The broth made from the large soup bone was used to simmer radishes.
The meat on the bone was so tender it practically melted, the broth turned milky white, and the radishes were soft without any tough fibers.
Poured over rice, even six-year-old Michael could finish a big bowl, let alone the adults. Scarlett insisted on adding scrambled wild duck eggs to the meal. William objected, calling it her “business capital,” and warned her not to make it a habit.
Scarlett thought giving household money directly might seem inappropriate, so she decided to supplement the family’s meals herself. She couldn’t bring herself to freeload entirely.
Freshly harvested tender leeks were stir-fried with the wild duck eggs, and the leeks’ aroma masked the eggs’ gaminess.
“Just like Scarlett suggested, I added a bit of vinegar while beating the eggs. They turned out soft and fluffy—almost like chicken eggs!” Amanda praised, and Elizabeth’s face lit up with pride.
People used to say Scarlett was useless, blind to housework, and too beautiful to stay grounded. Elizabeth had never given up on her daughter, and now, seeing Scarlett mature and thoughtful, she couldn’t help but feel joyful.
Scarlett, too, found the food at her uncle’s house to be quite good.
Sure, she had tasted high-end cuisine in her previous life, but considering the standard of living in rural areas in 1983, William’s household was doing exceptionally well. His ability to earn money, combined with his willingness to care for Scarlett and Elizabeth, made a significant difference.
After lunch, William went back to work in the fields.
Even Amanda joined him this time, though Elizabeth wanted to go as well. William told her to stay home and focus on weaving baskets.
“Scarlett’s window for making money is these next few days. Don’t hold her back.”
Scarlett took the opportunity to practice riding the new 28-inch bicycle. In her previous life, she had no relatives to rely on. Kind sponsors funded her schooling, and her career was built through her grit. She had no problem cycling dozens of miles for work during the coldest winters. Later, as her career advanced, she enjoyed full reimbursement for out-of-town business trips and even got a company car. Eventually, she bought her own vehicle.
She hadn’t touched an old-fashioned bike like this in nearly 20 years.
At first, she was clumsy, but soon her frustration turned into fluid movement.
Michael watched eagerly, but at six years old, he was still too small. Scarlett could only seat him on the back and let him hold onto her waist as she cycled around the village.
On the way, a familiar woman called out:
“Scarlett! My eldest said you’re buying eggs—what’s the price?”
Scarlett got off the bike and greeted her.
“Auntie, I am buying eggs. With everyone so busy with the harvest, I thought I’d collect eggs here and sell them in the city before the weather worsens. Of course, I have to make some effort and take on risks. How about 12 cents per egg?”
The woman, Aunt Laura, was married into the Johnson family and the fourth daughter-in-law.
Aunt Laura frowned. “I heard eggs can sell for 15 cents each in the city…”
Scarlett smiled and explained, “The price of eggs in the city fluctuates. Sometimes it’s 15 cents, but sometimes it’s lower. If I can’t sell them or they get damaged on the road, I bear the loss. Plus, the city is quite far from Wellwater Village. It takes half a day to go back and forth during harvest season. Who has that kind of time?”
“Well, I’ll sell them to you. I’ll go get the eggs from home.”
Almost every household kept a few hens, and the money for everyday necessities often came from selling eggs. With abundant summer grass seeds and insects, the hens were well-fed, and two hens could lay over 20 eggs in half a month.
Aunt Laura brought Scarlett more than 20 eggs, and Scarlett paid her on the spot. Word quickly spread through the village, and Scarlett’s egg business officially began.
Elizabeth worked faster, weaving more baskets.
In a little over a day, Scarlett collected almost all the eggs from Wellwater Village and even received eggs from neighboring villages brought to William’s house.
With only a little over 70 dollars in starting capital, Scarlett managed to buy nearly 400 chicken eggs and 200 wild duck eggs. She kept some emergency cash and decided to pause her collection for now.
Elizabeth had never seen so many eggs piled together before.
The baskets were full, creating a rather impressive sight.
Elizabeth was deeply worried that the eggs wouldn’t sell. After all, who could afford to spend dozens of dollars on eggs? That was more than a month’s salary for many urban workers!
“Tomorrow, I’ll take 200 chicken eggs and 100 wild duck eggs to the city,” Scarlett assured her.
If it weren’t for the two major factories in Greenfield County, Scarlett wouldn’t have dared to collect so many eggs.
