The Eldest Daughter of a Rural Family
Chapter 98 Found a Good Family Connection (2)_1

Chapter 98: Chapter 98 Found a Good Family Connection (2)_1

Pei Qin came over to check and saw another hemp sack, "If we can’t sell them all, we’ll just eat them ourselves!" She then found another hole, lit some smoke, and started to fumigate it.

As the smoke started to take effect, Pei Qin had just felt something bump into the hemp sack when Si Ya suddenly shouted, "Rabbits! Lots of rabbits! Big Sister, rabbits!" She ran after them but couldn’t catch up at all.

Pei Qin quickly tied up the mouth of the sack and picked it up. Opening it to take a look, she laughed. It was indeed rabbits. Although a few had escaped, three sizable ones were still inside.

San Ya called Si Ya back, "You can’t catch up!"

Si Ya, frustrated, stamped her feet and came back to see how many were caught in the sack.

Pei Qin passed the sack to her and patted her head, "Si Ya, a rabbit will bite when cornered. I won’t, so stop calling your Big Sister a rabbit!"

Si Ya’s mouth twitched, "I was panicking at the time, and you didn’t chase after them!"

"Knowing full well you can’t catch them, why bother!" said Pei Qin, dismissing the idea with a wave of her hand as she went back to peeling winter bamboo shoots.

Lady Fang was very happy to hear they had caught three rabbits, "Wild rabbit meat is more expensive than bamboo rat meat, and you can sell the rabbit fur for money too. It’ll fetch more than what we sold last time!"

Pei Qin thought it was about time to pack up the bamboo shoots. The four of them divided the work, dragging their loot down the mountain—the bamboo rats were carried on their backs, and the bamboo shoots loaded onto a handcart.

"It’s really much easier with this handcart!" Lady Fang said as she pulled it along. "Put a pack of bamboo rats on it too!"

Pei Qin had the handcart made with larger wheels. Although the road was fairly flat, it wasn’t very easy to pull. Pei Qin still carried the bamboo rats, "Get on the cart at the front!"

They hitched a ride on a passing cart pulling charcoal, which conveniently gave them a lift.

Arriving at Moon Restaurant, they sold their goods. The shopkeeper handed over the silver, and Si Ya immediately snatched it, not letting Pei Qin handle the money again, "We have everything we need at home. No more random purchases!"

"It’s going to be cold soon, we should buy a new quilt to keep warm in the winter!" Pei Qin insisted, standing in front of a cotton-puffing shop and refusing to leave.

"We have a heated bed at home. Once it’s lit, the whole room heats up!" Si Ya guarded the silver, having finally saved more than two taels, and was determined not to spend it.

Pei Qin actually wanted to replace everything at home, but thinking that they indeed needed to save more money, she settled for buying a few baked buns and took a ride back home.

By the time they arrived home, night had already fallen.

Pei Wendong had cooked half a pot of rice porridge, but it wasn’t ready yet. Seeing them arrive, his eyes reddened, "We’re out of wotou buns, and I don’t know how to make them!"

Lady Fang patted him, quickly washed her hands, and started cooking.

Pei Qin handed him a baked bun.

After a simple meal, they were too tired and all went to bed.

At dawn, Lady Fang steamed some mixed-flour pancakes—made from a combination of cornmeal, millet flour, and white flour—a three-grain blend.

Pei Qin fried some eggs and stir-fried radish slices.

Fried sunny-side-up eggs were something San Ya and the others had never seen before.

Si Ya muttered about the waste but still divided them up among everyone to eat.

After breakfast, Pei Qin went back up the mountain to scout, planning to check for rabbit holes on the rear mountain. Rabbits were indeed half the price of bamboo rats and easier to sell!

At home, Lady Fang busied herself with needlework, while Pei Houli came over to discuss Pei Qin’s marriage arrangements. Lady Fang thought about it and let him in.

Pei Houli looked around the house and felt somewhat uncomfortable. However, he sat on a small stool and spoke gently with Lady Fang, "I know you’re worried about Da Ya’s marriage. I have been keeping it in mind! Da Ya is the first child of you and my second brother, and I also care for her deeply! This family is really good. I haven’t even mentioned it to Si Ya, just been thinking of Da Ya! Da Ya is young and doesn’t pay much attention to such important matters; it’s up to you to consider this."

"Let’s learn more about this family’s situation," Lady Fang said coolly.

"Alright! I’ll let them know first and maybe meet them tomorrow or the day after. If it looks promising, I’ll make enquiries in detail!" Pei Houli said, smiling.