Joyful Motherhood in a Rural Family

chapter 22

No wonder Di Yelei was worried!

Liu Sisi smiled and casually pulled the wooden barrel over, starting to process the small river shrimp inside. After pondering for a moment, she finally asked, “If you go hunting, how much can a wild chicken sell for? How about a roe deer? And how much can a wild boar sell for?”

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Liu Sisi’s series of questions made Di Yelei realize that she was serious. He took over the work from Liu Sisi’s hands without hesitation and directly answered.

“Ordinary people rarely buy game here, and in our town, we can only sell some on Market Day. But the business isn’t very good either. I usually sell them to restaurants and wine-houses in town. Wild pheasants, depending on their size, sell for 50 to 80 copper coins each. Roe deer are worth a bit more, ranging from 100 to 300 copper coins per deer. Wild boar has a higher price, but I only manage to hunt a few in a year, and they can be sold for 500 to 3 taels of silver.”

Based on Di Yelei’s verbose explanations, Luo Shan understood. The price of a chicken egg here was one copper coin, which can be compared to the modern price of one egg for one yuan. Thus, a wild pheasant would be worth around 50 to 80 yuan.

After calculating, it seemed reasonable, but now the problem arose!

“…The wine-houses and restaurants don’t buy game every day, especially in the summer, when the game can’t be stored for long periods. On Market Day, there are more people, but they don’t usually ask for more game. Meanwhile, there are many people going hunting nearby, causing the game to often go unsold and taken home for personal consumption.”

Di Yelei’s expression darkened as he thought about something.

“Why don’t you sell it in the county? ”

In fact, Liu Sisi originally wanted to ask how far it was from here to the county, but she changed her question.

“Selling in the county would indeed fetch higher prices, but the round trip takes two days. I can’t leave the two children alone at home for such a long time, so I’m not at ease.”

Liu Sisi nodded, understanding. She took the prepared eel and loach, as well as a small amount of river shrimp, river clams, and field snails, planning to have them for lunch.

“Don’t worry! As the saying goes, ‘A couple united can cut gold.’ As long as we work hard together, can’t we pay off this debt?”

In front of him, the young woman looked serious and determined, her blue eyes like a clear spring that instantly struck the depths of Di Yelei’s heart.

He felt invigorated, unable to blink as he stared at the young woman before him.

“What’s wrong? Is there something on my face?”

While cutting the eel into slices, Liu Sisi saw him staring at her face, instinctively put down the kitchen knife, and wiped her face with the back of her hand.

She felt nothing, and looked at him with a puzzled expression.

But her innocent eyes held such an irresistible attraction that Di Yelei almost lost control on the spot.

“No, no, it’s nothing. I’ll cook.”

Regaining his senses, Di Yelei hurriedly changed the subject, somewhat embarrassed, “You said earlier at the old house that you lost your previous memories?”

“No need, I can still cook.”

Liu Sisi refused Di Yelei’s outstretched hand, continuing her work, and answered in between, “Yes! Since I woke up from the fever, I can’t remember anything from the past. I tried hard to think for a few days but couldn’t recall the slightest bit of my past.”

She didn’t get the original body’s memory, it’s more accurate to say that she lost her memory. Perhaps some people guess all kinds of things, but it’s better than carrying the sins of the past.

“You… really lost your memory?”

It was a sound of surprise and delight.

Liu Sisi turned her head and saw Di Yelei’s shining eyes looking at her, clearly very happy.

“It’s true. How are my family? Who exactly is the so-called businessman they mentioned?”

“It’s just slander from others, don’t worry about it. As for your family, I really don’t know. When I went to pick you up for the wedding, I saw that your family had quite a few people. I’ll cook.”

Di Yelei was truly delighted. This could be considered the first good thing that’s happened recently! If Liu Sisi really forgot the past, even if that businessman had some ideas, they couldn’t take her away.

Liu Sisi didn’t fight him for it and casually salted the vegetables. She could tell that Di Yelei didn’t want to talk about his own family: “By the way, when is Market Day in the small town recently?”

While washing the rice and putting it in the pot, Di Yelei gently touched Liu Sisi’s soft and fragrant body with his arm. The rice bag was almost empty, Di Yelei poured a little less than half of the rice and added a lot of coarse cereals like sorghum rice, and prepared to cook coarse grain porridge.

“It’s the day after tomorrow, why? Do you want to go to the Market Day? This is possible, there are many delicious and fun things in the market, and I will go hunting in the mountains and exchange some silver for you tomorrow. You also need to buy a few more sets of clothes to change.”

For his little wife, Di Yelei inexplicably became more patient, and within the scope of his abilities, he was willing to spoil her.

“No need for clothes, but can you take me with you when you go to the mountains tomorrow?” Liu Sisi stopped cutting the bamboo shoots and looked at him with hopeful eyes.

This was the key point Liu Sisi had hoped for. She wanted to go to the mountains to see if there was anything that could be exchanged for silver.

“Take you hunting together? No, absolutely not!”

Unexpectedly, Di Yelei directly and firmly refused: “Hunting is running around in the deep mountains. As a woman, first of all, I don’t know if your physical strength can keep up. Even if you can keep up, there are many fierce beasts in the mountains. If we really encounter them, even we can only run away in embarrassment, let alone bring you.”

“…”

Liu Sisi was speechless. After thinking for a moment, she had to admit that Di Yelei was right. She didn’t dwell on this issue.

When the coarse grain porridge in the pot was cooked, Liu Sisi finally began to stir-fry the vegetables.

She first rendered the fat from the leftover wild boar leg meat from last night, filtered out the oil, and then stir-fried the bamboo shoots in the pot. Since the bamboo shoots had been soaked in water last night, Liu Sisi took them out of the pot and put them into a bowl after frying for a few minutes.

While Liu Sisi was cooking, Di Yelei watched her every move without blinking, and seeing her skillful actions, he became even more satisfied in his heart.

Liu Sisi’s cooking skills were good and very skilled. At least this way, he didn’t have to worry about the two children starving when he went hunting!

There was a noise outside the door, and then the kitchen door was pushed open, revealing a little boy about ten years old: “Third Uncle Di, Yun’er has brought Xuan’er and Ying’er back.”