keeps the mind calm. We have an ox cart now; the grain we bought, the newly harvested wheat, and the things Big Brother bought are all preparations for fleeing the famine. I think we're quite well-prepared, except..."

"Except with all these things, plus our household belongings, this ox probably won't be able to pull anything else."

Yan Lao'er had discovered this when he drove the cart back today.

But there was no good solution; they couldn't exactly buy another ox.

The ox's carrying capacity was limited. At most, it could carry his wife and daughter; the others would likely have to travel on foot.

"That's just unavoidable. We'll take it one step at a time," Li Xuemei said helplessly, touching her stomach.

"Dad, what do you think of this version of the map?" This time, Yan Yu had drawn it on paper.

Yan Lao'er considered himself a scholar, so paper and pens were readily available. Fearing waste, she drew on the backs of practice calligraphy sheets to save paper.

"Very good, very good. All the places I've traveled are on here," Yan Lao'er said.

"Eh, your handwriting..." Li Xuemei compared it closely and said, "Is this imitating Yan Lao'er's handwriting?"

"Yes! Mom, Dad, think about it. If Dad suddenly couldn't recognize or write characters, wouldn't Big Uncle be suspicious? I'll learn to write a bit first, just in case. And Dad, you have to start learning too. You need to practice your characters and find time to read books," Yan Yu said seriously.

Li Xuemei agreed, "Our daughter is right. It'll prevent you from being a 'blind man' who can't even recognize a delivery slip."

Yan Lao'er hurriedly cried out in injustice, "How could I not recognize them? I can recognize most things that look similar. Wasn't I just asking you to check so I wouldn't make a mistake? Sigh! Why did Yan Lao'er insist on being a scholar? I'm not cut out for studying; it's a waste of money and time. What's wrong with being illiterate? It would be much better to just be a dutiful farmer."

He had no choice but to pick up Yan Lao'er's books and start learning from the simplest, *The Thousand Character Classic*.

Whenever he encountered an unknown character, he would ask. His wife and daughter had no reading difficulties, except for him...

"I almost forgot." Yan Lao'er slapped his forehead, put down the book, and stepped out in his shoes. A moment later, he brought back a small basin.

"Look, how is the pig skin jelly I made?" Yan Lao'er showed off. "Crystal clear and translucent. It's just a bit low on pig skin; otherwise, it would be even better."

Although Yan Yu was very full from dinner, seeing the pig skin jelly instinctively made her crave it.

"Dad, why didn't you bring a spoon?" How were we supposed to eat it?

"We don't need to rush to eat it. Aren't we doing the midnight transactions? I made this secretly behind everyone's backs. If we can exchange it for something, we will; if not, we'll just eat it as a midnight snack."

"I made something too, though I don't know if it will be useful." Li Xuemei turned around and pulled out a small cloth bundle.

She had no intention of opening it.

"Wife, what did you make?" Yan Lao'er was very curious.

Li Xuemei: "You'll know when the time comes."

The father and daughter exchanged a look, acting quite mysterious.

...

0:00

The gentle female voice rang out again.

【Please confirm if your surroundings are safe.】

Yan Yu, who had been feeling drowsy after staying up half the night, was instantly energized.

"Yes!"

Her shout gave Yan Lao'er and Li Xuemei a huge fright.

The two of them were stronger than their daughter and were also feeling sleepy, merely forcing themselves to stay awake.

But at this moment, their eyes were wide open, without a trace of sleepiness left.

What to exchange for the first time... it was truly a dilemma. The final decision was... the answer will be revealed tomorrow, hehe~~ (*^▽^*)

(End of Chapter)