“You know the wild duck eggs in the reed marshes? Bring me three eggs, and I’ll give you 20 cents. With that, you can buy candy. But you must go in pairs and not near the water!”
“Really?”
“Of course! I wouldn’t lie.”
Whether it was true or not, they’d soon find out.
Duck eggs in the county were worth far more than 20 cents for three. After all, what would have been the point of business if Scarlett hadn’t made a profit?
Using kids to help gather wild duck eggs was a way to utilize the cheapest labor possible, driving costs down to the minimum. Scarlett thought to herself how accomplished she was—being reborn in 1983 and already figuring out how to exploit child labor.
Two cents held enormous appeal for kids.
These children, born in the 1970s in rural areas, typically received only a few cents as New Year’s money, with the lucky ones getting a dollar. They’d use this small amount to buy candy or firecrackers, treasuring it for as long as possible.
An hour later, a nine-year-old girl, accompanied by her younger sister, brought Scarlett over a dozen wild duck eggs. After inspecting the eggs to ensure they were intact, Scarlett kept her promise. She didn’t take advantage of the kids’ often-limited math skills and calculated the payment fairly.
“You brought me 16 eggs. Here’s one dollar and seven cents.”
The change had been exchanged earlier at the village’s small shop.
The little girl clutched the money, her hands trembling with excitement, not knowing where to put it. The younger child beside her drooled, muttering, “Candy.” The older sister held her sibling’s hand tightly as they walked home. With more than a dollar in hand, she wouldn’t dare spend it without her parents’ permission.
Scarlett called out to her:
“If you have chicken eggs at home, you can sell them to me too. I’m staying at Michael’s house, but make sure to ask your parents before selling the eggs.”
Scarlett’s “junior army” cleared out the nearby reed marshes within two hours. Wild ducks quacked loudly, flapping their wings in chaos. Some kids even brought her newly hatched ducklings and asked if she wanted them.
Since there was space to raise ducks, Scarlett decided to take them back and give Elizabeth something to keep her busy.
By the end of the day, Scarlett had collected over 90 wild duck eggs.
As for whether anyone would sell her chicken eggs, she would find out by evening.
When Scarlett returned home, she found that her uncle had caught half a bucket of loaches, several eels, and over ten pounds of crucian carp from the rice fields. All the fish were kept in a water tank by the wall.
“Keep them for a few days so they can empty their stomachs before we cook them!” William explained.
Amanda had made radish soup with beef bones, and the delicious aroma filled the courtyard. Mealtime was sacred—no one would visit during this time, as everyone cherished rare good food and knew better than to drop by uninvited.
Under the eaves, Elizabeth was weaving grass baskets. She had already made quite a pile.
“Scarlett, take a look—are these okay?”
Of course, they were perfect. The wild duck eggs and chicken eggs fit snugly into the baskets. Michael puffed out his chest proudly, “Scarlett bought so many duck eggs, and she even bought me candy!”
Amanda laughed as she overheard this from the kitchen.
Scarlett hadn’t been so patient with Michael in the past. Since Michael was Amanda’s pride and joy, Scarlett’s kindness toward him naturally endeared her to Amanda.
For a while, the entire family’s atmosphere was relaxed and harmonious.
Scarlett felt hopeful for the future. Leaving Larkspur Village was absolutely the right decision!
