Chapter 17

Time passed quickly, and before they knew it, it was the weekend again. Feng Yiping was eager to get home, and together with Feng Wen, they spent only about twenty minutes running back home from school, crossing mountains and rivers. Youth was indeed a wonderful thing. He clearly remembered that on several subsequent occasions, when they walked these mountain paths, stopping to rest, it took them over an hour to complete the journey, leaving them utterly exhausted.

Today’s meal was particularly good, with fish and meat. The meat was stir-fried with chili peppers, which made it very fragrant. The grass carp that his nephew had given them, they hadn’t eaten yesterday, but instead kept it in a basin. This morning, they finally prepared it, reserving half to be marinated in oil. The other half was cut into pieces, first pan-fried, then simmered with tender tofu, resulting in a pot of soup that had turned a milky white by now. Sprinkled with a handful of green onions, it was fresh, fragrant, and delicious.

Feng Zhenchang hadn’t returned yet, but Mei Qiuping had already served her son a large bowl and watched him eat. "What’s your father doing?"

"He’s picking sand. He already picked one load yesterday."

"Oh," Feng Yiping was delighted upon hearing this. "So you’ve already made up your minds?"

"We have. Uncle Xiao called back yesterday, and I asked him. This can be done. These past two days, we’ve been picking the early-ripening chestnuts from the trees, filling a basket, and starting to try stir-frying them. Uncle Xiao will also return. If the taste is right, we can start preparing to go out after we harvest the chestnuts. So, taking advantage of the good weather these past two days, we’ve picked a few loads of sand to bring back, so that if the weather changes in a few days, we won’t have to dry it again."

"Hehe, that’s great." Feng Yiping was very happy. To make money, their options were limited. Roasted chestnuts should be a quick and low-risk venture with a relatively high chance of success. If everything went smoothly, the few hundred yuan they would earn each month would significantly improve their family’s situation.

More importantly, if this venture succeeded, Feng Yiping’s ideas would be respected by his parents, who would consider them more carefully and consult him when making decisions. This was the main goal he wanted to achieve.

Feng Yiping was surprised that his parents had acted so swiftly, saying they would do it and then doing it. He had also thought about the money issue, and it seemed that the much-anticipated manuscript fees were not yet of much help. "What about the money? Knowing that we’ll be harvesting chestnuts this month, the people we owe money to will come to collect. Without money, we’ll have to borrow, and it won’t be easy to get rid of them."

"Oh, we’ve discussed this. After harvesting the chestnuts, we’ll sell the pig to the dealers in town. Your father said it would be easier to sell it these past two days, but I want to raise it for a few more days."

This was a good plan. Feng Yiping understood his mother’s intention: it wasn’t that she was reluctant to sell the pig, but that raising it for a few more days would allow it to grow a bit more. Even if it gained just one or two pounds, it would be worth a few more yuan.

By the time Feng Yiping had finished two bowls of soup, Feng Zhenchang had returned, carrying two large bags of river sand. Seeing his son, he was also very happy.

Feng Yiping could tell that this happiness was different from the joy he felt when he learned that his son had come first in exams or been named an outstanding student. This was the joy of seeing his young son already capable of helping the family, as if he had grown up. From that day on, Feng Yiping felt that his parents were beginning to treat him more like an adult.

A few days after the Mid-Autumn Festival, the families who had planted early-ripening chestnut varieties began to harvest their chestnuts. When Feng Yiping returned home for the weekend again, their chestnuts were also ready to be harvested, and his uncle had returned. His parents brought out the results of their several attempts for the two of them to taste.

His uncle was almost thirty, always practicing martial arts from the magazine *Wulin* without much success, but he had a good physique. His hair was naturally curly, and he wore a leather jacket with a pair of jeans, looking very spirited.

Seeing Feng Yiping, he ruffled his hair, "Not bad, Yiping. Not only are your grades good, but you can also give advice to help the family. You’ve grown up!"

Feng Yiping laughed, "Uncle, you look very stylish and handsome!"

Mei Yiliang also laughed, "Is that so? I have good taste!"

Feng Yiping took a few steps and looked at the finished product on the table, then said, "You can go to your future in-laws’ house now!"

"Ha ha," Feng Zhenchang and Mei Qiuping couldn’t help but laugh. Mei Yiliang came over and tried to tap his forehead, "You’re really something, now you’re making jokes about me."

Feng Yiping quickly pleaded for mercy, "Uncle, let’s focus on the important things. What do you think of these chestnuts?"

On the tray, there were about two pounds of freshly stir-fried chestnuts, emitting a sweet and fragrant aroma. Feng Yiping carefully examined them. They were quite good, each one had split open with a smile.

He picked one up, and the shell was easy to peel. The inner membrane had separated from the chestnut meat and could be easily torn off. This time, they used the tea oil and maltose that Uncle Xiao had brought back, and the taste was quite authentic, although the fresh chestnuts had more moisture.

