FIELD OF GOLDS VOLUME 1

CHAPTER 76-80

Fields of Gold

 Chapter 76 - What a Surprise!

Madam Liu looked over and discovered that her daughter’s speed in plucking the chickens was not any slower than hers. In fact, to her surprise, the chickens her daughter plucked were even cleaner than hers. 

What a joke, of course Xiaocao was good at this, just look at what she did in her previous life. Her braised foods shop had a chicken dish, braised roast chicken. Every day she needed to slaughter and prepare around thirty to forty chickens. If she wasn’t good at this, that would truly be an oddity!

Xiaocao looked around the room and smiled, “I don’t need wages. Auntie Zhou, just give me the internal organs from these forty chickens instead!” 

“What do you want the internal organs for? You’re not going to really take them back home to eat them, are you?! …Cao’er, mother knows our circumstances at home are not very good and that we usually can’t taste any meat during most of the year. However, we still can’t eat something as dirty as this! How about this, next time I go sell my embroidery, I’ll buy a catty of meat and give you a great feast…” The smile on Madam Liu’s face gradually dimmed and a look of guilt and shame rose in her eyes.

“Mother, don’t worry about it, I really do have a use for these internal organs!” Xiaocao was inwardly surprised and flabbergasted. Didn’t they all say that people in ancient times ate internal organs? Was it just a false rumor?

Madam Fang smiled and tried to resolve the dispute, “When children get older, they start having their own ideas. Younger Sister Muyun, just let her try! Xiaocao, the chicken blood and internal organs are all yours! I’ll also give you money for your help!” 

Xiaocao shook her head and replied, “Auntie Zhou, I really can’t take your money for the work. Last time when we had moved in and had a banquet, you and Older Sister Linglong were busy for the whole day helping us. You guys didn’t even get to eat lunch. I’m only helping out a little. If I wanted money for it, isn’t that too much of me? A relative afar is less use than a close neighbor. Neighbors helping each other out is the right thing to do!” 

Madam Liu agreed, “Cao’er is right! Missus, if you keep bringing up giving us money, I will go back home right now…” 

Seeing that both the mother and daughter persisted in refusing her offer, Madam Fang no longer brought up the subject of paying them. It took the two adults and three children a whole hour to finish slaughtering and cleaning up the chickens. Yu Xiaocao’s speed and abilities were even better than her mother’s and was neck to neck to the old hand, Madam Fang. Madam Fang repeatedly praised her skills... 

Afterwards, Madam Fang went into the room to take out the cakes and pastries she had bought in town earlier that morning. She shoved them into Xiaocao’s hands and insisted that she bring them back home. The Zhou Family sold chickens and eggs, and when it was the off-season for farming, her husband would peddle goods. They were the only family in the village who could afford to buy some sweets for their children to eat from time to time. 

Madam Liu held the wooden basin filled to the brim with chicken offal as she watched her daughter who held the pail with chicken blood in one hand and pastries in the other. She frowned and said, “Do you really know how to prepare chicken blood? Don’t talk a big game and not be able to follow up, otherwise Auntie Zhou and her daughters will laugh at you.”