CHAPTER 269: CHAPTER 268 MAKING CENTURY EGGS (THIRD UPDATE)

Mu Shuangshuang looked on with a heavy heart. She also knew that making straw fans wouldn’t last for long. Once the weather cooled, even if they were given away for free, people might not want them.

Perhaps she needed to think of a new way to make money.

As she was contemplating, Zhao Yun’s voice sounded from outside the yard.

Mu Shuangshuang glanced at Mu Dashan, sighed, and then walked out.

Zhao Yun had a basket in her hand, likely bringing some vegetables for Mu Shuangshuang again. These days, Zhao Yun had been bringing over some greens every few days. At first, Mu Shuangshuang could accept it, but after a while, she felt embarrassed.

It’s said that food given as charity doesn’t last long; she’d been accepting it for so long that even with thick skin, she felt awkward.

"Aunt Xiao Yun, please stop bringing us vegetables. I haven’t even finished the ones you brought yesterday, I..." Mu Shuangshuang refused directly before Zhao Yun could speak.

But Zhao Yun waved her hand and said, "These are not greens, they’re duck eggs. And this time it’s not my idea; our Da Long said there are too many duck eggs at home and asked me to bring some to you."

A warmth spread in Mu Shuangshuang’s heart. She hadn’t exchanged many words with Da Long, but each time he saw her, he sweetly called her sister, without any awkwardness.

"Then Aunt Xiao Yun, please wait a moment. I’ll get some snacks for Da Long."

Lately, whenever Mu Shuangshuang went to town, she would bring back some snacks. Originally, they were for Little Zhi and Xiao Han to have as midnight snacks, and she had given some to Da Long before. But now that they were giving something again, she felt it necessary to reciprocate to accept the few duck eggs.

"You silly girl, why divide things between our families? Didn’t you just buy something for our Da Long to eat? Keep these for Little Zhi and Xiao Han."

Zhao Yun shook her head in refusal, but couldn’t resist Mu Shuangshuang’s persistent persuasion. In the end, she took some food and went home.

Mu Shuangshuang now had a plan in mind. In the evening, she would make stir-fried wood ear with duck eggs, and save the remaining eight duck eggs to eat slowly.

Suddenly, a thought flashed in Mu Shuangshuang’s mind. Since they were duck eggs, she could make salted duck eggs or century eggs. Both of these could be preserved for a long time and were delicious with meals.

Quickly recalling the process in her mind, Mu Shuangshuang decided to try making century eggs, as vinegar-glazed century eggs were her favorite, and she remembered Fengzi’s house had some sodium carbonate.

Sodium carbonate wasn’t particularly common. Lu Yuanfeng had bought some from an old master in the village when he was learning to tan hides. After he stopped, he had no use for it.

As for the other ingredients, most were readily available. Mu Shuangshuang hurried to Lu Yuanfeng’s house and explained her idea of making century eggs.

Lu Yuanfeng looked at her, baffled, "What kind of egg?"

Lu Yuanfeng had heard of chicken eggs, duck eggs, goose eggs, and bad eggs, but century eggs were new to him.

"Yuan Feng, don’t joke with me. Century eggs, made with alkaline clay, with the yolk looking dark and like chicken droppings!"

Mu Shuangshuang thought Lu Yuanfeng was joking, so she described it in a particularly disgusting way.

But Yuan Feng still stared blankly at her, without even a hint of disgust.

Alright, it seemed he really didn’t know.

Given their rarity, Mu Shuangshuang suddenly thought that if she made century eggs well, she might even earn some Silver from it.

"Although I don’t know what you’re talking about, if Shuangshuang wants to make them, let’s buy a few more duck eggs and make more."

While chicken eggs had fallen in price, duck eggs were not too expensive. Moreover, Lu Yuanfeng knew that Old Zhong at the village entrance raised more than a dozen ducks. Every day, Old Zhong would take time to let them out and then bring them back, easily gathering over a dozen eggs each day.

"Sure, then this time I’ll make... fifty!"

Fifty duck eggs only cost twenty-five coins. If they sold well, she could recoup her costs.

"Alright, I’ll take a basket and put some straw in it to cushion the eggs we buy later!"

Together once more, Lu Yuanfeng couldn’t keep from smiling widely. He didn’t have extravagant desires now; seeing Shuangshuang once a day was enough, twice would be even better.

At the village entrance at Old Zhong’s house, Mu Shuangshuang and Lu Yuanfeng explained their purpose, prompting Old Zhong to instruct his wife to fetch some eggs.

"Yuan Feng, to be honest, these eggs aren’t from today or yesterday; they’ve been here for three or four days."

Old Zhong was very candid. People in the village often came to buy eggs, but they were shrewd and would come after Old Zhong returned with the ducks, just in time to buy the eggs laid that day.

No one bought the eggs that were one or two days old, and Old Zhong’s family couldn’t eat that many.

"It’s fine, Grandpa Zhong. We’ll still pay the standard price provided by everyone else, one coin for two eggs. Fifty eggs for twenty-five coins."

"Then I won’t be responsible, okay? Once you’ve bought these duck eggs, unless they stink, you can’t come back asking for an exchange."

After doing business for a long time, Old Zhong also looked out for himself because many would return to exchange eggs over minor flaws, sometimes over a tiny spot or because of age.

Living in the same village, he found it hard to refuse.

"Okay, Shuangshuang and I understand. Thank you, Grandpa Zhong."

Lu Yuanfeng paid for the eggs and helped Mu Shuangshuang carry them back to the third branch. Mu Shuangshuang laid out the prepared materials one by one, and Lu Yuanfeng watched with curiosity about what the century eggs Shuangshuang spoke of actually were.

"We need to first clean the duck eggs; you know, duck eggs often have quite a bit of duck poop." Mu Shuangshuang found it a bit amusing as she spoke, but with Lu Yuanfeng there, she maintained a bit of seriousness.

"Actually, making century eggs is quite simple; we just need to prepare the alkaline clay mix."

Before Lu Yuanfeng, Mu Shuangshuang put sodium carbonate and salt into a small clay pot, pouring in boiled water. Once they were fully dissolved, she added quicklime and wood ash in batches.

During this process, she kept a close watch on the quicklime dissolving in the clay pot. Once the lime fully "dissolved," she stood up.

"The most crucial step, the alkaline clay mix is ready! Now let’s coat the duck eggs."

In the alkaline clay, Mu Shuangshuang added a layer of rice husks. Each duck egg was rolled in the clay, coming out looking completely different.

"Is it done just like that?"

Lu Yuanfeng was extremely surprised. He thought making century eggs would be a complex procedure.

"Yes, it’s that simple. That’s why I’m doing it. In two months, we can eat the duck eggs."

Lu Yuanfeng laughed along with Mu Shuangshuang, also growing curious about the century eggs in the pot.

Two months, he eagerly awaited, hoping time would fly by, sparing him the daily anticipation.