Mei Yiliang tasted a few and nodded, "The taste is good, but it’s harder to stir-fry a large batch at home. It’s not like we’re preparing a full banquet for the emperor. I’ve cooked for so many years, I can handle it. It’s just a matter of controlling the heat with a larger pot, but I can do it just as well."

Feng Yiping believed him, but he still pointed out, "The color looks good, but the sizes are inconsistent. We should sort them. Chestnuts of uniform size will look better."

Mei Qiuping was a bit anxious, as this would mean they wouldn’t have enough to make up the four hundred pounds. "As long as they taste good, it shouldn’t matter, right?"

"Mom, regardless of what others do, we have to do it well to sell better. Besides, the leftover chestnuts can still be sold to people in the village."

Feng Zhenchang made the decision, "We should sort them. If I were to buy them and find that the sizes are inconsistent, I wouldn’t be happy and might not come back to buy again." He had already considered the issue of repeat customers.

"Also, after peeling and sorting the chestnuts, we should dry them for two to three days. This will make the taste more authentic and prevent them from molding or spoiling when we take them to the provincial capital."

Mei Qiuping was a bit reluctant. Drying them for two to three days would reduce their weight, meaning a loss of several dozen to a hundred yuan. But her son was right; if they didn’t dry them, the chestnuts would mold and spoil, which would be even more wasteful.

The plan was set. During dinner, Feng Yiping asked his uncle, "Uncle, you know the provincial capital well. Are there areas with a concentration of schools, whether primary, secondary, or universities, especially areas with more girls? Do you know such places?"

Mei Yiliang pondered, "Primary and secondary schools are not concentrated, but universities are. Your idea is to avoid the farmers’ markets and instead target schools, especially those with more girls?"

"Yes," Feng Yiping said, "First, the farmers’ markets are in good locations, but there are many disputes and troubles. Second, most of the buyers are housewives and retired elderly people who value cost-effectiveness and would think it’s more economical to cook or stir-fry chestnuts themselves. Targeting areas near schools, especially primary schools, is because when parents pick up their children, the children might see our stall and demand to eat the chestnuts. Parents will usually give in to their children, as a few pounds only cost a few yuan. Girls, in particular, tend to enjoy these snacks more than boys."

The three adults were somewhat surprised. His parents were surprised and proud, while his uncle gave him a thumbs up, "I didn’t expect you to have such a plan. I’ll go back to the provincial capital and look around. There are definitely such places, and I’ll rent a house nearby."

"Also," Feng Yiping added, "university students have more free time, while primary and secondary school students can only be targeted in the afternoon after school. So, we’ll sell near the universities during other times and go to the primary schools in the afternoon when they are dismissed."

"That’s not a problem. I know that many universities have affiliated primary and secondary schools nearby," Mei Yiliang said.

Uncle Xiao stayed at home for four days, helping to harvest the chestnuts. Then, Feng Zhenchang and Mei Qiuping worked day and night for three days to peel all the chestnuts.

It wasn’t an easy task. After three days, both of them were sore and stiff, unable to sit straight. Fortunately, the weather was good, with clear skies and bright sunshine. They picked out the chestnuts of uniform size, which amounted to less than three hundred pounds, and Mei Qiuping supervised the drying process. Feng Zhenchang went to help peel chestnuts at Zhi Ming’s house. They were now confident and planned to sell them at least four to five hundred pounds, with payment due at the end of the year.

While they were busy, they also waited for Uncle Xiao’s call. Feng Yiping, meanwhile, was in high spirits at school, attending classes, visiting Teacher Zhu at the head teacher’s house, and finding time to write. He was also eagerly and hopefully waiting for a response from the magazine.

Finally, just after National Day, Uncle Xiao called to inform his sister and brother-in-law that he had found a place and rented a house. He had also prepared the necessary items, such as gasoline stoves, and they could prepare to go to the provincial capital.

Feng Zhenchang quickly sold the pig, and Mei Qiuping arranged everything at home, handing the keys to their neighbor, Feng Weidong, to help look after the house. The couple took their two hundred pounds of chestnuts and over a hundred pounds of rice, divided into three loads, and with the help of Dongming, they carried them to the roadside. They then flagged down a tractor to transport them to town and, full of hope, boarded the bus to the provincial capital.

Three days later, the couple called Mei Jianzhong, saying they had settled in and sold thirteen pounds on the first day.

A week later, on October 16, which was the Double Ninth Festival, the mailman came to Mei Jianzhong’s house, asking for a drink of water, and handed him a package. The package contained a book, and the recipient was listed as Mei Jianzhong, to be forwarded to Feng Yiping. He also quietly gave him a money order for 2,300 yuan.

Thank you very much for your support! As a new author with a new book, it’s not easy to get noticed. If you can, please consider adding the book to your collection and giving it a recommendation.

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