Chapter 179: Another Announcement

When Yan Lao’er mentioned that they had secured an order for 300 catties of charcoal, Qi Wu immediately stopped stripping tree bark, grabbed his axe, and rushed toward the mountain in a hurry.

“No need to rush. Let me explain first. After dinner, we don’t have to go far—just to the nearby forest. The four of us will put in some effort, light the fire, and take turns watching over it,” Yan Lao’er said.

Qi Si asked, “Yan Er Ge, can’t we just use these branches to burn?”

He pointed at the bundles of cedar branches.

Yan Lao’er shook his head. “They’re too thin. They’ll burn up too fast. We’re just starting out, so we need to build a reputation. Selling people this kind of broken charcoal won’t do. We should still use the kind of wood we’ve picked before.”

“Also, I have an idea. Let’s discuss it,” Yan Lao’er continued. “Now that we’ve officially started selling charcoal, even though we’re not making much, it’s a good beginning. We can’t just focus on what’s in front of us. If we burn and sell as we go, not only will we struggle to keep up with demand, but it’ll also interfere with our daily work.

I was thinking, instead of completely digging out the charcoal pit each time, we can leave most of it intact. That way, when we burn the next batch, we can just add wood inside, saving a lot of time.

This way, we can go about our usual work during the day and leave charcoal-making for after dinner. We don’t need to burn too much at once—just a little every day. Over time, as we stockpile it, by the time the cold season arrives and charcoal sells well, we should have a good amount saved up.

Another benefit of doing it this way is that we won’t be too exhausted.”

Qi Da was the first to agree. “Sounds good. Let’s do it your way.”

Qi Si also approved.

Qi Wu, however, had a rare objection. “Yan Er Ge, we agreed before that you’d take the bigger share of the profits. But don’t think you can treat this like the bricks and split our earnings in half. If that happens, we won’t do it!”

He was very serious about discussing money with Yan Lao’er. To Qi Wu, this was extremely important—it had to be clear. Otherwise, he wouldn’t feel at ease doing the work or taking the money.

“You wish! Who said I’d split it evenly with you?” Yan Lao’er teased with a laugh. “But don’t you all slack off just because your share is smaller. This charcoal business is a long-term venture—it’s not just about a year or two. As long as Guan Zhou stays cold, we’ll always have customers. Slow and steady wins the race, and we can keep selling for years to come.”

Hearing this, the Qi brothers grinned from ear to ear.

If charcoal could be sold year-round, that meant they would always have work and always have money to earn.

There was no better deal than this.

After leaving the Qi household, Yan Lao’er went straight to the fields.

The ten mu of land that the kids had cleared of stones today still needed to have its grass burned and be plowed over.

Unfortunately, the land was too close to the village. If they used Sanbao to spray water on the field, someone might notice something unusual.

It seemed he would have to fetch water from the river instead. He needed to make the most of his time tonight and get this land ready.

Thinking about all the tasks ahead, he felt overwhelmed.

Meanwhile, Yan Yu was squatting beside Nanny Rong, watching her cook.

Tonight’s dinner was handmade noodles—

Chicken soup handmade noodles.

One of the little roosters at home: -1.

Nanny Rong also made meat sauce, with bits of meat floating in it. The rich, savory aroma was so tempting that everyone wanted to go on strike.

Forget work—

They wanted to eat right now!

In the morning, three eggs had been boiled. Li Xuemei hadn’t finished hers, so two were left.

Nanny Rong, never one to waste, turned them into tiger skin eggs and let them roll around in the meat sauce for extra flavor.

Yan Yu swallowed her saliva on the side.

Her little face was full of longing: I want to eat, I want to eat, I want to eat…

Perhaps her gaze was too intense and desperate, because Nanny Rong looked at her, then beckoned her over.

Yan Yu immediately leaped up.

She ran over joyfully, her face lifted in expectation, waiting to be fed.

Yan Yu: Nanny Rong, feed me! I am your poor, hungry Twelfth Prince!

As she wished, Nanny Rong placed two eggs in her bowl.

Then she pointed at her, then at Li Xuemei.

“Aunt Rong, one is for Mom, and the other one is for me?” Yan Yu’s voice involuntarily went up in excitement.

Nanny Rong kindly nodded, smiling as Yan Yu devoured a tiger skin egg in just a few bites.

Yan Yu: Wuwuwu! Eggs, oh eggs, why do you have so many delicious ways to be cooked?!

Li Xuemei also showed her appreciation through her actions.

She ate with great enjoyment.

Lately, she was constantly craving food, and her appetite had grown. She could eat light meals, but sometimes, she also longed for rich, savory dishes.

She loved sour foods.

She loved sweet foods.

Sometimes, she even wanted something bitter to cleanse her palate.

Basically, she wanted to try everything.

Tonight’s handmade noodles by Nanny Rong were a two-in-one meal.

There was a light chicken soup version and a mixed meat sauce version.

It was as if Nanny Rong could read her mind—she prepared two bowls for her.

Yan Yu, watching eagerly, looked at her own noodles, then decisively carried her bowl over.

After quickly slurping down half a bowl of meat sauce noodles, she showed her empty bowl to Nanny Rong.

“Aunt Rong, I want more! This time, chicken soup,” Yan Yu pleaded sweetly.

Nanny Rong glanced at her stomach and served her just enough to cover the bottom of the bowl.

Yan Yu was satisfied.

She was already full—she was just being greedy.

Yan Lao’er returned, gulped down two large bowls of noodles, patted his stomach, and left with the Qi brothers again.

Yan Yu was helping clean up when she suddenly let out an “Ah!”

Everyone turned to look at her.

Da Ya, worried, walked over and asked, “Did you cut your hand?”

On the journey from Qishan to Guan Zhou, they had lost a few bowls—some had cracks, and two even had chipped edges.

“No, just now, a bug crawled on my foot,” Yan Yu quickly lifted her hands to show they were fine.

Only then did Da Ya relax. She picked up two buckets and headed to the river to fetch water.

After eating, Yan Xiangheng felt re-energized and decided to clear more stones from Yan Yu’s new land.

Other than the construction workers, the only ones left here were Li Xuemei, Yan Yu, and Nanny Rong.

Oh, and the cat.

Li Xuemei was walking around their future homestead to aid digestion—noodles were hard to digest, and she had eaten a little too much.

The cat followed her, hopping between her feet. The two of them looked like they were playing a game together, full of childlike fun.

Yan Yu whispered mysteriously, “Mom, it’s here again! It’s coming!”

Li Xuemei was too entertained by the cat to think of anything else.

She asked in confusion, “What’s coming?”

“The platform! Our dear platform daddy! It’s making another announcement!” Yan Yu was bursting with excitement, even blurting out her personal nickname for the platform.

Li Xuemei realized what she meant and tapped her forehead, smiling helplessly. “Are you really that happy? Didn’t you say we shouldn’t rely entirely on the platform and should be self-sufficient?”

“Mom! That was when I thought the platform was leaving me!” Yan Yu said emotionally. “I was so reluctant! But at that time, what choice did I have? Other than staying strong and stubborn, what else could I do? Beg it to come back?”